You are Cindy Moon; Warrior Priest of Khonshu, Ward of Ben Parker, Part-time local vigilante. And, just recently, you somehow obtained the title of "Slayer" from an ancient Vampire Lord with an evil agenda. Between going to school, fighting bad guys, wrangling an overeager sidekick and dealing with an insane amount of family drama, now you're expected to potentially help save the world! No pressure.
Archive:
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Max%20Spider%20Quest Last time: Cindy managed to convince the Kaiju King to aid her in eliminating Varnae, and forged an official contract of sorts with Mercy. But not soon afterwards, Monster Metropolis was attacked by an army of the undead! Together, with the help of Harpy, Deadhead, Shaggy, and, surprisingly enough, Louise the Nightguard, Cindy fought back against the undead menace and even spared time to rescue those in need.
The plan was going great, until Cindy was forcefully teleported back into the Kaiju King's palace, where she found her grandmother lying unconscious in the center of crowd of monstrous citizens! In an act of desperation, Cindy used the Bloodstone shard that Wilhelmina had granted her to save her grandmother's life!
Young rose from her comatose state soon after, and with her help, Cindy managed to convey her intention to eliminate Varnae to the rest of his victims. Now, the counter-attack can truly begin!
But what will happen to Cindy's friends? Will the Bloodstone have any long-term negative effects on her grandmother? Will Cindy continue to grow additional tails?
Find out more in the latest issue of…<span class="mu-r"><span class="mu-s">MAXIMUM SPIDER QUEST!</span></span>
Rules:
Most dice rolls will be 1d100. Modifiers will be added depending on the situation or on the alien being used(Usually +10 or -10). Crit successes and crit fails apply. Crit fails can be overridden by crit successes, but crit failures cannot override crit successes.
How to Roll:
To roll dice, type “dice+1d100” in the options field without the quotations. To roll dice with positive modifiers, type “dice+1d100+modifier number” in the options field without quotations, and with an actual modifier number. To roll dice with negative modifiers, type “dice+1d100+-modifier number” in the options field without quotations, and with an actual modifier number.
Pastebins:
Character Sheet:
https://pastebin.com/1ZihFYSV Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd Contacts:
https://pastebin.com/WdcFXD2s Costumes:
https://pastebin.com/5Jie54X2 10 Commandments of the Desperados:
https://pastebin.com/Qpr2jVPE The Huntsman’s Travel Guide:
https://pastebin.com/PU6LWsip Upcoming Events in the Maximum Universe:
https://pastebin.com/DceSEjiR
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sat 21 Jun 2025 01:54:17 No. 6262277 Report Quoted By:
If someone had told you earlier today that you would play an instrumental part in uniting an army of monsters to take revenge on a vampire lord older than most human civilizations for spreading misinformation about you, you might have applauded their gift for creative storytelling and went on your merry way. Except, that was the unfortunate reality that you now found yourself in. You have no real problems with smacking down horrible monsters when they get out of line, but…when they reared their ugly heads on a school night… For the past forty minutes or so, you’ve been drawing maps, giving directions, providing advice on strategic approaches to certain overrun streets…all while writing down the answers to math problems that you were expected to complete when you got back to your dorm. At the rate you were going, you might have to borrow Del’s phone again to have Ben call in your absence for the second day in a row. On the bright side, having a Kumiho’s physiology was about the only thing keeping you on your feet in the face of a seemingly inexhaustible zombie army. Once you were done giving directions, you had someone draw you a slightly more detailed map of the areas between you and that plaza where you'd run into Louise. If you hurried, you might be able to catch them before they got too far. On your way out, you said a brief goodbye to Grandma Young, and tried to ignore the worried glances she kept giving your second fox tail. And...you honestly couldn't blame her for being worried. Unbeknownst to most people, a fox demon’s number of tails symbolized their spiritual power, age and wisdom. Except, you were a 13 year old girl with barely any wisdom to speak of, and you had the spiritual power of a rock. A normal rock. Not even one of those cool ones with runes carved into them. So why was it that you were able to grow a second tail so soon? Maybe it had something to do with the unusual method that was used to grant you the power of Ami Han. If you were awakening to some sort of latent spiritual potential, then that would mean that your body would have to slowly change in order to accommodate for all that energy that was welling up inside you. And what exactly was a Kumiho with loads of spiritual power, but none of the wisdom required to properly utilize it? It was like building a killer robot with all sorts of gadgets and weapons, and then telling them to go around beating people up with nothing but their hands and feet. You’d been told that Ami Han was a powerful demon, and an impressive Onmyo. Without any of her practical experience, you possessed nothing more than a fraction of her physical strength. You were a human borrowing a demon’s spiritual power. That was all. At least, that’s what you told yourself in order to distract your mind from the itching sensation you felt in your lower back. —-------- (Cont.)
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sat 21 Jun 2025 01:59:14 No. 6262278 Report Quoted By:
<span class="mu-s">“That’s really him?”</span> you asked a skeletal bird with whom you were sharing its perch atop a neon green sign for what you thought was a noodle shop. You were pretty sure you were the only one that could see it, so you kept your voice low. The boney bird gestured insistently, pointing with its beak at a rapidly moving dot in the distance. You pulled your dubious gaze away from the bird and narrowed your eyes at the relatively small figure. <span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-i">“Have faith, child.”</span></span> Mercy admonished. <span class="mu-s">“It never hurts to look at things subjectively, you know.”</span> you retorted, patting the bird on the head and slinging a bolt of a cloth at a nearby building. <span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-i">“Are your so-called ‘teachers’ the ones putting such heretical thoughts in your head, girl?”</span></span> You pushed off from the sign, swung down, and flung yourself into the air in an upward arc. <span class="mu-s">“Believe it or not, independent thinking is pretty encouraged these days.”</span> you said, bounding off the top of a water tower, and zipping from rooftop to rooftop by… Were you…running on all fours? When had that happened? You caught yourself, went back to swinging, and reserved a bit of your attention to making note of any other “unusual behaviors”. <span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-i">“Your world must be a chaotic one.”</span></span> Mercy decided. <span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-i">“It is no wonder that our lord summoned me.”</span></span> <span class="mu-s">“No arguments here.”</span> you admitted, keeping a close eye on the figure that you were rapidly approaching. By the time you were close enough to recognize him, he had already spotted you, and was headed right for you! <span class="mu-r">“Cindy!”</span> Ben shouted, before snatching you out of the air and pulling you into a loving embrace. <span class="mu-s">“Hey, Ben. I’m glad you’re okay.”</span> you whispered, hugging him tightly as he swung the two of you to safety. <span class="mu-r">“That’s my line.”</span> he said, sounding more than a little exasperated. <span class="mu-r">“I leave for five minutes, and the entire city gets attacked by zombies!”</span> You laughed and pulled back so that you could get a better look at him. His suit had sustained more damage, but he didn’t look too worse for wear. <span class="mu-r">“Are you hurt? Is that a second tail?”</span> he asked, frantically looking you up and down. Feeling a little embarrassed, you pushed off of him and took a step back. <span class="mu-s">“I’m fine. And forget the second tail for a second.”</span> you insisted, scanning the area for the presence of Ana, James, or the other two Kaiju that went with him. <span class="mu-s">“Where are the others?”</span> <span class="mu-r">"They'll catch up. Annie and Edward Scissorhands stayed behind to help Mekara and Aegis clear out some of those zombies."</span> he quickly explained. You nodded. <span class="mu-s">"Got it. We'll have to link back up with them after we find the others."</span> You just hoped that you could find them in time... —--------- (Cont.)
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sat 21 Jun 2025 02:11:44 No. 6262282 Report Quoted By:
All things considered, Ben didn’t take the news of your second, and (possibly) third tail too poorly. He seemed more concerned with your immediate well-being than any future problems further down the line. You kept reassuring him that you were fine, but according to both Ben and Mercy, you apparently had a history of ignoring your own injuries. On that, the two of them could agree, even if they’ve never had a proper conversation with one another. You were about to consider introducing them, when you noticed your ethereal guide disperse upon coming in contact with a giant red bird-woman carrying a shaggy black dog and a buff, helmeted zombie. You were very nearly swept away by a single flap of her mighty wings, and she looked just as surprised to see you as well. But nothing compared to the reaction that Ben and Louise shared when they recognized each other. <span class="mu-r">“Louise!? What’re you doing here?”</span> Ben asked, clinging beside you on a sheer vertical surface. The French vampiress moved so fast that you could barely see it, reappearing in front of you and Ben and wrapping her arms around you both. She lavished you with kisses, and you couldn’t help but laugh at the ticklish sensation that she was giving you. Ben was similarly flustered by her sudden appearance, and her even more sudden display of affection. <span class="mu-r">“Monsieur Huntsman! Petit Cindy! It is good to see you both!”</span> she exclaimed, not struggling at all to hold your combined weight with her vampiric strength. <span class="mu-r">“You too! Today’s been chock full of surprises.”</span> he said, rubbing her back with his free hand. Louise pulled away slightly, but her face was still close enough to the point where he should be able to feel her breath. You were starting to wonder whether that was intentional on her part, when Ben broke eye contact to stare up at the swords she was carrying. <span class="mu-r">“You kept them.”</span> he observed, a note of pride in his voice. Still carrying you in her arms, Louise gently floated up to the roof of the building you'd been clinging to, and set you both down. <span class="mu-r">“Well, of course. They were your final gift to me before my departure.”</span> she insisted. <span class="mu-r">“And I am glad to have been given them, considering the circumstances.”</span> They both turned to stare out at the city. It was still crawling with zombies, but had gotten a little better, thanks in no small part to your efforts. <span class="mu-r">“I'm a firm believer in the principle of giving a girl a practical gift that she can actually use.”</span> She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and the corner of her mouth turned upwards in a slight grin. <span class="mu-s">“Oh yeah. Doesn't get much more practical than a pair of silver swords, I tell ya.”</span> you said, walking over to give Shaggy a scratch behind the ear. <span class="mu-s">“Hey, old man. You miss me?”</span> (Cont.)
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sat 21 Jun 2025 02:37:33 No. 6262292 Report <span class="mu-i">“I'm afraid I didn't have time to with all the rotters trying to take a bite out of me.”</span> giving you a wry grin before sniffing at your hair. <span class="mu-i">“You smell like your grandmother.”</span> <span class="mu-s">“Rude.”</span> <span class="mu-i">“You know what I mean.”</span> he sighed. <span class="mu-i">“How is she?”</span> <span class="mu-s">“Much better now.”</span> you answered. <span class="mu-s">“I had to use a Bloodstone to get her back in fighting shape, though.”</span> <span class="mu-i">“Wait…you used a Bloodstone on her!?”</span> he barked. <span class="mu-i">“What happened?”</span> You frowned down at him as you rose to your full height. <span class="mu-s">“It was the only thing I had! What was I supposed to do? Let her die?”</span> you snapped. Shaggy paused, closed his mouth, and lowered his head as a show of begrudging acceptance. <span class="mu-i">“No...you're right. I’m sorry. If you say that you had no choice, then I believe you.”</span> he decided. <span class="mu-i">“And if that Bloodstone works as advertised, then she’ll be a lot stronger than she has been in the last few decades.”</span> You nodded eagerly, pointing a finger at your own head. <span class="mu-s">“Oh, yeah. She aged backwards like fifty years and her hair turned red.”</span> <span class="mu-b">“That sounds nice.”</span> Deadhead said, his torso clutched tightly in Harpy’s claws. <span class="mu-b">“You think I can get some of that?”</span> Upon closer inspection, the man's complexion was noticeably less green than it had been the last time you saw him. He was also covered in bite marks that were still in the process of healing over. He was also completely missing his tank top. Harpy hadn't gotten out unscathed either. Many of her bracelets' charms had been torn off at some point, and her bodysuit had been torn round the midsection. She didn't look terribly happy about any of it. <span class="mu-r">"Your own fault. Gamma poisoning."</span> Harpy mentioned to him. <span class="mu-b">"Hey! Is that any way to thank me for saving the day?"</span> he asked, jabbing a thumb back at his mask. <span class="mu-b">"I poisoned myself for a good cause."</span> <span class="mu-i">"It'd be even more impressive if you weren't dying from it."</span> Shaggy put in. <span class="mu-b">"We're all dying, dog."</span> Deadhead remarked, nodding sagely at his own words of wisdom. <span class="mu-b">"Some of us a little faster than others."</span> At that, the rest of you joined Ben and Louise in glancing out over the city. ------------ What will you say/do?>Take a quick break. You could all use a breather. >Round up the rest of your allies and help them secure the city. >Draw Ben's attention to Harpy and Deadhead's helpfulness during this crisis. They deserve credit for sticking around when the going got rough. >Beseech Khonshu for an additional boon or further assistance. It might be a little greedy, but you feel like it isn't entirely uncalled for. >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6262292 >>Round up the rest of your allies and help them secure the city. job's not finished
Anonymous
>>6262292 >Round up the rest of your allies and help them secure the city. Yeah, this makes the most immediate sense. We’ve looked at the maps and know how our assigned generals will go. We can cover the other areas to clean up quicker.
>Draw Ben's attention to Harpy and Deadhead's helpfulness during this crisis. They deserve credit for sticking around when the going got rough. Credit where it’s due. Harpy’s got a job with Ben, but we’re giving Deadhead nothing as far as I remember. Everyone is a hero(-ish), they don’t count since they’re clearly deranged to do this for goodness’ sake.
That said, I’d put out there that Varnae is doing something else while we’re busy here. If anyone else has ideas on what his next plan is, or how we could force him into attacking us on our terms, I’m all ears. Maybe Ben “calls a friend” for “the Montesi Formula” and we set up a spell circle trap in a fortified area?
Anonymous
>>6262292 >>Draw Ben's attention to Harpy and Deadhead's helpfulness during this crisis. They deserve credit for sticking around when the going got rough. Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 22 Jun 2025 15:10:21 No. 6263379 Report Quoted By:
>>6262638 >>6262663 >>6263174 >Draw Ben's attention to Harpy and Deadhead's helpfulness during this crisis. They deserve credit for sticking around when the going got rough. >Round up the rest of your allies and help them secure the city. Taking these.
I'll also be heading out of the house soon, but I intend to write as much as I can throughout the day so I can make a post sometime in the evening when I get back.
Writing...
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Mon 23 Jun 2025 03:40:22 No. 6263843 Report Quoted By:
You glanced back at Deadhead, and then Harpy, and finally, back to Ben. You inched closer to the man, ever so slightly, and as nonchalant as you could manage. Both he and Louise turned to give you a questioning look. <span class="mu-s">“Hey, I forgot to mention earlier, but those guys over there were working super hard to keep me and everyone else safe.”</span> you whispered, jabbing a thumb in the odd pair's general direction Deadhead and Harpy exchanged confused glances before returning their attention to you. Ben gave Louise a questioning look, and the vampiress nodded encouragingly. <span class="mu-r">“Really?”</span> Ben asked, sounding genuinely surprised. <span class="mu-r">“I was expecting Harpy to stick around, since I scouted her for the team, but…”</span> Ben eyed Deadhead appraisingly as he walked over to the two, while Harpy’s beady eyes tracked his every movement. <span class="mu-r">“Ah. She is a member of ‘The Order’ now?”</span> Louise asked, clapping her hands together. Ben waved a dismissive hand at her. <span class="mu-r">“No, not that team. But…maybe later.”</span> he amended. <span class="mu-r">“I meant the <span class="mu-i">other</span> one.”</span> Louise nodded her comprehension and gave him a gentle smile. <span class="mu-r">“You did good for your first mission, Harpy.”</span> he said, patting the big bird woman on the hand that was holding Deadhead. <span class="mu-r">“Keep it up, and I might just have to throw in a free costume.”</span> <span class="mu-r">“New clothes…”</span> Harpy purred, her eyes narrowing and unfocusing as if she were in some sort of trance. <span class="mu-r">“Is that you in there Betty?”</span> Ben laughed. <span class="mu-r">“I bet you like the sound of that.”</span> <span class="mu-g">“So do I.”</span> Deadhead cut in, displaying his bare chest for all to see. <span class="mu-g">“Zombies’ll grab at anything they can reach. Even your most comfortable tank top.”</span> Making new clothes shouldn't be any problem with Mercy around, but you didn’t want to interrupt this little moment just to say that. <span class="mu-r">“You doing alright, Deadhead? You're looking a little green.”</span> he said, gesturing at the odd coloring of his skin. The man was practically covered in teeth and claw marks, but, all things considered, he was healing remarkably well. <span class="mu-g">“Hulk blood's a hell of a drug.”</span> he remarked, shaking his head. <span class="mu-g">“Nasty side effects, but I bet it'd make a <span class="mu-s">killer</span> Mountain Dew flavor.”</span> <span class="mu-r">“I'll take your word for it, bud.”</span> Ben replied. <span class="mu-r">“Still, I didn't expect you to be out here helping like this. I don’t know what that Blood Witch is promising you, because I sure hope it's worth it.”</span> Deadhead paused for a moment, and then just shrugged. <span class="mu-g">“Come on. You'd have to be a real asshole to just walk right on by while an even bigger asshole is threatening the planet.”</span> he said in a matter-of-fact tone. <span class="mu-g">“Besides, I've…kinda got people out there that I kinda care about too.”</span> You, Ben and Louise were all privately amused by the awkwardness of that statement, but then the hulking half-naked merc added something else.
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Mon 23 Jun 2025 03:41:23 No. 6263844 Report Quoted By:
<span class="mu-g">“I guess you guys are cool too.”</span> You got the impression that Ben was smiling under his mask when he quickly whipped out a business card. <span class="mu-r">“If you think we’re so cool, perhaps you’d be interested in doing some work for my organization.”</span> Ben offered. Deadhead stared down at his card for several seconds, before slowly taking it out of his hands. <span class="mu-g">“What kind of work? You part of some merc company, or something?”</span> he asked, turning the business card over a few times. <span class="mu-r">“Pretty much, yeah. We're a small business, but we've had some pretty nice returns on our investments.”</span> Ben began. <span class="mu-r">“We provide private security, regularly engage in asset retrieval operations, and, occasionally, assist in disaster relief if we happen to be in the area during a job.”</span> <span class="mu-g">“Huh.”</span> Deadhead intoned flatly, glancing between you and the card. <span class="mu-g">“‘Desperados’, huh? Is this you offering me a job?”</span> <span class="mu-r">“It's whatever you want it to be.”</span> Ben said with a shrug. <span class="mu-r">“I'd have to conduct a small interview if you wanted to form lasting ties with the team, but I've got a good feeling about you.”</span> Deadhead stared around at everyone, and found that no one had any objections to offer. Not even Harpy, his day one hater. You gave him two thumbs up and an encouraging smile. Deadhead looked back at the card, and then down at himself. <span class="mu-g">“I appreciate the offer, but uhhh…I don't really have anywhere to put this.”</span> Ben webbed it to his chest without hesitation. Deadhead paused, stared down at it, and he couldn’t help but laugh. <span class="mu-g">“Alright, fine. You've twisted my arm.”</span> he declared, throwing his hands up. <span class="mu-g">“If you want me to join so badly, then I guess I'll think about taking you up on your offer.”</span> You shook your head. Despite his words, Deadhead seemed to appreciate Ben asking him to stick around. <span class="mu-r">“Glad to hear it.”</span> Ben agreed. <span class="mu-r">“But before that, we should probably get you some new clothes.”</span> Then, he began weaving his webs together in order to create a new tank top for the man. Without warning, Mercy reached out to intercept his webs, pulling them apart and reweaving them into a more quality fabric. The sudden act surprised you as much as it did everyone else. Harpy released her grip on Deadhead, allowing you and Mercy to repair what was left of his pants with stylish spider-web patterned patches. By the time you were done, Deadhead looked as if he were wearing a spider silk fishnet shirt, along with a pair of blue and white camo pants. <span class="mu-b">“Hot damn! I should hire you two as my personal tailors.”</span> Deadhead said, admiring his and Mercy’s handiwork. <span class="mu-r">“Uh…you're welcome. I think...”</span> The others turned to stare at you, and you gave them an innocent shrug and a laugh that you hoped came off as only slightly nervous. (Cont.)
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Mon 23 Jun 2025 03:42:25 No. 6263845 Report <span class="mu-s">“Heh! Glad you like it! We should probably get moving so we can meet up with the others.”</span> you suggested, desperate to keep their attention off of Mercy. You still haven't explained to them her exact nature, and you felt that now wasn't a good time to approach that topic. <span class="mu-r">“Good idea.”</span> Ben agreed, likely trying to cover for you. He really was a sweetheart. <span class="mu-r">“But before that,”</span> he went on, pulling out his portal projector. <span class="mu-r">“Let’s take a little field trip through the Desperados’ armory.”</span> Deadhead chuckled and rubbed his hands together. <span class="mu-g">“Now you're speaking my language.”</span> ‐—---- What will your approach to combat be?>Go in guns blazing with some alien weaponry you borrowed from Ben's stash. >Focus on displacing and disabling targets to make everyone else's lives easier. >Feed Mercy a bunch of fabric so that you and she can bulk up and have your own Hulk Out! >Weave your way between the zombies at full speed, all while landing precise hits with your Atlantean sword. >Dig deep, and try to pull out more of Ami Han's power. Your foxfire isn't nearly as strong as it could be.
Anonymous
>>6263845 >>Feed Mercy a bunch of fabric so that you and she can bulk up and have your own Hulk Out! Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Mon 23 Jun 2025 06:06:47 No. 6263914 Report Made some changes to the Equipment doc! The Alien Arsenal has been properly accounted for and categorized! I've also included Cindy's Inventory so the players can check it at their leisure.
Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd Anonymous
Yay for being home and having decent wi-fi again!
>>6263845 >Dig deep, and try to pull out more of Ami Han's power. Your foxfire isn't nearly as strong as it could be. I did say I’d be more comfortable with drawing out our fox powers since Khonshu implied all this fighting would cost us when it came time to fight Varnae. The party could also use more crowd-based DPS, and foxfire seems good for that. Maybe our grandma can meditate with us as we figure it out so we don’t draw out other unwanted aspects? I can’t see her being overpowered by us now that she’s been Bloodstone’d.
Spread some web bombs and shrapnel/arc grenades to everyone for additional CC, a gun for everyone as a fallback ranged option, and see if our grandma wants the staff since we have our sword. Alternately, maybe it can join to the silver swords so Louise can switch between swords, halberds, and dual blades (whatever Kratos had in GoW). We still don’t know how that staff works besides guessing it switches forms, but grandma will know for certain since it’s from her shop.
Anonymous
>>6263914 nice. one less thing off our "to do" list. I like the riot shield, ben's good with those
>>6263848 imma preemptively swap to this
>>6263979 it's probably better
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Tue 24 Jun 2025 01:52:12 No. 6264275 Report Quoted By:
>>6263979 >>6264075 >Dig deep, and try to pull out more of Ami Han's power. Your foxfire isn't nearly as strong as it could be. >Spread some web bombs and shrapnel/arc grenades to everyone for additional CC, a gun for everyone as a fallback ranged option, and see if our grandma wants the staff since we have our sword. Alternately, maybe it can join to the silver swords so Louise can switch between swords, halberds, and dual blades (whatever Kratos had in GoW). We still don’t know how that staff works besides guessing it switches forms, but grandma will know for certain since it’s from her shop. I see we're giving the fox powers a try! Writing...
>>6263979 Welcome back! There are quite a few interesting things you can do with Kitsunebi if you have a skilled user. And Granny Young would should have an easier time apprehending someone like Cindy in her current state. The nature of her chi seems to have changed as a result of her connection to the Bloodstone.
>nice. one less thing off our "to do" list. I like the riot shield, ben's good with those Very true! Ben has a rare natural talent for using them.
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Tue 24 Jun 2025 04:50:16 No. 6264345 Report Quoted By:
As Deadhead and Louise helped themselves to Ben's arsenal of alien weaponry, you decided to stay behind and discuss something with Shaggy. <span class="mu-i">“You want me to what?”</span> he asked, giving you an incredulous look. <span class="mu-s">“I want you to help me draw out more fox power.” you pleaded. <span class="mu-i">“Am I the only one here who remembers where that power comes from? Who it belongs to.”</span> he said, just to make sure that he heard you right. <span class="mu-i">“Let me remind you, then. Ami Han. The White Fox. The Thousand Tailed Trickster. One of the most talented Onmyōdō practitioners to have ever lived.”</span> You nodded, holding his gaze. “Yeah, I know. But since I can't help the fact that our souls are linked, and the world is about to be overrun with vampires from a hell dimension if we don't do anything to stop Varnae, I've come to the conclusion that it's a risk worth taking.” He continued to stare at you, but you knew that he wouldn't have a proper comeback for the solid point that you just made. <span class="mu-i">“Are you certain that this is the path you wish to take? The more power you take, the deeper your connection grows. And you aren't the only one who can take advantage of this situation.”</span> he warned. <span class="mu-i">“Ami Han will be able to sense you tapping into her power, from wherever she is.”</span> “We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.” you decided. “It's like you said before. I've got friends and family who would do anything for me. I’m probably gonna have to confront Ami Han someday, but at least I won't have to do it alone.” You glanced over at the swirling portal, where Louise was exiting with some sort of sci-fi crossbow and two blaster pistols. Standing beside the portal was Harpy, who had multiple plasma rifles strapped to her back, and two plasma pistols to her legs. Shaggy let out a weary sigh and sat down. <span class="mu-i">“Very well. If that’s what you want, then you’d better ditch the sword.”</span> he suggested, pointing his nose towards the golden blade. <span class="mu-i">“We don’t want anything interfering with your abilities.”</span> You nodded, removed the sword from your hip, and ran over to Louise. “Hey Louise! Wanna trade?” you asked, showing her your sword. “It’s Atlantean steel, so it cuts through and disrupts magic. And this staff on my back is supposed to be able to turn into different weapons. I haven’t tried it yet, though…” <span class="mu-r">“Of course. So long as you let me feel your ears later.”</span> Louise proposed. You moved to cover them, but managed to stop your hands halfway. “What is your obsession with my ears?” you accused. <span class="mu-r">“I cannot help it! They look so soft!”</span> Louise said, smiling as she reached up and drew both silver swords. She then laid them both flat in her hands and offered them to you. You returned her smile and exchanged your own weapons for hers. Afterwards, you ran back over to Shaggy with a pair of silver swords strapped to your back. “Done.” you announced. “What's that you've got there?” (Cont.)</span>
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Tue 24 Jun 2025 04:51:47 No. 6264347 Report Quoted By:
As Deadhead and Louise helped themselves to Ben's arsenal of alien weaponry, you decided to stay behind and discuss something with Shaggy. <span class="mu-i">“You want me to what?”</span> he asked, giving you an incredulous look. <span class="mu-s">“I want you to help me draw out more fox power.”</span> you pleaded. <span class="mu-i">“Am I the only one here who remembers where that power comes from? Who it belongs to.”</span> he said, just to make sure that he heard you right. <span class="mu-i">“Let me remind you, then. Ami Han. The White Fox. The Thousand Tailed Trickster. One of the most talented Onmyōdō practitioners to have ever lived.”</span> You nodded, holding his gaze. <span class="mu-s">“Yeah, I know. But since I can't help the fact that our souls are linked, and the world is about to be overrun with vampires from a hell dimension if we don't do anything to stop Varnae, I've come to the conclusion that it's a risk worth taking.”</span> He continued to stare at you, but you knew that he wouldn't have a proper comeback for the solid point that you just made. <span class="mu-i">“Are you certain that this is the path you wish to take? The more power you take, the deeper your connection grows. And you aren't the only one who can take advantage of this situation.”</span> he warned. <span class="mu-i">“Ami Han will be able to sense you tapping into her power, from wherever she is.”</span> <span class="mu-s">“We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.”</span> you decided. <span class="mu-s">“It's like you said before. I've got friends and family who would do anything for me. I’m probably gonna have to confront Ami Han someday, but at least I won't have to do it alone.”</span> You glanced over at the swirling portal, where Louise was exiting with some sort of sci-fi crossbow and two blaster pistols. Standing beside the portal was Harpy, who had multiple plasma rifles strapped to her back, and two plasma pistols to her legs. Shaggy let out a weary sigh and sat down. <span class="mu-i">“Very well. If that’s what you want, then you’d better ditch the sword.”</span> he suggested, pointing his nose towards the golden blade. <span class="mu-i">“We don’t want anything interfering with your abilities.”</span> You nodded, removed the sword from your hip, and ran over to Louise. <span class="mu-s">“Hey Louise! Wanna trade?”</span> you asked, showing her your sword. <span class="mu-s">“It’s Atlantean steel, so it cuts through and disrupts magic. And this staff on my back is supposed to be able to turn into different weapons. I haven’t tried it yet, though…”</span> <span class="mu-r">“Of course. So long as you let me feel your ears later.”</span> Louise proposed. You moved to cover them, but managed to stop your hands halfway. <span class="mu-s">“What is your obsession with my ears?”</span> you accused. <span class="mu-r">“I cannot help it! They look so soft!”</span> Louise said, smiling as she reached up and drew both silver swords. She then laid them both flat in her hands and offered them to you. You returned her smile and exchanged your own weapons for hers. Afterwards, you ran back over to Shaggy with a pair of silver swords strapped to your back. <span class="mu-s">“Done.”</span> you announced. <span class="mu-s">“What's that you've got there?”</span> (Cont)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Tue 24 Jun 2025 04:52:48 No. 6264348 Report Quoted By:
Shaggy was now holding the chain of one of his charms in his mouth. It looked like a tiny locket. <span class="mu-i">“Spiritual power comes from within, so we must prepare your mind for introspective meditation.”</span> You raised an eyebrow and knelt down to sit on the floor with your legs crossed. <span class="mu-s">“Is that really how it works?”</span> you asked, trying not to sound <span class="mu-i">too</span> skeptical. The black dog gave you an admonishing look. <span class="mu-i">“Your body is changing in ways that neither of us can fully predict. A proper warrior shouldn't expect to be able to expertly wield an unfamiliar weapon with a body that they aren't entirely comfortable with.”</span> You draped both tails over your legs and began to rub them self-consciously. He might have a point there. <span class="mu-i">“If you're ready to come to terms with your new body, then I'll support you.”</span> he went on. <span class="mu-i">“If you ever want to become as strong as your grandmother, then you must learn to accept everything about yourself. The good and the bad. You will always be yourself, even if your sense of self is constantly shifting.”</span> You stared down at your clawed hands, wondering if you could ever fully accept a version of yourself that you had no part in developing. You didn’t want to. Because the fact that someone else was capable of changing your life so easily made you feel helpless. There might be no going back. But so what if there wasn't! No matter what happens to you or what you become, you'll always be Cindy Moon. And there'll always be people that care about you enough to pull you back from whatever dark path you might stumble down. You cupped one hand under the other, resting them both over your stomach. You closed your eyes, breathed in deep, and let it out slowly after about ten seconds. <span class="mu-s">“Thank you. I'm ready now.”</span> you declared. Shaggy responded by moving his head from side to side, and causing the pendulum to swing gently. You allowed your eyes to follow the pendulum, feeling your heart relax as your focus became incredibly singular. You were no longer thinking of drafts for upcoming essays, or the unfinished homework you had waiting for you. Instead, your awareness of your own body was being heightened by the hypnotic rhythm of the pendulum. You weren’t susceptible enough to be made to cluck like a chicken like some people, but since this fell further into the category of guided meditation, you felt more comfortable with participating. <span class="mu-i">“Close your eyes, and focus on breathing.”</span> Shaggy slowly said. <span class="mu-i">“Just breathe.”</span> You did so, breathing in and out slowly for at least a minute. <span class="mu-i">“Feel the air pumping in and out of your lungs. Feel the blood flowing through your veins. Feel the very beating of your heart. Do they feel any different than before?”[/] <span class="mu-s">“...No. My heartbeat is a little faster than normal.”</span> “That's normal.” Shaggy said. “But you know your body better than anyone. What's different this time?” (Cont.)</span>
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Tue 24 Jun 2025 04:55:49 No. 6264354 Report Quoted By:
Shaggy was now holding the chain of one of his charms in his mouth. It looked like a tiny locket. <span class="mu-i">“Spiritual power comes from within, so we must prepare your mind for introspective meditation.”</span> You raised an eyebrow and knelt down to sit on the floor with your legs crossed. <span class="mu-s">“Is that really how it works?”</span> you asked, trying not to sound <span class="mu-i">too</span> skeptical. The black dog gave you an admonishing look. <span class="mu-i">“Your body is changing in ways that neither of us can fully predict. A proper warrior shouldn't expect to be able to expertly wield an unfamiliar weapon with a body that they aren't entirely comfortable with.”</span> You draped both tails over your legs and began to rub them self-consciously. He might have a point there. <span class="mu-i">“If you're ready to come to terms with your new body, then I'll support you.”</span> he went on. <span class="mu-i">“If you ever want to become as strong as your grandmother, then you must learn to accept everything about yourself. The good and the bad. You will always be yourself, even if your sense of self is constantly shifting.”</span> You stared down at your clawed hands, wondering if you could ever fully accept a version of yourself that you had no part in developing. You didn’t want to. Because the fact that someone else was capable of changing your life so easily made you feel helpless. There might be no going back. But so what if there wasn't! No matter what happens to you or what you become, you'll always be Cindy Moon. And there'll always be people that care about you enough to pull you back from whatever dark path you might stumble down. You cupped one hand under the other, resting them both over your stomach. You closed your eyes, breathed in deep, and let it out slowly after about ten seconds. <span class="mu-s">“Thank you. I'm ready now.”</span> you declared. Shaggy responded by moving his head from side to side, and causing the pendulum to swing gently. You allowed your eyes to follow the pendulum, feeling your heart relax as your focus became incredibly singular. You were no longer thinking of drafts for upcoming essays, or the unfinished homework you had waiting for you. Instead, your awareness of your own body was being heightened by the hypnotic rhythm of the pendulum. You weren’t susceptible enough to be made to cluck like a chicken like some people, but since this fell further into the category of guided meditation, you felt more comfortable with participating. <span class="mu-i">“Close your eyes, and focus on breathing.”</span> Shaggy slowly said. <span class="mu-i">“Just breathe.”</span> You did so, breathing in and out slowly for at least a minute. <span class="mu-i">“Feel the air pumping in and out of your lungs. Feel the blood flowing through your veins. Feel the very beating of your heart. Do they feel any different than before?”</span> <span class="mu-s">“...No. My heartbeat is a little faster than normal.”</span> <span class="mu-i">“That's normal.”</span> Shaggy said. <span class="mu-i">“But you know your body better than anyone. What's different this time?”</span> (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Tue 24 Jun 2025 04:56:50 No. 6264355 Report <span class="mu-s">“I feel…warmth–in my stomach. But every now and again, when I breathe a certain way, I feel that warmth travel up through my body. But…when it passes my lips, it turns…really cold.”</span> <span class="mu-i">“Then focus on that feeling. Lean your head back, and try to breathe like that for as long as you can manage. After every third breath, give us a sharp, heavy breath.”</span> You did as he said, feeling your lips cool as you spat foxfire straight into the air. You continued doing so, in long streams, and in short bursts. You spread your hands as time went on, focusing only on the feeling of breathing in and out. Eventually, you felt the same itching sensation in your lower back that signified the growth of another tail. Only, you didn’t fight it this time. You relaxed your entire body, and welcomed the flow of spiritual energy that came with the addition of another tail. And from that tail, came the same sensation that you felt in the very pit of your stomach. Warmth, followed by bitter cold. Mercy was trembling by this point, but she chose to tough it out instead of immediately panicking like last time. You wished you could promise her that it would be over soon, but you honestly had no idea how long you would have to- Just then, all three tails brushed against each other, and you felt a <span class="mu-i">jolt</span> as something jumped from your tails and struck the ground. You opened your eyes and turned around to see a patch of ice rapidly forming at the point of impact. A quick glance at your tails showed a crackling blue energy dancing along your fur. It was like electricity, but it froze things? Experimentally, you breathed out a large plume of foxfire at a puddle of water, and watched with amazement as it froze over upon contact! Foxfire was an endothermic flame? Who knew! What will you do with this new discovery?>Try to learn precise control with your Kitsunebi. It's a necessary skill for any fox demon trickster. >Attempt to wreath your hands in foxfire without giving yourself frostbite. >Practice wielding frozen lightning. That's got to be the coolest upgrade you've gotten so far! >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6264355 >>Try to learn precise control with your Kitsunebi. It's a necessary skill for any fox demon trickster. Anonymous
>>6264355 >Try to learn precise control with your Kitsunebi. It's a necessary skill for any fox demon trickster. I’m sure Cindy knows that any weapon training starts with fundamentals before you get to the fancy stuff, and control is fundamental.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Wed 25 Jun 2025 12:30:54 No. 6265053 Report Quoted By:
>>6264356 >>6264466 >Try to learn precise control with your Kitsunebi. It's a necessary skill for any fox demon trickster. Taking these. I'll post the update after I get home from work in the evening.
>I’m sure Cindy knows that any weapon training starts with fundamentals before you get to the fancy stuff, and control is fundamental. Very true! Cindy must first learn to master herself. Or, at least, her new self!
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Thu 26 Jun 2025 00:41:56 No. 6265314 Report Quoted By:
Tentatively, you rose to your feet, a prickling feeling spreading from your tails as they seemed to produce more and more foxfire without your incentive. <span class="mu-i">“It's your tails.”</span> Shaggy said. <span class="mu-s">“Huh?”</span> <span class="mu-i">“Your tails. They produce foxfire when you rub your tails together.”</span> he explained. <span class="mu-i">“Try to keep that in mind.”</span> You stared back at your flashy new appendages, and flicked them a couple times for good measure. A bit of foxfire rolled off of one, and you instinctively reached out to touch it. The cool blue flame glommed onto your hand and clung to it like a magnet. It didn't feel anywhere near as cold as it did a moment ago. You watched as the flames danced along your slender fingers, flexing them a few times for good measure. As you did, the flames crept up your fingers, until the entire glob of foxfire clung to your fingertips. One by one, you folded your fingers down, until the only ones left holding the foxfire in place were your index and middle finger. Bringing it up to eye level, you waved your fingers back and forth, waiting to see if the flickering orb would detach from your fingers. When that didn’t work, you decided to be a bit more forceful, and flicked your hand at a nearby antenna. For a moment, the foxfire seemed to consume the thin metal wire, causing a thin layer of frost to develop over it. You were kind of hoping for the entire thing to freeze over… Your confusion and disappointment must have been evident on your face, because Shaggy chose that moment to speak up. <span class="mu-i">“By default, foxfire is chilling to the touch.”</span> he said, sliding into the role of lecturer with ease. <span class="mu-i">“But only to living beings. It drains them of their energy. To the undead, however, they would mostly serve as a distraction, or an inconvenience at most.”</span> <span class="mu-s">“Oh…”</span> you muttered, deflating a bit. <span class="mu-i">“But…that’s not all they can do, you see. You’re only scratching the surface.”</span> Shaggy put in, leaning in closer. <span class="mu-i">“With enough practice, you can control the temperature of each one. And when a bunch of those little bundles of foxfire get a bit too close to one another…”</span> <span class="mu-s">“They’ll create a chemical reaction!”</span> you gasped. Shaggy nodded approvingly, and sat back to watch you experiment. —------- Over the next twenty minutes, you learned how to alter the temperature of individual Kitsunebi based on how fast or hard you breathed or knocked your tails together. You also figured out how to alter their trajectory mid-flight, and summon them back to you. You didn’t know whether it was due to the fact that these things were made using your spiritual power, or if your link with Ami Han was making this process far easier than it would normally be, but you at least found this part to be somewhat intuitive. Shaggy reasoned that most fox kits had at least a fundamental understanding of how to wield their foxfire, so it shouldn’t have been that hard for you to figure it out with a bit of practice. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Thu 26 Jun 2025 00:42:58 No. 6265316 Report Quoted By:
That nearly took the wind out of your sails, until you FINALLY managed to recreate the chemical reaction that you were going for! <span class="mu-s">“Hot Kitsunebi plus Cold Kitsunebi equals…”</span> You guided both balls of flame closer and closer, until they collided to create a colorful cloud of steam! <span class="mu-s">“Instant smokescreen!”</span> you cheered, throwing both arms up. As you did, two more bursts of foxfire flew out from your hands, shooting directly upwards in an erratic pattern before exploding in a puff of smoke and colorful sparks! You, Shaggy, Harpy and Louise all stared up in surprise. You clapped both hands over your mouth, realized that they were far too close to your face after that little incident, and instead decided to hold them at your sides. When no zombies showed up to attack you, you all breathed a sigh of relief. <span class="mu-i">“Mm. Pretty.”</span> the dog commented in a bland tone. The sound of light applause drew your attention to Louise, who was watching you from afar. She had to do something to alleviate her boredom while waiting for Ben and Deadhead to come back out of that portal, after all. You waved back at her and let out a nervous laugh. <span class="mu-s">“Thanks. I guess I can shoot firecrackers now too? Those look like they might pack a decent punch.”</span> you speculated. <span class="mu-i">“They’re better for blinding people, but I suppose you could use fox-light for that instead.”</span> he mused. <span class="mu-s">“Isn’t that kind of what we’re already doing?”</span> you asked, tilting your head to the side. Shaggy tutted in a way that left you feeling annoyed. <span class="mu-i">“Not quite, lass. Foxfire is a very flexible form of magic.”</span> he went on. <span class="mu-i">“Not only can you use it to make soul-chilling flames, but you can also use it to bend light to your will. How do you think those tricky little weasels are always making illusions?”</span> You just shrugged. <span class="mu-s">“I dunno. I always thought that fox magic was inherently tricky.”</span> Shaggy chuckled. <span class="mu-i">“Well, you’re not wrong there. Tricksters aren’t keen on revealing their secrets, so I suspect that I’ll be learning as much from you as you will from me.”</span> You gave him a wry grin. <span class="mu-s">“Aren’t you the sworn enemy of the Kumiho, or something? You can’t expect me to believe that you haven’t picked up on a few of their tricks over the years.”</span> <span class="mu-i">“I have…but most of them aren’t particularly relevant to our current situation.”</span> he claimed. It was clearly a deflection. <span class="mu-i">“Now, stop wasting time and show us another one of those firecrackers. But do try to make it a lot brighter, and a lot quieter this time?”</span> <span class="mu-s">“You’re asking an awful lot from a Kumiho in training.”</span> you complained, holding both hands in front of you, and concentrating on making your next foxfire projectile ‘denser’. You loaded it up with more spiritual power this time, hoping to create an improvised Kitsunebi Flashbang as you fiddled with its chemical makeup. The ball of white foxfire shrank around your fingers, and you tried to focus more energy through it to- (Cont)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Thu 26 Jun 2025 00:43:58 No. 6265317 Report An honest to Khonshu <span class="mu-s">BEAM</span> shot from your finger, zipping over Shaggy’s head and cutting the antennae in half! Everyone froze when they saw that happen. Well…everyone except Shaggy. The dog was barking up a storm, slinging insults at you and warning you to be extra careful with…whatever it was that you had just done. You stared down at your finger, taking note of the increased draw of spiritual energy that attack had required. What will you do with your remaining time?>Focus on developing your crowd control capabilities with the Smokescreen Kitsunebi and Flashbang Kitsunebi. >Perfect your Firecracker Kitsunebi until you can use it as a reliable projectile weapon. >Experiment with your newly discovered "Kitsunebeam"! >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6265317 >Focus on developing your crowd control capabilities with the Smokescreen Kitsunebi and Flashbang Kitsunebi. Anonymous
>>6265317 >Focus on developing your crowd control capabilities with the Smokescreen Kitsunebi and Flashbang Kitsunebi. >Experiment with your newly discovered "Kitsunebeam"! The first one is traditional CC, but a piercing beam is also good against hordes of enemies. I’ll let someone else decide if they want to be SWAT or Yusuke Urameshi.
Also, since I missed commenting on it earlier, I appreciate Mercy being in our inventory and taking up 0 slots. Seems kinda funny to list a character like a gun or gem, but such is her lot in life now.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Fri 27 Jun 2025 00:04:33 No. 6265927 Report Quoted By:
>>6265322 >>6265324 >Focus on developing your crowd control capabilities with the Smokescreen Kitsunebi and Flashbang Kitsunebi. Taking these. Gonna start writing the big battle post! It probably won't be ready until tomorrow, but I'll try to load it up with a bunch of satisfying action scenes, as well a healthy dose of mid-battle banter!
>>6265324 >Also, since I missed commenting on it earlier, I appreciate Mercy being in our inventory and taking up 0 slots. Seems kinda funny to list a character like a gun or gem, but such is her lot in life now. Her being a literal article of clothing makes it more fitting! If Ben obtains a symbiote, I might put his in the "Costume" doc.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sat 28 Jun 2025 03:58:35 No. 6266580 Report Bad news! I'm gonna have to push this update to tomorrow instead! I was busier than I expected to be today, and I don't want to rush the update out. At the very least, though, I can guarantee that the story will be moving along after this.
Anonymous
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>>6266580 No worries, take your time. It sounds like you’re trying to pack a lot in.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 29 Jun 2025 20:41:13 No. 6267546 Report Quoted By:
After a brief lecture from Shaggy, you decided to avoid recreating the “Kitsunebeam” as you dubbed it, and instead stuck to developing your crowd control capabilities. It only took a bit of experimenting for you to discover that you could just create two Kitsunebi of opposing temperatures, roll them together, and throw out the combined spirit attack as an improvised smoke bomb. Compared to that, the Flashbang was significantly harder to create. Your time spent utilizing foxfire was minimal at best, but it was at least better than not having any practice at all. Which is exactly what you had when it came to manipulating foxfire in its pure light form. That was, until Shaggy pointed out that you could place a light orb inside of another Kitsunebi, and just throw that. This required at least another fifteen minutes of trial and error. The pressure only built up from there, when both Ben and Deadhead emerged from the portal halfway through your training session. They didn't interrupt, and kept to light whispering while they watched, but the fact that all of them were watching you mess up only made you feel more stressed out. After what felt like an incredibly embarrassing and unusually long passage of time, you managed to envelop a tiny bundle of foxfire inside of a larger ball of flame, and flung it at the side of a nearby building. The result was a brief, but blinding flash of light that would likely disorient anyone who wasn't expecting it. And that would have to do for now. With some repetition, you had a feeling that you could effortlessly perform these techniques mid combat. And what better way to accomplish that than to slay an army of zombies? You turned to face your audience. Ben had some kind of shield strapped to one arm, as well as a sword and spear on his back, and two pistols webbed to both of his thighs. And while you thought that he was more than prepared for the battle ahead, Deadhead looked like he was ready to fight an army by himself! The man had what appeared to be a light machine gun slung across his chest! He carried multiple pistols, a rifle with an absurdly long and pointy barrel, and a wrist mounted device that housed a pair of retractable blades. Both men were armed to the teeth! You gave them an approving grin. <span class="mu-s">“Let’s go find our friends.”</span> —--------- Normally, it might have taken you quite a bit of time to assemble an entire team that was spread out across a city currently being overrun by zombies. But now that you had Shaggy here, you were able to create portals to wherever Harpy reportedly spotted your allies. Unsurprisingly, she found Ana, James, Mekara and Aegis first. The latter two being the easiest to spot from a distance. As soon as both sides of the portal connected, you leapt back out onto the streets, and started slinging flashbangs around at- (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 29 Jun 2025 20:42:14 No. 6267547 Report Quoted By:
You froze, and so did everyone else when they emerged from the portal behind you. You were all staring down the barrel of a giant cannon that you belatedly realized was connected to Mekara’s right arm! To her left, Aegis stood at the ready, his eyes glowing an ominous shade of red. You could feel heat building rapidly in the space between you. But as soon as they recognized you, they immediately lowered their weapons and relaxed. <span class="mu-r">“Oh! Thank goodness you're all alright//safe//unharmed.”</span> Mekara, glitching slightly as she retracted her gun back into her arm. Aegis barked out a laugh, his eyes changing from red to blue. <span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-r">“Say somethin’ sooner next time! We almost barbecued ya!”</span></span> The two were currently standing in a small crater, the remains of their foes lying all around them. Some were half buried in the dirt. Others were smashed into pulp or shredded to pieces. As your gaze traveled upwards, however, you noticed two figures staring down at you from the ledge of a rooftop that was parallel to Mekara’s right shoulder. Ana and James both stood there, expressions of relief barely discernible through all the gore and black ichor covering their bodies. Ben’s huntress girlfriend swiftly folded and put away some kind of high tech bow with a string made of hardlight, and James retracted his bone claws with a slight wince. <span class="mu-r">“Looks like you guys managed to clean up just fine without us.”</span> Ben remarked, staring around at the destruction, before his gaze finally settled on Ana. Mekara reached up to where the two were, waited for them to step onto her hand, and lowered them to the ground safely. Ana stepped off right away and went straight for Ben, while you prepared to intercept the grimy blue boy. <span class="mu-b">“You are alright!”</span> he observed, flashing a pearly white grin at you. <span class="mu-s">“And I did it all without being bathed in zombie guts.”</span> you bragged, tossing a head full of silver hair. His smile widened, and this time you returned his gesture. <span class="mu-s">“I'm glad you're okay too.”</span> you admitted He opened his mouth to reply, but something going on behind you had apparently grabbed his attention. <span class="mu-r">“Hey, Ana. I brought-”</span> Ben got no further than that, because Ana walked right up to him, lifted his mask up, and gave him a deep, passionate kiss. Ben’s eyes widened in surprise, and he let out a startled noise that barely managed to escape the vacuum seal that had formed between his and Ana’s lips. You could feel your cheeks heating up, and you were about to turn away when you noticed Ana locking eyes with Louise over Ben's shoulder for a brief instant, all without breaking the lip-lock. Louise’s expression could only be described as…“carefully neutral”, but you thought you noticed a slight twitch from the corner of her mouth as Ana closed her eyes and tightened her grip on Ben's back. <span class="mu-r">“Wow…”</span> Mekara muttered, bringing up a hand to cover her own mouth. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 29 Jun 2025 20:43:15 No. 6267548 Report Quoted By:
Aegis was chuckling to himself. Harpy was staring at the two with her head tilted to the side. And Shaggy and Deadhead looked like they were just waiting for Ben and Ana to finish what they were doing. James, on the other hand, watched with open interest. As if he were entirely unfamiliar with the intimate act. Now that you thought about it…he very well might be. A clone mutant with no childhood, and one forced to work for a vampire lord and his cronies. In fact, it might not be too far off to assume that he's had very little intimacy throughout his lifetime. It was just hard to imagine a mutant evil scientist being a supportive father. You must have been staring a little too long, because he glanced down at you, realized that you had seen him staring, and his face flushed an even deeper shade of blue as his ears flattened and his eyes darted to the side. You smiled and glanced back at–THEY'RE STILL GOING!? Finally, they broke the kiss, both looking extremely satisfied. <span class="mu-r">“Well, hello to you too.”</span> Ben said with a sly grin, before pulling his mask back down. <span class="mu-g">“I am glad you are both safe.”</span> she said, turning around and reaching up and arm to pat your head. Her touch was a surprisingly gentle one. It made your head feel warm and fuzzy. Like she was stroking a rabbit. You didn’t know what to make of that, but you thought it was sweet that she was worried about you. You and she haven't really had a chance to hang out much before she had to go back with her father. Ana removed her hand, and turned back to gesture at the rest of the group. <span class="mu-g">“And I see you have found friends.”</span> Louise dipped her head slightly. <span class="mu-r">“Oui. I am happy to see that you are well, Anastasia.”</span> <span class="mu-g">“And I, you.”</span> Ana replied, stepping forward to clap a firm hand on her shoulder. This caused her crosses to jingle slightly. With a polite smile on her face, Louise reached up to unclasp her shawl, and the bundle of dull metal slipped from her shoulders, revealing a dark cloak that was dyed red on the inside, and a sleek, black bodysuit with a red sword logo that could potentially be interpreted as a cross. Ana’s eyes locked onto it. <span class="mu-g">“Does that hurt?”</span> she asked, her voice, while relaxed, conveyed genuine concern. Louise’s smile turned sad then, as she brought her hand up to touch the sword icon. <span class="mu-r">“If pain is the price that I must pay in order to affirm my faith, then so be it.”</span> she declared. <span class="mu-r">“I refuse to allow my condition to change who I am or what I believe.”</span> <span class="mu-b">“You and the kid have something in common, then.”</span> Deadhead offered, scanning the area for any threats. Ben was now giving Louise worried looks, but you could sense real conviction from her words. She wholeheartedly believed that her god must be venerated, no matter the cost. (Cont.) <span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-i">“She would make a fine follower of Khonshu…”</span></span> Mercy whispered.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 29 Jun 2025 20:45:14 No. 6267549 Report Quoted By:
Aegis was chuckling to himself. Harpy was staring at the two with her head tilted to the side. And Shaggy and Deadhead looked like they were just waiting for Ben and Ana to finish what they were doing. James, on the other hand, watched with open interest. As if he were entirely unfamiliar with the intimate act. Now that you thought about it…he very well might be. A clone mutant with no childhood, and one forced to work for a vampire lord and his cronies. In fact, it might not be too far off to assume that he's had very little intimacy throughout his lifetime. It was just hard to imagine a mutant evil scientist being a supportive father. You must have been staring a little too long, because he glanced down at you, realized that you had seen him staring, and his face flushed an even deeper shade of blue as his ears flattened and his eyes darted to the side. You smiled and glanced back at–THEY'RE STILL GOING!? Finally, they broke the kiss, both looking extremely satisfied. <span class="mu-r">“Well, hello to you too.”</span> Ben said with a sly grin, before pulling his mask back down. <span class="mu-g">“I am glad you are both safe.”</span> she said, turning around and reaching up and arm to pat your head. Her touch was a surprisingly gentle one. It made your head feel warm and fuzzy. Like she was stroking a rabbit. You didn’t know what to make of that, but you thought it was sweet that she was worried about you. You and she haven't really had a chance to hang out much before she had to go back with her father. Ana removed her hand, and turned back to gesture at the rest of the group. <span class="mu-g">“And I see you have found friends.”</span> Louise dipped her head slightly. <span class="mu-r">“Oui. I am happy to see that you are well, Anastasia.”</span> <span class="mu-g">“And I, you.”</span> Ana replied, stepping forward to clap a firm hand on her shoulder. This caused her crosses to jingle slightly. With a polite smile on her face, Louise reached up to unclasp her shawl, and the bundle of dull metal slipped from her shoulders, revealing a dark cloak that was dyed red on the inside, and a sleek, black bodysuit with a red sword logo that could potentially be interpreted as a cross. Ana’s eyes locked onto it. <span class="mu-g">“Does that hurt?”</span> she asked, her voice, while relaxed, conveyed genuine concern. Louise’s smile turned sad then, as she brought her hand up to touch the sword icon. <span class="mu-r">“If pain is the price that I must pay in order to affirm my faith, then so be it.”</span> she declared. <span class="mu-r">“I refuse to allow my condition to change who I am or what I believe.”</span> <span class="mu-b">“You and the kid have something in common, then.”</span> Deadhead offered, scanning the area for any threats. Ben was now giving Louise worried looks, but you could sense real conviction from her words. She wholeheartedly believed that her god must be venerated, no matter the cost. <span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-i">“She would make a fine follower of Khonshu…”</span></span> Mercy whispered. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 29 Jun 2025 20:46:15 No. 6267550 Report Quoted By:
Khonshu probably thought so too, but you couldn't imagine how you would even begin to preach your faith to someone so assured in their own. You've never actually converted anyone before. Ana took a step back from Louise and infiltrated Ben’s personal bubble with ease. <span class="mu-g">“We don’t have much time to waste.”</span> she proclaimed, reaching behind Ben’s head to grab the spear from its place on his back. She inspected it, saw the Bolter strapped to his thigh and took that as well. She then motioned to Deadhead and pointed at the Laser Lance he had slung over his shoulder. <span class="mu-g">“Walker. Are you using that?”</span> she asked. <span class="mu-b">“Yeah, I'm gonna use it later.”</span> he answered. <span class="mu-g">“Either pick the big gun or the rifle. How do you plan on using both?”</span> she pointed out. <span class="mu-b">“Just go in the portal and get your own.”</span> Deadhead proposed. <span class="mu-r">“I’ve only got one of those, man.”</span> Ben put in. <span class="mu-b">“She didn’t have to know that.”</span> Deadhead groaned, shaking his head at him. <span class="mu-r">“She already knows. She’s been in there before.”</span> he shot back, moving to create a few holsters for Ana out of webbing. Deadhead jabbed a thumb back at Harpy. <span class="mu-b">“Why don’t you take one of hers? She’s got like four of them, and she barely needs all that.”</span> he pointed out. <span class="mu-b">“Can she even pull the trigger with those big meat hooks she calls claws?”</span> As if to demonstrate, Harpy pulled out one of her rifles, and with one hand, she aimed it at Deadhead’s back and slowly pulled the trigger with the tip of her claw. It happened so fast, that you didn’t really get a chance to warn him. Deadhead cursed as soon as the burst of molten plasma slammed into his back. He only stumbled slightly, but that was about it. <span class="mu-b">“Motherfucker! I just got these clothes!”</span> he snapped back. <span class="mu-r">“Proving a point.”</span> she replied, replacing the rifle in its web sling. Aegis gave Mekara a questioning look. The giant robot woman just shrugged. <span class="mu-r">“I mean…you were kinda asking for it this time.”</span> Ben countered. <span class="mu-r">“If you want me and Cindy to fix your clothes, then all you’ve gotta do is ask.”</span> <span class="mu-s">“Yeah, it’s no trouble.”</span> you said, hoping Mercy would feel the same. That was apparently enough to mollify him. <span class="mu-b">“At least I don’t have to dig the bullet out…”</span> he grumbled, rolling the shoulder that had been hit. The smell of charred flesh hit your sensitive nose, and you had to fight the urge to take a few steps back. James seemed to be in the same boat, but if you were being entirely honest, this whole zombie invasion has pretty much been a buffet of bad smells, so you couldn’t bring yourself to care too much about this particular one. <span class="mu-b">“Cindy? I hope you do not take this the wrong way…but your friends are quite strange.”</span> James observed. <span class="mu-s">“You have no idea.”</span> you said, shaking your head at them. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 29 Jun 2025 20:48:19 No. 6267554 Report Quoted By:
After another minute of arguing, Deadhead finally gave up the rifle and got Ben’s sword as recompense. And it was a good thing too, because Shaggy was starting to get impatient. <span class="mu-r">“Everyone ready?”</span> Louise asked. She got a mix of nods and verbal confirmations, so she took that as a unanimous “yes”. <span class="mu-r">“Good. Allons-y!”</span> she said, brandishing the Staff of Mercurial Form. It shifted into a heavy maul, which, judging by her expression, must not have been what she was going for. —------- Due to the sheer size of the giant robot duo, Shaggy’s portals were no longer a viable option for moving the team around. So, those with low mobility were placed on Mekara and Aegis’ shoulders. So, aside from Deadhead and Shaggy, you were all pretty much able to move around independently. And when you finally reached a street that was jam packed with zombies, only then did you get a chance to see what Kaiju King’s elite soldiers could do. <span class="mu-r"><span class="mu-s">“Fire-in-the-hole!”</span></span> Aegis shouted, before a crimson beam of energy erupted from his eyes and trailed up the street, obliterating anything in its path! Harpy joined him, a ray of pure gamma energy bursting forth from her mouth and pulverizing any zombie unlucky enough to have been in her way. With just the two of them, the main street had almost been completely cleared out! Soon afterwards, however, more zombies flooded the street, having been drawn out due to all the commotion. From your elevated position, you threw out a few flashbangs, leaving a good chunk of them either stunned or momentarily distracted. Deadhead took that opportunity to let loose with his LMG. A constant stream of plasma bolts erupted from the barrel, riddling the zombies’ bodies with holes. Every now and again, the gun would start to overheat, and Mekara would take over by providing an amount of raw firepower that was nothing short of oppressive. It was a target rich environment, and due to Ben boxing them in with well-placed lines of fire and tethering them together with his webs, there was little room for anything to escape their onslaught. Ana sniped the stragglers from nearby, while Louise swooped down from the sky to clean up the zombies that were climbing up to get to you. She mainly used the Orichalcum sword, but would occasionally experiment with the shapeshifting weapon you’d lent her. She clearly wasn’t getting the weapons that she was trying for, but she was at least knowledgeable enough to use almost anything that was put into her hands. James was switching between moving to protect you and Ana, and going back to check on Shaggy. The old black dog currently couldn't contribute much without getting in the way, but that didn't seem to bother him much. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 29 Jun 2025 20:51:47 No. 6267556 Report Quoted By:
The group pushed forward steadily, trying to keep structural damage to a minimum. That limited Ben and Mekara’s options, but it didn’t diminish their effectiveness in combat. Ben was always careful with how he used his flames, and Mekara never used her rockets unless it was in an open area. Whenever the big hordes would come out, your job was to throw out a couple flashbangs, flood the street with smoke, and spread some fox lights around so that their silhouettes would remain well lit. This limited the enemy’s visibility, and all but destroyed any sense of direction that they might still possess. The cleanup crew would take care of the rest. This process continued for about forty minutes when you eventually reached a courtyard that was filled to the brim with zombies. <span class="mu-r"><span class="mu-s">“I swear, there’s no end to ‘em!”</span></span> Aegis complained, carving a line of carnage across the awaiting horde. <span class="mu-r">“Well what did you expect?”</span> Mekara replied, firing both cannons and a cluster of missiles into them. <span class="mu-r">“The whole city’s overrun//infested with them!”</span> <span class="mu-r">“Only two this time!”</span> Ben observed, swinging into action and spraying a stream of green flames out of his palm. <span class="mu-r">“Your stutter’s getting better.”</span> <span class="mu-r">“Whose?”</span> Mekara asked, sounding genuinely confused. Deadhead just laughed as he leapt from his perch, landed with a heavy thud, and started unloading. He cut down row after row of the undead, but he was still only seconds away from being overwhelmed. <span class="mu-r">“Focus on that side! We will cover you!”</span> Louise shouted, dropping you down beside him. Ana joined the group a moment later, her collapsible spear in hand. <span class="mu-b">“Copy!”</span> Deadhead shouted back, panning his gun to the right, where the zombies were attempting to flank your position. You opened the fight by spraying a wave of crackling flashbangs in an attempt to combine the firecracker and light forms. This distracted the zombies long enough for Louise and Ana to jump in and take a few of them out. Louise was now wielding a claymore of immense size, and was likely only able to wield it due to her vampiric strength. By the time that they were recovering, you were already slashing into them with your newly acquired silver swords. <span class="mu-b">“Hit the deck!”</span> Deadhead called out, and none of you hesitated to listen. A moment later, you watched as a volley of green plasma bolts slammed into the zombies before you. When it had passed, you rose to your full height and sprayed out another wave of foxfire. The zombies found themselves stunned once more, were quickly dispatched by the ladies fighting alongside you, and then blasted by the gun-toting mercenary stationed behind you. The four of you found a strange rhythm with this method, and were even able to attack from below while waiting for Deadhead's laser fire to pass. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 29 Jun 2025 20:53:35 No. 6267557 Report Quoted By:
After several minutes had passed, and you found yourselves pushing forward ever so slightly, Ben swung back around and started setting up tripwires and snares to slow the horde down. That gave you all some more room to breathe, and things got a lot easier when the man himself joined you on the ground, with shield and plasma pistol in hand. <span class="mu-r">“Did ya miss me?”</span> Ben asked before throwing the shield into the face of an approaching zombie. It ricocheted into the heads of several more before Ben reeled it back in with a webline. He was surprisingly good at using that thing. <span class="mu-s">“Of course. We've been needing a vanguard.”</span> you said with a smirk. Louise put away her transforming weapon, replaced it with the Atlantean steel sword and slashed out with it so fast that her form blurred. She repeated the arcing slash, carving through a row of zombies each time. This unfortunately did nothing to stop the next row of zombies from coming at her, but she was quick enough to get out of the way in time for Ben to intercept them with a wide sweep from his shield. Whichever ones he didn't kill from blunt trauma, Ana would step in to finish them with a precise stab from her spear. Your arms never stopped moving as you leaned into your training and allowed Mercy to watch your back. You've never worked with a partner this closely before, but you were starting to realize that this was something you never knew you needed. It was like an instant early warning signal. Whichever part of you the enemy was aiming at, would vibrate as per Mercy’s command, giving you enough time to properly react to it. Was this how Ben felt all the time? <span class="mu-b">“Gimme some room!”</span> Deadhead demanded, stepping forward to mow this horde straight down the middle. Taking the cue, you and Louise took to one side, while Ben and Ana took to the other. For a short while, you and your partner were nothing more than a blur of flashing steel, white hair and black fabric. There wasn’t a thing, dead or alive, that could get close enough to touch you without being eviscerated in short order. Every now and again, Louise would give you some room to release more foxfire, but you were starting to get comfortable enough to the point where you could disperse the ghostly material by flicking your tails at them. <span class="mu-i">“Fall back! Fall back!”</span> Shaggy called out, having jumped down from his place on Mekara’s shoulder at some point. James was standing beside him, wildly swinging his claws at anything that managed to get past you guys. They were both standing by a swirling blue portal. Shaggy's work. You didn’t know where it led, but you trusted Shaggy enough to take his advice. <span class="mu-s">“Everyone! Fall back!”</span> you supported. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 29 Jun 2025 20:54:37 No. 6267558 Report Quoted By:
There was a moment of hesitation, but everyone on the ground seemed to comply with the command as they started to backtrack whilst keeping the horde at bay. Louise threw out several shrapnel grenades, and Ben copied her by tethering a few of his own together and tossing them out like a pair of bolas. Multiple explosions rang out, and the resulting bombardment gave you enough room to pull out a few of the explosive potions you borrowed from Young's shop. The detonations you created were notably more colorful than the others, but no less destructive. Deadhead tried to cover you all by spraying fire back and forth, but even you could see that the barrel was getting far too hot from all the constant laser fire. So, everyone made a break for the portal and dove in one by one. When you reached the other side, you noticed that you were…on the other side of the courtyard? Shaggy had repositioned you all behind the enemy! <span class="mu-g">“Good plan.”</span> Ana said, pulling out her Laser Lance and firing off some quick shots at the zombies’ backs. <span class="mu-b">“Would ya mind?”</span> Deadhead asked, pulling his barrel up to your eye level. You were confused for a second, before you realized what it was that he was asking you to do, and breathed a plume of foxfire at the overheated barrel. The metal hissed as it quickly cooled, and the man, once he was satisfied, went right back firing into the horde. <span class="mu-b">“GET SOME! GET SOME!”</span> Alongside him, Ben projected a bar of green flame between himself and the zombies, setting them ablaze with ease. Harpy rained death down from above with gamma beams and plasma fire. Louise flew up to her, removed one of the rifles from her back, and started providing air support as well. James moved to stand beside you, his bone claws extended in anticipation. He was waiting for you to finish throwing out flashbangs before he dove right in. In the back, the undead were currently being obliterated by Mekara’s heavy artillery and Aegis’ laser vision. Shaggy had maneuvered the group into an effective pincer, and it caused a divide between your forces and theirs. The zombies looked like they were having trouble deciding whether to prioritize the giant death machines raining fire down upon them, or the more vulnerable group positioned behind them. No one declared it outright, but you had a good feeling that this would all be over very soon. —--- Block by block, street by street, your team cleared out as many zombies as you possibly could for the next four hours. During this time, you rendezvoused with the Salamander girl's forces and the small strike team that the Were-Rat had put together. Thanks to those sewer grates that you clogged up with your Sap Gloves, they managed to secure multiple routes leading between the Kaiju King's castle and some of the various shelters set up throughout the city. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 29 Jun 2025 20:55:38 No. 6267559 Report Quoted By:
Ben helped arm those that didn't have proper weapons with some of the guns that none of you were using. Even Harpy was made to give up some of hers, but it was generally agreed upon that she didn’t really need them. The deeper you got into the city, the more the hordes seemed to thin out. And you quickly found out why when you saw Young practically vaporizing a group of undead with a powerful pulse of her own Ki! Man, that Bloodstone was really putting in some work… The way she fought was entirely different from before. Gone was her sense of calm and tranquility. Her whole body radiated with malice and hatred. You sense it in her Ki. You've never seen her this angry before… Everyone was stunned by what they saw, but you were the first one to take a step forward. Your grandmother turned on you with blood red eyes, and for a moment, you were afraid that she might forget herself and- Young took a shuddering breath and blinked several times to clear her vision. <span class="mu-r">“Cindy! You brought backup.”</span> she said with a sigh, some of the tension leaving her shoulders as she did. <span class="mu-r">“Good.”</span> Shaggy trotted up behind you, staring up at his master. <span class="mu-i">“I see that you’re in good health.”</span> he observed. <span class="mu-r">“I wish I could say the same for you, you old mutt.”</span> she said, leaning down to pat his head. <span class="mu-r">“Thank you for keeping her safe.”</span> <span class="mu-i">“Of course. She might be giving me orders someday, so I figured I’d try and get on her good side.”</span> She smiled at him and straightened her back, returning her attention to you. <span class="mu-b">“I swear, her grandma gets sexier every time I see her.”</span> Deadhead whispered, earning him an elbow from Ben and Louise. <span class="mu-b">“What? I'm not wrong.”</span> You decided to ignore that in favor of hugging your grandmother. <span class="mu-s">“Do you feel okay?”</span> you asked cautiously. <span class="mu-r">“I should be asking you that.”</span> she said, carefully avoiding the question. <span class="mu-r">“You have done well in assembling this many. Our medical tent was overrun, and we were forced to flee deeper into the city.”</span> You glanced past her to see a group of civilians hiding inside of a barricaded building. <span class="mu-r">“But, more importantly,”</span> she went on. <span class="mu-r">“I believe I have located Simon Garth. He is still in the city.”</span> <span class="mu-b">“I knew it!”</span> Deadhead shouted. <span class="mu-b">“I should've killed that rat bastard when I still had the chance!”</span> Ed the Ware-Rat turned to stare at him, and the two shared a look. <span class="mu-b">“Not you! The other one, that's missing half a fucking face!”</span> <span class="mu-r">“Must you shout?”</span> Louise asked irritably, covering both her ears. <span class="mu-g">“He is right.”</span> Ana offered. <span class="mu-g">“He is too dangerous to be left alive.”</span> <span class="mu-r">“Normally, I would agree.”</span> Young added. <span class="mu-r">“But I do not believe that he is entirely at fault.”</span> Everyone gave her a confused look, you included. <span class="mu-r">“Cindy, do you remember that amulet he wore to the summit?”</span> she asked. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 29 Jun 2025 20:56:39 No. 6267560 Report You closed your eyes for a second, easily recalling the amulet's appearance. Even the minor details remained fresh in your mind. <span class="mu-s">“Yeah. Why?”</span> you said. <span class="mu-r">“Do you think you could draw it for me?”</span> —----- <span class="mu-i">“I don’t believe it…”</span> Shaggy said, his eyes growing wide as he examined your depiction of the amulet. <span class="mu-r">“As I suspected.”</span> Young nodded. Even you were starting to realize what she was getting at. <span class="mu-s">“I've seen this before. In one of my mom's books.”</span> you said, bringing a hand up to your mouth. <span class="mu-s">“This is used by enchanters and illusion specialists to control the wearer!”</span> <span class="mu-r">“Hold up.”</span> Ben cut in. <span class="mu-r">“You're saying that someone's been controlling him this entire time?”</span> <span class="mu-r">“And I bet we know who.”</span> Young said, narrowing her eyes in anger. <span class="mu-b">“Varnae…”</span> James breathed. That caused a stir, through which only the giant robots could be heard. <span class="mu-r"><span class="mu-s">“I'm gettin’ real tired of hearing this Varnae guy's name…!”</span></span> he growled. <span class="mu-r">“You and me both.”</span> Mekara agreed, her hands balling into fists. That's how Varnae's been spying on you this whole time! He didn't have a mole, but he was able to see through Simon's eyes! And if you could remove the amulet from around his neck, then maybe you could regain control of the city. How would you like to approach this?>Go out to meet face Simon as a distraction, while Ben steals the amulet out from under his nose. >Allow Ana to take him out from afar. You can't allow Varnae to keep using Simon to terrorize the city. >Let Grandma Young deal with him on her own terms. She'll need you to create space for her, though. >Leave him be for now. Maybe you can buy Shaggy and Young some time to cast a curse through the amulet that will harm Varnae. >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6267560 >>Leave him be for now. Maybe you can buy Shaggy and Young some time to cast a curse through the amulet that will harm Varnae. we kinda gave away the chance to catch himmoff guard to save the city. this seems like a good alternative
Anonymous
I wouldn’t mind revisiting that “convert Louise” idea in the near future. She’ll never put him above her god, but I don’t think Khonshu would mind as long as she upholds his ideals. She’s already doing some of them!
>>6267560 >Go out to meet face Simon as a distraction, while Ben steals the amulet out from under his nose. >Leave him be for now. Maybe you can buy Shaggy and Young some time to cast a curse through the amulet that will harm Varnae. I’m waffling between these two. I’m sure Simon could tell Varnae we’re attacking him, and if it’s just us and Ben then he might pull some forces away to eliminate us. He’s gotta be frustrated that we’ve managed to survive multiple ambushes, saved the rest of the council, and rallied the city well enough that we can attack him now. Anyone he sends over would have to be powerful enough to ensure the job gets done unlike all those other times, and those are pieces that he can’t use elsewhere. The rest can proceed with attacking Varnae.
On the other hand, the city can likely hold its own now and splitting the group means this will go on longer.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Mon 30 Jun 2025 19:53:13 No. 6268015 Report >>6267565 >>6267877 >Leave him be for now. Maybe you can buy Shaggy and Young some time to cast a curse through the amulet that will harm Varnae. If you guys choose this option, then you will also be given a bit of downtime to prepare a surprise of your own for Varnae. Either that, or you could socialize a bit, or we could just fast forward to the part where you try and inflict a curse on Varnae.
>I wouldn’t mind revisiting that “convert Louise” idea in the near future. She’ll never put him above her god, but I don’t think Khonshu would mind as long as she upholds his ideals. She’s already doing some of them! It's definitely an idea worth pursuing. Currently, Louise is acting independently of her order, but still clings to her beliefs.
>He’s gotta be frustrated that we’ve managed to survive multiple ambushes, saved the rest of the council, and rallied the city well enough that we can attack him now. Varnae has very good reason to be infuriated with Cindy. Especially due to the fact that he hadn't accounted for her throwing this large of a wrench into his plans.
Anonymous
>>6268015 >If you guys choose this option, then you will also be given a bit of downtime to prepare a surprise of your own for Varnae. well, i won't say no to that. idk what though, getting Ben to carry our squad to the fight seems like a given. something with potions, or fox magic? guess we'll see
Anonymous
>>6268021 Well, we do know about the Montesi Formula now. Varnae would know it was BS that we had it, but if the rest of the vamps “know” we’re preparing it somewhere then he’ll have to mobilize his main force to crush whatever we build. The alternative is to admit he lied about The Slayer having the formula to unite the vamps under him, and that’s not a real option. Especially since he may wonder if we found it after all.
See if Ward or his sister can pass along news that we have the formula and we’re building the spell circle somewhere we can fortify. Hell, make it a real incantation that seals or generally harms nearby undead even if it won’t kill them. The only one who might be impacted in our party is Deadhead. Louise, Khonshu, and Grandma Young should know enough to make something workable.
Anonymous
>>6268062 we don't know what that formula actually entails though, seems pretty easy to call our bluff. being in cahoots with a few vampires also makes it less believable. but i have no other ideas so i might be willing to try
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6268091 Varnae’s problem is that he got Ward and Mina on board with attacking us by saying we (as the possible monster-ending Slayer) had the formula, and I’m sure that same lie was used with a lot of vampires. If those two go to those vampires with “info” on where we’re using it, they’ll all demand he acts against the threat he promised was out there.
It shouldn’t be hard for Mina and Ward to demand that Varnae takes the lead in the assault too. Gotta bring out the big guns for the extinction-level threat he cast us as.
Though now that I think about it, Varnae has probably pushed Ward out of the picture since he knows we spared him through Simon. Mina never did meet up with us after Simon joined up though, so maybe she’s got some sway among the others still.
I’m still up for trying it too. There is a certain amount of glee in using Varnae’s own lie about us to force him into the open. If Mina and Ward say they can’t do it then no big deal, we just curse the amulet and figure out where to attack next.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Wed 02 Jul 2025 00:17:56 No. 6268621 Report >>6267565 >>6267877 I'll lay your options out for you if you want to lock in for this vote.
>Contact Mina and see if she can't convince Varnae to make a hasty move against you. >Create a fake ritual to trick Simon/Varnae into thinking that you have the real "Montesi Formula". >Consult Khonshu, Mercy and Louise about potentially inducting the ex-Nightguard into your order. >Have a blacksmith create a proper holy symbol for you to use. With a bit of Moon God Mojo, you might be able to turn a body of water into holy water. >Write-in. Anonymous
>>6268621 >>Contact Mina and see if she can't convince Varnae to make a hasty move against you. reading on the Montesi Formula it looks like it's an incantation with no ritual or components so i'd say yeah chances are they won't fall for that trick
Anonymous
>>6268621 >Contact Mina and see if she can't convince Varnae to make a hasty move against you. I’ll back this too. I hope she’s already been corralling support amongst other vampires for an eventual move against Varnae anyway. Gotta be plenty who don’t want someone lording over them but are working together in the face of the Slayer “threat”.
I’d also like
>Consult Khonshu, Mercy and Louise about potentially inducting the ex-Nightguard into your order. but I’m fine with discussing it after all this is over too. I figure it’s fine if she wants to do her own thing, but she may as well know how to pray to Khonshu if she’s going to do stuff he supports anyway. Pretty sure he’d be okay with a transactional relationship instead of a proper follower/deity one.
>>6268656 montesi formula op plz nerf
Instantly destroying any targeted vampire without any components is very powerful. I guess you could use other stuff to amplify how many vampires could hear it, and that’s the fear he’s put in the other vampires.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Thu 03 Jul 2025 22:29:28 No. 6269516 Report Quoted By:
>>6268656 >>6268902 >Contact Mina and see if she can't convince Varnae to make a hasty move against you. Taking these. I'll be busy tonight, so the next update will be posted sometime tomorrow evening after I get home. If something else comes up, then I'll let you guys know.
>I figure it’s fine if she wants to do her own thing, but she may as well know how to pray to Khonshu if she’s going to do stuff he supports anyway. Pretty sure he’d be okay with a transactional relationship instead of a proper follower/deity one. Khonshu can be surprisingly flexible when it comes to acceptable forms of worship. The more faith you put in him, the more benefits you'll reap. I intend to give Cindy multiple opportunities to grow Khonshu's flock now that she's decided to maintain her faith. There could very well be multiple super-powered Warrior Priests running around someday!
>>6268656 >>6268902 It is VERY dangerous for anyone to have the Montesi Formula. Varnae was extremely bold in the lie that he told, but it just goes to show how much fear this spell is capable of striking into the hearts of the vampire population. Every vampire on Earth would have to decide whether they would fight back, or risk extinction.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 06 Jul 2025 04:46:05 No. 6270416 Report Quoted By:
Before this argument could get any more heated, you suggested something that no one could quite believe. <span class="mu-s">“What if we just…left him alone for a little while?”</span> Everyone turned to stare at you. Some fell silent, while others either berated you openly or privately criticized your intelligence. You pushed on, regardless. <span class="mu-s">“Okay, hear me out!”</span> you said, holding your hands up in a placating gesture. <span class="mu-s">“He already knows we're coming, and he knows all of our plans. We've lost the element of surprise, here. If we can't catch him off guard, then he'll just keep laying traps and making plans.”</span> <span class="mu-i">“What exactly are you suggesting?”</span> Shaggy asked. <span class="mu-s">“You said that Varnae's controlling Simon through that amulet, right?”</span> you said, glancing between the dog and your grandmother. Grandma Young nodded slowly. <span class="mu-r"><span class="mu-i">“That's right.”</span></span> she cautiously agreed. <span class="mu-s">“Then that means we might be able to hit him with a curse, or a hex or something. That amulet is an open line to Varnae, and we should really take advantage of it.”</span> It didn't escape your notice that the background chatter involving your name suddenly became a lot less derogatory, and a lot more contemplative. Shaggy flashed you a toothy grin. <span class="mu-i">“Now you're thinking like a hunter, lass! You really are your grandmother's flesh and blood.”</span> the dog said, in what might have been the most direct compliment he's ever given you. <span class="mu-r"><span class="mu-i">“What did I tell you? Smart as a whip, this one.”</span></span> Grandma Young agreed. There it was. That warm and fuzzy feeling again. Was this what it felt like to receive compliments from your grandmother? Because, if so, then you thought you could really get used to this! <span class="mu-s">“What’s happening? Is the Slayer Girl’s plan actually going to work?”</span> you heard a minotaur ask. <span class="mu-g"><span class="mu-i">“I think so.”</span></span> a nearby lizard man answered. <span class="mu-g"><span class="mu-i">“It sounds like Young agrees with her too. Maybe she’s right about the prophecy being fake.”</span></span> Your ears perked up at that. <span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-i">“I heard she saved the council from being eaten by zombies.”</span></span> said a small rabbit girl. <span class="mu-s"><span class="mu-i">“If she’s Young’s granddaughter, then maybe she really is here to protect us.”</span></span> Yes! Your reputation’s finally starting to improve! <span class="mu-r"><span class="mu-s">“Are you kidding?”</span></span> This voice had come from a particularly pale and thin male vampire. <span class="mu-r"><span class="mu-s">“None of this started happening until she showed up. Who’s to say that she isn’t the cause.”</span></span> It was all you could do not to scowl at him. Snapping at him wouldn’t help anyone at this point. You just had to grit your teeth and- <span class="mu-b">“Who said that!? Ungrateful sons o’ bitches!”</span> That outburst had come from Deadhead. <span class="mu-b">“After I’m done kicking Varnae’s ass, I’m coming for you too.”</span> he declared. Ben looked like he was trying to stop him, but he also didn’t look like he was trying very hard. In fact, it almost looked like he was trying not to laugh. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 06 Jul 2025 04:48:03 No. 6270417 Report Quoted By:
Louise shook her head and kept covering her ears. That is, until a small goat boy started tugging at the fringes of her cloak. She glanced down at him, and literally screamed as she jumped back. In a zombie infested city, that kind of thing tended to draw attention. And in this case, everyone was now watching her. <span class="mu-g">“Lady Goldblood! You are safe!”</span> he cheered, throwing his hands up in celebration. Louise’s brows drew together in confusion. <span class="mu-r">“Mellis!? You nearly gave me a heart attack! Why aren’t you in a shelter?”</span> Mellis gave her a respectful bow, seemingly unphased by Louise’s alarmed reaction. <span class="mu-g">“I had to find you, ma’am. I thought you were in danger. I apologize if I offended you.”</span> Louise’s eyes softened, and, after a moment’s pause, knelt down to gently pat his head. <span class="mu-r">“That was incredibly foolish of you, Mellis.”</span> she reprimanded. <span class="mu-r">“I am more than capable of taking care of myself, and I would feel more at ease if I knew that you were safe.”</span> A harpy–not yours, but one with green and yellow feathers—spoke out in his defense. <span class="mu-g">“Hey, go easy on the little guy!”</span> she said, from atop her perch on a nearby street light. <span class="mu-g">“He’s been looking for you this entire time. If it wasn’t for him, we might not be here right now.”</span> There were nods of agreement among those standing near her. Belatedly, you realized that these were members of Mellis’ team. They had fought their way here, just like the others. <span class="mu-g">“Least you could do is show a little gratitude.”</span> she added. Looking a little contrite, Louise glanced around, and then down at Mellis. His head was still bowed. She let out a sigh, and picked him up like a stuffed animal. <span class="mu-r">“No Mellis, it is I who should apologize.”</span> she admitted. <span class="mu-r">“You are very brave for having come this far, and I am glad that you are unharmed.”</span> Mellis gasped, and covered his mouth with a pair of hairy hands. <span class="mu-b">“Such high praise from the Lady Goldblood…! This one is not worthy of your words…”</span> Louise was back to frowning again. <span class="mu-r">“I thought I told you to stop calling me that.”</span> The goat boy was no longer listening, however. He seemed to be in absolute awe of Louise. The monsters from Mellis’ group looked oddly satisfied by this turn of events. <span class="mu-i">“What in blazes is going on here?”</span> Shaggy asked, clearly confused by the scene unfolding before him. He looked at you and Young, and the two of you just shrugged. <span class="mu-g">“I feel as if we have gotten sidetracked.”</span> Ana observed. <span class="mu-r">“Try to think of it as a small sidebar.”</span> Ben said, whipping his phone out to snap a picture of Louise holding the small creature. <span class="mu-r">“We might as well take a breather if we’re meant to be preparing a trap for Varnae.”</span> Ana gave him a skeptical look. <span class="mu-r">“Besides,”</span> he went on. <span class="mu-r">“I thought you would’ve leapt at a chance to trap a genuine ‘Vampire Lord’.”</span> (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 06 Jul 2025 04:50:43 No. 6270419 Report Quoted By:
At that, Ana’s skepticism all but evaporated, her grin practically radiating with eager anticipation. She’s clearly been waiting for an opportunity to cut loose. —----------- With the help of Shaggy and Young, you convinced the people of Monster Metropolis to hang back until the three of you could figure out a way to strike back at Varnae. For them, that meant preparing the components for a curse potent enough to cause lasting damage to a Vampire Lord. But you had your own ideas for creating a headache for the colossal jerk. And it would involve tapping one of the only reliable contacts that you still had down here. <span class="mu-r">“Cindy Moon. It is good that you are well.”</span> Mina said with a slight bow and her usual lisp. A detailed depiction of the vampire’s silhouette was staring down at you from a boiling pot of green liquid. Much like the smoke that was rising up to the ceiling, Mina appeared in varying shades of green. This was apparently a means of two-way communication used by witches. And, since Janine was still wearing her witch outfit, she was able to set everything up for you without Young and Shaggy knowing. <span class="mu-s">“You too, Mina. Thanks to your Bloodstone, I was able to help my grandma get better.”</span> A look of mild surprise registered on her face, then. She looked different from when you had met her last. More…Nosferatu-like, somehow. Her overbite had grown slightly more pronounced. Her eyes were becoming an almost solid color as her pupils had started to lose some definition. Her ribs were more visible now, the dress she’d been wearing no longer hugged her figure as much as it seemed to hang off of her. Her posture had grown slightly worse as well, and you couldn’t help but notice her nails and fingers having almost extended to the point of being classified as “claws”. <span class="mu-r">“Ah…you have chosen to offer it to your grandmother, instead. How admirable of you.”</span> Mina commented, her voice sounding little more than “unaffected”. <span class="mu-r">“I would expect nothing less from the one that spared my brother. It is good that my offering has proven useful to you.”</span> You chose to believe that she wasn’t as heartless as she sounded. <span class="mu-s">“More than useful. She seems a lot healthier now.”</span> you insisted. <span class="mu-s">“Really, I can't thank you enough.”</span> <span class="mu-r">“The honor is mine…Cindy Moon.”</span> Mina replied, shaking her head. <span class="mu-r">“From what I hear, you have thwarted Varnae once again.”</span> <span class="mu-s">“You heard about the zombie invasion?”</span> She nodded. <span class="mu-r">“I regret to learn that such events unfolded upon our departure. Queen Delphyne Gorgon and Lord Carnelian are moving to aid the city as we speak. You will soon possess the support of the Amazon Tribe and the Were-Confederacy.”</span> You breathed out a sigh, and you let your shoulders sag in relief. <span class="mu-s">“Really? That would be amazing!”</span> <span class="mu-r">“You shall receive our support as well. House Morvayne, and its allies, are prepared to stand alongside you.”</span> (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 06 Jul 2025 04:57:41 No. 6270422 Report Quoted By:
<span class="mu-s">“Good, because I think I might need your help.”</span> you declared. She gestured for you to go on, so you did. <span class="mu-s">“You know how Varnae's been spreading lies about me having the Montesi Formula?”</span> you said. <span class="mu-r">“I do.”</span> <span class="mu-s">“Well, what if we could use that to our advantage? If Varnae's got them all thinking that I'm a genuine threat to all vampire-kind, then maybe we can trick him into making a hasty move against me?”</span> Both her eyebrows rose at that. <span class="mu-r">“You wish to paint yourself a target?”</span> <span class="mu-s">“Why not? Varnae can't kill me, or else he loses the support of the vampires that still think I'm evil.”</span> you explained. <span class="mu-s">“So if I openly challenge him, then he would have no choice but to accept my challenge. If he doesn't take the bait, it'll make him look weak.”</span> <span class="mu-r">“Assuming that he hasn't already completed the ritual necessary for unleashing Belasco's demons onto the underworld.”</span> Mina countered. <span class="mu-r">“And? Is there an outcome here that you would view as favorable? In what way would you have me manipulate such an ancient creature?”</span> What will you say?>"Do whatever you have to do to get him out of his castle. We'll handle the rest." >"Let him send his assassins. If we get rid of them, then he won't be able to deploy them against us later." >"I need you to stall them for me. Keep them fighting each other, and keep them disorganized for as long as possible. We can't let them finish that ritual." >"Convince them that Varnae is the only one that I want. Maybe then, they might just offer him up to us." >Write-in.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Sun 06 Jul 2025 04:59:35 No. 6270426 Report <span class="mu-s">“Good, because I think I might need your help.”</span> you declared. She gestured for you to go on, so you did. <span class="mu-s">“You know how Varnae's been spreading lies about me having the Montesi Formula?”</span> you said. <span class="mu-r">“I do.”</span> <span class="mu-s">“Well, what if we could use that to our advantage? If Varnae's got them all thinking that I'm a genuine threat to all vampire-kind, then maybe we can trick him into making a hasty move against me?”</span> Both her eyebrows rose at that. <span class="mu-r">“You wish to paint yourself a target?”</span> <span class="mu-s">“Why not? Varnae can't kill me, or else he loses the support of the vampires that still think I'm evil.”</span> you explained. <span class="mu-s">“So if I openly challenge him, then he would have no choice but to accept my challenge. If he doesn't take the bait, it'll make him look weak.”</span> <span class="mu-r">“Assuming that he hasn't already completed the ritual necessary for unleashing Belasco's demons onto the underworld.”</span> Mina countered. <span class="mu-s">“Assuming that, yes.”</span> you said, trying not to react to the way that Mercy was trying to reshape your outfit. Mina's eyes narrowed slightly, but you could tell that you had piqued her interest here. <span class="mu-r">“And? Is there an outcome here that you would view as favorable? In what way would you have me manipulate such an ancient creature?”</span> What will you say?>"Do whatever you have to do to get him out of his castle. We'll handle the rest." >"Let him send his assassins. If we get rid of them, then he won't be able to deploy them against us later." >"I need you to stall them for me. Keep them fighting each other, and keep them disorganized for as long as possible. We can't let them finish that ritual." >"Convince them that Varnae is the only one that I want. Maybe then, they might just offer him up to us." >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6270426 >>"Do whatever you have to do to get him out of his castle. We'll handle the rest." fight me bitch
Anonymous
>>6270426 >"Do whatever you have to do to get him out of his castle. We'll handle the rest." >"The war won’t entirely end with Varnae’s death. The Metropolis has paid a steep blood price. Perhaps The Slayer can be appeased with Varnae while House Morvayne will step in with the council to ensure his supporters bear the full weight of what he’s done?” I figure a combination of these. Ward fought us directly and we’ve kicked ass this whole time so they know we’re strong. We also didn’t use the Montesi Formula (that we don’t have) on him so we can “clearly” choose to leave them be. The vampires should also know that what they’ve done so far will demand recompense from the people in Monster Metropolis, and they’ll need someone well-positioned to manage that blowback when we inevitably kick Varnae’s teeth in. Who better than House Morvayne and its council members to do that?
Everyone will recognize it as a power play that’ll shift even more power over to House Morvayne, but that hardly matters when the alternative is getting in our way. Really, Mina can say she’s doing everyone a favor by stepping in and bringing more vampires under her House’s wing while pushing the “upstart” out.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Wed 09 Jul 2025 12:22:45 No. 6272404 Report >>6270435 >>6270861 >"Do whatever you have to do to get him out of his castle. We'll handle the rest." I'll take this, and start writing the update throughout the day!
>>"The war won’t entirely end with Varnae’s death. The Metropolis has paid a steep blood price. Perhaps The Slayer can be appeased with Varnae while House Morvayne will step in with the council to ensure his supporters bear the full weight of what he’s done?” Good idea! Feel free to propose it again later if you want.
Also, sorry for the delays. The moving process has begun in earnest, and this is my last week at my current job.
Anonymous
>>6272404 I had pitched that as a possible angle for Mina to get some more vampires on her side for whatever she does to get Varnae in the open. I’ll bring it up later, but I’m going to be secretly disappointed in her if it turns out we thought of it before she did. She’s the politician, not us!
Good luck with the move itself. If you’re transporting any furniture, try to keep heavy things off couches/chairs with springs and avoid putting anything with a wooden base next to anything heavy. We’ve had a couple chairs and couches deform from collapsed springs and splintered bases after some of our moves.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Thu 10 Jul 2025 23:09:20 No. 6273100 Report Quoted By:
<span class="mu-s">“Do whatever you have to do to get him out of that castle.”</span> you requested. <span class="mu-r">“Can I take that to mean that you are relying on my judgement?”</span> Mina asked, her eyes searching yours. <span class="mu-s">“Whatever you've got planned, it's gotta be better than the literal end of the world.”</span> you shot back. A small grin teased the edges of Mina’s lips as she gave you a slight nod. <span class="mu-r">“Very well. Be aware, however, that Varnae is as much a capable sorcerer as he is a powerful vampire.”</span> she warned, her expression growing serious once more. <span class="mu-r">“I would like to believe that, out of the two of us, I am the more capable blood mage…but, ultimately, there is no telling how many other tricks he has left up his sleeve.”</span> <span class="mu-s">“Well…we know for sure that he’s got a disposable army of monsters, vampires, mutants, and, potentially, Limbo demons.”</span> you said, counting off each terrible type of creature on your fingers, one after another. <span class="mu-s">“Did I miss anything?”</span> <span class="mu-r">“Do not let the weight of mere numbers intimidate you, Cindy Moon. For their forces are far from unified.”</span> <span class="mu-s">“What do you mean?”</span> <span class="mu-r">“Consider the vampires, for example.”</span> Mina began, raising one hand with her palm facing upwards. <span class="mu-r">“They have been told that you are nothing more than a ruthless butcher of all things supernatural, and that you not only possess the Montesi Formula, but you very well mean to use it.”</span> You rolled your eyes at her. <span class="mu-s">“Ugh! Don’t remind me.”</span> <span class="mu-r">“But what they have not been told,”</span> Mina continued, ignoring your grumbling. <span class="mu-r">“Is that Varnae plans to use Belasco’s power in order to summon a scourge of-”</span> <span class="mu-s">“Vampire demons?”</span> Mina paused to stare down at you. <span class="mu-s">“What, no good? Does ‘demon vampires’ sound better to you? What about ‘Damnpires’?”</span> you suggested, rubbing your chin thoughtfully. <span class="mu-s">“No…wait. That’s too close to ‘Dhampirs’.”</span> Mina lowered her hand and continued to stare at you. <span class="mu-s">“Limbats? Hellwalkers? Ooh! Hellbats! Do you think-”</span> Only then did you pause to realize that Mina was patiently waiting for you to finish talking. You winced and rubbed your arm nervously. <span class="mu-s">“Sorry. I've been spending too much time with the Huntsman, I guess.”</span> you said, before quickly amending that statement. <span class="mu-s">“Well, I guess that's not entirely true. We used to spend more time together, but I enrolled in this fancy boarding school, and he just got back from a trip to Vegas, so we haven't really had a lot of time to…”</span> For the love of Khonshu. Were you still talking? <span class="mu-s">“You know what? Forget I said anything. Continue. Please”</span> you said, joining both hands together and pointing your index fingers at her. Mina grunted softly and proceeded with her explanation. <span class="mu-r">“Yes, well…these…’Hellbats’ as you would call them…”</span> Oh, so that's the one that she liked. Cool. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Thu 10 Jul 2025 23:10:21 No. 6273102 Report Quoted By:
<span class="mu-r">“They will undoubtedly lead to the ruin of human civilization, and impede any kind of structural order that my kind will wish to implement upon witnessing humanity's downfall.”</span> Mina went on. <span class="mu-r">“It is more than likely that our people will once again be embroiled in pointless faction wars, not only between ourselves, but with this new breed of devilspawn that Varnae wishes to unleash upon our world. It won't be long before our own people are fighting over control of the true Montesi Formula, threatening to use it against one another until our clans and noble houses fall and fracture, until we are little more than savage, tribal bloodthirsty monsters.”</span> Now it was your turn to stare. Mina's nostrils were flaring slightly, and her eyes had started to glow a bit brighter. <span class="mu-s">“I won't let that happen. Any of it.”</span> you boldly proclaimed, touching a hand to your chest. <span class="mu-s">“Vampire or no, we're all sharing this planet. The least we can do is make a token effort to coexist.”</span> <span class="mu-r">“Many of your people would disagree.”</span> Mina argued. <span class="mu-s">“But not everyone.”</span> you shot back. <span class="mu-s">“People give mutants a pretty hard time, but they try their best to fit in, and sometimes, they even use their powers to help people. Blade does it all the time.”</span> <span class="mu-r">“Blade is a Daywalker!”</span> Mina hissed, a bit of heat entering her voice. <span class="mu-r">“He knows our hunger, but he knows <span class="mu-s">nothing</span> of our pain.”</span> You blinked at her. Not willing to wait for you, Mina pressed on. <span class="mu-r">“He does not know what it is like to live in shadow–to live without feeling the warmth of the sun on your face. To know that the divine are watching over you, and that they hate your kind with every fiber of your being.”</span> She ran a clawed hand down her face, drawing a bit of blood as she did so. <span class="mu-r">“Merely overcoming the hunger requires a great deal of effort.”</span> she said, her superficial wounds closing within seconds. <span class="mu-r">“Some days, it dominates your every thought. It's like having a ravenous monster live inside of you. It wears your skin, pushing you to behave like a rabid animal. It is a wonder that our societies can function at all.”</span> You wanted to disagree, at least on some level…but you knew exactly what Khonshu thought of vampires. Even Loyise wasn't terribly fond of them, and she was one. You've never had to truly think about what it must be like to walk through life knowing that you were despised by pretty much everyone. Did Louise feel that way? Hated by the god that she venerated? How did Morbius feel about it? Did B Negative…? You couldn’t bring yourself to think about him that way. He was one of your only vampire friends, and it made you angry to think that the gods hated him for being an “unholy creature”. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Thu 10 Jul 2025 23:15:03 No. 6273110 Report Quoted By:
This wasn’t a normal way of thinking for a follower of Khonshu. You knew it, and so did Khonshu himself. But regardless of his teachings, your mom taught you that there was more to these monsters than what you learned in ancient texts. Many of them had once been, and still were people. You stared up at Mina, and found yourself wanting to know more about her. Had she and her brother been born down here as Nosferatu? How old were they? Did they resent humanity like the others did? For someone that you were working with so closely, you were forced to acknowledge that she was almost a complete stranger to you. <span class="mu-s">“I'm sorry.”</span> you finally said. Mina's voice cut off mid-rant, and she seemed to realize that she herself had been rambling. She cleared her throat, took a deep breath to collect herself, and slowly nodded. <span class="mu-r">“No. It is who must apologize.”</span> she replied, sounding contrite. <span class="mu-r">“My anger was misplaced. You are not to blame for my people's plight.”</span> You gave her a sympathetic smile. <span class="mu-s">“You're a good politician, you know that?”</span> One of Mina's eyebrows lifted in genuine surprise. <span class="mu-r">“Oh? How so?”</span> <span class="mu-s">“You really do care about your people. You and your brother both do, in your own way.”</span> you reasoned. <span class="mu-s">“And if you made it onto the council, then you probably care at least a little about the other races.”</span> The look that Mina gave you was contemplative, but it slowly changed into an appraising one. And, ever so slightly, an appreciative grin started to form on her lips. Before it could fully develop, however, she glanced to the side and frowned. <span class="mu-r">“Our time is coming to an end, I am afraid. If everything goes to plan, then you will have your chance to strike at him.”</span> she said, a little quicker than her normal drawl. She turned to face you. <span class="mu-r">“Make it a decisive one. Our fate rests in your hands, Miss Slayer.”</span> You were going to protest her use of that title, but her form faded from the billowing green, telling you that she just hung up on you. You glanced over at Janine, but the human cosplayer just shrugged, and started cleaning up after herself. You joined her, and hoped that nothing had happened on Mina’s side. Like it or not, you were in this together now. —----- (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Thu 10 Jul 2025 23:17:14 No. 6273111 Report Shortly after your call ended, Young and Shaggy informed you that they had found a suitable curse to hit Varnae with. Now all you had to do was distract Simon and his zombies so they could pull it off without him noticing. How exactly were you going to do that?>All you had to do was taunt Simon/Varnae into chasing after you. Easy peasy. >Get in front of Simon and call Varnae out for the fraud he is. If any of his subordinates were listening in, then you might be able to force him into an uncomfortable position. >Wait for the rest of the Monster Council to arrive, and attack Simon all at once. You really wanna hammer in the fact that Monster Metropolis stands unified against him. >Roleplay as "The Slayer", and announce your intention to kill Varnae, and only Varnae. Maybe then his vampiric followers would be willing to give him up without a fight. >Write-in.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:wcx69bXO Thu 10 Jul 2025 23:21:37 No. 6273116 Report Quoted By:
>>6272634 She's planning along the lines of something similar! She and Ward are both opportunists in their own way. Thanks! I'll keep that in mind. Having a couch deform sounds like an absolute nightmare to deal with. Me and my last roommate were hard pressed to buy a new one, because our old couch would creak loudly whenever we leaned back into it.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6273111 >>Wait for the rest of the Monster Council to arrive, and attack Simon all at once. You really wanna hammer in the fact that Monster Metropolis stands unified against him. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6273111 >Wait for the rest of the Monster Council to arrive, and attack Simon all at once. You really wanna hammer in the fact that Monster Metropolis stands unified against him. Seems reasonable enough. We can continue sealing the vents in the meantime.
>Roleplay as "The Slayer", and announce your intention to kill Varnae, and only Varnae. I’d still like to do this after we beat Simon though. I don’t expect he’ll be handed over without a fight, but I do want to cause as much dissent for Mina to capitalize on as possible.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 17 Jul 2025 22:48:49 No. 6276240 Report Hey guys! Sorry for going radio silent, but I'm just starting to settle into my new home. There are a few more things that I need brought over, but my family's willing to help with that. I've been working on this upcoming update whenever I could get a chance, and I'm hoping to post tomorrow afternoon once I can organize my new room a little better.
Anonymous
>>6276240 i understand. we'll be ready when you are, take it easy
Anonymous
>>6276240 Sounds like no major issues during the move? Glad to hear it if that’s the case!
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sat 19 Jul 2025 19:46:20 No. 6277249 Report Quoted By:
>>6276276 >>6276614 Thanks for understanding! So far everything's gone off without a hitch! I have my family and friends to thank for that.
I have this update all typed out, and I'll post it once I can get my PC set up again.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 20 Jul 2025 15:47:46 No. 6277734 Report Quoted By:
Upon deciding that you would rather wait for the rest of the Monster Council to arrive before you made your move on Simon, you took this opportunity to partake in refreshments at your grandma's house. If it weren’t for the fact that you were in the middle of a zombie invasion, you might have tried to sneak in a nap too, your energy reserves weren't so depleted that you couldn’t soldier on for at least another day. A mix of conditioning and half-demon physical attributes were to thank for that. When your grandmother realized that she couldn't tempt you with at least a short power nap, she eventually gave in, and showed you her finest collection of silver daggers. Mercy snatched up right away and strapped them to your back, where they were hidden by your white hair. She seemed mildly unnerved by the sight of your costume moving of its own volition, but she said nothing about it. Instead, she confronted you about something far more serious. “You intend to fight Varnae alone, don't you?” You stared up at her in shock. Briefly, the idea of lying to her crossed your mind, but the look in those bright red eyes of hers told you that there would be no fooling her. “I have to, grandma. Varnae won't be able to ignore a direct challenge from me, and it's our best shot of taking him down without having to assault his castle.” you argued. “Even if it means cementing everyone's belief in the ‘Slayer myth’?” she asked. “There will be no escaping it after this. You will become a person of great interest to the Underworld at large.” The look you gave her was one of resolve, and of deep anger. “Good. Maybe it's time I made my debut.” Grandma Young folded her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow at you. It was meant to be a judgmental look, you were sure. “I mean it, grandma. I'm tired of people messing with our family because they think they can get away with it.” you went on, guiding Mercy’s cloth tendrils to readjust the potions strapped to your chest. “If my new reputation is scary enough to scare monsters away, then I'll let them think what they want.” She muttered a curse, reached over, and started fiddling with your explosive potions. “You are driving me crazy with these! Move the knives to your lower back, the transformative elixirs to your thigh, and for the love of that moon god you love so much, put these potions in a bag with cloth partitions!” Mercy, of course, went right to work doing all of this, which caused your grandmother to back away with a mildly frustrated look on her face. “Sorry. I've got it.” you said, hoping to ease her frustrations. “No you do not. You are too young to be fighting a Vampire Lord on your own!” “Maybe.” you admitted. “But I can't let him get away with what he's done to me. To our family. To all the families that live here.” (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 20 Jul 2025 15:51:03 No. 6277735 Report Quoted By:
“I understand your frustration. Believe me, I do.” Young replied, placing both hands over your shoulders. “But it is not your duty to endure the pain of every victim that Varnae has claimed today. Nor is it your duty to save the world alone.” “But I'm not alone!” you said, shaking your head at her. “I have my mother's training. And my father's lessons. And the support of my god, my foster parent, and pretty much everyone here that's willing to die by my side.” Your grandmother blinked in surprise and took a step back. Before she could reply, Shaggy came trotting in through the shop's open front door. You both turned to look at him. “Ladies. The Monster Council has arrived.” he announced. “I suggest that we be on our way, before Varnae wises up to the fact that they are no longer riding with their armies.” You and Grandma Young shared a look, and judging by the one she gave you, you knew that this wasn’t going to be the last you heard of this argument. —------- Thanks to Shaggy's teleportation magic, you and the Monster Council were effectively able to bypass the waves of zombies separating you from Simon. That didn't mean that he was going to drop you right beside the Zombie Prince, however. As soon as the portal opened, you all burst out and sprang into action. Carnelian and Delphyne on your left, and Ward and Young to your right. Together, the five of you leapt from rooftop to rooftop in an effort to avoid the zombies clogging the streets. The Were-representitive didn't look much different from when you last saw him, except for the deadly-looking weapons that he now carried on his person. You spotted a triple-headed flail attached to his hip, a composite longbow and an enchanted rifle on his back, and a clearly magical greatsword placed squarely between his shoulder blades. Other than that, he was still wearing the same armor that he'd worn at the summit. The only addition was a scary looking helmet with jagged edges above the gap made for his mouth. Through the helmet’s eye-slits, you could see his heterochromatic pupils, one burning with anger, and the other with what you thought might have been glee. Your gaze moved to Delphyne, and you thought, not for the first time today, that she had made the biggest costume change out of everyone here. Instead of the trendy clothing that she wore to the summit, she showed up in a sturdy silver breastplate, a single silver pauldron with magic glyphs carved into it, a pair of silver grieves, and, unsurprisingly, a pair of silver gauntlets. The only things that weren't made of silver was the scarlet bolt of cloth she had draped over her shoulder, from pauldron to hip, and the strange helmet that now adorned her head. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 20 Jul 2025 15:57:12 No. 6277739 Report Quoted By:
It was made of some golden material, with hollow slots for each and every one of her snakes. If it weren’t for their occasional hissing, and the glowing of their eyes, you might’ve thought that they were all just a part of the helmet's design. Where they normally wriggled and writhed, they all sat perfectly still while Delphyne raced towards danger. “Heads up, gang.” she called out, retrieving an ornate bow from her back. There were still some zombies occupying these rooftops, and a few of them turned your way. None of you slowed down. “We see them.” Carnelian confirmed. “Yes, we're not blind.” Ward said with a slight sneer. The snooty Nosferatu hadn't changed much either. He still wore impractical clothing that was far too fancy for battle, knowing full well that it would be ruined before the day ended. “I swear to god, Ward!” she snapped. “Which one in particular?” he asked, a wolfish grin appearing on his face in anticipation of the violence to come. “ALL OF THEM!” “You can swear to mine, Del.” you offered, preparing to draw the silver sword that Louise traded you. “I'm sure he wouldn't mind.” “You blaspheme so casually, my child.” Mercy whispered. “Do try to avoid making it a habit.” Delphyne's demeanor changed in an instant as she switched her attention over to you. “Aww! Thanks, girlfriend! At least someone's nice to talk to around here.” she said, giving Ward a pointed glare. “Children, save your squabbling for later.” Young demanded, her eyes staring straight ahead. “They are nearly upon us.” Delphyne scoffed. “Okay, yeah. But, like…” Ward dashed forward, ahead of the group, an assortment of bone spikes and blades sprouting from his flesh. He delivered a crushing lariat to the zombies in front, crushing their skulls and impaling the others. Delphyne raised her bow, removed several arrows from her quiver, and loosed them in quick succession. Each and every one struck their targets at critical points, a single headshot being all that was needed to finish off the average zombie. Carnelian raced ahead with a burst of speed that you didn’t think a man of his size was capable of! He sped past Ward, swinging his flail so fast that its spiked heads were starting to blur together in your vision. When next his arm moved, you watched an entire row of zombies disappear into a blood mist, their bodies spattering onto the side of a nearby building. Carn didn't slow down, however. Instead, he kept moving–kept swinging at anything and everything that got in his way. Ward was careful not to be in the way of those flails and you could understand why. You've never seen a Were this powerful before! “Keep your eyes peeled, Cindy.” Young warned, striking out at the nearby zombies with red glowing fists. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 20 Jul 2025 15:58:42 No. 6277740 Report Quoted By:
A single strike was all it took for your grandmother to overload them with positive energy, causing their bodies to rapidly deteriorate. Sometimes, that reaction took the form of disintegration, or spontaneous combustion. “Really, you should have taken that nap when you had the chance.” she went on. “I wasn't tired then, grandma.” you argued, unsheathing your sword and cutting down five zombies in rapid succession. “Of course you are. Kumiho or not, growing girls need their rest.” “Yeah, well…it's not exactly easy to relax in this sort of environment.” you shot back, stepping over a pair of undead that Delphyne had just taken down. More zombies were starting to climb up now, and even Carn and Ward were forced to slow down. As a result, your group assumed a defensive formation to cover all your blind spots. As a fresh wave of the undead attempted to flank you from behind, Young stepped in the way, and held them at bay with a dizzying combination of punches. Her arms moved so fast that it looked like she possessed an arm for each zombie that she was striking. “That is what the tea was for!” You ground your teeth together as you beheaded three zombies simultaneously. “Well maybe I didn't want tea!” you blurted out. Your grandmother let out a sharp gasp. “You take that back, young lady!” she demanded, her voice affecting an offended tone. “Yeah, girl. Young's tea is, like, super delicious.” Delphyne cut in. “I'm afraid I would have to agree with the Amazon Queen.” Ward offered. “It was going to be the one thing I missed most about her.” Ward either didn't see the glare that Young shot his way, or he simply chose not to acknowledge it. Delphyne didn't look too pleased to have the Nosferatu readily agree with her, but she decided not to fight him on this matter, at least. “It is…very relaxing.” Carn said in a half-snarl as he continued hacking through corpses. You let out a weary sigh. “No…I know the tea's great.” you admitted. “It's just…I doubt all this stress can be cured with just a cup of tea, you know?” At that exact moment, a horde of the undead surged before your group. The swell of zombies crashed like a wave against the solid, a tangle of limbs reaching out to grab you as they trampled one another for a chance to get at you. Before you could make a move, Grandma Young stepped in front of you. The inside of her arms were glowing bright orange, while the outline of them maintained a consistent shade of crimson red. You could sense her chi flowing into them as they began to vibrate with an unusual intensity. Instinctually, you took a step back, not wanting to get hit with…whatever this was. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 20 Jul 2025 16:02:07 No. 6277745 Report Quoted By:
The fresh wave of zombies surged forwards once more, but right before their grasping arms reached you, Young thrust her own arms at them. A pulse of invisible energy flowed from her hands, and impacted the oncoming horde like a physical force! It crushed bone, pulverized flesh, and drove the mass of bodies apart with enough force that they flew into the air and onto other rooftops. Even from here, you could sense Young's life energy ravaging their bodies. It wouldn't be long before they experienced a second, more permanent death. Your grandmother turned back to face you, her eyes and hands having lost their eerie glow. “Maybe so.” she admitted. “Perhaps I should teach you the proper way to meditate. The fastest way to ease one's thoughts is to soothe the spirit.” “Yeah…I think I'd like that.” you said, giving her a smile that only felt slightly strained. Ward cleared his throat in a way that felt not only loud, but also…intentionally obnoxious. “Need I remind you ‘Moons’ that we are in the middle of a very important battle? We should at least pretend that we are taking this seriously.” “About as serious as you trying to have us killed just to please some crusty old vampire?” Delphyne mentioned. “Now is not the time, Gorgon.” Carn growled, but only from the left side of his face. “Not when there is blood to be shed…” “No one asked you, demon.” she said, glaring at the Were. “How are you feeling, Carn?” Young asked, showing none of the hatred that Delphyne displayed. “Still in control.” he confirmed, speaking with the other side of his face this time. “My blood boils, and my mind churns…but I am still myself.” “As far as you know, at least.” his demon-half said. Carn's only response was to grumble unhappily. “I hate to say it, but…Ward's right. We should focus up here.” you recommended. “Varnae needs to see that we mean business.” “I am sure we will have no trouble convincing him of that…” Young said, her scarlet eyes burning with hatred. The others nodded their agreement. “Good. Because we've still got a long way to go.” you said, turning to stare at the Zombie Prince, standing atop the tallest building at the center of the city. —----- For a while, your uncoordinated assault was effective enough to push your way past whatever Simon could throw at you. But as both the density and volume of each horde grew to unacceptable levels, you all agreed to let Young lead the charge, while you and everyone else did everything you could to cover her blind spots. Young's fists flew faster and faster, carving out a direct path to the Zombie Prince by throwing out insane amounts of life energy! (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 20 Jul 2025 16:05:22 No. 6277747 Report Quoted By:
If anything, to you it looked like it was far easier for her to project her chi in massive quantities than it was to precisely channel it. The energy was fluctuating wildly, to the point where you felt grateful that all this power was being wielded by a master, and not a high school freshman. “Get clear! All of you!” Young demanded, somehow increasing the pace of her punches and palm strikes. “I'll hold them off!” “Are you crazy!?” Delphyne asked. “There are too many for you to handle alone!” Carn shouted back. “No! She's right!” you said, standing back to back with the Amazon Queen. “She's still holding back because of us. Let's give her some room!” Ward, knowing full well the capabilities of the Bloodstone, was the first to retreat. Carn and Delphyne required a bit more convincing, but after seeing Young single-handedly serve as their vanguard, they decided to leave the heavy lifting to her for a little while. You threw down a smokescreen and sent out several flashbangs before clambering up a nearby wall alongside Carn. He might’ve been faster than you on a flat stretch of land, but he was nowhere near as agile. Not even Ward and Delphyne could keep up with you in your current state. In fox form, you didn’t even need a grappling hook. Between your claws, fox magic and Mercy’s bandages, you barely had any need for a traditional toolbelt. For once, you were feeling pretty super all on your own! “Whoa…” Delphyne breathed as she watched you scale a building like a cat would a short fence. “No wonder she beat you up, Ward. That girl's got some serious moves!” “If you think you would fare better, then perhaps you should issue a challenge of your own, Gorgon.” Ward shot back. “Children! Behave!” Young called out. Even from this far, you could sense the chi projections that Young was sending out to keep the zombies at bay. They had her rough silhouette, but were nothing more than dense energy projectiles that matched the stance she took at the time of their creation. Some had their arms extended to strike out at the undead with a tightly clenched fist or an open palm, while others were poised to block or parry incoming blows. It was like watching a flipbook play out before your very eyes. As mesmerizing as that was, however, you had a job to do. And that job was draw Simon's attention. Using Mercy’s cloth, you pulled yourself into the air and sprang off of an adjacent wall to reach a nearby balcony. From that balcony, you flipped yourself into the roof, and bounded from one building to the next, each pass requiring only a single leap. You kept this up in rapid succession, your tails fluttering behind you. Your inhuman agility allowed you to close the gap between yourself and Simon in no time. He barely had time to turn around before you were on top of him. Instead of tearing his throat out with your claws, though, you had Mercy wrap him up while you clung to his back. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 20 Jul 2025 16:12:09 No. 6277748 Report A pillar of tangled limbs surged up to attack the one that dared oppose the Zombie Prince. But before they could reach you, a volley of arrows and bone spikes thinned their number enough for you to drag Simon away from minions. You yanked him around, making absolutely certain that he could see Del, Carn and Ward standing united, and providing you covering fire. Simon groaned, and his zombie horde split to put some pressure on the Monster Council. At the same time, you sensed Young's chi retract back into her body. She was preparing to cast the curse that she and Shaggy had cooked up. The Zombie Prince struggled with all his might, which was more than either of you were entirely prepared for, if the stretching and tearing of Mercy's fabric was any indication. Might have to put him in a submission hold if he gets too riled up. Last time you checked, though, zombies were pretty much immune to being choked out... What will you say/do?>”Sorry, Simon! This'll only take a minute.” >”You want a piece of me, Varnae!? Come and face me, you coward! I know you're listening!” >”If you thought 'The Slayer’ was scary, then wait until you meet the guy who's backing her. Say hello to Khonshu for me!" >Shove a flashbang into Simon's face. If Varnae can see whatever he sees, then maybe he'll see this! >Write-in.
Anonymous
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>>6277748 >>”Sorry, Simon! This'll only take a minute.” Anonymous
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>>6277748 >”Sorry, Simon! This'll only take a minute.” He can afford to lose an arm or two if he struggles too much, right? Someone can reattach them later!
>”Varnae, the sun’s light isn’t the only thing that’ll burn you. As Khonshu’s Moon, I’ll give you a first-hand demonstration soon.” Gotta throw the action hero one-liners in somewhere though.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 24 Jul 2025 02:35:38 No. 6279552 Report Quoted By:
“Sorry Simon! This'll only take a minute.” you said, struggling to keep his arms in place. “Cindy! Turn him around!” Young shouted. You did exactly that. At the same time, Mercy retracted her bandages from around his chest, where the amulet still rested against his gray, necrotic flesh. By the time you spun him around, Young was on the other side of the building, muttering the end of her incantation. She reached out, and an inky black tendril stretched from her fingers and launched itself directly at the amulet. The tendril's tip splayed out to portray what looked like a row of four fingers as it latched onto the magical artifact. Young had called this curse “The Black Hand”. Young was still connected to the other end of the tether, her abyssal chant growing in intensity. You found her pronunciation of the demonic language to be quite fluent. Maybe you'd ask her for lessons later. Pushing that thought aside for now, you leaned away from the Zombie Prince, but kept your feet firmly planted against his back, all while maintaining your grip on his arms. They were currently wrapped over the upper part of his chest. Sort of like a mummy. You wanted to mention it to Mercy, but you had a feeling that she wouldn't entirely appreciate that comparison. More zombies rose up to defend their master, their sheer number and combined weight threatening to collapse this tower. A quick glance back at the Monster Council showed you that they had their hands full dealing with the majority of Simon's army. And if they brought their half of the problem over to your side, then the tower would collapse completely within seconds. “We won't be able to finish in time!” you called out. “I agree!” Young observed. “You must take over!” “Me!?” “I walked you through the incantation! You said your memory is good, right?” “Yeah, but my Abyssal pronunciation is garbage!” you argued, feeling a little embarrassed to say it out loud like this. “But mine isn't…” Mercy hissed. And before you could question her on that, black letters started to appear on your arm. Upon closer inspection, you realized that they were a phonetically friendly spelling of the Black Hand's incantation! “That still looks difficult…” you hissed back. “You chose a difficult path. One that our god warned you against.” You let out a frustrated grunt. “Yeah…I did.” “Grandma, let go!” you yelled, detaching yourself from Simon. “I'm ready!” Young nodded and relinquished her connection to the tether, rushing to combat the zombies that were threatening to surround you. With a wave of her arms, she unleashed another chi pulse, reducing a good chunk of them to ash in mere moments. At the same time, you flipped over Simon's head, caught the tether with your bare hand and picked up the chant where Young had left off. A numb sensation began spreading through your fingertips and up your arm. It was only a mild distraction, though. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 24 Jul 2025 02:37:01 No. 6279554 Report Quoted By:
Even with Mercy’s help, speaking Abyssal made your throat feel raw and strained. It was all guttural noises and low snarls–which was at least easier than Enochian, but you'd much rather avoid butchering a demonic language if you could help it. And while Mercy's phonetic guidelines made things simpler, it didn’t mean that you were an entirely fluent speaker. This must have been evident to your new partner as well, because she you suddenly found your diaphram being asqueezed by your clothes. She even covered your mouth and moved it for you towards the end. But it must've been enough, because a tingling sensation replaced the numbness you'd felt in your arm as soon as you picked up the ritual. Black smoke poured from your hand and rolled from your skin, sinking to the ground instead of rising into the air. You and Mercy both shivered. Dark magic was weird. The tether detached itself from the amulet, retreated back into your hand, and coagulated into a ball of shadowy slime. You made a digusted sound and shook it off of your hand with a little help from Mercy. She literally took off your glove and wrung it out for you. “Thanks.” you muttered, returning your attention to Simon. He seemed unsteady on his feet, and the amulet seemed to have been severely damaged. Black veins were spreading from the now dull, cracked gem in the center. Simon teetered slightly, and a slight groam escaped his dry lips. Then, all at once, the zombies surrounding you stopped, and went dormant. Their groaning stopped as well. It grew so quiet, that the only noises you heard were the Monster Council expressing their confusion. Simon stared around, his one remaining eye focusing on Young. She breathed out a sigh of relief. “Is that you, Simon?” she asked, approaching him with her guard up. The Zombie Prince nodded, and brought a hand to his head. He let out a pitiful moan. “We know. This wasn't your fault.” she reassured him. “I am just glad to have you back.” You just hoped Varnae was writhing in pain after having received that curse. There was a great deal of shuffling as the zombies climbed down to the street, and then proceeded to file out of the plaza. “He's sending them away.” Young explained. “Away?” you said. “Out of the city.” she replied. “They will be forced to wander the black sands once more.” “It's probably for the best.” you concluded. “The people around here probably won't be too comfortable with zombies hanging around. Not for a while, at least.” Young nodded, but you saw a bit of sadness enter her expression when she looked back at Simon. “...I suppose you are right.” —------ Now, that the zombies had been dealt with, you and the Monster Council were free to welcome your new allies into the city. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 24 Jul 2025 02:39:07 No. 6279557 Report The Amazons–a brave and powerful tribe of warrior women. Out of all the factions, they were the smallest in number. But their might and ferocity in battle granted them the freedom and respect to establish their own village. The Were-Clans–a collective army of varying tribes. Some were separated by the category of Were, while others wore different colors or styles of war-paint. You thought you saw a few mutant Were's out there, as well as some with cybernetic implants. House Morvayne–a clan of vampires possessing resplendent armor, quality weaponry, and an impressive army of thralls. Being the most expendable, the thralls were, of course, the main force. The real super-stars were the elite vampire soldiers and mercenaries that House Morvayne paid to come out and fight. And then…there were the people of Monster Metropolis. Those that weren't injured, or necessary to the city's recovery were free to volunteer their service. Not everyone was willing, but some were. They were populous in number, diverse in species, and about as unorganized as an army of untrained civilians could be. They followed Young's lead, mostly. But she kept you close at all times, and you got the feeling that she had something to do with why they were treating you better now. You finally had your armies assembled to go after Varnae. Hopefully, Mina could convince him to leave his castle before you got there. What will you do?>March with the Amazons. You feel like you might be able to learn a lot from them. >Run with the Were clans, and bring out your wild side! >Ride out with House Morvayne. When Mina eventually sends additional forces, you can meet up with them and launch an assault on Varnae! >Have Ben transport you with the Portal Projector. You're sure he's already put together a strike team of some kind. And that's exactly what you need right now. >Hitch a ride with the Kaiju! It's time to bring out the big guns! >Bring along a specific riding buddy. (Write-in.) >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6279557 >March out at the front with any who volunteer to stand with you. You a force in your own right, whether you want it or not. We’re a symbol as much as we are a fighter right now, so who we march with would affect public perception. May as well go with a middle-of-the-road option, even if I personally like Cindy’s banter with Delphyne.
>See if Young can send one last message to Simon It’s unlikely the zombies can stay in the city anytime soon, but if they march against Varnae it’d help one or more of the other clans to step in and provide safe places for at least some of their number. Have them attack from another angle and our group can rally to support them once we arrive.
If Young or the others don’t want to commit to that politically, we can at least offer to stand with the zombies ourself once we arrive. Mixed bag on whether it’d help or hurt them more, but they’ll know they aren’t alone and forgotten.
Anonymous
>>6279798 +1 to throw anon a bone
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 24 Jul 2025 18:56:16 No. 6279823 Report Quoted By:
>>6279798 >>6279810 >March out at the front with any who volunteer to stand with you. You a force in your own right, whether you want it or not. >See if Young can send one last message to Simon Taking these! Writing...
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 24 Jul 2025 22:10:13 No. 6279869 Report Quoted By:
Ultimately, you decided that it would be best to remain with Young and march at the head of the volunteer army. Even if there were people here who still didn’t trust you, you absolutely meant what you said to Khonshu earlier. Even monsters deserved protection sometimes. Young recognized that as well. So did your parents, to a certain extent. A modern age required modern monster hunters. Ones that could discern monsters from misunderstood supernatural creatures. And that meant not discriminating against any one creature for the misdeeds of a vicious monster. So, with that in mind, you approached Young about a proposition. A proposition for the Zombie Prince. —---- Just as you suspected, Young was very receptive to your idea. So was Shaggy, to your mild surprise. He hated the idea of wasting an available resource like the countless undead at Simon’s command. That was more than could be said about the volunteer soldiers in your group, however. The thought of having the Zombie Prince lead an army of the undead to march alongside you was a little too much for them to digest. Especially when they had all just narrowly survived the equivalent of a miniature zombie apocalypse. Even knowing how they would feel about it, though, you still requested that Simon be given the option of defending his home. You wanted him to know that he didn’t have to fight if he didn’t want to, but just being there to show his support would be enough. Everyone had to know that the Metropolis stood united in their defiance of Varnae. Thankfully, Young made it seem like Simon was all too eager to strike back at the manipulative bat demon. Shaggy offered to travel with their group so as to provide flanking opportunities via his portals. Deadhead also volunteered his services to keep an eye on Simon, just in case Varnae somehow regained control of him. Neither you nor Young liked the idea of sending a potential assassin after one of your allies, but you also didn’t like the idea of having Simon’s forces suddenly turn on you mid-battle. The dog and mercenary wished you luck before they left, and you wished them the same. As the zombies departed, so did the House Morvayne and the Amazons. Ana rode alongside Delphyne, and Louise rode behind Ward and his forces. You thought her decision to accompany the vampires was a little curious, but you eventually wrote it off as her wanting to keep an eye on them. Next were the Were-Clans. Carnelian urged his forces forward–not in an organized march, but in a dead sprint that brought the word “stampede” to mind. Finally, it was your group’s turn to start moving. You expected Ben, Harpy and James to join you after they finished distributing Ben’s weapons to the volunteers. But to your surprise, the three of them informed you that they were given a different mission by Mina. “What kind of mission?” you asked. (Cont.)
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 24 Jul 2025 22:11:47 No. 6279870 Report Quoted By:
“The kind that ties up loose ends.” Ben said, his face unreadable under that mask. “Varnae’s associates might try to slip away, and Jake Sully over here says that Mina wants to prevent that from happening.” He jabbed a thumb over in James’ direction. “My name is James.” he corrected. “But yes, he is right. My father cannot be allowed to escape.” “Mina thinks she’s identified an escape route that Skul might use if things get too hot.” Ben continued. “The Weres are gonna try and cut him off when they move to flank Varnae’s forces.” “She told you all that?” you said, unable to hide your surprise. James nodded. “She says that anyone who knowingly participates in a plan to potentially destroy the world should either be ‘swiftly crushed’ or ‘severely punished’.” he explained. “Her brother could certainly learn a thing or two from her.” Young said, nodding her approval. “What about Belasco?” you put in. “If we can’t stop him, then that still leaves an army of Hellbats to deal with.” Young gave you a curious look at the mention of a ‘Hellbat’, but you trusted her ability to piece together your meaning. “You let me worry about that.” Ben reassured you. “I’ll go kick him right back down to whatever hell dimension he’s crawled out of.” “It is called Limbo.” James helpfully answered. “Right. That one.” Ben said, reaching over to tousle your hair. “Promise me you'll stay safe out there?” You smiled. “I promise.” you lied. “You guys too. Don’t do anything too crazy.” Ben nodded, but didn’t say anything. You had a feeling that you weren’t the only one lying here. Harpy chose that moment to flap her mighty wings, kicking up black sand everywhere as she rose into the air. You covered your eyes, and just barely missed the moment where she snatched up both Ben and James. “Good luck!” you shouted, waving at them with both arms as they continued to ascend. “You too! Look out for her, Young!” “Of course I will! You don’t have to tell me!” she shouted back, shaking a fist at him. Ben waved back as well. James tried to, but he seemed utterly mortified by the thought of using his hands for anything other than holding onto Harpy for dear life. “Your guardian is an interesting man.” Young said, still looking up at him. “I should thank him properly for everything he’s done for you.” “Yeah. Me too...” you agreed, watching as the three of them soared higher and higher into the sky. Soon after that, it was time for your group to start moving. The Kaiju brought up the rear, and you could visibly see the relief that they felt from receiving the Kaiju King’s support. “Varnae won’t know what hit him.” you said, smiling back at the volunteer army you had assembled. —------ (Cont.)
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 24 Jul 2025 22:17:35 No. 6279872 Report Quoted By:
After about a day and a half of marching, setting up camp, and resting, Varnae’s Castle finally came into view after you and Young crested a particularly treacherous obsidian dune. The wards that had once concealed it from the naked eye had been deactivated, and what stood before you now looked like little more than a top-heavy tower that was still undergoing construction at its highest level. It had been built under a massive stalactite, or an “inverse mountain” as Young had once described them, and from the way things were developing, it looked like Varnae had intended for the castle’s upper floors to be built into the very mountain itself. According to her, the ‘sky world’ was home to the harpies, vampires, and other such airborne creatures. Her statement proved accurate when you spotted a manticore flying between the inverse mountains’ cloudy peaks. You were sure Varnae had some vampires up there waiting in the wings. “Looks like Varnae’s been expecting us.” Young observed. Down below, past the defensive line that your allies had formed, Varnae’s forces crowded around the base of his castle. Mutated Kaiju, vampires and a plethora of other monsters all roared and hissed at you, daring you to get closer. Varnae was nowhere to be seen. You were about to take a step forward, when Young grabbed you by the shoulder. “Stay on your toes. Keep your eyes peeled for any tricks that he might use.” Young warned you. “But most importantly…hold your head up high, and show them who you truly are.” You nodded without taking your eyes off of Varnae’s castle, and Young slowly removed her hand. When you moved, so did everyone else. Instead of circling the dune like the others, you and Young slid down it. The generals you had appointed during the invasion met back up with you, leading the army in your stead. But the real attention grabbers were the Kaiju backing you up. They were the real reason why your allied forces parted like the Red Sea before you. The enemy didn’t know that, though. To them, it looked like they were making room for you, since you were the one standing at the front. As you neared the front of the battlefield, you spotted some friendly faces giving you encouraging looks. Louise. Ana. Delphyne. And Ward, strangely enough. Simon and Carn’s groups were still moving to cut off enemy forces, so you didn’t see them, but you imagined that they were sending you their thoughts and prayers. By the time that you reached the front, all eyes were on you, not the Kaiju standing on either side of you. Some of the enemy vampires laughed at you, their faces curled up into derogatory sneers. Most of them tensed up, prepared for the worst should you display any outward hostility. Your hand moved, and a sea of vampires shifted to grab their weapons. But you made no move to grab your own. Instead, you held up a hand. A signal to the Kaiju towering above you. (Cont.)
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 24 Jul 2025 22:20:54 No. 6279873 Report Then, all at once, each of them began to shout. They shouted for Varnae to show himself. Their booming voices overpowered most as they swept across the battlefield. Soon after, everyone else on your side joined in. You didn’t know if it was due to mob mentality or sheer bloodthirst, but they picked up on what you were trying to do. And, soon enough, there was an entire army of monsters calling Varnae a coward for hiding behind his army. What had once threatened to be a bloodbath, had quickly devolved into a shouting match. Only, the enemy’s morale was starting to flag, as each member of the Monster Council stepped forward to stand with you. It was becoming apparent that “The Slayer” wasn’t the only one opposed to Varnae. After about five minutes of this, a large, shadowy figure swept down from the top of the castle, and crashed down before Varnae’s army. The enemy’s forces took a step back as a large bipedal bat-creature stood to its full height. He looked a lot like Carpathian, but with longer talons, and an even longer pair of drooping ears. “You truly wish to see me in person so badly, Slayer?” he hissed, his wings unfurling to show a body being ravaged by a network of black veins. “Or do you simply wish to see your own handiwork? I am afraid that your curse has failed to kill me.” His voice was low and tremulous. His every word reverberated through your bones. He must be using an enchantment of some kind to boost his volume. He wore no armor–no clothing at all, really. You couldn’t see any visible weapons, either. Only a few enchanted rings adorning his long, bony fingers. “I have outlived many before you. And I will outlive many more after your blood is spilled on these sands!” he roared. What will you say/do? (You may initiate the assault if you wish to.)>”Why don’t you get a little closer and say that to my face, creep.” >”The only reason you’ve lived this long is because you’ve spent your life running and hiding. You don’t scare me, Varnae.” >”Then I sure hope you can back up all that talk. Otherwise, this is gonna be really embarrassing for you.” >”I’ve outlived everything you’ve thrown at me so far. If anything, I’m surprised that you’ve still got supporters after every single one of your ‘carefully laid out plans’ has failed miserably.” >”The only person we’re here for is you, Varnae. Everyone else will get a chance to surrender.” >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6279810 Thanks anon!
>>6279873 >””You died ages ago, Varnae. Try a better boast, like how you used your millennia of cunning to keep pace with someone still in grade school. Ooh, and you wisely devastated a city to unite several clans against you! Really showcase that unparalleled magnificence of yours!” We’re a teenager who lives with Ben. We’re winning the “verbal smackdown” phase of this fight.
But if we want to be serious,
>”I have a duty here, and it’s ending you. Come face a threat you helped forge.” Anonymous
>>6279873 >>”The only reason you’ve lived this long is because you’ve spent your life running and hiding. You don’t scare me, Varnae.” Anonymous
>>6279873 >>6280267 Anon
>>6279933 here. Backing this to move us along if we can’t combine.
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sat 26 Jul 2025 19:09:05 No. 6280707 Report Quoted By:
>>6280267 >>6280574 >”The only reason you’ve lived this long is because you’ve spent your life running and hiding. You don’t scare me, Varnae.” Taking these. Writing...
>>6279933 >”You died ages ago, Varnae. Try a better boast, like how you used your millennia of cunning to keep pace with someone still in grade school. Ooh, and you wisely devastated a city to unite several clans against you! Really showcase that unparalleled magnificence of yours!” And since this is a particularly spicy taunt, I'll hold onto this one for an upcoming update!
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sat 26 Jul 2025 19:20:38 No. 6280709 Report “The only reason you've lived this long is because you've spent your life running and hiding.” you said, not bothering to hide your contemptuous scowl. “You don't scare me, Varnae.”
Varnae's own sneer deepened, and you got a good long look at his long, needle-like teeth.
“Then you will die a fool!”
Then, without warning, Varnae raised his hands, and a stream of lightning shot from his fingers! You wasted no time in drawing your golden sword to block the surprise spell. Grandma Young warned you that he might try something like this.
There were a number of gasps and enraged shouts from the people behind you.
“Cindy!” Young shouted.
You knew she wanted to help. So did Louise and Ana. But you also needed them to respect your wishes. This was your fight, and you were going to finish it on your own terms.
Your teeth clenched, and your arms strained against the weight of the spell. Lord Palpatine here was trying to fry you like a fish right off the bat. Even if you dodged out of the way, you still didn't think that would stop him from channeling this spell. That meant that everyone standing behind you was in danger as well.
Slizzik must have intuited this as well, because a large, green scaly hand dropped down behind you, shielding those that would've been hit, if not for your interference. The vampires on Varnae's side all visibly twitched as soon as the Kaiju moved, the looks on their face telling you that they still hadn't decided whether or not it would be a good idea for them to step in. In your opinion, though, they were just lucky that Hi-Vo didn't choose to get involved here.
What will you do?
>Roll out of the way, and circle around Varnae to bait him into electrocuting his own men while you close in on him. >Leap into the air, and bombard Varnae with explosive potions and Foxfire flashbangs. >Fight Varnae's lightning with some of your own! >Push past Varnae's lightning by relying on yours and Mercy’s combined strength! >Write-in. Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd Anonymous
>>6280709 >>Leap into the air, and bombard Varnae with explosive potions and Foxfire flashbangs. Anonymous
>>6280709 >Leap into the air, and bombard Varnae with explosive potions and Foxfire flashbangs. Yeah, explosives are something we’ve gotten plenty of experience with now.
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 27 Jul 2025 18:55:14 No. 6281177 Report Quoted By:
>>6280718 >>6281023 >Leap into the air, and bombard Varnae with explosive potions and Foxfire flashbangs. Taking these. Writing...
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 27 Jul 2025 19:01:55 No. 6281183 Report Without letting the spell move beyond the flat of your blade, you firmly planted your feet, bent at knees, and launched yourself into the air with a powerful leap! Varnae tried moving his hands to track you with his lightning, displaying faster reflexes than you thought him capable of, but the damage from Young's curse seemed to be slowing him down enough to the point where you could outpace him with a bit of effort. “Bombs away, Mercy.” you muttered. Not even a second later, Mercy whipped out every alchemical explosive that you had on your person, and flung them down at Varnae! The resulting explosion was all-encompassing, and a few of his vampire minions ended up getting caught in the blast. A fitting punishment for attempting to edge closer to their boss during your fight. Before the smoke cleared completely, you sent out three Foxfire flashbangs. The impotent rage-filled screech that reached your ears told you that he didn't like that very much. That made you feel a bit better, but it also meant that the bat-faced freak was still alive. Peaking through the cloud of smoke, you saw a shimmering, translucent bubble winking out of existence. The crusty old vamp had a barrier ring. Those things were exceedingly rare and extremely expensive, due to the amount of upkeep required. Interestingly enough, it looked like your bombardment had drained it of however much juice was still left in it. You briefly wondered why he hadn't recharged it fully before this fight, but you didn’t linger on it for very long. Because Varnae was practically blind and defenseless right now. And that was all that mattered. What will you do?>Dive down and plunge your silver sword into Varnae's cold heart! >Have Mercy devote her attention to tying him up while you close the distance. >Try to pull out more fox power. Four tails couldn't be much worse than three. >Put your sword away and pop out your claws. You're about to tear this bat limb from limb! >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6281183 >>Dive down and plunge your silver sword into Varnae's cold heart! it's an atlantean sword, he's from atlantis so there's dramatic irony!
Anonymous
>>6281183 If his ring isn’t charged it’s because he got in a fight already. Did Mina do something dumb like fight him directly?
>Dive down and plunge your silver sword into Varnae's cold heart! Couple it with a flashbang in the mouth since this’ll somehow fail to kill him.
Can we (or Mercy) do a prayer to Khonshu that’ll give him first dibs on Varnae’s soul when we shove the sword through his heart? Hellbat Varnae would be annoying to deal with.
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 27 Jul 2025 21:24:53 No. 6281278 Report Quoted By:
>>6281188 >>6281236 >Dive down and plunge your silver sword into Varnae's cold heart! >Throw a flashbang in his mouth Taking these. Writing...
>Can we (or Mercy) do a prayer to Khonshu that’ll give him first dibs on Varnae’s soul when we shove the sword through his heart? Hellbat Varnae would be annoying to deal with. This is very much possible!
>If his ring isn’t charged it’s because he got in a fight already. Did Mina do something dumb like fight him directly? You'll find out soon.
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 27 Jul 2025 22:33:24 No. 6281308 Report Quoted By:
As you started to plummet, you unsheathed your silver sword and poised it to plunge directly into Varnae's cold heart. But right before your blade made contact with his flesh, you noticed his large ears twitch. At the last moment, he brought his wings up as a shield. Magic symbols flashed as your blade slid off of his leathery flesh. You stepped back, slashed at his wings with your golden sword, and the protective wards failed immediately. You swung your silver sword again, before he could register what you just did. This time, your blade glided through his left wing like a hot knife through butter. He screeched in pain as you advanced on him. He scampered away, swung at you with his uninjured arm. At the same time, a magical construct in the shape of a giant, clawed hand formed at his side and made to grab for you. Before the hand could close, you dove between its fingers. You swung down with the hand holding your Atlantean sword, cleaving through two of the five fingers on Varnae's spectral hand, before landing on the other side to slash at his uninjured wing with your gold and silver swords in succession. Another pained screech. Judging from the tattered remains of what used to be wings, Varnae was grounded for good. He swung at you again. This time, you barely got under his claws in time to avoid them. If you hadn't been so close at the time, then he might have done more than graze you. You raised your silver sword, and drove it towards his heart. Varnae managed to get his hand up in time to intercept it. An arcane force field held the tip of your blade at bay, until you stabbed your Atlantean blade into it as well. The barrier gave way immediately, and both blades stabbed through his hand and plunged into his heart. Varnae let out a surprised gasp as he forcefully shoved you away. You dragged both swords back with you, and stabbed them into the ground to kill your momentum. Mercy helped out too, her cloth tethers keeping you from sliding too far away from Varnae. Before he could potentially use them against you, you flicked your tails at him to send another flashbang into his face. “That sword. How did you come into its possession…?” Varnae growled, a hand still clutching at his chest, and another shielding his eyes. The place where you'd stabbed him was oozing black ichor. That was his heart, you were sure of it. It looked like you were going to have to behead this one to make sure he stayed dead. You ripped your swords out of the ground and spun them around until they were both pointed at Varnae. “What, this? I just thought I'd give you a little taste of home.” you said, injecting enough snark into your voice so that it would be unmistakable to someone without eyes. Being of Atlantean descent, Varnae should know well what this is. “No…it is borrowed.” Varnae hissed, his nostrils flaring. “It belonged to another. The same way that your magic belongs to another.” He took a step forward, and you did the same.
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 27 Jul 2025 22:35:46 No. 6281311 Report “Everything about you is borrowed. ‘Inherited’. Even your mind is not fully your own.” “Khonshu protects us. In both mind, and body.” Mercy muttered. “That's what it means to have family, Varnae. To have friends.” you said, preparing yourself for a sneak attack. “You take parts of them–hopefully the best parts, and you try to use the tools they've given you to be the best person you can be.” You took another step forward. “You could never understand that. All you do is use people and throw them away when they stop being useful to you.” And another step. “And for all that trash talk, you're still getting your butt handed to you by someone barely a fraction of your age! Did you account for that in your master plan?” you asked, reaffirming your grip on your swords. “What about when you devastated a city and united multiple clans and factions against you? If that's how well your plans go when you have all the time in the world, then I'd sure hate to see what you look like under pressure.” Varnae roared and charged at you. “Well, I guess that answers that question!” you said, before bursting into action.>Roll 1d100, bo3!
Anonymous
Rolled 25 (1d100) >>6281311 c'mon baby, gimme some good numbers...
Anonymous
Rolled 11 (1d100) >>6281311 Maybe I’ll have better luck?
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Mon 28 Jul 2025 21:18:35 No. 6281668 Report Quoted By:
>>6281334 >>6281313 If we don't get a new roll before the end of the day, then I'll let one of you guys roll again.
Anonymous
Rolled 76 (1d100) >>6281311 Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Tue 29 Jul 2025 14:40:54 No. 6281961 Report Quoted By:
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Tue 29 Jul 2025 22:02:07 No. 6282075 Report >76 You dashed forward to meet Varnae's charge with your own. You extended your silver sword, and sliced-
Varnae's body suddenly evaporated into mist, and the edge of your sword passed right through where his stomach should have been. The chilling mist swirled around you, and a moment later, Varnae reappeared directly behind you! His claws shot directly for your throat, and good judgement told you to duck to the side instead of blocking it. As his arm sailed past you, you brought your sword up under it, hoping to slash his throat.
Varnae caught your sword with the claws of his other hand. Each one of them was hard as iron, and with his absurd vampire strength, he was able to trap your blade between his fingers. And it just HAD to be the vampire-killing sword!
He yanked back, snatching it out of your hands and flinging it into Mekara’s leg, where it stuck. To the giant robot, it seemed more like an annoyance than it did an actual wound.
Still having your Atlantean sword, you pushed forward and slashed at his chest. You got in one clean hit, but he managed to fend off the rest by blocking with his arms, even if that meant taking some pretty serious cuts.
You lunged, ducked another burst of lightining, deflected the next with your golden sword, and flicked your tails at him. Tied at the end of each tail were multiple silver daggers. And each one was now flying directly for him.
Varnae blocked one with his right arm, but it sank deep into his flesh. Another drove into his shoulder, while three buried themselves in his chest. The one you had sent towards his eye only managed to graze his cheek, but it spooked him good enough to make him back off.
You reached a hand out to your silver sword, still buried in Mekara’s leg. A bolt of cloth extended from your open hand, wrapped around the sword's hilt, and forcefully dragged it out. The blade was back in your hand a moment later, and a part of you relished in the shocked murmurs that Mercy’s little display had caused.
You never took your eyes off of your opponent, though. With his wings ruined, and his body being ravaged by Young's curse and no small amount of silver daggers, Varnae wasn't looking too hot.
It was time to finish this.
>Bait him into trying to grab your sword again, and slice off his fingers. Can't use those fancy rings if he doesn't have fingers. >Send in Mercy to scream in his ears and disorient him, while you move in to cut him down. >Create a smokescreen, have Mercy fake your footsteps to distract him, and then move in for the kill. >No illusions and no tricks. This all comes down to one final clash. You want him to know how utterly he's been beaten. >Write-in. Equipment and Gear:
https://pastebin.com/WAhveFAd Anonymous
>>6282075 >>Bait him into trying to grab your sword again, and slice off his fingers. Can't use those fancy rings if he doesn't have fingers. Anonymous
>>6282075 >Write-in. >Remember our training and watch out for feints or Varnae feigning weakness. This has almost been too easy and a cornered rat is most dangerous.
>"Khonshu, guard your faithful against the petty tricks from creatures of the dark." Guard our mind and focus. Tricks are psychological as much as physical. If Khonshu actually answers our prayer even better.
Anonymous
>>6282075 I’ll add on my own Khonshu request.
>Ask Khonshu if he can grant you a moonlight that burns. The only light these vampires fear is the sun, and you need to fix that notion. They need a reminder that they live in Khonshu’s domain, and it’s not a safe space if they go about slaughtering people. Be the holy warrior.
So something like cutting off the rings even if it means losing the silver sword again, then plunge our claws into his heart and light it on fire with Khonshu’s help?
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Wed 30 Jul 2025 22:43:29 No. 6282541 Report >>6282078 >>6282090 >>6282421 We've got three (mostly) different votes here. How would you guys like to resolve this? Would you like me to combine them?
>>6282421 This anon here seems okay with combining their vote with
>>6282078 Anonymous
>>6282541 yeah, i'm fine with any of these
Anonymous
>>6282541 I’m good with combining all of them. The finger slices should open him up to a final blow almost immediately, while our Khonshu votes are dependent on how much he’s willing to invest in us at this moment.
I’m sure we can win without additional support, but I want anyone watching to remember we’re more than The Slayer. We serve a god, and that god will send people like us to kick their ass if they get too far out of line.
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 31 Jul 2025 16:52:19 No. 6282833 Report Quoted By:
>>6282545 >>6282559 Gotcha! This is a good point for Cindy to reinforce her beliefs and decide what she wants to be for the people who believe in her.
>>6282078 >>6282090 >>6282421 >Bait him into trying to grab your sword again, and slice off his fingers. Can't use those fancy rings if he doesn't have fingers. >Remember our training and watch out for feints or Varnae feigning weakness. >"Khonshu, guard your faithful against the petty tricks from creatures of the dark." >Ask Khonshu if he can grant you a moonlight that burns. The only light these vampires fear is the sun, and you need to fix that notion. Taking these. The update is mostly written already, but I need to go back and make some revisions to it.
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 31 Jul 2025 19:25:54 No. 6282896 Report Quoted By:
Victory was in sight. You just knew it. Varnae wasn't much of a looker before, but the creature that stood before you now could only be described as pitiful. And ugly. And decrepit. There were a lot of words that came to mind, but only one of them was relevant to this battle in particular. Varnae was slowing down. You were beating him back, but this was all too easy. For a supposed Vampire Lord more ancient than even Dracula himself, you imagined this fight being a lot more epic. But this? Was Varnae holding back against you? Was there some trick here that you haven't picked up on yet? As your mind raced, you started to mutter a prayer to Khonshu. “Dear Father…Oh, Great Protector…” you began. “Grant me the wisdom to see through deceit. Dear Khonshu…guard your faithful against the petty tricks employed by those that lurk in the shadows. Shield my mind from the influence of those that would oppose you.” “Protect her, Lord Khonshu…” Mercy echoed in reverence. Varnae rubbed at his eyes, but you couldn't tell whether they had recovered from your repeated use of the Fox-flash. You raised both swords, and Varnae flexed his claws. You thought you saw resolve in those beady red eyes of his, but you couldn't say for certain. Feeling a little rushed, you decided to be a bit more personal with your patron god. “Hey, Khonshu. Me again.” you whispered, ignoring a hiss from Mercy. “Is there any chance that I can get a little extra this time? Seeing as the world is at stake and all.” You let out a light chuckle, and Varnae's ears twitched once more. You didn’t care if he heard you or not. “Maybe a beam of moonlight that can burn vampires, or something?” “Moonlight does not burn!” Mercy argued. “It is a symbol of guidance and healing! “Dear Child…I am afraid that there is little moonlight to be utilized h-” Khonshu began, before cutting off abruptly. “Hello? Khonshu!?” you whispered worriedly. “Oh no. Don’t tell me I'm losing signal again.” “No…there is something here. It is perhaps…unorthodox, however…” Your patron god let out a thoughtful hum, and your worries only deepened. “Fear not, my daughter.” Khonshu reassured you. “We have everything we need here. I see it now.” From anyone else, that might not have sounded terribly convincing. But coming from your patron god… “Got it.” you replied, giving up on the thought of any explanation for what he was about to do. It was at that very moment that Varnae lunged for you. You stepped in, feinted with your silver sword, and allowed Varnae to rip it from your grasp. Before he could fully realize what was going on, you gripped the Atlantean sword with both hands, turned it so that its edge faced skyward, and pulled up! Your blade cleaved through his slender fingers with ease. They, along with his rings, fell to the ground. None of them seemed to be doing anything suspicious, so you left them alone and pressed on. (Cont)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 31 Jul 2025 19:36:17 No. 6282903 Report Quoted By:
You slashed at his legs, bringing him to his knees. He tried to grab for you with his uninjured hand, but it was too late. You had already popped out your claws, and plunged them directly into the wound you had made in his chest. Your hand closed around his heart mere moments before his strike landed. Endothermic flame blazed from your palm and flooded his chest cavity. Varnae roared, and his remaining hand moved to claw at his chest instead. There were bandages coiled around his wrist. They stretched behind his back, and down around his hip. There were additional tendrils reaching down to grab something from the ground. To your great horror, your new partner was holding up Varnae's severed fingers! “What the heck, Mercy!” “Khonshu demands it.” she said simply, overlaying his fingers with your own, and tying them down with thread. Varnae's dead, leathery flesh seemed to burn right off when it came in contact with your Foxfire. Gone were his rings–likely having been removed by Mercy–and the tips of his fingers curled to resemble talons. They were like extensions of your fox claws. “Let me guide your hand.” Khonshu said in your ear, the bone claws forcing your hand to close around his heart. A series of magic glyphs faintly glowed around your fingers, but you couldn’t make them out clearly, on account of them being buried in Varnae’s chest cavity. The old vampire interposed his arm between you and his heart, and pushed you away from him with an admittedly impressive display of strength! You flew backwards with the velocity of a crash test dummy being flung from a high speed car crash! “Got you!” You felt your grandmother's chi surge as she rushed to snatch you out of the air. She took all that built up momentum you had, and all it did was make her lose her footing a little. You blinked rapidly, still a little disoriented from that last hit Varnae gave you. You glanced up at Young, and was about to thank her, when you noticed her staring down at your hand. Or, more specifically, what was in your hand. Varnae's cold, black, rotten heart was pulsating in your hand, still wreathed in white ethereal flames. You made a disgusted sound and squeezed it even harder. The sensitive organ collapsed under the pressure. Foxfire consumed the wretched thing, and you allowed it to fall from your hand. Right at Khonshu's feet. Your patron god leaned down, picked up his heart, popped it in his mouth, and swallowed it whole. A shiver ran down your spine, and you forced yourself to look away. “What…what did you do with his fingers?” Young asked in mild horror. You stared down at the bone claws, and flexed your fingers several times. Mercy was still in the process of securely fastening them to your right hand. White flames and gray flames still danced along your fingertips. No warmth radiated from them, but they provided you with a strange sense of comfort. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 31 Jul 2025 19:43:50 No. 6282905 Report Quoted By:
“I...think it's a weapon?” you answered, still a little uncertain about Khonshu's intention. “I’m still trying to figure it out myself.” Young gave you the absent nod of a person who was absolutely lost, but had no intention of inquiring further. Instead, both you and she turned to stare at Varnae's crumpled form. Without a heart–without a chance in hell of winning…somehow, Varnae managed a grin. It was the unsettling grin of a man all too sure of himself. As if he had gotten exactly what he wanted. “My blood…on your hands…” he said weakly. “The stench…it will never…come off. Truly…you are worthy…of your title.” You stared at him. No way he was just gonna die like that, right? Without even landing a single good blow on you? Varnae's grin turned about as black as his heart, as blood began to ooze from his open mouth. “But…you are still…too foolish…to see when you have been beaten…!” Young helped you to your feet, and you felt a sharp pain briefly blossom in your side, and then fade to a more acceptable level. A welcome blessing from Khonshu. “Uhhh, were we watching the same fight?” you asked. “We were…” he said with a weary nod. “But only one of us…could see…the larger picture.” He made a lazy hand movement, and suddenly, a magic circle appeared in the sand, with Varnae placed smack dab in the middle! You moved to grab one of your swords off of the ground, but Young was faster. Her hands were like iron as they grabbed you from behind and held you in place. “No! Let me go!” you whined. “We do not know what this spell will do to you!” she countered. She was right. You knew she was right. But it still burned you up inside to just wait and watch while Varnae cast a strange spell. What if he got away!? A dark miasma flowed from Varnae's mouth, and shot into the air. Everyone watched with a mixture of shock and horror as it trailed through the sky, and back towards his castle! Varnae's body slumped over a moment later, and both armies fell silent. Judging from their reactions, Varnae hadn't filled them in on that part of the plan either. “Khonshu? What's going on?” you asked aloud. “More duplicity, I suspect.” Khonshu said dryly. “Forget this.” Aegis said. And before anyone could stop the giant robot, a stream of superheated plasma burst out from his eyes and consumed the entire radius of the magic circle. When the smoke cleared, there wasn’t anything left of Varnae. No one quite knew what to do after that. “There. That oughta do it.” the robot said, sounding quite pleased with himself. Mekara lightly shoved him from behind, but there was no remorse in her expression either. The vampires on Varnae's side sure as heck weren't eager to oppose someone like Aegis, and they just watched their leader get vaporized right before their eyes. If things kept going this well, then you might even be able to go help Ben beat up Belasco. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 31 Jul 2025 19:49:07 No. 6282908 Report Quoted By:
“I will admit...you are indeed powerful, 'Slayer'.” Varnae's voice filled the air. You and everyone around you started to glance about frantically. “Stronger than I anticipated. But even you are not capable of vanquishing my spirit.” He was everywhere. Was this an illusion!? Had that even been the real Varnae? “For I am eternal. But now…I am something more.” A portal opened where Varnae's body had once been. And on the other side, the silhouette of a young girl appeared. She looked to be about your age. As she got closer, more details about her became apparent. She had straight, platinum blonde hair that reached down to her back, and a pair of red, curved horns. Her ensemble consisted of a tattered white tee shirt, two heavy, leather boots, and a pair of greatly distressed jean shorts that was only being held up by the devil's tail wrapped around her waist. She stepped through, and neither side was quite sure of what to think of this newcomer. That's when you saw it. The long, glowing, obviously magical sword that she dragged behind her. It was taller than she was! It was a wonder that she managed to drag it at all–let alone with one hand. And she didn't look strained, or tired, or- “For you see,” Varnae continued. Only this time, his voice was coming from the girl's mouth. “I have ascertained the true identity of Limbo's ruler. Belasco thought he could hide her from me.” She snapped her fingers, and a suit of dark, spiky armor magically appeared over her clothes. She smiled, and you knew without a doubt that Varnae was behind that smile. “He thought wrong. Just as he thought that I needed him to complete this ritual.” An ominous red glow was emanating from the top of Varnae's castle. You prayed that Ben and the others were close enough to do something about it. “Enough, Varnae!” Young shouted, stepping in front of you as she assumed a fighting stance. “We have all had enough of your games and your lies! Let that poor girl go, and die with whatever shred of dignity you still have left.” “Why don’t you come over here and make me.” he dared her, still holding that creepy grin on that poor girl's face. Young's eyes narrowed, and she launched herself at Varnae with little to no hesitation. Multiple portals opened up around Varnae, and a couple dozen Limbo demons jumped out and lunged at her! Young barely slowed her advance as she expertly dispatched each demon with a series of punches and palm strikes. But as soon as she got close to Varnae, another portal opened up below her! She dove to the side, just in time to avoid a Limbo demon from grabbing her from behind. A flood of red, screeching demons shot up from the portal, fully engulfing the unlucky demon as they streamed out of one portal, and into another. There was absolutely nothing left of the wretched creature after that. Young's breath quickened, and you saw real panic in her expression. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 31 Jul 2025 19:53:05 No. 6282909 Report “Do you like them? That was but a taste of what is to come.” Varnae boasted. “How!? You did not finish the ritual!” Young shouted. Varnae nodded. “True. Without the ritual, they are unable to persist in this realm for very long at all.” he admitted. “That is why, for now, they are simply…’passing through’...” Another portal appeared beside her, and this time Young was quicker on the draw. She leapt back, only for another to pop up behind her! “Behind you!” you warned. Young turned and caught the foot of a Limbo demon that had been trying to dropkick her in the back. Instead, she shoved its head into the path of the Hellbat storm, and the upper half of its body was quickly torn to shreds. Young threw the bottom half at Varnae, and in the body of the young girl, he swung the massive sword she'd been carrying, and sliced the bottom half into two smaller halves. More portals opened. This time, at eye level with the Kaiju on your side. Countless Hellbats poured from the portals and proceeded to bombard them with their own bodies! The sheer weight of numbers from multiple streams at once were almost overwhelming for them. The ones that didn't die on impact, or were swatted away, fell down to harass your allies on the ground! Chaos erupted on the battlefield, but by some miracle, the majority of Varnae's forces were currently being distracted by their own Kaiju running rampant in their backline. Whether this was due to Varnae's influence or something else entirely was still unclear, but you had bigger things to worry about right now. Because his frontline remained unimpeded, and they were starting to advance. Not wanting to waste this opportunity, an entire wave of vampires surged forward to meet you. Instead, however…they got your grandma. “Keep your filthy paws away from my granddaughter!” she roared, her eyes flaring with intensity. Your own allies, still recovering from Varnae’s latest trick, rushed to meet the vampires. And somewhere amidst all this chaos, Varnae was still out there…lurking. He definitely hadn't forgotten about you. And you just knew that he was itching for a rematch. Your silver sword had probably melted into slag after Aegis nuked that magic circle, but you still had the one your mom gave you. That would have to be enough, for now. What will you do?>Ask Khonshu for guidance. Vampiric weaknesses won’t work on Varnae while he’s possessing that girl. >Hunt down Varnae while you weave between both armies. It’ll be dangerous, but at the very least, he probably won’t see you coming. >Send up a beacon to attract Varnae’s attention. If he wants a rematch, then you’ll gladly give him one. >Create a signal for Simon and Carn to begin their assault early. You need backup! Now! >Get to the castle and stop Varnae's ritual before its too late! Maybe someone here could help you clear a path. >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6282909 Hmm. I do not regret using the Bloodstone on our grandmother. I only wish we had two since it could force him out.
>Ask your grandmother to focus on a solution to force Varnae out of the girl he’s possessed while you run a distraction. >Send up a beacon to attract Varnae’s attention. If he wants a rematch, then you’ll gladly give him one. Our flashbangs and foxfire give us tools to cripple and not kill, so we can run a distraction on him while Young (or Khonshu, or Mercy, or whoever) figures out a real solution. I have to assume he hasn’t been able to make his possession truly ironclad since he had to do this behind Belasco’s back, and he might not expect us to hand the “real” work of pulling him out to someone else after we fought him 1v1 earlier.
Anonymous
>>6282909 >Your patron god leaned down, picked up his heart, popped it in his mouth, and swallowed it whole. A shiver ran down your spine, and you forced yourself to look away. Hmmm, I was gonna say run a stake through it to end the possession.
>Ask Khonshu for guidance. Vampiric weaknesses won’t work on Varnae while he’s possessing that girl. The Atlantean sword might work on Magik. At least a little.
>>6282921 +1
>Write-in. >"Really?!? You said 'my mind is not my own' WHILE you were casting a possession ritual? All that yapping about borrowed this and inherited that, just look at you now!" >"Honestly, where did you find her? You know you're not allowed within 200 feet of a school. The court order was very specific about that." The second one is more Ben tier than Cindy. I can see Young starting to lecture Ben about "what are you teaching that girl" and he just starts laughing for five minutes straight.
Anonymous
Anonymous
>>6283074 I’m not topping those insults, but I’ll add a couple more. We can also say Cindy is pushing herself to do Ben-tier taunts.
>”You have a non-creep range of several millennia and you stick yourself in a teen. You’re disgusting.” >”You really were a waste if two people my age are better than you.” Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Fri 01 Aug 2025 20:14:54 No. 6283374 Report >>6282921 >>6283074 >>6283081 >>6283141 >Ask your grandmother to focus on a solution to force Varnae out of the girl he’s possessed while you run a distraction. >Send up a beacon to attract Varnae’s attention. If he wants a rematch, then you’ll gladly give him one. >"Really?!? You said 'my mind is not my own' WHILE you were casting a possession ritual? All that yapping about borrowed this and inherited that, just look at you now!" >"Honestly, where did you find her? You know you're not allowed within 200 feet of a school. The court order was very specific about that." >”You have a non-creep range of several millennia and you stick yourself in a teen. You’re disgusting.” >”You really were a waste if two people my age are better than you.” Taking these. Roll 1d100, bo3 to see how well you can distract Varnae without getting injured!
Anonymous
Rolled 37 (1d100) >>6283374 Rollin’
Anonymous
Rolled 69 (1d100) >>6283374 Anonymous
Rolled 89 (1d100) >>6283374 ah fuck
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sat 02 Aug 2025 00:09:42 No. 6283449 Report Quoted By:
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sat 02 Aug 2025 15:16:18 No. 6283799 Report Quoted By:
Hey guys! I ended up passing out last night while writing the update, but it's mostly done! I just need to do some revisions, which I'll have to do while I'm out and about. I've got an interview to go to, but I should be back home later in the afternoon. Maybe in about 4 hours.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sat 02 Aug 2025 23:05:28 No. 6284097 Report Quoted By:
>89 “Hey Grandma!” “Cindy! Are you alright!?” she shouted back, her glowing hands blurring into crimson light trails as she fought desperately to hold back an army of vampires. Even while completely and utterly surrounded, you never got the impression that she was overwhelmed. That was just the kind of woman she was. She never stopped moving, and she never slowed down. That Bloodstone shard in her chest had seemingly restored her to her prime, and then some. To watch her fight was to watch a martial arts movie on fast-forward. Her each and every strike sent out wave after wave of positive energy, causing the vampires’ bodies to rapidly break down. The only real danger to her were the weapons and ranged projectiles that some of them wielded. She would parry sword strikes with the back of her hand, redirect arrows and bolts with only two fingers. Each action required immaculate precision and timing. You found her lacking neither. “I'm fine!” you called out. “And so's Varnae! We should probably fix that!” “I don't suppose you have a plan!?” “I do!” you said, picking up your golden sword once more. “And that plan involves me distracting him while you come up with a way to pull him back out!” Grandma Young very nearly turned back in the face of a vampire army to give you an incredulous look. At the same time, four vampires slipped past her and went straight for you. She cursed, but couldn't afford to step away. “There may be a way…but our window will be a short one!” she decided. You dispatched the vampires with ease. They made poor soldiers. You bet they were better suited to hunting prey that couldn't fight back. Out on an open battlefield like this, though, they had no hope of outmaneuvering you. “At this point, I'll take whatever I can get!” you said. “Just be careful and focus on keeping his attention!” she warned. “No showing off!” “Don't worry! I got all that out of my system like two minutes ago!” you replied, sending a fox-flare high into the air. Hopefully Varnae would see it and- The hairs on the back of your neck stood up, and you rolled aside mere moments before Varnae popped out of a portal slashed down with a large golden sword of his own. You quickly recovered and prepared yourself to either parry or dodge his next attack. “Well, that didn't take long.” you muttered. Varnae let out a nefarious laugh that was in no way fitting for a young lady such as himself. “Did you miss me, Slayer?” “Yeah, I was real broken up about it.” you joked. “I almost thought you were gonna scamper off and let your servants take a swing at me instead.” “Make no mistake, half-breed.” he said, narrowing his eyes at you. “Your life is mine–and mine alone–to take.” You threw a ball of Foxfire in his face. He coughed and spluttered as he waved it away. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sat 02 Aug 2025 23:10:21 No. 6284100 Report Quoted By:
“Not without signing a consent form, it's not.” you said, raising your sword. “Speaking of consent, where'd you find this one? You know you're not supposed to be seen within two hundred feet of a school. The court order was very specific about that.” Varnae recovered from your surprise attack and gave you a sinister grin, before lunging at you. You leaned to the side, avoiding the arc of his blade while Mercy reached out to ensnare the Limbo demon that Varnae tried to sic on you. “Oh, you think that's funny? You have a non-creep range of several millennia, and you go and stick yourself in a teen.” you complained, bobbing and weaving between his strikes to the bedt of your ability. “You're disgusting, you know that?” “I care not for her age.” Varnae said, a bit of frustration creeping onto the face of his host. “Her power is all that interests me.” He tightened a gauntleted fist to emphasize his point, while blocking the next blast of Foxfire with his sword. It seemed to disperse upon making contact with the odd metal. “Sounds like I'm not the only kid here who can kick your butt.” you teased. “Face it, Varnae. You're not beating me, OR the allegations.” Varnae's face curled into a vicious snarl as he brought his sword crashing down. An arc of magical energy flew out from it, and you dove out of the way instead of attempting to block it. The group of vampires that had been trying to flank you weren’t so lucky, however. “I mean, really! ‘Your mind is not your own, bleh!’.” Varnae apparently didn't care for your stereotypical Dracula impression, as made evident by the way he tried to bury the tip of his sword into your chest. That was made a lot harder when you hit him with a point blank flashbang. “You had the nerve to say that to me WHILE conducting a possession ritual!?” you went on, whipping sand in his face with your tails. “Unbelievable! All that yapping about ‘borrowed’ this and ‘inherited’ that. Now look at you! The only thing you should be borrowing is a training bra.” A vein bulged on Varnae's head, and the sand that you thought went into his eyes, instead slid harmlessly off of an invisible barrier. He was starting to recover his vision too. Mostly because you didn't want to actually cause his host to go blind. “Your opinion matters not! Come to me, my minions!” he demanded, rubbing at his eyes. Then, he finally did the thing that you'd been waiting for. “Above!” Mercy warned. Just like she said, another Hellbat portal opened up above you. You threw yourself out of the way, landed on your feet, and slid back across the sand, straight into the path yet another Hellbat portal! You tried to move, but the sand under your feet wasn't giving you enough traction! Mercy brandished something from your bag and held it in front of you. No…two things. By the time you realized what they were, she was already clacking them together. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sat 02 Aug 2025 23:14:01 No. 6284104 Report A purple propulsive beam shot out from the two stones, pushing you far out of the portal's path, and sending you flying past a group of vampires fighting one another! You spun through the air in an attempt to reorient yourself, and stabbed your sword into the sand to kill some of your momentum. You slid back a bit before riding to your feet. “I appreciate the save, but we really need to work on your communication.” you chastised her. “Left!” You brought your sword up without hesitation, allowing you to block a powerful swing from Varnae. Your knees nearly buckled under the weight of his attack. Or maybe it was just because of how dang heavy that sword is. Either way, it definitely wasn't worth clashing with Varnae. “A little better…” you grunted. He shoved you back, and you let the momentum carry you as far away as it would get you. He followed it up by stepping in for a horizontal slash. You jumped over it easily, and blew more Foxfire into his face. “Whoa! I guess I really struck a nerve with that ‘training bra’ crack.” you joked. Varnae ground his teeth together and furiously rubbed at his face. Now that he was in a living body, your constant Foxfire attacks were starting to tire him out. That, and his irritation was starting to reach its peak. Man, Ben was right. This IS fun! “Insolent child! If you do not wish to fight, then allow me to end this swiftly. For both our sakes…!” he declared. Coming from him, it sounded like more tough guy talk, but then you noticed the horns of his host had grown in size. So had the intensity of their curve. They looked a little too heavy for her head now. That wasn't all, though. The bones in her legs were shifting as well. They bent backwards slightly below the knee, and a thick coating of brown fur was creeping up both legs. Her boots burst open next, giving you a good long look at the hooves that had replaced her feet. Varnae rumbled in his throat, and he bared his teeth at you. The girl’s canines had grown as well. So had her muscles, if only slightly. The dark armor that adorned his body reshaped itself to fit her new form, and he even added on a couple more spikes! You let out a frustrated scream! “How many freaking final forms do you have!?” You still need to buy more time!>Bait Varnae into unleashing the Hellbats on his own army. He’s pissed enough to where he wouldn’t care much about collateral damage. >Have Varnae chase you into his castle. If he wrecks it, then that’d definitely destabilize the ritual. >Call in Ana and Louise to help! You never said that you’d be the ONLY distraction. >Dig deep! If Khonshu offers you something, take it. If you need a little more fox power, use it. You’ll defeat Varnae here and now, no matter. >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6284104 >>Have Varnae chase you into his castle. If he wrecks it, then that’d definitely destabilize the ritual. time for the scooby doo gag
Anonymous
>>6284104 >Have Varnae chase you into his castle. If he wrecks it, then that’d definitely destabilize the ritual. Definitely not making this a final stand until he’s out of that body, and he might think to attack others to get us to overextend protecting them. Hopefully Ben and the others are out by now.
Something to run by Mercy, does she think she can split from us and cling to him instead? However long it would take to cripple his leg, at least. Slowing him down seems important, and we haven’t done that before so it’d be a complete surprise.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Mon 04 Aug 2025 20:24:55 No. 6285066 Report Quoted By:
>>6284107 >>6284132 >Have Varnae chase you into his castle. If he wrecks it, then that’d definitely destabilize the ritual. Taking these. Writing...
>Something to run by Mercy, does she think she can split from us and cling to him instead? However long it would take to cripple his leg, at least. Slowing him down seems important, and we haven’t done that before so it’d be a complete surprise. She thinks it's possible! As a spirit possessing a physical object, Mercy can operate independently from you. So long as Khonshu's magic holds up, she can move about as she pleases.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Tue 05 Aug 2025 13:36:57 No. 6285427 Report Gonna take some more time with this one. Hoping to post it sometime in the afternoon, but I'll let you guys know if there are going to be any further delays.
Anonymous
>>6285427 It makes sense to take time during the climax of the arc. I mean, it’s not like Varnae is a fourteen-stage boss, right?
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Tue 05 Aug 2025 16:46:52 No. 6285510 Report Quoted By:
>>6285500 Nope! I predict this fight will last much longer. It's just that transitioning between the battlefield to Varnae's castle is making this next update a little bigger than usual. All that's left is to bring thing's to a satisfying conclusion, and briefly go over the aftermath of this battle.
And it looks like I'll have to delay the update until later tonight.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Wed 06 Aug 2025 19:17:24 No. 6286208 Report Quoted By:
Fighting Varnae out in the open leaves you too vulnerable. But if you could lure him into an enclosed space… You risked a glance back at his castle. Would he really go for something like that? If he was mad enough to go into this weird demon form, then he was probably mad enough to chase you all the way into his home. But you needed to hurry. As a teleporter, he could beat you there in the blink of an eye. And that wasn’t even considering the literal army of monsters you would have to fight through to get there. You were going to need some help. BIG help! “Looks like someone’s finally getting serious.” you said, repeatedly knocking your tails together to create a bundle of foxfire. It flared up behind you, causing Mercy to shiver in anticipation, and Varnae to raise his sword in advance. You sent them into the air, and Varnae watched them go. He waited a beat, likely wondering what you were really up to. But when it became clear that you didn’t intend for your foxfire to hit him, he decided to ignore it. It was a good thing too, because your message was in no way a subtle one. High in the air, you arranged your foxfire into a simple shape. An arrow pointing directly at Varnae’s castle. Mekara was the first to notice, and she seemed to be trying to get the others’ attention. They were all still up their necks in Hellbats up there, but you really needed their help here. “Was that all?” Varnae asked, easily lifting his sword with one hand, and preparing to cut you down. “Nope. That was just the starting gun.” you said, staring past him at the approaching…was that a car? Varnae turned around as well after the sound of a roaring engine reached his ears. He saw the same thing that you did. An orange pickup truck was rushing straight at you, kicking up a large plume of dust as it ate up the distance. Varnae turned to strike at it, but you had Mercy coil her bandages over his eyes before the car got within striking distance. Moments before it reached him, the car slowed down, turned to the side, and its components started to rapidly shift. The vehicle came apart, both its parts didn’t scatter. There was a lot of whirring and clanking as it unfolded into something far larger. Gears turned, pistons pumped, and magnetic locks slid in and out of place, until you noticed the machine transforming into a shape resembling a human. Before her head popped back out, you already figured out who this car was. Mekara flipped over Varnae, scooped you up in her metal hands, rolled onto her back, and her body began to shift once more. This time, you got a much closer look at the inner mechanisms that made the giant robot tick. It was like being placed inside of a giant clockwork tower from the future! And a moment later, the interior of a modern car folded into place around you, its wheels already spinning before you even knew what was happening. All of this happened in only a matter of seconds. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Wed 06 Aug 2025 19:19:43 No. 6286209 Report Quoted By:
You felt like you were out of breath, even though your legs weren’t moving at all. “Woo! That was a close one.” You screamed, and glanced around wildly, searching for the source of the voice. “Mekara!? You’re a car?” “Sometimes.” she answered causally. “There aren’t a lot of roads down here, but lucky for you, I’m 'all-terrain'.” She honked her horn and turned her wheel all the way to the left, cutting her tires in time for the two of you to avoid barreling straight into Varnae’s army. It looked like Mekara was intending to drive around the army and take you straight to the castle. “Where’s the rest of you? Am I…am I sitting on you?” you cautiously asked, lifting your butt off of the seat. “Buckle up, buttercup. This is gonna be a bumpy ride//journey//drive!” You did exactly that. But when you returned your eyes to the front, you saw Varnae stepping out of a portal. Several others opened up behind him, and a bunch of Limbo demons flooded out and leapt straight in front of the car! Mekara swerved to the side, avoiding Varnae’s sword, and most of his demons. A few of them managed to latch onto her, though. One tried climbing in through the back, but Mekara whipped the door open so fast that it lost its grip and tumbled into the sand. Another climbed up on the roof, and, while you didn’t see what exactly happened up there, you saw the outcome. A Limbo demon with an active missile shoved into its mouth, rocketing away from you at high speed. The two hanging onto the hood were ripped off and flung away by Mercy. “Evil pests…” she hissed. Once again, Varnae stepped out from another portal, and looked ready to repeat the same thing, only for him to go scurrying back through the portal when a wave of fire came raining down from the sky! A massive shadow passed over the car, and you saw Slizzik soaring over the battlefield, breathing fire onto the enemy and creating a barrier between them and you. A moment later, Scragg flew up beside him, spitting out globs of webbing and unleashing a swarm of insects that were much smaller than him, but also much larger than any insect you’ve ever seen before. “Heads up!” Mekara warned, right before Varnae’ sword stabbed down through the roof, only a few inches away from your arm. Part of Mekara’s body reformed into an arm and dragged you out of the seat before the sword turned and started traveling towards you! Once outside of the car, you saw Varnae standing on its roof, glaring balefully at you. Mekara tossed you high into the air, and proceeded to transform back into her giant robot form, throwing Varnae off in process. You just screamed your head off and waited for Mekara to catch you, or Mercy to form a wing-suit for you. Neither of them did, however. Instead, you were caught by a giant green and blue scarab beetle! It just flew up under you, and leaned its head forward until you got a handhold under one of its chitinous plates. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Wed 06 Aug 2025 19:28:06 No. 6286213 Report Quoted By:
“Khonshu!? Did you do this?” you asked, inspecting the car sized insect. “Not Khonshu! SCRAAAAAGG!” You turned to follow the source of the scream, and saw the Kaiju King's giant insect monster swooping down on a group of unsuspecting Kaiju. At the same time, his swarm of beetles blanketed the smaller monsters and started carrying them off. Your new beetle friend sped up suddenly, and you let out a yelp. The furious flapping of its wings drowned out the roar of battle as this war unfolded in more and more unpredictable ways. “Whoo! Boy, can you move!” Without any traffic or difficult terrain, the beetle was able to cover a significant distance before more of Varnae's portals started appearing again. More Hellbats poured from the open portals, and your beetle engaged some evasive maneuvers in order to avoid them. It dove, twisted, turned and rose in a series of aerial stunts that left you breathless. Mostly because you were still screaming. But on one turn, Varnae thought to put another portal ahead of the beetle to cut you off. Your mind raised to think of a solution as a wave of Hellbats rushed out to meet you. This was when you got your first good look at them. They all had pale red skin on the upper part of their bodies, black leathery flesh on their lower halves, yellow eyes, and the typical sharp canines that most vampires possessed. That was where their similarities ended, however. Some were young. Others looked downright ancient. There were Hellbats with no hair. Hellbats with short hair. There was even one with hair so long that it went down past his feet and rested on the heads and faces of several others. Time seemed to slow as they all reached out for you, their eyes filled with desperation and longing. Something else approached you from behind. Faster than you could move. Faster than you could think. It flowed around you, sending a tingling sensation all throughout your body. It danced along your skin, forced your hair to stand up on end, and eventually materialized in front of you as Hi-Vo! With one hand, he shoved your beetle out of the way, and accepted the Hellbats’ wrath full-on! They flew straight through him, causing the energy that made up his body to disperse through them. It flowed back through the portal, and every time a new portal opened up after that, the Hellbats that emerged were all being electrocuted! Hi-Vo’s energy coursed through them “We cannot allow this opportunity to go to waste.” Mercy declared. “Onward, great and mighty scarab!” The scarab raced on, soaring over the Kaiju protecting the stone castle, and aimed its head towards an open window. Looking over your shoulder at Varnae's Kaiju, you got a decent idea of why his backline was in chaos. Each and every one of them were rampaging. They tore into each other viciously. It was pure, unadulterated claw-raking, jaw-snapping, tusk-goring action. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Wed 06 Aug 2025 19:29:14 No. 6286215 Report You watched a giant gorilla-spider twist the head of a wolf-shark, and a massive blob that looked like an amoeba latch onto a large quadruped covered in dark, matted fur. And while the larger monsters risked life and limb to kill one another, the smaller ones were getting caught in the crossfire. You had no actual idea what was making them behave like this, but you weren’t about to complain about Varnae's little army falling apart during his big important ritual. Upon reaching the castle, the beetle slowed its approach and lined its head up with the small opening carved out of the stone wall. You climbed onto the window sill, crouched down, and was about to climb through, when you turned back to stare at the beetle. It was staring at you with those big round eyes. You smiled at it and its mandibles clicked together. “Thanks for the lift, big guy.” you said, reaching over to pat it on its head. The insect chittered, and then flew off to join the rest of its buddies. You watched it go, before slipping through the window. It led to the third floor of an expansive library. Its bookshelves towered over you, but you saw no ladders that one might use to actually grab a book. You tested the air with a few sniffs. “Smells like some of these books are as old as Varnae.” you said, using your claws to pick up an especially dusty tome. “I've never even seen this language before. Do you think you might be able to memorize some of this stuff for later?” “If they are well preserved, yes.” Mercy answered. “Khonshu has led me to believe that you have an outstanding memory as well.” “Aww, he said that?” you laughed, feeling a bit of heat creeping into your cheeks. Just then, your ears picked up on the sound of a portal opening. Varnae was here! And judging by the familiar scent that you were picking up, so was Mina! She smelled like she was somewhere deeper in the castle. What will you do?>Spread your Foxfire throughout Varnae's library, and then destroy his bookshelves to bury him in his collection. That'd really piss him off. >Follow Mina’s scent. There was a strong smell of chemicals in that direction. >Head upstairs to the ritual site. Ben and Belasco should still be up there, so you might have to turn this distraction into a 2v2. >Have Mercy detach from you and wrap up Varnae while you glue him down with the Sap Gloves. >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6286215 >>Follow Mina’s scent. There was a strong smell of chemicals in that direction. don't want to abuse fire too much, for Mercy's sake
Anonymous
>>6286215 >Follow Mina’s scent. There was a strong smell of chemicals in that direction. May as well see if she’s planning something or if she’s in trouble.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 10 Aug 2025 18:31:15 No. 6288352 Report Quoted By:
>>6286257 >>6286821 >Follow Mina’s scent. There was a strong smell of chemicals in that direction. Sorry for the delays! The new update is almost finished. Writing...
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 10 Aug 2025 19:17:09 No. 6288379 Report Quoted By:
Since you weren't exactly sure of where she was within the castle, you decided that it would be best to scope things out without having Varnae chase you around like a lunatic. So, you carefully rappelled from floor to floor until you reached the very first level. Unlike the other floors, there was very little carpeting used here. Which sucked, because it was a lot harder to be sneaky on stone floors than it was on- The sound of a sharp inhale stopped you dead in your tracks. “I can smell you in here, you little rat. Where did you scamper off to now?” Varnae said, his voice echoing softly throughout the library. You clenched your teeth, secured your pack, and crept towards the door. Even after you'd made it out, you didn’t start running until you were well away from the library. You raced through dimly lit hallways, following Mina’s scent as accurately as possible. Sometimes you'd screw up, end up in the wrong room, and then backtrack to pick up where you left off. The sound of Varnae teleporting around the castle to look for you was keeping your nerves on end. Even without that guy breathing down your neck, you still had to be on the lookout for security. Right as that thought crossed your mind, you ran right into a pair of vampire guards posted in front of what appeared to be a vault. They were both dressed in dark, spiky full-plate armor, and were wielding a matching set of polearms. “Halt, human!” one of them called out, moving to either apprehend or impale you. Before either of them could take a step further, however, two vials of purplish liquid flew past your face and smashed into the faces of both guards. There was a brief flash, and the hall filled with a violet mist as a result of the chemical reaction caused by the transformative potion that Mercy just threw. When the smoke cleared, you noticed that either guard had disappeared, leaving behind their weapons, armor, and a pair of cute animals. A sea turtle and a chipmunk stared up at you from where the vampiric guards had once been. You weren’t sure if either of them retained their intelligence, but you weren't willing to stick around to find out. Because there was a pretty good chance that Varnae had heard that, and was on his way to run you through. “We must hurry.” Mercy urged you. You agreed, but… You spared one last look at the transformed chipmunk. “How can something so evil be so cute?” “Do not let its appearance fool you. It plots our demise. Even now.” she warned. “Maybe I'll let him audition for the role of my arch-nemesis later.” you said, heading for the stairs. “I wouldn't mind losing to that lil’ guy every now and again.” “I will not allow it. A Priestess of Khonshu cannot be allowed to lose to a mere rodent.” “Don't let Squirrel Girl catch you saying that.” “What manner of creature is that? A Were-Squirrel?” she asked. “Not sure. Pretty sure she's not that, though.” you offered. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 10 Aug 2025 19:21:18 No. 6288383 Report Quoted By:
“I would suggest bringing silver. Just in case…” “You sound like my parents. They wouldn't let me leave the house without it.” you said. They barely let you leave the house at all, for that matter. Now that they were both alive again, you felt justified in your anger towards them. “We are being hunted by the oldest living vampire.” Mercy pointed out. “Your parents were wise to caution you as they did.” “Yeah yeah, I know…” you grumbled, bounding the spiral staircase's railing and reaching out with Mercy’s bandages to pull yourself even higher into the air. With her help, you were able to skip the stairs almost entirely. If only you could do this at school to get past that pesky hall monitor. This particular staircase seemed to stretch to the very top of the castle. Along its length, you would spot various banners, paintings, and sigils that likely belonged to, or depicted Oldblood vamps. The higher you climbed, the stronger Mina’s scent grew. And so did that chemical smell. You were starting to worry that Varnae might have done something to her. You didn’t see her at all during the battle, after all. Varnae roared from below, scattering your thoughts and sending you into a panic. He must have spotted you! Now that your cover was blown, Mercy sent out additional bolts of cloth and started reeling you in faster. The sound of fabric rubbing against itself was so intense that it started to resemble that of a high speed conveyer belt. You were grateful for Mercy’s quick thinking, though, because Varnae opened a portal behind where you had just been a moment ago! He slashed downwards, clipping the fringes of Mercy’s fabric and missing you by only a hair. After that harrowing encounter, your partner wasted no time in flinging you into the hall where Mina’s scent was strongest. Varnae was hot on your heels, but the confined space of this corridor made it so that swinging that massive sword was far more difficult than it already was. Unsurprisingly, Varnae's solution to this problem was flooding the hall with Hellbats. “More Hellbats? Totally didn't see that coming.” you said in the most disinterested voice you could manage, whilst running for your life. You were fast, but you'd never be able to outrace an entire realm's worth of devilspawn by running in a straight line. So, you did what any sensible person would do, and ducked into the nearest room. The Hellbat swarm blasted past you like a bullet train as soon as you were out of harm's way. Your chest heaved, and your eyes darted around the room, searching for something else that you could use against Varnae. The room you found yourself in seemed to be a dark, cramped laboratory of some sort. There were bubbling beakers filled with oddly colored fluids, glowing tubes containing alien-looking creatures, a messy desk covered in open books and scattered pages, Mina… There had to be something here for you to- (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 10 Aug 2025 19:38:06 No. 6288389 Report Quoted By:
Your mind froze, and you dragged your eyes back to the Nosferatu council-woman. She was staring at you from behind the messy desk, an open flask full of clear liquid raised in one hand, poised to be thrown. “Mina! You're okay!” you exclaimed, breathing a sigh of relief. The woman looked perfectly fine, if a little sickly. If anything, your sudden arrival seemed to have rattled her. It was one of the only times you could remember seeing surprise register on her face. “Yes. I see that you are as well. This is good.” she said, not bothering to lower her flask. Her eyes were firmly locked on the Hellbat swarm. Even when it subsided, she kept watching the door. You moved away from it, ran across the room, and positioned yourself to defend her. “He is coming.” she stated, her voice sounding surprisingly calm, given the situation. “Yep. Sorry for leading him here.” you said, raising your sword. “Don't be. You have done well.” she replied, stepping out from behind the desk. The moment that Varnae entered the room, Mina splashed the contents of the flask into his face. Varnae recoiled as his flesh started to smoke! He screamed in pain and staggered backwards, dropping the sword in the process. “No!” you shouted, slapping the flask out of her hand. “We can't hurt his host! She's just a kid. And kids don't deserve to have acid thrown into their faces!” “That was holy water.” Mina pointed out as she pushed past you. “And this…is a devil's trap.” She brandished a single match, struck it against the edge of a table, and flicked it at Varnae's feet. Immediately, the fire came in contact with an extremely flammable substance, and the flames spread to form a heptagram with various symbols at every intersection of the continuous line, as well as within the circle that surrounded it. It really was a devil's trap! And a very well made one too! With Varnae smack dab in the middle! As soon as he recovered, Varnae gave Mina a vicious snarl. “The Nosferatu sister. I should have known!” “Yes. You should have.” Mina said, splashing him with even more holy water. You wondered just how much she had on her person. Varnae roared in pain and outrage as his flesh sizzled. “This trap will not hold me forever! And when I get out, I will subject you and your pathetic sibling to an eternity of torment!” Mina’s gaze grew icy, then. “Your army is in shambles, Varnae. By my design, your Kaiju have turned against you. And the result of your duel with Cindy Moon was, without question, a spectacular display of your cowardice and weakness. No one will follow you, after this. You have lost.” Varnae bared his teeth at her. “That is only your version of the story, you anemic imbecile.” he grounded out. “Once I get out of here and eliminate you all, no one else will know what truly transpired here.” “You got a plan for pulling him out of that body?” you asked, glancing over at Mina. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 10 Aug 2025 19:39:21 No. 6288392 Report “I have a few ideas…” she said, reaching over to grab a modified oxygen mask off of a nearby table. There was a vial of blood stored inside. She pressed the mask against her mouth, pressed a button, and inhaled deeply. Her skin gained a little more color, and her back straightened. Her eyes were no longer hazy and unfocused. They looked noticeably sharper, like when you'd first met her. “We shall commence with our experiments…post-haste.” “There'll be no need for that.” said a muffled, but familiar voice coming from behind Varnae. It was Shaggy! And he had something in his mouth. It looked like a shiny, reflective ball. “Shaggy! I'm glad to see you, but now isn't the time to play fetch.” He frowned and whipped his head in your direction, sending the glassy object hurtling at your head. You caught it easily. Upon closer inspection, it looked less like a ball and more like a cluster of densely packed reflective panels roughly shaped like an orb. There was also a button in the center. You pressed it, and the object popped open, revealing even more reflective panels on the inside. “Guess again.” he said. “What's this? A Fabergé Pokéball?” He shook his head. “I don't know what that is, but I'm sure it's wrong. That is a device used to trap spirits. Hence the mirrors.” You squinted at the mirror ball. It was true that mirrors were thought to be able to trap spirits, but this was a little unconventional. “Thanks, but…we still need a way to pull him out of there.” you argued, pointing at his host. I know. Young told me.” he said, raising his stone leg. “Which is why I also brought these. Among the many charms adorning that leg, three shone especially bright in this very moment. A red triangle, a bronze cross, and a silver hamsa. And as soon as Varnae saw them, his eyes flew wide open! His host body jerked, and a dark miasma started pouring from her mouth. This was it! Varnae was being forced out of that girl's body! You raised the Spirit-ball in the direction of where the miasma was pooling. What will you say?>”Should've let me stake you earlier. Now you're the one who’s in for an eternity of torment.” >”I wonder if this counts as me catching a legendary.” >”Don't worry, Varnae. I'll make sure the truth gets out. Then everyone will know just how badly we kicked your butt.” >Offer it to Mina. “Would you like to do the honors?” >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6288392 >>”Should've let me stake you earlier. Now you're the one who’s in for an eternity of torment.” Easy!
Anonymous
>>6288392 >”I wonder if this counts as me catching a legendary.” He’s not much of a legendary if an Alolan Vulpix can beat him.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Mon 11 Aug 2025 23:46:09 No. 6288940 Report >>6288396 >>6288496 >”Should've let me stake you earlier. Now you're the one who’s in for an eternity of torment.” >”I wonder if this counts as me catching a legendary.” If no new votes come in by tomorrow, then I'll combine these and move on.
Anonymous
>>6288940 I support combining those two.
Anonymous
>>6288940 >>6289471 Same. Lead with the first, and idly comment the second after we catch him?
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Wed 13 Aug 2025 21:35:28 No. 6289933 Report Quoted By:
>>6289471 >>6289505 >”Should've let me stake you earlier. Now you're the one who’s in for an eternity of torment.” >”I wonder if this counts as me catching a legendary.” Finishing the update now! I'll be posting it shortly.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Wed 13 Aug 2025 22:45:25 No. 6289960 Report Quoted By:
“Should've let me stake you earlier. Now you're the one who’s in for an eternity of torment!” you exclaimed, opening up the Spirit Ball to reveal the reflective panels within. Within moments, the miasma rushed into the object with enough force that it nearly made you slide backwards. You planted your feet, firmed up your core, and braced one hand with the other as you waited for the right moment to close the Spirit Ball. Just when you were starting to worry that it wouldn't be able to contain him, the rest of the miasma flowed from the girl's mouth, and into one of the many mirrors. Right before you closed it, you caught an image of Varnae's hideous batlike face, bouncing from panel to panel, in a seemingly endless pattern. “I wonder if this counts as me catching a legendary.” you said with a smirk. “It won't be long before Khonshu claims him…” Mercy said, shuddering in anticipation. “I feel as if I have just witnessed a legend in the making.” Mina offered, sweeping across the room and reaching out an arm to catch the unconscious form of Varnae's host. She was starting to change back to normal. Leaning down with her in hand, Mina sniffed the girl a few times, and ran her nails lightly down the length of her body. Shaggy joined the Nosferatu in smelling the host, causing the vampire to blink in surprise as the dog's nose neared her own face. You swallowed hard. “Is she…?” “Aside from minor cranial trauma, several bruises, and a few torn muscles, she seems perfectly fine. I believe she has you to thank for that.” she replied. “Yet again, you demonstrate remarkable restraint, Cindy Moon.” “Not an easy thing to do when both your life and the fate of the world is at stake.” Shaggy noted, looking you up and down. “You sure are something, lass. A generational talent if I've ever seen one.” You preened a bit upon receiving their praise, but you couldn't allow yourself to relax completely. “Thanks, but we've still got a ritual to stop, and-” Before you could finish your sentence, a large explosion shook the room you were in, causing multiple beakers and books to fall to the floor. Yours and Shaggy's ears perked up, and Mina gently scooped the girl into her arms as she straightened up. “What was that!?” you exclaimed. “Sounded like it came from the stairway.” Shaggy said, turning back towards the door. You glanced back at Mina, and she nodded. “Go. I will care for this one.” she said, easing the girl onto one of the tables. You returned her nod and ran for the door. Shaggy was right behind you. “Thanks!” you called back. “Shaggy, hold this for me?” You handed him the Spirit Ball, and he grabbed hold of it with his teeth. Once you were certain that he wouldn't drop it, you broke into a full on sprint back towards the staircase. And as soon as you reached the railing, you watched two people plummeting past you. Both were wreathed in emerald flames. Was that Ben!? “Fire!” Mercy hissed, recoiling from the sudden wave of heat. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Wed 13 Aug 2025 22:46:28 No. 6289962 Report Quoted By:
You tried calming her down, but your eyes were glued to the scene unfolding before you. There Ben was, pummeling a large, seemingly demonic being, whilst using his flame propulsion to push it further down. And he wasn't slowing down, either! Both men crashed into the ground at full speed, causing chunks of stone to fly out from the crater they’d just made. You couldn’t wait until the smoke cleared. Instead, you leapt over the railing and rappelled down with Mercy’s help. But before you could reach the bottom, you heard Ben’s voice call out. “Stay back!” You froze, unsure of how to interpret his tone of voice. It sounded strained, like he was struggling to breathe properly. “What's wrong!?” you asked, swinging towards a wall and clinging fast to it. “I think I'm fighting the demon version of Arnold Schwarzenegger!” he shouted back. A moment later, Ben threw a punch with so much power behind it, that it cracked the ground even further, and dispersed the smoke with a burst of wind. Only then did you truly see his opponent. There Belasco stood, having taken the full brunt of Ben's attack, and he didn't look the least bit concerned by it. The inhuman creature had deep red skin, glowing red eyes, claws for hands, and a head of dark red hair that looked like it had been gelled back with a dark waxy material. He wore dark, tattered robes, a skull necklace, and very little else. The parts of his skin that were exposed showed pink, sinewy flesh. Like raw muscle. Ben followed his initial strike with a dizzying combination of punches that should have laid the demon flat on his back. Some caught him on the chin. A few were aimed at his stomach, but the very last one hit him square in the nose, and sent him sliding back into a wall. Stone exploded outwards, and cracks continued to spread throughout the room. Ben was breathing hard, and he was clutching his right hand like it had physically hurt him to go all out like that. He wrapped his wrist in webbing, and you noticed that his suit had taken even more damage than before. Surely that had been enough to at least leave Belasco dazed. But the creature simply walked back out of the crater in the wall, idly brushing dirt off of his shoulder. It was as if all those punches barely fazed him! He gave Ben a mocking sneer. “Is that all?” he asked. He sounded like he had an Italian accent. Ben’s eyes widened, before narrowing undisguised anger. “Okay. Now you asked for it.” Ben said, before snagging him with a webline and pulling him closer. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Wed 13 Aug 2025 22:47:30 No. 6289963 Report Quoted By:
Belasco stumbled forwards a bit, and Ben wasted no time in flinging himself towards him. Your foster father then grabbed him by his head, placed the heel of one palm against his nose, and the other against his mouth, and shot a bunch of webbing into both orifices! Belasco quickly found his mouth and nose clogged with the stuff, and it looked like he was starting to panic. Ben just flipped over him and gave him a swift kick to the back of the head. Belasco tore at the webbing covering his mouth, ignoring Ben attacking him from behind. The webbing started to glow, as the demon sorcerer started to bleach up flames in order to melt the sticky substance, but, to his surprise, it proved astoundingly resistant to heat. So, he decided to just tear it out by hand, which shouldn’t have been an easy feat, but he pulled it off all the same. As Belasco started to turn around, he received a high speed kick to the side of his face. Ben bounced off, zipped back over with a webline, and did it again. This time, though, Belasco caught him by the throat. That was it. You couldn’t just sit on the sidelines anymore. If this went on any longer, Ben might not make it out of this fight alive! With that in mind, you dropped to the ground, and sent a dozen bolts of cloth at Belasco. A few of them wrapped around his eyes, and the rest were devoted to restraining his limbs. This seemed to catch Belasco off guard, as his grip loosed around Ben’s neck enough for the man to lean back and deliver a swift kick to his chin. He managed to tear himself away, but now the demon was devoted to tearing off Mercy’s cloth. When that proved difficult, he shape-shifted into a large black serpent, slipped through his bindings, and reformed himself in front of you! You swung your sword at his head, but its edge stopped dead when met with the demon’s unusually tough skin! You hadn’t even managed to make him bleed! You pulled back in time to avoid the debris from a large chunk of rock that Ben slammed onto the back of his head. You both stepped back, preparing for whatever counter-attack that Belasco had in store. In reality, you had no idea what he was capable of. If he was strong as he was sturdy, then everyone here was in serious danger. A malicious grin spread across Belasco’s face then, and a dark, wicked looking great-axe appeared in his hands. It was sporting the same skull design as his necklace, so you were certain that it belonged to him. “Atlantean steel. This is starting to get interesting.” he said, spinning his weapon hand over hand in an impressive display of manual dexterity. He looked like he knew how to use that thing. You gripped your sword tighter, and Ben clenched his fists. From the look on his face, he wasn’t sure if he could beat this guy either, but neither of you were willing to give up. Giving up wasn’t the “Parker Way”. “Do not despair, child. You have done well.” Khonshu comforted you. “Our allies will be here shortly.” (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Wed 13 Aug 2025 22:53:22 No. 6289967 Report What? Who was he talking about? The Kaiju? Louise? Ana? Who here had the power to take on such a formidable foe? The answer came when another Limbo portal opened behind Belasco, and a large set of jaws extended from its opening, snapping the demon up and lifting him into the air. Your own jaw dropped as a huge, crocodile woman stepped out from the portal and swallowed Belasco whole! But this wasn’t just any crocodile woman! You actually knew this one! Or…you at least knew of her. Judging by her style of dress, this was another member of the Ennead, Khonshu’s pantheon. She was a servant of Ma’at, and the devourer of souls, Ammit! She wore a striped head covering that fell around either side of her wide face, and an elaborate ornament depicting a serpent entwining itself around her waist. Both were the color of dull gold, with dark accents that matched her flowing dress. Her skin was covered in tough scales, and her thick, braided hair went down past her feet, where it seemingly transitioned into a thick crocodile tail. “The time of your judgement has arrived, demon.” she said, her booming voice filling the room without even needing to shout. "Oh, god! Is Tick-Tock Croc finally coming back for his clock!?" Ben exclaimed. "I knew this would happen someday!" A humanoid of a more reasonable size exited the portal beside her, and- And…your eyes filled with tears upon seeing the boy. Was this a trick? Another deception or illusion from Varnae? He caught your gaze from across the room, and he gave you a warm smile that just melted your heart. “...B? Is that you?” What will you say/do?>Run up and embrace him in a tight hug. >"Why are you here? HOW are you here!?" >"Were you just in Limbo? Have you been there this entire time?" >"Since when were you and Ammit hanging out together?" >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6289967 >>Run up and embrace him in a tight hug. the bus came back
Anonymous
>>6289967 >Run up and embrace him in a tight hug. …damn, I’m drawing a blank on who this is. Can’t think of any kids she knew that disappeared.
On a related note, I looked at old threads and stumbled across an anonymous comment in thread one about how we’d forget Callisto by the next thread so we shouldn’t save her from Conners. Real funny in hindsight. I also relearned where Ben met Deadhead (Slip Arc) as Typhoid Mary’s fight drowned out everyone else we fought against.
Anonymous
>>6289967 >Run up and embrace him in a tight hug. He might be surprised that Cindy has her voice back and is also half fox demon lol.
>>6290245 >I’m drawing a blank on who this is. One of the vamp kids working for Morbius. Died in an attack by the vamp cult chasing Cindy.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6290911 Thanks! I was looking too early in the threads then.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sat 16 Aug 2025 20:50:50 No. 6291471 Report Quoted By:
>>6289974 >>6290245 >>6290911 >Run up and embrace him in a tight hug. Taking these. Writing...
>>6290245 There was a lot of skepticism towards Callisto in the beginning! I even saw an anon in the QTG talking about how they weren't too enthusiastic about my focus on mutants in the story. It's all very funny in hindsight, but I'm glad that the players came to appreciate Callisto, and became so involved in the Morlock community.
Deadhead really was just introduced in a cameo, so I can't blame people for not remembering lol. Typhoid Mary was (and still is) considered one of the most dangerous gangsters in New York City. Her defeat by the Huntsman's hands has attracted a fair amount of attention from the criminal underworld.
>>6290911 Thanks for letting him know!
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sat 16 Aug 2025 21:08:37 No. 6291480 Report Quoted By:
Also, because I forgot to post it earlier, this is Belasco.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Mon 18 Aug 2025 22:44:42 No. 6292733 Report Quoted By:
You crossed the room in an instant and wrapped him in a warm embrace, ignoring Ammit entirely as you did so. The giant crocodile goddess must not have had a problem with it, because she just stood there picking her teeth as B reciprocated your hug. When you pulled away from him, you saw red streaks running down his face. He was crying blood, but he looked happier now than you could remember seeing him in a long while. You would've reached a hand up to wipe your tears if Mercy wasn't doing such a remarkable job of soaking them up and cleaning your face. “I can't believe it! You're really here! It's really you!” “Cindy! You don't know how good it is to hear your voice again.” he chuckled, his own voice wavering a bit. “I have so much to tell you. The things I've seen on the other side are-” Ammit thumped the ground with her tail, drawing everyone's attention. She shook her head in warning, and B frowned. So did you. “I guess that'll have to wait until later.” he sighed, but it didn’t do much to dampen his enthusiasm. Then, his eyes traveled up, and you knew exactly what was going through his mind. “You look different. You…did something to your hair.” You intentionally twitched your ears and swished your tails from side to side. His crimson eyes went round, and he mouthed the words: “Oh, they're real”. “You don't need to sugarcoat it, B.” you told him. “Just say it. I look like a cosplayer.” He shook his head, a bemused smile on his face. “No. You look like someone that some other nerd would cosplay as.” he pondered aloud, putting a hand over his mouth. “But I think all heroes are cosplayers and posers, anyway.” You took a step back and punched him in the shoulder. To your delight, he actually recoiled from it a bit. You really have gotten stronger. “Am I still a poser if I just helped save the friggin’ world?” “Okay. There may be a few exceptions to the rule.” he admitted. You frowned. And a sly grin spread across his face when he realized that you were expecting him to have a much bigger reaction. “Ammit filled you in? How!? It JUST happened.” “Word travels fast among gods, I guess.” he answered coolly. “But slaying the first vampire? That’s hardcore. Respect.” He raised a fist, and you happily bumped it. “Talk later. The time for judgement is nigh.” Ammit commanded. You all looked up at her. She was picking at her teeth, and you watched with mild interest as she plucked out Belasco’s great-axe and flicked it down at B! You moved out of the way, but B just stood there, rooted to the ground. It was going to hit him! You were going to lose him again! “B!” you called out. He never took his eyes off the axe as it spun end over end. He reached an arm out and snatched the axe right out of the air, its edge only mere inches from his face. He turned and smirked at you. You bared your teeth at him. This guy was messing with you! (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Mon 18 Aug 2025 22:45:51 No. 6292734 Report Quoted By:
“I swear to the moon, B! If you die again from something stupid like that, I'm having Khonshu bring you back, just so I can kill you myself!” “Bet it feels good to scream, huh?” he said, still grinning as he lowered the massive axe with one hand. “Wanna see me use my claws too?” you asked, extending them with a promise of impending violence. “Alright, you crazy kids…” Ben said, walking up beside you and placing a hand on both your shoulders. “Maybe we should take this conversation somewhere else, huh? There's sort of a war going on outside.” “I agree.” Ammit said, stepping a little closer. “There is still work to be done.” B gave her a solemn nod, and slowly hefted the axe over his shoulder. He tirned you and spoke. “Huntsman, right?” “You remembered. Nice to have you back in the flesh, Morb junior. I'm sure your boss'll be even more thrilled to see you.” “How's he been holding up?” B asked gently. “Old Morby? Stoic as always. Hasn't been the same since he lost you, though.” Ben answered. B shook his head. “I hope he hasn't let the place fall apart. That's about the only neutral ground we've got left in the state.” “I haven’t been back in a while, but I think the place should still be up and running.” Ben answered. “That's good. He'll have to figure out how to run the place without me for a while.” “What do you mean?” you asked, concern clear in your voice. “I'm…not gonna be able to stick around all the time. Ammit and Ma'at have got work for me to do.” B explained, gesturing to the bipedal croc woman. “Condition of me being brought back like this. You'll understand in a bit.” He then turned to face the hallway where you'd entered this stairwell. “Be on your guard, my priestess.” Khonshu's voice warned. Your vulpine ears perked up, and you were sure that you could hear footsteps coming from down the hall. “Something's coming.” you said, popping out your claws. “Spider-Sense isn't acting up. Wonder what it is.” Ben speculated as smoke began to rise from the inside of his palms. Ammit made no move at all. She just continued to stand there. A tense silence fell over the room. Everyone was waiting for something to happen, or someone else to make a move. And when it became clear that those footsteps were coming closer, even Mercy began to shiver in anticipation. “Whatever they are, they have no idea what they are up against. Khonshu himself, and another of the Ennead stand before them.” she bragged. You were inclined to agree, but you couldn't afford to relax just yet. After another minute, two figures came into view. And due to your superior night vision, you recognized them immediately. As well as what they carried. Or…who they carried.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Mon 18 Aug 2025 22:46:53 No. 6292735 Report Quoted By:
Harpy and James emerged from the darkness. Both were dripping with blood. It trailed behind and left stains in the form of footprints. James in particular looked like he had sustained the most injuries. His lip was split and slightly puffy, and his right eye had swollen shut. You spotted numerous cuts and bruises on his body, but his blood-matted fur covered up most of the damage. By comparison, Harpy looked much better, but that was mostly due to her sturdy nature and vastly accelerated healing factor. And judging from the creature she was carrying in tow, it had been the right choice for Ben to bring her along. In her hands, she held the bound figure of a muscular man covered in blue fur. Like James, he had the features of both a feline and an ape. He seemed to be in worse shape than his cloned son, if only slightly. It also appeared that Harpy had wrapped dense metal bats around his torso, binding his arms, and leaving him helpless in the bird monster's clutches. “You two look terrible.” Ben said the moment they stepped into the room. “How're you all holding up?” “We will live.” James answered, his face entirely dispassionate. “The lab is somewhat intact, but the other mutant clones have been destroyed.” No one bothered to ask how. “Here. Take him.” Harpy offered, holding up Beast for all to see. He had a slight grimace on his face, and a defiant look in his eye, but he didn't seem to be terribly afraid for his own safety. The mutant mad scientist looked around with curious interest. “What a curious bunch. I don’t believe I recognize any of you.” he said, a small grin appearing on his face. “Did Charles send you?” “No such luck, furball. Xavier isn't here to bail you out this time.” Ben said. Beast chuckled, but it quickly developed into a wet cough. “If that is truly what you think, then you people don't know him very well at all. That makes my next proposition a fairly difficult one.” “Oh no. Don't think you can bribe us to let you go after all this.” you declared. “You're gonna pay for what you've done!” His yellow eyes locked onto you, and you couldn't help but feel a shiver run down your spine. They were cold and analytical, completely devoid of empathy. “I have no such illusions, young lady. From the beginning, my only intention was to work for the betterment of mutantkind. And if you have any sympathy at all towards my people, you would hear me out.” B tried to step forward, but Ben put an arm out in front of him. “What are you talking about?” “The cure for mutants.” Everyone turned to stare at James. Your mouth fell open in shock. “What?” “He believes he has created the cure for mutants.” he repeated. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Mon 18 Aug 2025 22:47:57 No. 6292737 Report “I do not simply ‘believe’, my boy.” Hank said. “I ‘know’. My solution has consistently achieved its intended result. It forces the X-Gene back into its dormant state, making the differences between Homo-Superior and Homo-Sapien nearly imperceptible. I suspect that not even a Sentinel would be able to tell the difference.” A heavy silence fell over your group. No one moved. No one dared speak. And when James brandished a vial from his pocket, the seriousness of what you were witnessing finally started to sink in. A cure? For mutants? “All that I ask…” Hank went on. “Is that you prevent this from falling into the hands of Charles Xavier, or anyone affiliated with him.” What will you say/do?>”How do we know you're telling the truth? For all we know, that could just be saline solution.” >”Why wouldn't you want the X-Men to know about this? Aren't there mutants out there who want to be cured?” >"What about the mutants that don't want to be cured? What happens to them once this hits the public?" >”We're good friends with the leader of the Morlocks. We'll let her decide what to do with it.” >Look to Ben. “We can probably have Connors or Gwen look at it later. Make sure it's legit.” >Write-in.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Mon 18 Aug 2025 22:50:37 No. 6292739 Report Sorry for the super late update! I got seriously busy while I was revising this one.
Anonymous
>>6292737 >>”How do we know you're telling the truth? For all we know, that could just be saline solution.” test it out! that's what he wants
>>6292739 it's cool
Anonymous
>>6292737 >”You have no idea how long it lasts. You haven’t had enough time to see if it could express itself again naturally.” >”Someone could reverse it with some work, couldn’t they? Force the X-gene to express itself instead. Is that why you don’t want Xavier to have it?” All I can envision now is passing it around to “fix” mutants, then the reverse version being aerosolized and dropped on a population center sometime later. Cue confusion and mass panic as everyone suddenly gets powers at once. Maybe even some that never knew they had it to begin with.
If even a Sentinel can’t detect it once it’s suppressed, witch hunts will start again with “new” and “foolproof” ways to look for the mutant menace.
>”How do we know you're telling the truth? For all we know, that could just be saline solution.” There aren’t many mutants here, but he knows one here. I wonder if he’ll take it?
Anonymous
>>6292737 >Write-in >Ben:"Sorry. Sorry. I've completely forgot the B-plot for this movie. That's what you get when you're talking in the theater. Very rude. My fault. I apologize. >Ben:"A couple of things: >Ben:"First! When you're bartering you should offer something people want. Who ordered a cure for Mutants? I didn't even know it was on the menu. Maybe it was drink menu, I always ignore that one. Well, too late now, so I'll just skip ahead. >Ben:"Second! When you offer something you should actually possess it! I mean it's kinda hard to add conditions to a bartering when you don't have the item! Is the vial going to explode? Don't answer that. >Ben:"Third! What is...was your affiliation with Varnae and Belasco, exactly, and your problem with Xavier while we're at it?" >Cindy >”Why wouldn't you want the X-Men to know about this? Aren't there mutants out there who want to be cured?” >"What about the mutants that don't want to be cured? What happens to them once this hits the public?" Anonymous
>>6292907 I’ll support these too since Ben should get in with some of these questions, and toss in one more now that I’ve slept.
>”Does it do anything to people without the X-Gene?” Man, I am not looking forward to the conversations Ben will have with Callisto and Glass on this. This is going to be worse than the Superhuman Registration Act.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 21 Aug 2025 20:37:33 No. 6294146 Report Quoted By:
>>6292740 >>6292758 >>6292907 >>6293000 >Ben:"Sorry. Sorry. I've completely forgot the B-plot for this movie. That's what you get when you're talking in the theater. Very rude. My fault. I apologize. >Ben:"A couple of things: >Ben:"First! When you're bartering you should offer something people want. Who ordered a cure for Mutants? I didn't even know it was on the menu. Maybe it was drink menu, I always ignore that one. Well, too late now, so I'll just skip ahead. >Ben:"Second! When you offer something you should actually possess it! I mean it's kinda hard to add conditions to a bartering when you don't have the item! Is the vial going to explode? Don't answer that. >Ben:"Third! What is...was your affiliation with Varnae and Belasco, exactly, and your problem with Xavier while we're at it?" >Cindy >”Why wouldn't you want the X-Men to know about this? Aren't there mutants out there who want to be cured?” >"What about the mutants that don't want to be cured? What happens to them once this hits the public?" >”Does it do anything to people without the X-Gene?” >”How do we know you're telling the truth? For all we know, that could just be saline solution.” Taking these...
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 21 Aug 2025 20:44:16 No. 6294148 Report Quoted By:
Ben threw his hands up. “Sorry. Sorry. I've completely forgotten the B-plot for this movie. I guess that's what happens when you're talking in the theater.” Ben began. Everyone turned to look at him. It sounded like he was gearing up for something. You folded your arms and waited patiently. “I know it's rude. That's my fault. I apologize.” he said, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. B let out a light chuckle and slowly lowered his axe. Ammit was staring down at him as well. Beast just remained silent, a single fuzzy, blood-matted eyebrow “A couple of things.” Ben went on. “First off! When you're bartering, you should offer something that people want. Who here ordered a cure for Mutants? I didn't even know it was on the menu. Maybe it was a drink menu. I always ignore that one. Well, too late now. I'll just skip ahead.” He gave a casual shrug and continued his rant. “Second! When you offer something, you should actually possess it! I mean, it's kinda hard to add conditions to a proposition when you don't actually have the item! Is that vial going to explode, or something?” He paused, and then lifted a finger. “Actually…don't answer that.” he quickly amended. “And third of all! What is…’was’ your affiliation with Varnae and Belasco exactly? Oh, and your problem with Xavier while we're at it.” Beast waited for a beat, and when it became apparent that you were finished speaking, he cleared his throat. “You appear to be suffering from a misconception. I will gladly answer your questions in the appropriate order, if you would allow me.” he said with a level tone. “I am not ‘bartering’ anything. I am ‘offering’ you the cure. And I assure you that it does not, and will not, ‘explode’.” “Really? You're not gonna try to bargain for your life” you asked. “Come on. Not even a little bit? I was hoping to see some serious groveling.” B put in, leaning on his axe handle. “We killed guards. He surrendered.” Harpy explained, shaking her prisoner around a bit. “Then why's he all beat up?” you pointed out. Harpy stared down at James. He didn't look the least bit guilty. There was something cold lurking deep within those eyes of his. “I do not think he expects to make it out of here alive.” the boy said, shaking his head. You frowned, and a quick glance around at your allies told you that they were just as confused. “My life is a small price to pay for a discovery of this magnitude. Even if you have no need for it, I wish to appeal to your sense of reason.” Beast went on. “Or perhaps your sense of justice motivates you. Or your need for monetary gain. I can assure you that there is wealth to be had-” “Answer my last question.” Ben demanded. Beast nodded begrudgingly. “Very well.” he agreed. “My relationship with Varnae and Belasco was purely transactional. They provided me with materials and a safe space to continue my research, and I provided Varnae with mutated creatures that would follow his every command.” (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 21 Aug 2025 20:45:18 No. 6294150 Report Quoted By:
You made a disgusted sound. “So you sold out the whole world just so you could find a nice, quiet lab? You could have literally done that anywhere!” you argued, throwing your hands up in protest. Dr. McCoy shook his head slowly. “Not without Charles Xavier finding out, I'm afraid.” “Seriously. What's your deal with that guy?” Ben asked. “If I wanted to get away from Charles Xavier, I would just make sure that my lab wasn't wheelchair accessible.” B laughed, but he didn't seem to notice the way that Ammit folded her arms over her chest in displeasure. “On the contrary. I am quite fond of Charles.” Beast answered. “But there is an essential matter on which we strongly disagree. And that is the topic of whether a cure for mutants should be allowed to exist at all.” You and B exchanged confused looks. “But Charles Xavier isn't the only mutant on the team.” you put in. “Even if he has a lot of pull, there should still be mutants out there who want to be cured, right?” Beast nodded. “Undoubtedly. However, distributing a cure without the X-Men knowing will prove difficult.” “Is it because Xavier thinks that it'll be used as a weapon against the mutants?” Ben reasoned. “Indeed. That fear has motivated Charles to resort to extreme measures in order to maintain the status quo.” Beast said. “His most loyal students are not shy about killing those that oppose his agenda. Mental and digital manipulation are well within his capabilities as well. If he were to ever discover the true purpose of my research…” “Then you'd be next on the chopping block.” you concluded. “Precisely.” Beast said, his eyes drifting between you, Ben, B, and then finally, Ammit. “What about the mutants that don't want to be cured?” you asked, dragging his attention back to you. “What happens to them once this hits the public?” “That will be for them to decide. Or, perhaps, the world.” “A little reckless, don't you think, doc?” Ben said. He gave Ben a long, searching look. “Do you not think that the mutants who develop grotesque physical mutations would search for a way to revert those physical changes? That a mutant who has experienced prejudice at the hands of Homo-Sapiens would wish for nothing more than to return to normal society?” “Of course I know that.” Ben snapped back. “People have had their lives ruined, just because they're a little different than the rest of us.” Beast's ears perked up. B just glanced at Ben out of the corner of his eye. “Ah…I see now that you are an ally. It is fortunate that you were the one to come here.” he decided, his once cold eyes now gleaming with hope. “Hold on. How do we even know you're telling the truth right now?” you demanded, pointing an accusing finger at him. “For all we know, that ‘cure’ could just be saline solution.” “True. He might’ve just cooked this story up to make us feel sorry for him.” B thought aloud. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 21 Aug 2025 20:49:29 No. 6294152 Report Quoted By:
You turned to James for help, but he seemed to be spacing out, like his mind was somewhere far off right now. “Looks like there's only one way to find out.” Ben said, snagging the vial right out of James’ hand. That snapped him back to reality. Your foster father took a step closer to the bound mutant. “What do you say, doc? Wanna be our big blue guinea pig?” he asked, holding the vial up to eye level. The liquid inside was almost entirely transparent. Beast gave a solemn nod. “If that is what it takes…then so be it.” Beast answered, almost immediately. “The cure must be administered via injection, so you will need a syringe.” Ben narrowed his eyes at him in suspicion, but his moment was interrupted when B walked over to him, snatched the vial out of his hand and approached your captive. “No one's got time for that, man. We're gonna have to improvise a little.” B said, twirling the vial between his fingers as he bared his fangs. “Be careful with tha-” you almost said, before pausing to mull over his words. “Wait, you're just gonna bite him!? We have no idea how that thing affects humans, let alone vampires!” "Humans will not be effected by this serum." Beast answered smoothly, despite everything that was going on. "Although, I will admit that I am not entirely certain of how it will affect someone suffering from vampirism." “Trust me. I won't be the one suffering here, buddy.” he challenged, placing a hand on Beast's left shoulder. “I completely agree…” said a voice from down the dark hallway. The trail of blood they had left was flowing back into the hall. Even the blood that was pooling at their feet, or even stuck to their bodies, was flowing into multiple streams, all traveling in the same direction. You all watched in shock and awe as all that blood coagulated into a tall, humanoid shape. And it was a shape that you recognized. A blood clone of Mina stepped out of the shadows to greet you all, her entire body a single, consistent shade of dark red. With each step she took, new splotches of color started to paint her appearance, until she fully materialized as the woman you had seen on the first day you arrived here. Like all vampires, fresh blood nourished and rejuvenated her body. And, in Mina’s case, it did wonders for the skin. She reached out an open hand. “Give that to me, boy.” “Why should I?” B protested. “Because that man is responsible for the deaths of my people, and he will pay for his crimes by becoming my thrall.” she explained, stepping forward until she almost loomed over him. “I will allow no other vampire to take this pleasure from me.” Harpy brought up a wing to separate the two, and the gamma mutate and Nosferatu locked eyes for a moment. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 21 Aug 2025 20:50:30 No. 6294153 Report What will you say/do?>”Even if it means that you have to chug whatever's sloshing around in that vial? Are you sure you wanna be the one to risk that?” >”Not before we figure out whether this ‘mutant cure’ is real or not. It's the only reason he teamed up with Varnae and Belasco in the first place.” >”Can't you turn him after he takes the cure?” >”I don't think that's such a good idea. You don't want to give this guy another opportunity to plot his escape or take his revenge out on you.” >Can't we figure this out later? There's still a battle outside that needs wrapping up. >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6294153 >”Then I will. Your people weren’t the only ones killed, so any justice on “the people’s” behalf will need representation from all of them.” The Kaiju King has an arguably greater claim over him. Maybe the vamps suffered more from Beast’s creations, but the Metropolis was an outright victim in all this.
He can join the queue of people to be punished for all this.
>”Huntsman, just take the vial. He’s not expecting it to benefit him so we can look at it later.” Proof would have been nice but I’d rather not subject anyone else here to being a test subject.
Anonymous
>>6294199 alright, we can be the sensible one, just to wrap things up.+1
Anonymous
>>6294709 Cindy’s always felt like the sensible one. When she’s not, y’know, melting down over social anxiety, tests, and all that.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Sun 24 Aug 2025 01:10:49 No. 6295371 Report Quoted By:
>>6294199 >>6294709 >”Then I will. Your people weren’t the only ones killed, so any justice on “the people’s” behalf will need representation from all of them.” >”Huntsman, just take the vial. He’s not expecting it to benefit him so we can look at it later.” Taking these. Writing...
>>6294199 Varnae really did just try and snuff out a civilization so they wouldn't get in his way. He would have succeeded if it weren't for your intervention.
>>6294715 Cindy's struggle to balance her social life is going to be a fun thing that I will play around with throughout her high school career. This was only the start of her transformation as a person, and as a hero.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Mon 25 Aug 2025 01:21:35 No. 6296037 Report Quoted By:
You moved without a second thought, stepping in front of Mina and gesturing for Harpy to lower her wing. They all stared at you in mild surprise. “Then I'll have to be the one to disappoint you.” you declared, meeting her burning gaze with a challenging look of your own. “Your people weren't the only ones killed. So any justice on ‘the people's’ behalf will need representation from all of them.” Mina stared down at you for a good long while. You sensed no real malice from her, but you were prepared to act, nonetheless. There was a tense silence, where everyone held their breaths and waited for the other to make a move…and Mina broke the stalemate by taking a large step back, and a deep, calming breath. “Very well. It is as you say.” she conceded, folding herself in a deep, respectful bow. “As much as I despise Varnae and his collaborators, I feel as if it would be remiss of me to challenge your authority after everything you have done here. I, and House Morvayne, are forever in your debt. If you are ever in need, do consider reaching out to us.” Beast's expression didn't change, but you noticed his muscles relax slightly upon learning that he wouldn't be turned into a vampire slave. You smiled warmly at her, and mirrored her gesture. From her bent position, she glanced up at you in surprise. “Same here. I don’t know where we'd be without you. You recognized the threat that Varnae posed, made a plan to save your brother and the rest of the council, and even found a way to trap Varnae and turn his Kaiju against him. We owe you, big-time.” James nodded his agreement, looking a little more present in this conversation. He was also a lot cleaner, thanks to Mina. “You helped me prevent my father from unleashing chaos onto this world. I owe you everything.” he said, turning to bow as well. As her back straightened, Mina’s eyes crinkled, and she placed a hand over her mouth. “So…we're not biting him.” B concluded, disappointment clear in his voice. “Huntsman, just take the vial back.” you requested, not bothering to turn around as you heard the telltale “thwip” of Ben's webs snagging on an object. “We can take a look at it later.” The tension in the room eased considerably, then. That is, until the castle walls shook from the combined, synchronous roar of an undead army. You clapped your hands over your vulpine ears, and Mercy covered your human ones. Everyone else tried to do the same. “THAT MUST BE SIMON'S CUE!” you shouted. “I'VE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY TO HEAR A ZOMBIE HORDE APPROACHING!” Ben cheered. “WHAT IS GOING ON!? WHAT IS THAT SOUND!?” B screamed aloud. “LOUD. VERY LOUD.” James whined. “WILL SOMEONE PLEASE COVER MY EARS?” Beast requested. “YOUR JUDGEMENT HAS BEEN FORESTALLED LONG ENOUGH.” Ammit boomed, her tail angrily slapping the ground. “BRING ME TO THIS ‘KAIJU KING’ OF WHOM YOU SPEAK.” (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Mon 25 Aug 2025 01:28:23 No. 6296038 Report Quoted By:
At that very moment, a hole opened up in the floor, and Shaggy climbed out. The Spirit Ball was still in his mouth, and the unconscious body of Limbo's ruler was slumped over his back. He gestured for you to come closer, and you nodded. “EVERYONE! FOLLOW ME!” —------ Not long after, the other end Shaggy’s portal opened up, leading you directly into the Kaiju King's castle. Ammit and Khonshu were already waiting here, facing each other with both their arms folded, like a pair of statues. A crowd of Monster citizens gathered at their feet, but no one other than you, Ben and B seemed to notice the Egyptian deities at all. Instead, all their eyes were glued to you. “Why here?” you asked, looking around at everyone. “It was the safest place I could think of.” he mumbled, using his teeth to hold onto his passenger's shirt. He shifted to one side, and gently lowered the unconscious girl onto the cold, hard floor. “Shouldn't we be getting back to the fight?” Ben asked, climbing up alongside you. “I cannot control the Kaiju from here.” Mina admitted, hovering up to step out of the portal. “But, that should not pose a problem, considering the size of Simon's horde. Victory is already at hand.” “If you do not mind me asking,” James began, pulling himself up. “How exactly did you take control of the Kaiju?” “Varnae used blood magic in their creation. By that logic, I assumed that, with careful manipulation, I would be able to send them all into a frenzy.” “That sounds kinda cool.” B offered, still dragging his axe behind him. “What about the ring?” you said. “What ring?” Mina replied, stepping aside so Harpy could fly out of the portal. She still had Beast held in her clutches. “The barrier ring that Varnae used. It was kind of weak for having such a powerful enchantment on it.” you added. “That was not my doing.” “I remember a guy that had a barrier ring. Had to fight an army of demons before I could get to him.” Ben put in. “He got away before we could catch him, though.” Mina paused and glanced over at you. You caught her look, but decided to let the matter rest for now. Because what were the chances of Ben running into Varnae of all people during his Vegas trip? “Why's everyone looking at us like that?” Ben asked, staring around at the monsters that were starting to crowd around you. “I don't like it.” B said. As you got further into the throne room, the crowd began to part, giving you a clear look at the Kaiju King, lying down on a cot placed in front of the steps leading up to his empty throne. You gasped, and everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Everyone except Mina, who put that vampiric speed to good use. She blurred into motion, reaching the King's side in no time. You forced your legs to move, running up to catch up with her. “What happened!?” (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Mon 25 Aug 2025 01:32:00 No. 6296039 Report “He is exhausted. I doubt he even has enough energy to sit up right now.” Mina explained, running a hand over his body. Her palm was emitting a red glow, likely due to some form of blood magic that she was using. “He must have worn himself out with all that summoning.” you concluded, staring down at the King's pale, pale face. His hair was disheveled. And his eyelids were half-closed and fluttering. “I fear that he may not have much time left…” Mina breathed. The King was…dying? Without any of his Kaiju to be here with him? But you had almost won! None of this was right. It wasn't fair! What can you do?>Stay with the king and listen to his final words. He seemed to be muttering something. >Convince Mina to turn the Kaiju King into a vampire. It might be the only way to save him at this point. >Pray for his soul. Perhaps Khonshu can do something for him. >Tell Shaggy to send you back to the battlefield. If you can find Louise, then maybe her blood can make him better. >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6296039 >>Tell Shaggy to send you back to the battlefield. If you can find Louise, then maybe her blood can make him better. worth a try
Anonymous
>>6296039 Kinda expected this given his state during the attack. We tried to help indirectly by sallying out so more monsters could be safe without his intervention, but it wasn’t enough.
>Tell Shaggy to send you back to the battlefield. If you can find Louise, then maybe her blood can make him better. I’d prefer to listen, but I can back this. If Mina knows any stasis/preservation spells to buy us time that’d be nice. Alternately, if she knows any infusion/restoration spells that burn blood to heal then we’ve probably got enough to spare.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 28 Aug 2025 15:36:59 No. 6297663 Report Quoted By:
>>6296048 >>6296134 >Tell Shaggy to send you back to the battlefield. If you can find Louise, then maybe her blood can make him better. Taking these. Writing...
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 28 Aug 2025 23:47:34 No. 6297853 Report Quoted By:
Your eyebrows drew together, and you turned on Shaggy, who was approaching from behind. “Send me back. We need to find Louise and bring her back.” you demanded. “Why? How can she help?” he asked, glancing past you at the Kaiju King. His tail was wagging nervously. “Do you remember that satyr that kept following her around?” Shaggy nodded. “Aye.” “Well, he told me that her blood could heal Grandma Young. I never got a chance to test it, but he really seemed to think that it would work.” “That's a lot of faith to put in a random satyr child, lass.” Shaggy said, raising an inquisitive brow. “Yeah? Well…it's all we've got to go on.” you answered, throwing your hands up in frustration. “If you're going, then so am I.” Ben declared, swinging up beside you. “Me too.” Harpy chimed, crossing over to the group with only a few flaps of her mighty wings. “Nice. We could use some eyes in the sky.” Ben encouraged her. “I am also going.” James volunteered, looking mildly better than he did a few minutes ago. Most of his wounds had closed by now, and there were no discernible bruises on him that you could spot through all that fur. “I remember her scent.” he added, tapping his flat feline nose. “I'll follow your lead, then. My usual tracking methods won't work too well in an active warzone.” you said, before turning to your recently revived vampire friend. “B, do you think you can watch over our prisoner without chopping his head off?” “I'll do my best.” B agreed, seeming to sense the gravity of this situation. You gave him a grateful nod. “Then we'll be back.” you promised. “Shaggy?” “On it.” the dog confirmed, already digging another portal into the ground. “Leave the sword this time, would you? It messes with my accuracy.” You groaned and slipped it off your back. Mercy bound it in cloth, made sure to tie it extra tight, and flung it at B. He caught it effortlessly. “A present? For me?” “Yep. Only, this is the kind that you don't unwrap. And I'm coming back for it.” you shot back, pointing a claw at him. “Worry about yourself. I heard it's bad out there.” “And it'll only get worse if we can't save their King.” “It's not your job to save everyone, Cindy.” You stared up at Khonshu's statue, closed your eyes, and took a deep breath. “I know. But I've gotta try. These people deserve that, at least.” People. Not monsters. Just like humans, everyone down here is just trying their best to survive. Even if Khonshu wasn't entirely concerned with their fate, you knew that there were people here worth saving. “Watch your back out there.” Ben said, stepping closer to the edge of the portal. “That's what I have you for.” “Then who's watching mine?” “Ana, of course. I think she likes your butt.” “I'm aware. That last slap she gave me is gonna leave a mark.” he said, rubbing his rear end. Harpy tilted her head to get a better look at the Huntsman’s backside. Your foster father turned to lock eyes with her, before looking away. (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 28 Aug 2025 23:48:36 No. 6297854 Report Quoted By:
“I might need to start charging for this show.” “It's open.” Shaggy announced, before muttering the word “finally”. “Okay. We each fan out, try to stay alive, find Louise, and regroup wherever this portal dumps us out.” Ben said. James nodded, then paused. “How will we know when one of us finds her?” “We should each send up a signal.” you decided. “I've got foxfire.” You brandished a pale blue flame. “And I've got normal fire.” Ben added, allowing his right arm to be wreathed in green flame. “That does not look very normal.” Jamed denied. “Says the guy without a signal.” Ben joked. James glanced over at Harpy. She was currently lamenting how dull and dingy her shiny bracelets had gotten during all the fighting. “Harpy doesn't count.” Ben put in. “She's a giant bird, so she kinda stands out. All we have to do is look up and we'll probably see her.” There was no arguing with that logic. “I will…figure something out.” James said, unconvincingly. “Maybe you can just have Louise carry you out?” you suggested. “She can fly, after all.” “You hear that? You get a free ride from a hot, french, vampire-slaying, vampire nun.” Ben interjected. “Things are looking up for you already.” “Why is her being a ‘nun’ important?” James asked. “Don't get a lot of porn down here, do ya?” Ben observed. You slapped his arm. “What? He doesn't know what I'm talking about. We could just tell him it's a type of soup, or something.” “I'm pretty sure monsters know what porn is!” you hissed, lowering your voice so the other monsters wouldn't hear you. “But not, like, 100% sure.” “Need I remind you all that the King of our civilization is literally on his deathbed.” Shaggy spoke up. You peeked down at him. He was standing on absolutely nothing at the center of a rift in space. It looked like an ocean without end. The dimensional energy within churned like water, but it felt neither hot nor cold. It would simply sweep you up and carry you somewhere else. “We didn't forget. We just didn't want to go into this thinking about how all these people's lives were going to be severely impacted by the success of this operation–but hey! Thanks for the reminder.” Ben said, preparing to dive down into the portal's opening. “King will owe favor. Big favor.” Harpy squawked, flexing her wings and shaking herself a few stray feathers. “Something tells me you're gonna make a great Desperado.” Ben said with a wink. You shook your head and prepared to jump in. “You ready, Mercy?” “We shall not fail. Especially with our lord watching over us.” “Amen to that.” you said, before jumping right in. —-----
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 28 Aug 2025 23:49:56 No. 6297855 Report Quoted By:
The moment you jumped out of the portal, you hit the ground running. On all fours, this time. You didn’t try to suppress the beastly urges you felt before. It felt good to give into them. To let loose and push yourself to your limits. James was running right alongside you. He even moved with the same animalistic posture, eating up the distance between himself and the battlefield at roughly the same rate as you. Ben and Harpy took to the skies immediately after emerging, while Shaggy remained behind. His job was to portal you all out once you located and retrieved Louise. Although, you wouldn't have minded a bit of help from his super sniffer. You weren’t very practiced at tracking by scent. Up until recently, your nose was only a little sharper than others. No one would give you the time to stop and narrow down the scent trail in the middle of a battle. Even now, with how fast you were moving, all that air was just rushing past your face, not going into your nose so you could process and pick apart the various things you were smelling. Up ahead, you could see that your allies, the forces of the Monster Metropolis, had been steadily pushing Varnae's forces back. That gave you more room to work with, but not by much. Louise might be fighting alongside Ward and the rest of House Morvayne's warriors. That was your only lead. And even then, you would need a way to slip past all these people without being hit, and without being trampled or slowed down in the process. Your stomach flip-flopped at the thought of your group not being able to find her in time. Shaggy was right. If you failed, the Monster Metro would lose their leader. They'd all suffered so much at Varnae's hands. What happened here was nothing short of a war crime. And it might mean the end of their civilization if you couldn't- A small, white blur sped past you, even as you were running full-tilt. Another followed right behind it on your other side. Only, this time, you were able to get a brief glimpse of it. They were…foxes? You squinted at them, somehow managing not to trip in your moment of shock. Yes, they were foxes! Both possessed snow white fur, brighter and more ethereal than your own. They left light trails in their wake, and you got the impression that they were meant to lead you somewhere. These were spirit messengers. The only question was…whose? You risked a quick glance at James, but he didn't seem to be reacting to any of this. Were you the only one that could see it? You returned your gaze to the two foxes, only to see them both sitting and waiting patiently in front of a large group of clashing vampires, their sharp yellow eyes trained on you. Red paint marked their faces. It underlined their eyes, stained their eyebrows, and dotted their foreheads. Their singular tails swayed from side to side in an alternating rhythm, like a pair of metronomes set to the exact same beat, but moving opposite to each other.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 28 Aug 2025 23:50:58 No. 6297856 Report Quoted By:
Against your better judgment, you decided to see where this would lead you. Your parents warned you about following strange spirit messengers, let alone foxes, but you didn’t have anything better to go on right now. Maybe this was another Kumiho power? You skidded to a halt, surprising James, and allowing him to pass you up. Your eyes scanned the skies for the giant bird lady that you knew would be there, and you found her in no time. You put two fingers in your mouth, let out a sharp whistle, and threw a foxfire bolt at her. It didn't hit her, of course. That wasn't what you were trying to do. You only wanted her attention. As the foxfire bolt flew past her, she craned her neck to see you jumping up and down, flagging her down. “HEY! SORRY! I NEED A LIFT!” you shouted, waving your arms, and pointing up. Harpy wasted no time in circling back, swooping down, and extending her talons to snatch you up. You started running again, on two legs this time, and ignored the spike of adrenaline you felt from seeing this monster of a raptor descend upon you. She passed overhead with a rush of air, and that was nearly enough to bowl you over right then and there. You somehow maintained your footing as Harpy swung back, flapped her wings to slow herself down, hooked her claws under your bandages and took off. The sudden shift in momentum was almost enough to make you dizzy, but nearly all of your attention was reserved for the twin messengers, who were now weaving their way through the battlefield. “Go that way!” you shouted over the sound of the wind. They should have been harder to keep track of in all this chaos, but it was almost as if the world had lost focus, and the light that the foxes gave off stood out more than anything, or anyone else. Harpy followed your instructions, swinging you around so that your eyes never lost sight of the little messengers. After a few minutes of this, the spirit messengers finally found what they were looking for. And, to your great relief, it ended up being exactly what YOU were looking for! In the middle of where the foxes were circling, Louise fought side by side with Ward. Corpses littered the ground before them, and House Morvayne's mercenaries had formed a defensive circle around them. From what you could guess, Varnae's forces marked the two as high value targets. But instead of falling back, they were using themselves as bait, and then collapsing on anyone who was foolish enough to make an attempt on either of their lives. Louise was a force to be reckoned with. She was a whirlwind of death, barely contained by House Morvayne's defensive formation. With her abilities and the current state of this army, you felt like she would sooner die of exhaustion than at the hands of an inferior enemy.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 28 Aug 2025 23:52:01 No. 6297857 Report Quoted By:
The vampire mercenaries were fairly impressive as well. They were few in number, but their coordination was on a whole other level compared to any of the other soldiers present. They were a well oiled machine, parrying, striking and maneuvering their opponents with practiced ease. Ben might’ve been tempted to offer some of these vamps a job if he were here to see this. And then there was Mina’s brother, Ward. You didn’t think very much of Ward, but you had to admit, the guy could seriously take a hit. His body was covered in wooden splinters, and countless arrows sprouted from multiple points on his body. He was actively pushing them out by shifting his bones around, but he wasn't at all focused on attacking. The guy was using his absurd body as a meat shield, eating hits in order to open up tougher opponents, soaking up arrows for his allies, and breaking through enemy defenses by charging straight through them. Ward's strategy seemed to be entirely based on leveraging his tankiness to act as a living distraction. It was surprisingly effective. “There. LOUISE!” you shouted down at her. The Nightguard's ears perked up, and she paused to stare up at you in shock. “Petit Cindy! What are you doing up there?” “We need your help! The Kaiju King's sick, and he needs your blood!” Her eyes widened, and she looked like she wanted to ask more questions. But she must have noticed the urgency in your voice, because she flew up to meet you right away. She turned to stare down at House Morvayne's warriors. “I must go!” “Then go. Leave the rest to us.” Ward reassured her. With that, she nodded, and the three of you flew off to rejoin Shaggy and the others. Along the way, you gave Louise a quick rundown of the events that transpired in her absence, all while firing off foxfire-crackers to signal the rest of the team to retreat. You briefly glanced back at the unfolding battle, just to see whether you could spot James in all this commotion. And what you saw made your blood run cold. A lone, slender figure with fair skin walked throughout the battlefield, unimpeded by any standing in her way, and largely unconcerned with the events taking place around her. She had long, straight white hair, a pair of triangular vulpine ears, and a bundle of nine fluffy tails the same color as her hair. And before you lost sight of her completely, you could have sworn that she turned back, locked eyes with you, and gave you a teasing wink. —-------- As much as you wanted to circle back and search for the Kumiho, you didn’t have time to waste. It was a miracle that you had found Louise and made it back to Shaggy in the first place. Or…perhaps not. Those spirit messengers hadn’t belonged to you. And if they didn’t, then that meant that they belonged to someone else. And since you didn’t see any other Kumiho in the area, you could only assume that…
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 28 Aug 2025 23:53:03 No. 6297858 Report Quoted By:
Could it truly have been Ami Han? How could she be here if she had been banished by your parents? Was it an illusion? Even if it was, what reason could she possibly have for helping you? Was there some way she benefited from all this? “Cindy.” Ben’s voice snapped you out of your reverie. He was staring right at you. He seemed to be the only one who was, because everyone else’s eyes were glued to Louise as she swept over to the Kaiju King, a silver dagger in her hand. “You okay?” he asked. You blinked a few times, and then glanced between him, Shaggy, Harpy and James. Everyone had made it back somehow. The latter hadn’t come out of it unscathed, but he was, at the very least, still alive. Maybe that was all you could ask for. “Yeah. I’m fine.” you lied, unsure of whether you wanted to go over what you saw out there. There was a lot happening. Maybe you just imagined it. And if you didn’t, maybe now wasn’t the best time to bring it up. Not when the King’s fate was still up in the air. Louise reached down to caress the King’s face with a hand. She gave him a pitying look, and then brought her hand up to meet the edge of the silver dagger. She dragged the blade across her skin and let out a pained hiss. Gold fluid spilled from the open wound, trailing down her arm, and dripping onto the floor. This caught Mina’s attention right away. She was, predictably, greatly interested in this aspect of Louise. So were you. No one could take their eyes off her as she scooped the King up in her hands, carried him over to the stairs leading up to his throne, and sat down with him in her lap. She had the dying man swaddled in her dark cloak. It was such a tender, motherly gesture, that it caught you off guard. Everyone gasped, and there were countless murmurs among those present when Louise brought her wrist to the King’s mouth. She pressed the open, bleeding wound against his lips, and gently rubbed at his throat, causing him to swallow whatever had been flowing through her veins. Mina monitored the situation very closely, not even blinking for fear of what she might miss. Everyone collectively held their breaths, wondering whether there had been any credence to the satyr’s claims. This long, tense silence stretched on for several more minutes, before Mina turned to give her assessment. “The King’s condition has stabilized. We should be able to keep him alive until proper medical attention can be administered.” she reported.
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Thu 28 Aug 2025 23:54:04 No. 6297859 Report The crowd of gathered monsters erupted into cheers. Some literally collapsed on the spot. Others were hugging and kissing one another. But you also noticed another thing. The way they all looked at Louise was starting to change. You heard the word “Goldblood” thrown around more than a few times, and you got the feeling that her tiny satyr friend might not be alone in worshipping her after this stunt. You could just see it now. This was nothing short of an immortal moment. A legend worthy of being retold for generations, and captured in paintings. Louise breathed a sigh of relief as well. Her eyes searched the crowd until they found you. She gave you a warm smile, and gestured for you to join her. What will you do?>Join her at the King’s side. Maybe all this Slayer nonsense will start to blow over if you’re seen supporting them. >Convince the others to join you as well. They deserve a moment to shine too. >Respectfully refuse her offer. She’s earned this one. >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6297859 >>Join her at the King’s side. Maybe all this Slayer nonsense will start to blow over if you’re seen supporting them. Anonymous
>>6297859 >Join her at the King’s side. Maybe all this Slayer nonsense will start to blow over if you’re seen supporting them. Don’t forget to give her a hug and thank her for the help. There’s been enough shit that’s happened here already.
I don’t think this will help the Slayer stuff blow over. I think it’ll just strengthen the “savior of monsterkind” aspect behind the legend. But I have no problem redirecting “converts” towards Khonshu. Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Mon 01 Sep 2025 22:08:21 No. 6300147 Report Quoted By:
>>6297864 >>6297879 >Join her at the King’s side. Maybe all this Slayer nonsense will start to blow over if you’re seen supporting them. Taking these. I should have an update finished by tomorrow morning. The Cindy campaign is almost concluded!
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Tue 02 Sep 2025 14:28:20 No. 6300513 Report Quoted By:
At Louise’s prompting, some of the monsters turned back to look at you expectantly. Before you got a chance to second guess yourself, you started moving towards her. They made space for you. Their eyes were still full of awe. A few of them muttered about wanting to know the outcome of your battle with Varnae. You pretended they weren't there. In that moment, you only had eyes for Louise and the King. Upon reaching her, you slipped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a hug. She leaned her head against your chest, a single streak of gold running from one eye, even as she smiled. You gave her a gentle kiss on the top of her head and rubbed her shoulder. “Thank you.” you whispered, before leaning away to give her and the King a bit more room. "You always pull through when I really need you." For a second, she looked like she wanted to undercut this moment by expressing humility. But when she looked out at all the monsters singing her praises, she had a hard time getting the words out. All she managed was a shaky nod. The name “Goldblood” saw more use now than you thought it ever did before you showed up. What Louise had done was nothing short of a miracle. An undead, a denizen of the night, had nourished a living being with her blood. You've never seen anything like this before. The only conclusion that you could draw was that she had mutated into a new variant of vampire. Either that, or Marc's vampiric secretary was more special than either of you knew. But none of that mattered right now. Because, despite Varnae's efforts, the Monster Metropolis was still standing. This event had been an undeniable tragedy, as there were countless lives lost, but, even so… You stared out at the jubilant faces of monsters that adored their human king. And then, your eyes traveled between the vampires on either side of you. On your left stood Mina, a calculating Nosferatu blood mage. She didn’t smile often, and when she did, she usually hid it behind her hand. Except now, that is. She had, at some point, wrapped a red cloth around the lower half of her face. It was frilled with lace, and matched the color of her dress. Did she wear that to formal events? On your right, Louise sat with the Kaiju King in her lap. She was apparently the only one keeping him alive right now. You laughed at the thought of a vampire that refused to feed on humans, feeding a human her own blood. It was almost as ironic as a vampire hunting turning into a vampire, but that wasn't terribly uncommon these days. And then…there was you. The way people looked at you now, you saw respect in their eyes. You showed them your strength, and your willingness to help them, above all else. Louise may have been the one to save their King, but you were the one who slayed their worst enemy. What you had proven during your time here, was that you were an ally to the Monster Metropolis. And, for today, that might have to be enough. —------ (Cont.)
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Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Tue 02 Sep 2025 14:29:21 No. 6300514 Report Soon after medical attention had arrived for the King and the Ruler of Limbo, news from the battlefront reached everyone's ears. According to Shaggy, Varnae's army declared their surrender upon having been routed by Simon's undead and the Were-Tribes. Most of them were on their way back, but House Morvayne and the Amazons were staying behind to secure Varnae's castle. Your popularity had also skyrocketed upon everyone learning about the key role you played in this battle. They were crowding around you, asking you all sorts of questions about your fight, and your personal life. Louise had it worse, but you weren't used to being thanked this profusely for performing your duty. You looked to Ben for help, but he was busy talking with Ana after Shaggy portaled her back to the palace. The aforementioned Huntress was gesturing animatedly, regaling him of her most recent kills. Harpy was staring intently at a globule of Louise’s blood, which was hovering over Mina’s hand as she spoke to James about something. It looked and sounded serious. The lab-grown mutant was bent at a near perfect 90 degree angle in a respectful bow towards her. B was still watching over Beast like you asked, but he looked rather bored, given the energy in the room. Delphyne and Carnelian came through the portal, side by side. Neither Ward, nor Simon were anywhere to be seen. The latter's absence was mostly due to the part they inadvertently played in the zombie invasion, though. You genuinely hoped the people of Monster Metropolis could find it in their hearts to forgive them someday. Eventually, your eyes found Deadhead in the corner of the room, standing alone as he tried reattaching his fingers. It looked like someone or something had chewed them off. What will you do?>Use this as an opportunity to draw people's attention to Khonshu. You might be able to make your new fans into your god's new followers. >Approach Louise with a proposition. If she would be willing to provide worship to Khonshu, then he would certainly bless her as he has you. >Go up and get Delphyne's number. If there’s anyone here you'd want to hang out with on the surface, it's her. >Help Deadhead sew his fingers back on. It's the least that Mercy can do for him. >Write-in.
Anonymous
>>6300514 >>Help Deadhead sew his fingers back on. It's the least that Mercy can do for him. cool ass dude
Anonymous
>>6300514 Ugh. I want to do all the things, but I’m not sure if the timing would work out.
>Help Deadhead sew his fingers back on. It's the least that Mercy can do for him. >Use this as an opportunity to draw people's attention to Khonshu. You might be able to make your new fans into your god's new followers. >Approach Louise with a proposition. If she would be willing to provide worship to Khonshu, then he would certainly bless her as he has you. I think we can jam these three together though. Go to Deadhead first (since
>>6300518 voted for it) and see if we can wave Louise over while we patch him up. Once Louise is over, ask her if she’d be willing to stick around/visit the area to proselytize. With how much they respect her, she could likely find some converts and monsters willing to join our fight. Then pop the question about learning how to worship Khonshu for her own benefit, for additional pull (some monsters will be more interested in “The Slayer’s” religion instead of “The Goldblood’s”), and as a favor to us since we’ll struggle to balance school and everything else on top of this.
I’m okay with her preaching however she wants, and she can keep her god first and foremost. There’s going to be monsters who want to make sure this never happens to the Monster Metropolis again though, and someone with institutional knowledge of how a vampire-slaying organization is run could build something to channel that drive better than we could.
We can even joke about being her first recruit. Our god backs us, but we’re not exactly a good fit with all his disciples. They’re used to slaying monsters like us, not working with them. An organization that pushes back on that narrative in some small way would be welcome.
Anonymous
>>6300514 >Help Deadhead sew his fingers back on. It's the least that Mercy can do for him. >Go up and get Delphyne's number. If there’s anyone here you'd want to hang out with on the surface, it's her. >Write-in. >Hang with B for a bit Not fair coming back from the dead just to be put on boring guard duty. Is Beast's final 'Judgement' still to be delivered?
>Tell Ben about the spirit foxes and the Kumiho woman we saw. I'm not sure anything can be done but it's important to tell people we trust.
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED
Scorekeeper !!qcHMjYPsvED ID:73/cwJIx Wed 03 Sep 2025 23:01:45 No. 6301260 Report >>6300518 >>6300552 >>6300849 >Help Deadhead sew his fingers back on. It's the least that Mercy can do for him. So far, this is the only agreed upon vote. I'm going to start writing the update now and will try to have it done by tomorrow morning, but feel free to use this time to support write-ins or combine votes if you'd like! I'll adjust accordingly.
>>6300849 >Not fair coming back from the dead just to be put on boring guard duty. Is Beast's final 'Judgement' still to be delivered? Since Beast's judgement has been deferred to the Kaiju King, who is currently in no condition to provide a verdict, B must wait as well. Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6301260 >>6300849 I’ll at least switch to back this. Delphyne was cool and I don’t mind revisiting B. You’ve been hanging onto his plot hook for a long time.