Chiaki Matsuda?

I'm interested but I don't know if anyone else is...

File: 1339765051186.png-(163 KB, 1000x700, checkok.png)

>>19489905

Chiaki Matsuda...? That kinda sounds stylish. A bit too cute for you, but hell, you've called yourself worse before. Other people have called you worse before.

The other names that floated up sounded a bit too silly. Maybe next time, if you wake up forgetting everything again.

You try to smile at yourself. Not much of an improvement, but it'll do.

What next?
[]Check your inventory.
[]Check the heavy circular shield thing clamped onto your right arm.

>>19489970
>[x]Check the heavy circular shield thing clamped onto your right arm.

File: 1339765585825.png-(219 KB, 875x643, shieldcheck.png)

>>19489976

Your shield...thing. You don't really know what to call it, but you know it's heavy, and you could probably do some damage with it if you smash someone over the head with it. It's constantly clicking inside, like a bomb, but you're not too worried about it exploding.

Upon closer inspection, it looks like it's seen better days. There's a large gash in the middle, like someone had taken an industrial saw to it and tried to cut it in half. The jewel in the center is cracked, and it's showing some of the clicking gears inside.

What are you, Captain America or something?

[]Check inventory.
[]Try to see if it comes off.
[]Stars and Stripes.

File: 1339767452678.png-(87 KB, 1000x700, puzzled.png)

What? Stars and Stripes? You're not Captain America. You're not even American. Stop mucking around. You'd probably hurt yourself trying to.

You jiggle with it a bit. It turns slightly, but the gears clicking relentlessly within start to protest loudly, so you leave it alone. You know it'll go away if you cancel your transformation, but you don't feel like it at the moment.

[]Mess around with it a bit more.
[]Check your inventory.
[]Think about how Iron Man is way cooler as a superhero.

File: 1339768772606.png-(162 KB, 1000x700, inventory check.png)

You think about how much more awesome Iron Man is than Captain America. The alcoholism isn't too hot, but hey, you're already down that road anyway.

You check your inventory. You have two small canisters of regular painkillers, enough for four doses. An opened pack of cigarettes, two of which has already been smoked. A metal zippo lighter, which you manage to light after nearly dropping it. Curiously, two crumpled-up 100 dollar bills. Your trusty combat knife, still strapped to your ankle.

Oh, and your clamshell cellphone. It seems to be fully charged and in an annoying pink color. From the screen, you could see that you have two messages.

[]Take a dose.
[]Smoke.
[]Read your messages.

File: 1339770354914.png-(91 KB, 1000x700, messageread.png)

You light up one first before reading. It doesn't help the horrible taste in your mouth much, but it calms you down, at least. If there were any laser traps to avoid, this'd be handy, too.

You open up your message inbox. The first message comes from a sender registered to your contacts as QB. The other is from an unregistered number.

Strangely enough, your phone is devoid of anything except these two new messages and what appears to be five contacts. There is a diary function, but it's kept locked away by a five-letter password. You leave it alone for now.

[]Read the message from QB.
[]Read the message from the unregistered number.
[]Try and call one of your contacts, as follows: [Kaname Madoka] [Sakura Kyoko] [Tomoe Mami] [QB] [???]

File: 1339771718563.png-(25 KB, 1000x700, qb.png)

You read the messages.

The message from QB reads:

"Make your way to Mami's apartment as soon as you wake up."

Short, terse, commanding. Annoying little parasite, you remember not liking it, and even in your slightly confused state, you don't think that's going to change anytime soon.

The message from the unregistered number is stranger:

"Let it go. Seriously. It's time to move on."

You have no idea what they're talking about, or who's it from. Maybe it's just spam, or a message wrongly sent to your number. Nothing significant, you decide.

[] Go to Mami's Apartment posthaste.
[] Call someone from your contacts list.
[] Stab out an angry reply containing various and less-than-eloquent profanities.

File: 1339773672263.png-(126 KB, 1000x700, mami.png)

Biting into the filter of your nearly-spent cigarette, you stab out a couple of choice expletives from your admittedly limited repertoire as a reply to QB. Quickly accessing the 'draw' function of your phone, you scrawl out something offensive and send it as an attachment.

It's immature and puerile, but you're not in the best of moods. It felt good sending it, in any case.

After a while, you call one of the registered numbers in your contact list. The other end of the line rings a few times, before it is picked up.

"Hello...? Who is this?" A warm, familiar voice comes on, slightly hesitant. "I don't have your number on my contact list, I'm sorry...may I know who's on the line?"

She seems to be alright, much to your relief.

[]Answer as Chiaki.
[]Keep quiet. Breathe loudly.
[]Tell her to get the hell out of her apartment and stay away from QB.

File: 1339775942109.png-(58 KB, 1000x700, call.png)

It's great to hear her voice, even if it sounds like she's hesitant to receive your call.

You manage to murmur your new name after a few unsuccessfull tries - your throat is dry, and painfully so - and there's silence at the other end for a few moments before Mami's voice comes on again, all warmth and honey now.

"Chiaki...? That's a...surprisingly pretty name, and I think it's much better than your last one. Murderface doesn't really suit you," she giggles slightly, before concern seeps into her voice. "Are you sure you're alright, er, Chiaki-san...? You sound a bit hoarse..."

She pauses as a muffled voice speaks in the background.

"Oh, um. Kyuubey says to come on over, so we can give you your assignment for today. He sounds a bit grumpy today, for some reason...although, you can never really tell with him, can you?"

Another pause. "Chiaki-san, have you had breakfast yet? I'll set an extra place if you haven't."

What do you reply?

>>19491072
"An extra-place ? With whom are you ?"

There is maybe some people with whom we don't want to eat.

>>19491072
"I don't think I have� can't really remember. That'd be great."

File: 1339777334904.jpg-(61 KB, 415x689, Mami_Tomoe.jpg)

>>19491095
>>19491092

"...That's no answer, Chiaki-san. You should eat better." Mami's voice becomes chiding as always. "You shouldn't be drinking so much, and the pills you've been taking...I know you're getting all the tough assignments, but please take care of yourself."

You mumble something resembling an assent. If it was someone else, you'd tell them to take a long walk off a pier wearing cement shoes, but it's Mami. Can't do that to her.

"I'll make sure there's enough left for you when you get here, then. And no, I'm alone here with Kyuubey. Why did you ask, Chiaki-san?"

You mumble something else, and try to end the call there. Mami lets out a sigh, before she bids you goodbye.

"I'll wait for you then, Chiaki-san. See you."

The call ends, and you stash your cellphone back into your inventory. That went better than you expected it to.

What do you do?
[] Go to Mami's apartment.
[] Arm yourself first before leaving.
[] Call someone else on your contact list.

File: 1339779169856.jpg-(35 KB, 634x350, Bull.jpg)

You decide to get yourself ready, just in case. It doesn't hurt to prepare, and you know you're absolute shit with your knife at any capacity.

As if responding to your thoughts, the heavy shield clamped to your arm clicks a few times, before turning a couple of dozen degrees, locking into place with a clack of metal, before reverting back to its old position.

Automatically, you reach behind it, and feel the handle of an oversized gun fall heavily into your grip. It's a heavy son of a bitch, and you draw it out.

It's not a gun, it's a handcannon. It's seen better days, sure, but it looks functional. The shield doesn't give you a reload, but at least the chambers are full. Eight shots worth.

You remember then that the Shield has always given you strange things to work with. Sometimes it gives you hardware that's easily familiar, other times it's given you strangely-shaped ones that nearly break your wrist after every discharge and have prayer papers affixed to every available surface.

In any case, you have a gun, now. You stash it into your inventory, and make your way to Mami's apartment. At least you remember the way, even if you can't remember what the hell your real name is.

Even before you approach the front door, you realize that something is wrong. The sound of screaming inside is muffled, but clear, interrupted by the dulled thump of what sounds like concussive blasts of force. You can also hear breaking furniture and glass inside.

What do you do?

File: 1339780741550.png-(117 KB, 1000x700, mamiapartment.png)

Things sure went from nice to fucked in a hurry.

Wasting no time, you draw your pistol from your inventory, before rearing up with one heeled foot and smashing it into the locked front door. The wood immediately gives way, splintering under the force, and you immediately grasp your firearm with both hands, one steadying the other, accommodating its weight.

With trigger discipline, of course.

As you enter, the apartment is dimly lit. Strange, because you remember that Mami never closes her blinds - she likes the sunlight to come in from the windows, and she isn't too well with the dark. The sharp stench of blood is all over, and as you step forward cautiously, you become increasingly aware that you're stepping in Incubator flesh.

You call out Mami's name, feeling increasingly horrified at every passing moment. The entire apartment is now deathly silent, and totally dark.

There is no response.

What do you do?

File: 1339782323587.png-(733 KB, 903x685, i__ll_saev_u_by_piketh-d4ve7gp.png)

You remind yourself that yelling out Mami's name over and over again isn't going to help, and you bite down on the impulse to do so. Venturing further into the apartment - both hands gripping the oversized gun tightly - you will yourself to move as silently as possible. At the very least, you'll hear the hypothetical knife before it's slid into your back.

Your eyes beginning to adjust to the darkness, you can somewhat make out shapes now, and avoid walking into walls or stubbing your toes into furniture. Keeping your pistol aimed forward, you spy a huddled shape near the doorway leading to the kitchen, while you hear more scuffling and more screaming above you. Upstairs, where Mami's room is.

What do you do?

File: 1339784059155.jpg-(480 KB, 1020x777, e5bc8eb84dc3796aa774c1db4bd21b(...).jpg)

There's no time to waste on the huddled shape by the kitchen, and you're not going to damage more of Mami's apartment if you can help it.

You move as quickly and as quietly you can upstairs, nearly slipping on a few steps but managing to keep your footing. You realize that whatever's got Mami in her room has left a blood trail - or worse, it's actually hers to begin with.

As you approach the door to Mami's room, only at the last second do you sense someone just about to stab you in the back, the gleam of a knife catching your glasses in the dim light.

What do you do?

>>19491991
1/ deculture fucked up and posted twice
2/ homu just died and gone back in time

File: 1339785185073.jpg-(148 KB, 800x685, sayaka.jpg)

>>19492006
Yeah, sorry about that. Network's a bit spotty at the moment.

=
Someday, someone will manage to kill you. Put a bullet in your head, shove ten inches of tempered steel right through your spine, you're not particularly concerned how.

All you know is that it will not be today.

Letting your left hand come away with the gun, you spin around to smash your shield into the knife. You feel the blade skitter across the jagged scar of the otherwise-smooth surface of the device, sparks flying at the contact, and it's with a clatter that you hear the sharp implement fall to the floor. Immediately you lunge forward, right hand managing to grab a handful of garment, and you drag whoever it is to the floor with you. A moment's worth of mutual cursing, kicking and struggling, and you end up on top, gun firmly nudging your captive's chest.

"Ugh. G-get off! You smell like booze! Get off, god dammit!"

You recognize that voice, and it's suddenly clear that you've grabbed someone's cape. White, long and somewhat bloody.

"It's Sayaka, you stupid bitch! Get off of me! Mami-san's in danger! And point that thing somewhere else, for fuck's sake!"

What do you do?

File: 1339786903888.jpg-(353 KB, 600x800, 8ab0b9bbfb29f02750e53e3631a7b4(...).jpg)

Your blood up at this unexpected, adrenalin-filled altercation, you resist the temptation of pistol-whipping her across the face, and instead settle for calling her a cunt under your breath for nearly stabbing you in the back. You ask, in a louder voice, just what's happening, as you both stand up and compose yourselves.

"I heard that! And no, I don't have any fucking clue! I just..." Sayaka gulps audibly as she looks at the door to Mami's room, before shaking her head. "I just stopped by because QB was going to give me another assignment! It was like this when I got here, and I tried to get to Mami, but something was--hey, wait! Wait a second!"

You've heard enough. Turning your back on your fellow magical girl, you immediately make to force Mami's door open. "Wait a second, you fucking boozehead! We don't know what's in there!"

You tell her to fuck off. You've always wanted to do that.

The door comes away in your second kick, and light floods your eyes. Bright, blinding light--

--coming from the muzzle flash of Mami's rifles, at the far corner of the room. She's clamping one bloody hand at her side, slumped against the wall, firing off and discarding the rifles erected in front of her. Discharging them at something from across the room.

You immediately recognize it for what it was.

A witch. A freshly-turned monstrosity, still humanoid in form. A witch hat jauntily perched on its darkened skull, its flamboyant outfit dripping ichor. Two oversized pistols of strange origin jutting out from its clawed hands.

Its head snaps up at your approach, and it smiles at you.

"Ho...mura."

You feel the shield heat up at its attention, and the muted clicking inside the device seem to grow louder.

What do you do?

File: 1339789156941.jpg-(421 KB, 600x848, b977e257005bfb22cf0d5e480338f9(...).jpg)

Quickly springing forward and interposing yourself between Mami and the Witch, you aim the handcannon one-handedly at the warp-touched figure. It repeats the name with much more relish, seemingly cackling at you.

"CHIAKII-SAN! GET BACK! I'LL HANDLE THIS!"

You can barely hear Mami from the deafening report of her rifles, but even if you could, you definitely wouldn't have followed that order. This witch needed to die, and if it had to take you breaking its face with the gun after you've emptied all eight rounds into it, then so be it.

At this, the clicking inside your shield stops, and it turns a complete 180 degrees - locking into place with a crunching of gears and the slap of metal upon metal.

The world immediately turns gray. Stopping completely, utterly. A dull iron-cast covering everything. Freezing everything in time.

Including the Witch.

But instead of the twisted evil being you saw shambling towards Mami, you see only a young woman, with her blonde hair tied into twintails. Holding onto two pistols, scared out of her wits. Staring at you as if you were death itself. Silently pleading to be saved.

The witch's mark engraved brightly on her forehead.

What do you do?

File: 1339791034201.png-(213 KB, 600x350, 23f3ee9409f8cdcf5b656aee9a81d3(...).png)

Your eyes narrow behind your glasses as you glare at the Witch's Mark. It meant that this was no mere accident or turning - someone had planned this. A setup that pretty much resulted in Mami bleeding out and you without the breakfast you've been promised.

Stepping forward, you press the mouth of your gun directly upon the mark, right at the center of the twintailed girl's forehead. You could almost hear her whimper at this, tears welling up in her eyes and falling out, only to be frozen in the air moments later, glistening. Long ago, you probably would have hesitated. You'd have cared to ask who sent her, or tried to find some way to help.

You were looking forward to pancakes, you murmur instead, before pulling the trigger.

The gun kicks in your hand as the hammer blasts forward, igniting the powder, sending the round careening through the barrel, punching through skin, bone, and brain. The entry wound is insultingly small for such a caliber, but the exit wound is a blossoming flower of flesh and blood at the back of the girl's head, frozen in time.

The world resumes its pace, the gray filter lifting, and you close your eyes from the sight of the witch eroding into nothing from the feet up.

Leaving behind a single Grief Seed, its spine embedded into the floor.

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>>19493181

"Chiaki...san?" Mami's voice comes around, and you turn to glance at her. She's still bleeding, but it seems that Sayaka's tending to her injuries at the moment. "I...I'm sorry, I didn't..."

You shake your head, and make to stash your weapon away, when you hear a familiar voice. Not in your ear, but in your mind, like a splinter in your brain. Interrupting your thoughts.

"You're late. What's your excuse?" The white furry creature - or rather, a horde of it - scampers into the room, fourteen pairs of eyes swiveling to look up at you. They all seem to be chewing something. "Also, what is this curious creature you drew a picture of? Dickbutt?"

". . ." You're suddenly very tired.

What do you do?

File: 1339792696651.jpg-(225 KB, 850x478, termiehomu.jpg)

You let the Incubator stew in silence as you sharply nudge up the Grief Seed into the air with the toe of your shoe, catching it with your free hand and pressing it against the Soul Gem on the back of your hand. Purifying the roiling darkness inside it, before tossing the bauble aside, where it's caught by one of the Kyuubeys milling around. Asshole.

The Incubators look up at you, before giving a collective shake of their heads, in perfect syncronization. "Silent as always. I don't know what goes on in your head, but your tardiness almost got Tomoe Mami killed. I do hope you reflect on that."

File: 1339792842405.jpg-(203 KB, 900x500, sadhomu.jpg)

"N-no, it's not her fault, we didn't know..." Mami protests, wincing at Sayaka's crude application of bandages. It sees that whatever it was had clawed her side open, but thankfully they were merely flesh wounds and nothing more. "S-Sayaka-chan, it's okay. I'll keep. Thank you."

"You shouldn't coddle a junior like her, you know," Kyuubey now chides the blonde magical girl. "We found her in the middle of nowhere with no memory of who she was. She should at least learn to be disciplined."

"She's a good girl," Mami insists, wincing as she now stood up. "And...and she's going to help me clean up, and after that, I'll get her the breakfast she came here for. Right, Chiaki-san?" She smiles at you, bright despite the bloodstains on her face, and the state of her own apartment.

Sayaka glowers at you as you return that smile as best you can (which isn't much, even by your standards).

Kyuubey lets out a sigh. "Very well. Go and do your things. You," the mass of crimson eyes swivel back to focus at you, "Get your assignment dossier from Sayaka afterwards. And please, try not to kill anyone important this time. I'll...I'll go look and see what caused this."

Stupid dickbutt rodent bastard. You'll kill him permanently one of these days.

Shoot one of the QBs to vent. It won't make a damndest bit of diference but we may feel better.

>>19493482

One of the Kyuubeys suddenly bursts into bloody chunks following a deafening pistol report - and you blink as Mami, Sayaka and the remaining Incubators turn to look at you - while you're surreptitiously stashing your gun back into your inventory.

You shrug. You have an apartment to clean, all of a sudden, and a reward of pancakes to earn.

= =

And that's that for the first thread. Er, I didn't know this would get any interest at all, but thank you for those who did! also, I'm sorry I ran out of drawings. The next thread will have more original illustrations, hopefully!

Well, you're not exactly sure, but you have an idea. After what had happened in Mami's apartment - and having spent a good chunk of the day helping her clean up - you had decided to step out for a moment.

Maybe you didn't want to stick around too much. Sure, the food was good, and it felt nice to be around the blonde. But you didn't quite care for the company - namely, the blue-haired bitch glaring at you after every bite. Or the lectures that little rat bastard kept spouting.

You wanted some fresh air, and you ended up where you normally tried your level best to kill your liver.

It's funny how things work out.

>>19554306
Check inventory, check physical condition, assess drunkenness, try to remember if we had a job to do, order another drink.

File: 1340192987122.png-(161 KB, 1000x700, inventory check.png)

>>19554350

The bar doesn't really have a name. It's just a bar, built there to give people a place to try and drown whatever sorrows they have. It's staffed by a tall, dark-skinned man with the biggest afro you've ever seen, and sharp facial hair you swear is tailored to make his furious scowl look like it's taking up 90% of his face.

You check your inventory. Everything's pretty much there, same as the last time. Well, except the money. You already gave that to Charles, the Bartender.

Oh. You have that envelope Sayaka tossed your way. You haven't opened it yet. It's supposed to be your next assignment.

You're...well, you're not drunk. You could be drunk a bit more, though.

>>19554396
Get another drink and make it a double, stuff two cigarettes in our mouth and light them up, head to a private table instead of the bar and open up the envelope.

File: 1340194121906.png-(185 KB, 1000x1000, kyoko.png)

>>19554408

You've already drunk your money's worth, but you do have a tab, and Charles still owes you for that time when you solved a particularly nasty problem involving a couple of Yakuzas trying to shoot up the joint. You order a double whisky, and are mere seconds from lighting the cigarettes when you hear the bar doors open behind you, a cheerfully grating voice ringing out.

"Hey! If it isn't ol' Murderface! Still trying to take yourself out the slow way, huh? Alcohol and pills?" The cigarettes end up on the bar, thankfully not into your double, as a hearty slap slams into your back with resounding force. "Heard you actually took out a Witch this time without killing anyone by accident! You're improving!"

Sakura Kyoko. This night just turned out a whole lot worse.

What is your reply?

File: 1340195406976.png-(185 KB, 1000x1000, kyokohuh.png)

Trying to look as if that slap hadn't almost knocked the lungs out of your body, you grab your glass and drain it of whisky, not caring if it burned like hell on the way down. Motioning to Charles for another refill, you place the cigarettes back into your mouth, lighting them simultaneously, before giving her the most withering look you could ever muster.

She only looks back at you, blankly, somewhat confused, and partly waiting for something to happen.

Grumbling about one-eyed idiots, you tuck the envelope underneath one arm and grab your drink. You slide off the bar stool and trod off to a private table at the corner, but to your increasing ire, she follows suit. Just like some sort of one-eyed puppy with a Pocky addiction.

"Well, I guess some things never change. You're still the most rousing conversation partner anyone could get." Kyoko chimes as she annoyingly seats herself from across you, waving at Charles and ordering her own drink. "Come on, don't be sulky. I came around to see how you were doing, after all! Isn't that what friends do?"

[]Kyoko, please, this is not the time.
[]Friends don't set other friends on fire.
[]Your girlfriend almost made a pincushion out my kidneys. Leave me to drink in peace.

>>19554613
>[X]Your girlfriend almost made a pincushion out my kidneys. Leave me to drink in peace.

File: 1340196600348.png-(194 KB, 1000x1000, kyokowat.png)

>>19554625

"W-what? My...my girlfriend? B-but I don't...o-oh, YOU MEAN SAYAKA, HAHAHA! OH, THAT'S RICH, MURDERFACE! WE'RE JUST GOOD FRIENDS, REALLY! AHAHAHA!"

The forced fake laughter would've been disturbing anyone else in the bar, if there had been anyone else in the damn bar besides you and Charles. After a few moments' more of fresh denial, she hunkers down and hisses at you, her one good eye glaring.

"I swear, Murderface, make a crack like that again and I'll ambush you myself one of these days." And then, like a switch had been flipped, she grins again just as the bartender brings her drink over. Some sort of red girly drink, you're not sure what it's exactly called. Smells a bit fruity, though.

"But, uh, sorry about that. We're kind of going through a rough patch." Kyoko says, managing to look sheepish as she cautiously sips her drink. You shoot her a look, shake your head, and make to open the envelope. You've ignored it long enough.

"So, uh, what really happened? In Mami's apartment, I mean. One of the Kyuubeys said it was a particularly strong one. How'd you manage that?"

How do you reply?

>>19554731
Magic corruption, yeah.

>>19554729
The same way you kill any other witch, you cause enough brute trauma to a vulnerable location.

It tried to interrupt my breakfast, and I do not take kindly to anyone getting between me and pancakes.

Give her a cigarette and light up another one.

>>19554729
You know QBs, always talk too much. That's the trait I really hate.

As for that thing in Mami's flat, was not really a Witch, just someone given "the kiss", it was too late to save her, so I had to do it the starighforward way. Shoot it 'til it died. Didn't even take that long, really.

How comes you are not chewing anything right now? You always do.

File: 1340197987266.png-(187 KB, 1000x1000, kyokoumm.png)

>>19554760
>>19554777

"Huh. Nothing really special, then, I guess." It seems that she's strangely relieved about that, but with your odd one-eyed acquaintance, you can't be too sure. "That's pretty bad luck, though, having one pop up right there. When you're just about to arrive and all."

You glance up at her, before shaking your head again as you unravel the string lock on the envelope, sucking down greedily on the two cigarettes currently occupying your lips.

After a moment of continuing to ruin your lungs and voice, you grumble out your question around your cigarettes, and the girl sitting in front of you reddens somewhat.

"Y-yeah, I guess. I've been trying to quit. Too much sweets and all, costume's getting a bit...tight. " It's then that she brightens up, again. "Hey, give me one of those things. They help make you lose weight, right?"

You shrug, and give her a cigarette from your box, letting her light it up with one of your already-spent ones. As she smokes her first cigarette - coughing and hacking loudly after the very first puff, you pull out the papers inside the envelope. There are two, with a photograph of what looks like a young female idol. You're not into that sort of music, but she does look stupid and two-dimensional enough to be one.

Kyuubey has loaned you out as security. Perfect.

>>19554874
Just make up with your girlfriend. Then the weight will fall off, stress makes people fat after all

Read our instructions while she simultaneously ponders the effectiveness of our advice and gets mad at it

>>19554874
Fucking security detail.

What are the details on the job? Who is after her? How long are we on security? Why the fuck should we care about what happens to her? Where are we protecting her, home, work, both? What enemies does she have?

File: 1340199338407.jpg-(33 KB, 225x350, 117961.jpg)

>>19554936
>>19554913

"Huh? Really? W-well, I guess that sort of makes sense..." Kyoko's voice trails off as she thoughtfully nibbles on her cigarette's filter, not exactly breathing in the smoke. You ignore her and look at the assignment Kyuubey has already signed you up for in advance.

The client's name is Minase Iori. Age 16. Apparently, a group of otakus have declared their undying love for her, and had promised to take her away sometime before her upcoming concert. You've been contracted to assist as her personal security detail until she goes to America for the next stage of her world tour. It seems to be a lot of money, and Kyuubey had promised you two grief seeds in return for it.

Not the most challenging of jobs, you suppose. Just another babysitting job. Otakus aren't the most threatening sort, either. You'd think a normal security detail would have sufficed, but her studio seemed adamant that special measures were taken.

Of course, you know that whatever Kyuubey sends your way, it usually turns out to be more than you bargained for.

You're asked to report, as soon as you can, to the hotel where she's staying. You know where it is, and you can get there quickly enough.

"Huh. Babysitting job, huh? That sucks." Kyoko manages to blow smoke right into your face as she offers her unneeded opinion. "Yeah, good luck there. The guys you're watching out for are serious perverts."

[]Ask Kyoko more about these perverts.
[]Call Kyuubey and tell him to get you another assignment, this one reeks.
[]Get another drink before leaving for the hotel.

>Ask about the perverts, and if she's one of them.

>>19555050
[X]Ask Kyoko more about these perverts.

We need to know the threat these people pose, we're a professional.

>>19555050
Ask Kyoko about the perverts and acquire more booze

File: 1340201431195.png-(190 KB, 1000x1000, kyokoheh.png)

>>19555191
>>19555075
>>19555069

Charles just places the bottle of whisky in front of you and leaves you to refill your glass at your own pace, just like every night. Kyoko frowns at your question and perhaps veiled insult, but seems to give it some serious thought (which is rare, considering she's now biting into cigarette filter like it's pocky).

"Well, one of her fellow idols got targeted last month by these losers, some girl named Yayoi or something or other. They didn't really think much about them, just put up the usual security detail, couple of armed gorillas in shades, you know what I mean."

She finally notices that she's chewing on filter, and hastily spits it out. "Bleah! Anyway, turns out they'd been planning it for the longest time. They disguised themselves as hotel staff and locked her in that very room. Security detail didn't even hear a peep out of that place, and you can bet they took their time with her. No one got caught, but the footage hit every pay for porn site there the night after." Kyoko shakes her head. "Girl went into hiding after that. Heard she went insane or somethin'."

Rapists. Wonderful, you think as you drain your third...or fourth glass, you can't remember. All you know is that you've dealt with such folk before, and you usually ended up wasting too much ammo.

"Well, are you gonna take it or what? I wouldn't." The eyepatched girl grumbles. "Two grief seeds, but then again, you're not exactly the type to play white knight. I mean, look at you." She laughs. "It's barely dinnertime and you already smell like booze."

>>19555359
"Shooting rapists is a reward on itself"

"yeah, I'll take it"

File: 1340203405275.png-(298 KB, 597x1844, unknown.png)

>>19555384

Kyoko blinks at your reply, before grinning. "Yeah, things never do change. I knew you'd say that, even though this isn't really your type of thing." Stubbing out her cigarette on the table as she sips her drink. "At least this way something exciting'll be in the news. Hey, you think you can execute one of them on camera? That's always good TV, you know. Gives us a bit more exposure."

You start to reply that you'd think about it, but it's then that you freeze as you see Kyoko's face blur in front of you. Not a migraine, she's not going in and out of focus, and it's certainly not your glasses, either. And you're not quite that drunk. Not yet. It must be...it must be...

You stare as Kyoko is suddenly replaced by a hallucination. The pink-haired girl in your dreams. The one that you shot right in the face, just before she tore your still-beating heart out of your chest with her bare hands.

"Hello, Homura-chan." She says, beaming. Her voice, like Kyuubey's, bypasses your ears, heard directly in your mind. Her lips aren't even moving.

You're not Homura. You're Chiaki. Chiaki Matsuda.

How do you react?

>>19555685

"Do you know why I drink?", take a shot, "Some people drink to remember, but not me. I drink to forget. And it works. I've forgotten my name, the day of the week, the faces of my parents, even what I did last night. But you? Your stupid face? The thing that drove me to the bottle in the first place? Clear as crystal, every fucking time.

What do you want."

File: 1340205498132.png-(92 KB, 597x600, unknownsmile.png)

>>19555818

Despite the horror of something from your recurring nightmares coming out into reality and actually talking to you, you manage to say this perfectly, even managing not to spill any whisky down the front of your costume as you drain your glass.

The illusion's smiles merely grow wider as she opens her eyes. Revealing two orbs of pure midnight black, as if her irises had bled out to her sclera in the most horrible way possible.

"Of course your memory's going to be unreliable. Fakes will never be as good as the original, so a few flaws here and there are going to be par for the course. But at the very least, you still remember how to slowly self-destruct. That's something the original was very good at."

She lets out a sigh, and you smell her breath, pungent and sweet with decay and corruption.

"I'm just here to wish you good luck. You have a thirty percent chance of dying on this particular undertaking. Try not to get yourself killed too early, Homura-chan. I mean, I want a rematch, but I'm in no hurry. I like it better when you die slowly."

[] Bullshit. You're just another hallucination. I haven't been sleeping right. Besides, I killed you. You're already dead.
[] No. Let's go right now. You, me, outside.

>>19556039
>[X] Bullshit. You're just another hallucination. I haven't been sleeping right. Besides, I killed you. You're already dead.

"You died a long time ago. You not a Ghost. You're not even a memory. A memory of a memory. And a bad one at that.
She would have never said something like that."

Also:
Music for that scene:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsbzP1AVS4k&feature=relmfu

File: 1340233884824.png-(93 KB, 597x600, unknownbueno.png)

>>19557337

The phantasm seems to slightly frown at your words, brow quirking as if this reaction was entirely unexpected - but her expression smoothens out to her previous one, her dark eyes glittering. It's then that she leans forward, smiling once more, her small tongue darting out to lick her lips.

"Maybe, Homura-chan. But I can still kill you."

And it's then that you feel it. Crippling, numbing pain, crunching into sensation at the back of your head and then stabbing forward. You grasp at your own head, fingers curling into your hair, as you grit your teeth against the pain. It's familiar, but at the same time something you had hoped never to experience again.

"Hey. Hey! Murderface! MURDERFACE!"

And as suddenly as it came, as soon as you hear Kyoko's voice over the sharp whine ringing in your ears - the pain disappears, taking with it the hallucination. You look up, cautiously, to check if Kyoko is still her ugly, one-eyed self.

She is. For the first time, you seem particularly relieved to see her.

There's a first time for everything, you suppose.

"Hey, hey, you alright? Come on, Murderface, don't scare me like that." Kyoko amusingly almost seems concerned about you. "Look, I-I don't know what sort of shit you're taking, but you gotta cut down. Really. Maybe we can even get you some of them patches for the smokes--"

You shrug her off, murmur an apology, and frown as you realize that you've knocked the whisky bottle off the table and into the floor in this particular episode. You glance apologetically at Charles, and he merely nods. It'll be on your tab.

You murmur something to Kyoko and make to leave, but she grabs your hand.

"Murderface? Murderface, talk to me. What the hell was that about? What happened there?"

You remind her, as politely as you can, that you have a name and it's Chiaki Matsuda.

"I don't give a shit! What was that?! Why did you suddenly blank out on me and started growling all of that strange stuff?! Whatever you're taking, you have to cut down. It's not good."

You're fine. ...Wait, what did she say? You ask her what you said.

"...Something about...something about 'the flesh of fallen angels'. Y-yeah. I mean, I've heard weirder from you, but..."

You stare at her, suddenly feeling cold, and it's then that you roughly pull your hand out of her grasp, grabbing the assignment papers with your other and making to leave.

This shit, you remind yourself, is why you work alone.

And you've apparently just confirmed that God exists, and she wants you dead.

"M-Murderface...? Murderface, get the fuck back here! That is some crazy shit, and--" Kyoko's voice rises the moment you step through the bar doors. "GOD DAMMIT! YOU ALWAYS DO THIS! ALRIGHT, FINE! SEE IF I CARE! SEE IF ANYONE CARES, MURDERFACE! YOU'LL GET YOURSELF KILLED AND EVERYONE YOU LOVE WITH THAT KIND OF ATTITUDE!"

As if you needed reminding.

You stomp off towards the direction you remember that particular Hotel is. Time to get to that job.

==

Sorry about my absence, everyone. The cloudflare issues kinda stopped me from updating. I wanted to end it neatly here, though, so the next thread will be able to start better. It'll be at the same time.

Thank you for everyone who participated.

>>19566127
[X]Show proper identification, state name and purpose.

Do this while staring right into his eyes. Thousand yard stare, complete monotone. Light up two cigarettes.

>>19566175

You look up at him, past the mirror-like surface of his obviously expensive shades, and manage to pin him with a glare that makes him stop in his tracks. Without breaking eye contact, you hand him a copy of Kyuubey's contract with the idol, Minase Iori - the document directly identifying you as her temporary personal bodyguard, your own smirking photo at the very top of the paper.

You give the armed gorilla the name that you remember, but just to play things safe, you add "Murderface" as an alias. At the same time, you nonchalantly stick two cigarettes between your lips and light them in the same sharp movement.

Despite the large No Smoking sign behind him, the guard looks over your papers carefully and nods, stepping slightly back. "Everything seems to be in order. My apologies, Miss Matsuda. As you can see, we're on high alert at the moment. We're taking the threat on Miss Minase's life very seriously."

Seriously, he says. A bum with a hard-on for idol pussy could have snuck in here.

[]Tell him about the lack of security in the lobby, and advise him politely on how it should be secured.
[]Push past him. You have an idol to visit and tie down to the bed, just so she doesn't get any bright ideas of sneaking away and getting herself killed. You don't talk to the help.

>>19566279
>[X]Tell him about the lack of security in the lobby, and advise him politely on how it should be secured.

Insult him a bit: "if you really were on 'high alert', you'd have already done this."

File: 1340286343333.png-(104 KB, 1000x700, jimmiesrustlinggently.png)

>>19566344

You take a moment to savor the freshly-lit cigarettes before replying around them, all while giving the head gorilla the usual look you give future gunshot victims. You tell him, in no uncertain terms, that if they were taking it seriously, then they'd have locked up the place tighter than a virgin idol's second input hole. The rest of the armed suits visibly bristle at this comment, as do the one you're talking to, but to his credit, he doesn't automatically break your jaw like you were expecting him to.

"That was what we thought about when we got here, but that kind of security attracts attention, and no doubt those after Miss Minase would be looking out for such a hotel. We thought it would be better to simply focus our efforts here, right at the only entrance to the penthouse. If they try anything, we'll be there to stop them." The guard nods. "And Miss Minase can count on us for that."

Idiots. Where do they get these types from?

[]Insist on the security detail. Use force if you have to.
[]Merely shake your head, sigh, and ask to be let by to personally talk to Minase Iori.

>>19566429
[x]Insist on the security detail. Use force if you have to.
And they only secured the most obvious avenues of attack, and have completely ignored the windows and other floors where an attack could be staged from.
These otaku have shown that they are quite capable, far more than the pathetic excuse for security was that got that other idol raped.

>>19566467

There's really no way around it. You don't like doing this - well, you actually DO - but you don't relish it. Lives are at stake, after all, and if these idiots mess up, it's no doubt that they'll be the ones paying for it - as well as their boss.

You reach up slowly as the gorilla in front of you continues to drone on about their security contingencies - he seems to be caught up in his detailing of what they'd do in case anything happened that he misses you taking hold of his tie. You cinch your fingers around the silky velvet and tug back. He gives off a choked grunt, his face turning completely red, as he tips forward, off-balance, both hands flying out to steady himself.

You grab one arm and let him step past you as you shift aside. Twisting the man's meaty arm behind him and slamming him, face first, into the elevator doors behind you.

You plainly ignore the sound of twenty firearms having their safeties disengaged and aimed at you from behind as you calmly reiterate your request. You don't mean to disparage his team, of course, but you have to insist. Their boss hired you for a reason, after all, and you're simply here to do the job you're paid for. You enumerate the many ways you yourself could have infiltrated the building and the penthouse - and you don't skimp on the details on what you might have done with their bodies and Iori's if YOU were the one behind all this.

>>19566620

You punctuate each possible scenario with a friendly twist of his arm, making him twitch with every one.

"A-alright. Alright, Miss Matsuda!" The guard groans. "I'll...I'll call in another team. We'll cover all the floors, especially the entrance. Rotating patrols, armed with deadly force. J-just don't break my arm, please."

[]Break his arm anyway. It's the principle of the thing. Then visit Iori.
[]Let him up without any further incident, and ask to be led to Iori's penthouse suite. You've had enough of these goons.
[]Stub one of your cigarettes on his face.

>>19566661
Add to this, "There we go! That's the spirit! Now, I look forward to working with you all!"

>>19566625
[X]Let him up without any further incident, and ask to be led to Iori's penthouse suite. You've had enough of these goons.

Give him a cigarette, light it, and pat him on the head like a retarded puppy.

Then get to Iori.

>>19566743
>>19566661

You let go of his arm and grab a fistful of his jacket instead, pulling him from his faceplant on the elevator doors and back onto his feet.

You pull a cigarette from your rapidly-dwindling box of smokes, stick it it between his lips, and light it with one of your own. Patting him on the head as you do so.

You force your lips into what you remember as a smile, and speak a few encouraging words at him, much for his and his team's benefit. You'd just humiliated their leader by manhandling him while being a skinny, frail-looking young girl - what's a couple more stabs to the ego?

He seems to be completely stunned at this, the lit cigarette barely hanging onto his lower lip, before you finally push past him and make your way to Iori's suite. Blatantly ignoring the stony glares from the gorillas lining the corridor.

You're not exactly confident with Iori's chances with them, but at least they could say that they tried. If anything, the full-building lockout should delay the worst case scenario.

You stand in front of Iori's suite door. It being night time, there's a potential for a surprise event.

How do you make your entrance?

>>19566855

*Knock-knock* "Mutant Cat Protection Agency....your extra security is here, Miss Iori." Flippant yet cool and professional is the order of the day.

>>19566855
Knock on the door.
"I'm here from the stupid freak cat."

Enter the room in 10 seconds regardless of the answer. Be ready to kill someone.
We don't know if the room has been compromised already or not.

>>19566892
>>19566943

You lift up your right arm - the one with the shield clamped tightly onto it - and you rap your knuckles smartly on the polished wood, introducing yourself plainly as the extra security sent in by the stupid freak cat. You wonder if Kyuubey actually had a name for his little agency. Maybe you'll ask Mami when you call her again, later.

". . ."

Approximately ten seconds has passed since you knocked. You turn to one of the gorillas nearest you, and he merely shrugs. Sheer incompetence, you think, as you turn back to the door. Pressing your ear against it.

There's a faint noise coming from behind the door itself. A continued rustling, maybe the static of a TV, maybe something else. You can't tell.

Shit, is the suite already compromised? Is this another repeat of what happened in Mami's flat?

Taking a deep breath, you take hold of the elaborate brass door handle and give it a twist, before shoving it forward and bursting right into the room. Your hand straying to your shield, ready to slam it into position and have it dispense the firearm of the day, just in case it's needed NOW.

It's...well. The room is nice. Soft, warm. Costs a lot of money. Smells really nice, too. Like a faint hint of lavender and sandalwood. And fresh soap. The expensive kind.

After a few moments, it's only then that you realize that the smell is coming from the idol standing across the room from you, right at the entrance to the suite's bathroom, her entire form naked except for a towel. She seems like she'd just finished showering for the night. The noise you heard must've been running water.

She looks at you with an icy expression, carefully blank despite the obvious compromising position you've caught her in.

"Guards," she calls out, probably to the gorillas outside. "Take this pungent little urchin out of my suite and out into the street. What kinds of guards are you, that you can't even stop the riffraff from coming into my very own room?!"

Yep. This was going to be a cakewalk, alright. God dammit, Kyuubey.

[]Introduce yourself again. Politely, as always. State what you're there for and what's the current situation, and what you're about to do.
[]Stand there, puffing stubbornly at your cigarettes, and wait for one of the gorillas to introduce you to the client. You don't have to keep repeating yourself.
[]Shut her up, tie her down, raid the wine cabinet and wait for sunrise.

>>19567178
Walk inside, Close the door and introduce yourself again
Then if she refuses to stay out tie her to the bed and raid the wine cabinet

>>19567260
[X] Introduce yourself again. Politely, as always. State what you're there for and what's the current situation, and what you're about to do.
"I /am/ the brute squad."

File: 1340293929548.png-(84 KB, 597x600, ioriblank.png)

>>19567317
>>19567286

You hear the guards outside seemingly rushing forward in an attempt to be the first to get into the room and explain the situation to a half-naked sixteen year old idol - and you thwart that attempt by kicking the teak door shut with the heel of your boot, the heavy portal slamming closed with an ominous metal click.

You then take the moment of brief silence to introduce yourself to the principal. You're Chiaki Matsuda, one of QB's...security specialists. You try to avoid any instance of 'magical girls' in your introduction, as you remember that it's still a bit of a kayfabe term. You tell her about the security measures you've already taken and those you plan on undertaking. Most of this seems to go over the idol's head completely, but her expression seems to smoothen at the mention of your boss.

"Ah, so you're one of QB-san's agents? That changes things, then." She steps forward, bringing that intoxicating cloud of scent with her, and you see her looking you up and down. "You're shorter than I thought, but I suppose you look capable enough." She reaches forward and plucks your cigarettes from your lips with one hand, before taking your right hand with her other and stubbing the smokes out on your shield.

"I will not tolerate smoking in my presence. I'm thankful for QB-san's concern for my safety, but anyone under my employ must follow a set of rules. Including you, Matsuda-san." It's then that she sniffs, her nose screwing up. "Since...since when did you last bathe? You smell like a bar." She steps back, hands gingerly letting yours go,
and gestures towards the bathroom she just left. "Please. If not for your hygiene, then for my sake. Use the complimentary toiletries, don't touch any of mine."

. . .Unbelievable. You haven't been treated like this since...well, since six hours ago, by Sayaka nonetheless. You'd think you'd already gotten used to it, but it still sorta stings.

What do you do?

[]Agree grudgingly and take the shower.
[]Decline, say you're not here to make her comfortable, but to guard her from rapists.

>>19567436
"Unless you're going to dress me up like a china doll or i doing my guarding in my birthday suit, the smell will come back when i dress.

Neither of those things is going to happen, so let's just skip the pleasantries."

Pray that the shield doesn't start spitting out clean outfits and ruin the grimy hardboiledness.

>>19567436
[x]Decline, say you're not here to make her comfortable, but to guard her from rapists.
She can go and get herself raped and tortured when she's in America, and no longer our problem.
But as long as she's here, she's OUR problem, and keeping her safe is more important than her delicate sensibilities.
Or would she rather end up like Miss Yayoi, half-insane with her career in tatters.

>>19567436
>Decline
It's disgusting, but there are more important things to worry about.
Unless we can keep an eye on her from the bath, in which case, >Accept

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>>19567501
>>19567465
>>19567460

You respectfully decline the offer, stating your reasons curtly and clearly. You apologize for, as she said, "smelling like a bar", but your top priority here is her continued safety, not her comfort, and if she's offended about a little alcohol breath, then it was well out of your hands.

"...At the very least, brush your teeth," Iori insists, seemingly adamant to prove that she can order you around. "This is not about my comfort, this is about you taking care of yourself! Just how long have you been drinking today, anyway?!"

This was going to end up a screaming match, so you agree to it. At least you'll be able to do so with the door open - with the bathroom mirror and sink facing the door, you can easily get a cursory look at the room behind you while you brush. And it's not like you're going to take forever.

You grumble something about uppity idol bitches underneath your breath and step into the steamy, fragrant bathroom, Iori's freshly-bathed scent filling your nostrils. Unwrapping a complimentary toothbrush and slathering complimentary toothpaste onto the bristles, you rinse your mouth out first before starting the brushing process.

Behind you, reflected by the mirror, you see Iori drop her towel on the floor and get dressed for bed, in an outfit girls of her age should probably not be wearing.

You shrug. It's probably an idol thing, you say, as you continue brushing your teeth.

Yep. Easiest job in the whole world.

[]Hum a song while you're brushing. Keeping an eye on Iori all the while.
[]Look around the bathroom and see if there's anything of note.

>>19567699
[x]Look around the bathroom and see if there's anything of note.
Don't take too long, though, and quickly switch back to watching Iori. Knowing QB, there's probably going to be some magic involved with these otaku.

>>19567699
Quickly look around
Don't take our eyes off her for too long but make sure there are no ways in from here

File: 1340297550140.png-(87 KB, 1000x700, puzzled.png)

>>19567745
>>19567725

You hum tunelessly while you continue the delicate task of oral hygiene maintenance and idol voyeurism. After a moment, you decide to glance around the bathroom, which looks like it could easily fit your own apartment. Twice over.

As you look around, there doesn't seem to be any glaring security issues you could see. The vents seem to be securely grilled, the windows small and barred. The only thing you can note here is that Iori doesn't seem to be the neatest of people, with her used panties just lying there, a couple of feet away, on the marble floor. It's frilly, black and expensive.

You glance quickly back at Iori - she seems to be brushing her hair. All good so far.

What do you do?

[]Pick up panties, stash in inventory. You can get a LOT of painkillers for this one.
[]Finish up brushing teeth and go check the suite for anything the otakus might use as a secondary point of entry.

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>>19567913

You blink at glance at yourself in the mirror, before laughing slightly. Have you really sunk so low that you were actually considering it? No, no, of course not. You may have lost your own self-respect down the line, but it's back. It's back now, and you're going to be a complete and utter professional about this sort of thing. You're not selling your client's panties on the Internet.

Giving your mouth a final rinse, you finish brushing, and a cursory inspection reveals that you've done an alright job. Rinsing the brush, you place it down on the sink, and then you step out of the bathroom and back into the suite proper. You ignore Iori sitting primly in her nightgown in front of the dresser, brushing her hair out, and proceed with the canvassing.

There's obvious tension in the room between the both of you, but it's just you being generally annoyed at being sober in this time of the day. On Iori's part, however, you can't help but notice that she seems to be wanting to ask something, but can't find the way to ask it properly.

You leave it at this. You're not here to make the principal comfortable, like you said. You're here to make sure they don't end up on a porn site.

"This...this is about what happened to Yayoi-san, is it?" It's the first words you hear from the idol that doesn't sound like she's talking from high up on a goddamn throne. "They think it's going to happen to me too?"

You glare at the windows. Possible security risk, but they seem to have deadbolts, and they're bulletproof. They also keep the air conditioning in.

[] Answer honestly. Don't sugarcoat it.
[] Try to reassure her. She's not getting raped, not on your watch.

You're never really one for security detail. If you remember correctly, that's Sayaka's expertise - she may be a totally prickly bitch to you, but to her principals, they can't seem to praise her enough, especially when the principal in question is a little kid that needed protecting. You had asked QB about this, and he mentioned something about Sayaka trying to emulate Mami when dealing with clients. Something about being maternal, he had said, or being a big sister.

You're not Sayaka, you're not Mami. You are not in your element.

But as you hear Iori's confident voice tremble slightly now that the reality seems to have settled in with your presence, you can't help but understand them a little bit.

File: 1340300229179.jpg-(274 KB, 550x800, 62176c761defcb75158118346e0fc1(...).jpg)

In any other event, you would have been brutally honest and not at all that optimistic about the chances of her surviving this, but instead you try your best to reassure her. Yes, her security and QB do think that there might be a risk, but it's a negligible one at best, and your presence is simply to make sure she was safe until she on the plane to America. She shouldn't think about getting raped - or being touched - by those otaku at all, because that will never happen on your watch.

You do this without looking at her, instead opening closets, looking underneath the massive bed, checking out the suite for any hidden passages, trapdoors or such. None so far.

The only other point of entry would be the skyroof, but it's too high up that it's a complete moot point.

As you look back at her, you see that it's worked, albeit slightly. She seems calmer than before, and is looking at you directly. At least she's not crying or anything.

"I...I see." Iori says after a moment. "I...suppose I shouldn't think about it too much. Everyone seems to be doing the worrying for me, so I won't let that go to waste. Thank you, Matsuda-san."

[]Shake your head, and ask if you could get a bottle from the wine cabinet. You're pretty thirsty, and a drink would be nice right about now.
[]Ask about Yayoi. She seems bothered about it...

>>19568389
Ask about Yayoi
The more we can both gather intel and reassure her the better and drinking on the job is unprofessional

>>19568389
[]Ask about Yayoi. She seems bothered about it...

Moar intel is good, drinking on the job is bad. We can get piss-drunk after the job.

>>19568389
>[x]Ask about Yayoi. She seems bothered about it...

If it would be only us at the witch, we could drink until we can barely stand and still kick it's ass. But when we're supposed to protect someone drinking seems likea bad idea. Even Murderface would know that.

And Pancakes for the Pancake-god.

>>19568415
>>19568431
>>19568440

You try and distract yourself from just how dry your throat is - and how nice it would be to have some expensive whisky right about now - by continuing this conversation with the client. It'd be unprofessional, after all, if she saw you drinking on the job. She'd already had to try and get you to take a shower, you didn't need to damage your reputation further by stealing her panties or making an utter fool of yourself with alcohol.

You ask her about Yayoi. By the way she said her name, it seems as though they were pretty close. They were from the same studio after all, right?

She looks up at you from her seat in front of the dresser, before turning back to her reflection and nodding. "Y-yes, Yayoi-san, I...we're friends. We started out being idols together. Same line during the auditions, in fact." She seems to smile at the memory. "I was a bit more...irritable, back then. Yayoi-san, on the other hand, was nothing but energy and kindness. She came from a destitute background, but you wouldn't know it just by talking to her, or meeting her face to face. She loved everyone."

It's then that her smile falls, and she looks down. "When that happened to her, she...she changed, Matsuda-san. She's not the Yayoi I knew. I can't hold it against her, of course, this is not her fault at all. But she's..." Iori falters here, and you realize that you've made her cry. "...I can't even recognize my friend anymore. I hate it, Matsuda-san. I hate what they've done to her, and what they've made her become."

You apologize quietly, not really knowing what to do. You are not Mami, you are not Sayaka. You're not good at this touchy-feely stuff.

[]Walk over to her and initiate awkward physical contact.
[]Give her something to blow her nose on.
[]Suck it up. Shit happens. Your friend's alive at least.

>>19568782

[X] Give her something to blow her nose on.

Find a box of Kleenex and give it to her..or a handkerchief if we have one that doesn't smell. Tell her we know firsthand how Fate and this crapsack world can change a person.

>There had to be a time we weren't a jaded, boozing, smoking, pill-popping magical hobo-girl, right?

[x]Give her something to blow her nose on.

That seems suitably hardboiled.

File: 1340303175688.jpg-(329 KB, 773x809, ioricry.jpg)

>>19568872
>>19568871

The sight of tears, you remember, once struck you hard enough that you yourself would easily be reduced to them. Not that you weren't already a crybaby back then, but seeing someone cry always had that effect on you.

Now, it's different. Markedly. But you do the thing expected of you anyway - you walk over to the lounge table just across the room, pick up the open box of tissues on top of it, and place it on the dresser table in front of the tearful idol. You don't do physical contact, but you're not someone to tell them that they can't cry because it's inconvenient.

"O-oh. Thank...thank you, Matsuda-san." Iori manages to say after a moment, sniffling. "I thought...I thought you were going to just stand there and watch the waterworks. See the idol bawl her eyes out and everything." She blows her nose, delicately, into a wad of tissues. "I wouldn't have held it against you. Idols are curiosities, after all."

You shake your head at this. You tell her that you've seen and heard more horrible things, and you know how the world can suddenly just turn on you like that, no questions asked, no quarter given. People change, and there's no helping it. We just move on the best we can.

Iori wipes at her eyes, before smiling. "...Matsuda-san, I...I apologize for being harsh on you, earlier. I think it's clear now that you really are focused on my safety. I thought you were just like the other guards posted outside. I had to fire three of them already for stealing my panties." She shakes her head. "You really can't find good help these days.

[]Panties. What...what perverts. It's a good thing you fired them, I would have. Out of a cannon.
[]Where's Yayoi now?

It's not an overreaction for you to say something like that (and do it just as readily) but somehow, the deadpan way you said it seems to have made it sound all the funnier to the idol, and she bursts into relieved, tearful laughter immediately after. You're relieved too - at least the serious, heavy air between the both of you had been lifted somewhat, and you didn't really need a client who seemed more than eager to mope around feeling sorry for themselves while a firefight's going on. That said, your opinion of the idiots outside lowered to a couple more notches. It's not the panties, really, you think to yourself. It's how they could be so unprofessional as to do that AND get caught.

Embarrassing. A total embarrassment.

"H-haha! Ah...um...whew. That...that wasn't really funny at all, Matsuda-san," Iori manages after a moment, a tired smile on her face as she tries to get her breath back. "But how you said it...thank you. I...I needed that. More than I'm willing to admit."

You hold up a hand, shaking your head. It's not part of your responsibilities, you tell her, and was simply an observation. She sours slightly at that, but her mood seems to have massively improved, at least.

It's then that a knocking issues from the door, followed by the voice of the guard from earlier.

File: 1340306061992.jpg-(43 KB, 405x374, yayoi-idolmaster.jpg)

"Miss Matsuda? I apologize for the interruption, but Miss Minase has a visitor. It's important."

You blink at Iori, who shrugs, before moving to the door. You reply that there seems to be no company being expected that night, especially with the recent state of things.

"No, it's a...surprise visit of sorts. Yes." Gorilla's voice is distracted, as if he's listening to someone from another source. "Miss Minase, Miss Takatsuki Yayoi is here to see you."

Takatsuki Yayoi...? Wait, the girl who was raped before? What is she doing here?

"A-ah! Yayoi-san!" As if suddenly animated, Iori stands up from the dresser seat, checking her reflection slightly as she made a beeline to the door. "This...w-we talked about visiting each other one last time before I went to America, so...this probably may be the last time we'd ever be able to do it. Matsuda-san, please let her in."

[]Disallow it. No visitors, period.
[]It's her best friend. What could go wrong?

File: 1340306921068.jpg-(58 KB, 600x505, 602274495.jpg)

I think this is a good place to pause. Mainly because I need to sleep. I've kept track of the responses though, and we'll begin the next thread with Chiaki's decision.

Thank you for everyone who participated. I leave you with Oyassan Chiaki.

File: 1340368165297.png-(163 KB, 1300x700, jimmiesunrustled.png)

Right now, the guards outside had notified the both of you that Takatsuki Yayoi, one of the otaku group's previous victims and the principal's best friend, is currently outside the penthouse suite, awaiting entry. She's not exactly expected, but Iori says that they've talked about her visiting.

You're understandably paranoid, and you're not exactly eager to let anyone in, including the guards outside. But the Principal seems to be adamant that it's perfectly all right.

"Please, Matsuda-san. Yayoi, even in her state right now...she's of no threat to anyone. I should be insulted by you thinking that one of my best friends should be worthy of suspicion, but..." Iori shakes her head. "Yayoi couldn't hurt a fly then, what more now? She flinches whenever someone comes close to her, she jumps at shadows. She is even averse to hugs, when she gave them freely the last I remember her."

Iori places a hand on your shield. "Please, Matsuda-san. Don't think ill of my friend. She has suffered enough."

How do you respond?

>>19579330
Concede.

Stop time, open the door, see what's going on outside, close door, resume time. Further actions depend on status of the outside.

>>19579330
If we don't let her get this one she'll become stubborn and overly disobedient which could make our job harder.

We will first survey the scene outside the door, then scan Yayoi for magic. Then put Iori as far away from the door as possible, and let Yayoi, and only Yayoi, in. The visit shall be limited to ten minutes before we politely but firmly get her to leave.

>>19579330
>How do you respond?

It seems like we have some confused ideas about this bodyguard thing. It's not really sustainable to enforce hermitage on the client.

A bodyguard should give advice to their client on security, and a smart client should listen to the person they're paying to think about their safety, but "don't ever let your friends into your house" isn't good or reasonable advice.

File: 1340370565502.jpg-(212 KB, 719x858, da3472480b5be976fee0921b28fb36(...).jpg)

>>19579352
>>19579348
>>19579419

You glance down at the dainty, perfectly-manicured hand gracing the scarred surface of your shield - and then back up at Iori's face, her expression pleading. Maybe if you were just a little bit sauced, you could have dealt with this much more easily. You're not, though, and your harsh denial for her appeal gets stuck in your throat.

It's her rape victim of a friend. Maybe you're laying the professional bodyguard thing a bit too heavy-like. They're about to say goodbye to each other before the other has to leave for another continent.

She has someone she cares about. She may be a vapid, hypersexualized pop icon that exemplifies everything that is wrong with today's society, but she wants to see her broken friend one last time.

You swallow painfully, before shrugging her hand off your shield. You direct her to move well away from the door, to stay behind you, while you check out the situation outside the door. You'll let her unexpected visitor in, but she shouldn't expect too much.

"...Thank you, Matsuda-san. This means a lot to me."

>>19579486
You ignore her heartfelt thanks as you move forward, closing your hand over the door's handle. The door, for all its ornate design, doesn't have a peephole, and you're forced to peer around the door itself as you pull it open the smallest crack.

The situation outside seems to be normal. The guards are still standing guard, and the gorilla you'd roughed up earlier is standing directly in front of the door, with what you assume is Yayoi standing next to him, being completely dwarfed by his frame. She's...got a haunted look to her, which is sad as you can see that she was once one of the more popular idols. Her hair, dark auburn and tied into curly pigtails, seem somewhat flat and disheveled, and her clothes are dark-colored and loose - a far cry from the usually form-fitting and colorful clothes an idol usually wears.

A shadow of her former self. You're quite familiar with that sort of thing.

What do you do?

>>19579529
Guards be extra alert.

We don't want Yayoi to go all WE'RE GOING TO SUFFER TOGETHER RPAE SQUAD ADVANCE or some shit.

Check her for anything suspicious. I mean It.

>>19579529
Ok she looks haunted and is alone. She is to be allowed a 10 minute visit.

We open the door, step away from it prepared to take down any threat that tries to pass through, allow her to pass, close the door and keep a very close eye on her. Make sure she doesn't set off any of our freaky magic shit radars. Her interaction with the Principal will be closely monitored and after the allotted time she will be asked to leave.

>>19579586
>>19579543

You're satisfied with what you see, and you increase the gap between the door and the door jamb just a bit more, enough for your hand to slip through - and for both Yayoi and the Guard to get a good look at you. Yayoi seems to be almost alarmed at the sight of your glowering stare, and shrinks back slightly. The guard simply scowls.

You point at Yayoi, and wave her closer. The former idol glances up at the guard, seemingly uncertain, before looking back at you and gingerly stepping forward. You click your tongue impatiently and reach forward just a bit more - and Yayoi seems to whimper as you grab her by the wrist.

She feels frail underneath her bulky, loose jacket. It was as if you could easily crush her wrist in your grasp by increasing pressure the slightest, smallest bit.

Yayoi shivers in your grasp, an expression of tearful hurt on her face, but you ignore this, merely glaring at the guard who seems all too ready to protest.

"Don't--"

File: 1340373743632.png-(363 KB, 555x800, e7cb311be8c51cfe6aa9dcf5186fdb(...).png)

>>19579775

You tell him to shut up and stay back, before roughly pulling Yayoi into the room just as you throw the door open. You tug her hard enough to cause her to stumble, a feeble cry of surprise and alarm issuing from her lips. In the same movement, you slam the door close with your other hand, while still keeping hold on Yayoi's wrist. You immediately slap the locks back in place, and shove the deadbolt secure.

"M-Matsuda-san! Please! You're hurting Yayoi!" Iori protests, clearly alarmed at this kind of treatment. You ignore this too. You've already conceded this to her - you're not about to compromise now.

Still keeping a grip on Yayoi's hand, you pat her down with your other. The girl's eyes clearly wide, staring and tearful as you pat her down for weapons. You get to her lower body, completely focused on finding hidden weapons - causing you to completely miss Iori's hand slapping you hard across the cheek.

The slap isn't that strong, but it stuns you long enough that you step back, your eyes wide behind your own glasses.

"MATSUDA-SAN! PLEASE! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Iori screeches at you, pulling a positively-crying Yayoi into her arms, shielding her from you. "Weren't you listening a while ago?! I thought we agreed on--!!"

[]We didn't agree on anything. I'm letting you see her, but that's it. We still follow my rules. All we agreed upon is that I'm here for your protection.
[]. . .I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure.
[]Stay quiet, move to a chair at the far end of the room, and smoke.

>>19579879

As we are an inherently asocial and completely broken magical girl with drug problems, i think creepiness is hardwired into our system. Though on second thought,
>[x]. . .I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure.
is probably better.

>>19579807

>[X]. . .I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure.

going for the least destructive option.
>will end in blood/tears/both.

>>19579807
>[x]. . .I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure.
Sometimes people just won't like what's best for them, no matter how you explain it.

>>19579807
>>. . .I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure.

>>19579903
>>19579877
>>19579862
>>19579858

Your cheek still burning at the spot where Iori's palm had solidly connected with your face, you glance towards the locked door - then back at the idol and the girl sobbing into her nightgown. You murmur what could be the lamest apology in the entire world, and with your voice hoarse from thirst and cigarettes, it probably doesn't sound all that good.

At least your breath is minty-fresh.

"D-don't you think I know that you're doing this for my safety?! I'm just as scared as anyone else! But you didn't need to manhandle her like some piece of meat, Matsuda-san!" Iori snaps at you over Yayoi's feeble sobs. "I thought...I thought you'd be different than those idiots outside! I suppose I was wrong after all - you're the same, and all you're probably thinking about is the paycheck you get after this, aren't you?!"

You stay silent, not really having a reply to this tirade. Shaking your head, you merely cross your arms. A drink would be good right about now...

Iori glares at you for a few more moments, before focusing her entire attention towards Yayoi, trying to comfort the girl, whispering directly into her ear. She leads the tearful former idol to the bed, making her sit down, and carefully wipes her tears away with her own fingers. It'd almost look romantic, if it weren't for the fact that you caused it.

File: 1340376513613.png-(86 KB, 597x600, iorishouting.png)

>>19580027

You stand there for a while, slightly unsure of what you're actually doing there, before shaking your head and making for one of the chairs placed across the room. Might as well start that bedside watch--

"Get out of my room, Matsuda-san."

Iori's voice is chilly, imperious, the same as your first meeting. "You've checked my room for security gaps, right? If you've found none, then get out. You may stand guard outside, just like the rest of the hired help."

She's standing in front of you, now, and it looks like she's not going to take no for an answer.

God DAMMIT, Kyuubey.

How do you defuse this situation?

>>19580069
"I can't, and I won't. I'm here to provide you with close security, and that means keeping you in sight. I can't do that if I'm outside the room, and can't hear or see what's going on."

>>19580069
"I can't do that, Iori-san. If I leave, then it's the same as never having been here. I'm here to keep you safe where they can't, and I can't do that if I'm not here. For what it's worth, I AM sorry for mistreating Yayoi-san, it was a bit over zealous of me."

>>19580069
I am not here for your happiness, I am here for your safety.

If you want to yell and scream at me for my behavior go ahead, if you feel the need to slap me more I will accept it if that what is what it will take to keep depraved men from doing horrific things to you.

>>19580106
>>19580130
>>19580116

"You...you just don't get it, do you?" Iori is still enraged, but she seems to be getting a handle on her temper. "Yes, you've made it abundantly clear that you're here for MY SAFETY, and that if I wanted someone to make me feel like a human being even under such circumstances, I should look elsewhere. I realize, right now, what you truly mean by that." Her words dripping with indignation and venom, she turns her back on you, as if loathe to even recognize your existence by looking at you while the both of you talked.

"You may earn your paycheck until tomorrow morning, Matsuda-san, but I'd better not see hide or hair of you when I wake up. I will contact Kyuubey then and have him send me another agent. Someone who hasn't forgotten how to be a decent human being." She points towards a single desolate chair at the far corner of the room. "You may do your guarding there. Far away from Yayoi, and far away from me. She'll be staying over until tomorrow morning, so it'll be better if she doesn't see you looming over us while we slept."

This just gets better and better, doesn't it? At least you're not going to leave.

[]Quietly agree, but stop by the wine closet before going to said seat. You'd earned it, at least, and it looks like it's going to be a long night.
[]Refuse. You need to be close to them. Bedside watch is not up for debate.

[]Refuse. You need to be close to them. Bedside watch is not up for debate.

[x] Refuse.
An angry idol is still better than a raped idol. And it's not like we'll see her again after she leaves, anyway.

>>19580270
>[]Refuse. You need to be close to them. Bedside watch is not up for debate.
Fuck it, she's already pissed, let's go for broke.

Though, working in >>19580216 would be good.

File: 1340380157389.png-(85 KB, 597x600, ioriirritated.png)

>>19580323
>>19580310
>>19580304

You may have apologized for earlier, but you're not about to make any more concessions. You tell her - or rather, the back of her head - that sitting from across the suite isn't really optimal to what you were paid to do. A bedside watch is what is going to happen. Both of them would simply have to just ignore your presence.

". . .I hate you, Matsuda-san. No, I think I've gone past that." She murmurs, turning slightly to look at you from the corner of her eye. "I pity you. You've allowed yourself to get to this state that you don't even fully comprehend why I'm angry at you, and why I need to be as far away from you as possible." She looks away, crossing her arms. "Now I don't know who to be more frightened of - the otaku trying to kidnap and rape me, or the girl I'm paying to protect me."

She lets out a sigh, and shakes her head. "If you're going to sit beside the bed, sit on the side where I'll be sleeping. I don't want you anywhere near Yayoi."

She stalks off, quietly fuming, leaving you there to...well, you're not sure. Probably feel stupid, since that's what you've been doing.

You glance at them, and they seem to be getting ready for bed, chatting with hushed voices. You turn towards the door leading out of the suite.

[]Ask one of the gorillas outside for a transceiver tuned to their frequency, so you could get updates on their patrols.
[]Wait for them to fall asleep, and then move to bedside watch position.
[]Call a friend.

>>19580527
>[x]Ask one of the gorillas outside for a transceiver tuned to their frequency, so you could get updates on their patrols.
Then the second option

[X]Ask one of the gorillas outside for a transceiver tuned to their frequency, so you could get updates on their patrols

>>19580527
[x]Ask one of the gorillas outside for a transceiver tuned to their frequency, so you could get updates on their patrols.
If there's going to be an attack, we may as well get some advance warning.

>>19580546
>>19580542
>>19580541

You leave the girls alone and make for the door, slowly and carefully undoing each lock so as not to make too much noise while Iori and Yayoi are talking. You pull the door open a few inches, and you call out for one of the guards. He seems to smirk at you, but he quickly smartens up at seeing your trademark glare. You ask for a transceiver, or something to help you hear the details about their patrols - and he hands you a foldable headset, withdrawn from his own coat pocket. It seems to be his.

You don't thank him as you snatch it out of his grasp, and slam the door shut before he could react. You swiftly engage the locks again, studiously ignoring the glare Iori's shooting at you.

You're not exactly doing things right, but you're doing them how you've always done it. So it works out somewhat. Maybe. You don't know.

You unfold the headset and slip it on, the single earbud sitting comfortably in your ear. You turn it on with a tap, and immediately you hear the clipped chatter of the guards as they make their patrols. Nothing of note, but you do hear them grumble about some whisky-reeking little cunt ordering them around.

You smile slightly at this, glancing back towards the two girls. They're already in bed, buried underneath the covers, and they seem to be...

...

Well. The painting in the completely opposite direction is suddenly interesting.

[]Look away. This isn't a peep show.
[]Look. They're not paying attention to you, that's for sure.

[x]Look away. This isn't a peep show.
She already thinks we are just another gorila. Don't make her think we are also one of the otakus.

>>19580698
>[]Look away. This isn't a peep show.

>>19580698
>
>[]Look away. This isn't a peep show.
inb4chucklefucks

File: 1340382344772.jpg-(429 KB, 605x643, ba03fc413319da916431f87e363334(...).jpg)

>>19580783
>>19580720
>>19580719

You give the two girls the privacy they need - at least, as much of it as you can give them, what with still being in the same room and being in plain sight and all. Long ago, you probably would've been flustered at the sight of them, but now it's not really embarrassment over what they're doing but more of being there while they're doing it.

You lean against the wall next to the door, studiously keeping your eyes away from them, and wait for them to...finish, so to speak. You fiddle with your phone while doing so. Tempting as it is to call Mami, doing so may ruin the current mood.

It takes them the best part of an hour before you see that they've finally fallen asleep in each other's arms, huddled close together. Iori being the big spoon, Yayoi being the small one.

You're...you're a bit jelly, but you have a job to do.

You quietly make your way towards the bed, and take your seat at Iori's side. Careful not to make any sudden moves that could make a noise and disturb them.

>>19580885

At least the chair is comfortable. It seems like it's been used for this exact purpose. Actually, it's a bit too comfortable - it's more of a lazy boy chair than anything else, and you feel your eyelids getting droopy as you unconsciously let yourself sink into the soft cushions.

You haven't been sleeping well. Time to stop yourself from falling asleep.

[]Send a message to Mami. Maybe texting her will do you good.
[]Get coffee from the suite refrigerator. They probably have some sort of coffee, but it's at the other end of the suite.

>>19580885
Check Gem.
Text something rude to QB.
Listen to the talk on bodyguards' radio.
Regret the promise not to drink.

Do _not_ take picture(s).

>>19580937
>[x]Send a message to Mami. Maybe texting her will do you good.
This. Leaving room is bad.
Draw another dickbutt for QB

>>19580910
Asshole
>>19580937
[X]Send a message to Mami. Maybe texting her will do you good.

>>19580937
[x]Send a message to Mami. Maybe texting her will do you good.
And put our cellphone on silent mode; don't want to wake the two girls.

>>19580960
>>19580954
>>19580952
>>19580950

This is bad. You've been moving about ever since you woke up today, and you haven't really slept a wink since then. You're starting to feel the fatigue slowly seep in, your body somewhat giving in to this unusual level of comfort. Compared to your futon, you're sitting in a chair made out of goddamn clouds.

Shaking your head, you try as focus as much as you can. You pull out your cellphone and start to type out a message to Mami. Talking to her should perk you up some, even if it's just through text.

Iori, fast asleep, pulls Yayoi closer to her, murmuring her name.

". . ."

What message do you send Mami?

>>19581178
Ask if she's better now.
Lay out our current situation with Iori and ask for advice: should we try to patch things up (how?), or gracefully accept that we're getting pulled from this assignment in the morning?

After sending the message, stop time, grab coffee, return to chair, release time.

File: 1340385185177.png-(93 KB, 597x600, unknownbueno.png)

>>19581222

There's only so much room allowed in a single text message, so you break it up into parts that hopefully Mami won't mind reading. You ask her first if she's alright, then segue into what you're doing at the moment - that is, guard duty. You ask her what to do in your current situation with Iori, and what you can to try and fix things. You end the series of messages with an apology of how late it is.

Your phone beeps quietly as it notifies you that you've successfully sent the messages through, and you stuff it back into your inventory.

Now, the hard part. You need to get to the refrigerator and the caffeine it contains. You've decided to...use what you have in a somewhat creative manner. You don't like doing this at all, stopping time itself for things like this - but this could end up being a matter of life and death.

You stand up, somewhat unsteadily from the chair, and slowly - carefully - turn the shield clockwise, thirty degrees. Careful not to let the gears grind too much, or the locks slap into place too loudly.

The world turns gray. Time stopping all around you, freezing everything into stasis.

Everything except for the pink-haired girl now standing at the very center of the suite, looking at you with midnight black eyes.

And she's smiling.

You suddenly find yourself no longer needing any coffee whatsoever.

What do you do?

>>19581351
Can we stop the timestop? If so, do so and turn around and make sure that Iori is still safe.
Guess we won't be needing that coffee now.

>>19581520
The appearance of the smiling girl with the pink hair and dark eyes doesn't exactly surprise you, but it doesn't comfort you either. The entire world rippling in its dull cast-iron shade, you glance back at the bed, where your Principal and her friend lay sleeping.

...She's still there, still asleep, frozen in time but safe. Everything's alright, except for this sudden reunion.

You turn back towards the apparition, who is still standing there, quietly, smiling at you like an idiot. You make to cancel the time stop - your left hand closing over the rim of your shield - but it's then that she slowly waves at you, as if trying to make you come closer.

You're not crazy, of course.

You pull your shield back to its original position, and time resumes its normal flow. The phantasm disappears along with the time stop, as if it never were.

Christ. You don't really need this, do you?

[]Make the trip to the refrigerator and get the damn coffee.
[]Go back to the chair, sit, and wait it out. You're no longer sleepy anycase.

>>19581677
[x]Go back to the chair, sit, and wait it out. You're no longer sleepy anycase.

No need for coffee now, and leaving these lesbians alone is asking for trouble.

>>19581677
Go back to the chair. Coffee is unnecessary now.

>>19581677
Getting coffee means walking close to where that thing was standing. Screw that, sit back down.

>>19581677
[x]Go back to the chair, sit, and wait it out. You're no longer sleepy anycase.
That little burst of adrenaline should see us till morning.

>>19581709
>>19581710
>>19581708
>>19581707
You sink back into the comfortable grasp of the miraculous lazyboy chair, letting yourself get enveloped once more in its cozy embrace. The sleep's been driven out of your body by that little encounter, but it doesn't change the fact that your body's nearing its limits. You'll probably last for a few more hours, at best.

As you mull over the appearance of the pink-haired bitch, you hear the soft beep notifying you of a message received.

It must be Mami's reply, you think as you make to pull your phone out of your inventory. Flipping the clamshell device open, you squint at your phone's screen.

It's not Mami's reply. The number is the same one as the sender of that message where you were told to move on, to get on with your life.

It reads:

"Wake up."

[]This is obviously some stupid joke. You're awake. Delete it and keep waiting.
[]Try and call the number back, see who answers.

>>19581953
>[x]Try and call the number back, see who answers.

File: 1340388941897.jpg-(84 KB, 400x300, wake up.jpg)

>>19581953
Call back.

>>19581961
Nah, we've plenty of time yet.

>>19581953
>Try and call the number back, see who answers.

>>19581953

>[X]Try and call the number back, see who answers.

we are already asleep aren't we?

File: 1340389662067.jpg-(121 KB, 594x704, 9ee53748ae27d4d98598f5c5b58b37(...).jpg)

>>19581978
>>19582000
>>19581992
>>19582002

Alright, you're not really digging the cryptic messages sent in a vaguely passive-aggressive ex-girlfriend/boyfriend/life partner way, so you call the sender back. You hold the device up to your ear, and immediately you hear ringing.

One, twice, three times, and then it picks up.

What you hear is...not what you expected. You hear someone, female, screaming for help. You hear laughing, high-pitched, shrill, each gasp of hilarity interlaced with unintelligible syllables. You hear gunshots in the background - lots of it, high caliber.

A few moments, and the line goes dead.

". . ." Well. That was strange.

But not as strange as Takatsuki Yayoi, standing in front of you, wearing nothing but her birthday suit. Her eyes half-lidded, glazed over.

She murmurs Iori's name, and all too suddenly, clambers onto your lap. Straddling your stocking-clad hips, pressing her body against yours.

You're...not exactly sure how to deal with this right now.

File: 1340390656368.jpg-(274 KB, 850x600, sample_86c79b4e0b7f63a12124ea0(...).jpg)

Alright, I think this is a good place to hold. I'll start the new thread the same time over the weekend, I need to wake up in four hours.

Thank you once again for participating.

>>19618989
Return Yayoi to the bed.
And it may be necessary to stop time and ask our hallucination if she's here to wake us up.

File: 1340626291757.png-(382 KB, 650x488, 838e4b30e091680548726183ae2f41(...).png)

>>19619015

The former idol's half-asleep proposition - and considering it one is stretching it a bit too far already, at least to you - while sweet, is not proper at the moment. Besides, it never paid to get involved with clients or the girlfriend of clients, and you're not about to start THAT habit now. No, you'll stick to the painkillers and alcohol. Those vices, at least you can handle.

You make to rise from the chair, to lift her off of you and bring her back to Iori's side, where she belongs - when suddenly you realize that you are physically unable to. Your arms, your legs, your entire body seems to have been frozen stiff, your muscles filled with lead, your veins pumping coagulated ice. Even the smallest movement involving your neck seems to take all your strength, and your eyes widen at this rather surprising development.

It's then that Yayoi, still on your lap, starts to giggle. Giggling in a way you've already heard before, in that call you made to that strange number earlier. The shrill laughing that was punctuated with gunshots.

"As expected of a magical girl," Yayoi whispers into your ear. "I was wondering how long before you found out, Matsuda-san. It's almost commendable how quickly you did. I thought I was going to be disappointed" She reaches up with a hand, tracing a line down your cheek.

"You might as well stop trying to get up. By the moment you wake up, they'll be finished with Iori." Yayoi smiles. "Oh, they won't touch you, I made them promise. Call it a courtesy being extended from one professional to another."

How do you react?

>>19619299
Interesting, this is sleep paralysis, if I am not mistaken.

Try to time stop if possible. That might throw it off. Struggle mentally as well, anything to shake the damn thing off

>>19619299
This bitch is gonna die. Turn on time stop, see if that releases some level of the hold, blow her full of holes. KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL.

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>>19619336
>>19619327

So much for being prepared. So much for being thorough. So much for actually hoping that things would go right this time, that things would finally go your way after so many times of it being the complete and utterly crushing contrary. You thought that this would be different than your previous assignments, but life is rarely so kind.

Of course, you find this funny, somehow. It's hilarious, the way you were so endearingly optimistic.

You manage a smile, a feeble laugh, and Yayoi blinks at this, seemingly taken aback by this. She blinks again as your laugh becomes just a little bit louder, despite how vulnerable you are right now, despite how even breathing took so much effort, so much focus.

You are still laughing as the gears in your shield crunch together, the device turning itself a complete 180 degrees, hard enough that the impact claws sparks into the air.

The pink-haired girl, once more, manifests into view. Now beside you, both gloved hands on her slim waist, looking down at you with her midnight black eyes and an expression that could be considered as amusement.

"Well, I'm glad you find everything funny, Homura-chan." The girl says after a moment. "You always had a weird sense of humor, even when you're just about to die."

She doesn't seem to be going for the kill, strangely enough. And you still can't move, despite the time stop.

[]Ask her for help in waking you up.
[]Tell her to go away, and try to wake yourself up.

>>19619555
Hate to admit it but I could really use a hand here.

If not, at least give me a minute, I've got something important to take care of.

>>19619555
[x] ask for her help
Offer her Iori's panties as payment.

>>19619555
I'd rather not ask for her help, but don't dismiss her yet.

Start by trying to wake ourself up, if it works flip her the bird as we leave, if not then ask for help.

To wake ourself up summon up our determination, our hate, our pure seething raw hatred for the pink haired girl, for Kyubey, for everything about this world that we detest. The hate that we cover in alcohol and cigarettes to keep from burning too hot. HATE.

>>19619584 >>19619578 >>19619573
You do your level best to ignore the sweet, cloying scent of the pink-haired girl from your nightmares as you close your eyes and try to concentrate. You've never been one to ask help from anyone - not even when the rapidly-approaching alternative was making peace with whatever god was there and hoping your remains don't make that much of a bloody mess. No, you try not to rely on others.

For a moment, you try to will yourself awake. Forcing everything you've got into it. Your anger. Your dissatisfaction. Surely you've got lots of that, somewhere. Your want to simply...well, simply be happy again, even if you know full well you don't deserve it. Your hatred of mimes and the little bastards that insist to use the words 'utilize' instead of use.

In your mind, you try to fan a single ember into a flame - but you fail utterly as you realize that this could be your way out. Of course you'll be sorry about Iori, but...hey, at least you tried, right?

You open your eyes, and look towards the magical girl with the dead eyes.

You murmur the two words that you've never said to anyone else except a certain blonde girl with the exceedingly large endowments.

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>>19619828

She hears them, and her smile widens.

"Ah, ah...this is strange. This is new. Homura-chan, asking for MY help? After all we've done together, after you shot me here--" she touches the center of her forehead with a finger. "--and killed me even before I'd barely started?"

She raises her left hand, and a replica of your shield - sans the gash on the center gem, of course - manifests in a purple flash of light onto her forearm. All three orbs trailing black smoke. "Well, just for once, I can switch sides. I can help the protagonist a few times, since this predicament you've clumsily stumbled into rather spoils the ending a bit, if you die here." The shield clacks into position, and she draws a golden Desert Eagle from it. "I'll help you, Homura-chan, and in the way you'd appreciate more. And don't worry - consider this a freebie. You won't owe me anything."

It's then that she places the barrel mouth of the oversized handcannon against your temple.

"I assure you that this is in no way foreshadowing or being symbolic or anything," She giggles. "But it's certainly cute. Any last words?"

What do you say before she wakes you up?

>>19619840
Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.

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>>19619868
You spit out the invective before gritting your teeth and closing your eyes. Too many times you've found yourself in the exact same situation, most of those times the hand holding the gun your own. It's not that you're afraid of the pain, or scared of what waited for you afterwards. Hell, if Pinky here had given you the gun and you could move enough to pull the trigger, you'd have done it.

All you're bracing for, really, is waking up and finding out that you've failed someone who willingly put their life in your hands once again.

A heavy metallic click. A blinding explosion. A crunching pain blossoming in from the side of your head for a split second before being numbed by something cold that slowly spreads throughout your entire body.

The last thing you think of before you die, funnily enough, is the word 'Pancakes'.

Sometimes you surprise even yourself.

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>>19620191

You wake up to the sound of Iori screaming your name. Again and again and again, her voice already hoarse from panic and fear and desperation. She is screaming your name, pleading for you to wake up, right before the gloved hand of the heavyset man in dark military fatigues on top of her gags her with a pair of her own panties.

You wake up with everything hurting. You're on the floor, sprawled on your stomach. Beside you is Yayoi, on all fours, busy throwing up what looks to be blood in between foul language that you're sure the real Yayoi probably wouldn't utter in her own lifetime. You're sure of this because the girl in the black sweater isn't Yayoi at all, but a magical girl with brilliant green hair and crimson eyes.

There are four other men besides the one on top of Iori, and they seem to be wearing some very serious gear. Flak jackets, grenades, AK-47s, everything. You move slightly and see that the circular skylight has been shattered from the outside, rappelling rope trailing down from it.

A video camera, set on a tripod, is beside the bed, aimed at the pair.

They seem to have not realized that you've waken up.

What do you do?

>>19620391
Grin like a madman, I do believe we get to have some fun here.

Time stop, pump a few magazines of ammo into the magical girl, confirm the kill as much as possible. We might be able to take her without the time stop but she might hit us with something or use a large magical attack that endangers the Principal.

Then we have to decide if we're going to have fun with the soldiers or not, I like the idea of crippling them, unarming them and letting them feel all the pain Iori and Yayoi did before we finish them, but I think Iori would be rather freaked out by us torturing people in front of her so we would have to do it outside which we can not do, therefore we have to make it quick. We probably don't need time stop for these chumps after the Magical Girl is dead, but if we can keep it going easily than just double tap them all in the head, if not then turn it off after killing the Magical Girl and then slaughter them efficiently.

>>19620391
Time-stop, shoot them at all major joints, and pulverize their hands and legs. Completely immobilize them. We need entertainment later.

Then shoot witch bitch in the head with all remaining bullets.

Prep a new gun. With the luck were having, this plan will not work.

>>19620418
Use the camera to record the wholesale slaughter. Time to earn the name Murderface

>>19620391
Time Stop.
Shoot two of the thugs in the head, doubletap.
Shoot the other two thugs in both knees, and through both hands.
Shoot the magical girl in the knees and hands as well.

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>>19620442
>>19620435
>>19620433

"Hey, Midori, are you okay over there?" The man right on top of Iori, nearly covering the skinny idol in his bulk and girth, casts the still-vomiting Magical Girl a concerned look through his mask.

"I'll...I'll be fine," The green-haired girl manages to choke out. "J-just...kinda overworked I guess," she adds after wiping her mouth with a sleeve. "W-what was that? Girl with pink hair and...black eyes? How'd she get into my illusion?"

"Well, er, if you're okay, can you stop getting sick in here? It's kind of ruining the mood, here." The otaku complains weedily, prompting his armed companions to snigger and laugh. "I mean, can't you do it outside or something--"

His sentence dies in his throat - as do all other noise inside the room - as you stagger slightly unsteadily back to your feet. Your shield is clicking, clicking fast, clicking erratically, its two remaining gems burning crimson. You must have been smiling rather terribly as you see both the magical girl and Iori look upon you in horror as you spread both your arms to the side - each hand gripping a fully-loaded Ingram Mac 10, fingers already carressing the triggers.

You don't need time stop with what you're about to do. The otakus seem to be frozen in place, completely in shock, and you hear one of them whimper, a puddle of yellow forming underneath one of his booted feet.

Everyone in this room - barring you, barring your principal, and barring the magical girl who gave you enough professional courtesy not to have you raped - is going to die.

>>19620999

Stopping time is your gimmick. It's your neat little trick, being a Magical girl. It's the same with being able to, say, pull an unlimited number of swords out of your cape. Or doing the same with gigantic spears that break apart into multi-sectioned staves. Or having a D-cup when you've barely seventeen.

You wish you could have stopped time right now. Not because you wanted to have that edge over these bastards who thought raping idols at the peak of their careers were good fun. Not because you thought they had a chance, even when you're grossly outnumbered and have a magical girl working against you.

No, you wished you could stop time so you could savor this moment for as long as you want.

It's when they snap themselves into desperate action that you start murdering them. Your fingers strumming the triggers, letting off precise bursts in tight, impeccable groupings. The first one, from across the room, dies with his face reduced to hamburger, painting the window behind him a lumpy crimson. He falls backward, his feet kicking out at the camera tripod, making it wobble and lean back against the wall, the recording not simply focusing on the bed itself.

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>>19621162

The second one dies with half his face shorn away as you give him a prolonged burst from both guns, each one kicking futilely in your iron grip, their stream of death tight and confined as they send him crashing through one of the plate-glass windows - not shattering it, but merely knocking the pane out of its frame through the sheer weight of his slack corpse and the amount of hardware piled on it. He doesn't scream on the way down - but the third does.

The fourth, you're not even looking at as you kill him, a snapshot that buries a .45 round into his skull and making a rather grotesque exit wound flower at the back of his head. He drops to the floor like a sack of limp things you usually put in a sack and throw into a lake.

You save the would-be rapist for last. It's then that you recognize him as the guard you manhandled earlier.

His skull explodes from the massive soft-tipped round, sent from the golden desert eagle that had suddenly replaced the Mac 10 in your right hand. The right hand that bore your shield.

And during this, both Iori and the Magical Girl is still screaming.

What do you do?

The Golden Desert Eagle makes you stop and wonder for a moment, before you look down at yourself, in case you find yourself in another body. Nope, you seem to be in the same one you've always remembered yourself being. At the very least you still really need a drink.

Later. You'll have a drink later. Right now, there's work to do.

Tossing the other Ingram to a far corner of the room - it was nearly empty anyway - you step forward, advancing on the still-screaming, green-haired magical girl. She shrinks at your approach, babbling almost incoherently, her crimson eyes mere dots that focus on you, then on the gun in your hand, and back at you again. Clearly hysterical, clearly traumatized at seeing someone reduce five living, breathing human beings into nothing but meat in the span of ten seconds.

Strange. She seemed just being in the same room where a brutal rape was about to take place.

You thank her for her professionalism by shooting her kneecaps out. Two angry, blinding reports from the gaudy handcannon, and her legs are reduced to bloody stumps at the knee. She screams harder and louder than she ever did since the debacle started, before passing out promptly.

You tug the rappelling rope from the skylight and use it to truss the now-disabled Magical Girl up, making sure she's gagged. Her soul gem, a red one affixed to her choker, is safely deposited in your inventory.

Iori is still screaming, looking at everything in pure horror, tears in her eyes. She is literally naked, and a corpse is on top of her. The corpse you could deal with easily enough, but what about her?

How do you handle this situation?

[]Do what you can to comfort her. Apologize for your shortcomings.
[]Call Mami. She knows how to handle this. You're not...equipped to handle such delicate things.

[X]Call Mami. She knows how to handle this. You're not...equipped to handle such delicate things.

We can blunder our way through being a good person when things are going fairly okay. More or less. This is beyond us, we'll just make it worse.

>>19621677
Both. Tell Mami we need her help here, and apologize for our shortcomings while she's on her way.

>>19621677
[X]Do what you can to comfort her. Apologize for your shortcomings.

We'll get Mami's advice as soon as we can, but this requires immediate action. Remove the body, untie her, get her some clothing, get her into the shower and try to be comforting. Offer her a cigarette, it's our way of being kind. Once we have done immediate damage control call Mami.

>>19621715
>>19621724
>>19621740

Poor girl. She never deserved any of this. For the briefest moment, you consider putting her out of her misery - no doubt something like this will haunt her for the rest of her life, more than having her best friend raped. No one needs to carry a burden like that. Not even you, but it's not as if you had any choice on the matter.

Shaking your head, surprised at yourself, you immediately move to help the idol. You pull the corpse off of her - grunting slightly in satisfaction as you take heart in such a clean shot - and deposit him neatly out the window, no doubt giving a street cleaner below a bad start to his day. Thankfully Iori doesn't seem to notice this, as she seems to have curled into a fetal position, crying hard into a blood-flecked pillow, her sobs muffled by the gag tied crudely at the back of her head.

Life isn't so kind. It really isn't.

>>19621978

You hesitate for the briefest of moments, before clambering onto the bed, beside Iori, and pulling her into your arms.

Letting the girl sob into your costume's front as you slowly and carefully untie her. Wiping the flecks of blood and gore away from her with your sleeves, or the edge of the covers, whatever you can get your hands on at the moment. All the while apologizing to her, your voice barely below a whisper.

You're sorry, you say. You're sorry for not being there where it counted the most. You're sorry for being a failure as a bodyguard.

Seemingly angered at this, she beats her small fists at your chest, each blow weak and feeble, her crying seemingly draining her of strength - before she curls her fingers into your shoulders, clinging into you, holding you close. As if she never wanted to let go.

You let her cry as much as she want as you draw your cellphone out of your inventory. Speed-dialing Mami's number. You glance at the gold-plated Desert Eagle you've placed on the bed beside you, and you shake your head as your phone rings.

"Yes, Tomoe Mami here. Chiaki-san, what can I do for you today?"

You tell her what has happened quickly, glossing over the less important details. Mami is quiet throughout the entire thing, and only speaks up after you say that you're done.

"I'll get over there as soon as I can. Ten minutes at the most. Don't let her out of your sight, Chiaki-san, whatever you do. Shock and Trauma can do a lot to people."

You thank for her advice, tell her to hurry, and end the call.

You still have a shivering, crying Iori in your arms.

[]Get her into the shower and help her clean up. It's the least you can do.
[] Wait for Mami. Smoking or drinking is probably out of the question, though.

If she's going to be showered off, we should see if she wants to first. She was almost raped and just saw a good four or five people brutally murderized. Reminding her that she is still in charge of some part of the situation might be more comforting her than (gently) forcing her to do some stuff.

[X]Get her into the shower and help her clean up. It's the least you can do.

>>19622069
>[x]Get her into the shower and help her clean up. It's the least you can do.
Shower with her (dressed) if you have to, this outfit is ruined anyway.

>>19622214
>>19622131
>>19622125

You look down at Iori, then at the bathroom, and then back to her again. After a moment, you clear your throat quietly and then gently ask her if she wants you to help her get cleaned up in the shower.

She seems to whimper at the suggestion, but after a while she nods weakly, still clinging to your shoulders. Still burying her face into your chest, curled up against you.

You inwardly think that ten minutes seems such a long time, but nevertheless, you did ask. You slip an arm under her knees, the other supporting her back, and you carry her slowly and carefully to the bathroom - nudging Midori's unconscious form away from your path as you do so.

You step into the spacious bathroom, kicking off your heels at the treshold - you don't exactly want to slip on a damp tile and injure yourselves. Now treading on stockings, you have a bit more traction as you get her to the suite's extravagant shower, and you gently let her down on her feet right underneath the showerhead itself.

What a sight both of you must make. A grimy magical girl and her bloody, shellshocked client.

You turn the shower on after a moment's confusion, adjust the temperature to a lukewarm level, and let the stream of water wash the blood and gore off of Iori. The runoff splashes at you, drenching your costume, but it's not like you care.

>>19622359

She weakly murmurs something about soap and washing her hair out, and you seem to all but jump to comply - looking about for anything that might resemble soap and shampoo in the rather extravagantly-stocked shower. You find two brands you're familiar with, and you decide to go with the shampoo first. Turning off the water, you squeeze a moderate amount onto your hand, work it into a thick lather with both hands, and then massage the suds into her scalp. Knowing the idol, there's probably some sort of ritual to her showers, but you're doing it the way you do it to yourself at the moment. She can't complain, anyway.

After that, the soaping. This...could get a bit dicey, here. You've never soaped up anyone else before, certainly not someone who almost got brutally taken advantage of. You lather the soap in your hands as Iori somewhat looks at you, expectantly.

[]...Mami can do this. You can't. Let's just wash her hair and wait for Mami to arrive.
[] Wash her yourself. Just be careful doing so.

>>19622425

[x] Ask her if she wants us to do this... or if she wants to handle the whole washing stuff...?

Mention that we're not real 100% on the whole washing another person part. Hell, we're not even 100% on washing ourselves properly, as she commented earlier. We're getting better on brushing our teeth though, we swear.

>>19622425
Ask her if she wants you to wash her. Give her control over the situation.

>>19622425
Ask, fucking ask. Make sure that she is completely okay with us soaping her up before we do so. If she confirms that it is fine soap her up, be gentle, be professional, don't grope her.

>>19622481
>>19622450
>>19622441

You stop working up a lather with your hands and ask Iori quietly if she wanted you to do the washing up for her. A ghost of a smile curls her lips, and she nods slightly, before turning her back to you. Gathering her now-soaked hair with both hands and pulling it over her shoulder, so that you could wash her back without worrying about accidentally soaping her hair.

You take this as a good sign, and start soaping her back. Really careful-like. Slow, but not slow enough that it looks like you're taking advantage of the situation. Not fast enough to look lazy, either - you're trying to wash off blood and gore stains.

One thing's for sure, they certainly don't make idols the way the used to. Iori certainly has her rough edges, but you could see why otaku would want to go for her and her ilk.

"...Thank you, Chiaki-san." Iori murmurs, suddenly out of the blue.

You pause for a moment, before shaking your head. She didn't need to thank someone on her own payroll. And she was going to fire you the next day, anyway.

"N-no, you saved me...I...I'm grateful for that. I really am." Iori's voice echoes around the spacious bathroom. "But...but how did you manage to kill them so quickly...? Is this how QB trains his agents? Are all of them like that?"

[]Lie. Focus on getting her clean.
[]Tell the truth.

>>19622731
[x]Selectively tell the truth.
Not everyone on QB's payroll is like us. We all have different specialties.
Ours just happens to be combat, and...retiring operatives who've gone rogue.

>>19622731
[]Tell the truth.
I'm an elite, others would have done it flashier, I do it more efficiently

>>19622731
Just tell her a half truth. All of QB's agents specialize in something, and MURDER is something we're good at.

>>19622771
>>19622768
>>19622757

You think about Iori's question in silence as you continue to wash her. You're no longer as hesitant or as flustered about this activity as you were earlier, but you're still being careful.

You finally reply with a half-truth. QB takes girls of your age or younger, those who have nothing much else to live for, and gives them another chance to use what they have that would benefit other people. It's a bit more complicated than that, of course, but you do say that you are very well-trained, and everyone in QB's payroll has a role they must fulfill. Yours is just...well, you're the brute squad, to be completely honest.

You don't sound all that convincing, but she seems to buy it, turning around to face you. And your hands, which were busy washing the spots near her shoulderblades, end up...

...

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>>19623073

"Still, Chiaki-san. I...I thank you. I shouldn't be saying that right now. You saved me, and I don't think I'd have survived that."

You open your mouth to reply but there's a cough near the doorway to the bathroom, and you see Mami in her costume, looking away politely, a gloved hand to her chest.

You hastily step back to cease this particular scene, and Mami takes over quickly, radiating that air of confidence and assurance and maternal concern that you immediately feel unworthy of her presence. Iori seems puzzled at this, glancing at you and then at the approaching Mami, before you tell her that she's here to take care of Iori and what happened.

"Yes. I'll be taking over from here. Chiaki-san no doubt needs her own rest." Mami says politely, and you nudge the naked idol towards the blonde. "Chiaki-san, please get back to headquarters for your debriefing. Kyuubey is waiting for your complete report."

Iori seems to be concerned, but you smile weakly at her and wave her goodbye. It's been fun. No, well, it wasn't. But it was certainly entertaining.

You remind Mami of the unconscious magical girl outside, and that you want to interrogate her after your debriefing.

"Of course, Chiaki-san. I'll make sure to get her comfortable in the Silent Room before your debriefing wraps up. You can interrogate her there, if you like. I'll go finish washing Minase-san up. You missed a few spots."

"Chiaki-san?" Iori asks, suddenly fearful. "Are you leaving...? Right now?"

Well. Dammit. What are we going to do now?

>>19623126
Tell her you'll stay if she wants you to, but you need a drink and some sleep.

>>19623126
Do you want me to stay? If so I will stay for longer and watch over you.

>>19623160
>>19623167

You blink at Iori's question through your glasses. Well, you were planning on leaving right now, but you'll probably stop by over at Charles' for a drink. Maybe two. Three if you're feeling generous, but...

You glance at Mami, and she seems to be trying hard not to smile. She nods as you catch her eye, however. Still genuinely puzzled, you shrug your shoulders, and say that if she wants you to stay, you will. It's just that you need a drink first, and then some sleep.

"A-alright." Iori nods, clearly relieved. "Please...please don't leave without at least giving me your cellphone number, okay? Chiaki-san, please don't forget."

You promise her you won't, before you step out and let Mami do her thing. It was a strange request, but certainly harmless.

Heading back out into the suite proper, you sit down at the lip of the bed, propping one wet stocking-clad foot on the unconscious magical girl's back. You light a cigarette - no, you make it two - and breathe in the smoke that you've been deprived of for a while.

There's something to be said about smoking in a room full of dead bodies.

You'd say something for it, but you're just too busy enjoying the moment.

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>>19623322

And that's it for this thread, everyone. Thank you for participating again!

>>19647104
Get our stuff together, we should probably do a good interrogation of Emi.

See if she is a freelancer, whether she did this for kicks, how long she'd been a magical girl, who recruited her. That sort of thing. It'll also be a good chance for us to work out our frustrations.

>>19647178
Addendum, get our stuff together, we'll do the interrogation later if we get a chance. First we get our gun, hold it behind our back, see who it is through the door, and then decide whether to let them in or not.

File: 1340799094646.jpg-(70 KB, 813x668, Kyubey.jpg)

>>19647178
>>19647193

You glance at the door, and then at the gaudy, blocky firearm sitting on your side table - and it's then that you murmur a curse underneath your breath as you lever yourself off of your very comfortable and very expensive-looking green chair. You're not one for furniture, but after the debacle at the Hotel Suite, you thought you'd take a little souvenir, something to remember that particular assignment by.

It took a while to get the huge chair into your inventory, but it was worth it. Really, really worth it.

You drain your glass of whisky, before placing it back onto the side table to pick up the gun Pinky had been kind enough to give you. You wipe your lips with the back of your other hand as you make your way toward the door, your bare feet making no noise on the unadorned, cold tile floor.

It's worth noting here that you've actually taken a shower right after that assignment. You didn't transform right after, of course, so you're not really decent right now. Just a sports bra and your usual panties.

You flip up the peephole lid and peer through the small lens.

There's no one there.

"Down here," a voice speaks unbidden in your mind.

You squint downwards, and see a familiar white mutant cat with startlingly-bright crimson eyes, fastidiously licking the back of its paw.

Well. It seems that it's time for your debriefing.

You kind of skipped that.

What do you do?

>>19647310

And then sit back down in our luxurious new chair before popping a painkiller, just because there's bound to be a catch to Kyubey's visit and we're going to need it.

>>19647292
Open up, let him in.

"Sorry I missed the debriefing. I was too busy being passed-out-drunk."

>>19647333
>>19647310

You lower the lid of the peephole, before undoing the three locks that kept your door secure enough from being broken into: two deadbolts, one at the top, one at the bottom, and a chain lock near the doorknob. You pull the door open just a little bit, enough to let the white furry creature pass through - and as he does so, you contemplate suddenly kicking the door shut, crushing your employer between door and door jamb.

It's a delightfully puerile thought, and one you don't go through as the Incubator finally manages to squeeze his way into your sparsely-decorated apartment.

If you count crates of stolen alcohol and explosives laying about as sparse, of course. Oh, and don't forget that strange heavy rifle with the chainsaw bayonet stashed near your umbrella stand.

"As usual, you never fail to impress upon me how little you care about your own comfort or that of your guest's, Matsuda." Kyuubey says, glancing at the television, where Baseball Bat Boy seems to be in a heated debate with Bicycle Helmet Girl about cooties. You shut the door behind him, engage the locks once more, and make a beeline back to your new chair, dropping down onto it with a whumpf. "I'd ask you why you didn't go directly to HQ for your debriefing, but I suppose I could guess why."

You say nothing, pouring yourself another finger or two of whisky.

"...Right. Your debriefing, then. Let's hear your version of what actually happened."

How do you recount the previous events?

>>19647535
Went to the hotel, convinced the security to shape up.

Was in the room with the principal when what at the time seemed to be her friend showed up.

Did pat down, clear of weapons, nothing seemed overly strange.

Sat by bed as they went to sleep. Strangeness occured, stuck in dreamlike state, her "friend" was with me, said that goons were raping principal.

Broke out of dream through sheer grit, killed rapists, one of whom was the head of security, before anything major happened, blew off the legs of the magical girl, whose name was revealed to be Midori. I'll get more information on the assailants after interrogation.

Comforted principal, called Mami, stayed there at principal's request for some time.

Returned home, drank like a fish, didn't bother seeing you.

Where's my payment?

>>19647535
Security team useless
Principal nearly raped
Magical girl present
I blew her legs off
Killed otaku's
Where's my money

>>19647594
>>19647559

You give him the truncated version of events, like you always do in debriefings. The little bastard doesn't really need to do this, of course - knowing him and his connections, he probably had everything on videotape. This is just him checking to see if anything is amiss about you - or at least that's what you think.

You avoid mentioning Pinky. He doesn't need to know. No one needs to know.

"That sounds about right, yes." The Incubator says after you finish, once more licking the back of its paw and then wiping it all over its face in that way cats usually do. "As it turns out, the leader of Minase Iori's security detail was a member of the same group that raped Takatsuki Yayoi. The rest of the security detail were innocent, but they were gunned down in a protracted firefight."

The white mutant cat pauses for a bit to glance at the golden Desert Eagle you've placed back on your side table before continuing. "As... as for the Magical Girl, we've stabilized her for now in the Silent Room, but since her Soul Gem is in your custody, she's just a warm body for now. Should you choose to interrogate her, try and find out who she's working for. Someone like her may be in the same situation as you, which means there's another incubator lurking about."

>>19647712

You sip at your drink, glowering at the television. He likes hearing himself talk.

"...I think a stern lecture here about not falling so easily to magical traps is in order here, but since your client is strangely satisfied with your performance, I've decided to forgo that." It places a forepaw on the floor before it, forming a shadow on the bare white tile - and from that shadow, two grief seeds pop out, rolling on the floor momentarily before balancing themselves on their spines. "Your payment, as agreed upon. Your salary has been wired to your own account, and I do hope you remember how to access it."

It seems to hesitate at first, before letting out a sigh. "Try to do better next time. In any case, you have two assignments lined up. Since they're priority, pick one, and Kyoko will take the other."

You're not really listening right now. You're busy strangely thinking about a brown-haired idol with crimson eyes.

You drain your glass, and pour yourself another, as the Incubator starts to babble.

[]Ask about the assignments.
[]Ask about how Iori's doing.

>>19647730
[X]Ask about the assignments.

We can find how Iori is doing through calling her ourself or talking to Mami. Letting this miserable fuck know that we still have vague hints of emotion will do us no good and simply reveal a lever for him to use, a weak point to capitalize on.

[x]Ask about the assignments

>>19647730
[x]Ask about the assignments.

We'll call up Iori later to ask how she's doing, or ask Mami. No need to let the little freak know that we might actually care about someone, and use it against us.

File: 1340805326682.gif-(80 KB, 1114x855, kyuubey2.gif)

>>19647769
>>19647762
>>19647750

Kyuubey nods, seemingly impressed at how professionally you seem to be asking. No back talk, no sass, just going right to the point.

It clears its throat before continuing.

"Alright. The first one comes from one of our older customer. He's paid upfront for a hit on the Inagawa-kai Yakuza's overboss, Shinobu Tsukasa." Kyuubey pauses for a moment. "We don't usually take contracts out for Yakuza members, especially for high-ranking ones, but I'm considering it a part of our social service policy."

You smirk at this as you chase a couple of painkillers with a gulp of whisky, letting the bitter taste of the medication blossom on your tongue before drowning them in the heat of the alcohol.

"The second is a retirement one. Kirika Kure's...she's killed both of her principals in two assignments already. I believe it's time we end her relationship with our firm."

Retirement. Decommission. A pretty way of saying that the pressure's finally gotten to you, and you need to be dealt with cleanly, before you make the firm lose more revenue.

"One grief seed for the first assignment, and a bonus to your salary for the second. You can keep any salvage you get from Kirika, too. As always, you get your detailed dossier about the assignment you pick in a day or so."

Bastard little asshole cat.

[]Pick the first assignment.
[]Pick the second assignment.

>>19647870
Second

>>19647881
He has hundreds of bodies, we just take advantage of that fact to show our displeasure at having to put up with him

>>19647870
[X]Pick the second assignment.

We've got two grief seeds. We can afford to forego getting one for a bit. This would also be a chance to salvage something should we kill the rogue Magical Girl.

>>19647898
>>19647886

"The second assignment? Very well. I'll have Sakura Kyoko take the first one. You'll get your dossier via secured courier by noon tomorrow." Kyuubey nods again, his crimson eyes staring up at you intently. "To be honest, I was expecting you to pick the Yakuza one, but then again, there's bad blood between you and Kure, isn't there?"

You drain your glass of its remaining amber liquid and refill it just as quickly. Bad blood wouldn't be the term you'd use to describe your association with Kirika Kure - it was closer, really, to all-out antagonistic. You hated each other, not even in that rival kind of way where you respected each other's professionalism grudgingly. You just didn't like her, she didn't like you, and more than once it almost came to both of you trying to kill each other. Kyuubey had always done the smart thing to never pair you up in a difficult assignment, because nothing would ever get done.

You knew she was sort of...crazy, but she was the best close-combat specialist in the firm. Not even Kyoko or Sayaka could ever hope to come close to Kure in a fair fight, and it usually never was.

You idly wonder, then, who would be sent to retire you when the day comes.

"Do you have any other questions, Matsuda? If not, I have other things to do. Places to go, people to see, and another Magical Girl to recruit - seeing as a slot will be opening up soon."

It seems Kyuubey is all too ready to leave.

What do you do?

>>19648054
This and call Iori. Tell her to kill any demented cat mutants that come near her.

>>19648064
We get the dossier in a day or two.

I'm cool with launching him out a window or booting him out the door, but I want to know who he is going after next.

>>19648032
Who are you planning on recruiting?

>>19648114
>>19648071
>>19648054

You sit up from your reclined position, turning towards Kyuubey. This new recruit...it can't possibly be someone you're familiar with, right? No one with a future deserves to be reduced to something like you.

You ask the question, trying very hard not to sound like you care.

"I've a few prospects, but nothing final as of the moment. There's one very potential candidate I'm interested in, however, as she's got quite the gift for it." The incubator tilts its head slightly to side. "Why the sudden curiosity? Either way, you'll know about who she is in the next all hands meeting anyway, right?"

Typical answer from the little creep. Vague as hell and laden with innocence, trying to make you feel stupid for even asking it even WHEN it should be asked.

"If there's nothing else, then I'll go ahead and leave you to your...activities. Whatever they are." The white-furred creature scampers across the room, hopping up onto a windowsill. "And for goodness' sake, Matsuda, try and clean up your apartment. It's supposed to be a living space, not an armory.

File: 1340809198722.jpg-(574 KB, 710x1000, ioriglad.jpg)

>>19648247

You make to stand up and grab him by the tail, frowning at that last comment - but unfortunately he's gone before you could even pull yourself away from your chair's comfy, comfy grasp. Just as well, making another kickball out of the little bastard probably wasn't worth getting up anyway.

Man, you really like this chair. This chair, it's the best. It really is.

You spend a moment of leaning back and closing your eyes to the sound of Baseball Bat Boy cracking a criminal's face open with the butt of his bat, before you reach out to take your cellphone from your side table, nearly knocking over the glass containing Midori's Soul Gem over. Flipping it open, you search your contacts list for a certain idol's number and call it.

It takes her three rings before she picks up. And when she does, her voice sounds a bit...breathy? As if she's nervous about something.

"Y-yes? This is Minase Iori. Is...is this Chiaki -san?"

Strange, but she seems to be sounding alright.

[]Ask her how she's doing.
[]Ask her what she's wearing.

>>19648255
[X]Ask her how she's doing.

>>19648255

[x] Ask her how she's doing.

Nervousness can't be good.

>>19648255
[X]Ask her how she's doing.

Also tell her that if a strange white cat thing offers her anything to refuse, no matter what it offers, no matter how badly you want it to decline. Tell it to go to hell.

File: 1340810530705.jpg-(116 KB, 1280x720, ioriheh.jpg)

>>19648307
>>19648271
>>19648267

You're currently sauced at the moment, so you're in a bit of a better mood than before, and it kind of shows when you ask her how she's doing. It's a bit unprecedented, you asking about a principal after the assignment - much more you actually calling them up. Iori sounds a bit surprised and pleased, in any case.

"O-oh. I'm fine, Chiaki-san. I've...my producer has convinced me to postpone my tour for a few months. He says that it's for me to lay low for a while, since the media somehow caught wind of what happened, but I think it's really him just wanting to give me a break." She giggles, slightly. "A-anyway, Mami Tomoe-san is here escorting me to a safehouse I'll be staying in for the duration. She told me it's the--" hasty voices and giggling in the background, not Iori for sure, but someone you recognize by their voice. "--it's the safest place in the city at the moment."

Well. The giggling's a bit weird, but that's a good thing, right? And she's with Mami, so she's safe. The safehouse, though...you wonder where it is.

You ask as nonchalantly as you can.

"Huh? Where is it? Um...er..." More giggling. More voices. "M-Mami-san says you're really familiar with it, so you don't need to know. Anyway, it seems we're here...ah, alright, Mami-san, I'm going to knock."

You furrow your eyebrows, and make to ask again, when suddenly someone knocks at your door again. Three times, just like how Iori knocked on the door on her end three times.

". . ."

Shit.

What do you do?

>>19648448
"Hold on a bit, someone's at the door."

Answer door in underwear, booze in hand, phone wedged between shoulder and chin. Swig booze. Continue talking to Iori via phone, and act like there is nothing unusual about this.

She and Mami are having fun pulling a surprise on us. Let's fuck with her in a fun manner in return.

>>19648448
Tell her to hold on for just one moment, take few sheets, blankets and similar objects and throw them over the crates of weapons, clear off a few extra chairs around the table and open the door. We're in our underwear, but we don't give a fuck as it's our home and we're off the clock.

Go to the door, open it partway, check that it's them. Then open it fully and invite them inside.

>>19648448
Hahahahahaha trolling
Our apartment is gonna make Iori flip her shit

Answer the door still mostly naked, be totally unperturbed

>>19648525
>>19648496
>>19648493

You narrow your eyes at the door, then at the phone, before letting out a small sigh - even as a small smile curls the corners of your lips. This is exactly why you don't let coworkers know where you live, you tell yourself. You thought Mami would be an exception, but she did save you from an overdose the last time, so it was really more of a favor to yourself.

"Hold on. Someone's at the door." You say this to Iori in your usual deadpan manner.

Well, if they're playing it that way...

You place your glass back onto the side table and then grab the bottle of Kong Whisky you've been trying to kill for a while now by the neck. Rising from your ridiculously comfortable chair, you make your way towards the door - not bothering for a last minute clean up, and certainly not throwing something decent on. If this is Mami's ploy to get at you, then this is you returning fire.

You wedge your phone between ear and shoulder to free up the hand that undoes the locks and pulls the door a tiny crack.

Well, it's them all right. Both of them trying to keep straight faces. Mami in particular, although she's got the best poker face in the business.

May change soon enough, that.

You pull the door enough for them to see you. All of you.

All of your sports bra wearing, white panties styling, booze-swigging self. And you're still talking to Iori on the phone, who is coincidentally right in front of you.

File: 1340813409788.jpg-(93 KB, 423x750, ioriblush.jpg)

>>19648922

Both girls' eyes widen at your appearance, and both of them redden at the same time. You get the most reaction out of Iori, however, while Mami only smiles sheepishly, knowing that she's outdone.

Iori's holding her phone in a death grip, like she's about to crush it.

You smile slightly at them, before ending the call and folding your phone close.

"Chiaki-chan, sorry for the short notice." Mami breaks the awkward silence with a smile and a stifled giggle. "I'm here with Minase-san to escort her to her safehouse. She'll be staying here for a month or so. Can we come in?"

"C-Chiaki-san..." Iori is mumbling, cheeks burning. "S-s-so...daring..."

You smirk triumphantly at yourself. You sure showed them.

. . .

Wait, what? Did she just say here? She's staying here?

[]Staunchly refuse.
[]Stammer in disbelief and astonishment, swig from bottle. Stammer some more.
[]Curse the name of the Incubator.
[]Play it cool.

File: 1340813789266.jpg-(22 KB, 447x560, Reaction 1005.jpg)

>>19648929
[x]Play it cool.
>"S-s-so...daring..."
"What is?" in a deadpan manner, hold the door open for them, close/lock and sit in the comfy chair (anything is fucking comy when you are drunk)

>>19648929
[X]Play it cool.

Give Iori a cigarette and light it.

Tell Mami that she owes us pancakes, she owes us pancakes whenever we want them for the next month.

Then invite Iori in to our abode, tell her not to worry about the crates of weapons and booze, the umbrella stand with a giant rifle with a chain bayonet and so on.

>>19648929
>[]Play it cool.
But under your breath
>[]Curse the name of the Incubator.

>>19648929
Play it cool.

>>19649001 >>19648973 >>19648961
>>19648958

You manage not to make that much of a fool out of yourself at your complete surprise at this development. Actually, you're playing it very cool, only raising an eyebrow as Mami steps over the threshold of your apartment, while Iori meekly bows her head, still red as a tomato. Of course, she's still staring, but not for lack of trying to avert her eyes.

"Oh, don't make that face, Chiaki-chan. It's only going to be a month or so. Two months, at the most. She needs somewhere that's secure and away from the media, so we chose your apartment."

You close the door behind them and slap the locks on. You take a swig from your bottle of Kong, before asking Mami why the hell didn't they just put her in the HQ living quarters instead?

"She can't very well stay there for a month, Chiaki-chan. We all have homes of our own, and do you think she'll be able to sleep with the racket some of us make at night? Be serious, here, please." Mami seems to have found a can of Febreze in your kitchen and spraying it into the apartment - trying to get the smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke, no doubt. Meanwhile Iori seems to be busy...standing around, uncertain of what to do. You point her towards the chair you stole, and she obediently sits there, as if scared to upset you.

>>19649188

You turn to Mami again, bringing up the fact that no one will be around to protect her when you're away on assignments.

"That's easy. Whenever you're on duty, one of us back at the HQ will come over and keep her company. Us being Sayaka, Kyoko and yours truly." Mami smiles, before walking over and pulling up the garter of your panties just a bit, before snapping it back painfully. "And we'll do it with most of our clothes on, we promise."

[]What are you implying, flaxen-haired wench?
[]No sir, I don't like it.
[]Well, what does Iori think about it?

>>19649197
>[]What are you implying, flaxen-haired wench?
>[]Well, what does Iori think about it?

>>19649197
[x]What are you implying, flaxen-haired wench?
[x]Well, what does Iori think about it?

No, seriously, we should really mention that the guns and peels are not good for touching.

>>19649254
>>19649212

No good. Just like Mami to know all the answers to the questions you've even yet to ask. You're so outclassed here it's not even fair, and you only shake your head and take another swig from the bottle of Kong in your hand.

After a moment, you grumble something at Mami's direction, and she nods, seemingly pleased with herself.

"Is that all you want, Chiaki-chan? Well, certainly! I'll make you a batch right now, and just because you're being such a good sport about this, I'll even stock your kitchen for you, so you don't have to order out every night!"

You didn't...ask that, but okay. You open your mouth to reiterate your original sentence, but Mami suddenly comes up close, talking in low, conspiratorial tones.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this, Chiaki-chan, but she came up with the idea herself. Actually, she insisted that we make her stay at your place, and put it across as our idea."

She quickly steps back and smiles. "And I'm not implying anything that needs to be implied right now." She clears her throat, before speaking in a louder voice. "O-oh! I'll work on those pancakes right away, Chiaki-sama, please don't glare at me so much!"

Giggling, she scurries off towards the kitchen, glancing back at you and Iori every so often. A moment, and you hear the familiar hum of the refrigerator being switched on. You don't really use it much, so you keep it deactivated.

Now it's just you and Iori in the...living room. Alone, for the most part. And she's looking at you expectantly.

Awkward.

[]Might as well lay some ground rules. Pills, guns, the whole thing.
[]Ask her if she's really comfortable about staying with you. You're not exactly the sort of person anyone else would like to live with.

>>19649405
Both. Start with asking if she's comfortable with the arrangements, etc.

No need to be a dick about it, but be firm when telling her about gun safety and peels. Try to set aside a day when you can teach her about fire arms so she isn't afraid of them, respects what they can do, and she defend herself if we're not around.

>>19649405
First
[x]Ask her if she's really comfortable about staying with you. You're not exactly the sort of person anyone else would like to live with.

Then if she's sure she wants to stay here, this.
[x]Might as well lay some ground rules. Pills, guns, the whole thing.

File: 1340818420305.png-(214 KB, 500x600, 62fbfaad94fa878e53498bae8eca91(...).png)

>>19649478
>>19649433

The awkwardness lasts for a good while before you move towards the chair you fell asleep in and almost got the idol now sitting on it raped. You place the now nearly-empty bottle back onto the side table, before turning around and sitting on the chair's soft armrest. Your back to Iori's side.

You let out a small sigh, before ask her the one question that needed to be asked before anything else.

She answers almost too quickly.

"Y-yes. Yes, I'm alright with living here with you, Chiaki-san. It's...I know you probably think of me as some sort of primadonna that's used to luxury, b-but I'm not, I promise." She smiles at you as you turn towards her. "I'll keep, and I will do my best not to be a burden."

You're silent for a moment, before you nod and stand up from the armrest, turning fully to face her. It's then that you give her a few simple rules about your apartment - how not to handle the guns until you've taught her to, how to treat every gun she sees as loaded and dangerous (even if it's apparent to the contrary) and that to never do anything with your pills or your alcohol. You tell her that you'll be teaching her how to handle basic firearms one day, when you're free.

She takes all this surprisingly well, eagerly nodding, hanging on to your every word. You notice this and you can't help but redden.

"I understand completely, Chiaki-san." Iori nods after you finish, smiling. 'I hope we get along well. Please take care of me."

Great. Really great.

Well, at least Mami seems to be doing some good in your unused kitchen. You're already smelling some very nice pancakes being made, even if it's nearing evening.

You're tempted to ask her if she has an ulterior motive to all this. You know, besides already seeing you in your underwear.

What do you do?

>>19649680
"So, why here? I mean, besides the charming company and stunningly upscale decor, I can't think what reason you'd be happy to be dumped in a hole like this."

Then grin broadly and go about rummaging for something a bit more decent while she answers.

File: 1340821473857.jpg-(1.05 MB, 1024x1280, 330f85a8715ea67e38ce9fad884e03(...).jpg)

>>19649747

You see her pale slightly at this question, even though you've tried your best to say it in a casual tone. You don't stick around to see why, having moved to the small dresser at the corner of the apartment, where you keep a scant few clothes (and a good amount of clean underwear). after a moment, you pull on a white shirt and black spats. That'll do for now.

She seems to have her answer prepared as you walk back to her, straightening your clothes. "I...Mami-san and I helped me look into where the real Yayoi is. As it turns out, she never really recovered. She...killed herself a few weeks after that incident, but it was covered up. I should've known, because when Yayoi started calling me, she seemed to be really different. I thought it was just something related to what happened to her, but now I realize that I'd been talking and comforting and encouraging someone who never needed it in the first place." Iori smiles sadly at you. "I'm here, Chiaki-san, because you're the only person I know, here. Yayoi was the only one I knew in this city. With her gone, it's...it's just you. I'm sorry."

She's slightly tearful at this, but she gamely wipes them away from the corner of her eyes with the back of her hand. After a moment, she giggles, even if it sounds forced.

>>19650120


She watches you refill the empty glass, as if enraptured by the dark amber liquid.

"Do...do you really need to drink that much, Chiaki-san...?"

You pick up the glass, drain it, and say yes. Passing her the remote, you tell her to surf the channels a bit to pass the time - you've got something to ask Mami.

You step into the kitchen, where an apron-wearing blonde is humming a pleasant tune while fixing you your pancakes. You're like a child, really.

You stop and stare at the skirt-clad bottom swaying to the tune's beat, distracting you more than the scent of fluffy pancakes.

You shake your head, and ask quietly about Kyuubey and the replacement about to take Kirika's place.

"...I'm not sure if it's Minase-san or not," Mami says after a moment. "She's not anything like us, is she? She's got a future. Plus, she's still at the peak of her career. People will notice when she's gone." She shakes her head, drills bobbing softly from side to side. "We're nobodies. People are already if we die, so long as we take out as many monsters of them as we do it."

Well. That's a relief. Of sorts.

"Don't worry too much about it, Matsuda-san. Kyuubey means well, even if his methods are a bit suspect at times." She piles on two freshly-made pancakes onto your plate, which already has a few pancakes drowning in syrup already. "Here. Share with her if you want. The sugar should perk you both up."

What do you do?

>>19650169
Share them with Iori. Mumble an apology and try to comfort her. We may be an alcoholic, pill-popping and slightly sociopathic magical girl, but we still have some humanity left.

Still should warn her though. Cleopatra and Joan of Arc were both magical girls, so it's not too far fetched to imagine QB recruiting her.

>>19650169
>"The sugar should perk you both up."
Smile and utter "it sure worked for you."

Anyway - Pancakes!!! It's pretty much the best thing you can have in this world that doesn't somehow harm others or your own body... stuff one in your mouth right away, go back o Iori, offer her some.
Chewing is good enough excuse for not talking and you still need some time to think and sort out all the news.

>>19650169
Go back out with two forks, sit on the armrest of the chair and hand Iori a fork.

"Well, I guess you can stay here a while if you need to. Don't expect any special treatment, though. This isn't a work obligation or anything, got it?"

>>19650238
>>19650230
>>19650218

You immediately take a fork from the paltry amount of plastic utensils you've collected from the various food deliveries you've paid for, ad immediately stab it into the top pancake, cramming the syrup-soaked goodness into your mouth. It's still hot, but you don't care. For a mouth used to tasting whisky and painkillers, Mami's soft, feather-light pancakes tasted like food literally from the gods.

So good, it's almost illegal.

Your mouth still full, you mumble thanks, give her a small pat on the bottom, before walking out with the plate and another fork. You sit back down on the armrest, and unable to talk, you push the plate towards Iori - who blinks, before smiling and taking you up on your offer. She discovers the miracle that is food made by Mami with gusto, and you let her. The blonde's still making a batch, anyway.

You glance at the TV, which Iori had flipped to the news. No mention yet of what happened to the Hotel, but there has been a spate of brutal killings of powerful politicians. You know Kirika must be involved somehow - only she could transform a murder scene into a charnel house.

You've got an idol living with you, now. And you're basically being paid to kill a colleague. A hated colleague, sure, but still...

You swallow, and pat Iori's shoulder. She blinks up at you, innocently.

You tell her, in no uncertain terms, not to listen or talk to any white cats with crimson eyes. Or cats that talk. Cats don't really talk, not when you're sober.

She nearly chokes as she giggles at this, asking you if you're trying to make her laugh.

You tell her no, and make her promise.

"Y-yes, Chiaki-san. I promise. No mutant cats telling me what to do. Really."

Good. At least that's one thing sorted out of this mess.

And I think that's it for this thread.

Thank you for participating!

>>19671721

For some reason, it was agreed upon that Minase Iori, your principal from your last assignment, would be using your apartment as a safehouse for a few months. This meant, of course, that certain standards would have to be maintained, and certain habits would have to be curbed. Certain changes would have to be...tolerated.

These changes seem to include, of course, waking up in the morning with an overly-clingy idol hugging you like you're some kind of full-body pillow with a cheap 2D girl printed on its case.

You grope around for your glasses, and you find them underneath your own pillow. Squinting blearily at the blinds covering the windows of your apartment, you realize that it's already late morning, in fact. Mami, who had slept over, seems to have already left - and she'd already made you a stack of pancakes, dripping with syrup, placed on the side table near your stolen recliner.

The dossier of your next assignment seems to have come in early today, as it's there with the pancakes, placed right beside it.

Time to get to work, you surmise. How?

[]Push Iori off and stagger to your favorite chair in the whole wide world.
[]Gently extricate yourself from Iori's grasp and quietly make your way to the dossier.

>>19671772
>[]Gently extricate yourself from Iori's grasp and quietly make your way to the dossier.
Then go to the favorite chair

[X]Gently extricate yourself from Iori's grasp and quietly make your way to the dossier.

>>19671772
[x]Gently extricate yourself from Iori's grasp and quietly make your way to the dossier.
No need to wake her. Let's get this job out of the way quickly.
It's never easy, retiring a colleague, even a hated one.
Especially when they're considered the top CQC specialist in the firm.

>>19671803 >>19671793 >>19671790
The temptation to simply push Iori off of you and shove her back to HER side of the futon is enough to make you consider it, but...she's sleeping much too peacefully for that. So peacefully and so deeply that you can't help but feel envious for just a bit. And Mami did tell you that the idol hadn't been sleeping right at all since the attack at the Hotel, so...

You shake your head slightly, before letting out a sigh.

Fine. Fine. Maybe you'll give the gracious, polite houseguest routine a fair shot. Just for today.

You inch your way out of the futon and out of Iori's grasp, careful not to disturb her too much. The process is painstakingly slow and it's not really doing you any favors, making a few regular complaints here and there flare up. But you manage it anyway, as evidenced by the idol's still-deep breathing. You've replaced the vaccuum you left in her arms with your own pillow, and she seems to be hugging it REALLY tight now.

>>19671978

Standing up, you glance down at the idol, before shaking your head again. You make your way to the dossier, as quietly as bare feet on bare tile would allow. Picking up the fork with your hand, you stab it into the pancake at the top of the pile, lifting the entire syrup-soaked thing up to your face as you snatch up the dossier envelope with your other hand.

You hear Iori murmur your first name in her sleep, making you blink in surprise. That's...weird. Probably an idol thing, you think as you shrug it off.

You cram the pancake into your own mouth without a second thought, place the fork down, and then pull the dossier open.

...Huh. Well. This is a bit more detailed of a dossier than you're used to. Dossiers have always been tissue-thin, with scant information that would invariably get you almost killed. This...this was Kirika Kure's life, printed in neat A4 paper, 12-point Verdana, double-spaced, totalling twenty sheets all in all.

You sink into your favorite chair just as you light your first cigarette of the day. A puff of smoke escaping your frowning lips.

Why can't Kyuubey's dossiers be this detailed for EVERYTHING?

[]Read Kirika Kure's official record.
[]Read Kirika Kure's Persons Of Importance list.
[]Read Kirika Kure's Projected Schedule of Activity.

>>19672022
Start at the top and work down
We might have to use things such as persons of importance to get us leverage against her and see if we can glean any weaknesses from her past

File: 1340985501352.png-(71 KB, 510x383, x-all-the-things-meme-generato(...).png)

>>19672022
>[x]Read Kirika Kure's official record.
>[x]Read Kirika Kure's Persons Of Importance list.
>[x]Read Kirika Kure's Projected Schedule of Activity.

>>19672022

[x]Read Kirika Kure's official record.
[x]Read Kirika Kure's Persons Of Importance list.
[x]Read Kirika Kure's Projected Schedule of Activity.

Read everything. We're going to retire a fellow Magical Girl, and someone who we recognize as a highly dangerous opponent.
We need to know everything we can in order to plan this. Kirika probably already knows that she's going to be retired, and won't go down without a fight.

>>19672108 >>19672042 >>19672060

You lift the ceramic plate stacked high with pancakes - the crockery still warm - and place it on your lap as you begin to read Kirika Kure's dossier in its entirety, spearing pancakes with your fork and devouring them with every page.

It's after you do put away the last page - your pile of pancakes polished off at the particular section where Kirika Kure's impressive kill tally is eclipsed by her impressive tally of innocent casualties - that you wonder if you'll ever come back from this assignment at all.

File: 1340988310258.jpg-(103 KB, 491x700, tumblr_loxj905GQz1qcp1s3o1_500.jpg)

>>19672436

Kirika Kure. Seventeen years old. Three years into the service, contracted by Kyuubey personally. Her wish - to be strong enough to protect someone she loves, or something like that. As you remember, she's a beast in close quarters, able to outfight Sayaka and Kyouko (even both of them, at the same time). 120 missions. 400 hostiles killed, Witches included.

Retired five Magical Girls personally. Uses her personal weapon, a single katana, more often than she uses the psychic claws she'd been famous for. Her attack plans usually involve direct assaults, forgoing stealth and surprise for sheer force of strength. Not a very big fan of firearms - you heard her ruefully remark about them being cowardly weapons. She usually makes those comments when you're in the vicinity, too, but never with Mami around. Has the same kind of time dilation power as you, albeit in a reduced capacity and effectivity. She uses it mainly to dodge and appear to be inhumanly fast, but she already is without it.

People of importance - there's the usual list of classmates and friends, but you know only one or two are of real significance. In fact, you've heard about her before - Mikuni Oriko, a girl in Kirika's class. Someone from the outside who doesn't know about her best friend's true line of work. You heard Kirika warn Kyouko loudly about keeping her hands off of Oriko, unless she wanted them torn off and shoved into her anus.

Projected Schedule of Activity is where you laughed at Kyuubey's kind of cunning. The little mutant cat had actually sent Kirika on a fake assignment, taking place later tonight.

Kyuubey may be annoying, but he seems to know what he's doing.

>>19672454

You stub out your spent cigarette on your now-empty plate as you place the dossier back on the side table. The plate itself you leave on top of the envelope, and you recline back on your seat as you try to gather your thoughts.

You can probably call either Kyoko or Sayaka to know more about Kirika and possible gaps in her defense. Mami...she tries to be nice to everyone, but she hasn't really been in an altercation with Kirika to help enough.

There's also Mikuni Oriko to consider. It's not your style, but you could use her closeness to Kirika to your advantage. A simple abduction job, get her in a clearing, wait for Kirika to show, and snipe her from as far away as possible.

The plan's attractive, but it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

What do you do?

>>19672520
See about a possible opening during her fake assignment but if one doesn't seem to present itself then we will use her friend as a fallback plan

Realistically we want to get a high caliber rifle and disable her from a distance then we can get her soul gem from her. I would say stop time and fire about a dozen shots into her arms and legs so that we are sure of making her incapacitated. Then quickly and cleanly finish the job, we might fucking despise her but we should at least give her the respect of dying quickly

>>19672520
Read up on the fake assignment that Kirika has been sent on.
Maybe we can find an opportunity to snipe her in the mission details.

As it is, I don't like talking about retiring a colleague with another fellow Magical Girl. It just hits too close to home, since we could be sent after them next, or them after us.
But, we might need to speak with Kyoko about Kirika's defense against long-range attacks.

>>19672520
The fake assignment.

What is It?

>>19672571
>>19672550
>>19672542

You light another cigarette as you turn things over in your head. Kyuubey's little goose chase for Kirika is pretty much a run-of-the-mill assassination one - a politician, a typical corrupt blowhard with his own helicopter and a vested interest in some shady dealings you yourself have been sent to 'mediate' some time back. Normally, political targets would be something Kyuubey would leave well alone, as most of your customers ARE politicians, but sometimes they needed pruning. Needed to be shown who really controlled the city.

The hit would take place on Mitakihara Tower One, the first skyscraper built on the city. The politician would be arriving via helicopter as always, the helipad at the very top floor (which is sixty stories up). Kirika would no doubt wait for the target to disembark from the helicopter before moving in and making a gruesome mess of things. She'd probably use the helicopter rotor to dismember the guy.

Fortunately for you, there are nearby skyscrapers, all taller than Tower One, which would give you a nice line of sight. You probably just need a good rifle for it.

Behind you, Iori murmurs your name, just a little bit louder this time.

>>19672809
Iori is calling our name
We should check on her

>>19672809
glance back, check to make sure she's still asleep.

Anyways, i think plan "snipe the bitch" is a go.

>>19672894
>>19672835

Considering it for a few more moments, you actually feel better about doing it in a more...traditional manner. You're no pugilist like Kyoko or Sayaka, after all. You make do with what you've got, and what you've got is a steady hand and the ability tailor-made for long-distance murder.

You hear Iori mewl your name again, and you crane your neck to glance at her. She seems to be turned on her side, away from you, and her hand seems to be moving underneath the futon covers.

. . .

You turn away slowly and take a drag off of your cigarette. Yes. She's still asleep. She's just sleeping, doing nothing else.

This was going to be a strange two months.

[]Finalize plans, start putting them into action.
[]Call Sayaka or Kyoko for advice regarding Kirika, just in case.
[]Think up a new plan?

>>19673014
[x] Call Kyoko about Kirika
[x] Finalize Plans, start putting them into action

When we call Kyoko, ask about Kirika. Say that our next assignment from QB is cleanup after her or something. Find out how Kirika has been acting lately, if she's become erratic or making moves to go rogue.
Don't give out details of the plan. They don't need to know this is about retiring Kirika.

As for the plan:
1. we rig the entire rooftop of Tower One with explosives, remote-triggered, and make sure to hide them.
2. we get up on a neighboring tower, set up a sniping position. Get a parachute in case we need to jump. Set up claymores on the stairs leading up to the rooftop in order to protect our back.

>>19673014
Call them, feed them fake information about our plan in case this really is a setup.

>>19673087 >>19673030

It's taking you a few moments - and your first drink of the morning - to ignore what's happening behind you and focusing more on what needs to be done. You drain your glass, pick up your cellphone, and speed-dial the lesser of the two evils (although really, you could do without calling either of them at all).

It takes four rings for Kyoko Sakura to get her ass off of bed and pick up her landline. The girl doesn't exactly take care of her own cellphone much, any case.

"What the...? Murderface, do you have any idea what the time is? You're calling me up NOW?" Comes Kyoko's incredulous, still sleep-addled voice, clearly offended at being woken up from a nice sleep. There's a muffled voice in the background, as well as the rustling of cloth, but Kyoko seems to ignore it. "Look, if you're calling to trade assignments, no deal. You know I've been jonesing for a Yakuza target for two months now!" Her voice reaches a plaintive note. "It's not even fair that you got to pick, but since you did, you're stuck with that escort assignment of yours, and there's nothing you can do to change my mind!"

>>19673386

Escort assignment...? So Kyuubey didn't tell her or Sayaka about it. If Sayaka had been told beforehand, Kyoko would have been immediately notified as well.

You apologize for it being...oh, 10 in the morning, before going right into the heart of the matter. Kirika Kure. As soon as you say the name, Kyoko's voice seems to...stiffen.

"Kirika Kure-san? What about her?" Kyoko snaps, suddenly irritable. "The hell should I know about that crazy bitch? Rather, the hell do you want to know?"

Obviously some deep-seated aggression, here.

"You're damn right it's deep-seated! IT cannot be seated any deeper." Kyoko seems to be growing more incensed by the moment. "It gets re-seated every time I put on this fucking eyepatch."

Really? And for all this time you thought it was a character trait or something.

[]Ask her about Kirika's current behavior.
[]Ask her about Kirika's fighting style as of late.
[]Reveal the true purpose of your call and ask for Kirika Kure's weakness.

>>19673389
We do that when we set the bombs not all the way up

>>19673392
current behaviour if it checks out then go into the Real reason, if kyuubey didn't tell her then she obviously wants to keep it quiet and we like fucking with his plans. Then we go into fighting style

>[]Ask her about Kirika's current behavior.
>[]Ask her about Kirika's fighting style as of late.

If she wonders why we're asking say our current job is going to run into hers. QB was nice enough to notify us about it but we want to be prepared. It's true enough.

Even if she does hold that much animosity we can't let anything slip about our true job. However we should give her a courtesy call once the deed is done.

>>19673392
[x]Ask her about Kirika's current behavior.
[x]Ask her about Kirika's fighting style as of late.

So we're on an escort assignment.
Say that the principal is tangentially related to Kirika via a shared Person of Importance.

>>19673392
[]Ask her about Kirika's fighting style as of late.

>>19673442 >>19673437 >>19673417
>>19673407

"Huh? Her behavior? You mean, how she's been acting and such?" Kyoko asks, sounding a bit more awake now, and a bit more irritated. "Well, er, how do I say this...she's still a bloodthirsty bitch who thinks I'm trying to steal her goddamn 'childhood friend', that's how her 'behavior as of late' has been." Venom coats her words like the chocolate coating of a pocky stick, hardening into a shell of brutal confectionary delight. "Although, erm...I guess there's something new, but..." A surprising amount of sudden hesitation. "...I did notice something, but it was only after we met at that bar near your place a couple of days back. You remember it?"

Of course you do. That was the first time Pinky made her appearance. What about it?

"Well, it was something you said. I...I was saddled with recovering her from a hot zone last week, and she was screaming something out while I was dragging her back into the extraction point. Kicking and screaming and biting."

. . .You tell her to go on.

"I thought it was just some sorta crazy battle cry, or something, you know? Metal and all that. But now that I heard it from you, and I know you've never been in another mission with her since the last time..."

>>19673728

You remind Kyoko to focus. Or at least get to the chase.

"She was screaming out 'the flesh of fallen angels', Murderface. Same way you did at the bar when you were trying to rip your hair out and all."

Well. That's...you didn't expect that.

"I dunno. It must've been something else, but...they were kinda similar, the things you've been saying. A-although I'm not saying you're as crazy as her, you know! We're friends, right? Even if you do leave me with your goddamn tab now and then."

[]Apologize for that, and ask about Kirika's fighting style.
[]Apologize, and reveal the real reason for your call. Ask about Kirika's main weakness.

>>9673745
Wait... We were pulling our hair while saying that stuff?
This could be bad.

Quick 'Sorry 'bout that', ask how she's been doing in battle lately.

>>19673745
[x]Apologize for that, and ask about Kirika's fighting style.
It's entirely possible that Kirika's getting visits from Pinky, and that's what's been causing her to fail her missions.

Laugh, I actually seem to be less crazy now then I was before. Maybe losing my memory helped.
>[]Apologize for that, and ask about Kirika's fighting style.

>>19673745
Apologize and ask about her fighting style
I think revealing might be useful but we need to get as much info as we can on how she fights

>flesh of fallen angels
Max Payne references all day

>>19673809
>>19673794
>>19673789
>>19673782

You murmur a hasty but hopefully sincere-sounding apology before asking Kyoko about how Kirika actually fights. Sure, you've seen footage of her fighting, but it doesn't really work if all you see recorded is one black blur flitting from freshly-murdered corpse to corpse.

"Ah, forget about it. Water under the bridge, far as I'm concerned. Just don't drink too much and we can consider the tab settled." She clears her throat. "Anyway, uh, fighting style, is it? Well...she's been favoring that sword of hers a whole lot ever since she got it. I don't know where she did get it, but the blade's pretty expensive looking. Not sure how you can forge gold that strong, so maybe it's plated, but I'm not sure..."

Some mumbling in the background. "No, it's Murderface. Asking about...stuff." You hear Kyoko's muffled voice. More mumbling. "Anyway, she's been using that sword a lot. She's always going for those draw-strike scenarios, I think. Iajutsu or something. I kind of miss the more direct Kirika who uses her claws, though. Then she'd go all velociraptor style on you, jumpin' and chargin' right into your face to claw your eyes out."

You could hear her shrug over the line.

"But using a pig sticker like that seems to work out for her, so I guess. If you disarm her somehow, that'd probably shock her long enough for a good hit. Why are you asking, anyway?"

[]Our assignments might end up overlapping. Just wanted to make sure.
[]It's classified, Kyoko. Sorry.
[]I've been asked to retire her.

>>19674078
>[x]Our assignments might end up overlapping. Just wanted to make sure.

Also "By the way - guess you've aready heard that someone should be looking after my place when I'm gone. You know, in case the alcohol fumes spontaneously combust or some such... Mami payed a visit yesterday and I assume you'll be on mission too, so it's up to Sayaka. So in case you ... " pause "coincidently happen to um..." pause "come across her today, could you let her know, please?"

Give her couple second to process it, then add "no pun intended." in dead serious tone.

>>19674078

Interesting. Favoring a gold-plated sword over her usual claws, and a completely different fighting style. Perhaps the golden gun we just got is somehow connected to the witch we exterminated at Mami's place who is now showing up in our dreams? Prolonged usage of the golden gun might provide Pinky some way to intrude into our thoughts or even usurp control of our body.

[x] Our assignments might end up overlapping. Messy would not even begin describe what could happen if we ran into each other.

>>19674078
>[]Our assignments might end up overlapping. Just wanted to make sure.

>>19674104
Mmhm. Seems she's been in touch with Pinky as well.

>>19674078
>[]Our assignments might end up overlapping. Just wanted to make sure.

>gold
>katana
>gold katana
Q_Q
we should also check our soul gem and see if we need to top off before we fight

>>19674242 >>19674131 >>19674120 >>19674112

There's a moment of silence between the both of you before it's broken by none other than Kyoko herself. "Oh, well. That's fine, then. Just make sure to steer clear from her when you hear her coming - it's not that hard. Simply go in the opposite direction of the screams and such."

Kyoko's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but such a thing has come in handy in quite a number of occasions. So you don't point it out in this particular instance, as she did just help you get some crucial information about your new target.

You start to thank her, and it's then that a fey mood catches onto you all of a sudden, despite the somewhat strained air between the two of you. Speaking in that same, deadpan tone, you remind her of the duty split up between her, Sayaka and Mami - complete with the pause, and everything.

You swear you could hear Kyoko's cheeks go beet red at such an audacity.

"Y-yeah. I'll...I'll make sure she gets that, Murderface. I'm sure she'll be happy to see it."

You thank her for that, and gently remind her that your name is now Chiaki Matsuda, not that nickname.

"Murderface is Murderface, what's the difference? Anyway, I gotta cook breakfast. Later, and tell me how it goes when it's done, alright?"

Sure. Sure you will, you promise Kyoko.

She bids you goodbye and ends the call. You fold your phone close, massage the bridge of your nose with two fingers, and then sigh.

That was the easiest part. Now came the hard part. You're somewhat back at Square One, but where would the fun in that be?

[]Finalize plans, go into action.
[]Think of another plan, quick.
[]Call Sayaka and get her point of view. Heh.

File: 1341000203714.jpg-(274 KB, 850x600, sample_86c79b4e0b7f63a12124ea0(...).jpg)

Sorry, guys, but I'm a bit sleep deprived so I I'll pause this for now. We'll pick it up next thread!

Thank you for your participation!

>>19693145
Fuck this noise, call Stabby, state that we heard she had a gold katana and were wondering if she acquired it the same way we got our shiny new gold DEagle.

>>19693207

You decide to call Kirika Kure. It's not your worst idea ever - calling up not only someone you've had a lot of enmity with, but also someone you've been appointed to put down - but it's certainly up there.

You get her number from Mami through a text message, with her slightly puzzled as to why you would want to talk to someone like Kirika. You leave the question unanswered, and you dial the target's number digit by digit.

You initiate the call, and it takes Kirika three rings before she picks up.

"Kirika Kure. Who is this?" Your target's is silky-smooth, properly pronounced, with a bit of purr at the end. You've forgotten that, all told, Kirika has a very nice voice, the type you'd want to hear welcoming you back home and insisting that bed should be the next immediate item on the itinerary. You don't forget, of course, that she has an almost fetish-like penchant of ripping open her target's stomach and watching their intestines flop out.

"Hello?" She tries again. "If this is a prank call, remember that there exists phone tracking technology, and I will triangulate your position and kill you in your sleep."

Lovely. How do you proceed with your call?

[]Introduce yourself, and ask about her golden katana.
[]End the call, proceed as originally planned.

>>19693399
[x]Introduce yourself, and ask about her golden katana.
If she seems reluctant to discuss it (which she will be) bring up the gold DEagle. She'll put together the same pair of twos that we did.

>>19693399
Introduce ourself.
Mention the katana and that we have a deagle much the same and see if we can compare notes on a certain pink haired nightmare

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>>19693424
>>19693414

You clear your throat and keep your voice low as you introduce yourself.

"Chiaki Matsuda...? I'm afraid I don't..." Kirika pauses for a moment, seemingly confused, before laughing softly. "Oh. Wait. I recognize your voice. The damage to your voice with all that drinking and smoking makes you unmistakable, Murderface. You should really do away with those dreadful habits of yours, they're not doing you any favors."

...This is surprising too. You're actually carrying on a normal-sounding conversation with a known mass murderer. You're not sure, but you certainly don't hear the same amount of vitriol and layer-thick venom in her voice that you usually hear. You thank her for her concern, and go right to the point - about her new little golden toy she's been shanking people with.

"...You mean Muramasa? I'm surprised you've been sober enough to actually see and remember it, Murderface. Yes, it's quite the fine blade, isn't it? The gold is a bit too gaudy or me, but it's got an exquisitely sharp edge that doesn't seem to dull no matter what I cut. I even managed to cut through a European broadsword with it, like butter with a warm knife. Can you believe it?"

Ah, there it was. That none-too-subtle dig. Fine, very funny. You ignore it, and ask about where she got it.

"...Before I answer that question, I must ask about this sudden interest in my worktools. I'd have expected this call from Sayaka, or that one-eyed idiot that keeps bumbling about with her spear - but I certainly wouldn't have expected it from someone who ascribes to such a cowardly, impersonal way of combat."

Now you're reminded why you hate her again.

How do you reply?

>>19693600

Seconding

OH, and describe the technical details of the DEagle in minute detail. Like, caliber, production history, stopping power, range, firerate. Just to spite her a bit.

>>19693576
I noticed you just seemed to get it recently and I have had a similar experience.
I recently got a golden pistol that while it is not outright magical is very effective and very well made.
May in ask, have you noticed anything strange when using your powers? Like a pink haired girl appearing

>>19693613
>>19693600

Your jimmies certainly aren't that rustled, but that doesn't certainly close the option of you rustling hers in return for her attempt. It's then that you talk about getting your own golden weapon, a fine specimen of the Magnum Research Mark XIX Desert Eagle. You talk briefly about its specifications, how good it feels in your hand, and how you think you could accurately put one of its .50 Action Express rounds into the ass of a flea from 200 meters away. You could hear her growling underneath her breath and trying to interrupt you after every paragraph or so, but you gamely forge on, cutting her off and continuing in your tirade.

It's only after you mention a certain pink-haired girl with black eyes that she falls silent. After a few moments, she speaks again.

"I don't feel comfortable talking about her over the phone, Murderface. Tell you what - there's a bar that serves Chang'aa at this time of day, downtown. Yakuza bar by the name of Tatsumi's, but it's decent. I'll meet you there in one hour."

There's a click as the connection goes dead.

Apparently, Kirika had just asked you out on a date. You know where the bar is, of course. You've tried to drink yourself stupid there before.

What do you do?

>>19693678
Go in armed to the teeth. Anything easily concealed that packs a punch. Perhaps something in .45 ACP such as a Tommy gun? Or an Obrez. Nothing says Punch like a bolt action handgun that spits out 10 feet of flame and a 7.62x54r bullet each shot.

Go in, get the info, keep heavily armed, go out. Then kill her afterwards, fufill the contract. Don't do anything stupid like give her "fair warning", she'd likely try to fight then and there at close quarters.

Also, finally managed to be on in time for this. (Been reading the archives. Good stuff.)

>>19693704
You glance at the phone in your hand, then at the golden Desert Eagle in your lap - before you sigh and finally make your decision. This is not how you originally planned to go about with retiring her, but certain developments did come to play that convinced you that this wasn't going to be as simple as waiting in a skyscraper rooftop and pulling the trigger as soon as you had the target in your sights.

Nothing is ever that simple, although you wish they could be.

Levering yourself off of your favorite chair, you immediately call Mami up. She already seems to be up and about, and you hear the voices of children calling her name and generally being kids. You've apparently called her in the middle of her part-time job as a daycare center teacher. You apologize quickly, and tell her about where you're going, and you'll need someone to tag in to watch Iori while you're gone.

"Yes, I'll send Kyoko-chan right over. I'll join her as soon as I'm done with my shift. But...is it really wise, Chiaki-san? You're not exactly at talking terms with Kirika-san..."

You assure her that it's okay. Still, just in case, you make her promise to take care of Iori should anything happen to you.

"Don't say such scary things, Chiaki-san. Whatever it is, you'll pull through. But...I promise."

>>19693820

You thank her and end the call right away. Glancing at Iori, you step towards the window of your apartment as you toss your cellphone onto the seat of your vacated chair - and it's then that you transform, your soul gem sparking into life onto the back of your right hand, a purple diamond gilded in bronze.

The entire apartment rumbles slightly as brief flashes of light explode on your form, your costume manifesting directly onto your body. The familiar weight of your shield a heavy, reassuring presence on your right arm.

The costume's clean and new, just like how it is with every transformation. You wince and fidget a bit - the damn pantyhose that comes with the entire outfit hitching just a bit too high for comfort.

You stash the Desert Eagle and an extra magazine into your inventory. You figure that if things were to turn badly, you could rely on the shield giving you something useful.

You decide that you're well and ready, and make to leave the apartment - when you hear something that you thought you'd never hear in your lifetime.

"Chiaki-san? Where are you going?"

Iori's woken up, it seems. You turn around and stand awkwardly in your magical girl costume as the idol sits up, clutching the futon covers up to her chest.

"O-oh. It's that time already? You have to go to work?" She looks around. "Have...have you had breakfast already? I can cook you something..."

How do you reply? You're on the clock, here.

>>19693820
[spoiler]don't kill us kind quest master[/spoiler]

>>19693831
yeah, she's working both of us. Doesn't mean we have to help her by making a buffet.

I just looked up the Anzio, holy shit can you say overkill. 7 foot long rifle.

>>19693842
kindly let her down

offer her the pancakes if we didn't scarf all of them down

take a case of grenades before we go

>>19693842
Apologise, say your mission's been pushed forward. Mami should have stocked up the fridge with pancakes-in-waiting, and if she hasn't someone will be here soon to look after her.

Then ruffle her hair and head out.

>>19693842
"I did. Running late as is. Please remain in the apartment. Make yourself something to eat."

>>19693853
That. Maybe add that a ... comrade of yours is going to come to watch over her. And, if Kyoko is who i think she is (the one eyed one?), warn her not to do anything naughty. If Kyoko is someone else, disregard this.

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>>19693873 >>19693863 >>19693853 >>19693880

You say that you've already had breakfast, and if she's hungry, she can either see what Mami left in the fridge or have the agent that's coming along in a few moments to get her something to eat while she's en route. You give her Kyoko's number, partly because you don't want her to leave the apartment to get something to eat, and partly because you're amused of making a delivery girl out of your one-eyed comrade.

"Ah. Alright. Thank you, Chiaki-san." She smiles at you, seemingly grateful that you seem to know what you're doing. "You will be coming home later tonight, right...? I mean, what you're doing right now, it's not that dangerous...?"

She asks you this as you remember to grab some grenades from the case you've stashed at the far corner of the room. You look back at her as you stuff four of the pineapples into your inventory, her eyes widening in concern at the sight of such explosives.

How do you reply? Do you lie to her, or tell the truth?

File: 1341137044714.jpg-(98 KB, 800x405, 1288861136.jpg)

>>19693873
>overkill
no

Also other ideas for weapons, including prototypes
>H&R SPIW (Basically a larger, flechette firing OICW)
>TKB-059 (3 Barrels o' fun!)
>76mm HIWS (Shoulder fired mortar. Need I say more?)
>H&K OICW (Grenades, because fuck you, and fuck everyone next to you as well)
>H&K G11 (Leaves no cases, so good for assassination missions that still need firepower)
>Winchester/Olin Double-FAL (SALVO)
>ASh-12 (Bullpup .50 room clearan beast)
>VSK/VSSK "Vychlop" (.50 subsonic sniper rifle)
>DSR-50 (pic related)
>MG-81Z (Twin machine gun, 1700 RPM each)


>>19693940
"My work is always dangerous, yet I'm still alive." (mumbling: "somehow...")

>>19693940
"We're just talking to someone, so don't worry, we'll come back with all of our limbs."

File: 1341136836094.jpg-(37 KB, 235x444, 20mm022standingatangle-FP[1].jpg)

.... would this even fit in the shield?

>>19693940
Half-lie

about as dangerous as guarding her was, but we won that one

File: 1341138564941.jpg-(39 KB, 622x348, CuezBar.jpg)

>>19693967 >>19693959 >>19693951

You're not too sure how to proceed with such a line of questioning. You've never really considered if a certain situation you've been sent into is more dangerous than the other - you tend to deal with things as they go along. It certainly won't be any picnic, and meeting Kirika in a yakuza bar certainly won't be comparable to frolicking in a field of daisies - but you're confident enough with your abilities and considerate enough to be the least bit optimistic with your reply.

You tell her that you'll simply be meeting up with a co-worker to talk about certain work-related things, and that you're pretty sure you'll be coming home later that night, or perhaps early morning the next day. Iori is still concerned, but she seems to be convinced, and asks you to take care.

You briefly wonder about this treatment you're getting from the idol. It's a bit strange, isn't it? She's only met you for barely a day or so, maybe two if you consider yesterday.

You shrug at this and leave, telling her to lock the door behind you and only open it for Kyoko. You catch a cab going to Tatsumi's - you're not too big on public transportation that doesn't let you smoke while you travel. You don't mind paying extra.

The driver drops you off directly in front of the bar. It's a small place, not that glitzy as compared to the other bars you know yakuza frequent. You step inside, and the bartender gruffly greets you. It being barely noon, there are only a handful of people inside, typical yakuza in their loud shirts and talking in equally loud, belligerent tones.

You sit in the bar and very nearly order a double whiskey. You remind yourself that you have to be sober for this.

You order a cold glass of soda instead.

What do you do? It'll be twenty minutes before Kirika arrives.

>>19694059

Yep. Memorise the floor plan, the exits and places of cover, have plan to kill everyone in the room. Or run away, if that's the case.

Don't sit where your back can be stabbed through the wall.

>>19694050
Look around for anything too conspicuous either by it's absence or presence. Kirika may have a reason for calling us down here. Find a booth to sit so we can watch the door as well

>>19694086
>>19694056

The bartender seems confused about your choice of drink, but you find it in front of you nonetheless. You nod at the man, before casually giving the place a once-over.

There are six people in Tatsumi's besides you and the bartender. Three are sitting in one booth, two in another, and one on a bar seat, approximately four seats away from you to your left. There's a fire exit at the far corner of the bar, and the door that leads probably to the bar's kitchen or whatever they have behind the wall of liquor bottles. Other than that, there doesn't seem to be much that's off here.

Talking with the yakuza here is probably a bad idea. The three seem to be arguing heatedly about a gambling debt, the second group playing cards, and the guy at the bar with you seems to be busy crying into his beer. You doubt Kirika takes assignments or deals with these sort of people.

You however ask the bartender about Kirika, and he nods, recognizing the name.

"Cute classy girl with the violet eyes? Yeah, she comes around here often. Orders changaa each time. Sophisticated girl like her, I don't know why she wastes her time here." He shrugs as he cleans a glass. "She's alright, except for that sword she keeps on her wherever she goes. I bet it's to stop these yaks from hitting on her. Happens a lot."

Yeah. That's her, alright.

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>>19694150


You sip at your soda again when it's then that your shield clicks faintly. Not loud enough for everyone to hear, but it's certainly audible. You glance at it for a moment, before turning back - and it's then that you see Kirika, sitting on the stool next to yours, where she hadn't been a moment ago. Looking as if she'd been there the entire time, leaning forward, her elbows on the bartop. She's wearing casual clothes, you note, and her sword is hanging from a belt loosely tied around her waist.

"Tatsumi-san. My usual, please." She purrs at the bartender, who nods and gets her drink - a tall glass of an evil-smelling liquid that reminds you of jet fuel and nightmares.

"You've got some nerve, really, Murderface, but I suppose that's your one redeeming quality." She says, smiling, but not looking at you. "Now, while we're still being nice to each other, let's cut to the quick. What do you know of the pink-haired girl with the black eyes? Add to that, how did you meet her?"

How do you respond to this?

>>19694157
She approached me while I was doing my best to kill myself with whiskey.
You?

>>19694164
"Ah. I see. A pity you didn't succeed in doing so, but we can't have everything." She sips her awful-smelling drink delicately, as if it's the finest wine and she's drinking from one of those classy snifters. "Well, it's strange, but I met her the same way. Here, in this bar, while I was having my nightly restorative." She slides the tip of a finger on the rim of her glass, deep in thought. "Eerily beautiful, except for those eyes of hers. I admit I was taken by her a bit. She smells quite nice, too."

She takes another sip of her drink. "She knew my name right off. I tried asking for hers, but she never did give it. She said it was of no consequence." Kirika glances your way, before patting the sword at her side. "She gave me Muramasa after that, and disappeared, just like a ghost. She appears from time to time, and we talk a fair bit."

Well. It's a bit heartening to know that you're not crazy. That someone else is being pestered by the pink-haired bitch.

"Your firearm," Kirika suddenly says, the word making her frown. "May I see it? I'd like to find out if it is the same kind of gold that Muramasa has. If what you're saying is true, then they should be somewhat similar."

What do you do?

>>19694250
Make a show of unloading it, then hand it over. And keep our timestop warmed up in case she decides to flip out.

>>19694250
Hand it to her empty.
Ask if we can examine muramasa while she does to see if we can find any similar markings anywhere

>>19694269
>>19694268

Handing over your firearm to the Magical Girl you're supposed to kill. You're on a roll, yes you are. Bad Idea Train, Choo Choo, the last stop is you being lowered to the ground while Iori cries and Kyoko lays claim to all of your alcohol.

You pull the golden Desert Eagle surreptitiously out from your inventory so as not to alarm anyone - the bartender casting you a wary eye but not saying anything about it - and you slide out the magazine, placing it on the bar a slight distance away from Kirika's reach. You pull the slide back, the chambered round flying out (which you immediately catch). You pass the now empty gun to Kirika, who receives it with a surprising amount of reverence and a not-so-surprising amount of disgust.

"Hnh. The tone and texture is certainly similar, and the lustre is definitely the same." It's then that she dips a finger into her drink and rubs the bit of alcohol into that engraved logo on the center of the grip. You smell something burning - and it's as Kirika wipes off the residue that you see a completely new symbol underneath the previous one, carved into the metal.

The roman numeral VIII. Eight.

Immediately, Kirika seems to change subtly at this discovery. A small sad smile on her face, as if disappointed at what had just been confirmed. At the same time, the tension between the two of you feels as if it's increased, somehow. Like something about to happen.

>>19694375

"One and the same, then. Muramasa has the same kind of symbol, although a different number." She gives you back the pistol before pulling up her own sword, thumbing the guard and unsheathing the weapon the smallest bit - and you could see 'XX' hewn into the brilliant golden blade.

That's certainly strange. But how did she find out, you ask?

"The girl with the sunless eyes told me," Kirika murmurs, sipping her drink again. "She also told me that someone with a golden gun bearing the number VIII will be the one to kill me. Coincidentally, the gun you've just shown me has the same exact characteristics."

She continues to sip her drink, calmly.

"The idea of you killing me, however, is laughable. I can't even contemplate it happening in any universe or timeline, with any amount of probability."

It's to note here that she has one hand on her sword, and the other on her drink.

How do you react?

>>19694380
Ask her if she believes Pinky can see the future AND was telling her the truth, and not just fucking with us both for shits and giggles.
And she can keep the gun if she wants. That way, the only person that can kill her is herself.

>>19694380

Reassure her that you're not here to kill her (Certainly not at this exact moment, anyway), and try to swing the conversation back to the pink-haired girl. If we start panicking or suddenly changing our course, she's going to see something is up. Stay nonchalant.

>>19694380
Please, if I wanted to kill you I would have wired explosives to the building you lived. Despite the fact that we hate each other we're coworkers.

I'm just here to talk.

Very carefully reload the pistol and prepare to pull timestop off at a moments notice, we got what we wanted from her, this is a good opportunity to off her.

>>19694380
Stay calm.
"As much as we have our differences, I'm not about to go rogue and start killing co-workers.
"So, did Pinky ever tell you why she's giving out those gold weapons? And if you've got Number XX, how many other people have them?"

File: 1341146481713.jpg-(448 KB, 1000x1000, kirikaheh.jpg)

>>19694427 >>19694415 >>19694407
>>19694402

Kirika seems to laugh at this. "Oh, yes, of course. You see why I don't really believe her. You're not the sort, I'm afraid, to actually respect the very notion of ending someone's life by doing it properly and professionally." The raven-haired Magical Girl smiles at you, her eyes hooded. "You kill from a distance, safe from any danger, much too far away to see the life dying out of your victim's eyes or hearing their final words. You don't even see how beautifully they bleed out as they pass from this world to the next." She lets out a sigh. "Honestly, Murderface, I'd like you a lot better if you weren't so proud of being such a filthy degenerate."

She frowns slightly as you offer to give her the firearm - which you've just loaded yourself, the magazine sliding neatly into its slot and clicking firmly into place. "No, no, keep it. Really. I've no interest in it, or the prophecy the girl with the black eyes has for those she gifts these weapons to. I'm not sure if there are any other recipients of these, at that. I hardly care. All I do care about is how finely this one cuts. Nothing else."

You shrug at this, before putting the Desert Eagle back in your inventory. If she says you can keep it, then you are. You're strangely feeling attached to it, in any case.

With your gun put away and her letting go of her sword, the tension seems to be done away with for now. You take out your pack of cigarettes, stick one between your lips, and wordlessly offer Kirika one.

"Ah. Another disgusting habit of yours. Thank you, Murderface, but I don't smoke."

>>19694657

You shrug again, before making to light your cigarette. You hold up your zippo to your face, peering at the reflection on the polished metal - and you swear you could see Pinky behind you, smiling.

You turn around. No one is there.

You turn back around - and it's then that you notice Kirika is gone. You glance around for her, and you see her heading out the door...while the six men who'd been in the bar with you suddenly stand up, drawing guns from inside their coats.

"I don't believe in prophecies, Murderface. I do believe a little blue bird that told me about someone volunteering to retire me."

Six firearms click noisily as they're aimed at you. The bartender is strangely absent.

"You're not going to retire me, Murderface. You're not good enough to." She turns her head, slightly, to grin at you. "Take care of her,gentlemen. You can have what's left."

She disappears, and the Yakuza start to open fire.

Yes. Yes, this is exactly how you planned things to turn out. Fantastic.

How do you react?

>>19694663
Flip over the bar to get cover, throwing grenades towards the Yakuza.
Timestop as needed.

Also, looks like she was already aware that the hit job she got was a trap already.

>6 Yakuzas
Can handle them without wasting Timestop, I guess.

Well we actually figured out that Kirika can see Pinky as well, the same pinky as we we do, but doens't really care either way as long as she can carry on with killing.
And she didn't try to chop us apart in melee right ways.

That's two strong pluses.
Getting shot at any 6 normal guys is just small downsdie.

>>19694663

Invoke Time Stop. Shoot the yakuza and then go after Kirika. Be CAREFUL; I knew meeting Kirika was a bad idea.

>>19694663
retreat to cover, avoid timestop if we can, kill the minions. keep an eye out for bullettime sword to the face

>>19694679 >>19694748 >>19694895 >>19694929

The first round to be spat out in the ensuing bulletstorm hasn't even made it out of its barrel when you've already vaulted over the bar itself, landing neatly behind it and hunkering down for cover. The perfume of so many high-quality alcohol start to thicken the air - mixing with the scent of gunpowder - as the spray of gunfire above you reduces the entire stock of the bar into nothing but broken glass and fumes. You would have cried at the sight of such folly, had you not rescued a bottle of whiskey a moment before the impromptu firing squad started shooting up the place. You take a leisurely swig from it, before racking your shield twenty degrees counterclockwise, twice - dispensing two grenades into your right hand, the pineapples clinking heavily in anticipation.

You take another swig, before arming the two explosives with a simple tug of their safety rings - and then casually toss them over your shoulder and over the bar. You almost snort whiskey out of your nose as you hear one of the yaks actually curse in pain following a rather nasty cracking sound - one of the grenades must have hit someone in the face. Lucky.

You're already out the back door - the inside of the bar also strangely empty. The bartender must have been warned by Kirika in advance, by the way the back door itself seemed to be ajar. You glance around - the back door leads out to an alley, with a busy road visible at the nearby exit.

You start walking just as the bar behind you explodes in a firey inferno, both grenades detonating at the same time.

Someone ratted you out. You're not surprised of this happening, but you do wonder who did it. You have suspects in mind, but nothing really tangible for now. It could have been the mutant cat for all you know. But what's certain is that Kirika now knows you're out to kill her.

How do you proceed from here?

>>19695087
We need to reequip to take her on. A deagle and two nades isn't going to cut it.

>>19695047
Report to the cat that the bitch knew we were coming for her. Then bring out the big guns.

>>19695047
I believe it is time to track down that bitch and turn her head into a substance that most closely resembles chunky salsa.

First get the fuck away from here before the fuzz shows up.

Call people up, get information on where she is likely to go in times of danger, make sure that the people at our home are prepared for an attack.

Find Oriko, she will probably go to her.

I believe Nice Magical Girl time is over, we take her out from as long a distance as possible with the largest caliber rifle we can acquire.

>>19695107
>>19695102
>>19695094

You step out casually into the sidewalk amidst the now-approaching sirens, reaching up with your left hand to straighten your glasses and pat your skirt down. People don't seem to notice you, instead looking towards the now-raging inferno that was once a bar called Tatsumi's. You hail another cab, and the driver murmurs something about terrorists as he drives you to a location you say out of rote memory. You'll need bigger guns to deal with this, you decide. Two grenades and a Desert Eagle certainly won't be enough for Kirika. For this, you need a little sister's help.

It'll be a while before you get to where you're supposed to. You need to make a few calls, though, right away.

You dial Kyuubey's number. After two rings, he picks up.

"Yes, Matsuda? Can you be helped?"

How do you report what happened?

>>19695227
"Seen any little blue birds around lately? Apparently one of them informed Kirika of her impending retirement."

>>9695227
"Kirika was tipped, off. Knew my mission, wanted to talk. Tried to kill me with yakuza, blew up the bar."

>>19695227
*ptptptpptptppppppppppptttttttttttttt*

"She knew!"

>>19695227
You have a leak in your organization somewhere asshole.
I just ran into Kirika who told me she knew someone volunteered to retire her and tried to get a bunch of goons to kill me.
The plan is a bust you have anything as a back up?

>>19695254 >>19695250 >>19695249
>>19695243

You blow Kyuubey an irritated raspberry through the phone, which admittedly loses a bit of its impact simply because 1) he's not hear to see it and 2) it doesn't translate well into cellphone audio, by the way he seems to be confused about it. "I think I'm losing you, Matsuda, you're breaking up. Are you going through a tunnel or...?"

You cut him off by reporting, as curtly and as quickly as you can, that Kirika knew about her impending retirement. You tell him about the altercation that resulted in a bar getting blown up, and six yakuza members presumably being roasted into cinders as you speak. You leave out the thing about the weapons, of course.

"...Impossible. No one was supposed to know, except you. You did receive the dossier personally, didn't you? It can't be the courier, he's explicitly instructed not to open them under any circumstances."

You're silent at this. You didn't...receive the dossier personally, no. It was already there on the side table, with the pancakes Mami made.

A moment more, and Kyuubey lets out a frustrated sigh. "I'll see what I can do from here. In the meantime, I suppose you're headed to that place to rearm? If you need it, you can ask her to back you up. I'll authorize it. In the meantime, I'll send Mami over to your place. Knowing Kirika, she might get it into her head to wait for you there, and you have a principal to take care of."

That's certainly...considerate of the little bastard.

You thank him, and end the call, just as a couple of fire trucks blaze past you, evidently sent to confine the fire you just made.

What do you do next?

>>19695434
No, our GM does.

Anyway. Call Mami. "I know you sold me out. I'll hunt you down along with her. Since I considered you my friend, I'll allow you this warning."

No more than that. Let's see what she does with that bluff.

>>19695413
So...Mami may have sold us out.
No sir I don't like it.
Call Kyoko, ask if she's at our place protecting the idol.

Good enough. Rearm. Get her as backup, if she could be useful.
I have no idea who "she" is, by the way.

>>19695459 >>19695452 >>19695431

Still in the cab, thoughts of betrayal and friends selling you out running rampant in your head, you dial another number. It's Kyoko's, this time, her cellphone at least. You need to check up on her and Iori.

She picks up on the second ring. "P-pause, pause! Don't unpause it, that's cheating, I gotta take this call!" Kyoko seems to be excited about something, and a voice in the background is audible. "Yeah, Murderface, what's up? I'm just giving Iori-chan here a lesson in pain, and why she should learn how not to be a total scrub in Street Puncher 4."

Ah. Videogames. Kyoko must have brought her Polystation or Okama Game Sphere during her visit. That's nice, you suppose. At least Iori won't be bored.

How do you warn her about Kirika?

>>19695600
Everything seems in order.

Does Kyoko know about our mission? Tell her we ran into knives and she tried to off us. DON'T LET ANYONE IN.

>>19695600
"Don't shock Iori. Kiriko may be near you, waiting for me to return."