Hattatran

Hatta for short.

Merlin

>>110724
Tolize

Ramborghini

Chief Justice Walabaka

KILL IT WITH FI- >fireproof

Damn it.

>>110762

I found this highly amusing.

Senator

Venatus Alamandrin Aespanoza the Third.

Slutty McSlutslut.

Annuei Boira.

Bob

Ramborghini, obviously.

Ram 2010/01/14(Thu)19:37 No. 110866 ID: c0f3bf
File 126352664695.png - (15.85KB , 341x341 , Rambo Alamandrin.png )

Ramborghini Alamandrin, of course. With a name like mine, I wonder how I could have forgotten...

>>110725
You must be mistaken, that's the main character from my favorite book series about the ghost with the enchanted hat. I would like to think that I'm not so delusional as to confuse myself with her, as much as I love those books.


Well now that that's settled, I'm still hungry and restless. What should I do?

>>110866
Look for food. What do you usually eat?

Also, what exactly are the abilities of a blood mage?

>>110866
Go out, and KILL some kind of animal of a suitable size to cook and eat.

>>110866

Go to the local hospital/apothecary/houses of healing and cure some people of blood-based diseases!

>>110868
Meat. Red meat, if possible. I can have pretty much anything, but meat sustains me much longer than anything else.


>>110870
Well I haven't have very many chances to find out. Blood mages are almost mythological from their scarcity, so I haven't had any teachers. What I have found out...

Well, I have yet to be injured in a way I can't restore fully and completely. It takes no time to fix myself up after getting sliced on a particularly sharp rock.

Conversely, I've hurt animals before, even exploded one's heart once. I haven't tried, but I think I might be able to do something similar with things with more complex chemistries.

I know I can also do some things like release adrenaline from myself or animals without burning myself out. At its core, I suppose blood magic makes the anatomy of myself and others freeform to my will, though as I mentioned, I haven't much practice.

Oh, and it's got a very painful price. Healing myself of minor things like cuts is simple and virtually free, but I've had to restore a finger I'd lost before, and I know that anything above scrapes causes me a large amount of pain or blood loss.

I can use other blood, even out of people's bodies, or cause them the pain instead of me. At the time, the blood from my severed finger was all over my hands, so that made it a lot more pleasant.

Hurting things though... The processes are equivalently costless because of the desired results.

For nearly everything though, I need to have direct physical contact, or all I can do is maybe make someone nauseous.

>>110879
I'm not sure that's a good idea. Every blood mage in mythology so far has been a raving megalomaniacal psychopath. To my knowledge I am the first one in millenia, I definitely do not want to go flaunting this in public. Besides, healing that many people would probably put me in a coma for weeks from the pain or anemia.

>>110871
As nice as that sounds, the nearest free wilderness is miles away, and I don't have any means of transportation other than walking. And I'm hungry now, there are breakfast cafés and other means of getting food that will take much less time.

>>110914
Got any favorite breakfast cafe's?

>>110916
Not really... I only just moved here recently, I'm still getting used to it.

I know I saw a cafe and a restaurant somewhere around here. I could go to one of those, or just start walking and see where I end up.

>>110930
Uuh... How much money do you have?

>>110935
Enough... I don't really require a lot, which probably accounts for my boredom.

I'm not going to be buying any houses, but I can certainly pay for breakfast.

>>110963
Okay. Lessee... Let's try the restaurant.

>>110968
Okay.

I open the door and leave. It's very hot out, I would probably be sweating if I wasn't heat resistant.

I walk past the cafe (called Julien's by the way) and turn the corner to the restaurant.

I can see from looking in it's much cooler inside, there's what looks like a human couple in a booth along the back wall, a male flight curelian in one back corner booth, and a female goblin in another back corner booth. Nobody likes regular tables anymore...

The hostess is an elf, she directs me towards a middle booth near the door. Well that would explain the seating arrangements.

I look at the menu... they've got sausage, veal, venison, steak... and other things of course, but that's all the meat.

...Strange, that goblin in the corner is hotter than normal.

>>111023
Order the sausage.

Hotter how? Is she sweating, or does she look cuter?

>>111023
What's a flight curelian? Also, how hot is the goblin? Could she just have a fever or be drunk or something?

Sausage it is. Three servings worth I think, I haven't eaten in a while.

Not sexy hot, she looks to be... 2, 3 degrees above normal in temperature. She probably has a fever or something.

...I could cure it discreetly if I got a chance to touch her in some way, but it would have to hurt a bit, either me or her. I could just ignore it though, it's not like she's going to die.

The waitress com... it's a kobold. I am wondering more than a little how she's going to manage carrying three plates of sausage out here.

>>111036
I think I may have a plan that will work, but it'll have to wait until both of you are walking somewhere. For now, order the food.

>>111036
How much pain are we talking about here? Could you make it feel like a static shock, or a headache?

Ram 2010/01/14(Thu)22:57 No. 111070 ID: c0f3bf
File 126353865126.png - (23.23KB , 341x341 , flight curelian.png )

>>111029
Flight curelians are like ground curelians, but their arms turn into bat-like wings, their tails get larger and gain webbing, and their general physiology changes to make them lighter. They can also drift and glide around, but that should be pretty obvious by now.

>>111040
I order the food, the kobold looks slightly exasperated and she goes to the kitchen.

>>111049
I... never thought of that. The healing is nearly instantaneous, as is the pain, I don't think I have ever tried stretching it out over time. For a fever, a static shock seems about right, though it would be a particularly painful static shock. I might be able to draw it out as a headache-like pain, but since I've never done something like this before, it might not work if I break contact.

>>111070
Well, it stands to reason that you would share the pain from the static shock. So split it between you and her. Simple enough.

>>111070
Okay, here's my plan: You "accidentally" knock her over. Then you apologize and help her out. When she grabs your hand, heal her. Try to draw it out into a dull headache. Keep grasp of her hand as much as possible. When she asks why you're still holding your hand, speed up healing to instantaneous. During your cry of pain, let go of her hand. Then apologize again and say you zoned out for a bit there.

>>111081
That could work, though it would be much simpler just to shock heal her after grabbing her hand. It would give me a chance to see if that works though, and I don't get many of those.

>>111075
Splitting... pain? I don't think I've ever tried that either. If it works, she might not even notice the pain at all, and I can probably keep from flinching.

How convenient, she just got up to go to the bathroom it looks like. I ordered a lot of sausage, it probably won't be ready for a while. If I waited around the bathroom I could probably catch her as she's leaving.

>>111099
Eh... Go ahead, but it might be a bit suspicious.

>>111099
Okay, do it. Hang out near the door, then when you hear her coming out, 'accidentally' brush hands with her on your way in to the men's restroom, or the same restroom if it's unisex.

Alright, I get up and walk over to the bathrooms. It's not unisex, they're split for male and female.

.
. .
. . .

Okay, she's coming out, I start to walk towards her. What was the plan again?

>>111107
"Accidentally" knock her down. Apologize and help her up. Heal her while holding hands. Spread pain out and share it. Hold hands as long as possible. When she wonders why, apologize and say you zoned out.

>>111113
Don't knock her down all the way to the ground. Just bump into her shoulder and then grab onto it for stability.

Got it.

"Ah!"

I trip and grab her shoulder. I try to divide my perception of the pain between us as it lances up my veins. It hurts, but I removed the fever at least, she should start feeling better within the minute.

She recoils a bit and rubs her shoulder for a second, raising an eyebrow at me before walking back.

It... didn't feel like half pain, but it definitely felt weaker than before.

I suppose I'll have to go in the bathroom now...

>>111136
Yes, and while your in the stall, tell us more backstory.

Nice stall, the wallpaper is a tasteful green.

>>111137
I wish there was more to tell...

I grew up about 60 miles away from here, my parents were apathetic and left me to my own devices nearly all the time. The blood magic started coming when I was around 9, but I never figured out what it was until I was 12 and started learning a bit about blood mages in my school's mythology lessons.

It was pretty fun when my dad tried to teach me about sex though, I ended up correcting him on anatomy no less than four times.

Speaking of, I got full marks in anatomy, but at the time there were simply too many people trying to become doctors in the area, and I wasn't good enough at mathematics to move on from there, so I went into theater.

I am a very good actor, but getting cast is still... difficult.

I hope that answers a few questions, particularly why I'm not working right now.

>>111143
Have you been in any movies at all?

>>111147
I have been in almost nothing. Before moving, I was doing plays most of the time; I've only been in movies as an extra and supporting character, numbering 3 and 1, respectively.

I leave the bathroom after an appropriate amount of time has passed and go back to the table. The sausage hasn't come yet, and the human couple seems to have left, while the hostess must be out doing... restaurant stuff.

The goblin in the corner has reduced back to a normal temperature.

...That's strange, there's heat coming out from below the table.

>>111149
Take a quick and inconspicuous glance, like you're looking to see if there's any gum under the table.

Ram 2010/01/15(Fri)01:33 No. 111155 ID: c0f3bf
File 126354801299.png - (20.46KB , 341x341 , scotchtape.png )

>>111151
Just a quick one, the kobold is coming back.

It appears to--!!!

There is a bomb under the table!!

"H-here's your sausages sir."

It's heating up, it could go off anywhere from 1 to 10 seconds!

>>111155
ffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

You're nearly fireproof right? That doesn't look like a big bomb, just grab the kobold and dive away from the table, covering her with your body!

>>111155
GRAB THE KOBOLD AND RUN AWAY FROM THE TABLE WHILST HOLDING THE KOBOLD IN FRONT OF YOU TO SHIELD IT FROM THE BLAST! FUCK THE FOOD!

>>111158
Yes, but I'm not explosion proof! And this bomb could be made to do anything!

I don't see much else to do though, I dive tackle the waitress from the booth and roll back to standing. I can feel adrenaline flooding my veins!

The bomb explodes. Bright arcs of gold ripple outward as wooden shrapnel fills the air. I catch a glimpse of the arcs and they're... cold?

...If this bomb was sufficiently enchanted, it could be made to do almost anything.

>>111161
Where's the goblin?

>>111161
Anyone injured?

>>111163
>>111162
I think she ran into the bathroom, it's right next to her booth.

The curelian is hiding under the table.

The kobold seems fine, albeit very spooked. Minor hearing loss, but that will go away in a few days.

...Wait, she's covered in blood.

>>111165
Check yourself

>>111165
I think you got hit by shrapnel. You're gonna have to fix yourself in front of everyone, probably.

Ram 2010/01/15(Fri)02:53 No. 111173 ID: c0f3bf
File 126355278893.png - (15.94KB , 341x341 , epinephrine.png )

>>111167
>>111168
Oh... Adrenaline. Of course.

Well the kobold's staring at me horrified, the goblin is probably in the bathroom, the curelian is cowering under the table, and the hostess is still absent. Nobody's come from the kitchen yet.

"Are you alright??"

Typical kobold...
I am almost positive I can survive this, but with all this blood I could fix it up without much cost.

>>111173
Go ahead and fix yourself up. If that question was asked my the kobold, say yes, you're fine. Then knock on the girl's bathroom door and ask if anyone in there is OK.

>>111173
I think you should take it out, and only partially fix yourself, to make sure it's nonlethal. They're going to call an ambulance and if they arrive and find out that you're just fine, when everyone says you got impaled by shrapnel, then... well, you're in trouble.

Plus if you get a trip to the hospital, you might be able to help one or two people without being noticed.

Or would the medical bills be a problem? You could fix it a little for now, say it's just a flesh wound and insist on not going to see a doctor, then go back home and fix the rest in private.

>>111174
"I'm fine..."

>>111178
I'll close up the wound and turn it into the start of a large bruise, that should at least throw off the shrapnel accounts.

Rrrrilch!

The kobold just gagged.
This shouldn't hurt too much. All the blood disappears into the healing. That wasn't bad at all, considering anyway. I think I still have some adrenaline left.

>>111180
Now knock on the girls bathroom and ask if anyone in there is OK

>>111180
Uh, I think she noticed. Ask her not to tell anyone.

>>111183
Yes, she most definitely noticed.
I look her in the eyes and put on a resigned face.

"Good thing I only got grazed. Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, I'm f-fine. What happened to the wood?"

"Nothing happened, right?"

"...Oh, no, of course not."

I think she got the message

I head over to the restroom, but...
The restroom doors are right next to the kitchen. The female restroom is empty and there's a blood trail from under the door to the kitchen.

>>111184
Fuck, run into the kitchen to see if you can help.

>>111185
Since when did I become the--nevermind.

The kitchen is a complete mess. The force of the explosion couldn't possibly cause this much chaos. There is a large fridge in the back, ovens are smoking, and stoves are on fire. There are utensils, knives, pots and pans, and food literally everywhere, I can't move without stepping on some. The food is... cold. Colder than room temperature at any rate. I can't see where the blood goes from this mess.

>>111186
Check in the fridge.

>>111188
I carefully navigate the refuse and get to the fridge door. I kick it with my foot and the latch opens.

...The goblin is in the fridge. She looks like she's been bitten to death by something very large. The rest of the fridge is cleaned out to make room for her.

>>111189
Dead? Are you sure? It hasn't been that long... it might not be too late. I mean, unless her heart has been ripped out you may be able to bring her back from the brink.

>>111190
...I... I'd need blood, more than this. I'd have to get that kobold to help me for sure, and if this is going to work at all I need to move fast.

There's some raw meat on the floor, I eat it.

Should I try reviving her? To say I haven't tried this before is a massive understatement.

>>111194
She could have some insights on what is going on. You don't really have to heal her completly. Atleast not now, just make sure that she's alive again and won't die in the nearest hour.

Agreed. Hopefully the good karma ++ of having saved two lives will convince the kobold (and goblin?) to keep quiet.

If not, well, there's always running away.

>>111196
I'll... go get the kobold.

I walk back through, sapping the blood as I move. The kobold is rubbing her... wait, she didn't have a nosebleed before. And that curelian is gone now. The hostess is still conspicuously absent.

>>111198
"Where did the... why are you... There's no time! Wounded in the kitchen, hurry and help me!"

"Where did the... why are you... There's no time! Wounded in the kitchen, hurry and help me!"

She's blushing. A lot.

"N-no! That curelian shoved me into the hostess podium when he was running out of here!
Wait, in the kitchen? What's going on? How could I help you?"

No time. I'm picking her up.

>>111201
What a rude curelian. Nobody's called a doctor yet or anything, either.

By the way I think all the other staff is dead. Eaten, likely, by whatever bit the goblin. Some kind of giant frost wolf or something.

Take the fastest route into the kitchen, and start the procedure. Lay your hand on the goblin's chest. Center mass should be good for this right?

"God I hope this works."

>>111202
Just remember that you don't have to do full healing for this. You can get them completly up to date later when you can use a pig or something for the blood.

Ram 2010/01/15(Fri)17:55 No. 111401 ID: c0f3bf
File 126360691728.png - (19.85KB , 341x341 , skirtbold.png )

I bring her to the kitchen and she keeps asking me questions. She shuts up when she sees the blood stream, however.

>>111202
Center mass is good, but center nervous is better. I don't need to use my hands either, any physical contact is enough.

And it is hardly a procedure, I have mentioned before, it takes very little time, and the healing just... goes.

>>111205
No, I don't have to, just enough to get her alive. Oh, and the less complex the blood and the creature that the blood is taken from is, the less potent it is. The blood of people is exponentially superior.

I put the kobold down in front of the fridge. Should I say anything, or just start, and is there anything in particular I should try to set with the pain or the blood?

>>111401
I think the kobold would like to know what your about to know so she doesn't freak out.

>>111401
Tell her a bit. Say that it's to help the Goblin and that you would never intentionally endanger the kobold.

And the reason I suggested pigs or another animal is because it attracts less attention. If a hobo turns up with all of his blood drained out then people are going to start asking questions. If you however buy 3 live pigs and then butcher and eat them nobody is really going to wonder where all that blood went.

>>111401
Share the blood loss between you and the kobold so you both wind up in about the same condition.

Share some of the pain with the goblin, she probably won't even notice considering she's already so badly hurt. Or won't care. The important thing is not passing out from pain overload.

Tell the kobold not to be afraid.

>>111415
I have money, but not enough to routinely buy live animals to butcher.

>>111406
Okay... I put on a pleading and sympathetic face.

"I might be able to help her, but I can't do it by myself."

"But I can't do... whatever you did with that wood! What was that?"

Sigh...

"Blood magic."

"...Are you a--"

"Yes, now will you help me try to revive her or not?"

"I... Sure... This is going to hurt me, isn't it..."

"Both of us, yes. A lot. And I am positive we will end up anemic after."

"Anemic?! Then--"

"Yes, now get over here, I need more help."

She steps over with a look similar to condemnation on her face.

>>111422
Dead people can't feel pain.

>>111433
Well if you don't have money then improvise. The point is to use something elses blood that's not a sentient and likely to upset people.

>>111433
Do it.

>>111433
Be confident Ram. Talent is fostered by hardship such as this.

Also, if the pain can be drawn out to be more bearable, perhaps the healing can, as well?

>>111454
I haven't tried that yet either, but I will now. Maybe it'll keep me from falling unconscious.

>>111442
Fine, but not now.

>>111444
I put a hand on the goblin's chest and another on the kobold's nose since it's already bleeding a bit. She blushes, her nerves must be extra sensitive from the wound.

I close the wounds, refresh her blood, and start her heart up. I can no longer see or move voluntarily from the pain. The kobold's muscles are frozen, I can feel her tears on my hand. I start up the rest of her organs and finally her brain. She gasps for air.

I think she's alive. I can't move anymore. I still can't see anything. All my nerves have gone numb, I think most of the blood in my hands dried up. I've felt pain before, but this is unprecedented. Four of my teeth just shattered from clenching my jaw, but no blood came out.

>>111510
Can you take deep breaths? Try and lay down.

>>111514
I drop to the floor. I can barely hear anything, but I think the goblin is coughing.

I think I can stay conscious. My extremities are useless now, I can't feel my legs. I can talk though, I'm not so anemic that I can't.

My vision is clearing a bit after breathing slowly. Looks like the kobold got off better than I did in terms of anemia, she's shivering and taking large breathes.

>>111527
Ask if everyone is alright. Continue breathing slowly. Try moving your fingers.

>>111527
Ask the kobold to find some raw meat, it will help you recover and then help everyone else recover as well.

>>111534
I already ate the raw meat beforehand.

>>111529
I ask. The kobold starts moving again.

"I'm f-f-fine, I-I'll g-go get s-s-some w-water."

She has a terrible stutter now. The goblin just coughs.

>>111555
Continue breathing slowly and trying to move your limbs. Try and look at the goblin.

>>111556
The feeling is slowly coming back. I look up at her. She's clutching her chest and wheezing, but she looks fine.

Well, apart from the bite wounds of course.

!?

She grabbed me by the mane.

>>111571
"Hey, lay off. That's no way to treat someone who brought you back from the dead."

>>111572
"Erm, in a manner of speaking. Your brain wasn't dead yet."

>>111572
"Please let go of my mane."

"Where the hell am I?"

That is... not a good sign.

>>111576
"A restaurant, the staff was attacked by... something. What's the last thing you remember?"

>>111577
"You look like you got maimed by something, what's the last thing you can remember?"

"I remember I wasn't green!! What did you do?!"

Oh my ears...
She didn't see anything that went on, all the blood is gone and the kobold is stumbling back with water. I'm not sure if I should tell her everything...

>>111603
Wait a second. Ask her if she was a human. And try and stand up.

>>111603
Huh? Did she change colors?

"What did I do? I don't know what you're talking about. What color were you before?"

>>111605
>>111604
...On reflection, that is a strange thing to say.

"What color should you be? I just opened the fridge and you were in here."

The kobold hears me. She has enough tact not to blurt out something stupid. She puts down some water, presumably she drank some herself when she was getting it. he

I try to stand up. It doesn't work, but at least I can feel my legs and hands again.

>>111615
Just sit up against a wall and ask for the kobold to bring you a cup of water.

>>111615
Drink the water that has already been set down beside you.

>>111624
>>111622
I manage to fumble my hands across the glass and drink it. I feel a lot better. Wait, the goblin is talking.

"--working! Why was I in a fridge?!"

"I don't know. What color did you say you were? I didn't know goblins changed colors."

Unless she had some kind of body paint on, or some kind of full-body tattoo, but I think I would have noticed if she did.

She pauses for a second. She looks confused and angry.

"Goblin?"

...This is also a bad sign. I'm starting to want to just leave her here.

>>111652
Hold on a second, don't leave her here! Ask her what she's supposed to be, if she's seen us before, and what her name is. And drink more water.

>>111654
I ask the kobold to bring more water.

"If you're not a goblin, what are you? And what's your name anyway"

She starts, and thinks for a couple of seconds before talking.

"I... I'm... a... goblin. I made a mistake. Must be from waking up in the fridge. Sorry. My name is Raka."

Can't I just leave? She's alive after all, and I might have been famished before, but now I think I am literally starving. I'm covered in food and grease, too, I need to steam it off.

>>111669
How much money do you have? You still need to pay for the sausage and the piece of raw meat.

>>111669
I think she's good now. That's pretty weird though.

Make sure the ovens and stuff are turned off, you don't want the place to catch fire now.

Take the kobold aside and try to find out if she's going to keep your secret or not. Without threatening her, please.

Ram 2010/01/16(Sat)02:09 No. 111727 ID: c0f3bf
File 126363654968.png - (18.57KB , 341x341 , thetalk.png )

>>111670
I don't think anyone cares at this point.

>>111671
Good point. I can't even begin to make this place clean, but I can at least stop it from exploding. Again.

I try to stand, and it works this time. I'm still shaken, but I am getting progressively better.

I go up to the kobold and drink the water she brings, then I take her aside.

She looks... awful. I probably do as well. I'm not sure how to say this, but I will anyway.

"We resurrected a dead person. It seems she doesn't even realize it."

"Y-yeah..."

Her stutter is still there.
...Might as well just say it.

"You can do what you want, but tell me now if you're going to say anything so I have time to move."

"L-look, I-I'm not g-going to say an-an-anyth-thing. As f-far as I can t-tell, you-you've just been h-help-ping p-people."

>>111727
...Ask the kobold if it's going to be alright.

>>111728
"Are you okay?"

"I'll b-be fine, I-I've-ve felt w-worse bef-fore."

She looks terrible, but I can tell already she'll recover with time.

>>111729
Are you still hungry? Ask the kobold if you can have some more food if you are. And if you have to pay for it.

>>111730
I'm starving... but I didn't see any more meat in the refrigerator, and I had what was on the floor.

It's strange, there should be more food, but I didn't see very much of it in the kitchen. And I don't see any chefs anywhere, but they must have been in earlier to make the sausage.

>>111731
I keep saying they were EATEN. Whatever ate them almost ate the goblin but not quite. Hey, look around in places you haven't checked. But uh... bring a weapon. There should be a knife lying around somewhere.

>>111732
I go back into the kitchen. The goblin appears to be collecting herself still. I pick up a large knife from the floor and head back out. The kobold gives me a look, but she doesn't say anything.

There is a bar, but it is closed at the moment. The only other place I could go is out the back door, which is around the same area.

>>111734
Poke your head out and look around.

>>111735
I carefully step outside. I am in a back alley. It dead-ends at a dumpster, and the way to the street is blocked with trash.

There is a fire pole leading up to the adjacent building, but I am too anemic to climb it.

>>111737
Ugh, the thing probably climbed up the pole. Check the dumpster anyway.

>>111737
Do you see any blood?

>>111739
Can't see any blood, but I can smell some.

>>111738
It is plausible.

I go over to the dumpster. The lid is sticking...

>>111743
Oh no. Open it.

>>111743
Any heat signatures nearby?

>>111745
Nothing out of the ordinary.

>>111744
I shove my shoulder up and it opens.

...It's filled to the brim with trash.

>>111747
Oh well, I guess we're out of leads until we're healthy enough to climb the pole.

You did look up, didn't you?

I guess we can head back in, put the knife back and just wait for the police to get there or something.

>>111747
Take a few things out of there. No one could bury anything in the bottom in the amount of time from when the bomb exploded to now.

>>111750
I looked up, but I did not see anything particularly eye-catching.

>>111751
I start going through the trash. I don't see any--
...!
There is a lot of blood in here, it's underneath the trash.

>>111754
Leave the trash dumpster alone now. Putting any trash back in or taking more out will make you suspicious. Just go back and wait for the police.

>>111758
I'm so hungry...
Wait, police?!

I... no, that can not be good! If they realize I am a blood mage, they could prevent me from leaving! That's the only thing I can do right now...

>>111759
Leaving would also make you suspicious. Just saying.

>>111759
How would they realize you're a blood mage? Your story is pretty good. The shrapnel grazed you, the goblin simply woke up in the fridge, and the kobold will back you up. Even if the cops find some inconsistencies, how would they come to the conclusion you're a blood mage? The only element that is trouble is that you and the kobold are anemic. If you can just find some way of recovering your power you can fix that too.

On the other hand if we mess about with the dead bodies in the dumpster, we'll leave evidence behind. At the very least they will charge you with tampering with the evidence.

Can you go back to the main dining area and try to salvage the blown-up sausages?

>>111760
I...

Do you know how bad every single blood mage in history has been? Here's a refresher.

The oldest blood mage said to have existed is likely to have killed an entire nation by himself, for absolutely no reason. He supposedly died from a massive tectonic shift that actually split the ground under him.

The second one is even more of a myth. He crops up all over the place in folklore. He apparently fed on the pain of others, and tortured the people of small towns both physically and psychologically. When he was through with them, the people were worse than the most psychotic serial killers. It isn't even certain how he died, but it must have been something massive.

There are more, too. Every one of them committed atrocities that would scar people for life if they witnessed them.

>>111761
There aren't any bodies in here. Just blood and trash. The blood is... old though, almost two days old.

They might believe me, and they would probably overlook the kobold's anemia, since I am also anemic now. She might back me up, but we would have to explain why there was a bomb under my table.

I have no idea why someone planted a bomb under my table, or even what it was supposed to do, but they could take me into custody just to find out, and that would be very dangerous for a very long time...

>>111764
I guess you have a point there.

Well, if there's just some blood in the trash (which is weird) then I guess you can try to get something from it. I guess you can try to talk to the kobold about what her story's gonna be. The goblin's testimony would be unreliable since her memory's fucked up, so you probably don't have to worry there.

>>111764
You know what? Fine. Heal the rest of your wounds and leave. You'll eat your words when police come knocking at your door a couple of days later for questioning. You'll be charged with attempted murder, planting bombs, and fleeing a crime scene. But you don't care about any of that, DO you?

By the way, there wouldn't happen to be any gangs in this area, would there?

>>111769
I only just moved here. That could be the case, but I'm not the person that would know.

>>111765
It doesn't matter it's covered in trash, I can use all of it. I take all of the blood. I feel better, but I'm still anemic some amount.

>>111766
Of course I do! This is likely one of the worst things that could possibly happen to me! I... could move I suppose... again. I'm not sure how efficient the police are here.

If only I could convince the kobold and Raka not to tell them I was in there, I might be able to avoid them. That curelian might say something, but with two accounts against him he might not remember me at all, especially with the explosion.

>>111772
If you're able to convince the kobold and the goblin, the curelian will be the most suspicious one. I think it'll take a little effort to convince Reka, though.

>>111772
Think you can check up the fire pole now?

>>111774
Yes, she does seem as if she might need some persuasion.

>>111775
I think I can, yes. There was a sizable amount of blood in the dumpster.

>>111776
Let me ask you a question: Do you care about other people at all?

>>111776
Hey, you said you hurt animals before. In what situation? Did you like, grab a stray off the street and experimented with it? Or did you just try using your powers on something while hunting in the wild?

Also, what made you move before?

>>111777
...What exactly are you getting at?

>>111778
I was in a wilderness of sorts, I started hunting when I was about 11. when I realized I was a blood mage, I stopped using knives and lethal traps. I moved because... well, my parents don't really like me very much, I did not want to have to be around them anymore.

>>111779
Let me put it this way: Say someone is hanging off a huge cliff. Would you pull them up?

>>111779
How fresh does the blood you use need to be? Because it could be a good idea to take up hunting again and storing blood in your house for emergancies.

>>111781
Wet blood is the best, if it is dry it isn't as good. The older it is, the less useful, and any longer than a couple days and its usefulness drops exponentially. Bacteria and disease aren't a concern though, same with trash and filth.

I wouldn't want to have to explain why I have large amounts of blood, but that would probably be a good thing to have, in one form or another.

>>111780
Of course I would, there is no reason why I should not, is there?

Go inside and try to get the kobold and goblin's story straight so nobody gets in trouble and the police don't come pounding on your door.

After you're done with that then you can climb up the fire pole. We don't know how long we're going to follow the mystery beast's trail after all.

>>111782
Good to know. Do you know of any anti coagulents as well? That way you should be able to keep it useful for a decent amount of time.

By the way did you find anything interesting around the fire pole?

>>111782
Okay. It sounds like the blood mages you described earlier would rather taunt them then stomp on their hands then save them. Then they'd go off to raze a village. New question: if someone came to you asking for help to get their pet out of a tree, would you help them?

>>111784
Around the fire pole? It's a fire pole, there's nothing here at ground level but the dumpster and trash barricade.

>>111786
...What kind of pet? What some people keep should be illegal.

>>111788
Poke around in the trash barricade.

>>111788
A legal and cute pet.

Ram 2010/01/16(Sat)06:19 No. 111793 ID: c0f3bf
File 12636515858.png - (15.32KB , 341x341 , glowies.png )

>>111790
I... suppose? I guess I wouldn't have anything better to do.

>>111789
There's not much of interest here. I can see--wait...

There's a small piece of glowing metal. A strange symbol has been etched into it.

I have not seen this before.

>>111788
Behind, on it. Whatever. Oh what the fuck. This alley sucks and I'm sure it stinks as well.

Go inside and nicely ask the kobold not to give away your secret and see if the goblin is starting to make sense. You may have put the wrong soul back or something like that, but hey it was your first resurection attempt so I guess some complications are to be expected.

>>111793
It's glowing? Is it giving off any heat as well?

Put it in your... uh... do you have a pouch or something?

>>111795
Yeah, I do...

I use the knife to put it in without touching it. It is almost certainly enchanted, but I don't know how.

>>111794
I check back inside and--!!!

The police are here! And a paramedic. The goblin and the kobold are talking to them... I think I could make out what they're saying.

>>111796
oh hell. Listen in.

>>111796
I would suggest you go up and say hi to them. Tell them about the odd bomb and finding the goblin in the fridge. Simply tell the truth with some small corrections. Like leave out being a blood mage and resurrecting a person who just might have gotten the wrong soul.

If you're going to try resurrection in the future I would suggest finding a necromancer to help or learn some of it yourself. Atleast if it's the soul part that's the problem.

It's a pity, I was about to suggest that the easiest way to get everything straight would be to have the waitress report the curelian as being at the bombed table instead of you. Switch your seats.

>>111797
"--is going to take a while, sorry."

"It's f-fine, I und-dersta-and."

That is invariably the kobold. The stutter is still there.

"I need to go. Now."

That would be Raka. I wonder what she is in a hurry for.

"You were HERE when it happened, so you're going to STAY here until we figure out just WHAT the hell happened!"

"..."

"Don't worry though, when we find that curelian we'll put him through an even longer interrogation process. What exactly did he look like?"

...? That's odd, why didn't he mention me?

>>111801
Sounds like they're already covering your ass. I think you'd better just get out of there. Go up the fire pole.

...

"H-he w-w-was larg-ger tha-an--"

"He was tall, above average weight, high muscle mass, especially for a flight curelian. His tail had more webbing than normal, and his right eye was scarred shut with a blade wound."

"Alrighty... so... we've got a stuttering kobold, a meaty flight curelian, and a little green goblin."

"H-hey, I d-don't N-normally-y st--"

"Yes."

...I do not think I brought back the same person with the fever. Why does she not mention me though, there isn't any reason for it. Is there? Maybe the kobold talked to her... Nice, but I hope she didn't say anything stupid.

I am still holding a knife... I can't climb with it, so I clean it of fingerprints and throw it in the dumpster. I even bend it, to make it look unusable.

>>111803
If they aren't saying anything about me, I have free reign. I could even go back there without consequence. For the time being though, I start climbing up the fire pole. It takes longer than I'd like, but nobody sees me through the alley. I am too weak to get any higher than the second balcony, should I go there or stay at the first?

>>111803
Stay at the first. Conserve your strength. If you decide to come back here again, be sure to thank the kobold.

>>111901
It might even be nice to become friends with her. She knows your secret, so you can talk freely with her.

I... Maybe. I have never said anything to anyone before, for obvious reasons. I would have to wait for a while though, the police questioning is going to take another three hours for preliminaries at least. I am now on the first floor balcony, it looks like it wraps around the entire building. There are no windows on this side, I can go to either side. There might be another fire pole on the opposite side from where I am now.

>>112071
Head away from the restaurant.

I flip a coin in my head and decide to go right, around the corner and across the edge. I shimmy along and move across the corner. There is a small awning beneath me, and--... Wait... There is a large window here made of glass. But I estimate it is 10:10, and even though the sun is shining on it, the window is cold. That it has a metal frame just makes it worse. I... can just keep going, there is probably a way down a ways forward?

>>112167
Uh, look for a safe way down. If there are none safe, then just continue.

>>112167
Cold? Open the window.

I suppose there isn't much reason to check it, it's probably a cooling enchantment, or something similar at any rate, odd as the positioning is. I think I could climb down on that awning, but after looking ahead a ways, I find another fire pole and climb down that instead. This alley is clear, I could get out onto the streets from where I am now.

>>112296
So I guess it's time to try the Cafe now, or do you think that's too risky?

If that bomb was indeed meant for the staff rather than me, and if they did not mention me to the police, -I- should have little to worry about. I will pay more attention to my surroundings just in case, however. I move myself back to the cafe without error and walk in the door. I... am getting odd looks. There are a lot of people in here right now.

>>112339
Examine self. Maybe you need to wash up.

>>112375
Without a doubt. My back is smeared with sausage grease, there are still a few splinters left in. The bruise I made is painfully apparent now, and bits of trash and old food pepper my entire form.

I do not think I can be much more filthy than I am right now. Evidence points to the same conclusion; everyone is avoiding looking at me.

I order... more sausages. A lot more sausages. Maybe I can get a chance to actually eat them this time.

Blood mages are too uncommon for sausage ordering to be taken as a feature, everyone in here most likely thinks I am a lunatic.

>>112744
Uh... When your done eating, you should head home and take a shower or something.

>>112747
The service is commendably fast. They have a lot of incentive to be so.

I eat five plates of sausages as fast as I can, pay, and walk out. If I ever go back there, I think I should be disguised, or something like that.

The sausages filled me up. They were not of very good quality, but I feel like I am finally starting to come close to my previous condition.

I walk back around to--There is something very, very hot inside.

>>112760
Oh great, someone torched your place.

>>112768
That is not the only explanation, the hot vents never worked right, and natural disasters are plausible too, what with all the random magic strewn around.

There are firefighters--and a water mage too. They can probably put it out so it does not raze adjacent areas, but the integrity looks far too compromised for me to explore.

When they put most of it out, a firefighter walks up to me.

"Do you live here?"

>>112783
"Yeah, how bad is the damage?"

>>112802
"Yes. Or at least, I used to. Is it beyond hope?"

"We're not sure yet, the design is newer than what we are used to. We'll tell you when we are, but you might want to find a place to stay for a while."

...I can't think of anywhere offhand.

"Do you know anything that might have started it?"

"The heating vents have never worked correctly, but it is for that reason that I do not use them."

"You had trouble with your heating vents? The design is very recent, this could be a sign of an unknown problem. Would you mind speaking to an expert about what they were like? If there is a problem in the design, we might be able to prevent this from happening to other people."

>>112820
"Sure, fine."

>>112830
"Yes, okay."

"Thanks, it'll be a big help."

Some ash hits me. I was wrong about being unable to become dirtier.

I go with another firefighter to the nearby station to talk with a human and an olao for around an hour and a half. They appear to be extremely confused, but by the end of it they say I've been helpful and say I can leave.

I need to get clean, this is quickly becoming ridiculous.

!?

The kobold is here. I forgot, the firefighters are also in charge of explosives! They must have brought her in to describe the blast, but... I can't see the goblin anywhere.

The wouldn't just release her, especially not after that scene I eavesdropped on.

>>112847
Go say hello. Ask if you can use her shower when she's done here, as your apartment caught fire.

>>112894
I don't even have to change my expression. It fits the situation pretty well.

"Hey."

"Huh? Oh! W-what are you doing here?"

"You would not believe what just happened to me."

"W-what?"

"My apartment caught fire."

"Wh-- R-really? Is it related t-to the bomb?"

"They think it's because of a problem with the heating vents. They never really worked right."

Her stutter is still there. It seems to have reduced in intensity however.

"Oh... Why do y-you smell so bad?"

"It is... a very long story. Suffice to say, I have had a very bad day... Can I use your shower, and maybe spend the night? I don't really know what to do..."

"U-uhm, y-yeah, s-sure, n-nobody's there r-right n-now..."

Well that clears some problems up. Can we go now? I can't think of anything else I should do first.

>>112910
Ask her how it went. Try to be as vague as possible. Hope she knows what you're asking about.

Well, you could mention the goblin specifically.

>>112916
"What happened to Raka?"

"She got p-pulled in for m-more questions, and t-told me to go, I'm not s-sure why."

Maybe she frustrated them beyond their limits.

"O-oh, and she went to the h-hospital."

They must have seen the wounds.

We start walking.

"...So how did it go?"

"H--oh, it w-wasn't that bad. They j-just asked us about w-what we s-saw, t-then they took us to talk to th-the encha-anter."

"Why didn't you say anything to them?"

"It w-was her, s-she did the t-talking."

...The goblin didn't mention me first?

"Ah."

"...C-can I ask you what you did w-with that kn-knife?"

"The wounds on her looked like bite marks, I wanted to make sure it was not still around. I threw it in the dumpster when I noticed the police."

I neglect to mention the blood in the dumpster. For the time being, at least.

>>112922
Is she shaking? She seems pretty scared.

Ask her if she's nervous.

>>112927
>>112928
It does seem like her stutter gets worse when she is anxious; the anemia cannot be helping it though.

"You seem tense, are you alright?"

She looks down for a second before replying.

"You're n-not the only one that's been h-having a b-bad d-day."

We walk in a mildly awkward silence for a time. Eventually we reach an apartment.

"H-here it is, the shower is on your l-left."

She covers her nose.

"Maybe you should take a bath, too. I hope there's enough soap. Sorry there aren't any steam vents."

I take her advice and have a bath first. The copper tub warms my back, and the hot water feels indescribably good. I remove the splinters and the rest of the shrapnel, and fix the bruise on my middle back. My mane is finally clean, as is my skin. I feel exponentially better now.

The towels are too small, so I turn the water on my fur into vapor.

I step out. The kobold appears to be writing something in a book.

>>112935
Cough politely and let her know you're finished.

>>112935
Ask her if there's anything you can do for her. She's letting you stay at her place after all so you should do something for her.

>>112938
I cough politely. She jumps and closes the book quickly.

"Oh, I t-though you'd be l-longer!"

>>112963
"Since you let me stay here, is there anything I can do to help you?"

"...Can't t-think of anything."

I can. She is still anemic, there is a scar on her left hand and another on her lower back, and both of her eyes are slightly nearsighted.

>>113279
Well fix it. But make sure it's painless for her.

Make her some lunch after that. The time should be around 12 or 13 right?

>>113287
Ask her her name as well.

>>113279
Offer to fix those things. Don't do it without permission!

>>113287
Far from it, actually. All the walking around combined took a few hours, and it also took some to talk to the firemen about heating vents. It is now around 5:30.

>>113299
Permission is a good thing to have, but I am concerned she could become... anxious, if I mention that I know nearly everything about her physiology. As far as she knows, blood magic works superficially.

>>113295
"What is your name?"

"You f-first."

That seems fair.

"Ramborghini Alamandrin. Ram or Rambo, usually."

"...Fizz."

"F-fizz??"

That is... almost satirically adorable.

"Yes, Fizz! I didn't name myself! ...Don't look at me like that, Rambo, you're not much better!"

>>113411
Tell her you think her name is adorable.

"Well I think it is quite ado--" "My full name is Fizz-Tongue." Now it's just strange.

>>113505
It's still adorable. And ask if you can help her with dinner. Also point out that you can fix alot of physical problems. So if there's anything she has a problem with she just has to ask.

>>113506
She has many trivialities, too small to notice individually. I very much doubt she would mention such small things if I asked directly, with the possible exception of her eyes.

I am not sure how to ask. I can help with cooking, however.

"Are you hungry? Can I help make food?"

...Her expression is unreadable, I do not have any idea what she is thinking.

"...Can you cook?"

I mostly eat red meat, but I do have to know how to cook it some. Red meat is better for me than raw meat, I still am not sure why.

"I know the basics, I did not have a roommate, so I learned how to make food for myself."

"Can you follow orders?"

Wh... What happened to her stutter? She is still anemic, is she not?

>>113682
Perhaps cooking is her forte, something that will have her feeling in control again rather than in others' hands for safety as she was to you back in the cafe. Either that or she's been posessed by something/someone. Can you tell if she has been?

>>113682
My guess is that you distracted her from stuttering. I advise pointing it out unless you want it to return and her to mention something about tricking her.

>>113682
She's taking charge. Cooking makes her confident. It makes sense that she lost her stutter.

But yeah, say you'll follow her orders.

Ram 2010/01/18(Mon)00:25 No. 113850 ID: c0f3bf
File 126380314886.png - (18.09KB , 341x341 , raep.png )

>>113684
It is a possibility, but as I am a physical mage, I cannot sense if she is or not. I look in her eyes, but I do not know what to look for, and nothing particularly jumps out at me.

>>113685
That could be the reason, it got worse when she was anxious, it is likely the reverse could have the opposite effect.

>>113724
"Y-yes, I can...?"

She looks almost sinister. Her heart is pumping her blood faster than normal.

"...Follow me."

She briskly walks to the kitchen. As soon as she gets there, it is almost as if she shifts into another time dimension. She starts grabbing utensils off shelves spouting instructions.

"Two pomegranates, there is white wine in the third lower cabinet, four bowls, and the spice rack is on top of the counter. Garlic powder, salt, no pepper, sticks of cinnamon are separated in a jar, three large ones."

She picks up a spoon. I think I am quickly becoming dizzy.

"Apples! Two of them! And a lemon, fruit is assigned to half the coldbox! Yams are in the lower set, peelers are in the second drawer. Butter is everywhere, shouldn't be hard to find, milk is where it should be, rice is in the cupboard, saffron on the shelf, hotbox needs heating, and..."

She picks up a knife and removes a small chicken from the fridge.

"...Plates are under the shelf."

She twirls around and gives me a malicious smile in the doorway.

"...Coming?"

>>113850
Tell her you think your coming.

>>113850
What are you waiting for? Get to it, man! Show her your level of competence and ability to handle orders.

Also, something to think about regarding the bombing - the human couple and elven hostess who simply disappeared before the explosion.

It's possible they may have been involved with the bombing. Of course, it's just as possible that they were lucky enough to step out at just the right time to avoid it, but there's still the possibility that they knew it was there.

>>113872
"Yes."

>>113887
I did not get a good appraisal of the human couple, and I did not look closely at the hostess either. It is entirely possible any one or all of them have something to do with it. The blast was quite localized however, it is very unlikely they would have been hit by the shrapnel... unless...

If the bomb was enchanted, the blast radius could have a deceptive range. Any one of us might have been hit by it, including the goblin, or even the monster or the hostess and human couple, if they were not far away enough when it exploded.

I admit I have not had much experience following orders, but I will try...


.


..


...


That was the best meal I have ever eaten in my entire life.

...I think I am going to collapse.

>>113890
Woah, woah, woah! Was there poison in the food?

>>113891
No... only pure, magnificent food.

I would definitely notice any harmful materials, and I do not think I can be affected by poison. Besides, as... hectic as it was, I was helping her cook, there was no chance that she could have put some in after it completed, unless she was going to poison herself as well.

I could keep myself up if need be, but I cannot think of a good enough reason to.

>>113895
Well, someone could break in here and attempt to murder you in your sleep.





But that is not going to happen.

>>113897
...The fire was most likely unrelated to the bomb. Anyone trying to kill me would know that I am an ezilot; to murder them in such a way is... not recommended.

Fizz (I am still amazed that is her name) looks exhausted as well, much less pale too, the food must have helped the blood loss some. We've just been sitting here digesting, neither of us has said anything so far.

>>113912
Ask her why she wanted to be a cook in the first place.

>>113912
Make small talk. Maybe mention the scar on her hand and tell her that you can fix it if she wants?

>>113913
Yes, she must have been waitressing in order to move up. I certainly can't think of any other reason why a kobold would be in a job that involves lifting multiple plates at once.

"Why did you want to be a chef?"

Her eyes roll up in her head and she lies back, staring at the ceiling.

"My granddad loved to cook. All the time. I have a lot of brothers and sisters, I didn't get a lot of attention growing up."

Typical for a kobold, they have litters, do they not?

"He always paid attention to me, though. Even when everyone else was having fun, he would take me aside to cook with him. At first I hated it, but that was just me being angry at getting singled out. After a while though, I realized how... thrilling it was, and after that, I jumped up to help whenever he was over. Everyone else didn't seem to mind."

She giggles a bit.

>>113921
If it is already visible, it shouldn't bother her too much.

"You know, I could fix that scar on your left hand if you wanted."

She shakes her head.

"It's old, f-from working with my granddad. I'd like to keep it if I could. ...I don't know if that makes me weird or not, but I still like it."

>>113924
Ask her what she thinks of you.

>>113924
Ask yourself what you think of her.
And her cute st-st-stutter.

>>113926
I suppose it would be a good idea to get any insecurities out in the open, and this is as good a lead-in as any.

"What do you think about the whole 'blood magic' thing, and me in general?"

She rolls over onto her side and waits a couple of seconds before saying anything.

"I'm not entirely s-sure what to think... I still d-don't feel... 'right', a-after... t-that. But after you passed R-Raka in the h-hall, she looked a l-lot bet-ter. You c-cured her, didn-n't you?"

No reason to deny it.

"Yes, I did."

"W-well yeah, I mean, I know-w the hor-rible history of them, but I-I... you s-scare me al-lot, but y-you haven't done anything bad..."

She sits up and crawls over to sit next to me.

"...A-and you saved m-my l-l-life, so I d-don't really have a-anything to complain abo-out.

>>113927
She helped me before, and she is allowing me to stay with her. I don't have any reason not to appreciate her presence. I just hope she does not tell anyone that I am a blood mage, they likely would not be as lenient.

And the stutter is... cute, I suppose, but it slows down conversations, and not that I have anything better to do, but it must be annoying not to be able to speak as clearly as other people. The intensity also has gone up again, I could mostly suppress it if I tried.

>>113930
Suggest that you could even help with her stuttering if she wanted. Or any other problems with her body, external or internal. Anything she needs.

>>113930
Actually, is the stuttering still from the anemia, or has she always had it when she's nervous?

If it's the anemia, offer to do what you can to help with that - and if it's part of her natural response to being nervous... you'll just have to show her that she doesn't need to be nervous around you.

>>113930
Wait. She doesn't feel 'right'? Ask her what she means.

>>114182
Likely residual numbness from the pain, coupled with anemia.

>>114181
A little of both, I would suspect. She stuttered a little bit when she was taking my order, but it only became noticeable after she became anemic.

>>114179
"You know, you are still anemic, I could fix that if you wanted. Or any other problems, internal, or external...?"

"H-hold on, h-how do you know I'm still a-anemic?"

>>114187
Erm. Tell her you can see it from her body temperature and skin tone.

>>114187
Tell her it was just a guess.

>>114187
You got two choices:
-Tell her about it being a special 'gift' blood mages have
-Lie like hell, telling her that she mentioned she still didn't feel 'right' and you guessed that was what was wrong

If you're truthful with her, she might get weirded out a bit, but she could appreciate the gesture of telling her the truth.
Likewise, if you lie, she probably won't be much more weirded out, but she might be angry if she learns you lied.

Which would you rather deal with - someone who might be a bit more afraid of you, or someone who might be angry with you later on?

Anyway... could you fix her anemia? Have you ever tried something like that? It seems like something you might be able to do, with your abilities.

A good excuse would be "Well, I'm still anemic even after two meals, so you must be too."

>>114190
>>114192
"You look pale, and I am an ezilot, I can see that your body temperature is too low."

"Oh..."

>>114194
To be honest, I would much rather deal with anger. And I can fix anemia, making blood cells is not very difficult.

>>114201
"Besides, I still am, and I have had a large lunch."

"Would i-it hurt?"

>>114217
"Only if you want it to. I don't have to share the pain, and it won't be hard to do, so it wouldn't hurt much anyway."

>>114218
"Not if you don't want it to."

"Will it hurt y-you?"

"Yes."

"...Could-d you hurt us b-both a little?"

I am starting to feel stupid for not having thinking of that sooner.

"Probably, I have only tried once, I do not have much practice."

"Y-you don't even kn-know what you're doing??"

...Erh, I probably should not have said that.

>>114239
"I've practiced using my power while hunting for food. I've definitely got a handle on it. I meant I just haven't practiced sharing the pain."

>>114244
Maybe I should not mention the hunting, at least for now.

"Just with sharing pain. It would not hurt very much anyway though."

"Okay."

Finally. That took a disproportionately long time to work out. I touch her neck and some pain arrives at my fingertips. She rubs her neck a bit. She now looks perfectly healthy.

"Ow... I feel better, thanks."

She smiles up at me. I put on a smile for her and she gets up and stretches.

"I'm starting to get sleepy, there's only one bed, but I can sleep on the floor."

Her stutter is all but gone now.

>>114275
Does she have a couch or something you could sleep on so she doesn't have to use the floor?

>>114275
Or you could both sleep on the bed~

Maybe you could do the chivalrous thing and offer to sleep on the floor instead.

>>114293
There are pillows and mats on the floor, it does not look too uncomfortable.

>>114303
Chivalry... I am her guest, but I suppose it would be a good gesture to give her another option. I am not very high maintenance, I could sleep on the solid floor if need be. The bed... is large enough to accommodate more than one person. It is strangely large for a kobold, it looks like it would befit a much larger race, such as a gnoll.

>>114324
Is this a cookie-cutter apartment, or a more personalized domicile?
If it's personalized, then I'd wonder if maybe she lives with someone else - explaining the larger bed. That, or she's just always wanted a huge bed.

>>114339
If I had to guess, somebody else stays here or stayed here, there is some art on the walls that she would have to use a stepladder to hang and look at comfortably.

Wanting a large bed is plausible, but this one could comfortably hold four kobolds of her size, I do not think she would have purchased it for her alone.

>>114359
Alright, well, you might as well ask her if she lives by herself or if she has a boyfriend/roommate or something.

Oh, we never did ask if she's single. I guess she's not.

Ask who she lives with.

>>114362
>>114371
"Does... someone else stay here?"

She nods.

"Yeah, my nevrean friend is usually here, b-but she's gone on a business trip for a week. She takes the bed, I just sleep on the floor."

That would make sense. I can see a nevrean fitting the bed, and the pillows on the floor are explained.

>>114408
She normally sleeps on the floor? All the more reason for her to sleep in the bed, then.
If she still insists you sleep in the bed, then you'll just have to share it.

It's not like you're going to do anything to her while she's sleeping, right? And it would allow you to more easily monitor her physical health, to make sure there's no side-effects from the explosion or the stress of bringing the gobbo back to life.

Oh, I figured that was for guests or something.

Well, offer to share the bed. I'm curious as to what her reaction would be.

>>114425
There is no couch, they must not have many guests.

>>114423
I... did not think of that. Resurrection is not an average occurrence, and while I do not believe there should be repercussions, it is a possibility, and I still do not know the purpose of that explosion. And of course I would not do anything to her, my magic does not affect anything unless I will it to do so.

"That seems unfair, why don't we share the bed?"

"Share... wh-what?"

"It is very large, and ezilots curl up to sleep. I would not take very much space."

"I... uh..."

She seems to be confusedly thinking.

"O-okay...? I can't really think of a reason not to I suppose."

She leaves and returns in pajamas with a nightshirt. Like most ezilots, I sleep naked, but I put it on anyway. We both get into the bed. Is there anything I have forgotten about, or can I sleep?

>>114464
We didn't ask about her other coworkers. They vanished somehow. Or about the state of the kitchen when she left it.

>>114464
Remember to thank her for her hospitality, trust, and keeping your secrets.
And tell her "good night."

>>114465
I... guess I cannot avoid being a part of this. I will have to gather information, but I think it should wait until tomorrow, I am very tired right now.

>>114477
"Fizz?"

"Ah, yeah?"

"Thanks for... everything."

"S-sure... Goodnight Ram."

"Goodnight."

I curl up and go to sleep.

>>114482
==>

Alternatively: Enter dream sequence.

Ram 2010/01/19(Tue)01:09 No. 114575 ID: c0f3bf
File 126389214912.png - (25.34KB , 341x341 , getoff.png )

.


. .


. . .


I wake up. There is something cold and wet on my back. It is shivering.

>>114575
Check to see if Fizz is alright.

>>114575
Cover her up with a blanket or something. Poor thing is freezing.

>>114575
...where'd her pajamas go?

and for that matter, your nightshirt?

I nudge her awake. She slowly opens her eyes and looks at me.

"H-hi..."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm s-s-sorry, I f-forgot you w-were h-here..."

>>114579
I heat up the cold sweat and raise her skin temperature. She relaxes some.

I am not sure what to do. I have never been in a situation like this.

>>114580
>>114581
We are still wearing them, though they are wet now.

>>114585
Ask her how she slept.

>>114585
Ask if she had a nightmare.

...how do you do that thing where you heat up water, anyway?

>>114585
Does she have any health problems, or was it just nightmares and the like?
If it is nightmares, offer to lend your ears and listen to them if it'll make her feel better.

>>114589
"Did you sleep alright?"

"Yeah."

>>114590
"Were you having a nightmare?"

"...Yeah."

>>114593
"What was it?"

"N-nothing, nevermind. I can't remember it anyway."

She lets go of me and rolls over onto her back.

I do not think what she said is the full truth. She does not have any particular problems I can sense. And it is not water, it is sweat, and it is all around us, so it is easy to warm back up.

>>114598
Tell Fizz that while you can't force her to talk about it, you want her to know that she can trust you and you will be here for her.

>>114598
What time is it, anyway?

I remember that, after you brought back the goblin and asked Fizz about the pain, she said she "felt worse before". I bet she has a recurring nightmare about the event she was referring to.

Hold her hand to reassure her.

>>114610
>>114606
I turn and grasp her hand.

"Are you sure? I am here to listen, if you want."

She shakes her head.

"Sorry, it's just... the last time I slept in a bed, I was a kid. I used to get really bad nightmares... Must've forgot I've grown out of them."

>>114608
I cannot see a dial, but my biological clock says 9:12. I will ask her about the 'feeling worse'.

"Any specific reason why?"

"Nah, it's... Mmph. I had a really bad one once, then I guess I started having nightmares about the nightmare. Stupid, I couldn't even remember what it was."

>>114683
Huh, her stutter is gone. Well, assure her that no, it is not stupid. Whatever the nightmare was, it must have hit a chord to have such a profound impact.

>>114685
The stutter is gone, for the most part. Talking must put her at ease. Nightmares by definition scare you, she sounds jaded to them however. I will try to reassure her anyway though.

"It is not stupid."

"Mmh... thanks."

Can we get up now?

>>114689
Sure. Help her out as much as you can with breakfast. Then I think it's time for you to start calling around your friends for a place to stay until you can get a place on your own. Imposing on random strangers that you meet in a resturant isn't very polite.

By the way are there such a thing as necromancers and how are they viewed? And is magic something that can be thought or do you have to be born with a certain skillset of magical stuff?

>>114690
I had a lot to eat yesterday, I am not going to need to eat for a long time. Besides, I am a kitten compared to her cooking. And I do not have... friends... I wouldn't have asked if I had a better option.

Spiritual mages can see and speak to ghosts, as can some physical mages, myself included. Soul mages are much more difficult to find, but they do exist, with their powers reputed to include finding past incarnations and both summoning and banishing demons. They are viewed with skepticism due to the specific nature of their powers, and because of the scarcity of demons, but they are definitely mages, as they have the rest of the basic abilities.

Everyone has magic inside them, it is a natural thing they have from the start. Different people are born with different configuration, however, so some people could start off with a lot of wild, difficult to control magic, while others would have to strengthen theirs before it can even be used effectively. In essence though, anyone with enough practice can become a mage. These configurations also affect what areas a person excels and has difficulties in, so while one person might be an accomplished soul mage, they might also have severe difficulties in thaumaturgy.

Physical mages are... different, though. They have the same magic, but it is always very deep down, definitely too subtle to use without long and difficult training, and even then, their configurations are not known for ease in any subject. What they have instead though, is an affinity for something that is rooted into them. I am not a soul mage, I do not know how it is connected to them, but I do know that because of it they rarely do not appreciate their gift. A physical mage might control heat and cold, creating temperature spikes and fireballs as they saw fit, while one with a connection to the sky might fly around and cause rain whenever they wanted. Blood mages are a kind of physical mage, but I suspect there is something more to them, as they are almost astronomically more rare compared to all other mages. Physical mages are more uncommon than spiritual mages.

We both rise in unison. Fizz goes to take a shower.

>>114700
The important thing about helping her out with her breakfast or making it for her is not how good you are at making it. It's the fact that you made an effort for her.

So, you pretty much have no friends, no cash and not a very good relation to your family. You had better be nice to her so she lets you stay there. And try to find a job so you can get a new place, freeloading is rarely appreciated for any longer amount of time.

The part about magic was very intersting. Is it possible for a spriti mage to either forcefully or with their consent insert a spirit into an inanimate object?

Also, how does your blood magic work with bodies? Can you transform bodies and shape them to your will, and if so can you do the same thing on yourself?

>>114705
I suppose... She walks out wrapped in a towel a time later. I will ask her.

"Do you want help with cooking breakfast? I won't be eating anything, regardless."

"You aren't going to eat anything? Do you know how bad that is for you?"

I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Oh right, I guess you would... I'll be fine, just... do whatever you normally do I guess."

She goes off into the kitchen.

I am not a spirit mage, so I do not know how their abilities work in that regard. Enchanting is done differently though, it involves using concepts abstractly. Demonic possession sounds similar, but I have never heard of a demon inhabiting an object, though I know little of curse mechanics.

I suppose it is within my power to reshape my body, but that would be similar to regrowing it; since I have so little practice, it would require a large amount of blood. I could do the same with the bodies of others, but I would not know of what the cost would be until I was actually about to try it.

I sit here wondering just what exactly I should do. I could try to find work, search for the goblin I may have inadvertently swapped souls out of, find information about that bomb and the lost restaurant employees, something else, or research that strange metal shard I found.

>>114743
You do have a mystery on your hands. But unless you happen to be knowledgable in forensics I don't think bomb research will yield much. You should probably research the symbol as well as look for a job. Get some occult magic symbol book stuff from a library and head out on a jobsearch. Pick up a few books on spiritual magic as well, I think that could be highly useful in the future. You can read the books later after you're done looking for a job.

The reason for my intrest in grafting spirits into inanimate objects is related to golems. With your powers you should be able to meld together several dead bodies into a new creature, one without a soul or conscience. Inserting a soul or spirit into it and you might gain a powerful servant. It really sounds like you should experiment a bit more with your powers and find out what you can and cannot do.

>>114751
My powers treat dead bodies as meat, what is not living is difficult to change. I am also not a soul mage, if blood magic includes creating slaves, I do not know how to do it right now. And if I did endow a newly-created being with intelligence, there is no guarantee it would follow me. And I am sorry I have not had much blood magic practice, but I do not want to be hunted down by angry mobs for something people unrelated to me did in the past.

I will go to the library, the library mages may be able to tell me something about it. I might also check out a Hattatran book. I am not sure what kind of job to look for, despite my emaciated appearance, I can perform physical labor better than most people, but getting cast as a role in a play would be difficult and time-consuming. I do not know what else to try doing.

>>114755
Have you ever thought about a blacksmith job or something similar? Being heat-resistant in such a job that deals closely with high heat materials seems like a pretty good deal... and the natural ability to tell the temperature of things would help you know when to heat and when to cool whatever you're working on.

A fireman seems appropriate too. You could even practice blood magic by partially healing burn victims, if you're subtle enough.

>>114755
The idea was not a slave but a servant. Making a deal with a spirit to serve you in return for allowing it to experiance the material world for an example. Regardless of that I still think it sounds like spririt magic could be worth to learn. It strikes me as a useful skillset.

As for a job. You're not looking to get your career started now. You need something that allows you to get a new place of your own and repay the very nice kobold. Bigger stuff can come later.

>>114757
Yes, many ezilots become blacksmiths because of this, but I do not know anything about metalworking, and most metalwork is combined blacksmithing and magic, I am not sure I would be the best choice for it.

>>114761
That... does sound appropriate, and it would not jeopardize very much time. Firemen are mostly independent, I would not have to worry too much about crossovers, though they still might happen. I am very resilient, I will go down to the main station after checking books out of the library. I can also see if they have any information about the fire.

>>114765
I suppose making a deal with a demon could work, but again, it is very hard to work with corpses. Besides, it would be going with the stereotype if anyone found out.

I do not think I clearly explained how difficult it is for a physical mage to become a spiritual mage as well. It is not like mastering an instrument, it could take decades to move a cup with my hand at the level I am now.

I suppose I could wait and tell Fizz what I am going to do, or should I just leave now?

>>114776
Hmm, may as well tell Fizz goodbye at least. It would be a bit impolite to leave without saying anything.

>>114776
You tell her. I'm guessing you don't have a key so it's a good idea to tell her that you will be out so she can tell you when it's a good idea to be back.

It doesn't have to be a demon specifically and the bodies doesn't have to be dead when you work on them. You could kill it afterwards and then put the spirit in and reanimate it. And yes I understand it would take years of studies, it could still be worth to check it out. Knowing the theories behind it could be useful even when you cannot use it properly. It could probably be a good idea to either learn it yourself or find someone who knows it that you can trust. Otherwise I don't think you will be able to figure out what happened to the goblin or preform safe resurections in the future if you need to.

>>114778
I suppose it would... I wait until she comes back from the kitchen.

"I need to go out to get a job."

"You're unemployed?"

I could slap myself for that.

"I am an actor, but I have not... acted since I moved here. I figure I should get employed as something more substantial for a while."

"Oh, alright. I need to go out and find another restaurant to work at, too. If you uh, need me for whatever reason, I'll probably come back here to make dinner around 7:00... if you're going to eat?"

I shake my head. I definitely will not have an appetite by then, no matter the quality of the food.

"Well I'll be back around 7:00 anyways."

>>114780
I... do not know if I can combine bodies. I know most of the theories surrounding physical mages, but souls and spirits are another thing entirely. And does it really matter that I brought the wrong person back? New life, new body, and she was dead anyway, at least somebody is alive now.

Can I leave for the library now, or am I forgetting something?

>>114786
I can't think of anything. You can head off to the library - and consider telling Fizz in slightly greater detail your eating habits.

Maybe explain how often you need to eat or whatnot so she doesn't feel like she needs to be concerned about your well-being or anything.

>>114786
We could ask Fizz more about the restaurant, and her coworkers. Any reason why they would just vanish like that?