[X] I'm loyal to my friends, not to any ideals, and everyone else can take a trip down the Styx for all I care.
Swearing In 5
You decided to appeal to her sense of loyalty and help reignite her fire.
"Let's take it in reverse order. Why couldn't I let you die? Because when you die, that's it. There are no second chances. All of your potential is just lost. That isn't what your parents would want. Your friends would be sad as well. Could you do that to them? No, of course not, because that isn't you. You are someone who cherishes her bonds of friendship, and anything else can go hang," you said with quiet vehemence.
Did it work?: Roll 29 + 10 (Appealing to values) = 39 req roll 24 = Pass!
Madison watched you with confusion at first before realization dawned. The pain was still there, but it was tempered by her sense of loyalty. Maybe it wasn't the most eloquent speech, but it worked to pull one teenage girl from the precipice. She lightly stroked your fuzzy back with a thoughtful expression. The silence stretched out, yet it didn't feel uncomfortable. Finally, after what felt like ages, she nodded. Message received.
"Now, what did you do to me? I…I never used a sword before…or moved like that…" Madison said hesitantly.
"Right, so what I did was turn you into a Kampfer. It's Google Translate German, don't worry about it too much, because that's not the important thing. The Bracelet of Oath, the white bracelet on your wrist, allows you to transform into a more powerful version of yourself. I'm not totally clear on the concept, but I can give you the highlights. You're a Schwert Type Kampfer. The most physically powerful type with a similarly powerful weapon. You can learn martial techniques much faster with a further boost to swords. All of your physical capabilities are heightened. You're not Captain America, but you're no slouch either. At a minimum, you can leap thirty feet in the air, run as fast as a horse, heal quickly from most injuries, and hit very hard. Moreso than a normal Schwert Type," you tell her. The information filed itself neatly in your mind, but there were large gaps. You didn't know specifics, only generalities.
"That's bananas…" Madison summed it up perfectly. This shit is bananas. Especially for a normal girl who never imagined a life like this.
"You don't even have to do anything with it. This is your life, your time, all I am is…"
[] "...a guide."
[] "...a friend."
AN: I won't end the chapter for every choice. This one isn't a
minor decision, but it's not critical for the next scene.
Madison managed to fall asleep after a couple false starts. She squirmed fitfully throughout the night as her subconscious turned over the day's events. You couldn't do much for her, but your presence seemed to help. Just as she managed to fall into a deeper slumber, there came a knock at the door. Your charge grunted something unladylike before sitting up. One side of her hair was askew from epic bedhead. Gwen softly called through the door.
"The bathroom's free. Breakfast'll be ready in a few minutes," she said. Light footfalls could be heard moving away from the door.
Your charge left you on the bed as she went to do battle with the shower. Her steps were slow, mostly from exhaustion, but there was still sadness. She wouldn't instantly bounce back from basically being orphaned in a single day. Madison came back to get changed. After staring at her wardrobe for a few minutes, she selected a plain t-shirt and pajama pants. The girl almost left again but stopped to get you first. With her hair down and carrying a stuffy, she looked much younger. Detective Stacy wasn't at the table, but Gwen was there.
"Hey Maddie…How are you feeling?" Gwen asked before swiftly cringing. Madison pretended not to notice.
"Not so good. I'm still tired. School today?" Madison's answers came out short. Not because she was mad, but due to lethargy.
"School…? No school today, Maddie. It's Saturday," she replied.
"Hnnn…" Madison grunted with relief. At least you think it was relief.
"Pete's coming over a bit later. I, uh, I could go to his house if you like or just reschedule," Gwen quickly backpedaled. Madison sighed heavily.
"No, that's okay, it's fine. You don't have to change your plans. It might do me some good," Madison reflected with a bittersweet smile. The talk you had helped clear some things up for her. While it wasn't a magical cure-all, she wasn't isolating herself either.
Was there something you forgot?: Roll 100, req roll 25 = Pass/Perfect Crit!
AN: This is a weird thing to get a major crit on, but okay. Because this is so unusual, you're getting a choice of boon.
[] Level + 1
[] Choose another Bracelet Boon
- [] Blue I - Con x Lvl Bonus HP
- [] Red I - Act Twice
- [] Purple I - Dex/Con + 6
- [] White II - Unstoppable - ¼ of the Damage bypasses defense
[] Unremarkable - You are unremarkable unless you do something outrageous.
AN: I can't justify continuing the chapter here since the last choice could heavily impact things going forward.
Level Progress can be affected by a number of things. How much did she fight, learn, train, what have you. She would have Leveled Up here, but I'll wait for the vote to see if I should just roll it all together.
Author's Note: I'm moving to a new format for uploads. For my Patrons you can read two whole chapters in advance of Kingdoms, Hearts and FI's Oh My!
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Patreon. The Patreon page is now updated to be even friendlier and clearer than before. Please think about helping me as I've still got lots of bills to pay, a cat to take care of, and not enough money for it all.
