Swapped out the Homura-Kirika dialogue with something else, which also happens to be a possible trap for Kirika to fall into if she accidentally acknowledges Archer as her Dad. Removed the whole keeping quiet thing too, thanks for the heads up.
If we get Kirika to acknowledge Archer as her dad, can we have Archer and her real father square up and fight over who gets to be her dad?
 
If we get Kirika to acknowledge Archer as her dad, can we have Archer and her real father square up and fight over who gets to be her dad?
Honestly, that would be more sad to watch than anything else. It's literally 'hyper-competent middling-range Servant (which are literally considered to be human gods)' vs 'average decadent human male'. 😅
 
Honestly, that would be more sad to watch than anything else. It's literally 'hyper-competent middling-range Servant (which are literally considered to be human gods)' vs 'average decadent human male'.
Yeah, but the guy's a scumbag. And besides, it's not like Archer can't pull his punches and make it seem like he's not Superman.
That would be even less fair to Kirika's father than fisticuffs, and we both know it.
 
Yeah, but the guy's a scumbag. And besides, it's not like Archer can't pull his punches and make it seem like he's not Superman.
Hm, if you really want to spice things up while making this matchup happen, you could always have him turn into a Dead Apostle off-screen (of course, after the typical feral stage runs its course, or maybe it'll unlock some sort of dormant trait that'll skip it and grant him power). When he comes back to try and win back his family's affections (possibly with the help of his Mystic Eyes as a Dead Apostle) after his literal near-death experience, he finds out about Archer getting together with Minako, leading to events.
That would be even less fair to Kirika's father than fisticuffs, and we both know it.
Yeesh, yeah, that's almost as bad as beating someone in a children's card game. You just don't do that to someone! :V
 
Hm, if you really want to spice things up while making this matchup happen, you could always have him turn into a Dead Apostle off-screen (of course, after the typical feral stage runs its course, or maybe it'll unlock some sort of dormant trait that'll skip it and grant him power). When he comes back to try and win back his family's affections (possibly with the help of his Mystic Eyes as a Dead Apostle) after his literal near-death experience, he finds out about Archer getting together with Minako, leading to events.
Stop tempting Fate/Fate/Fate, Enetious!
 
Hm, if you really want to spice things up while making this matchup happen, you could always have him turn into a Dead Apostle off-screen (of course, after the typical feral stage runs its course, or maybe it'll unlock some sort of dormant trait that'll skip it and grant him power). When he comes back to try and win back his family's affections (possibly with the help of his Mystic Eyes as a Dead Apostle) after his literal near-death experience, he finds out about Archer getting together with Minako, leading to events.
Why skip the feral stage? You really want to miss out on this-
"Brainsss... My daughter's love and respect... But mostly brainsss..."
Yeesh, yeah, that's almost as bad as beating someone in a children's card game. You just don't do that to someone!
Stop tempting Fate/Fate/Fate, Enetious!
Too late, Fate has been tempted. Now you must tell me what archtypes each of the girls would play in order to halt the doom that has been set in motion.
 
Why skip the feral stage? You really want to miss out on this-
"Brainsss... My daughter's love and respect... But mostly brainsss..."
Because without intelligence it'll be too much of a walk in the park for Archer to deal with him, unless he just spreads the infection so far and wide indiscriminately, which could happen.
Too late, Fate has been tempted. Now you must tell me what archtypes each of the girls would play in order to halt the doom that has been set in motion.
Kirika's obviously the protagonist in this, as the object of her father's affections, and it'd only be thematically appropriate for her to put a stop to him affecting her and her mother's life adversely. Of course, Minako will have to be kidnapped in order to draw her out at some point.

Homura's the hyper-competent side-character that helps with the action, but isn't very much part of the emotional side of the story.

Oriko is doomed to be hurt or killed (or otherwise put out of commision), as her archetype demands, in order to give much more emotional investment in the protag while showing how much of a monster the antagonist has fallen into being. It also removes Oriko's precog from the equation, giving things more suspense and stakes.

The rest of the Holy Sextet go hand-in-hand with Homura's role, to a lesser extent. They mobilize with everyone else, basically, though here might be one or two that are injured as part of the antagonist's machinations for stakes.

Sayaka will be the conflicted character, who will soon work together and end up helping the protag after realizing that they aren't so bad, and they don't deserve what's happening to them.

Archer - though not one of the girls - will be (ironically) the Avenger of this story, mercilessly hacking his way through the machinations of the antagonist, and fighting with the realization that he might have to put Minako down if she was infected by the antagonist while in his captivity.
 
I mean, those are all good points (except for Oriko being killed. Kirika would flat-out not allow that) but I meant Yugioh archtypes. You brought up

so now that's what we're doing. What deck archtypes are they playing?
Ooooh, gotcha. Going with the Main Girls...

Madoka: Hope
Sayaka: Elemental Hero (I mean, did you expect anything else?)
Oriko: Prophecy, or any number of other deck-shenanigan archetypes

Not too sure for the others, to be honest.
 
Homura: Dark(ness) or Time (I would love to see her with...Clock Wizard(?))
Ooooh, gotcha. Going with the Main Girls...

Madoka: Hope
Sayaka: Elemental Hero (I mean, did you expect anything else?)
Oriko: Prophecy, or any number of other deck-shenanigan archetypes

Not too sure for the others, to be honest.
Mami: Definitely Madolches. An entire archtype based around sweets, baked goods, and desserts? Yes, sign her up please.
Kyouko: Blue-Eyes White Dragons. One part, uh, obvious reasons (who else has blue eyes, hint hint), and one part because BEWD is a stupidly easy-to-play unga-bunga haymaker deck that seems right up Kyouko's alley.
Kirika: Probably some generic zombies goodstuff deck. I dunno, or maybe Burning Abyss. She's probably more about appearance than play style or deck mechanics, so probably something with cool zombies or demons.
Homura: Anything that doesn't let the opponent play. They can't win if they can't play the game, right?
Hitomi: Infernities. Not because of the deck, but because of how you have to play it. You have to be a top-tier cheating-ass motherfucker when playing Infernities - I'm talking, set a monster facedown in your M/T zone, scoop when your monster gets MST'd, and hope nobody calls a judge on your ass, kind of cheating - and Hitomi just has the perfect poker face to pull that level of cheating off successfully.

For Oriko, I'm actually going to counter your suggestion and say Synchro Spam, because you pretty much have to be a precog to know if you'll be able to go off 35 times after your opponent Maxx C's or whether you're just giving them their entire deck for a hand to rape you with next turn.
And for Madoka, I want to say Fluffals. We do know she's a huge stuffed animal collector, after all. Fluffals just seem like the logical conclusion of that, to me.
HEROs for Sayaka is spot-on, though.
 
Kyouko: Blue-Eyes White Dragons. One part, uh, obvious reasons (who else has blue eyes, hint hint), and one part because BEWD is a stupidly easy-to-play unga-bunga haymaker deck that seems right up Kyouko's alley.
I see your BEWD and raise you the Heretics archetype, for the same reasons you gave for her (or maybe Galaxy-Eyes). Those are some easy top-tier Decks of Mass Destruction (DMDs), at least when I was still playing (before Pendulums changed everything and made entry into the game for newcomers much more difficult).
 
I see your BEWD and raise you the Heretics archetype, for the same reasons you gave for her (or maybe Galaxy-Eyes). Those are some easy top-tier Decks of Mass Destruction (DMDs), at least when I was still playing (before Pendulums changed everything and made entry into the game for newcomers much more difficult).
Honestly, BEWD is Hieratics, but more streamlined, user-friendly, and unga bunga than you remember. It won Worlds in 2016 and I, who hadn't played a single game since before XYZs were a thing, was able to pick it up and vomit out a field of stronking huge dragons in only a few turns; and I know for a fact that I wasn't even playing the most optimised/competent version of the deck.
 
[X] Plan Better Food Than In Shokugeki no Soma
I hate when things only come to me hours after the fact, but if I could, could I get you to arrange this differently? Rather than having it sorted by person, can I get it sorted by pre- -during- and post-dinner conversation topics? And maybe throw in more pre- and post-dinner topics while you're at it, even if it comes at the expense of during-dinner topics.
 
I hate when things only come to me hours after the fact, but if I could, could I get you to arrange this differently? Rather than having it sorted by person, can I get it sorted by pre- -during- and post-dinner conversation topics? And maybe throw in more pre- and post-dinner topics while you're at it, even if it comes at the expense of during-dinner topics.
Alright, done. Separated the existing vote into those categories with spoilers, and added a few things as well.

Things that were added include Homura joking about the fact that Madoka's been eating this gourmet food all her life, while she's only been eating it for a month or two; Archer informing Junko that he and Minako haven't gone on a date yet, but they're planning to soon; and Archer asking the man, the myth, the legend Kaname Tomohisa for dating advice when it comes to dating strong-willed women while they're talking about produce in his greenhouse after dinner.
 
Alright, done. Separated the existing vote into those categories with spoilers, and added a few things as well.
Thank you. Just one last thing that's getting my goat, this here-
--[X] Minako
---[X] laying out a very general and simplistic game-plan before they arrive, and asking her when she thinks they should drop the ball, and who should do it
What's our game plan?
 
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What's our game plan?
Done.

The 'Archer kissing her on the cheek thing to get across affection' thing should happen while he's verbally telling Junko that they're already together nonchalantly, and the cheek in particular as they haven't even gone on their first date yet; that doesn't include any Minako-interference though if she wants to go for the lips last second. ;)
 
Well... I caught up. But frankly I have no idea what to do with all these social activities.

Afraid I'm more focused on other goals like:

1: Get Madoka some mangus training so that when she wants to do something she can, but without having to contract with the devil rabbit.

2: Learn another use of the Isa rune (like the draining energy thing that seemed like it might be useful), or learn a different rune that synergizes with it

3: Get everyone who knows runes to tutor everyone else with it. Wasn't that part of the original idea to take different runes? That once someone mastered it they could teach other people how to use it?
 
Well... I caught up. But frankly I have no idea what to do with all these social activities.

Afraid I'm more focused on other goals like:

1: Get Madoka some mangus training so that when she wants to do something she can, but without having to contract with the devil rabbit.
Pushing Madoka to do something outside of her comfort zone like that is a bad idea for her and Homura's relationship, as we've seen in the quest thus far. Trust me, we've tried to do that, it just isn't happening right now (though that may change once Homura spills the beans to Madoka after dinner).

And we're also still waiting on that anti-Incubator charm too, so whenever that's ready it should help with the whole bunny-rabbit thing.
2: Learn another use of the Isa rune (like the draining energy thing that seemed like it might be useful), or learn a different rune that synergizes with it
We're having Homura learn Inguz at the moment, we just spent a while having her learn how to Mystic Code until SVS finally figured out how it worked with Runes.
3: Get everyone who knows runes to tutor everyone else with it. Wasn't that part of the original idea to take different runes? That once someone mastered it they could teach other people how to use it?
A lot of people are still mastering their initial Runes, as they branched off a lot unlike Homura. And in some cases they were just pretty incompatible with the Rune they were initially learning, like Kyoko.
 
Day 38 Chapter 7
[X] Plan Better Food Than In Shokugeki no Soma (part 1)



"So, what's the plan?"

Your group of three gets off the train at the station just a few blocks from Homura's apartment; but since it's likely that she's already there, enjoying an afternoon with Madoka, you saw no reason to make Minako and Kirika stop while you stopped to grab someone who probably wasn't there. You would like to invite them over for dinner sometime, though Assassin might present a problem. "Well, I was thinking that we'd just act like we did before we decided to get together."

Minako smiles, and Kirika turns her attention back to her phone as an arm finds its way around your waist. Minako pulls you in close, and asks "So, how did we act before?"

"Well, you've haven't really changed much," you say, causing Minako to pout. "You're a little more hands-on now, but you're still as confident and flirty as you were before. Really, I'm the one that has to modify their behaviour. I need to pretend like I don't notice how into me you are. That's why I figure, when it's time for us to drop the ball on Junko, that it should be me. I'm so clueless that she'd never see it coming."

But Kaname Junko will certainly see it coming if you and Minako are still arm-in-arm, so as you near the Kaname residence, you and she break away from one another, to a sigh of relief from Kirika. Seems she doesn't like it when the shoe's on the other foot and other people are affectionate around her.

Or maybe it's just because Minako is her mother, while you're just some guy who once shot her legs off. It's probably a good idea for Minako to never learn about that.

This is it,
you think, as your finger hovers over the doorbell of the Kaname residence. If you want to duck out now and just live the bachelor life with your daughter, now's probably the last time you can.

*Ding-dong*

"Junko, can you get the door?"


You straighten your tie just in time for Kaname Junko to get the door."Archer, so good to see you!" she says, offering you her hand to shake. She's got a good grip.

"Likewise," you say, admiring the physical strength of the mother Kaname. "Thank you for the invitation. A night out with friends is just what I've been needing lately, and I'm sure it's the same for everyone else that's been invited." Though, just because someone is friends, you think, there's no reason they can't also be romantically involved.

Turning to your guests, she "Minako, glad you could make it;" surprises Minako by wrapping her up in a hug that's far more familial than supervisor-and-subordinate. "Welcome to our humble home." The two stay like that for a second, until Kaname Junko breaks away, leaning down a bit until she's eye level with the third member of your party. "And you must be Kirika," she says, refraining from any physical contact with Kirika as she had you and Minako. "Your mom's got a lot of pictures of you at her desk, but I think you look a lot cuter in person."

"Well, come in, come," Kaname Junko says, moving out of the way so that the three of you can come in and take your shoes off. "Tomo's already got dinner started, but you should still be able to cut in and add your own special charm," she says to you as you hang your jacket up by the door. Next, to Kirika, Kaname Junko says "The girls are in the living room watching TV, if you'd rather hang out with them than us boring adults."

Kirika needs no second invitation once her shoes are off and her school bag is cast aside, but you've got other ideas."Wait a second," you say before she's able to wander too far. "Don't forget that you've still got studying and schoolwork to take care of. I'll help you out after dinner, but you're not heading off to Mikuni's until you're finished."

You can't see it, but you can imagine Kirika rolling her eyes at you as she walks away. "You sound like you could be her father, you know that?"

That just leaves Minako. "And you," Kaname Junko says, as she just about drags Minako away from you, leaving you no choice but to head to the kitchen as you let the women get down to their business of attempting to ensnare you in MInako's charms. If only Kaname Junko knew. "Come knock a few back with me while the menfolk do the cooking. We've got a lot to talk about, you and I."



"What's up, Homura?" Kaname Tomohisa asks, as you find yourself having wandered into the kitchen. "Did you need something?"

"I wanted to ask you something," you say, hoping to cover up the fact that you can't remember what you came to the kitchen for with some sort of conversation. At those words, Kaname Tomohisa stops what he was doing; something to do with preparing the main course, which appears to be a beef dish of some kind. "I was wondering what sort of things you do for a living, outside of being a professional stay-at-home dad." You know what Archer does for a living, not that you could ever say it out loud to someone like Kaname Tomohisa, but "I'm curious as to how what you do, versus what Archer does, are different."

"Well, I co-own an organic produce store that's not too far from here." That's right; you do remember him saying that the last time you asked. You feel so stupid now for asking it a second time. "But ever since Madoka was born, I've just been handling the administrative and financial side of things. A couple of my friends that I started the store with are the ones running the day-to-day operations." Kaname Tomohisa smiles as he thinks about his store, and says to you "You know, that store is actually how Junko and I met."

"Really?"

Kaname Tomohisa nods. "My friends and I had just graduated from university, and we all decided we wanted to start our own business together. We talked it over, and eventually, my idea for an organic produce store won out. We started shopping around for some good locations, and the manager of the bank we were planning on getting a loan from recommended us to a certain realty firm that he had connections to. We talked it over with the firm, and when I went to speak with the agent who had been assigned to our case..." Kaname Tomohisa stops talking, and the smile that had been on his face widens. "... Her name was Kaname Junko, and for me, it was love at first sight."

But, if she was already Kaname Junko before they were married, then... "You took her name?"

"Junko always was the more assertive of us, even back then. That was something I really admired about her, but that also made it hard for me to open up about how I felt about her until after the store opened and we were no longer agent and client. I tell you, I was terrified that I'd mess up on our first date- I mean, here I am, fresh out of college, and I'm trying to romance a woman who's both older and more successful than me." Kaname Tomohisa shakes his head, but that massive smile on his face never wavers. "Every day I thank the gods that she gave me as many chances as she did before I could work up the courage to ask her to marry me."

"Well, I'm very glad that she did," you say. "You have a wonderful family, and I don't think I could imagine Madoka with any other set of parents than you two."

Kaname Tomohisa looks like he's about to say something, but just as he opens his mouth, Archer appears. "Hi," he says, both to you and to Kaname Tomohisa. "Your wife said to come help you while she and Minako chatted. So, what can I do to be of service?"

As Kaname Tomohisa directs Archer to where his help is needed, you choose that moment to exit the kitchen and let the adults be. Returning to the kitchen, you are greeted by the sight of Madoka and Kirika watching television, and remember the reason you went into the kitchen in the first place. "Sorry," you say. "I got talking with your father and forgot to grab batteries for the remote."

"That's alright, Homura-chan," Madoka says, scooting to the side to make room for you, which sandwiches you between Madoka and Kirika, who is half paying attention to the movie playing on TV, and half texting Mikuni Oriko on her phone. "We can watch what's on this channel."

"Or," Kirika says, putting her phone away as she stalks over to the TV. "You could change the channel manually." Kirika crouches down, and flips through the channels by playing with the controls on the box. "You two got something special you wanna watch, or can I just stop wherever?"

"Well?" you ask, but when Madoka doesn't have any special preferences to offer, you say to Kirika "Whatever is fine, then."

With an "Alright," Kirika stops playing with the channels, and returns to her place beside you on the couch. "This movie's not that bad, at least. Better than those Italian ripoff movies Oriko likes..."

You don't feel like pressing Kirika on the fact that, apparently, there's something which Mikuni Oriko likes that she doesn't; and instead take the opportunity to ask Madoka "So, what's happening around town that you might like to do on our next date? Is there some event, or a movie that you're interested in?"

Madoka shakes her head, saying "Not that I know of, no." But with a smile on her face, Madoka adds "But anything we do together will be fine, Homura-chan. It doesn't have to be anything all that fancy or exciting; I'll be happy just spending time with you."

Saying that, Madoka lays her head down on your shoulder; and here you're content to enjoy her company, and the company of your maybe-soon-to-be stepsister - and you wish this timeline would stop doing things like this. Seriously, you never would have imagined being okay with letting Kirika into the Kaname household, or anywhere near as close to Madoka as she is now, in any other timeline than this - as the three of you watch TV while you want for dinner to be ready. "Yes," you say. "I'd be happy just spending time with you too."

[ ] Is there anything to add to the dinner conversation? (write-in if yes)​
 
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Well... I caught up. But frankly I have no idea what to do with all these social activities.

Afraid I'm more focused on other goals like:
Having caught up, allow me to officially welcome you into the present. It's good to be here, and it's good to have you. Nothing wrong with being more goal-oriented than social-oriented, just means you've got a different idea about prioritising what we need to do.
We're having Homura learn Inguz at the moment, we just spent a while having her learn how to Mystic Code until SVS finally figured out how it worked with Runes.

A lot of people are still mastering their initial Runes, as they branched off a lot unlike Homura. And in some cases they were just pretty incompatible with the Rune they were initially learning, like Kyoko.
Oriko and Mami are well into their second runes each, and Kirika was working on two runes concurrently before anyone else was even close to mastering their first. So it's not as though we couldn't give it a shot, if we have the time and we think of it. Counterpoint to that is, we still need to work on getting Miyuki up to speed, so I don't know how much time we'll have for that and for swapping rune studies with the other girls when Walpol's only 10 days away; and the counterpoint to that is, maybe there's a rune that someone else is already working on that Miyuki would be good with.
 
[x] Breifly black out from how delicious the combined cooking Tomohisa and Archer is.
-[x] "What was that? I was to distracted by how good this is to hear what you said."
 
Oriko and Mami are well into their second runes each, and Kirika was working on two runes concurrently before anyone else was even close to mastering their first. So it's not as though we couldn't give it a shot, if we have the time and we think of it. Counterpoint to that is, we still need to work on getting Miyuki up to speed, so I don't know how much time we'll have for that and for swapping rune studies with the other girls when Walpol's only 10 days away; and the counterpoint to that is, maybe there's a rune that someone else is already working on that Miyuki would be good with.
Hm, did Oriko and Mami get a super move like Homura did then? I can't recall if they demonstrated anything of the sort.

[X] Is there anything to add to the dinner conversation?
-[X] No

Seems like you have enough stuff to write for dinner proper, tbh. That's not to mention the Homura-Madoka heart-to-heart that we'll be voting on post-dinner.
 
Hm, did Oriko and Mami get a super move like Homura did then? I can't recall if they demonstrated anything of the sort.
They did not, at least not in the same sense that Homura did. Othala and Wunjo aren't exactly hyper-offensive runes, and both Mami and Oriko were using them for support and defense, respectively, so it's not like they would get an offensive finisher from their rune in the first place. Then again, between Tiro Finale from Mami, or the massive stock of mana with which to support an entire swarm of drones from Oriko, it's not as though either of them were lacking for powerful super moves, either.
 
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