To make people actually remember, here's it once for posterity: Minako is nonbinary and uses they/them. This message will be pinned so you people stop getting it wrong and pissing me off. If you get it wrong in the future I'm going to be much less nice, considering you have to scroll past it just to read the quest.
[X] Something's bothering them.
-[X] Try to talk about it while playing. (1 Difficulty)
You crack your knuckles. "So, we gotta Mario Kart." You find an eight-row-long set of Mario Kart machines, take out your cards, and slide them across the steering wheels. It instantly processes your tokens, and you hear an aging Charles Martinet scream "LET'S-A GO."
You can't believe he can still do the voice this well.
You wrap your hands around the wheel of the console and pick your characters; you choose Rosalina on a motorcycle (because you're predictable) and Minako chooses Pink Gold Peach (because they know how much you hate that character).
You shoot them a glare. They shoot you a toothy smile. You have to fight down the urge to giggle; at least they're feeling good enough to try pissing you off.
The race actually starts, and as the first few laps pass by, they start to feel better. A couple races in and they're actually having fun. Of course, this being an arcade, it'd be boring as shit to stay at just one game. So you move on to a light gun cabinet.
It's child's play to you with your frankly superhuman aim, but you can definitely make sure you don't just clear the screen and make it boring as fuck for Minako.
So that's why you decide to pick the side with the sniper rifle; Minako gets the close-range shotgun on their screen and you have to pick off threats from afar. You're honestly surprised you hadn't seen a game like this before last year.
A level in and you decide to go ahead and talk. It's been fun, but you still wanted to bond. And goddammit, Mina's gonna bond whether they want to or not. "You doing better now, Mina?"
"Huh?" They fire a shot and a robot explodes into shards. "Uh, yeah, yeah I am." They whip around to fire another shot. "Just uh, stuff. Distracted." They fire again.
A robot's right behind them. You snipe it out of the air before they even notice. "So you gonna go on another date with, uh, your girlfriend?"
"Yeah." Minako reloads. On their end, it's a matter of slapping a button and pushing in a big plastic magazine. You get to see the animation start and end with each button press. "We're gonna have a movie and see dinner. Uh, see a dinner and have...fucking-have dinner and see a movie."
You fire a few rounds. Each one hits a target. "Dinner and a movie?"
"Yes!" They shoot a larger mook. This one explodes into goop. "Shit, sorry, didn't mean to get mad; I'm just tongue-twisted."
"No, no I get it." You fire again. "It's hard to multitask."
"Does being a magi help that?" yhey ask in the middle of a reload. "Multitasking."
"Kinda?" You shrug. "I mean my reflexes are fuckin' sharp, but a lot of that is more than just magical abilities. It's training. I've been at this for a while."
They whistle. "Huh."
"Like, I've been holding back. You wanna see what I can do just like, firing normally?"
"Do it."
You grin. You pull back the plastic bolt-action mechanism and clear the screen. Eat shot is machine-like in precision. You barely even have to look down the tiny little scope to see your target. Each shot comes with a death, and the reload is lightning-fast. Every single enemy walking down the path is obliterated as you fire and fire and fire and fire.
Their character just stands in the middle of a bunch of carnage, and you see their hands just drop down by their sides. "...holy shit, mama."
"Your mama's good at video games." You shrug. "So's your mom."
"She's...uh...not great at lying, though."
Ah, shit. Here it comes. "No. No she's not." You sigh. "Neither of us are great at it but we didn't want to talk about it." You fire the rifle. Minako's actually playing the game again, but it's around the end of the second stage.
The third stage starts with a bullshit token-eating assault, so Minako doesn't even try to shoot all the targets. They fall almost immediately, and Minako walks past the screen and right towards you. "That was kinda uh...yeah."
"I'm guessing that's what was bothering you."
"A little." They shrug. "I just...Iunno, I'm not great at artic...arctic...talking about it."
"It's hard to articulate, yeah."
Minako purses their lips. "Fuck off."
That makes you chuckle. "Well it is! It's hard as shit! Nobody's really great at talking about that kinda thing."
"Well, I mean, there was just...ugh. I just felt...dunno. Useless?" They shrug. "I feel-felt useless. And like I was lied to because I'm useless."
"Mina, come on. You're not." You give them a tight thug. "You're not useless just because your moms are dumb and thought lying to our beautiful kid was a good idea."
They whine in your grip, but it takes no time for them to return it. "Brnnngh. I'm just tired, I guess." They look to the ground behind you.
This isn't really a solution. But it'll work for now. "Well, let's get some ice cream, alright?"
They nod. "Yeah. Yeah, that'd be nice."
You grin. "Oh, there was a place that sells apple ice cream..."
Their eyes light up. You swear you can hear their heart sing at the thought.
You love being a mom.
[=]
Your name is Sayaka, and currently, you find yourself walking down the road alone. You left your mom's apartment well after a good talk, and you were even able to change into something a bit more casual than your uniform, which is currently hanging in a bag on your back. You crack your neck mid-walk, pop your jaw, and let the cool evening breeze rush over you.
Kyouko let you know where she and Minako were, so you'll probably meet them at home after you patrol this part of town. Yesterday was Kyouko, so of course today is you.
And, well, you made sure Kyouko told Minako that you were on patrol. You take a few steps forwards, past a streetlamp. You don't sense any witches, which is either a really good sign or the sign of someone clearing them a bit too enthusiastically. You take a few steps down the road, under a street lamp.
You hear a can bounce across the ground. You take a quick look. Nothing. No signs of anything hostile. You take another step forwards.
You hear the faint sound of a fuse being set. You narrow your eyes. Time to take a risk. "You know..." you start. "Kinda funny that you're being this aggressive when you just got into town," you shout into the night. Worst case scenario, you look delusional. Best case, this makes your attacker wary.
"You're making a big mistake." You turn. "I don't know who you think you are, but last night, I found a girl in an alleyway with her torso blown wide open." You hear a faint voice, and words that sound vaguely like 'oh, shit!'.
"So, you have two options. One of them keeps you safe, the other puts you in a world-" You're cut off when there's a cannonshot. There's a flash of bright yellow as a bullet screams through the air. The shot is powerful, blindingly bright as it screams over the concrete and towards your torso.
You step to the side, but not even you can dodge bullets.
It slams you in the stomach, glancing out of the side of your sweater, tearing a hole through your side before it rips out of your back in a spray of sparks and blood. You stumble backwards, more in shock and annoyance than pain, before you promptly get back into a fighting stance.
"That was a mistake." You clap your hands. Your sword and shield are the first things up, and just in time, too; the mystery girl fires a second shot, but you block it with a massive tower shield. The dust and smoke provide a perfect screen for you as your armor emerges, fully-formed upon your person.
You pass your hand over the hole in your stomach, spit out some blood, and take a few steps forward. "I'm still giving you a chance! Final warning!"
This time, you see the shot coming. You bring your cutlass up just as a shot passes in front of you. The halves of the bullet, a softball-sized, spherical ball of metal, splits in front of your face. One half slams into your shield, the other flies into the ground behind you.
Yeah, you gave this girl her chances.
[] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
[] Rapid dash: Terrify and shock this opponent. Turn this shield into a larger blade. (Difficulty 1; this is scary as hell and if it's successful, it will end the fight more quickly)
[] Throw your shield. This thing weighs a hundred kilograms. It is an extremely lethal weapon. (Neutral; you're throwing your fucking shield like a madwoman).
Adhoc vote count started by TheOneMoiderah on May 30, 2019 at 8:36 AM, finished with 27 posts and 22 votes.
[X] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
[X] Throw your shield. This thing weighs a hundred kilograms. It is an extremely lethal weapon. (Neutral; you're throwing your fucking shield like a madwoman). - [X] Shout "YEET" when you do it, you need to practice sounding "hip" for Mina and their girlfriend. "KOBE" is also an option.
[X] Throw your shield. This thing weighs a hundred kilograms. It is an extremely lethal weapon. (Neutral; you're throwing your fucking shield like a madwoman).
- [X] Shout "YEET" when you do it, you need to practice sounding "hip" for Mina and their girlfriend. "KOBE" is also an option.
This would honestly scare me more than the bigass sword. Just... tank one shot, block a second, cut a third in half, then follow it up with just...
YEET.
[X] Throw your shield. This thing weighs a hundred kilograms. It is an extremely lethal weapon. (Neutral; you're throwing your fucking shield like a madwoman).
- [X] Shout "YEET" when you do it, you need to practice sounding "hip" for Mina and their girlfriend. "KOBE" is also an option.
You step to the side, but not even you can dodge bullets.
It slams you in the stomach, glancing out of the side of your sweater, tearing a hole through your side before it rips out of your back in a spray of sparks and blood. You stumble backwards, more in shock and annoyance than pain, before you promptly get back into a fighting stance.
I've never seen someone look so bored while their chest is being blown open.
[X] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
[X] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
Nonlethal is preferable. Can't interrogate a corpse, at least not with our powers. Besides, given the likelihood of some sort of mental fuckery going on in Kasamino, them jumping straight to lethal and refusing to talk does not necessarily mean it's of their own free will.
I'm not sure that turning her into a red smear on the ground is the best way to treat mindfuckery. Keep in mind that the shield has been noted as an extremely lethal weapon.
On another note, the art for this update is absolutely fantastic. I love that (to my eyes at least) Sayaka looks more annoyed about the ruined sweater than she is about having a cannonball blow through her stomach.
[x] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
[x] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
Sayaka is probably more annoyed about the ruined clothing honestly.
[X] Throw your shield. This thing weighs a hundred kilograms. It is an extremely lethal weapon. (Neutral; you're throwing your fucking shield like a madwoman).
[x] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
As much fun as throwing our shield would be, not against potentially mind-controlled children.
[x] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
[X] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
[X] Throw your shield. This thing weighs a hundred kilograms. It is an extremely lethal weapon. (Neutral; you're throwing your fucking shield like a madwoman).
- [X] Shout "YEET" when you do it, you need to practice sounding "hip" for Mina and their girlfriend. "KOBE" is also an option.
This would honestly scare me more than the bigass sword. Just... tank one shot, block a second, cut a third in half, then follow it up with just...
YEET.
I mean, obviously adore the mental image of this, but I'm also a risk-averse voter at heart that doesn't want to abandon my shield when I'm fighting a fucking cannon. Identify the future paths that hold defeat, and sever each one.
[X] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
I mean, other two are alright options. Throwing the shield has the ultimate surprise factor and actually has a higher success rate than shifting the shield, but it also throws away the shield and is crazy lethal. Sayaka is a great healer with access to the Mega Seed, but still. Shifting the shield leverages the scare factor we probably have right now, and is probably a decent way to end this fight without collateral damage and in the way we want, buuuut it's also the most difficult to implement.
We outclass the weak girls sent against us, but only a single bullet is needed to kill a priority target. Finding and neutralizing the puppet-master is definitely something that needs to happen, but in the meantime, maximize our defense so the odds of each victory are high enough that it'll take a while for someone to get lucky.
[X] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
[x] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
[X] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
If she's just gonna ranged spam, shield and advance, and then beat her once we get close. She'll probably try something different, but Sayaka's a crazy experienced meguca- she should be fine.
[X] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
The yeet approach is tempting (so very tempting), but, we don't wanna kill a possibly mindfucked girl.
[X] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
What are you talking about, that's an excellent way to treat mindfuckery!
You can't be brainwashed if you don't have a brain, after all.
[X] Throw your shield. This thing weighs a hundred kilograms. It is an extremely lethal weapon. (Neutral; you're throwing your fucking shield like a madwoman).
I mean, obviously adore the mental image of this, but I'm also a risk-averse voter at heart that doesn't want to abandon my shield when I'm fighting a fucking cannon. Identify the future paths that hold defeat, and sever each one.
[X] Shield Approach: Use the shield a-la riot police. Keep behind it. (Accuracy 1; this girl is aggressive and you don't know where she could approach, but a shield is always a good option)
I mean, other two are alright options. Throwing the shield has the ultimate surprise factor and actually has a higher success rate than shifting the shield, but it also throws away the shield and is crazy lethal. Sayaka is a great healer with access to the Mega Seed, but still. Shifting the shield leverages the scare factor we probably have right now, and is probably a decent way to end this fight without collateral damage and in the way we want, buuuut it's also the most difficult to implement.
We outclass the weak girls sent against us, but only a single bullet is needed to kill a priority target. Finding and neutralizing the puppet-master is definitely something that needs to happen, but in the meantime, maximize our defense so the odds of each victory are high enough that it'll take a while for someone to get lucky.
