- Location
- Nowhere
If that's so, you should post the votes out of a quote box. Otherwise, they won't be counted for a vote tally program.
Raising a Monster
- Thread starter LinkOnScepter
- Start date
- Original
If that's so, you should post the votes out of a quote box. Otherwise, they won't be counted for a vote tally program.
- Location
- sweden
[X] Food: General supplies to keep both your and your child's stomachs full.
-[X] 4 Food - 2 Money.
[X] Books: Train, Expand, and Feed your mind.
-[X] Fun Reading Books (Possible Perk for Character/Child when read): 1.5 Money
[X] Inform the Harrowmonts: They really should know. (Gain Harrowmont's assistance when Investigating Crossroads)
[X] Investigate Crossroads: Seriously, the fuck! (Possibly learn why there is an Eldritch Monster underneath your school and how to stop it 10% Done)
[X] Read a book: The best way to gain knowledge on just about anything. (Anastasia will look through your collection of books and read one on her own. May result in new Perk.)
-[X] 4 Food - 2 Money.
[X] Books: Train, Expand, and Feed your mind.
-[X] Fun Reading Books (Possible Perk for Character/Child when read): 1.5 Money
[X] Inform the Harrowmonts: They really should know. (Gain Harrowmont's assistance when Investigating Crossroads)
[X] Investigate Crossroads: Seriously, the fuck! (Possibly learn why there is an Eldritch Monster underneath your school and how to stop it 10% Done)
[X] Read a book: The best way to gain knowledge on just about anything. (Anastasia will look through your collection of books and read one on her own. May result in new Perk.)
Ah, didnt know that. Still relatively new here and I havent really used the vote tally program before.
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Time for Vote Tally!
Also, Happy Easter!
Also, Happy Easter!
- Location
- Fabulously Rainbow Ireland
Vote Tally : Original - Raising a Monster | Page 22 | Sufficient Velocity
##### NetTally 1.7.4
[X] Food: General supplies to keep both your and your child's stomachs full.
-[X] 4 Food - 2 Money.
[X] Books: Train, Expand, and Feed your mind.
-[X] Fun Reading Books (Possible Perk for Character/Child when read): 1.5 Money
[X] Inform the Harrowmonts: They really should know. (Gain Harrowmont's assistance when Investigating Crossroads)
[X] Investigate Crossroads: Seriously, the fuck! (Possibly learn why there is an Eldritch Monster underneath your school and how to stop it 10% Done)
[X] Read a book: The best way to gain knowledge on just about anything. (Anastasia will look through your collection of books and read one on her own. May result in new Perk.)
No. of Votes: 7
[X] Dispelling Serious Rumors!: It's all a misunderstanding, really! (Decrease Alarm; Remove The News! Perk)
[X] Call Rivauld: Ok..you can do this. (Improve Ms. R SL)
[X] Sense Eldritch: They are not getting into our house again. (Anastasia will use her Eldritch Powers to try to sense who or what is currently watching you. May lead to discovery of other Supernatural beings.)
No. of Votes: 1
[X] Food: General supplies to keep both your and your child's stomachs full.
-[X] 4 Food - 2 Money.
[X] Books: Train, Expand, and Feed your mind.
-[X] Fun Reading Books (Possible Perk for Character/Child when read): 1.5 Money
[X] Call Rivauld: Ok..you can do this. (Improve Ms. R SL)
[X] Inform the Harrowmonts: They really should know. (Gain Harrowmont's assistance when Investigating Crossroads)
[X] Investigate Crossroads: Seriously, the fuck! (Possibly learn why there is an Eldritch Monster underneath your school and how to stop it 10% Done)
[X] Read a book: The best way to gain knowledge on just about anything. (Anastasia will look through your collection of books and read one on her own. May result in new Perk.)
No. of Votes: 1
Total No. of Voters: 9
##### NetTally 1.7.4
[X] Food: General supplies to keep both your and your child's stomachs full.
-[X] 4 Food - 2 Money.
[X] Books: Train, Expand, and Feed your mind.
-[X] Fun Reading Books (Possible Perk for Character/Child when read): 1.5 Money
[X] Inform the Harrowmonts: They really should know. (Gain Harrowmont's assistance when Investigating Crossroads)
[X] Investigate Crossroads: Seriously, the fuck! (Possibly learn why there is an Eldritch Monster underneath your school and how to stop it 10% Done)
[X] Read a book: The best way to gain knowledge on just about anything. (Anastasia will look through your collection of books and read one on her own. May result in new Perk.)
No. of Votes: 7
[X] Dispelling Serious Rumors!: It's all a misunderstanding, really! (Decrease Alarm; Remove The News! Perk)
[X] Call Rivauld: Ok..you can do this. (Improve Ms. R SL)
[X] Sense Eldritch: They are not getting into our house again. (Anastasia will use her Eldritch Powers to try to sense who or what is currently watching you. May lead to discovery of other Supernatural beings.)
No. of Votes: 1
[X] Food: General supplies to keep both your and your child's stomachs full.
-[X] 4 Food - 2 Money.
[X] Books: Train, Expand, and Feed your mind.
-[X] Fun Reading Books (Possible Perk for Character/Child when read): 1.5 Money
[X] Call Rivauld: Ok..you can do this. (Improve Ms. R SL)
[X] Inform the Harrowmonts: They really should know. (Gain Harrowmont's assistance when Investigating Crossroads)
[X] Investigate Crossroads: Seriously, the fuck! (Possibly learn why there is an Eldritch Monster underneath your school and how to stop it 10% Done)
[X] Read a book: The best way to gain knowledge on just about anything. (Anastasia will look through your collection of books and read one on her own. May result in new Perk.)
No. of Votes: 1
Total No. of Voters: 9
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Wow, literally seconds away from each other. Thanks though.
Edit: Easter seems to be your lucky day.
2nd Edit: Forgot the Class Roll. The Second Roll was for your Sanity.
3rd Edit: I'm just forgetful lately. This next one is Ana's Class Roll. The Second Roll was to see how bad it is. This is...pretty bad.
Last edited:
- Location
- United states of america
The dice gods have blessed us
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
Blessed be
- Location
- Fabulously Rainbow Ireland
Annnnnnnnd things go to shit right after all the good luck, just great.
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
She might consider it, but then she would probably think something along the lines of "But that would make father upset".
- Location
- Fabulously Rainbow Ireland
Or it's just another Eldritch monster that shows up?
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
Hm, maybe something like "I best inform father"
- Location
- Nowhere
I see the class is quite hardcore if they can trigger a Sanity test, even though Howie is inured to the Supernatural.
Oh dammit, I spoke too soon. We need to pile up as many bonuses as possible. Still, in "failure rolls" as these, wouldn't it be that an higher number = a worse result, or is it always the other way around (aka higher = better, even when failing)?
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
He's immune to Supernatural Sanity Loss. He can still be driven crazy by common human stupidity.
The latter. When I roll a second time during a Crit or High Fail, I'm checking to see the degree of horribleness this can reach. Cause remember, no matter what, things can always get worse. Yet at the same time, even when they're pretty bad, they can get better.
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former - Albert Einstein.
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
Oh, I forgot. It's been past 2 days so that News Perk is gone.
Last edited:
Day 20 Part 1/A Tough Choice
LinkOnScepter
The One who Strangles Concepts to death
- Location
- Interwebs
[X] Food: General supplies to keep both your and your child's stomachs full.
-[X] 4 Food - 2 Money.
[X] Books: Train, Expand, and Feed your mind.
-[X] Fun Reading Books (Possible Perk for Character/Child when read): 1.5 Money
Money Left: 1.5
Howard Class Roll: 2 + 15 (Those who can't) +10 (Authoritative) = 27 Fail
Sanity Check Roll: 72 - 10 (Brats!) = 62 Success
Some days are better than others.
Apparently, three days out of school have made most of your students pretty cranky. Hearing that they're going to have to do three days worth of homework by the time the week's over doesn't help any.
You spend most of the day having to field outburst after outburst, but you've dealt with things like this before. So it's not really that much of a problem on your psyche.
(No Sanity loss)
Though your headache does get a bit worse, it goes away once class is over.
You also take note that, out of all of your students, Hannah is the only one who doesn't scream or groan with frustration when you make the announcement. In fact, you actually see her go over to two other kids and start getting on the work early. It makes your heart swell with pride to see such diligence in students!
Class lets out, and you start to gather your things together when Mr. Watson steps into your office. He's still wearing his green shirt, but he's face is what you focus on. It's frowning slightly, meaning that something happened that is not good for you. You hear footsteps coming up behind him, and watch Volkar and Barbara come around the corner. They've got on some knee length black trenchcoats which causes you to raise an eyebrow. It's not even fall yet, why do they have those on?
Your gaze shifts back to your boss, "Mr. Watson. Is something wrong, sir?"
"It's about your daughter, Craft," your blood runs cold. You freeze in place, mind working overtime to try to think of all the things that could've happened to your daughter.
Did the Cult come for her?
Did the people the woman works for come here?
Did anyone hurt her?
On the outside though, all you do is smile at your boss. You fold your hands behind your back, "Really? What happened?"
The principal turns and starts to walk out the door, "It's best if we talk about this in my office. Your kids will be there, too. Hopefully we can get this whole mess sorted out without having to go to court."
You share a glance with the Harrowmonts and all of you nod, silently agreeing that whatever happens, you'll all in this together.. You all start to follow Mr. Watson out the door and down the hallway.
Ana Class Roll: 8 + 5 (Child Form) = 13 High Fail
Alarm Check Roll: 6 High Fail
It all started during recess.
You were standing next to the monkey bars, as Chester made his way across them. He would try to make it to the other side as quickly as possible, while you stood by and timed him. He was rather good at it, each time beating his previous score.
As he did this, you made some idle conversation with him. Particularly about that "Anime" that he introduced you to, "Can you clear something up for me about Berserk, Chester?"
"Sure. What is it?" He answered while turning around to start going to the right.
"Why would Griffith want a brute like Guts to join the Hawks? He not only killed two of their own men, but is little more than a sword with legs. Why would he let him live and then offer him to join their band?"
"Well, if you remember what Guts said, Chuder predicted that the castle would fall in three days. But since the Hawks were there, it took three months instead. Time?"
"5 seconds. And yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"
"When Guts showed up and joined the assault on Chuder's side? The castle fell in a day."
"Oh, I see," you say, hand going to your chin as it becomes clear to you, "Guts' presence turned what should've been a victory for the Hawks into a crushing defeat. Having someone like that on your side—"
"Could turn the tide of just about any battle in your favor," Chester finishes as he reaches the leftmost rung and drops from the bars. He lands on his feet, walking over to stand at your right side, "Final time?"
"3 seconds. Impressive." you nod as and turn to walk with him, "I believe that recess is just about over, how about we—" you stop speaking and look directly in front of you. You frown, and hold out your right arm to stop Chester from moving forward. He starts to question you, but sees where your eyes are focused and looks up with you.
A few feet in front of you is a familiar face. You specifically remember the faces of the boy and girl standing in front of you 7 days ago from the park. The boy is standing slightly behind his sister, attempting to hide behind the larger child. He has a smug smile across his face that reaches up to his sickly green eyes, slightly covered by his dark blue hoodie. His teeth are white, but you see the yellow that indicates an active sweet tooth.
His sister stands with her arms in front of her chest, and face contorted into a sneer. She has the green eyes of her brother, but that is where most of the similarities end. Where her brother is short and stout, the sister is tall and lean. However, she has the bearings of a tomboy, her jeans that have been torn at the knees along with the ripped up sleeves of a black T-shirt that says "I Rule" indicates that. Why would anyone even let her wear something like that at school?
The four of you stand there, staring each other down across the grassy field. Most of the other students have gone back inside, but you notice three or four watching from the sidelines.
You decide to be one the to break the silence, "Excuse me, are you waiting for us?" You glance to your side and see Chester flexing his hands. He's tense, taking a small step to place himself in between you and the two children. You smile inwardly at the protectiveness you've inspired in him, "Well, I'm afraid that you'll have to wait a bit longer. We still have a class to get to you see."
The two nuisances don't budge, but you expected that. The sister, clearly the brave one, speaks up, "I'm here to pay ya back fa what ya did to me and my bother you freak."
"Really?" you feign surprise, "And who exactly are you?"
This seems to anger her, as her sneer deepens into a frown, "You don't member us? I'm Essie! Essie Olson!" She jerks her thumb at her younger brother, "And this is me bother, Gerald!"
"Oh, so those are your names. I didn't get them last time, and it was a good week ago. And I don't have a habit of remembering things that are inconsequential." She looks at you in confusion, and you smile, "That means 'unimportant' my dear."
That sets her off, she starts to advance on you pounding a fist into her palm, "Think you're smart, huh? Let's see if ya think that once I'm done with ya!"
You catch some movement out of the corner of your eye and file it away for later. They seem to have gotten someone else to assist them in this. It's a good thing that most of the teachers are taking care of their last classes, it'll stop them from interfering with this.
Just when the girl is close enough to hit you, Chester steps in front of you. His arms are outstretched and you can hear him growling deep in his chest. She's a good head taller than him, but he stands his ground. "Leave her alone," he rumbles, causing the girl to stop in her tracks.
Then her face turns smug, hands going to her hips, "Oh! Who's this then? You're boyfriend~?" she says the last word with her version of a high pitched voice. Which isn't a very good one, as her current voice already sounds much more like a boys than it should.
You see her eyes dart behind you, answering your suspicions from earlier. There is someone behind you, probably a friend or family member. With this knowledge, you put a hand on Chester's shoulder and whisper in his ear, "On the count of three, you take her and I take the one behind us." He nods, as you start to count the number of footsteps in the grass until the other assailant is upon you.
10 Steps.
"One."
5 Steps.
"Two."
1 Step.
"Three."
You feel hands try to get under your shoulders, and jerk your head backwards. It slams into something fleshy, and you hear bone break beneath it. Ignoring the slight pain from the attack, you spin on your right heel. Left leg raised you spin kick the child behind you, forcing the air out of their lungs. You activate a little bit of your physical augmentation power, and grip their right shoulder. With a heave, you pull them back towards Essie and slam them into the grass at your feet.
Confident that they are out cold, you look up to check on Chester. Sure enough, he's got Essie on the ground, straddling her with his legs. She's got her arms up to protect her face, but it doesn't do much against Chester's assault. He doesn't let up, growling and grunting while he pummels away at the girl's defences. They soon break, and he headbutts her hard. Her eyes stay open for a little bit longer, then fall closed. Her body slumps to the ground, unconscious.
Breathing heavily, Chester looks back over to where you are. When you give him a nod, a hands comes up to his chest and he sighs. You look down and kick over your assailant. Another girl, but she looks like Essie's clone in every way. The only difference is where Essie's shirt said "I Rule", this one says "We Rule". Must be twins.
Your gaze goes up until you find the other Olson sprawled out on the ground with his mouth agape. Keeping a smile on your face, you skip over to where he lays. You stop when you get to his right side, and lean down until your face is level with his ear, "Tell everyone what happened here. Let them know that I and those with which I associate myself are not to be trifled with. Those that harm us will be neutralized swiftly and easily. Have I made myself clear?"
You already know the answer, judging by the tears running down his face and smell of ammonia in the air, but you want to hear him say it. Just to be sure, of course.
He takes a gulp of air, most of it having gone out of his lungs, and tries to steady his voice for his next sentence, "W-w-wh-who-who are you?"
You smile and pat him on the shoulder as you walk away, "Anastasia Craft. Your superior."
Chester joins you soon after, posture relaxed once the adrenaline runs its course. You take a hand and rub him on the head as a reward.
Now just to get back to class.
You've gotten to the Battle of Helm's Deep in your book, and you don't want to miss that.
"....And that's what happened," Ana finishes, placing her hands in her lap to signify the end of her side of the story.
You're currently sitting next to your daughter in one of those grey folding chairs most schools have for times when there aren't enough seats in a room. The room you happen to be in right now is a place you had hoped you would never see yourself if you could help it; the Principal's Office.
Normally, people only came here because either they were in trouble or someone they knew were in trouble. You're in here for the latter reason, and it makes the light brown walls and desk with swinging pendulum and black phone on it even more nerve racking. You fidget in your seat as Mr. Watson sits with his hands flat on the table and back straight. His face is blank, stopping you from being able to read any emotions from the man.
To your far right sits Chester, nervousness etched into his body. He's fidgeting constantly, eyes darting between the imposing figure of the Principal, and his parents looming over his shoulder. However, whenever his eyes pass over your daughter, you see his body get less rigid and more relaxed.
Mr. Watson looks at Ana for a bit longer, the little girl staring him down with a face filled with impassiveness. He moves his gaze over to Chester, "Do you have anything to add, Chester Harrowmont?"
Ooooh, that wasn't good. If the Big Green used your full name, then you know he's thinking about punishing you in someway. Chester looks around the room for comfort, doing his best to avoid the Principal's eyes. He looks up at his mother and father. Volkar keeps up his poker face, only giving Chester a neutral look. His mother, puts a comforting hand on his shoulder and nods.
The wolf boy takes a deep breath, "Essie tried to hit me first," at Mr. Watson's raised eyebrow Chester puts his hands up in defense, "It's true! Right when Ana said she felt that other girl grab her under the arms, Essie tried to punch me in the face! I ducked under it and pounced her!
The Principal nodded satisfied, but what Chester said next put the whole room's eyes on him, "But...whatever you're going to do, please do it to me! I can take whatever punishment you can think of. Just leave Ana alone, please."
Thankfully, you're not the only one surprised by the boy's offer to bear the retribution that's coming. His parents are both staring at him with wide eyes and open mouths. Even Ana, normally stoic about everything, has a look of surprise on her face, "Chester...why?"
It's at that moment that the Big Green starts to laugh. It's his jolly laugh, the same one that you heard on the phone yesterday. He grabs his chest as it turns into gawhuffs. He calms down after about three minutes, wiping a tear from his eye, "Hah ha. Ha. Oh. I haven't seen this in a long time."
Chester's mother puts her arms around her son, "Seen what?"
"This behavior from a young man! He's willing to bring harm to himself to help Craft's little lady!" He chuckles a bit at something.
You still don't follow him, "Sir, what are you talking about?"
He waves his hand in front of you in dismissal, "Don't worry about it, my boy! Just be prepared. This little charmer might steal your daughter away before you can blink."
Your face contorts in confusion, but you grab onto Ana's hand to calm your nerves, "So, what happens now? What about the Olson children?"
"Hmm? Ah yes, them," he returns to his stoic face, putting his hands together, "based on your children's stories, they acted against the Olson children only in self-defense. The good news is, thanks to my diplomatic charisma, their parents will not be pressing charges against any of you."
You, Barbara, and Volkar all breathe a sigh of relief at that. Volkar says, "And the bad news?"
The Principal leans back in his leather chair, hands idly brushing against the pendulum on his desk and sending it swinging, "The bad news is, I'm afraid I have to suspend your children for a maximum of two days."
Barbara is the one who beats you to exclaiming, "What?!?! But, but why?! It's clear that my little Chester didn't do anything!" she hugs her son closer to her chest.
You nod your head squeezing Anastasia's hand a bit tighter before saying, "Yes. Those two kids obviously meant to harm them, so why are they being punished?!"
Mr. Watson calmly says, "Simple; I can't make exceptions. My school needs to have students who are disciplined, and will follow the rules. If I were to let off two students for fighting, even in self-defense, it would reflect badly on the school as a whole and me as a Principal. Don't worry, the Olsons are going to be expelled for starting the fight in the first place. I hope that you all understand my reasoning behind this."
You want to argue, but can't. He's right, you wouldn't want anyone thinking that just because Ana's your daughter she gets special treatment in the school. And besides, at least she's just suspended for two days.
You nod with your head hung low, "I understand, sir."
Barbara seems to want to argue, but Volkar puts a hand on her shoulder and shakes his head. He looks back at Mr. Watson, "We understand. Thank you, sir." He holds his hand out for a shake.
Mr. Watson leans over his desk and takes it, "I'm glad we got this settled. For the record? I believe your story more than the Olson's. They actually tried to say that Craft's daughter had psychic powers! Crazy right?"
You nervously chuckle, and stand up with Ana's hand in yours. After you shake hands with your boss, you walk out the door with the Harrowmonts following close behind with Chester.
Once you're all well away from the office, you stop and turn around to face the two werewolves, "So, you two. About that favor—"
"The answer is yes," Barbara says before you can finish. When she sees your surprise, she smiles, "We know you have to leave everyday to go to work, so if you need to you can drop Ana off at our house. It'll give her and Chester more time to play, and we can get to know each other better."
You….don't know what to say, "Thank you, Barbara."
She waves it off. Chester's beaming, so happy that his tail is wagging beneath his feet.
You look down at Anastasia, and she nods in agreement, "Better than leaving me at home by myself. I would be fine, of course, but I'm not sure how Child Services would react to you leaving a 5 year old home alone."
"Oh, that reminds me," you say look back at the Harrowmonts, "I've been meaning to tell you something…."
(Alarm Greatly Increased! Chester and Anastasia are Suspended for Two Days! Anastasia will stay over Chester's house until the Suspension is over!)
Oh, I've been meaning to tell you...: 82 + 10 (Orator) + 20 (Amulet) = 112 Artificial Crit
You relate to them how Anastasia was able to find the Eldritch Abomination living under the school, as well as give them all the information you currently got on it.
Their reaction...is slightly more than you expected.
At first, they just stand there, mouths agape as they digest your knowledge. At first, you think you might've broken them.
Then you see their eyes narrow, and pupils turn into yellow slits.
You see ok nope, nope, you are never looking at them when they're that angry again! They seem to be flitting between human and werewolf form and it looks disturbing to say the least. It's like taking a 2D image, and constantly changing it to 3D, then back again.
And you're not wearing any 3D glasses.
You rub your eyes and sigh in relief when you see the three werewolves have settled on their human form. However they still look really pissed. Vivid even. Barbara seems to be trying to stop herself from clawing her way into the floorboards, and Chester's claws are out.
Volkar walks close to you, eyes focused on the floor in disgust as if it were tainted somehow. The smell of his breath from the first time you met him face to face starts to fill your nostrils. He stops in front of you and grabs your shoulders.
"Craft," he says, voice raspy and deep, "how long have you known about this?"
Thinking you may have made a mistake, you nervously reply, "Umm, about three days now?"
Volkar nods, "Good, so it's recent then. Listen to me, Craft. We'll help you. We know how to deal with Lovecraftian Monsters. However, you need to promise me something."
"Ok, what is it," his head comes up and looks you in the eyes. His predatory gaze seems to burrow into you, as if trying to see deep into your soul. What you see is a man with a deep seated hatred for something, that goes way deeper than he's letting on.
"When, not if, when things get dicey, when its time to fight for our lives, you can't interfere with us. No matter what we do. Promise?"
He couldn't of dropped a bigger weight on your shoulders, if he suddenly gave you 20lb dumbbells to carry. You can pretty much figure out what he means by that. There's little doubt in your mind that this creature hasn't already got a Cult following it, much like Ana does. More than likely they will defend it with their very lives.
Meaning that you're gonna be facing humans.
Meaning that the Harrowmonts are probably gonna have to kill some humans.
And Volkar's asking you to stand by and let it happen.
Can you really do that?
Even if they are enemies, they're still people like you and even Volkar.
Can you just stand by and let them do as they will?
Blessedly, Volkar backs off and returns to his family's side, "I know this is a tough choice, so I'll give you some time to decide. But you'd better be ready to uphold your end of the deal when the time comes." Then the three werewolves take their leave, Chester sending you one last wave goodbye before disappearing down the hallway.
You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding in. You look down at Anastasia, and see your hands are tightly gripping her shoulders. You let her go before you hurt her, and pick her up. You hold her in your arms, and she wraps her hands around your neck. The both of you just stay there for a while, taking in what just happened.
Then you walk towards the Exit to the school, mind still racing.
(Harrowmont Help Gained! They will start conducting their own investigation into Crossroads! +25 to all Crossroads Investigation Rolls! Will have to decide whether to let Harrowmonts have free reign during confrontation!)
I didn't roll for Ana against the bullies, because they stood no chance anyway.
Edit: Oh yes, the reason for these tending to take a long time to update, is because of my work ethic. I believe in Quality over Quantity, and try to make every Update the best I can make it. I always make sure to have it beta read by my brother before I feel comfortable posting it.
-[X] 4 Food - 2 Money.
[X] Books: Train, Expand, and Feed your mind.
-[X] Fun Reading Books (Possible Perk for Character/Child when read): 1.5 Money
Money Left: 1.5
Howard Class Roll: 2 + 15 (Those who can't) +10 (Authoritative) = 27 Fail
Sanity Check Roll: 72 - 10 (Brats!) = 62 Success
Some days are better than others.
Apparently, three days out of school have made most of your students pretty cranky. Hearing that they're going to have to do three days worth of homework by the time the week's over doesn't help any.
You spend most of the day having to field outburst after outburst, but you've dealt with things like this before. So it's not really that much of a problem on your psyche.
(No Sanity loss)
Though your headache does get a bit worse, it goes away once class is over.
You also take note that, out of all of your students, Hannah is the only one who doesn't scream or groan with frustration when you make the announcement. In fact, you actually see her go over to two other kids and start getting on the work early. It makes your heart swell with pride to see such diligence in students!
Class lets out, and you start to gather your things together when Mr. Watson steps into your office. He's still wearing his green shirt, but he's face is what you focus on. It's frowning slightly, meaning that something happened that is not good for you. You hear footsteps coming up behind him, and watch Volkar and Barbara come around the corner. They've got on some knee length black trenchcoats which causes you to raise an eyebrow. It's not even fall yet, why do they have those on?
Your gaze shifts back to your boss, "Mr. Watson. Is something wrong, sir?"
"It's about your daughter, Craft," your blood runs cold. You freeze in place, mind working overtime to try to think of all the things that could've happened to your daughter.
Did the Cult come for her?
Did the people the woman works for come here?
Did anyone hurt her?
On the outside though, all you do is smile at your boss. You fold your hands behind your back, "Really? What happened?"
The principal turns and starts to walk out the door, "It's best if we talk about this in my office. Your kids will be there, too. Hopefully we can get this whole mess sorted out without having to go to court."
You share a glance with the Harrowmonts and all of you nod, silently agreeing that whatever happens, you'll all in this together.. You all start to follow Mr. Watson out the door and down the hallway.
Ana Class Roll: 8 + 5 (Child Form) = 13 High Fail
Alarm Check Roll: 6 High Fail
It all started during recess.
You were standing next to the monkey bars, as Chester made his way across them. He would try to make it to the other side as quickly as possible, while you stood by and timed him. He was rather good at it, each time beating his previous score.
As he did this, you made some idle conversation with him. Particularly about that "Anime" that he introduced you to, "Can you clear something up for me about Berserk, Chester?"
"Sure. What is it?" He answered while turning around to start going to the right.
"Why would Griffith want a brute like Guts to join the Hawks? He not only killed two of their own men, but is little more than a sword with legs. Why would he let him live and then offer him to join their band?"
"Well, if you remember what Guts said, Chuder predicted that the castle would fall in three days. But since the Hawks were there, it took three months instead. Time?"
"5 seconds. And yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"
"When Guts showed up and joined the assault on Chuder's side? The castle fell in a day."
"Oh, I see," you say, hand going to your chin as it becomes clear to you, "Guts' presence turned what should've been a victory for the Hawks into a crushing defeat. Having someone like that on your side—"
"Could turn the tide of just about any battle in your favor," Chester finishes as he reaches the leftmost rung and drops from the bars. He lands on his feet, walking over to stand at your right side, "Final time?"
"3 seconds. Impressive." you nod as and turn to walk with him, "I believe that recess is just about over, how about we—" you stop speaking and look directly in front of you. You frown, and hold out your right arm to stop Chester from moving forward. He starts to question you, but sees where your eyes are focused and looks up with you.
A few feet in front of you is a familiar face. You specifically remember the faces of the boy and girl standing in front of you 7 days ago from the park. The boy is standing slightly behind his sister, attempting to hide behind the larger child. He has a smug smile across his face that reaches up to his sickly green eyes, slightly covered by his dark blue hoodie. His teeth are white, but you see the yellow that indicates an active sweet tooth.
His sister stands with her arms in front of her chest, and face contorted into a sneer. She has the green eyes of her brother, but that is where most of the similarities end. Where her brother is short and stout, the sister is tall and lean. However, she has the bearings of a tomboy, her jeans that have been torn at the knees along with the ripped up sleeves of a black T-shirt that says "I Rule" indicates that. Why would anyone even let her wear something like that at school?
The four of you stand there, staring each other down across the grassy field. Most of the other students have gone back inside, but you notice three or four watching from the sidelines.
You decide to be one the to break the silence, "Excuse me, are you waiting for us?" You glance to your side and see Chester flexing his hands. He's tense, taking a small step to place himself in between you and the two children. You smile inwardly at the protectiveness you've inspired in him, "Well, I'm afraid that you'll have to wait a bit longer. We still have a class to get to you see."
The two nuisances don't budge, but you expected that. The sister, clearly the brave one, speaks up, "I'm here to pay ya back fa what ya did to me and my bother you freak."
"Really?" you feign surprise, "And who exactly are you?"
This seems to anger her, as her sneer deepens into a frown, "You don't member us? I'm Essie! Essie Olson!" She jerks her thumb at her younger brother, "And this is me bother, Gerald!"
"Oh, so those are your names. I didn't get them last time, and it was a good week ago. And I don't have a habit of remembering things that are inconsequential." She looks at you in confusion, and you smile, "That means 'unimportant' my dear."
That sets her off, she starts to advance on you pounding a fist into her palm, "Think you're smart, huh? Let's see if ya think that once I'm done with ya!"
You catch some movement out of the corner of your eye and file it away for later. They seem to have gotten someone else to assist them in this. It's a good thing that most of the teachers are taking care of their last classes, it'll stop them from interfering with this.
Just when the girl is close enough to hit you, Chester steps in front of you. His arms are outstretched and you can hear him growling deep in his chest. She's a good head taller than him, but he stands his ground. "Leave her alone," he rumbles, causing the girl to stop in her tracks.
Then her face turns smug, hands going to her hips, "Oh! Who's this then? You're boyfriend~?" she says the last word with her version of a high pitched voice. Which isn't a very good one, as her current voice already sounds much more like a boys than it should.
You see her eyes dart behind you, answering your suspicions from earlier. There is someone behind you, probably a friend or family member. With this knowledge, you put a hand on Chester's shoulder and whisper in his ear, "On the count of three, you take her and I take the one behind us." He nods, as you start to count the number of footsteps in the grass until the other assailant is upon you.
10 Steps.
"One."
5 Steps.
"Two."
1 Step.
"Three."
You feel hands try to get under your shoulders, and jerk your head backwards. It slams into something fleshy, and you hear bone break beneath it. Ignoring the slight pain from the attack, you spin on your right heel. Left leg raised you spin kick the child behind you, forcing the air out of their lungs. You activate a little bit of your physical augmentation power, and grip their right shoulder. With a heave, you pull them back towards Essie and slam them into the grass at your feet.
Confident that they are out cold, you look up to check on Chester. Sure enough, he's got Essie on the ground, straddling her with his legs. She's got her arms up to protect her face, but it doesn't do much against Chester's assault. He doesn't let up, growling and grunting while he pummels away at the girl's defences. They soon break, and he headbutts her hard. Her eyes stay open for a little bit longer, then fall closed. Her body slumps to the ground, unconscious.
Breathing heavily, Chester looks back over to where you are. When you give him a nod, a hands comes up to his chest and he sighs. You look down and kick over your assailant. Another girl, but she looks like Essie's clone in every way. The only difference is where Essie's shirt said "I Rule", this one says "We Rule". Must be twins.
Your gaze goes up until you find the other Olson sprawled out on the ground with his mouth agape. Keeping a smile on your face, you skip over to where he lays. You stop when you get to his right side, and lean down until your face is level with his ear, "Tell everyone what happened here. Let them know that I and those with which I associate myself are not to be trifled with. Those that harm us will be neutralized swiftly and easily. Have I made myself clear?"
You already know the answer, judging by the tears running down his face and smell of ammonia in the air, but you want to hear him say it. Just to be sure, of course.
He takes a gulp of air, most of it having gone out of his lungs, and tries to steady his voice for his next sentence, "W-w-wh-who-who are you?"
You smile and pat him on the shoulder as you walk away, "Anastasia Craft. Your superior."
Chester joins you soon after, posture relaxed once the adrenaline runs its course. You take a hand and rub him on the head as a reward.
Now just to get back to class.
You've gotten to the Battle of Helm's Deep in your book, and you don't want to miss that.
"....And that's what happened," Ana finishes, placing her hands in her lap to signify the end of her side of the story.
You're currently sitting next to your daughter in one of those grey folding chairs most schools have for times when there aren't enough seats in a room. The room you happen to be in right now is a place you had hoped you would never see yourself if you could help it; the Principal's Office.
Normally, people only came here because either they were in trouble or someone they knew were in trouble. You're in here for the latter reason, and it makes the light brown walls and desk with swinging pendulum and black phone on it even more nerve racking. You fidget in your seat as Mr. Watson sits with his hands flat on the table and back straight. His face is blank, stopping you from being able to read any emotions from the man.
To your far right sits Chester, nervousness etched into his body. He's fidgeting constantly, eyes darting between the imposing figure of the Principal, and his parents looming over his shoulder. However, whenever his eyes pass over your daughter, you see his body get less rigid and more relaxed.
Mr. Watson looks at Ana for a bit longer, the little girl staring him down with a face filled with impassiveness. He moves his gaze over to Chester, "Do you have anything to add, Chester Harrowmont?"
Ooooh, that wasn't good. If the Big Green used your full name, then you know he's thinking about punishing you in someway. Chester looks around the room for comfort, doing his best to avoid the Principal's eyes. He looks up at his mother and father. Volkar keeps up his poker face, only giving Chester a neutral look. His mother, puts a comforting hand on his shoulder and nods.
The wolf boy takes a deep breath, "Essie tried to hit me first," at Mr. Watson's raised eyebrow Chester puts his hands up in defense, "It's true! Right when Ana said she felt that other girl grab her under the arms, Essie tried to punch me in the face! I ducked under it and pounced her!
The Principal nodded satisfied, but what Chester said next put the whole room's eyes on him, "But...whatever you're going to do, please do it to me! I can take whatever punishment you can think of. Just leave Ana alone, please."
Thankfully, you're not the only one surprised by the boy's offer to bear the retribution that's coming. His parents are both staring at him with wide eyes and open mouths. Even Ana, normally stoic about everything, has a look of surprise on her face, "Chester...why?"
It's at that moment that the Big Green starts to laugh. It's his jolly laugh, the same one that you heard on the phone yesterday. He grabs his chest as it turns into gawhuffs. He calms down after about three minutes, wiping a tear from his eye, "Hah ha. Ha. Oh. I haven't seen this in a long time."
Chester's mother puts her arms around her son, "Seen what?"
"This behavior from a young man! He's willing to bring harm to himself to help Craft's little lady!" He chuckles a bit at something.
You still don't follow him, "Sir, what are you talking about?"
He waves his hand in front of you in dismissal, "Don't worry about it, my boy! Just be prepared. This little charmer might steal your daughter away before you can blink."
Your face contorts in confusion, but you grab onto Ana's hand to calm your nerves, "So, what happens now? What about the Olson children?"
"Hmm? Ah yes, them," he returns to his stoic face, putting his hands together, "based on your children's stories, they acted against the Olson children only in self-defense. The good news is, thanks to my diplomatic charisma, their parents will not be pressing charges against any of you."
You, Barbara, and Volkar all breathe a sigh of relief at that. Volkar says, "And the bad news?"
The Principal leans back in his leather chair, hands idly brushing against the pendulum on his desk and sending it swinging, "The bad news is, I'm afraid I have to suspend your children for a maximum of two days."
Barbara is the one who beats you to exclaiming, "What?!?! But, but why?! It's clear that my little Chester didn't do anything!" she hugs her son closer to her chest.
You nod your head squeezing Anastasia's hand a bit tighter before saying, "Yes. Those two kids obviously meant to harm them, so why are they being punished?!"
Mr. Watson calmly says, "Simple; I can't make exceptions. My school needs to have students who are disciplined, and will follow the rules. If I were to let off two students for fighting, even in self-defense, it would reflect badly on the school as a whole and me as a Principal. Don't worry, the Olsons are going to be expelled for starting the fight in the first place. I hope that you all understand my reasoning behind this."
You want to argue, but can't. He's right, you wouldn't want anyone thinking that just because Ana's your daughter she gets special treatment in the school. And besides, at least she's just suspended for two days.
You nod with your head hung low, "I understand, sir."
Barbara seems to want to argue, but Volkar puts a hand on her shoulder and shakes his head. He looks back at Mr. Watson, "We understand. Thank you, sir." He holds his hand out for a shake.
Mr. Watson leans over his desk and takes it, "I'm glad we got this settled. For the record? I believe your story more than the Olson's. They actually tried to say that Craft's daughter had psychic powers! Crazy right?"
You nervously chuckle, and stand up with Ana's hand in yours. After you shake hands with your boss, you walk out the door with the Harrowmonts following close behind with Chester.
Once you're all well away from the office, you stop and turn around to face the two werewolves, "So, you two. About that favor—"
"The answer is yes," Barbara says before you can finish. When she sees your surprise, she smiles, "We know you have to leave everyday to go to work, so if you need to you can drop Ana off at our house. It'll give her and Chester more time to play, and we can get to know each other better."
You….don't know what to say, "Thank you, Barbara."
She waves it off. Chester's beaming, so happy that his tail is wagging beneath his feet.
You look down at Anastasia, and she nods in agreement, "Better than leaving me at home by myself. I would be fine, of course, but I'm not sure how Child Services would react to you leaving a 5 year old home alone."
"Oh, that reminds me," you say look back at the Harrowmonts, "I've been meaning to tell you something…."
(Alarm Greatly Increased! Chester and Anastasia are Suspended for Two Days! Anastasia will stay over Chester's house until the Suspension is over!)
Oh, I've been meaning to tell you...: 82 + 10 (Orator) + 20 (Amulet) = 112 Artificial Crit
You relate to them how Anastasia was able to find the Eldritch Abomination living under the school, as well as give them all the information you currently got on it.
Their reaction...is slightly more than you expected.
At first, they just stand there, mouths agape as they digest your knowledge. At first, you think you might've broken them.
Then you see their eyes narrow, and pupils turn into yellow slits.
You see ok nope, nope, you are never looking at them when they're that angry again! They seem to be flitting between human and werewolf form and it looks disturbing to say the least. It's like taking a 2D image, and constantly changing it to 3D, then back again.
And you're not wearing any 3D glasses.
You rub your eyes and sigh in relief when you see the three werewolves have settled on their human form. However they still look really pissed. Vivid even. Barbara seems to be trying to stop herself from clawing her way into the floorboards, and Chester's claws are out.
Volkar walks close to you, eyes focused on the floor in disgust as if it were tainted somehow. The smell of his breath from the first time you met him face to face starts to fill your nostrils. He stops in front of you and grabs your shoulders.
"Craft," he says, voice raspy and deep, "how long have you known about this?"
Thinking you may have made a mistake, you nervously reply, "Umm, about three days now?"
Volkar nods, "Good, so it's recent then. Listen to me, Craft. We'll help you. We know how to deal with Lovecraftian Monsters. However, you need to promise me something."
"Ok, what is it," his head comes up and looks you in the eyes. His predatory gaze seems to burrow into you, as if trying to see deep into your soul. What you see is a man with a deep seated hatred for something, that goes way deeper than he's letting on.
"When, not if, when things get dicey, when its time to fight for our lives, you can't interfere with us. No matter what we do. Promise?"
He couldn't of dropped a bigger weight on your shoulders, if he suddenly gave you 20lb dumbbells to carry. You can pretty much figure out what he means by that. There's little doubt in your mind that this creature hasn't already got a Cult following it, much like Ana does. More than likely they will defend it with their very lives.
Meaning that you're gonna be facing humans.
Meaning that the Harrowmonts are probably gonna have to kill some humans.
And Volkar's asking you to stand by and let it happen.
Can you really do that?
Even if they are enemies, they're still people like you and even Volkar.
Can you just stand by and let them do as they will?
Blessedly, Volkar backs off and returns to his family's side, "I know this is a tough choice, so I'll give you some time to decide. But you'd better be ready to uphold your end of the deal when the time comes." Then the three werewolves take their leave, Chester sending you one last wave goodbye before disappearing down the hallway.
You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding in. You look down at Anastasia, and see your hands are tightly gripping her shoulders. You let her go before you hurt her, and pick her up. You hold her in your arms, and she wraps her hands around your neck. The both of you just stay there for a while, taking in what just happened.
Then you walk towards the Exit to the school, mind still racing.
(Harrowmont Help Gained! They will start conducting their own investigation into Crossroads! +25 to all Crossroads Investigation Rolls! Will have to decide whether to let Harrowmonts have free reign during confrontation!)
I didn't roll for Ana against the bullies, because they stood no chance anyway.
Edit: Oh yes, the reason for these tending to take a long time to update, is because of my work ethic. I believe in Quality over Quantity, and try to make every Update the best I can make it. I always make sure to have it beta read by my brother before I feel comfortable posting it.
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lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
Thanks for the chapter! Also, you're in the Harrowmont's world not the other way around. They have been at this longer than you. Trust them.
- Location
- Nowhere
Well, went better than expected. No-one died, nor did Ann show her supernatural powers. That increase to Alarm is worrying though.
On the plus side... Aaw, Chester is totally having a puppy love with Anna. Too bad the latter treats the former as if he was an attack dog (literally) and Anna is going to grow up faster than Chester, nevermind the fact they may not be biologically compatible. On the other hand, I can see Ches' Dad at some point challenging Craft and vice-versa to a duel if these two's relationship progresses further.
Moreover, since they're cultists chances are they might not be human anymore and/or have too many tentacles to count.
By the way, fun question: Should Craft invite the Harrowmont to dinner, would the werewolf family react badly upon touching the silverware?
On the plus side... Aaw, Chester is totally having a puppy love with Anna. Too bad the latter treats the former as if he was an attack dog (literally) and Anna is going to grow up faster than Chester, nevermind the fact they may not be biologically compatible. On the other hand, I can see Ches' Dad at some point challenging Craft and vice-versa to a duel if these two's relationship progresses further.
Moreover, since they're cultists chances are they might not be human anymore and/or have too many tentacles to count.
By the way, fun question: Should Craft invite the Harrowmont to dinner, would the werewolf family react badly upon touching the silverware?
We Just Write
Blatantly Plural
- Location
- New England
- Pronouns
- Plural
I'm just going to note that most of the 'silver'ware you see these days is actually made of stainless steel. It's almost as shiny, it's durable, and it resists corrosion a lot better than silver, meaning it can be run through the dishwasher. It's also cheaper than silver, which would be important for a relatively poor family like the Crafts.By the way, fun question: Should Craft invite the Harrowmont to dinner, would the werewolf family react badly upon touching the silverware?
TL;DR: the silverare probably isn't made of silver anyway.
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lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
Poor Chester, his crush is gunna grow up without him.
- Location
- Fabulously Rainbow Ireland
This is why I didn't want to read the journal
