Dog Days Quest Episode 102

"So, err, Madeleine."

Gotta save this, gotta save this, gotta save this.

You lean in closer to make sure the pointed ears of the rumor mill are long excluded.
"Wanna go on a date today? Just you and aye, nothin' fancy."

Lightly, a sigh tickles the tiny hairs on your neck.
"Aren't we a charmer?" She squeezes your shoulders slightly, "Give me an hour, and it's a date."

Her tail flickers off your collar and then travels down your back. Your posture loosens, and a sigh leaves your lips.
Turning around, she's already gone. Though, you can hear some childlike giggling coming from around the corner.

That was a close one.

Okay, you got an hour left to spend before you have to go incognito. You should use this to-
Oh wait, damn it all. You should go patch things up with Atsuko before you go prancing off. She's just as likely to start spreading rumors as anyone else.

With a hop; you follow closely behind the ice lass' trail. Fortunately, she's never hard to find.

You walk by the front gate of the armory to notice that it's wide open. Just to make sure everything is in order, you peek your head in.

"So then-" You see the head maid of Biscotti castle, Alicot, talking with the quartermaster Fritelli. "-I saw Charlotte grind the heel of her boot right into his eye!"

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Fritelli sighs, "She's a mean one when she wants to be."

It seems like exploits of the cat princess can spread far and wide in such a short time.
"So, did they say what they were going to do?"
"N-not yet, she hasn't stepped down. So no one's sure if they're gonna contact the king or maybe try to overrule her or-"

Wait, you didn't hear about this part.

"Lost confidence?"
"I think some of them are scared of her now, and I really, really don't blame them."

>Cont.

Well, this is probably beyond the scope of your search. You turn around and head back down the hallway.
Atsuko is at the bar, near the end. She appears to be ordering a drink.

You sit down next to her.
"Ahoy."

"Oh, you're still in one piece." She taps her fingers on the bar, "I thought Madeleine would have fixed that."
She's being moody again, but you can't imagine why.

>Try to explain yourself.
>Just don't talk about it, you'll make things worse.
>Order a drink!
>Pet her head, she's still important.
>Ask about what people are saying regarding last night.
>Other?

>Order a drink!
>Pet her head, she's still important.
>Keep petting

>>Order a drink!

>...Ne'er wanted to hurt anyone's feelings, ya know.

>Order a drink!
>Pet her head, she's still important.

>Order a drink!
>Pet her head, she's still important.'

Writing!

You do admit.

This display DOES make you feel bad.
Aww, why do you have to deal with problems that you can't punch?

"Atsuko."
"Mm."

"Yer still important."

You take your free hand and gently run it along the outside of her ear. The pointed nub lightly flips as it prods the sensitive strands that adorn the cone.
Usually, she would try to resist in some form. This time, she isn't even making a token effort. She rocks her head slightly into your hand, applying more pressure to her scalp.

"Ne'er meant to hurt anyone's feelings, ya know."
"I know, Jack." She sighs, softly. "You haven't hurt my feelings, it's just been a strange time in my life is all."

The feeling is quite mutual, you think to yourself.

"I'm not mad, or unhappy-" She continues, "-Or even saddened, I'm happy that you've decided to stay at the shrine. And, I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. I know I haven't been the nicest of people to be around."

The bartender sets down a tiny glass, filled with a blue liquid. As if by instinct; he sets a similar shotglass filled with a familiar ichor down in front of you.

Aye, you have him trained good.

"-I guess I'm just more upset about the way I've been acting." Atsuko takes the small glass and takes a sip.
"Ye have no reason to be." You continue scratching along the base of her left ear. It's slowly starting to tremble. "Ye have been a great help. Ye give us a place to stay, food to eat, and even come along on my dumb adventures! The crew needs ye, Lass."

She takes another sip.
"Thank you, Jack."

"Anytime, Atsuko."

>Stay here and drink some more with Suki
>Gotta get ready
>Maybe go check and see what Fritelli was talking about.
>Change the subject, keep talking.
>Other?

>>Stay here and drink some more with Suki
>>Gotta get ready

Best Ice lass

>Gotta get ready
Gotta be prepared for the snake date.

>Gotta get ready

>Gotta get ready
maybe take a bath or something

>Gotta get ready

Writing!

So uh, there wasn't much Tuile... but this thread's gonna have a focus on a whole date with the snake?

I don't see the problem if that's the case.

I thought you liked Tuile as well?
Or was that just what you said to keep getting more snake?

I do, since everything seems to come back to Madeleine while Tuile barely gets anything on her own.

I like Tulie, but we just had Tulie time not to long ago.

I think you're overestimating how much time snake actually gets.

>I think you're overestimating how much time snake actually gets.
The snake is apparently getting a full date?
While last thread we got a brief first post mention of Tuile and that was it.

Most girls (Tulie and Madeline included) of late, are lucky to get a post or two before either something happens or they vanish off to somewhere.

You ain't wrong.

You sit with Atsuko for a few more minutes, chatting about the shrine and if she still plans on shopping for today.

She finishes her little cup of blue while you talk with her. Thankfully, her mood has improved significantly by the time she finishes.
That could be the alcohol, too. There's really no way to know.

In any case, you have an important function to get ready for. Atsuko says goodbye and heads for the town, and you decide to head for the showers.

Aye, the showers. You don't use them much, but there's a certain charm to not smelling like alcohol before a big date.
You think it's a good smell; others have their opinions.

You go in for a quick hose-off, and then use the extra water to freshen up your clothes. You'll be slightly damp, but the sun should cure that.

You head out into the main hall, and are interrupted by someone.

"Aligot? Ye okay?"
"No, haven't slept all night."

He rubs his eyes, and wearly coughs.
"What happened? Ye hear about Charlotte?"
"I heard about that, but more importantly; we found out about that purple stuff he had on him. It's only made in one place."

Now, you're curious.
"Where?"
"Bruschetta." He says, "Let me get some rest, and I'll get the details to you."

"Aye, I think now is a bad time-"

"Mmm."

A familiar hand rests itself on your shoulder.

"A bad time, huh?" Aligot smirks.
"Aye, today may be kinda taken."

"Oh don't worry, I promise to bring him back in one piece." Madeleine teases.

"Well, you two have fun." He turns around and heads for the dorms.

"Hmm, well then; where do you want to go first?" She scratches under your chin.

>Let's go around town, shop a little
>Maybe somewhere not too obvious.
>'ey, want to meet a real cool kid I found last night?
>The woods, nice forest walk.
>Training ground, let's get drunk and shoot firearms.
>Other?

>Let's go around town, shop a little

>>Let's go around town, shop a little

Now now, there's enough Jack for everyone.

>Let's go around town, shop a little
Start off simple.

>Let's go around town, shop a little

But is there enough everyone for Jack?

>Let's go around town, shop a little

Writing

What the heck it's almost 11 PM? I only have five storyposts made?

This is terrible! Am I always this slow?
I'll have to make it extended on Tuesday or something to make up for it.

>This is terrible! Am I always this slow?

>This is terrible! Am I always this slow?
The scariest thing is that you're not the slowest QM I've ever quested with.

>This is terrible! Am I always this slow?
Err... yeah.

And we only have around 40 posts.
...Have you considered akun as a thing, Announcer?

Well at least there's no contention here.

I'm not USUALLY this slow (I would like to think at least!), it's just some nights I'm slower than others. It depends on how tired I am, mostly. Today was a travel day.

Well, no point lying, is there?

pls no, I like this quest here on Veeky Forums.

Ah, I see.

Well, ok, fair enough, I'll stop complaining.

Well I do too, obviously.
I was just throwing out a place where Announcer might get by better with slow posting.
Would of course prefer if it continued on tg though.

"Aye, let's go to town." You gently take her arm, "Shop around, maybe get some new clothes and potions and stuff."

"It's a deal!"

With a hoist, you pick her up and help her over the splintery path that is the castle bridge.

--

"What's in 'ese potions?"
"Now these." She picks up a greenish ichor off the rack, it becomes purplish in the window's light. "These little things here are for barrier syndrome."

"Err, Barrier syndrome?"

She nods, "It's a serious problem, sometimes the barrier just treats people differently. When that happens, their clothes explode."

"Wouldn't ye need like, err, a tailor to fix that problem?"

"Nope, because if they put on more clothes, those just explode, too."

"..How often have ye seen this?"
"Maybe once or twice."
"Why so many of 'em, then?" You put the tiny ichor back on the rack of similar looking potions.

"Well, they're not all the same."
"..Really?"

"Like this one-" She picks up an identical potion sitting right next to it. "Is if you sprain your ankle."
"They look the same."
"No, no." She laughs, "It's clearly more green in hue."

You simply stare back at her. She grins and puts it in her medicine pouch.
Madeleine's hand also reaches for something else, her sack of coins.

You stop her and pay for it yourself.

"W-" She seems confused. "Uh, thanks?"
"No problem." You smile back at her. "Why ye think ye had to pay for anything?"

"Well, um, it's my potions we were buying." Charlotte checks her medicine pouch one more time, just to be sure.
"Aye, and this is a date. Haven't ye ever been on a date before?"
She blinks, and then stares at you.

>"Ye, HAVE been on a date before, right Lass?"
>Don't bring it up again, just keep going!
>"Never mind."
>"Okay, just let me pay fer everythin'."
>"That's close enough to a date."
>Other?

>>"That's close enough to a date."

>"That's close enough to a date."

>"Well, um, it's my potions we were buying." Charlotte checks her medicine pouch one more time, just to be sure.

Ye mean madeleine, right?

>"Okay, just let me pay fer everythin'."
>"That's close enough to a date."

>Charlotte checks her medicine pouch one more time, just to be sure.
Charlotte, I thought you were digging your heel into a guy's eye socket?

>"Never mind."
>"Okay, just let me pay fer everythin'."

Well shoot.

As you can see! Traveling does weird things to me brain.

>"Okay, just let me pay fer everythin'."
>"That's close enough to a date."

Writing! with Madeleine this time instead of Charlotte!

"Okay, okay." You tap Madeleine on the shoulder, "Just lemme pay fer everythin'. That's close enough for a date."

"Oh, okay. Thanks!"
"No no, don't thank me for doin' what I should be doin' on a date."

"Well."

Oh, there's that look in her eyes again.

"-Will I have to thank you for later, then?"

Oh geez.

"Madeleine, let's get goin'."
"Okayy."

You step out into the street and search for the next place to plunder.

Dresses, Madeleine might like a new dress. Or how about food? That might be the next stop.
Or.. the bar. No, no, this is Madeleine's day. No day for drinking.

You could take Madeleine to the scene of last night's crime, and describe the vial of purple spice that you 'acquired' from the chef.
No, that would be dragging your work into your personal life. You know better than that.

Instead, you're gonna-

"Oh!" Madeleine claps her hands together.
A hooded boy waves at you from across the street. With vigor, he dashes across while waving his arms.
"He's cute! Do you know him?"

"Err, yeah."

Yeah, you know him.
It feels a little inappropriate meeting him while on a date, though.

"Mister Albator!" He happily hops and skips on his last paces before stopping in front of you. "You came! I can't believe it! You're the first person who ever came back when they said they would!"

"Err, yeah." You sound just as confused as you actually are. "Came for.. what?"
"Remember?" His eyes are practically glowing. "You said last night that you were gonna help me find my sister!"

Right, you may have said that. You just didn't, really, specify a time or place for that.

>Introduce the new friend to Madeleine.
>Ah ha, hey kid, uh, Let me get back with you later, okay?
>Wait to see what Madeleine does.
>Tell him about somewhere he can stay until you get back (Where?)
>Other?

>Wait to see what Madeleine does.

>>Introduce the new friend to Madeleine.

>Wait to see what Madeleine does
>introduce the new friend to Madeleine!

We have clearly slowed down for the night. Even though I wanted to get further.
But either ways, writing last post of the night!

You're not really sure what to say given the situation.
You mean, you DID promise to find this kid's sister. It's bad form to look like an asshole when you're out on a date.

At the same time, it's YOUR date. C'mon, lad! You don't interrupt someone when they're with a girl out on the town!

When he gets a little older, you're gonna show him why that's a bad idea.

You hear a squeak, but it didn't come from the boy.
He blinks twice, and stares at Madeleine.

That's when your eyes track to her face, and she has the goofiest grin you've ever seen her with.
"You are just ADORABLE!" She stoops down and picks the boy up with one fell swoop!

"Erk!"
"Careful, Lass. Don't hurt the boy."

"Aww! It's fine! C'mon, what are you doing out here on the streets?" She pulls off his hood, and rubs his pointed cat-ears. "Do your parents know you're out here?"

"I- Uh!" He slowly pushes himself back to the ground, "Don't have any- so!"
"You don't?!" Madeleine recoils.

Then, she slowly looks toward you. Her hand pressed against her mouth.

Oh no, Lass. No.
You are NOT running an Orphanage! You got enough brats at the shrine!

"Well, in any case." Madeleine puts her hands on her hips. "You said you're looking for your sister?"

"Yeah!" The boy seems suddenly interested again.
"We'd be glad to help!" Madeleine claps her hands together.

Something tells you that this whole 'date' thing just went way off the rails.

>Thread End

Thanks for the thread everyone.

Sorry we didn't get further. Traveling must have taken more out of me than I realized. Time is just passing by really quickly.

I need rest.

Thanks again for the thread, and to everyone who participated. Let me know what you thought, and I'll see you Tuesday.

It was quite fun, nice seeing characters we haven't seen in a while.

Madeline in particular pops up a lot but hasn't been a focus in a long time.