>Thread Archive: suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Beyond%20the%20Gate
>QM Twitter: twitter.com/SmileytheQM
You stand up and test out your new boots.
"How does that feel?" Derrick asks.
You jump a few times, and take a few steps. "More comfortable than before" You say. "And they fit pretty well"
"That's good to hear" Derrick says. "Anything else we should grab here before we move on?"
"I dunno" You say.
"How are we getting to Contique, anyway?" Ilica asks. "I have no problems with walking, and I don't think you guys do either... but I don't think Lily or Daisy have that kind of stamina"
"I totally do!" Lily says. "It's Daisy that can't hack it!"
"I can too!" Daisy says.
Both devils cross their arms and try to look tough.
"Nevermind then, if you guys say you can walk it..." Ilica says.
Aaaaaand the toughness melts away.
"I-I mean, sure we could make it the whole way... but who wants to walk that far. Right Daisy?" Lily says.
"Yeah. I could walk there no problem, but that s-sounds really boring" Daisy says. "C-couldn't we find a faster way?"
"There you have it" Ilica says. "These kids are wimps. Is there any way we could get a cart or something?"
Lily and Daisy pout and glare at Ilica, prompting her to poke her tongue out at them
Derrick checks the coin pouch. "With this much I don't think I could justify buying a ride to Contique..." He says. "A ride, plus travel supplies... and I was hoping we could all get at least a change of clothes"
"Budget stretched thin?" Emi asks.
"Too thin" Derrick says.
Behind you, the old cartermesser clears his throat to grab your attention. "You lot said you were going to Contique, right?" He asks.
"Yes... why?" Derrick asks.
The old guy thinks for a moment. "Do any of you guys drive?" He asks.
"I can operate a powered cart, if that's what you're asking" Derrick says.
"Good" He says. "We've run into a bit of a snag, if you'll hear me out"
Derrick turns back to the group.
>Why not?
>We're kinda busy
>Other
>>46316649
>>Why not?
Got nothing else better.
>>46316649
>Why not?
>>46316649
>Why not?
>>46316649
>Why not?
>writing
You shrug. Emi shrugs. Ilica wrestles the devils. Derrick shrugs as well, and turns back to the old guy.
"We've got a minute" He says.
The old man smiles.
...
Hang on. Something wasn't quite right about that...
"I can do this aaaaaall day" Ilica says.
"Get 'er legs Daisy!" Lily shouts.
You look at that scene for a moment, then turn back to the old man.
"We've got a shipment of medical supplies- herbs, salves and the like -from the greenhouses, that was supposed to be headed for Contique today" He says. "Unfortunately, our usual transporter went and got himself killed in the raid..."
"So you want us to bring it there" Derrick says.
"Aye" The old man says.
"You'd trust a bunch of kids with a job like that?" Emi asks.
"It's not like there isn't anything in it for you" The old man says. "There's payment for the job, if you get the stuff to Contique. And to be honest, if you can getit to Contique in one piece you can keep the cart"
Derrick looks surprised. "You'd let us keep the cart?" He asks.
"It belonged to the transporter" He says. "No next of kin for it to go to. He wasn't contracted by a company. Normally the cart would become the town's property... but that's a lot of paperwork, and I've got enough of that as it is"
Derrick turns back to the group... well, to you and Emi.
"That sounds pretty good" He says.
>It does
>Is there a catch?
>Other
>>46317411
>It does
>>46317411
>>It does
Anything we should look out for while on the way there?
>>46317411
>>It does
>>Is there a catch?
>>46317411
>>It does
>>Is there a catch?
>writing
>>46317411
>It does
"It does" You say, as you turn to the old man. "Is there a catch?"
"Not really" He says. "Consider it a favor from an old man... my family was there when they were gathering everybody up. This morning, instead of burying them, I got to listen to my grandkids tell me about how 2 boys stopped the legion in their tracks. I'd say that's worth what I'm giving you"
Derrick smiles. "We just did what anyone would have..." He says. "Right Yuu?"
You nod.
The old man chuckles. "Keep telling yourself that, and you'll go far" He says. "If we have a deal, I'll get you guys set to go"
"Yeah, this sounds good" Derrick says. "Just tell us what we need"
The old man motions for Derrick to follow him. "Come with me, I'll get you guys set up" He says.
>[1/2]
A few minutes later, Derrick and the old man come back.
In that time Ilica has managed to tire out both devils, and now has them each slung over a shoulder.
"Here you are" The old man says as he hands Derrick a bunch of envelopes. "This is the key, this is a letter for the guard posted by the vehicle lot, this is a letter for the man you'll be delivering these to, this is the manifest, and this is the work order"
"Looks like it's all in order" Derrick says.
"Good luck out there, you kids" The old man says. "The roads are dangerous now, more than ever"
"We noticed" Derrick says.
The old man nods to you, and heads back inside the barracks.
"That was a nice surprise" Emi says.
"Yeah, now we can get payed for delivering these little squirts to their home" Ilica says.
No response from the devils on that...
"Where to now?" Emi asks.
>Hunters guild to send a message
>Derrick said something about clothes?
>Let's go check out the cart
>Other
>>46318022
>Hunters guild to send a message
>>46318022
>Hunters guild to send a message
before we forget
>>46318022
>Hunters guild to send a message
>>46318022
>>Hunters guild to send a message
Then cart.
>writing
"We should go to the Hunter's Guild first" You say.
"Yeah, not much point in looking for Fran in Contique if she doesn't know we're going to be there" Emi says.
"Lead the way Derrick. You're the one who knows this place" Ilica says.
Derrick takes a second to get his bearings, and then starts walking. "This should be the quickest way" He says.
Ilica gets some odd looks from the people you pass. Mostly because she has a pair of devils slung over her shoulders... you're kind of impressed by that, actually. She's been holding them there for a while now, and hasn't even broken a sweat.
"This is actually pretty convenient" Derrick says. "We can get Yuu's shirt replaced here"
"It needs replacing?" You ask.
You check your shirt. Against the red, the blood from last night doesn't really show. The only thing there that suggests that you were injured are a trio of holes.
"You could probably keep wearing it... but the Guild's policy is that if you buy something from them and it gets damaged in a fight, they replace it for free" Derrick says.
"Neat" You say.
After walking for a few minutes, you come to a building with a larger version of the emblem on your shirt hanging over the doorway.
"Welcome to the Hunter's Guild" Derrick says, as he heads in.
>[1/2]
As you walk up to the doors, you notice Ilica looking uncomfortable.
"What's wrong?" You ask.
"Just go in... you'll see" She says.
You look back to the door, shrug, and go in.
The first thing you notice is how big everyone is. Even the people who aren't taller than you are bigger than you. They all seem pretty skilled too. Not somewhere you would want to start a fight.
The second thing you notice is the smell. Like a room full of sweaty bodies, but worse... more like a room full of big sweaty bodies. You can see why Ilica was uncomfortable.
The third thing you notice are the heads mounted on the walls. They come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from small but feral looking creatures, to the few up there that look like they must've been big enough to swallow you whole...
You look back and see both Emi and Ilica struggling to get over the stench, but ahead of you Derrick doesn't seem to be affecting. He's either better at hiding it, or his nose isn't as keen as theirs.
You follow him up to the counter, where a nice lady with tall, white ears greets you with a smile.
"Welcome to the Hunter's Guild!" She says. "How can I help you?"
"We'd like to send a message to another Guild location, and get a replacement for my friend's shirt" Derrick says.
"Ah! You're the one who was in here yesterday" The lady says. "Tore it open already, huh?"
"We were caught up in last night's fighting" Derrick says.
The tall eared lady nods and looks you over. "Alright, if you'll just wait here I'll be back with a sprite and a replacement" She says.
"Thank you" Derrick says.
The lady skips off, and as she leaves you notice that she has a stubby tail on her back.
>Ask what that lady is
>Ask what a sprite is
>Ask what a monster is
>Other
>>46318862
>>Ask what that lady is
>>Ask what a sprite is
>>46318862
>Ask what a sprite is
>>Ask what a monster is
>>46318862
>>Ask what that lady is
I fucking love rabbits.
>>46318862
>Ask what a sprite is
Can you eat it?
>>46318862
>>Ask what a sprite is
>>Ask what a monster is
>writing
"What's a sprite?" You ask.
"An animal... of sorts" Derrick says. "They're grown using mana crystals and a process I don't quite understand. Since they're tiny and quick, we use them to carry messages"
"Are they tasty?" You ask.
"I don't think so" Derrick says.
"Aww..." You say. "What was that girl?"
"She was a Leprid, which is a fancy way of saying she's part rabbit" Derrick says. "And I'm glad you have the sense to ask these things where others can't hear. It makes things much less awkward"
"Are you sure she can't hear? Her ears were pretty big..." You say.
"Right you are~" The girl's voice comes from the door she went through.
Derrick looks embarrassed, but he laughs it off. "Nevermind then..." He says.
"Her hearing might be better than Ilica's" You say.
"In your dreams" Ilica says. You turn to see that she's over at one of the tables a little ways away.
Derrick suddenly looks a little nervous. "So much for having a private conversation..." He says.
You shrug, and look back to the wall of heads. "Those are monsters, right?" You ask.
"Yeah" Derrick says. "Probably some of the biggest this area's seen. Though I've heard that the stuff you see across the ocean can dwarf these things"
You look between Derrick and the wall. "There are bigger monsters than that?" You ask.
He nods. "The colonies on the eastern continents are still pretty new, and some of the monsters are ancient" He says.
"Is that bad?" You ask.
"It can be" Derrick says. "A monster is made when the mana in an area goes too long without being used, letting it stagnate and solidify. Any monster can become huge if it's left alone long enough"
"Which is why the Hunters work around the clock to keep them small" The rabbit-girl says as she bounces back to the counter. "Here you go, one shirt, and a sprite. Anything else?"
>Didn't you guys need clothes too?
>Shrug
>Other
>>46319481
>>Didn't you guys need clothes too?
>>46319481
>Didn't you guys need clothes too?
>>46319481
>Didn't you guys need clothes too?
>>46319481
>Didn't you guys need clothes too?
Tell the rabbit she has nice ears! Do it!
>>46319481
"How smart are monsters? Why do we kill them?"
>writing
>>46319698
Decent line of questioning.
Maybe add "Can a monster become a Demon?"
I just had a funny thought: a rabbit girl gave us the means to message our older friend, Fran, yeah?
In Final Fantasy 12, one of the characters was a rabbit girl (way older than the other party members), named Fran.
I see what you did there, Smiley.
"Didn't you say you guys needed clothes too?" You ask.
Derrick looks down at what he's wearing. His shirt is torn and stained, and it's probably adding to the smell in the room.
"Do you think we need them?" He asks.
You turn to the rabbit. "I dunno. What do you think?" You ask.
The rabbit looks embarrassed at suddenly being put on the spot. "I wasn't going to say anything... but yes" She says.
You turn back to Derrick.
"Alright... I guess a change would be good" He says. "We can't walk around in rags forever..."
"You know where to find our clothing" She says.
"Yeah" Derrick says. "Emi, Ilica. Come on, let's get this over with"
Derrick, Ilica, Emi, and the devils all go over to a separate room off to the side of the Hunter's Guild, leaving you alone with the rabbit...
...
"You have nice ears" You say.
She smiles. "That's very nice of you, sweetie. But we have rules against this sort of thing" She says, pointing to a sign hanging on the wall behind her. "No flirting with the rabbits"
>What's flirting?
>Ask more questions about monsters
>Go to where the others are
>Other
>>46319964
>>What's flirting?
>>Go to where the others are
>>46319964
>>What's flirting?
>>Ask more questions about monsters
>>46319964
>What's flirting?
>>46319964
>What's flirting?
>>46319964
>>What's flirting?
>>Go to where the others are
>>46319964
>What's flirting?
>Ask more questions about monsters
>>46319964
>What's flirting?
>Ask more questions about monsters
>writing
>>46319964
>"No flirting with the rabbits"
>rabbits
>plural
Fuck, no wonder the Hunter's Guild has so many recruits.
You look up at the sign for a few seconds. You'll take your word that it says what she says it says, as you can't read it. Then you look back down at her.
"What's flirting?" You ask.
One of her ears flops over, and she looks confused. "What's flirting?" She asks back. "I don't think I know the actual definition... give me one second"
The rabbit hops off, and comes back with a big book. She drops it on the table with a loud thud, and opens it up. Then she puts on a pair of little reading glasses, leans over, and looks through it.
"Let's see... F... Fl... Fli... Flirt!" She says, pointing to the line in the book. "Behave as though attracted to or trying to attract someone, but for amusement rather than with serious intentions" The rabbit stands up straight, and puts her glasses away. "That's what flirting is" She says.
You blink a few times. "Is that bad?" You ask.
"Not all the time" She says.
"So why is it not allowed?" You ask.
"Because then everybody does it, and us poor bunnies don't get any work done" She says.
"But why would everybody want to flirt with you?" You ask.
The rabbit puffs out her cheeks and looks annoyed. "It's obviously because of how cute I am" She says.
You look over the rabbit for a few seconds. With her brown hair, blue eyes, floppy ears and happy attitude... you guess she is kind of cute.
Then you shrug, and move on to the next thing. "How smart are monsters?" You ask.
The rabbit looks more annoyed, and she turns her face away from you.
"Is something wrong?" You ask.
"Nope" She says. "Nothing at all"
"Oh" You say. "Well that's good. You looked mad for a second there"
The rabbit sighs, as her other ear droops. She looks awfully mad for someone who isn't mad...
>[1/2]
>>46320503
We truly are the very best bard.
>>46320503
I guess this is it, we're finally going to get murdered
>>46320503
I knew we were a Shonen protag, but this just cements that we are one.
>>46320503
Can we ask for the dictionary?
>>46320503
>"Oh" You say. "Well that's good. You looked mad for a second there"
Heh
This is why we don't leave Yuu alone.
The rabbit takes a deep breath in, and seems to perk back up, then lets it out. "My apologies, what was your question again?" She asks.'
"Oh, right" You say. "How smart are monsters?"
"There is awfully little intelligence in a monster" She says. "With the rare exception, they're driven purely by the hunger for more mana"
"What's the rare X-ep-shun?" You ask.
"There are four monsters on the eastern continents known as the four kings" She says. "The Guild leaders in the colonies there have created shaky alliances with them instead of fighting them"
"Why?" You ask.
She bobs her head from side to side as she thinks. "To put it simply: we would lose" She says. "Even if we did manage to kill one of the 4 kings, the losses we would suffer would leave the colonies almost completely defenseless"
You nod in understanding. "I think I get it" You say. "You work with them, because fighting them is a bad idea"
"Precisely" She says.
Your attention is drawn to the the sound of your friends coming back from the other room. They seem to have ditched what they were wearing in the prison for stuff that seems more practical
None of them are wearing armor or anything fancy, but they definitely look less ragged than they did before...
"Sprite's off, and we're all dressed up" Derrick says. "You all set?"
"I guess" You say.
Derrick nods, and drops a few coins onto the rabbit's desk
"Thank you very much~" The rabbit says.
"You're welcome" Derrick says. "Now let's go take a look at that cart"
Everyone heads to the door, and you're about to follow when the rabbit calls for you. "Hold on" She says. "What did you say your name was?"
"I don't think I said it..." You say. "It's Yuu"
"It was nice meeting you-... Yuu" She says. "I'm Stella"
"Oh" You say. "Nice meeting you too, Stella"
"Before you go, a little word of advice" She says. "When a girl asks if she's cute, the answer is always 'yes'"
"Always?" You ask.
"Always" She says.
"Oh" You say.
>You're cute
>See you later
>Other
>>46321038
>You're cute
We should tell emi and Ilica that they're cute too
>>46321038
>You're cute
>See you later
Oh, baby.
>>46321038
>>You're cute
>>See you later
>>46321038
>See you later
>>46321038
>>You're cute
>>See you later
I see your bait, Smiley and I'm fucking biting it.
>>46321038
>>You're cute
Make sure to smile at her too.
>>46321038
>You're cute
>See you later
Why the fuck not
>>46321038
>You're cute
>Sprite me
>>46321038
>You're cute
>writing
Also, reminder that IIica and Emi are within earshot, so this will be a treat.
Rolled 16 (1d20)
>>46321199
>Cute
>Writing
Giggity.
>>46321209
Emi probably won't mind. Ilica might get huffy.
"Well then... You're cute" You say.
Stella covers her mouth with one hand and giggles, as her ears perk back up. "Aww, that's sweet of you" She says. "But remember the rules~"
"No flirting" You say. "But is it still flirting if I'm not doing it for amusement?"
Stella tips her head to the side, and looks back down at the big book. "No, I suppose not" She says.
You smile and wave to her. "See you around" You say, as you head out the door after your friends.
Everyone's eyes are on you as you step out.
"What?" You ask.
Ilica looks at you with that same look she was giving Derrick earlier... and she's laughing the same way too.
"All set, Yuu?" Derrick asks.
"Yeah" You say.
"Alright... I think the vehicle lots were on that side of town..." Derrick trails off and mumbles to himself as he tries to remember where to go.
You're waiting for Derrick to come up with something, when Ilica throws an arm over your shoulder. "Look at you, Mr. Ladies man" She says. "Bending the rules left and right to hit on the desk bunny"
"What?" You ask.
"Maybe Emi and I should start a pool for you guys" Ilica says.
"A pool for what?" Derrick asks.
Ilica's smile widens, and she leans over to whisper something in Derrick's ear. After a few seconds, his face turns bright red.
"Hey, come on! Be serious Ilica!" He says.
Ilica steps away from the two of you, throwing her head back and laughing into her hand. "Oh! Ho ho ho ho ho!"
Derrick sighs. "Come on. The lot should be this way" He says.
"Kay" You reply.
>[1/2]
>>46321510
Now, the question: do ALL cats have the ojou-sama laugh?
>>46321510
Oh Yuu, you sweet summer child.
You reach the vehicle lot, and Derrick hands the letter to the guard stationed at the entrance. The guard then leads you to the cart that you're being given.
It looks sturdy, though not incredibly fast.
It's made up of a closed passenger compartment with enough room for everyone to sit in, and a bench at the front for the 'operator'.
It looks like it's made of wood, reinforced with metal. And there's storage space for cargo underneath and on the roof of the passenger compartment. It looks like the only doors are at the front and the back, along with an escape hatch on the floor that goes through the cargo compartment.
Ilica puts you on 'heavy lifting' duty to get the cart loaded, while Derrick checks it out to make sure it'll go. Emi checks the boxes as they go in to make sure everything is accounted for, while the devils... cheer.
"Everything seems to be in order" He says. "It's actually pretty well maintained"
"Well, the guy who used to own it did need it to make a living" Ilica says.
"That's true" Derrick says. "Looks like everything is in order on this end"
"Same here" Emi says. "Cargo's all accounted for"
"Alright. Is everybody ready to go?" Derrick asks.
>Anything else to do here in Sherton?
>>46321774
I can't think of anything.
>>46321774
Not really. Let's go on the road then.
>>46321774
Nothing else
Ask what a soul crystal is tho
>>46321774
> FUCK THE BUNNY
but we don't have time for that so we should probably go.
>>46321774
Not really
But someone said something about how our eyes were so good, so ask about that again
>>46321774
Take the bunny out to dinner. Woo the rabbit.
>>46321843
Anon, Yuu is just a boy. His pelvis couldn't take the rabbit fucking.
>writing
>>46321843
Damnit Anon, you MAKE time for it.
>>46322009
Right? Could have taken that rabbit out for carrots or something.
>>46321927
Just tell her that you want to have kids, somewhere down the line, and her libido will sky-rocket.
ITT: Anons forgetting that snek is best girl
>>46322059
Somewhere down the line could be tomorrow you know.
>>46322140
I don't like her to be honest.
"I think I'm good" You say.
"Ohhh?" Ilica says. "Not gonna go back to the guild and ask for Stella's address?"
You tilt your head. "Why would I want that?" You ask.
Ilica sighs, and ruffles your hair. "Oh, Yuu. So much to learn. So much to learn" She says, as she hops through the back door of the cart.
You turn to Emi. "What did she mean by that?" You ask.
Emi smiles. "Don't worry about it, Yuu. There's always time" She says, as she slithers into the cart.
Then the devils skip past you.
"Yeah Yuu, so much to learn" Lily says.
"So much to learn, Yuu" Daisy says.
Alright, now you're confused.
Derrick comes up and pats you on the back. "Come on man, let's get those girls home" He says.
"Alright" You say.
Derrick walks up the side of the cart to the driver's seat, and you head into the passenger's compartment.
You look out the door in the front to watch Derrick turn the cart on. He puts the key the old man gave you into a little slot, and turns it with a -click-. Then he puts his hand on a glass-like orb next to his seat, and as the orb starts to glow blue, the cart starts to move.
"Everyone good?" He asks.
"Yep" Ilica says. "Lit's hit the road"
The cart moves slowly out of the lot, and out into the streets of Sherton.
>[1/2]
Rolled 7 (1d20)
>>46322202
"What do I have to learn? Perhaps you could teach me?"
>>46322319
>Little girls teach Yuu how to play patty cake and hopscotch.
In the back compartment, Emi and the devils take up one bench, while You and Ilica sit on the other.
With the back door closed, you watch through the circular window in the door as Sherton slowly shrinks into the distance. The missing tower sort of stands out...
You've been hearing a sort of grumbling coming from next to you, but you figure that it's just the road.
"Ilica... are you okay?" Emi asks.
"Purrrrrrrfect" Ilica says. "Why do you nyask?"
You turn away from the window, to see Ilica smiling lazily. Her tail flicks rhythmically back and forth, and every so often her ears twitch.
When she sees you looking, she puts a paw on your face. And then another paw. And then she squeezes your cheeks and giggles.
"Ahhh... such a squishy face!" Ilica says, before she hugs you and starts rubbing her cheek against yours.
"Derrick... do you still have the manifest up there?" Emi asks.
"Uhh yeah, it's here" Derrick says, as he hands a bunch of papers to Emi through the open front door.
"Is this normal?" You ask.
"Give me a second, Yuu" Emi says as she flips through the papers. "Acrase... Tetran... Getrude, and- oh dear"
"Guys" You say. "Guys, help"
"What's wrong?" Derrick asks, taking his eyes off the road to look back into the passenger compartment. He looks weirded out when he sees you and Ilica, and then Emi shows him the page she was reading. "Oh... dear"
Now that your attention is back on what's around you, you recognize that Ilica is the source of the grumbling...
"Please help" You say.
"Uhh... yeah" Emi says. "Just give us a second"
And that's all for tonight!
Next thread will likely be on Wednesday, and hopefully again on Thursday as I won't be getting a chance to run this weekend.
As always I'll be sticking around in case anyone has questions/suggestions
>>46322551
WOULD YOU HAVE LET US TRY TO FUCK THE BUNNY
>>46322565
Yuu didn't even know he had a penis until yesterday, do you really expect him to know what to do with it?
>>46322514
Is there catnip or the equivalent in the transport?
S-should Yuu be worrying about his pelvis now?
>>46322582
how afraid of Ilica should we be right now?
>>46322582
THE BUNNY WOULD OF KNOW HOW HE COULD OF USED IT AND BEEN MORE THEN WILLING TO TEACH HIM
THE SLUT
Do we not produce any bodily waste?
>>46322582
Can we get the bunnies address later? Take her out for carrot stew?
>>46322681
Nope Yuu just has to pee really really bad.
>>46322588
>>46322607
Do not fear the Ilica, she is just acting more cat-like.
>>46322682
Maybe. If you guys end up going to Locke, you have to pass through Sherton anyway. So who knows.
>>46322681
>>46322696
I tend to leave stuff like that out. Partially because I'm forgetful and partially because 'and then he went to the bathroom' doesn't make for an entertaining post.
>>46322616
Come on, anon. Stella is a classier lady than that, show her some respect.
>>46322739
>Do not fear the Ilica, she is just acting more cat-like.
so right now she's playing with her food is what you're saying?
>>46322739
Cats are adorable.
The point anon was making about the penis is that he'd know about it if he has infact had to use the restroom in the past few days.
>>46322739
Pure demons convert food to energy with 100% efficiency
Obviously
>>46322777
Trips don't lie, we have no bodily waste now.
Do we dream?
>>46322770
He hadn't really eaten or drank anything substantial before the question about the penis came up, which is why I thought it still made sense to include it.
>>46322803
Yes, Yuu dreams. No, that doesn't mean there will be revelatory dream sequences. Those felt cheap in BM and rightfully so.
So the pure demons were obviously the hero and villain in the stiry, right?
>>46322821
>Yes, Yuu dreams.
he dreams of being grabbed every night by some unseen force and it's slowly crushing him only for him to wake up and find that Emi managed to grab him again in her sleep.
