Perfect/Butler Quest, Part II: What it Means to Protect

[Amraphenson]

(Also, thanks to ActionDan, Hero999, Pesco, Kasu, Conqueror, DollS, and Dormio for posting in my first quest. Here's hoping Perfect Butler Quest ends up epic! \o/)

[Kasu]

> Gently knock on the doorway to try and keep her from being startled.

[Amraphenson]

> Gently knock on the doorway to try and keep her from being startled.

>You think for a moment, having already entered the greenhouse, and nod. Best not to startle the poor girl. You head back to the door frame and knock. Lily looks up from her flowers and smiles.
>"A-ah...Hi 'kenzie."
>You wave back and join her near the planters. "So where's that growth?"
>She brings you over to a flower that has been uprooted and set aside. "U-um, I-I already e-excluded it from the results, s-so that's not a problem. I-I'm just curious now..."
>You examine the flower...

>...

>You've improved your Biology!
>Academics Values +1 (4/10)
>>Biology +1 (2/7)

>...

>You decided to stay with Lily for dinner, since her parents are out. It's simple spaghetti and bread. Spencer lounges at your feet while the two of you eat. It's a comfortable silence.
>"U-um...'kenzie?"
>You look from your plate. "Yeah?"
>"Y-you know a-about...well...that...right?"
>You blink. There's only one thing she could be referring to, so you nod.
>"Well...I-I'm...thinking about i-inviting h-her for a movie...s-so..."
>Again, you blink. This was unexpected.
>"...you are friends with her, right?"
>She shakes her head. "S-she only just moved in, 'kenzie..."
>...wait.
>"I've...well...s-she's kind of a pretty p-prolific gymnast...b-but she quit, so I t-thouth I'd never s-see her again..."
>...Wait a second. Don't...
>"But then she moved here! A-and it's not like it's a d-date or anything, I j-just wanted to i-introduce her to the places a-around here, s-since it seems like e-everyone was just talking to her because she was famous..."
>...Oh god. Serious? That does explain why everyone was talking to her all day.
>"S-so I was wondering if you thought it was a good idea..."

>Time stops.
>You let out an outburst of exasperation, amusement, and a whole assortment of other languages. You really have no clue what to think, but you compose yourself nontheless.
>Time resumes.

>How do you respond?

[Kasu]

>After a quick look around to make sure no one is looking, you grin at her. "Well, I guess you could say..."  Time to have a bit of fun.

>You seat yourself right next to her on the bench while time is stopped and prepare for the epic laughs.

>Time resumes.

>"That I caught up on lost time," you finish.

I can't believe I forgot about this.

> I think we should support the poor girl. :3
> "Hmm...  Well it might be better to wait until she's more settled in for the movie bit, but showing her around sounds like a good way to break the ice so you two can get to know each other."

[ActionDan]

>"In fact, I could be with you walking down the hall at school and introduce you, if you like.  Afterwards the three of us could go someplace fun... and perhaps I could conveniently drop out, giving you two a bit of time just for yourselves, even if it's just to walk home."

[Amraphenson]

I can't believe I forgot about this.

> I think we should support the poor girl. :3
> "Hmm...  Well it might be better to wait until she's more settled in for the movie bit, but showing her around sounds like a good way to break the ice so you two can get to know each other."

>Lily brightens up with a luminescent blush. It's like watching a flower bloom, in your opinion. Her smile is adorable. "R-really? You t-think so? That'd be...w-well...th-that'd be..."
>You can't help yourself and grin back, deciding to interrupt the poor girl from overheating herself. "Sure thing. Heck, I kinda know her already. She'll be really grateful to have a tour around the place. Seems like the type to get lost often."
>She giggles a bit. "Thanks 'kenzie..."

>...

>You're about to ride off. "Later then, Lily."
>She nods and waves, Spencer with his wagging tail beside her. It's been an interesting day; less interesting than yesterday, for sure, but hey. Whatever.
>You make to pedal off when you're interrupted. "W-wait!"
>What does she want, you wonder?
>"U-um...I know this is kinda s-sudden 'kenzie...but...thanks. You're the o-only one who knows...and...well...I d-don't know if my p-parents would ever accept me for that..."
>You shrug and smile back. "Not a problem. I'll always be around to help out, don't worry."
>She lights up like a christmas tree. "Thank you 'kenzie. Really, I mean it."

>As you ride off, you feel a little closer to Lily.

>...
>Relationship values +1! (4/10)
>>Lily Relation +1! (2/7)
>...

>The next two weeks go without much trouble.
>Your biology scores have improved slightly!
>Lily seems to have become Natalie's friend rather easily, you notice. Perhaps...nah. The 'outing' went pretty well, actually. Lily and Natalie hit it off immediately. Seems like opposites attract.
>Your relationship with Lily seems a little tighter!
>You still find the sheer coincidence baffling. She had a celebrity crush? On Natalie? The girl who saved your life and just moved into town while helping you discover all sorts of...bah. Best not think about it too much. Brain explosions and what not.

>...

>The next event night has arrived. It's a Gibbous moon tonight. You've agreed to meeting Natalie at a nearby park, and you're currently waiting at the fountain. The moon hangs ominously above.
>You've prepared more than usual today, mostly because Natalie told you today was going to be 'rough', whatever that meant. You've never had problems with Gibbous Moon Phantasms.
>Within easy reach you have: 30 throwing knives in various holsters on your body, your larger utility knife within easy reach on your back, and a large, sturdy flashlight.
>In your bag, you have: 20 extra knives, a flare gun from your local camping store, first aid supplies, a double barreled shotgun Phisher told you to borrow 'just in case' (unloaded), and 6 buckshot rounds for it.
>You have no confidence in your ability to use the firearm.

>Natalie arrives soon enough. She's wearing functional clothing and...what looks like a kevlar vest. But something seems off about it. Huh. "Good to see you're doin' okay, Mac! And thanks for intraducing me to Lily! She's super fun.
>You smile back. "What's with the vest?" you start.
>Natalie blinks and tugs at the hem. "Oh, this? Standard issue exorcist stuff. Fine titanium chain mail sandwiched between two layers of kevlar. Good stuff. I'll get you one sooner or later."
>You honestly hope that it's sooner rather than later.
>The exorcist hmms. "Well, it's going to be around here somewhere. We could search for it, or we could wait for it ta come to us. Generally the creepies can sense the threats to 'em and they seek 'em out."

>It's your call. Set up some kind of ambush here, or search for it? And for that matter, search together or split up?

[Kasu]

> "Well if they seek us out, it'd be easy to set up an ambush right?  Why don't we do that?"

[Amraphenson]

> "Well if they seek us out, it'd be easy to set up an ambush right?  Why don't we do that?"

>Natalie suddenly looks kind of embarassed. "Ehe~~ I'm really more of the search and destroy kind of type..."
>...
>You decide to set up an ambush.

>Your hand twitches near your thigh. The other grips your knife tightly. Any moment now...
>Natalie's holding her own weapon, but has yet to draw it.
>Both of you are back to back, just waiting.
>It feels like an eternity...It might very well be an eternity...they should've...

>WARNING WARNING ENEMY APPROACHING.

>...You're ready for the pain this time. It doesn't debilate you.

>Out of the shadows emerge countless forms. Hunched, humanoid shades, nothing more than lumps of darkness with twin pinpricks of empty white as eyes. They stalk towards you, each swaying as if entranced by something.

>"Here they come Mac..."
>"Wait, what? They? I thought there was only one?!"
>"I'm surprised it hasn't happened to you yet! The crawlies that pop out on the gibbous moon generally have a lot of buddies!"
>"...that would have been useful to know earlier."

>Natalie shrugs, draws her sword, and rushes towards her own group.
>You grimace...then pull a string. You had rigged the shotgun Phisher had given you and set it to shoot down one of the main paths to the fountain.
>The gun erupts with a belch of flame and sound. It's almost deafening to hear up close, but it does its job and scatters the crowd.
>Maybe three or four had taken that shot. Who knows how many are left.

>You clench your fists and hold your knife in front of you. Time to roll.

>How do you engage? Save time stop for something special? All out in the beginning? Skirmish with throwing knives before closing in? It's your call.

[Kasu]

> Throw a group of throwing knives towards the biggest concentration of the enemies and then follow it up by slashing as many of the survivors as we can during a timestop.

[Amraphenson]

> Throw a group of throwing knives towards the biggest concentration of the enemies and then follow it up by slashing as many of the survivors as we can during a timestop.

>By the time they've started lumbering towards you, you've already decided what to do. One by one you draw your throwing knives, aiming to pick off as many as possible before they draw close.
>A quick, downward wrist flick from a raised position. The knife flies. Thunk. One goes down and dissolves into a puddle of goop.
>Another six go down, with just as many knives, before you switch strategies. At this range...yeah...no need to aim that well. Three knives a throw this time, with wide horizontal swings.
>You've killed at least 20 by the time you're out of knives. Now they're only 10 feet away, scrambling over each other to close the distance...

>The ring of steel fills the air while you draw your utility knife again and sprint. Arms held in front of them, they shuffle faster to meet you in combat.
>7 feet...5....3...
>Your closest foe swings his claw at your head in what looks like a fatal blow, inching closer and closer as your heightened perception slows it down...
>But there's no need to worry, because after all that attack won't reach.

>You lunge mercilessly and stab it through the head before ripping your knife free with an upward flick of the wrist. Then you dash around it and past another, stabbing it in the kidney as you run by. A flick of cold, gleaming steel rips open a neck. Then a stab through a different chest, a pommel strike to a forehead, a slash to the hamstrings...over and over you mutilate them, running past and through their group while killing all the while.
>In a flicker of genius you pick up your spent knives and throw them haphazardly at the ones you cannot reach. It's all a blur of motion, even though time has been halted. And all deathly silent, for sound too has been forced to a standstill.

>You slash past one final shade as you feel the timer tick down to 0.
>"And so....time...resumes."

>An orchestra of violence meets your ears. Slashes and stabs, throws and strikes. While time was stopped, even the silver trails your knife had left in the moonlight had been stopped; now they make themselves known in an intricate weave, felling any that touch it.
>The shades have been thinned out immensely.

>Natalie's voice pierces the night, so you spare a glance and find her clearing the monsters out in large swathes with huge, reaping swings of her sword. "Watch out Mac! The small fries are focusing on me, so the real one could be-" Her warning is drowned out by the swarm.

>Real one? What could she...

>'Move.'

>The voice whispers yet again, so you listen. Rolling to the side, you barely dodge a fatal attack from an unknown figure.

>Crouched where you once stood is a cloaked humanoid, arms crossed in front of him. Its nails are lengthened claws, black voids even amongst the darkness. Meeting your gaze, it slowly rises and settles into a stance, one hand held by it and one held in front with hooked fingers and bent knees.
>You raise your knife and meet its stance with your own.
>It is another 17 seconds before you can stop time once more.
>Try to kill it, or distract it and wait for Natalie to finish up?

[Kasu]

> Dammit Natalie. Would've been nice to know about this before hand.
> Try to distract it by running backwards to keep an eye on it, dodging as necessary.

[Amraphenson]

> Dammit Natalie. Would've been nice to know about this before hand.
> Try to distract it by running backwards to keep an eye on it, dodging as necessary.

>You realize you've been swearing a lot lately.
>Your knife flashes out in a warding gesture as you hop backwards, making space between you and the phantasm. When you try to run backwards, it leaps over you and reassumes his stance in your path.

>You take a step to the left. It mirrors with one to its left. You lower your knife ever so slightly...and it responds by doing the same with its outstretched hand. It's...intelligent?

>The thought is stopped in its tracks as it it steps forward and jabs at your face, lightning fast. You manage to deflect the blow with your knife and riposte, aiming to slash its wrist. An unreal twist lets it avoid the counterattack while it moves in with a wide swing of its left arm, but you move into the blow and slam a palm into its forearm to block while lashing out at its neck with another flash of steel. Throwing its head back to dodge, it once again returns the favor with its own blow, a fast blur of a right hook that you duck right under and counter with a rising knee. It pushes off that attack with both hands and flips in the air, landing once again in its combat stance. You look at it for a second before bracing your knife in front of you once more. It's good. Very good. And apparently it wants a fight. In that case...

>This time you make the first attack, paving a silver crescent through the chilly night air as you bring your knife home. The phantasm takes a hop back to dodge, then thrusts out with a front kick which you block with a quick slap. You lunge forward with a stab, then follow through with a sweep kick when it dodges and tries to crush your knee under an axe kick. Using the momentum of the kick, you spin yourself into a hand stand and kick twice more at its head before spinning back into a ready stance. It manages to dodge the sweep, but takes both of the following blows hard.

>It rubs its cheek and you can't help but feel that it's...appreciative, somehow. Like it's...testing you.

> You decide to retreat now, having won the skirmish in some way. It just stands there and watches.

>The phantasm does not move as you run backwards and open up the space between you two. It merely stands there, seemingly waiting.

>Natalie rushes to your side, apparently finished with her own shades. "You okay? That was a pretty badass sorta fight you had, but I didn't see if you got hurt 'r not." After you nod, she braces herself and holds her sword in front of her. "Let's take this crawly out then."

>Should you go in and try to engage again, while having Natalie wait for her chance? Or should you just double team it off the bat?
>You don't relish the thought of having to dodge that claymore of her's.

[ActionDan]

>let natalie go in first while we wait for our time stop ability to recharge
>after it does, FINISH HIM!

[Amraphenson]

>let natalie go in first while we wait for our time stop ability to recharge
>after it does, FINISH HIM!

>Natalie nods and lunges with a battle cry, sword drawn back and ready to fight. The phantasm dodges the first blow, and so the dance of attack and counter and counter-counter begins once more.

>You can't help but breath heavily. Your time stop has long since recharged, but it's physically exhausting to use it repeatedly while fighting. So you'll wait out your chance, looking for that perfect moment...

>She lunges for another blow. The phantasm hops away to dodge...and overcommits to it.

>Now's the time

>You were already moving when time was stopped. Your knife gleams as your feet leave the ground. You can already see it...thighs. Abdomen. Heart. Neck. Arms.

>In a blur of speed, each point is pierced and slashed. Droplets of blackish blood erupt from the wounds and freeze midair.
>Your hand grabs its head and propels you over it, for Natalie is still making her own attack. As you flip over the Phantasm, you spin around and attack one more time, slashing at the base of its neck.
>You flick your knife to the side and look back over your shoulder as the timer ticks down.

>"And so your time is over."

>As your attack's effects makes itself known, Natalie swoops in and cleaves right through with a brutal slash of her own, slicing the beast in two from shoulder to hip.

>Sheathing your weapon, you smile back at your fellow hunter as the former monster dissolves away into nothing. "And that's that?"
>Natalie nods. "Mhm! More 'r less."
>...you frown at her. " 'More or less'...what does that mean?"
>She waves a hand dismissively. "Well, there'sa chance of it not being over, but trust me, that's not happening."

>You wait for a moment, braced for the inevitable. With that kind of flag tripped, there's no way in hell that it's not happening! You can't just do something like say something 'bad' was possible without explaining it! That's the worse kind jynx possible!

>...

>Nothing happens. Natalie looks at you with a confused air. "Wha's wrong, Mac?"
>You shake your head, realizing that this isn't some anime or manga or anything like that. One to a million chances just don't...well...you might want to be sure.
>Ask her what's the 'bad thing', or go home? You are getting pretty tired.

[ActionDan]

>Ask on the way home.  Last time it was a full moon when the creature came back to life, so that's still likely not happening.

[Amraphenson]

>Ask on the way home.  Last time it was a full moon when the creature came back to life, so that's still likely not happening.

>She shakes her head. "Don't worry 'bout it. It's a chance on all event nights that a super creepy comes out along with the normal creepy, like with physical form and everything. Demon Lords or somethin' like that. But we'd all be dead right now if that happened, 'm pretty sure."
>...Somehow that doesn't reassure you.

>You part ways with Natalie and bike home. Fairly easy tonight, and you're thankful for that. You really didn't realize how exhausting your ability was to use.

>Something catches your eye as you cross the bridge over to your part of the neighborhood, which spans over a large river. Standing at the very edge of a pier is...a girl? And she's walking closer to the edge...

>You backpedal immediately and make a break for it. Of all the nights for someone to...jesus christ, your life sucks.

>Abandoning your bike as you reach the edge of the pier, you call out to her. "OI! THIS ISN'T GOING TO SOLVE ANYTHING, TRUST ME!"
>She looks over her shoulder at you. "Ah...?" she responds airily.
>You rush over and grab her by the shoulders. "No, seriously, all you're going to do is make everyone else sad. Suicide's not the answer."
>She blinks at you slowly. "Ah..."

>You blink yourself, realizing she's actually soaking wet. "Okay, jeez. Uh...do you have anywhere to go to?"
>After a moment, she shakes her head slowly.
>"Well...jeez."
>You could take her back to your place, or you could take her somewhere else. She probably ran away from home, so making her go back there probably isn't a good idea.

[ActionDan]

>Add another tick to the harem count
>Eff it, take her to our place...

[Kasu]

> "Are you okay?  What were doing on the bridge?"
> We should take this slow if it really was a suicide attempt.

[Amraphenson]

> "Are you okay?  What were doing on the bridge?"
> We should take this slow if it really was a suicide attempt.

>Add another tick to the harem count
>Eff it, take her to our place...

>You think about taking her home for a second, but rushing this is probably just going to botch it.
>"Are you alright?"
>She pauses for a second, as thought thinking about the answer, then nods.
>"What were you doing?"
>"...going home."
>The answer is as enigmatic as the girl, who, you realize, is very strange looking. It's hard to make out in the darkness, but her eyes are a very strange shade of blue, and her hair is so pale it's very nearly white. And then there's the skin markings...dark blue blue whorls and swirls that wrap around her pale body, visible everywhere thanks to how wet her shirt is. You realize suddenly that she's not wearing any-

>Dangerous thoughts. You look away while blushing profusely.
>"Okay...uh...where's home?"
>There's that infuriating pause again...and then she points at the moon. "Home."
>...oh fuck.

>You call Natalie.
>"...'sup?"
>"Natalie, do the Demon Lords you mentioned earlier look human, beyond strange features like odd eye colors, hair colors, and body markings?"
>"Well, yeah, but that's in their 'inactive'-wait how do you know that."
>"...kill me. Seriously."

>...

>"What the fuck do we do?"
>"I dunno! Normally she'd be killing stuff by now!"
>"Does she have amnesia or something?"
>"How tha hell would I know?"

>So apparently you've found some Demon Lord being abandoned in your world after an event night and you have no clue what to do.
>"I...well...she's not killing anything...so..."
>You facepalm. The mysterious girl looks on with a slightly confused expression. "...kill?"
>Immediately, you look at her and lay it straight. "No. Killing is bad. People don't deserve to die without living their lives. No one does. So you can't kill anything, alright?"
>She blinks several times...then nods?! "...okay."
>Natalie stares at you. "You just told a Demon Lord to not kill anything. And she listened."
>"...what? Maybe she's not a Demon Lord after all." Of course she is, you idiot. You just tripped another flag.
>Your fellow hunter sighs. "Look...I think I'll have to talk to my superiors 'bout this. I don't think...well...who knows. Anyways, she stays at your place."

>"...WHAT? WHY?"
>"Because my place isn't suitable for like...more than one person." She hmms for a moment, possibly in thought...and runs off. "AnywaysthanksforthehelpBYE!"

>...You're left alone with the girl. And...she doesn't have a name, you realize.
>"So...uh...do you have a name?"
>"...Daynasviel..."
>"...egh. Let's go with Dayna."

>As you ride home, Dayna holding on to you from behind, you take stock of everything that's happened over the past few weeks.
>You learned that there was some secret organization that fought the things that appeared during the night.
>You learned you have time stopping abilities.
>And now apparently there's a Demon Lord on your bike.
>Your life is a goddamn mess.

>...

>It's the next morning. After letting Dayna take a shower and crash on your bed, you slept like a log on your own couch. It was all too much to take in for one day.
>You find Dayna staring outside the window at the rising sun in your kitchen. She's dressed decently now, but the morning sun makes her pale skin glow.
>"...bright," she says, finally.
>"Is there...uh...no sun where you come from?" you ask.
>She shakes her head as you start to prepare breakfast. "...always dark."
>"So...um...why are you here?"
>Dayna continues to stare at the sun, and though her answer is in the same tone as all her other speech, you can't help but think you hear something...shake. "Mother said...that I'm...a failure...trash..."

>...you don't know what to say about that.
>"...why?"
>"...because...because I...didn't want to hurt...but mother...always wanted me to...but...so weak..."
>Her small hands curl up in her lap into clenched fists. Her head bows so that her hair obscures her eyes, but you can see her quivering lip and the tears running down her cheeks.

>...she's just a girl who wanted her mom's approval, Demon Lord or not.
>Ask her anything? Or try to comfort her?

[Kasu]

Oh my God you have no idea how amusing I'm finding this whole adventure. :3

> Give her a hug and let her get it out of her system, awkward as it may be.

[Amraphenson]

Oh my God you have no idea how amusing I'm finding this whole adventure. :3

> Give her a hug and let her get it out of her system, awkward as it may be.

>She tenses for a moment, as if expecting an attack.
>"Look...you might be vastly more powerful than me and I'm probably just like an insect to you...but from my point of view you aren't doing anything wrong. You can...uh...stay here as long as you want to."
>Dayna sniffles a few times and nods shakily."Th-thank...you..."

>"From my point of view...well, my point of view doesn't really matter. You guys have standards of your own, since you're not human. But as far as I can tell, you don't want to hunt us like the rest of your...uh...people...because you think we're just as sentient as you are?"
>She nods, having settled down.
>"Well...I won't pretend to know your customs or anything, but you don't know ours, so...I suppose the best way is to just...observe us? See who in the end is right: you, or your mom."
>"I'm not going to pretend I won't hold it against you if you end up deciding we're not worth it...but if someone needs help, I won't deny them it if I can give it. And you have the right to make your own, intelligent choices. I won't deny you that."
>"We humans...we're horrible things, sometimes. We kill each other, we argue, and we...we do the most horrible of things for the most stupid of reasons. But I think that, under that, we can be pretty good people. In the end...that's my opinion. And if you want to make a decision, then I'll be glad to help you see for yourself."

>You blink, realizing you went into a whole conversation about human nature without really even thinking about it.
>Dayna looks at you with those piercing eyes...and nods. "I'll...watch."

>For some reason you blush at those words. Well...disaster averted. For now.
>So now you're a night time protector of the city. And you have a demon lord bunking with you. And you can stop time. And you...gah, none of this makes sense anymore.

>...?
>Special Relationship Discovered!
>>Daynasviel Relationship Discovered!
>Special Relationship Value Up +1! (1/7)
>>Daynasviel Relationship Value Up +1 (1/7)

>...You feel like you've developed a relationship with Dayna, somehow...
>The rest of the day awaits. Lazy Sunday mornings are the best...when you're normal. :|

[Kasu]

> We ARE normal dammit!  At least when we aren't fighting monsters or using time-stop abilities.
> Check to see if there's anything good on TV.
> If that fails to amuse us, ponder if we should show Dayna around town.

[Amraphenson]

> We ARE normal dammit!  At least when we aren't fighting monsters or using time-stop abilities.
> Check to see if there's anything good on TV.
> If that fails to amuse us, ponder if we should show Dayna around town.

>Sometimes you wonder...
>You flip on the TV as Dayna picks at her breakfast. She doesn't seem to know what anything is...
>"Uh, that's bread. And that's butter. That's a fried egg, that's some some salad, and that's ham."
>"...ah. It all...looks different..."

>...you don't know how to respond to that. Best not think about how that kind of stuff looks in her world.
>"It's...good."
>You smile at that. At least your cooking's satisfactory.

>Sunday morning cartoons flash onto the screen. Dayna looks rather...pertubed.
>"...why can that rabbit...talk?"
>...You realize that Bugs Bunny must seem very confusing to an outsider.
>"Well...uh...it's just a quirk of the show. They use the normal dynamic of hunter and prey and create comedy out of the prey repeatedly outwitting the predator in funny ways." At least that's how you always understood it.
>"...ah."
>You both continue to watch Bugs confuse Elmer Fudd immensely in the barber shop musical episode. It feels very awkward, at least to you...until you hear Dayna giggle softly.
>"You're right...it is funny."
>Her smile is soft and gentle. The sight of it makes you smile as well...that smile is worth protecting, you feel.

>...

>The cartoons end soon enough. It's about lunch time now; you really haven't spent that long watching cartoons in forever. Dayna seemed to find it very amusing. 
>"...well, wanna go around town then, Dayna?"
>"...go...around?"
>You grin. "You know? Show you the places. Shops and parks and stuff. There's quite a bit to see around here."
>"...ah."
>You're starting to get used to that response. You're also starting to ignore it in favor of what she actually does. Seeing as she's getting up and walking towards you, you assume she's agreeable to the idea.
>You're also glad that you had some spare clothes around. The jeans are a little loose and the t-shirt was the same, but it looks endearing on her. Meh...you've been saving money for a while. You can spare some to buy her clothes.

>Where do you want to take her first?

[Kasu]

> Well we've got the money, so lets get her some clothes.

[ActionDan]

hmm, this is starting to remind me of a few references...

>After buying clothes, we get ice cream... because nothing can resist ice cream, not even demon lords... maybe.

[Amraphenson]

(This quest is heavily inspired by lots of stuff. I throw in shout outs as I please. And your rate of posting encourages me! Keep it up guys. :>)
----

> Well we've got the money, so lets get her some clothes.

hmm, this is starting to remind me of a few references...

>After buying clothes, we get ice cream... because nothing can resist ice cream, not even demon lords... maybe.

>You take her out for clothes shopping first. It's a pretty pain free ordeal; you manage to pick up several sets of clothing without any sort of 'how do I look in this/...that's underwear' sort of hijinx. The shop lady did say you were a cute couple though, which...well. You didn't want to go through the whole cliche 'she's not my girlfriend!' and jynx it for later down the lane. Who knows what kind of drama that kind of relationship would cause.

>Ice cream follows.

>"It's...cold."
>"Try it. It's good." What kind of strange world is hers if cold food is a foreign concept?
>"...sweet." It's rather adorable watching her lick it slowly, as if she didn't really know what to do with the cone.
>"Something wrong with sweet?"
>"...commoner...flavor..."
>The answer is short, but not at all sweet. All sorts of theories pop into your head...but the simplest one is that nobility just don't get sweet foods. Something about it being for 'commoners', and thus unworthy. That's really kind of sad.

>"Well...around here there's no such thing as a commoner flavor or wealthy person's flavor. Go ahead and enjoy yourself."
>She nods with the smallest of smiles on her face. "...okay."
>It's strange. Just watching her enjoy a simple confection lifts your spirits.
>...ah. You must look absurdly creepy right now. Staring at a girl as she eats ice cream isn't what normal people do.
>"So where do you want to go next?" you ask, hoping to look less like a stalker.
>She considers it with apparent deepness before pointing off somewhere else in the mall, where a large crowd is gathering. You shrug, figuring it wouldn't hurt. "Let's go then."

>...

>...crap. You've lost her in the crowd. That isn't going to be good. She's probably being harassed by a bunch of meatheads.
>You look around for her, seriously wondering how one girl could run so far off in one moment....wait.
>There she is. And...she's getting harassed by a bunch of meatheads in one of the lesser known parts of the mall. Though thankfully not sexual harassment...it seems like she reflexively floored a guy when he made a move.

>You could watch them get horribly mutilated (figuratively) or indulge your inner knight in silver armor. No one's looking...a little time hop wouldn't hurt.

[Hanzo K.]

I got just the thing, and it's quite 'us'.

>Make sure nobody's looking, then timestop.
>Then, walk over to the guys hasslin' little Dayna, and administer a swift bop to their heads.
>And then, before we let time flow once more, find a place nearby to lounge in that isn't being watched, and lounge there.

=After Time Resumes=
>"Well, didn't your mothers ever teach you to be polite to a lady?" directed at the guys hassling Dayna.

[Kasu]

I got just the thing, and it's quite 'us'.

>Make sure nobody's looking, then timestop.
>Then, walk over to the guys hasslin' little Dayna, and administer a swift bop to their heads.
>And then, before we let time flow once more, find a place nearby to lounge in that isn't being watched, and lounge there.

=After Time Resumes=
>"Well, didn't your mothers ever teach you to be polite to a lady?" directed at the guys hassling Dayna.

Timestop abilities are the best abilities. :3

[Amraphenson]

I got just the thing, and it's quite 'us'.

>Make sure nobody's looking, then timestop.
>Then, walk over to the guys hasslin' little Dayna, and administer a swift bop to their heads.
>And then, before we let time flow once more, find a place nearby to lounge in that isn't being watched, and lounge there.

=After Time Resumes=
>"Well, didn't your mothers ever teach you to be polite to a lady?" directed at the guys hassling Dayna.

>No one's watching, so you can indulge yourself in a bit of fun.
>By the time resumes, you're leaning against a wall fairly close to them. You resist the urge to laugh out uncontrollably as they all suddenly devolve into chaos, wondering who the hell hit them.
>"Was that chu, bitch?"
>"What'chu on about? Somebody hit me, yo!"
>"Oi, whoever hit all of us better fess up!"

>"Didn't your mommies ever teach you manners?" you jibe. All of the meatheads look backwards at you with flabbergasted expressions on their faces. "Or she did, and that's why you're all a bunch of punks."
>"You dissing our mommas, chink?"
>...oh, that...that's unforgivable.
>They stalk towards you menacingly, but with the kind of things you've fought they may as well be a bunch of kittens.

>You've kept a knife with you just in case, but you don't think you'll need it. You could tell Dayna to join you in some thrashing if you wanted...

[Kasu]

> Naw, lets leave her out of this.
> Dodge anything they throw at us and strike at the first opening.