/donut/ - Donut Bar

>First things first: I'll post an email address at which you guys can contact me for whatever various reasons. The official email is MasterOfPastries@gmail.com.

>Secondly, I have a skype. Vas already has Riley's skype. I would use Tox, but my preferred Linux distro is not playing nice with Tox and I can't be bothered to fix it.

>My Skype name is... dawnbreeze_pegasus. I know. It was a strange time in my life.

Percy, Hal, Riley, and Cayenne all enter a bedroom.

They haven't bothered to look behind them. Almost immediately after the door closes, the lock clicks.

The question is, are these doors thin enough for eavesdropping?

>>1824

Hopefully the proximity of the large spider to the door and the series of invisible threads he's feeding through and winding throughout the rooms are enough.

>3d20 work here too?

Rolled 7, 12, 7 = 26 (3d20)

>>1824

>>1826

>Sure. As long as it's clear what the roll means, I don't mind.

Rolled 14, 9, 17 = 40 (3d20)

>K. Time to see if he can continue his tricksy sneaky eavesdropping ways

>>1827

You get your ear to the door just in time to hear Cayenne say "Wait, she--"

Cayenne stops mid-sentence.

>>1830

"Riley? Remember when you said you had a spell that would take care of things...?"

Cayenne blinks. "Wait, she--"

"It's taken care of!" Riley shouts.

"Define 'taken care of'."

Rolled 18, 7, 20 = 45 (3d20)

>>1833

Vasnesh whispers to himself. "She lied her ass off. She wants her brother's baby. That's awful."

He of course continues listening.

Rolled 2, 4, 3 = 9 (3d20)

>>1835

William follows the spider's lead

>>1835

>>1837

>Spoilers are for Vasnesh's eyes only.

>Well, I can't stop you, but Will won't know it IC.

"I've managed to delay it. And I can accelerate it."

"You..."

Percy sighs. "Riley, do you really think either of us is ready for a child? At all?"

"Riley, we're barely old enough to drink. We only own a house because we bought one with the proceeds from selling father's estate."

"I have a plan," Riley says.

"You will receive an unexpected windfall. Remember how I'm insured?"

Rolled 19, 3, 14 = 36 (3d20)

>>1838

Obviously it's not like Vasnesh will stop listening before this juicy tidbit.

"And now insurance fraud. I'm afraid Riley might be a bad egg." He looks down at William as he says this.

>>1840

>As usual, spoilers are things that only high rollers can hear.

**"Medical insurance won't cover food for the baby--"

Percival stops for a moment.

"...but life insurance..."**

"Don't tell me you're thinking of killing--"

Cayenne stops mid-sentence again.

"No, no, it wouldn't be me," Percy replies.

"No, I tried to save Riley--but she died inside of her Door, on the way out of it. The Cerberus got to us before we could leave."

>>1843

>fuckin spoilers

Rolled 13, 20, 15 = 48 (3d20)

>>1843

"Tsk Tsk Tsk. I'm afraid I can't let this travesty of justice happen without a little blackmail. After all, this is a terrible thing to do within earshot of a Spider." A grin on a spider is an unsettling thing to see.

>of course he doesn't stop. Gotta milk it all.

Rolled 17, 12, 19 = 48 (3d20)

>>1849

"Raising a baby in the bar. That's an incredibly ambitious and horrifying plan, given the existence of predators of all kinds that walk through." He taps his mandibles in thought. "It's quite dangerous."

>Keep on keeping on.

Rolled 6, 13, 5 = 24 (3d20)

William continues to listen to the various statements Vas makes, gleaning what he can from the comments.

"They could always come to my world. There's quite a bit a man in my position can offer." He says with a smile.

"Though I'll need to go back and finish the fight before they can do that."

>>1851

>>1852

>>1853

"And you'd be willing to stay here? Forever?"

"I could visit other worlds!"

Riley sounds quite excited.

"But you'd never be able to come back home," Percy mutters.

"You'd miss classes," Hal says. "You'd miss Hunts. And, unless we do something similar with the rest of us, you'll be cut off from us most of the time."

"I... I...I know it'll be hard. But I--I can't--"

"Ssh." Percy's voice is softer than you've ever heard it.

You hear the sound of Riley hugging Percival with the impact usually reserved for freight trains.

"I can sense him."

"You can what?"

Rolled 7, 14, 16 = 37 (3d20)

>>1855

"Man, mixing magic with pregnancy? That's bad bad business. And he's already there?? Shit. I can assure you that nothing good will come of this. Nothing good. And I'm a literal spider with the moral compass of one."

>still gonna listen.

Rolled 12, 15, 20 = 47 (3d20)

>>1857

"Well their magic seems to operate in a completely different way than ours does. Maybe they can avoid the dangers of it?"

>>1860

"It's all my fault. All things above and below, I never imagined the girl would be crazy enough to do this. I should have forced the damn fruit down her throat."

He's shaking his head.

"This is the magic that causes doors to open and demons to pour out, William."

>>1861

"So what are you suggesting? I don't think either of us are a match for them if they want to do something. If anything I'll just be making my exit shortly." William says seriously.

>>1863

"I'm suggesting we talk to them like reasonable people. Percy is reasonable. Cayenne is reasonable. Even Hal is. Riley will fight it, but she won't cause a scene here. She wants to raise her child here."

>>1857

>>1859

>>1860

>>1861

>>1863

"I caneseimeminamenimmana--"

She starts tripping over words.

"R-Riley! Slow down! Calm. Calm down, sister. I'm here."

"It... HE..."

She takes a deep breath.

"Just..."

"...my god. Is he...is he storing magic?"

"In the womb!?" Hal shouts. "How?"

"Babies are known to have magical capability," Cayenne mutters, "but never more than minor telekinesis spells..."

"Not storing. It never builds up. He's generating it."

Rolled 16, 17, 7 = 40 (3d20)

>>1867

"It's a magical child, William. You heard that too, right? Name a story where a magical child hasn't caused cataclysm."

>I need one more roll from William.

>>1873

>And one more from Vasnesh.

>Things are gonna get crazy.

Rolled 15, 6, 8 = 29 (3d20)

>>1870

"That's... a terrifying concept." William shudders.

Rolled 15, 6, 3 = 24 (3d20)

>>1876

Oh fuck me that roll's awful

Rolled 16, 17, 10 = 43 (3d20)

>>1875

>k

>Waiting on Vas's roll.

>>1880

>>1882

>That was it 1880

>>1881

>>1876

>There it is.

"To be casting, before he's even born--"

The conversation stops.

"...Riley."

You hear Percy take a deep breath.

"I...can't do this. I really can't. We'll have to abort the baby--"

>>1884

Vasnesh doesn't move. Doesn't say a word. His eyes are locked on William.

>>1884

You hear a small scuff from inside.

And then a chair crashes through the wall, inches from William's face. It is followed by very, VERY ANGRY RILEY.

"How much did you hear."

>>1887

Stepping back quickly, William sets his face.

"Enough. Your decision is your own, but it sounds to me like it's a rather dangerous situation. I'm not getting involved in this." He says, gauntlet deploying quickly.

>>1889

Vasnesh doesn't move from his position above the door. He might as well be made of stone.

>>1889

"I appreciate that."

Her expression softens.

"I'm sorry for the chair. And... for making Percy say that. I needed a reason to stand up."

>>1890

"So. Opinions? I'm mad, beyond mad, that you have been listening to this conversation, but you know? I feel like this could benefit from outside opinions. Come in, please!"

Riley steps back through the doorway and simply... pulls it along with her, with you attached.

"They need better walls anyway. Just saving money on demolition!"

>>1893

William eyes Riley warily.

"I like where I'm standing just fine, thank you." He says, determination in his eye.

"I actually have to live long enough to get back home."

>>1893

>>1889

>>1890

"...you know, you could've just kicked the door down. Would've left us with at least a wall."

Cayenne sighs. "But you had to go right through, didn't you?"

Percy rubs his temples, sighing, while Hal stammers about sudden twists in the conversation and chairs that really shouldn't be able to survive that kind of blow anyway.

>>1894

Sorry, should have clarified. That last bit? That was directed at Vasnesh.

Rolled 1, 19, 13 = 33 (3d20)

>>1895

Vasnesh very slowly grabs onto the escape threads he's lain that stretch back to the stairs, and then yanks as hard as he can with all of his spider strength, hoping to pull hard enough to rubberband himself out to the stairs.

>And then from there it's just a leap to the webworks. Dice don't fail me now. please

>>1898

"Wha--"

"Hey!"

"Well, she did just break down a wall to yell at them."

"I'll bring him back," Hal mutters, standing. "I can barely understand what's going on in here, maybe it'll make more sense after it's all sorted out."

"I'm going to go find the spider." William says, turning and dashing back down the stairs.

"Not my world, not my problem." He thinks as he freezes at the top of the stairs.

>Jeebus Christmas, it's nearly midnight. I need to go to sleep.

>>1917

>Night night. We can continue the holy fuck chronicles tomorrow.

William and Vas reappear at the top of the stairs.

"There's some weird shit going on on both floors today it seems." he says.

>>1932

Hal's about five steps down the stairs when you come back.

"...what in the name of the Spirits is going on."

"Don't worry, Hal. It's just time weirdness. Anyway!"

Percy claps his hands together, grinning in a manner that suggests he's still trying to work out just what the fuck is going on.

"Riley, in case you haven't guessed, is having a baby. I'm not really sure how I feel about it, but most of that is actually concerns about how well I'd do as a parent; there are plenty of spells that prevent...oddities in the conception process. The baby will be normal. As for providing for it...the bartender is able to create food, correct? I know he can do the same for drink, but obviously we can't raise a child on beer."

"Percy?"

"Yes, Cayenne?"

"Have we all gone insane?"

"Most likely, yes."

Rolled 6, 4, 1 = 11 (3d20)

>>1941

Vasnesh is behind William, very sure to only peek around him as he talks.

"You realize that the child is magic, right? Legitimately magic. That's the most horrifying thing that can happen."

>>1942

>Dice STAHP

>>1942

"Like I said, we've most likely gone insane," Percy mutters.

"But--what kind of feeling is it called? It really is insane, isn't it. I mean, at the same time, I feel dread, excitement, and ownership, like...well, it's my child."

He takes a deep breath.

"Given the timing, it could actually be Hal's, but for the love of Seren and the light of Caelestis, there's a baby coming, and I'll be the father, and oh lord I really am insane aren't I."

>>1945

Vasnesh doesn't reply. Over the case of a few moments, he transforms into a rather tall, severe looking man with grey hair. Age lines his face, and you can tell he's seen much.

He walks over to you, looking down on you with an imperious gaze. The first thing he does is take his hand and

SLAP

>>1948

>>1947

For a moment, everyone holds their breath.

"...thank you."

He quietly dusts himself off, and takes a deep breath.

"I'll...I'll be honest here. There's a lot of ways that every single thing we could possibly do would end up terrible for everyone involved."

>>1949

"Also, you may want to OH SHIT RILEY STOP--"

There's a brief blur of motion.

>>1950

Vasnesh doesn't move. He was ready for this. This is his fault, after all. If he needs to be martyred by the mentally imbalanced girl in order to make sense, so be it. It's better than what he's done in the 60 or so years of his life so far.

If anything, he just looks sad.

>>1948

"I have done nothing."

Rileystand behind Vasnesh.

"I have, if anything, SLOWED the development."

Her hand is balled in a fist.

"And I feel as though I have been hospitable thus far; you listened in on a private conversation and ran from simple reprisal. But now--"

A few lines of smoke and flame shoot off her. Your threads.

"You strike my brother. That pays my first debt to you. You speak as if you know of OUR world, and insult me in the process. That pays the second."

She stops for a moment.

"But then you threaten him. And there is no third debt to be balanced. So what am I to do?"

>>1952

"I can't-- I won't-- kill you. You've done nothing wrong, you've acted as you believe best, as have I."

She looks down.

"But my brother is all I have. He is the only one who hasn't left."

>>1951

>>1952

>>1953

Percival's face is frozen in confusion and anxiety.

>What a time for me to have to go to work.

>>1952

>>1953

"You really should have let Losi tinker around in there more than you did." He doesn't turn around to look at her, just speaking in measured tones.

"She would have told you that your brother wouldn't have gone anywhere. He loves you. Having a child with this potentially destructive power isn't going to make him stay. But childbirth and raising one? Instead of letting you two figure it out naturally, where you two could do the thing you've trained for, and save people. Hunt demons."

He then turns around. "And you shouldn't act like you two finally getting it on isn't something I'm involved in. I encouraged it. I even got you the fucking birth control."

His eyes are watering. "You are both throwing your lives away for nothing and it's my fault."

>>1955

"Vas. Please..."

She looks to the shapeshifter.

"This is nobody's 'fault...' And if I-- wait. Waaaait..."

Riley starts laughing.

"I'm an idiot! Excuse me a moment; I'll be right back. I promise it's not some half-baked plan. I just want to talk to someone. Seriously, though... Please don't follow me?"

She looks at you, and this time her eyes are different. They hold none of the tension that's always been there, none of the fear or confusion or uncertainty that sometimes flickered through her face.

"I have a way to make this right."

>>1956

He sighs, and his shoulders slump. "I won't follow you, Riley."

Of course, anyone standing behind him will see that his fingers are crossed.

"I never thought I'd see the day that I was proven to be more of a coward than a spider." William says, trying to alleviate some of the tension in the room.

>>1959

>>1958

>>1957

>>1956

"...who are you going to talk to?"

Percival looks to you, face bundled up in a mask of concern.

You know that he only uses that mask to hide fear.

>This is where things get interesting.

>See, there's a couple places Riley could run off to.

>...technically, there's at least a few thousand, because Riley's player has a list. Of lists. Of more lists. He's...had a lot of free time.

>Anyway, we've narrowed it down to two places, by random rolls and by eliminating things that have already been done here.

>The choice is this:

>Planet of the Hals, or Utopian Blade Runner?

>>1962

>as a better place for what I think she's going to do? Planet of the Hals

>>1970

>>1971

>>1970

>No. Bad post. Don't post empty.

>Anyway, I've relayed this answer. We'll get to work on it.

Riley heads out the door, and down the stairs.

"This is the best plan."

>>1973

"Riley?"

Percy pokes his head out the door, and watches Riley head downstairs.

"...this is the worst plan."

"...dammit."

Percy's now pacing around the room, looking more and more concerned.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit--"

He stops, whirls, and--no, the desk is too small. The bed will have to do.

He yanks his sword out of its sheath, and retrieves a bottle of oil and a rag from his pockets.

He lays the blade upon the bed, and begins cleaning it, and to hell with the covers.

"She's out there--in the multiverse--alone--and I'm not gonna be able to follow her--FUCK!"

He's cut his thumb.

>>1975

"Then follow her! C'mon Percy! You look like a scholar, use your brain like one!" Vasnesh walks over to him and picks him up off the bed by his shoulders.

"Seriously? You don't have a tracking spell?"

>>1976

He shrugs you off, growling.

"You think I haven't taken precautions? Of course I have a tracking spell," he mutters, wiping the blood away from his thumb.

"But I don't know how well it would work across universes. That, and if I rush out there without proper preparations..."

He scowls, and turns back to his sword.

>>1977

He taps him on the shoulder. "You did less preparation for entering a personal Hell, Percy. And you'll have me with you. Relax. Let's go."

>>1978

"I hadn't gone three days without cleaning my sword when I went into her Hell. And that was far more urgent. She had been inside for God knows how long, when we went after her. She's still only--"

He strides across the room, and peers out the door.

"--halfway down the stairs, now."

>>1979

>Name pls.

Cayenne sighs, and stands up.

"I don't know what's gotten into you, Percy, but it won't slow me down. Come on, Vasnesh. We're going to follow her."

Vasnesh follows her. "Yes. Lets."

>>2090

"...should I stay behind?" Hal asks, glancing at Percy.

Percy's still fussing with his sword.

"He can teleport to us when he's ready," Cayenne snaps. "Come on."

He shrugs, and starts walking toward the door. Cayenne holds it open for him, while glowering at Percival.

>>2097

Vasnesh shrugs and walks through, hoping to catch up to Riley.

>>2098

>Speaking of, Riley's player says he'll be here in...about 30 minutes.

>Good time for a snack break.

>>2100

>Aaaand then he needed to sleep.

>Honestly, I'm gettin' sleepy myself...

>>2101

>get some rest.

>>1818

You can change skype name whenever you want you know

>>2125

I...did not know that.

But it's a bit late to do that now.

>>2126

oh yeah also amongst all this craziness is the bar left unattended since the bartender is here rather than down there?

wondering because i may throw in a donut steel oc to play a bit. I've been lurking on and off tiny bits since you shilled on tg but I don't know what's happening really at the moment

funny you still just got those 4 first chars being so major doe

>>2127

The bar is currently unattended because the Bartender is walking up the stairs and I am about to go to work.

This isn't a big deal. Drinks are free anyway. But he (and I) won't be on hand to help.