/monster/ - The Last Bastion of Romance★

Hours had passed since Valerie had come to the gym asking questions. Big Alp was sitting in her office gathering her thoughts. Cathy and Tabitha showed up not long after to clock in for their shift and so far everything had been going smoothly. It was thanks to Tabby that the place was still open, being that before Cathy she was the only employee working six sometimes seven days a week. She even came in on her days off just to hang around and help out at the gym. It was nice, it gave Big Alp time to collect herself and look into ways to get the place financially stable. Although, there wasn’t much to be done. Rent for the place was expensive, being in a sizable lot in a lone building, not to mention the funds to keep the lights on and the water running. Her dream was becoming a sinkhole for every dime she had. She wanted to avoid taking loans at first, but after running out of funds, she had to sell her house just to pay them back and keep the place running. It was all going to work out, she had told herself at least a hundred times. With a few customers she was able to afford hiring Cathy to give Tabitha a break and even a few uniforms for the three of them. She’d been hearing good things about Cathy, she’d been doing well if everything Tabitha had said about her was true, not to mention she already bounced back from that little incident with that Alex guy. Speaking of, Valerie had said he had been kidnapped.

Big Alp rubbed her eyes, it didn’t matter that she tried to help him out, now he’s in a whole different kind of mess. She looked at the poster on her wall and sighed, “What should I do, Eddie?” She asked. The lone poster of Eddie smiled silently, his lips curled in a smile that really spoke to Big Alp. She missed him.

A tapping came on the plastic window of the door. It was Tabitha with her new haircut and the same old catty smile on her face. “Come in.” Big Alp called to her. She entered the room and sat down in front of Big Alp’s desk, leaning forward. “Our little angel grew up so fast!” She said in a playful voice. “What, what’s she doing?” Big Alp asked, worried. “Oh, nothing, she’s just taking care of the floor all by herself. Didn’t have to tell her a thing. Well, okay, maybe I had to help her instruct someone with a machine, but she’s pretty good at this stuff.” Tabitha explained. Big Alp sat back in her chair, relieved. “And she did your hair?” She asked.

“And she did my hair!” Tabitha exclaimed. “Wow. She can be a real go getter, huh?” Big Alp asked. “So listen, Tabby, apparently that guy Alex got kidnapped by some pretty bad people, I want you and Cathy to be real careful when you go home today.”

Tabby shook her head, “You have no idea. We were there when he got kidnapped. I punched one of them right in the face and she didn’t even go down. I’m no slouch, but damn if that lady doesn’t have a pair between her legs.”

“You what? You got into a fight?” Big Alp asked, “Well, I defended myself and Cathy, but we split before we got hurt, so…”

“You need to be more careful, what if one of them sees you on the street? Or finds out where you live or work?” Big Alp asked. “It’s fine, it was dark and I’m pretty sure they didn’t get a good look at us.” Tabby replied.

“Just… don’t get into any trouble, okay?” Big Alp pleaded. “Hey, it’s not like I’m looking for trouble, but it keeps finding me! Whatever, I better get out there and make sure Cathy isn’t burning the gym down.” As Tabby left Big Alp sighed. This is ridiculous, what the hell is she gonna do about this? She needed to get out of the office, this room was suffocating her. As she walked out onto the floor she looked out at the floor, there were a couple customers here and there, maybe one or two more than usual. That made her a little happier. As she stepped behind the front desk she looked back to see someone had entered.

“Hi there, oh, it’s you Sam. Business as usual?”

Sam showed a bored expression, walking up to the desk. “I have some good news for you.” She motioned towards the lockers. Big Alp grimaced.

A. Follow her to the lockers and listen to what she has to say, best not to start a scene.

B. Tell her you dealt with the ‘leak,’ like you said you would.

C. Ask where her friends took Alex, you needed that income damn it.

D. Ask if Alex is okay, if they’re treating him alright. You’re worried.

Big Alp followed the oni to the locker room, looking back out to the floor to make sure no one was watching. As they entered, she stopped and shifted her weight. “So, is he alright…? Alex I mean.” She asked. Sam turned and leaned against the lockers, “Who? Oh, right. He’s fine, he’s tougher than you think. That’s actually why I’m here.” Sam said crossing her arms, “The boss wants to expand. Could be an opportunity in it for you, Big Al.”

“Big Alp.” She corrected. Sam shrugged, “Whatever you say. So you wanna hear it or what?”

Big Alp looked back to the door, “Why don’t we take it into my office.” She replied, pulling her keys free. Sam nodded silently. They entered the room and Big Alp locked the door behind them. “Listen. I don’t know what the hell you guys are up to but I won’t be pushing your drugs on any of my customers.” When she turned she found Sam sitting on the desk, it was practically a stool for someone her size. “Oh you don’t have to worry about that. The boss wants to open a ‘spa’ next door. All you gotta do is keep quiet and hold the leash on your girls a little tighter and the Boss will pay the rent for ya. If you’re nice, maybe we’ll even buy you some more equipment.”

A. You need more information, they’re moving next door? What’s going to happen to your gym? You don’t want them dealing next to your gym.

B. Accept the deal, you need that money.

C. You don’t want (((them))) to pay your rent, (((they))) will treat you like a hostage.

D. Warn her that the police are already investigating into Alex's disappearance.

>>326082

Here you are, friend. No promise but I'll consider finishing this.

>>326107

Go to my dumblr and DM me there and I'll see what I can do.

>>326114

Jeanne will remain untainted just for you, Anon.

“Wait, wait, hold on. You guys are moving next door?” Asked Big Alp. Sam nodded, “The Boss already bought this lot and your building. You’ll be getting the notice tomorrow morning. Gonna add a building or two, like a little stripmall.” She answered.

“I don’t want them paying my rent.” Big Alp answered. “Or buying my equipment or any of that crap. I’m not gonna let them hold that over me.”

Sam stood up, towering over Big Alp. “I’m gonna be perfectly honest, as far as the Boss is concerned you don’t have a choice in the matter. So if I were you, I’d just shut up and take the money.” Big Alp shrunk under the oni’s large intimidating frame. Sam playfully tapped Big Alp’s cheek and smiled, “Hey, now, be cool. At least it was me today, right? I think we’re done here.”

Big Alp’s body moved on its own as she unlocked the door without a thought. Fear had left her numb as Sam walked out. “I’ll be in touch!” She said, smiling back at her only to bump into Cathy. “Oh whoops, sorry, Sam.” The little gargoyle said, looking up at her. Big Alp’s heart sank as the two locked eyes for a moment before Sam shrugged and moved on, exiting the gym. Cathy stood there awkwardly rubbing her neck as though she had done something wrong during the encounter. “So is she gonna be working here?” She asked, turning to Big Alp. The question snapped her out of it. “No, no, she was just letting me know how good you guys are with everyone.” Cathy nodded her head slowly, “Alright, that’s… cool… hey so I’m gonna take my break, so I’ll be back in fifteen.” She said, walking passed Big Alp. “I gotta call my dad back, he’s been leaving me voicemails left and right saying he’s gonna be down in three days and I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

Big Alp nodded slowly, deciding that it would be best to retreat back into her office. She locked the door and waited for Cathy to leave the locker room before she turned out the lights. After finding her way to the desk she sat down in her chair and laid her head down between her arms, silently crying herself to sleep.

Character swap: Cathy!

A. Call your dad and give him an update. You don’t want him going all Liam Neeson.

B. Go talk to Tabby right now, something isn’t right.

C. Wait until after your shift to talk to Tabby, you don’t want to draw attention.

D. Follow Sam as stealthily as you can. Predator style! Just without the active camo… or weapons, or any of the other stuff. Just you and fem Arnold.

>>326219

<Appreciate it, been trying to practice the back muscles for a while now. I'll keep trying to improve and I hope you do, too.

Cathy stepped outside of the building and pulled out her phone, scrolling through the many texts her dad had sent her. All of them were written with that same brand of crazy she knew her dad for. One of them had a photo he took of his plane ticket with the date of his arrival. Giving him a call would probably help calm him down. It was either that or texting and he would probably blow up her phone with replies.

Phone call it is, she thought, dialing his number. It rang for a few seconds before he picked up. “Cathy? Cathy, what’s going on, is everything alright?” His voice came over the phone in a panic. Cathy pulled her head back away from the phone to save her ears. “Dad, dad, relax. Everything is fine.” She said, slowly putting the phone back up to her ear. “Listen, I didn’t get kidnapped, I didn’t eat anybody’s face, nobody died.”

“That might change when I get there.” He replied. “No dad. You’re not going to kill anyone. You’re not going to eat their faces, either.” Said Cathy.

“Is kidnapping still on the table?” Cathy was going to reply but she caught herself. “No-… actually, the guy who drugged me did get kidnapped, so…”

Her dad was silent for a moment, both of them waiting for the other to say something. “…Did you kidnap him?” Her dad asked. “No? I mean I didn’t do it but my friend and I feel responsible for it. We were together when it happened-“

“Why were you with the guy who drugged you? Were you on drugs? Are you high right now?” He started again.

“DAD, STOP! I’m not on drugs.” Shouted Cathy. “Me and my friend were trying to get to the bottom of this when we got jumped.” She explained. Her dad went silent again, probably thinking of what to say next. Cathy hated when he did that, it made her anxious. After all these years you’d think I’d be use to this, she thought to herself. “Did you get hurt?” He asked finally. “No.” She answered.

“Do you have your gun? The one I bought you?”

Cathy remembered it was a .357 magnum. Six bullets, more than enough to kill anything that moves. She shook her head, “I have it dad, it's in the safe.”

“Why aren’t you carrying?” He asked. Cathy sighed, frustrated, “We’ve been over this before, dad.”

“And I still don’t get it. Tell me why you think that’s a good enough reason.” He demanded. “By-ye, Da-ad.” Replied Cathy as she hung up on him. He’ll text her soon, she was sure of that. For now getting through her shift was next on her list. The hours passed by as Tabby and Cathy helped where they were needed and worked out with some of the gym members who wanted trainers. Eventually their shift ended, and the two of them met in the lockers to collect their stuff. “You should come over again tonight, Cathy.” Tabitha said, picking up her keys and other belonging from her locker. Cathy nodded, “Yeah, I should.” She said, leaning in close. “I gotta talk to you. Its serious.”

“What, about your dad? He texting you again? Cuz let me tell you that shit was annoying, like an hour straight. Talk about overbearing.” Tabitha said, turning to Cathy as she shut her locker. Cathy shook her head, “No, not that. I think I got a lead…”

Tabitha stood there, her ears perking up. “I’m listening.”

A. Tell her you think Sam was the oni the kidnapped Alex. You don’t know for sure though.

B. You should talk about this at her place. Sam might come back and you don’t want her to know you’re on to her.

C. Warn her that your dad is gonna be here in three days. She hasn’t seen overbearing yet.

D. Don’t tell Tabitha, you don't know what she'll do. Val told you both to stay out of trouble, you should tell her instead.

>>326246

<Forgot to reply, I'm sorry if you can't participate anymore. I hope you can at least read along!

>>326466

take your peacekeeper

>>326466

B. But we should tell Val too (girl's night?). I want to see Tabby's place anyway. What the heck was Cathy doing last night while Tabby was "working the Love Spice out of her system"? Hiding in the bathroom with her hands over her ears, watching the walls shake, and mumbling about her happy place?

>>326466

>B

We gotta rip into Sam for clogging our shower with orange pubes

>>326597

>When you shitpost so much others follow suit

Cathy looked around for a moment, then back to Tabitha. “We’ll talk at your place.” She said in a hushed tone. One of Tabitha’s ears cocked back as she raised an eyebrow. “Oka-ay.” She whispered back.

“You know, my dad is coming down in three days. Well, two now I guess. You think he’s overbearing now, just wait until you meet him.” Cathy said, grabbing her stuff and half-skipping out of the locker room, with Tabitha following. “I gotta give ya fair warning, though, he’s uh… a bit of a gun nut.”

Tabby’s eyes narrowed, “what kinda gun nut, like a collector?”

Cathy shook her head, holding the door for Tabitha. “Not really, I mean he has a lot but that’s because he was in the military when I was a kid. He’s all about gun safety and self protection. I think he still instructs for the police every now and then.”

Tabitha smiled. “That actually sounds pretty cool. He should teach me some time.”

Cathy shrugged. “He’s pretty strict. I mean you won’t believe it but when he trained me I swear He turned me into a completely different person.”

“In what way…?” Asked Tabitha. “I’ll tell you some other time.” Cathy said as they walked up to the front door to Tabitha’s house. Tabby pulled out her keys and opened the door, let Cathy in first, then locked it up again. “Man, today was busier than usual.” She said, tossing her gym bag into the closet by the door. Cathy had already planted herself on the couch, trying to relax. “Sure was.” She agreed. She watched as Tabitha slowly made her way over and flopped down onto her side of the couch, the sudden momentum sending Cathy up a few inches. “So what did you want to talk about? You wanna move in or something?” Tabitha asked. “After what you did last night? Hell no!” Cathy shouted.

“Hey that was that Love Spice shit, I had no control over that.” Tabitha replied. “You still owe me a pair of shorts.” Cathy said, scowling. “Whatever, whatever, that’s not what I want to talk about. I saw Sam today coming out of the locker room. I think she was talking to Big Alp.”

“Okay, and?” Asked Tabitha.

“Tabby, think about it, the other night when Alex got kidnapped.” Replied Cathy. Tabitha scratched her head and shrugged. “Sorry, everything is still a little hazy. I remember a few things but my memory doesn’t clear up until we got to the police station.”

“You must have been hit with Love Spice pretty hard.” Cathy explained. “Right, I remember smelling it. That’s when my memory gets fuzzy. Then I punched someone.” Tabby finished, “So what’s Sam got to do with this?”

“I think she was the one you punched! She drugged you and kidnapped Alex. I got a good look at her that night and she has the same eyes and body type as that masked oni.”

Tabitha turned to Cathy, her brows furrowed. “Let’s say I believe you, what do you think she was talking to Big Alp about?”

Cathy shook her head, “Who knows, maybe she’s got something on her?”

“Alright, so you say Sam looks like the oni from the other night. I can kind of see that. She’s big, tough, keeps to herself.” Tabby said, thinking about it more.

“She could be the muscle. She definitely fits the description of that oni you punched.”

“Yeah, you might be onto something. So what should we do? Talk to Val?” Tabby suggested. Cathy nodded, “Yeah, we should.”

“And then what, we go talk to Big Alp and try to help her out?”

“Hold on, Tabby. What if Big Alp is part of this?”

Tabitha’s mouth curled down in a frown. “We gotta tell Val about that, at least, right?” Cathy asked. “Right, Tabby?”

“You think Big Alp is a part of this?” She asked in a low voice. “I don’t know, maybe? I don’t really know what they were talking about but Sam said that she’d be in touch.” Replied Cathy. “How can you even think she’d be one of them? She helped you out when that jackass Alex drugged you!” Tabitha said, throwing up her hands. “Listen, Tabby, I’m not saying for sure she’s part of this, I’m just saying we should consider the possibility-“

“It’s not possible! I know Big Alp, I’ve known her for years and I’m telling you there’s no way in hell she’d be one of them.” Tabitha snapped. Cathy shook her head, “Okay, okay, all I’m saying is we should be careful. Val told us to stay out of trouble, I’m just saying we should limit our chances of getting caught up in everything.” Tabitha was gritting her teeth now, Cathy could see.

<Longpost as promised.

“I think you’d better go home.” She said in a tone Cathy had not expected from her. “W-what?” She could see Tabby was getting more and more mad, her ears curled back and her eyes sharp. “Get your stuff and go home.”

“But Tabby, I-“

“GO!” She shouted, jumping to her feet. Cathy shrunk into the couch, scared and confused. She retreated to the door, looking back to Tabitha, “I’m sorry, Tabitha, I didn’t mean t-to… upset you.” She whimpered, pulling her hoodie over her head. Tabitha didn’t bother to reply and instead began to sulk, curling up on the couch.

Cathy reluctantly opened the door, giving one last look to Tabitha in the hopes that she would tell her not to go. She didn’t.

Cathy found herself taking heavy steps on her way back home, tears rolling down her face. She knew why Tabitha would get upset, she’s only known her for about a week and she just accused one of her best friends of working with drug lords. Maybe she was wrong? Maybe Sam wasn’t that oni? Maybe she misunderstood something and Big Alp was innocent. She should go back and apologize. Cathy wiped tears from her eyes.

No. She knew what she saw. The more Cathy thought about it the more she knew she had been right. Sam was definitely the one who attacked them and she was talking to Big Alp about something. If only she had heard their conversation, she might know where Big Alp stands in all this. Cathy didn’t want to believe she was a dealer, but her dad taught her to prepare for the worst case scenario. What other reason would she have to be talking to anyone from Cupid? Sam said she’d ‘be in touch.’ Cathy stopped, I should tell Val, she thought. Pulling the strings to her hoodie tight, she changed course and jogged to the police station.

It wasn’t long before she got there, the lobby door lit up the same as the other night. Cathy climbed up the steps and entered the building, quickly making her way to the front desk. A bored looking policeman sat behind the glass staring at a computer.

“Excuse me.” Cathy said.

“Are you here to file charges?” The man asked in a monotone voice.

“I’d like to speak with Officer uh… Rhodes.” Cathy said, remembering Valerie’s last name from her badge.

The officer stared blankly at her for a moment, “She’s not here. Can I relay a message for her?” He asked.

A. Tell him about Sam and ask that he tell Val ASAP

B. Don’t tell him, maybe you’re paranoid but you should only tell Val. It’s what your dad would do.

C. Turn around a walk out. You should go home.

D. Ask if you can wait for her here. Although who knows when she’ll be back.

>>326657

<Thank you, anon.

>>326778

Boris is that you?

>B

Don't tell 'em they're probably on the payroll as well

“No, that’s okay. May I wait here?” Cathy asked. The policeman shrugged. With that she turned, walking over to one of the chairs in the corner to take a seat. Maybe she was being paranoid not trusting any other cop with this information, but it’s what her Dad would have done. Probably. Now all she had to do was sit and wait. A few minutes passed, then an hour, then another. Time marched on as Cathy found herself slumped over, waiting for who knows how long. Was Val even going to come back? The sun seemed to be coming up already. She was probably at her house asleep. Maybe it was time for her to get going? Her mind wandered as she thought about Tabitha and Big Alp. Would she have to quit her job? But she liked it… it was one of the only jobs she ever liked. On top of that it’s only been a week! Good job, idiot, you set a new record for losing a job, she told herself. Thinking only made her more and more miserable. What would her parents think? What was dad going to do when he got here? Was Alex okay? Was she and Tabby to blame? She stared down at her claws and wondered what she should do, flexing them to try and get her mind off of everything. That’s when she noticed something different about her hands. They felt stiff, and colder than usual, especially when she balled them up into fists. It was a strange sensation she had never felt before. Just as she was about to flex them again, someone sat down next to her.

“Hey, gargirl.” She heard them say. She cocked her head up to see Coop had appeared and taken a seat next to her. He sat with his arms and legs crossed and his head tilted back, staring up at the ceiling. “Hi, Coop.” She responded, her voice a dead giveaway for just how tired she was. She sniffled and rubbed her eyes. “So what’s up, kiddo? Just hanging out at the police station?” Cathy shook her head, “No, I’m waiting for someone.” She answered. “Val?” He asked. Cathy yawned as she nodded. “She’s at the hospital, more police business is my guess.” Coop explained. “So who knows when she’ll be back.”

Well, at least she knows where Val is. Maybe she should go to the hospital and talk to her there?

Coop sat up, yawning like Cathy had. “She’s talkin’ to someone that was snoopin’ around your boy Alex’s house.” He said in a hushed voice. Cathy raised a brow, how did Coop know all this stuff? He must really get around. “So what are you doing here, Coop?” She asked.

He shrugged. “I saw you bawling your eyes out on your way here so I thought I’d see what was up. Not my style to leave a girl crying like that.” Replied Coop. “So what’s got you down, gargirl?”

A. Tell him you and Tabitha had a ‘fight,’ he doesn’t need to know the details.

B. Tell him you’re worried about Alex, you don’t really want to talk about Tabby right now.

C. Ask him why he cares, it’s not like you’re friends. Besides, he’s probably just trying to score points with Tabitha.

D. You don’t want to talk about it, if he presses you, tell him to leave you alone.

<Work until Saturday, so slowposting again.

>>326114

>>326116

<Finally watched Hot Fuzz because of you guys. Loved it.

Cathy looked down and sighed, “I got into a fight with Tabby.” She said, rubbing her hands together idly. She began kneading them in an attempt to warm them up. The sensation she felt faded away. It was strange, but somehow familiar to her. She decided that it would be best to try out later. “Bummer. What did ya guys fight about?” Coop asked. Cathy shook her head, “It doesn’t matter. I don’t even know if we’re friends anymore. You ever argue with someone and you know you’re right but they just refuse to even try to see from your perspective?” Coop laid his head back to look at the ceiling again. “Oh, I had plenty of arguments like that. See, I use to roll with a couple of real knuckleheads. Me and the boss, we were the best of friends. We got into all kinds of trouble back then. Sure, we fought a lot, but he would always apologize and I would always forgive him, even if we still disagreed. We would always come out of it together, stronger than before. But there was one time we had a real fight, a bad one.”

“What happened?” Cathy inquired, happy for a distraction. “Well we came to blows. Fought for a good hour or so. He broke my nose and I cracked his jaw.”

“Wow, what made you guys do that?” Asked Cathy. The story had begun to enthrall her. Coop smiled crookedly, “A woman.” He answered. Cathy smiled back, rolling her eyes. “Of course it was. So what happened?” She asked, resting on the arm of her seat to show her interest. “Well, the two of them ran off, got married and settled down. I didn’t talk to him again until the baby was born. I couldn’t stay mad, so I begged him to forgive me.” He said, his smile slowly fading.

“Did he?” Cathy asked, nearly on the edge of her seat now. “No. He never returned my calls, my letters, never answered the door. The last thing he told me was to stay away from his family. I guess he thought I still had a thing for his wife at the time. Or maybe he just thought I’d take it out on his kid. I was a real asshole back then, but I understood that. I respected his wish, so I moved here and did just that. It’s been about twenty to twenty-five years since then.” Coop stated. Cathy looked at him with her eyes swelling with tears. “He’s never tried to talk to you? That’s just awful!” She said, wiping her tears with her sleeve. Coop shrugged, “Hey, he’s not bad and I think my story can still have a happy ending. I recently sent him a message, you know, before my shack got burned down.”

“Did he reply?” Cathy asked. She sniffed and quickly dried up her tears to listen. “He did.” Coop replied. “He told me he would forgive me if I did something for him.”

“What was it?” The suspense Coop had put her through had Cathy shaking in her seat with anticipation.

“That’s a secret.” He stated.

Cathy pouted at him. “Boo-oo.” She complained, sticking her tongue out. “I’ll make a deal with you. Tell me why you and Tabby had a fight and I’ll tell you what he asked me to do.” Coop offered.

A. You really want to know. Accept his offer.

B. No, you don’t want to talk about it, it’s not your place to air both yours and Tabby’s dirty laundry.

C. You’re tired of waiting, you should go to the hospital and find Val.

D. Forget it. Go home and get some rest. Maybe try to replicate that sensation?

“Deal.” Cathy answered, sitting up in her chair. Maybe it wasn’t her place to say, but she wanted to know more about Coop. He was an interesting guy and she felt safe around him, oddly enough. “Tabby and I were fighting… about Cupid.” She said in a hushed tone, leaning closer to Coop. He nodded silently, waiting for her to continue. “I think the person who attacked us is a regular at our gym. Her name is Sam. Big Oni, single horn, ripped as hell.” Cathy explained.

“I’m familiar with her.” Coop responded under his breath. Cathy nodded, “I’m certain she works for Cupid and I caught her talking to our boss, Big Alp. Tabby thinks she’s being threatened by them, but I told her we should think carefully. I mean what if she’s a part of this?” Cathy asked. Coop crossed his arms and nodded quietly, thinking, Cathy guessed. After a moment, Cathy nudged him, “Well?”

“Well what? I think you’re right.” He answered. Cathy shook her head, “Yeah, and now it’s your turn to tell me something.” Coop stroked the stubble lining his jaw. “Ri-ight. Sorry, I was just thinking of a plan to help your friend out.”

“That’s good, too, but don’t think I’m gonna let you off that easy!” Said Cathy. Coop sighed, “Yeah, alright girliegoyle. So after I sent him a message, I got a phone call from the guy, maybe a week or so ago. Like I was telling ya, he said he’d forgive me if I would do something for him. See his kid actually lives close by here and after what I told him he was scared. Real scared. Said he wanted me to do everything in my power to keep the kid out of trouble. So I’ve been doing just that.”

Cathy sighed, “Sounds a lot like someone I know.” She said, her thoughts wandering back to her parents. “You know my dad is coming down here in two days. I don’t know whether to be stressed out or relieved. I mean he’s basically the reason I moved to Saint Monica in the first place.” Cathy stated, annoyed with the thought. Coop took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes. “How come?” He asked. Cathy shrugged, “I just needed to be on my own. He can really get on my nerves, y’know? Always telling me what to do, how to spend my money, all that. I’m an adult now! I’m suppose to take care of myself!” Cathy exclaimed. “I see. Two days, huh?” Coop replied, standing up. “Well, I guess that means I should get to work. You keep out of trouble kiddo. Go to the hospital and find Val, she’ll keep you safe.” He said, walking out before Cathy could even respond. She stood up and followed him out into the sunlight. That’s when it hit her, that sensation from before. She yelped and jumped back under the overhang by the front door. What the hell is going on? She regained her composure for a moment, then slowly stuck her hand out under the sun again. It began to tingle, like goosebumps. Her gray skin seemed to be getting darker, like some kind of weird instant tan, or sunburn more like. She pulled her hand back under the cover of the building. Alright Cathy, just a little sunlight, nothing to be afraid of, she told herself. It had been some time since she was up in the morning, maybe this is just normal for gargoyles her age? She held her hand out again, the tingling quickly returning. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. Luckily she had her hoodie. She pulled up her hood and tightened the strings, then tucked her hands into her pockets. Not the best plan, but she couldn’t stick around the police station forever. Cathy kept her head down and stepped into the light. It worked! No tingling, no sensation, no sunburn for her! Finding her way to the hospital might be a bit of a challenge, though, having to keep her head down like this.

A few hours passed when Cathy finally found the Saint Monica Hospital. It wasn’t very big, but then, neither was the town. Outside was a statue of a woman in a hooded robe, Saint Monica, Cathy assumed. She stood by herself with her head down and hands held in prayer. The statue had tears rolling down its cheeks as it wept silently. Probably ‘praying for your health,’ Cathy mused, although a weeping woman isn’t exactly reassuring for patients.

As she entered the main building she pulled her hood down and sighed with relief. Looking around, she saw there was a lady sitting at the front desk working on her computer. There was a security guard leaning against the desk behind her. “Hi there!” The lady welcomed her, looking away from her monitor. “Hello!” Cathy greeted back. “Anything I can help you with?” The lady asked.

A. Tell her you’re looking for Officer Rhodes, you’re a friend of hers and someone told you she was in the hospital.

B. Lie to her, you’re visiting a friend and you know where you’re going. They probably don’t know where Val is and wouldn’t tell you even if they did.

C. Coop said something about Val being here on police business, make up a lie about her calling you here.

D. Just tell them the truth, you need to find Val because she’s the only person you can trust.

<Longpost and a little more effort in the drawing to make up for lost time!

>>327389

<Thanks anon.

>>327583

<Don't be afraid of the guy in shades oh no.

“Yes, I’m looking for Officer Rhodes. I really need to speak with her, it’s important. Someone told me she was here.” Cathy replied, deciding that lying wasn’t a good idea, especially right now. The lady turned to the security guard who shook his head. “I’m sorry but she won’t allow any visitors at this time. Maybe she can come down to you?” She suggested. Cathy nodded, “That’s fine, can someone tell her I’m here? My name’s Cathy.” The security guard held up his radio and began to talk, stepping away for a moment. “He’s got it.” The lady said, smiling as she went back to her computer. Cathy waited patiently, leaning on the corner of the front desk until the security guard came back and nodded. “She’ll be down in a minute.” He said, going back behind the help desk. “Thank you.” Said Cathy. She looked around the lobby and saw that there was a waiting room. Good, somewhere she can rest while she waited, it was pretty ‘late’ for her after all, being a night person. Looking around, she saw that she was alone in the room, save for the chairs set in rows going back to a wall of windows facing the front of the hospital. She quickly made her way in and took a seat closest to the doorway, her back to the sun that poked through the cracks between the chairs. The thought of what had happened earlier in the sunlight had her feeling nervous. She looked at her hand and sighed with relief, her skin had returned to normal, though the tingly feelings were still there. As long as I stay out of direct sunlight I should be okay, right? She reassured herself.

Time seemed to pass as Cathy woke up, lying across the chairs. She must have dozed off. The sun was still up, only an hour or so had passed by the looks of it. Val hadn’t shown up yet, but there was one other person in the waiting room she could see. He sat in the back corner dressed in a hoodie, his head down looking at his cell phone. When she turned back to face forward, she saw Val had finally made it down. What took her so long? The lady at the desk pointed her toward the waiting room where Cathy was sitting.

“Hey, so you came to see me, huh?” Val said, walking into the room. She stood in front of Cathy with her hands on her hips. “Must have been important for you to come looking for me, what’s up?” Cathy sat up straight, looking up into her fiery eyes. “It’s about Cupid.” Cathy whispered. Val raised a brow, “Come with me.” She said, grabbing Cathy’s hand to pull her up. She dragged her all the way to the elevator, shutting the door behind them. “Alright, I’m all ears.” She said, crossing her arms. “I know who attacked us the other night. It was an Oni that goes to our gym named Sam. I don’t think she knows it, but I recognized her.” Val rubbed her head, “I see. Anything else?”

Cathy nodded, “I overheard her talking to Big Alp. I couldn’t make out what they were talking about but she said she’d be in touch. I don’t know if she’s a part of all this or not, but I’m scared to go back.” She said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. The tears were beginning to well up in her eyes again. “Did you tell anyone else?” Val asked. “I told Tabitha. She got mad and kicked me out, she doesn’t want to even think about Big Alp being one of them. I’m worried about her, and Alex, too.” Cathy’s voice cracked, as more tears races down her cheeks. Val put an arm around her shoulder, “It’s gonna be okay, kid, I’ll make sure of that. I’m close to catching these Cupid pricks, I promise.” She reassured her. Cathy hugged her. “I told Coop, too. He told me I would find you here.” She said, releasing the hellhound from her grip. Val sighed, “That guy again… I swear he was a detective. Listen, I got some people here who can take over for me while I take you home, you look like hell. Trust me, I would know.” Valerie joked, nudging her. Cathy nodded, wiping her face again. Jeez, Cathy, turn off the waterworks for one minute, she told herself, her face flush from embarrassment. “I’ll radio it in, come on.” Val said, opening the door.

The drive home was short. Cathy sat in the back of the cruiser in silence, trying to figure out what she was going to do next. Should she even go back to the gym? Act like nothing happened? It felt like she’d be running away. She didn’t want to cut herself off from everything, from Tabitha or the gym. Why can’t everything just go back to normal? Everything felt like a blur until she got back into her room and found herself lying in her bed. “I’ll take care of this, kid, I promise. Get some rest.” She heard Val say before she left. She would have to decide what to do now, or at least after she was done sleeping.

A. Quit your job, you don’t want to get mixed up in this anymore.

B. It’ll be okay, just go to the gym and act like everything is fine.

C. Call your mom, you just need someone to talk to.

Character select: (Tabitha, Alex, Val)

<Work tomorrow, then off again. Somewhat lazy post.

>>328023

>>328023

C for daughteru-waifu emotional support.

Val

> Tipped off to the secret identity of the sinister Cupid gang enforcer "Butch", officer Val Rhodes, hellhound of JUSTICE, races to apprehend the ominous oni!

Quitting is the same as giving up, there’s no way Cathy was going to do that! Everything will be okay, she would just head back and pretend like nothing happened. Tabitha might be mad now, but she’ll forgive her, hopefully… and Big Alp doesn’t know that she suspects her. Cathy groaned, “What the hell am I doing?” She asked herself, rolling onto her back. She looked at the palm of her hand, the tingling feeling just barely there now. Just what on earth was that? Maybe mom would know something about this? She pulled out her phone and began to dial. It wasn’t long until her mom picked up. “Cathy? What are you doing up at this hour? It’s 9 in the morning.” She asked. “Hi mom, did I wake you up? Sorry.” Cathy responded, turning her hand over to stare at her knuckles. They seemed to have small jagged points on them to her surprise. “Well it must have been important for you to call at this hour, so what is it? Is your father there already?” Her mother asked. “No, not yet. He’ll be here tomorrow I think.” Cathy answered. She sighed, “I called because, well, it’s about me… I just started getting this weird tingly feeling in my body when I walked out into the sun. I figured maybe you would know something about it?”

“What, did you meet a boy you like?” Her mother asked jokingly. “Mom, seriously. My hand turned dark and stiffened up. Sound like anything?” Cathy inquired. She placed the phone between her ear and shoulder and began to rub her blackened knuckles. “Ow!” She hissed under her breath. “That actually does sound familiar. Hold on.” Mom replied. The phone rustled around for a few minutes until finally there was a thud. Cathy could barely make out the sound of pages turning until her mother hummed curiously. “You said your hand turned dark?” She asked, turning more pages. “Yeah, here I’ll text it to you.” Said Cathy, snapping a photo with her phone. Her mother went silent for a moment. “Aha! I’ve seen that before, years ago when your grandmother was still alive.” She explained. Cathy scrunched her face in disbelief, “Grandma died like a hundred years ago didn’t she? How old are you, Mom?”

“Do you want my help or not, Catherine?” Her mother retorted. “Okay, okay, sorry! I want your help!” Cathy pleaded. Mom scoffed, “That’s better. As I was saying, your grandmother looked kind of like that before she turned to stone. Although usually that’s something that would happen when you go through puberty, so I’m not sure what’s going on. I figured you couldn’t do it, just like me.”

“Maybe I’m just special!” Cathy quipped. “Dad thinks so.”

“Your father thinks you’re special because you’re an only child. Look, you can either stay in during the day for a bit or just get it over with and go sunbathing. Just a fair warning, your grandmother said that the first time is… uncomfortable.” Mom warned her. “Uncomfortable how?” Asked Cathy. “I don’t know, I’ve never done it!” Replied Mom, clearly annoyed with all the questions. “Look, if you’re so curious why don’t you just walk outside and take in some vitamin D?”

“Alright, maybe I will! Tomorrow. I’m too tired right now.” Cathy said before she yawned.

“Goodnight, Cathy.”

“Good morning, Mom. By-ye.”

Cathy hung up the phone and zonked out before it hit the bed.

Tabitha stirred lazily in her bed. She had hit the snooze button once or twice on her alarm before finally dragging herself up and out. She began to do everything for her daily routine, only today it was sluggish. The fight she had with Cathy had kept her up thinking. Whether she was angry with her or not didn’t matter, she now had to consider the idea that one of her best friends was running with some kind of gang willingly or otherwise.

Tabitha made her way to the bathroom. The mirror on the wall was broken, something she had done last night after Cathy had left. Her hand still hurt a little. Gonna have to buy a new one eventually, she thought, reflecting on her actions. She was just glad she had taken it out on the mirror and not her friend. Sure, she was mad, but she knew Cathy was right to be cautious. After all, she doesn’t know Big Alp like me.

Washing up breathed some much needed pep into her. She washed herself from head to toe and made sure to scrub under her claws. After she was done and dried herself off, she looked in the broken mirror again while brushing her hair. The new Tabitha with the bob cut that Cathy had helped her with stared back at her. “I really fucked up…” She thought aloud. “Shit, I really need to apologize to her.”

Getting dressed, Tabitha threw a hotdog in the microwave and nuked it. After eating it she made her way out, heading to the gym for work.

“Tabitha, there you are!” Big Alp said, “I’m glad you’re here, look!” She said, pointing out to the floor. There were several new machines that had filled up the place. Machines for legs, machines for arms, waists and shoulders. There were more free weights and dumbbells and even heavier weights for more serious bodybuilders. Tabitha’s eyes lit up with awe. “Where did you get all of this?” She asked, not sure if she believed what she was seeing. Big Alp sighed, “I guess we have a sponsor now, someone who wants to back us. They even cleaned the place up, too! The floors look nearly brand new!”

Tabby was awestruck. Even some of her regulars were here testing out the new machines. Jeanne was trying out the leg curler with Josie, Dulce was using a new rowing machine and Sam was…

Sam was here as well, sitting on a bench doing curls idly while she watched everyone else. Tabitha grimaced. Cathy told her Sam was the one who kidnapped Alex, the oni she punched to defend both of them from.

A. Confront her now, in front of everyone. You want her to know that you’re not messing around.

B. Talk to Big Alp, you need her to come clean about all this new equipment and this ‘sponsor.’

C. Wait until Sam is gone to question Big Alp.

D. Wait until Sam leaves then follow her.

Tabitha decided to remain calm and wait until Sam had left. The shift went by a bit differently than usual as she spent most of her time helping gym goers figure out how to use the new machines. Eventually Sam did leave, a smirk on her face. “Take a minute, Jeanne. Get some stretches in, I’ll be back.” Tabitha said, making a beeline for Big Alp’s office. She was sitting at her desk reading some of the instructional magazines that came with the new equipment when Tabitha entered. “Hey, Tabby, check this out! This chest press can exceed the normal weight for humans, it’s specially designed for monsters like you! Now we can start pulling in more people!” Big Alp said, excited at the idea. Tabitha shrugged. “Yeah so where’d you get all of this stuff? You said we got a sponsor or something? What, they lookin’ to turn us into a brand?” Tabitha asked leaning on the wall. “Yeah, they’re called the Junko Eastern Wares. Apparently they’re a big deal but they’re still trying to gain a foothold in the west. I guess they wanted to start small first and build up from there.” Big Alp explained. Tabitha shook her head, “That sounds all well and good, but what happens to the Swole Station? Are we rebranding? Didn’t you want to have your own company, y’know, the whole reason we’re here?” The barrage of questions took Big Alp by surprise. “Look, Tabitha, you see how it is here. We’re not exactly swimming in cash. I thought about this for a while now and fought with it last night. I’m still the owner of this gym, I just signed into a contract with them that gives them the rights to use the company name to open up more gyms and sell merchandise. We’ll be seeing a percentage of that. This is our chance, Tabby!”

Tabitha rolled her eyes, “I get it. It sounds good but…”

“But?” Big Alp parroted her, her smile turning downward.

Tabitha took a deep breath, it was now or never. “I need you to be real with me. Are you running with Cupid?”

Tabitha felt her chest tighten as the words left her mouth. She studied Big Alps face in the silence that followed. Big Alp looked distraught, confused. “How did you-“

“I overheard you and Sam.” Tabitha lied. “You know she’s the one who kidnapped Alex. I recognized her. She one of your ‘sponsors?’ Is that it?” She pressed, crossing her arms. Big Alp didn’t answer, she just sat there nursing her head. “So what, are we a bunch of pushers now?” Tabitha growled. “Huh?!”

“I DON’T KNOW!” Big Alp shouted, throwing up her hands. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing anymore.”

Tabitha’s anger is rising, leaving only enough time for two choices before she loses her temper.

A. Threaten to quit if Big Alp doesn’t get out of this mess. You can find another job.

B. Demand to know why she’s doing it, you’ve been with her from the start and you deserve to know.

C. Threaten to tell Val about everything. You might be friends but this is too much.

D. Point at her poster and ask her what Terry would think of all this if he was here now.

“Well why don’t you try telling me what you do know? Like why are you running with Cupid?” Tabitha asked, stepping over to Big Alp, her hand slamming on the desk. Big Alp had gone silent again, whether out of fear or anger it didn’t matter. “I’ve been with you for years, and now you’re just gonna hold secrets from me? How deep are you in this?” Tabitha asked, rapping her claws on the desk, tap tap tap. Big Alp was silent still. Alright, fine, you asked for this, Tabby thought. “What would Terry think of all this if he were still here, huh? Would he be on board with this?” Tabitha yelled, pointing at the poster. Big Alp looked up at her, her eyes filled with tears and anger. “Don’t you dare bring him into this!” She wailed. “He’s been gone for over ten years!”

“So when did this all start? Was it after you alped or when he left you?”

“SHUT UP!” Big Alp screamed with tears streaming down her face. She pressed her face on the desk and sobbed, her arms wrapping around her head. Tabitha stood there, waiting. She couldn’t believe it, Cathy had been right. Big Alp was involved, but how much? After a few moments her sobs turned to whimpers. Before Tabitha could ask her another question Big Alp coughed and cleared her throat. “It was before Terry left.” She began. “They approached me with an offer. I was to try out some experimental drug they developed. They offered me cash, and I wanted to open up the new gym. They said it was some kind of drug for muscle development, so it sounded like a win-win. It turned me into this over a few days. Terry watched my body shrivel up to this little nothing. After he left me, I had only my own income from the drug trial. They approached me again, this time with a deal. If I kept quiet about what happened, they would pay me a monthly sum indefinitely. That’s how I opened this gym… on hush money.” Big Alp let out another sob before she continued. “I never thought this would turn out this way. Now they have me trapped here on their dime and there’s nothing I can do. I don’t have the money to leave and I don’t want to see the gym die. It’s all I have and they know it.”

“Is that why Sam was here? To put pressure on you? Are Junko and Cupid the same people?” Tabitha asked, fighting back her own feelings.

Big Alp nodded. “Cupid is just one small part of the Junko Eastern Wares. They got their fingers in every pie under the sun. I wouldn’t be surprised if they paid off the cops in this town.”

“No way.” Tabitha muttered. “How much money do they have?”

“Enough for a small town like Saint Monica.” Big Alp sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes. She pulled out a box of tissues from behind her desk to blow her nose with. “I’m guessing every cop in this town is probably on the Junko payroll.” She mused.

“Not all of them.” Replied Tabitha. “Val would never take a bribe.”

“They’re not stupid, they do their research. I doubt they even approached her.” Big Alp retorted.

Tabitha raised a brow. “What makes you say that?”

“Because that’s exactly what they did to me. I told them how you would react. They probably did the same thing with the police. Top down, you know?” Big Alp said, tapping her head.

“Shit. So how do we fight them?” Asked Tabby. “You don’t, haven’t you been listening to everything I said? Junko owns this town!”

Tabitha has to make a decision, one that could change everything.

A. You won’t back down. You’re gonna fight them anyway, with or without Big Alp’s help.

B. Big Alp’s right, there’s nothing you can do. You should just keep your head down… like her.

Character select: (Val, Alex,)

>>328493

No you can't backdown and fall in despair, as long as there is a will to keep going there will be hope for things go right, so keep going, even if Big Alp can't help you Val, and Cathy are still on your side.

>>328493

Alex.

Also: Don't despair. HOPE.

Tab could kidnap the Oni and interrogate her in a dark basement.

>>328493

How can there be any question?!

Tabitha is a monster girl.

Monster girls fight for JUSTICE.

It doesn't matter if she has to fight the whole city, the whole country, or even the whole world.

No monster girl who fights for JUSTICE can ever be truly defeated!

HER LOVE FOR JUSTICE MAKES HER STRENGTH OVERFLOW!!!

A

Character Option: Alternate - Try for Big Alp via a speech check.

Tabitha has always believed in Big Alp. She still wants to. Is the monster girl who saved Tabitha who Big Alp really is? Or was it all just a lie?

>Junko owns this town

Nothing bullets won't fix tbh That means A

Seeing as we have broken the Alp down, at least a bit, I'd say we try to work on that front aswell. Perhaps Big Alp can be a mole?

“I don’t care if they own the whole country, I’m not gonna just lie down and take it. These people want to mess with my town, my friends, they gotta deal with me!” Tabitha roared, slamming her fist on the table. Big Alp shook her head. “You don’t understand. They could kill you, or worse!”

“And I already told you, I don’t care!” Tabitha said, opening the door. “Where are you going?” Asked Big Alp as she jumped up from her chair. “I’m gonna get you out of this mess and save Alex with or without you!” Answered Tabitha, slamming the door behind her. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess as she made her way home, she needed to talk to Val about what Big Alp had said, she needed to see Cathy and apologize to her, but mostly she needed a beer for this shit. First thing was first, though, she needed to find Cathy and make sure she was safe. I should start looking for her at her place, Tabitha thought to herself as she left the gym and made her way to Cathy's apartment.

Several days had passed during the time Alex had spent under Dr. Karen Fetch’s supervision. Over the last few days he had helped her balance out the different measurements for Love Spice ingredients. They tested each of these variations on volunteers, mostly, whether it was on willing participants working for Cupid, or one of their buyers wanting to try it before they bought it. What Alex found odd was the majority of the buyers were monsters wanting the ‘product’ for themselves. Dr. Fetch admitted that a lot of them were using it as some kind of ‘enhancer’ in the bedroom for their partners. “The Boss allows them to test it out so as long as they give us the results.” She explained. The ‘results’ were usually vials of their blood before and after their ‘uses.’ That asshole Reach Around was the aficionado on all the buyers and their activities. To Alex’s surprise he found that Reach Around had kept a well organized ledger on all buyers, their activities during usage and the results all categorized within their species of monster. He shared the information with Dr. Fetch, who would then relay it to Alex to chart on their own list that compiled all the data and ran it through a program Fetch had written that took account of the success rates and the changes in their DNA.

“The DNA changes gradually. How long it takes differs from person to person, but the idea is to help reintroduce mana to their monster genes.” Dr. Fetch explained. She sat at her desk typing away, coming up with new formulas to experiment with no doubt. Alex was sitting across from her at his own new desk that Sam had brought in for him, not without sexually harassing him of course. “How does that even work?” Asked Alex, turning around to face that faux Cathy face.

“Well, to put it simply, it’s more like waking them up. The mana from both our succubus donors and myself stimulate their monster half that has been starved from a lack of exposure to mana.” Said Dr. Fetch, spinning in her chair to look at Alex. “I guess that makes sense, what with men not turning into incubi anymore.” Replied Alex.

“My hope is that by reintroducing mana into the gene pool monsters can start self sustaining by turning their partners into incubi. That would solve the long term problem indefinitely.” Dr. Fetch mused. Alex shrugged. “What about the side effects? The changes in personality and the need for constant mana? I’ve seen these people coming in for your ‘cure’ every day just to get their fix.” He said, crossing his arms. “Are you still on about that? I already told you, that is a side effect to the formula that I’m trying to work out. Besides, when their partners become incubi their bodies should balance out and depend on it less and less.”

“Yeah, because they’ll be getting their daily dosage, right?” Alex replied sharply. “I still think what you people are doing is wrong. Think about the lives you could be ruining.”

“What, by making sure monsters don’t die out? How is that ruining lives?” Dr. Fetch retorted. “Just what lives have we ruined?”

“Well, mine to start with, as well as my friends. Not to mention all the people those copycat gangs affect. I mean do you even watch the news?” Replied Alex, moving away from his computer to reveal yet another headline of police raiding a local warehouse down by the docks. “Real inspiring stuff.” He added.

<Another longpost, lotsa exposition lol

Dr. Fetch turned back to her computer in an angry huff. “How is it any fault of mine what others do?” Alex shook his head, “You guys made a drug and started selling it. Call it what you want, you’re still just pushers. Other gangs see that and they want in on it.”

Dr. Fetch groaned with frustration. “Just shut up and do your work, or I might just let Sam have her way with you.”

The thought made Alex shudder. That oni had been hounding him sexually every single day, both physically and verbally. From grabbing his ass to calling him weird names like ‘Foreplay,’ or ‘Cocktease.’ ‘Tough guy’ seemed to be her favorite for him. When he finally got fed up and asked her what she was doing she slapped him on the rear and replied, “I’m trying out different names for ya, you’re one of us now.” She definitely had a thing for him, whether or not that was a good thing… well. If it wasn’t for Dr. Fetch he would probably be paralyzed from the waist down right now. That was something the good doctor held over him when he acted up. If he was brave he might have called her bluff, but he wasn’t sure if she’d actually let Sam do it or not so he always backed down.

“So what are we doing with the formula this time?” Asked Alex in an effort to change the subject. “We’re making this one specifically for the buyer. She’s a special breed for sure, a lamia with fur. Her family has had several species mixed into it, but the two major species have been lamia and yeti.” Answered Dr. Fetch.

“Isn’t that kind of mixing frowned upon in monster culture?” Alex wondered. It wasn’t often that you would find hybrid monsters other than chimera and manticore, but they were all thrown into the same category as far as the ‘pure bred’ monsters Alex had spoken to were concerned. Most monsters disliked them because of their aggressiveness, or as they themselves called it, ‘proactive dating.’ Now that he thought of it, Alex remembered seeing a manticore spine in a jar somewhere on one of Dr. Fetch’s shelves. Their poison was… unique in that it worked much like Love Spice but more concentrated, something that worked even on monsters. It had a high chance of debilitating them. Might be useful to him if he ever needed something to defend himself with, but he would need to be extremely careful with it. The poison worked twice as well on humans, and well… that would also lead to a ‘sexual emergency,’ as Sam would call it. Just another example of her verbal harassment.

“Let’s go, Alex.” Dr. Fetch said. “W-what?” He replied, snapping out of his little world. “We’re going to run an errand, there are ingredients I don’t have.”

The idea of leaving gave Alex some hope. He hadn’t been out of this lab since he got here, maybe this could be his chance! He was certain Sam would be along for the ride, which would lower his chances, she did seem to be the go to muscle around here, especially when he was concerned. But still, the option was there, what should he do?

A. Come up with a plan of escape, maybe you could hide one of those manticore spines in your pocket or something? Could work on Sam if you have to use it.

B. Don’t take it, it’s too risky, what if they caught you or you poked yourself with it? You’d be oni bait.

C. Ask where you’re going, at least try to keep yourself informed.

D. Don’t try to escape, at least not yet. Let this one play out. You’re safe where you are and they know where you live.

>>328579

<Always love the feedback.

>>328836

>“Yeah, because they’ll be getting their daily dosage, right?”

>>328837

Probably too late to vote but let's lock in C & D. The spine will be missed so he shouldn't take it until he has a plan. Tiny dilute amounts in Dr. Fetch's coffee to make her sweet on Alex and do what he wants?

>>328836

Aww. Almost nobody wants to try to redeem Big Alp. Your tale of woe made me sympathize little buddy. Maybe later you'll get another chance to join the side of JUSTICE.

“Where are we going?” Alex asked, scrambling up from his desk to follow Fetch out the door. She waited for him in the lab, checking herself for her key card once more. “We are going to the buyer to get a sample of their DNA. It’s incredibly difficult to match even for me, not just something I can whip up in a day.” She answered, producing the card with a sigh of relief before closing the research room behind Alex. “The buyer? You mean the hybrid?” Alex asked following her to the exit where Sam was waiting. “The very same. Oh, and I suggest you refrain from saying ‘the hybrid,’ especially around her. That is one mistake you won’t live to regret. She’s second only to the Boss in terms of money and power in this town.” Sam laughed. “Sounds like my kinda lady. Hey, maybe she pays better, Chems?” That was her nickname for Fetch, apparently oni can’t say the word ‘chemist’ when they’ve downed several kegs of beer. This time Sam was definitely sober, Alex could tell from her darker shade of red. No booze to brighten her day, he supposed. This hybri- er, buyer must be really important if even she’s dry, Alex surmised. “We ready to move out?” Asked Sam, holding the door for them. “Of course.” Fetch said, walking through first. “What about you, Tough Guy? Ready for a night on the town?” The oni gave Alex a sultry look that spelled disaster for his waist. Without any alcohol she seemed to be that much more ‘thirsty’ than usual. Alex kept his head down as he passed by. When the door shut behind them Sam placed a hand on either of his shoulders, rubbing them eagerly. “Hands off, Sam!” Dr. Fetch ordered as she walked down the hall. “And get that bag over his head.” Sam let out a frustrated groan. “Come on, Chems, just once! I need this!” She whined. “NO!” Alex heard the doctor shout from down the hall. “Come on, Sam, seriously.” Alex said, brushing her hands off his shoulders. “She’s going to leave us behind.” It took all of his willpower to not stutter when addressing her. She was, after all, an oni and a potential rapist at that. “I say let her, we could use a little alone time.” Replied Sam. Alex shook his head and hurried after Fetch. “Aw come on!” She moaned. No sense in arguing with her, Alex mused, it would only make her want it more. The thought of using her lust as a bargaining chip did occur to him. He could hold himself hostage with her or have her break him out for a one night stand, but the chances of either of those options working were incredibly thin. Not to mention he had no idea whether her antics were jokes or she really did have a thing for him.

“Hold on, there.” Said Sam, grabbing his shoulder again. “Still gotta bag ya, or Chems will throw a conniption.” She waved the black bag at Alex, who took it and placed it over his head without a word. “Good boy. Come along now.” She said, taking him by the arm.

Alex was effectively blind while Sam lead him through the halls. Left and right, a few doors opening and closing until finally she helped him climb up into what he guessed was a vehicle. A truck? An SUV? He shuffled in, Sam taking a place beside him. “We ready to go?” Another voice asked. “Yeah, let’s go.” Sam answered, wrapping an arm around Alex. “Hey, you cut that shit out, Sam.” Fetch said. “I need you on your best behavior.”

“Yeah Butch, best behavior, now.” The other voice mimicked. “Well maybe if I had something to drink I might be able to behave, but apparently the buyer doesn’t like the smell of alcohol!” She yammered on. “Oh, and fuck you Reach Around, you dumb prick.”

“Love you, too, girl. How about you, ‘Tough Guy?’ Those contacts ichty?” He mocked. “Don’t answer, I don’t care. So what’s the deal, doc, are we masks on or masks off for this one?” Reach Around asked. “Masks on. This buyer is important, but the Boss still doesn’t trust her.” Fetch Answered. “Got it. Alright ladies, might as well get comfortable, this drive might take a while.”

A. Be cooperative, keep quiet, listen to everything.

B. Ask Reach Around why he rags on Sam so much, is it inadequacies in bed? Might score some points with her.

C. Ask Dr. Fetch about the buyer, why doesn’t the Boss trust her? Not to mention you still haven't even met this "Boss."

D. When are they gonna take off this damn bag? It’s hard to breathe with this shit over your head.

>>328978

<Not true! Tabby cares! In her own way:

>“I’m gonna get you out of this mess and save Alex with or without you!”

<Still like the shoop tho and feel free to add suggestions to your votes, they're always welcome!

“So uh, about this buyer?” Alex began. “What’s the deal? Why doesn’t the Boss trust her?” Fetch sighed. “If I were to guess, I’d say it was just a territorial thing. Our buyer ‘owns the turf’ and like I told you has the money and power to back it up.” She paused a moment, probably doing something like adjusting her glasses Alex guessed from under the bag.

“She also doesn’t like sharing. The Boss managed to arrange this meeting after months of negotiations and made it clear that this formula would be exclusively hers.”

“Will it?” Alex asked, turning to face the voice the doctor. “Hey now, can’t reveal all our secrets, doc. Listen, ‘tough guy’, I’ll keep this real simple, you shut your mouth, you keep your head down. I don’t think I need to explain why.” Reach Around’s thinly veiled threats didn’t really phase Alex anymore. As it seemed, he worked for Fetch now and Reach Around wasn’t ‘allowed’ to do anything to him. ‘I don’t think the Boss would find it productive if she caught wind of you beating my assistant every day.’ The doctor had told him. That seemed to keep him at bay, for the most part. It gave Alex a little more confidence to stand up to him knowing he had some sort of leash. “Why are we doing business with her if the Boss doesn’t trust her?” He continued. “Because we need to strengthen our foothold on the territory, and there are only two ways to do that right now. Get in good with this hybrid bitch or take her out.” Reach Around answered. “Wow, sure hope you’re not the one doing the talking.” Alex retorted. “Oh don’t worry, that’s why you’re here.” He replied, mocking Alex’s voice.

“W-what?” The thought hadn’t occurred to him. Why was he even coming along to begin with? It had to be a joke, there was no way they expected him to be the dealer here.

“Oh, come on, it’ll be fun!” Reach Around jeered. “We’ll take pictures!”

Alex suddenly felt very sick to his stomach. He hunched over, cupping his head in his hands in an effort to comfort himself. Sam patted him on the back. “Hey, hey, be cool. It’ll be fine, we got your back.” She reassured him.

“You do, I say fuck ‘em.” Said Reach Around. “Why do I have to make the deal?” Alex whimpered. “I can’t do this shit! I couldn’t even convince anyone to help me with my research!” He could feel his stomach turning now, like he was ready to vomit. “You’ll be the one doing it because the buyer won’t speak to monsters, she only speaks to men.” Dr. Fetch explained as Sam pulled him upright. “And dickhead up front isn’t gonna cut it. Not to mention his stupid accent would probably throw her for a loop.” Sam heckled.

“Fuck you!” Reach Around shouted, followed by something Alex didn’t understand. “See? He’s not suited for this customer. You’ll do fine!”

“Maybe she will talk to you instead, Butch, you're at least twice the man he is.” Reach Around quipped. “So what, does that make her four times the man you are?” Alex snapped back. “Seriously, what the hell is your problem? You compensating for something?”

“Oh, you must really like that scar I gave you. Would you like another?”

“ENOUGH DICK WAVING!” Dr. Fetch shouted. “Everyone save the bickering for afterwards. God, I swear you people are the reason I get migraines.”

Alex took a deep breath and sighed. The outburst at least cleared his head and eased the butterflies in his stomach, even just a little. He felt Sam’s arm - among other things - around him give him a squeeze, which to his surprise felt quite nice. It took everything he had in him not to fall against her and enjoy himself. If he had to do this shit he might not want to be pitching a tent.

A. Ask for advice, how do you address the buyer, what exactly are you asking from her, what is your offer, etc.

B. What is your plan if she refuses to cooperate? Do you leave or is there a backup plan?

C. What are the chances of you getting shot or stabbed? You’re really not fond of either outcome.

D. Give in and snuggle up to the oni, because fuck it, if you’re going to die today you deserve something.

>>329042

It might by part of his plan

<Lots of shifts coming up, so more slow posting until next friday!

A first off, no matter what you end up doing, going in there completely blind is dumb as hell.

>C "i'm just some chump they brought in, take it up with the "boss" I don't know shit"

Give the buyer an offer she can't refuse. ask to marry her an offer so shitty and unreasonable "direct from the boss man himself" that she'd have even more reason to distrust the Boss, or start fighting him.

or at the least, mention how there's cops all over the project, how "boss" just wants her slice of power, or how the drug isn't quite what she thinks it is.

“So what exactly am I supposed to do? What’s on the table here?” Alex asked, resisting the urge to cuddle up with Sam. “You’ll be asking her for samples of her DNA. Scales, locks of hair, saliva, you take whatever you can get.” Dr. Fetch answered. “It won’t be easy. Actually it will be quite dangerous.”

“Then why the hell are you coming along?” Alex questioned. “Aren’t you in charge of this whole operation?” Fetch chuckled. “Oh no, no, I’m not going to be there. I’m just along for the ride to inspect the new lab site, then you lot will be on your way.”

“Oh thank goodness, wouldn’t want you to be in the line of danger.” Alex remarked with heavy sarcasm. “Glad you see it my way.” Fetch replied, her voice smug. “Besides, you’ll have Sam with you as well as the other guards.”

“‘Other guards?’ How big is this goddamn operation?” Alex yelled. “Oh, you know, you, me, eight others plus whatever the hybrid is bringing.” Sam answered for Fetch, giving him a shake. “Didn’t I say not to call her that? You idiots are gonna get yourselves killed.”

The fear that passed over Alex was now back, and it had brought it’s friend anger. “Would someone explain why the fuck I’m the one doing the negotiating? And don’t feed me the bullshit you did before, what’s the real reason? You jackasses just drop this shit on my lap and expect me to play along? And why the fuck do I still have a bag over my head?!” Alex shouted, bobbing his head back and forth against Sam’s arm and shoulder. “Jesus, would someone shut him up?” Reach Around complained.

The vehicle was silent for a moment until Sam loosened her grip on him. “We should tell him.” She said, her usual laid back voice now much more serious. “What, tell me what?” Alex asked. “Fine.” Fetch replied. “The Boss uh… made a deal with the buyer. She’s willing to give us a steady supply in return for… let’s say… an escort of sorts.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Asked Alex, still unsure of what he was hearing. “It means you’ll be sleeping with her on the regular, ‘Tough Guy.’” Reach Around replied. “Remember how Fetch wanted you ‘unspoiled?’ Yeah that wasn’t for us.”

“Wait, I’m the bargaining chip?!” Alex hollered, the realization coming to him. “What about you needing my help in the lab?”

“She’ll return you when she is ‘satisfied,’ until then I can make due.” Fetch answered coldly. “What happens if she doesn’t accept me? What if this is a bust?” He raised the question, desperate to get out of this nightmare. Why should he sign his life away like this, like some kind of slave to be bartered. “Don’t worry, you’re her type. She’s seen you.” Reach Around answered, mocking him. “That’s what’s on the table, you get her off, maybe put a kid in her, she supplies us.” Alex’s heart sank, his body going cold. He should have taken that manticore spine, or attempted to escape, anything. What was he to do now? He felt Sam tighten her arm around him, squeezing him a little harder than before. Fuck it. He leaned into her, feeling the contours of her body, her firm muscles to her soft breasts. Overlooking the sexual harassment, Sam was the only one so far that had treated him… well, better than everyone else. As he lay there in her embrace, an idea came to him. She wanted him ‘unspoiled.’ Over that last few days this oni made it very apparent that she wanted him herself. Even now she was clinging to him almost like she would never let go. There could be a chance she would help him escape. He could wait for Fetch's stop to attempt it.

<Thank you all for the votes! We're gonna try something a little different this time for the votes

A. Write out your action that would convince Sam to help you. (I will choose one or more that could work together)

B. Give up and let things happen, there’s no way Sam would throw her life away for some guy she barely even knows.

<Work tomorrow again, off the day after, so another short wait. Hopefully I can deliver a longpost for you guys.

>>329622

A. Use your finger to spell out help me please! on Sam's forearm. Embrace her if you must!

>keep the bag on your head

>being sam along with you

>stab the hybrid with her horn

>knock everyone out with your autistic screeching attack

>slap reach'a'round's shit and steal the van

>play fetch with rhodes with fetch

>crash the van into the gym with no survivors

>fug tabitha

wildcard bitches

As they rode in silence, Alex continued resting his head against Sam. He listened to her breathing, felt her chest rise, her heart beat. Her body was warm, it radiated from her skin and through her clothes - what little she had, like it had just come out of a drier. He could feel himself stirring, maybe she did too? Weighing his options, he would much rather choose who’s plaything he was than be forced into it. When he thought a little longer about it, If he could do something, anything that could convince Sam, he had to try! “Sam.” He whispered. The oni didn’t respond, though her arm was still wrapped firmly around his shoulder. “Sam, can you hear me?” He tried again. The vehicle turned suddenly and he fell over onto her lap. Sam quickly adjusted herself in her chair, pulling him up so that his head was level with her shoulder. “Sam…?” Her silence was agonizing, had he ruined his chances? The worst part was not being able to see anything. “Looks like we’re coming up to your stop, ‘Chemist.’” Reach Around said. Dr. Fetch sighed audibly. “Finally. Next time, I’ll drive myself.” She replied. A door opened and closed and soon enough they were driving away once again. “Fucking bitch.” Alex heard Reach Around say under his breath. He turned on the radio and began switching channels as he drove. Fetch was gone, leaving only Alex, Sam and that jackass Reach Around. “Sam, please.” His voice cracked as he swallowed his fear. The oni remained silent, but still she held onto him. He felt something press up against his head for a moment before he heard her mutter something and give him a squeeze. The bag together with the radio that Reach Around had turned up made it nearly impossible to understand what she had said, which only made Alex more nervous. Had she decided to help him? The vehicle turned abruptly to the right this time, followed by Reach Around shouting profanities and something about the damned road blocks and construction. Alex found himself on his back, the loose bag on his head now on the floor. When he opened his eyes, he saw Sam leaning over him, her long, dark hair framing her red face. He studied it for a moment. Her cheeks were a brighter red than usual, but she couldn’t be blushing, right? Something dripped down onto his face. Sweat? Tears? He looked to her eyes that stared back into his. They were a beautiful bright green. Alex had usually kept his head down around her and everyone else. He never realized how attractive she actually was. “What are you willing to do for me?” He heard her ask. The thought had never crossed his mind, not really. What was her help worth to him really? What would she want? His mind raced as he tried to think of anything he had that would be worth a damn. Money? He didn’t have much to give and none with him besides. Sex? Sure, she was incredibly frustrated today, that much was clear but he doubted that would be enough. Besides, he was sure she had done it before with that Merch guy everyone kept talking about. She wouldn’t have asked if she thought he didn’t have anything she wanted. “I’ll do anything if you help me. I’ll owe you my life.” He finally answered.

“Swear it.” She told him. Alex nodded frantically. “I swear it!” She smiled, satisfied with his answer, her face somehow even redder than before. “I’ll hold you to that, you know.” She said, lifting herself back up. She pulled him up with her, leaning into him for a moment. “Just play along and stick with me.” She whispered in his ear. Before he could react she slipped the bag back over his head and turned him back into place.

“Alright, Butch, get out and give the hybrid her boytoy.” Reach Around said. They had taken several turns to the point that Alex was turned all around. Sam had not let go of him the whole time, not until she had to pull him out of the SUV and stand him up in front of her. “Listen, we’re in a construction yard west of town. The one out past the hospital.” Sam murmured to him. Alex remained silent, nodding under the bag. “The meeting is going to be at the foot of one of the projects. This will be dangerous but I can get you out.” She explained as she walked him forward. “There are going to be several gunman on both sides. But I scoped the place out beforehand, there’s a blind spot we can run to and get inside one of the buildings. That’s our ticket through.”

“Why don’t we just turn around, knock out that dick Reach Around and take the SUV?” Alex asked.

“Because he’s in bed with one of the Junko sisters and I don’t think either of us want to be on danukike hit lists. I can deal with the hybrids but those damn bushtails are way out of our league.”

“Who the hell are the Junko sisters?” Alex asked. “I’ll explain later. We’re getting close. Keep your mouth shut and be ready to hold onto me.” She warned him. They came up to the ‘village square,’ a courtyard between two of the half constructed project buildings. Before them was the rather large hybrid lamia and her entourage of armed guards toting AKs, all of their faces hidden behind ski masks. “Callista! Look at you, you’re beautiful as ever!” Sam hollered as they approached. The lamia hybrid smiled, “Let’s skip over the pleasantries for today, Samantha. Is this the man?”

Character unlocked: Sam!

How do you proceed? (Write it out, same as last time!)

Inb4 full baneposting I also won’t stop you

<I'll probably start going back to regular votes soon. Not much of a longpost, so I nutted up and tried to get some more drawings with a little more effort up, hope it was worth it.

“Yeah, this is him.” Sam answered. “I want to see his face.” Callista said, slithering closer to them. Her guards followed closely behind, keeping their eyes on the Cupid thugs behind Sam. She noticed one of gunmen was staring at her and Alex intensely before looking away to one of the buildings. Strange. The hybrid stopped just a few feet from them, still smiling that same smile, her sharp eyes growing sharper as she narrowed them. Damn hybrids and their weird features. Sam looked to Reach Around who was standing a few feet behind her, a freshly lit cigarette in his mouth. He shrugged and nodded, prompting her to take the bag off from Alex’s head. He inhaled deeply as if he had been holding his breath the entire time. His eyes wandered to Callista, then back to Sam. The hybrid lamia was now smiling ear to ear. “Ah, good. Just like the photo.” She said, approaching him. While Callista’s humanoid half was not as large as her, Sam couldn’t help but feel small compared to the hybrid’s full length. She must have been ten- no, fifteen feet long. If Alex felt intimidated around her then who knows how scared he would act in front of this hybrid. She hoped desperately that he could keep his cool as she inspected him. Callista grabbed his chin with one hand and looked at his face from all angles, inspecting every feature on his face, every hair on his head. She reached down with her free hand and felt his package, prompting a surprised yelp from Alex. It took everything Sam had to resist planting a fist in the hybrid’s forehead. Callista looked back to his face and then to Sam, her eyes like daggers. “I have been meaning to ask, how did he get this scar?” She inquired, pointing at his burned cheek. Sam felt sweat drip down her forehead, unsure of how to answer. She looked back at Reach Around briefly, then back to Callista. “Ask the man in charge.” She replied. Her gaze left Sam for the man in question, then sighed, presumably letting is slide for now. Damn, that was close. Callista continued to inspect Alex, lifting his arms and feeling his muscles like she was purchasing produce at the market. She drew in closer to his face and sniffed for a moment, then withdrew in confusion. “W-what?” Alex inquired. Uh oh, this can’t be good, Sam thought. “WHAT PART OF UNSPOILED DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND?” Callista shrieked. Alex looked terrified, recoiling from her. “What do you mean?” Sam asked. “He’s never been touched!” Callista scrunched up her nose in anger, “I can smell a woman’s scent on him. Several women!” She shouted, sizing herself up to Sam. “He’s been working in the lab with Fetch as we told you. She was teaching him how to make the Love Spice. I’m sure the smell is just the fumes he’s been exposed to-”

“I know that, you drunkard! I know the difference between Love Spice and a woman’s scent, he’s been with someone!” Sam looked back to Reach Around and shook her head, “Unless that jackass had his way with him I assure you, he is as fresh a virgin as they come.” She said. “Fuck off, Butch!” Reach Around snapped. “Step aside, Oni, I will speak to this one.” She hissed, beckoning him. He approached, shooting Sam a look that could kill. Callista stood over him at least a head and a half, her tail whipping back and forth as she listened. “I have kept watch of him his entire stay, no one has laid a hand on him.” He told her. She didn’t seem satisfied with his answer, instead baring her fangs. “Except you of course, am I right? Was the scar your doing?” Reach Around slowly took out his cigarette, turned his head and exhaled the smoke. “That’s right. He needed to be taught respect.” He responded with his usual attitude. That stupid asshole is going to get us killed, why the fuck did he even come alon- wait. I can use this, Sam thought. That idiot has no patience or self control whatsoever. If she could keep him talking, it would be like lighting a match at a gas pump. He’s gotten so full of himself ever since he railed one of the bushtails he’s bound to say something. There might be a huge blowout between Callista and the Junko sisters, though. Honestly she had no idea what that danuki saw in him, but who cares? She needed to get Alex out of here. Sam placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling him away while the others were too focused on each other to notice. “Get ready.” She whispered, giving him a squeeze. Alex shivered with fear and anticipation, this was going to be a shit show.

<Longpost time!

“It seems someone else needs to be taught respect. I suggest you let me discipline my boys myself next time.” Said Callista. Reach Around seemed unfazed, taking another puff of his cigarette. “If you don’t hold up your end, there might not be a next time.” He retorted. “If you want to talk about holding up my end then explain why he smells like… like…” Sam watched Callista’s face turn red at the thought of saying whatever had come to mind. What was she on about? Did she figure out she kissed his cheek? She could smell that? She did say multiple women earlier, but what else could it be- oh my God. That gargoyle. The first day these two met he dove right into her gargoyle gash. But that was a week ago! She could smell that? Fucking hybrids.

Whether she could or not didn’t matter, it sounded like the deal was going south in a hurry. While Reach Around was arguing with Callista, Sam could sneak away with Alex. Wait, where is he? Sam broke into a cold sweat. Where could Alex have gone? Someone else was missing from the group as well. Her heart began to race, should she call out to him? Did he run? She didn’t want to draw attention to his absence but what else could she do? Just as she was about to shout out a gunshot cracked through the air. Everyone dropped to the dirt or scrambled to get behind something. Sam made a break for the building that she had planned to take him through, sprinting through the entrance in a few seconds. She saw someone running up the steps and followed. “Alex!” She shouted. It had to be him, no one else was in this building. “Alex!” Another gunshot rang from outside. Was this a sting? A coordinated attack? Up the stairs, she saw them go down one of the halls. After them, Sam, you can’t let them take him away, she told herself. She poked her head around the doorway, only to be met with gunfire that chipped away at the wall beside her. Shit, that was close. She could hear Alex struggling to shout something. “Shut up, I’m getting you out of here.” The gunman said.

Sam glanced down the hall again, catching a glimpse of the guy. It was that guard from earlier. What, did he grow a conscience all of a sudden? Actually, she couldn’t say that. If that was the case, then she was the same as him.

When they disappeared into another room Sam followed, stopping just at the door frame. “Look, whoever you are, I want the same thing as you. I want to get Alex out of here.” She called out. Looking into the room for a split second, she saw they were gone. Shit! She rushed into the room. Nothing. It was a dead end. When she turned around she saw the man there with his rifle shouldered. In one hand he had Alex by the collar, in the other he had a handgun pointed at her. “Don’t. Move.” He ordered her.

A. Go low and rush for his legs, he doesn’t know how fast you are.

B. Hands up, keep your cool, if he’s on your side there’s no sense in fighting.

C. Appeal to Alex, get him to tell this guy you’re on his side.

D. Alex knocks the gunman’s pistol away to protect Sam.

<Christmas events gonna be happening, but I'm gonna try to keep posting as much as I can. In the meantime Merry Christmas everyone!

>>330754

I like Reach Around's smug mick "Fucking a Danuki Crimelady, don't care" look.

> She noticed one of gunmen was staring at her and Alex intensely before looking away to one of the buildings.

> “Shut up, I’m getting you out of here.”

B and C. Sam might not be a blue oni but she isn't retarded. Besides, never draw on a drawn gun.

Coop?

“Whoa, hold on.” Said Sam, putting her hands up. “You’re tryin’ to rescue him, right? I can help!”

“Shut up! Hands behind your head, face on the floor!” The gunman ordered her. Sam hesitated, slowly going to her knees. “Alex, tell him! I’m here to help you!” She pleaded. The gunman cocked his pistol, showing Sam meant business. She stared him down, her body quivering, not for fear of her own safety but anger that someone else was going to take Alex from her. Alex struggled in the gunman’s arms, trying to break free of his grip. “Let me go, asshole! She’s my friend!” He shouted, pulling the man’s arm off him. He put himself in front of the gun pointed at Sam. The man kept his gun out, still unconvinced. “How do you know she’s not lying to you? It could be a trick.”

Alex shook his head. “So what, you’re just going to kill her? You think your little peashooter can stop an oni? She surrendered because she’s on our side!” Alex shouted. “Alright, fuck, keep it down. You, stay right there until I sort this out.” The man said. He slowly lowered his gun while raising a hand to his ear. “Hey, boss, looks like we got another body with us.” He announced. He stood still for a moment, listening for something. He must have a wire or something, Sam thought. Alex turned to her and smiled softly. “I told you I’d do anything, but did the first thing have to be jumping in front of a gun?” He joked. Sam smiled back. “You know, you better be more careful picking ‘friends.’ Stick around me and I can’t promise it’ll be the last time you’ll have a gun pointed at you.” She replied. If this all pans out, she was going to rock his little world whether he wanted it or not.

“Alright, the boss is giving you a chance. If you fuck this up, you won’t make it out of the building alive. Got it?” The man asked. “Yes sir, thank you sir.” Sam retorted. “So what’s the plan?”

The man holstered his pistol and took hold of the rifle slung over his shoulder. “We get him out of here. There’s a vehicle not far from here. We left it parked behind one of the unfinished buildings south of here. We get him there while the boss runs interference. Can you carry him if you have to?”

Sam laughed as she stood up. “What, are you kidding? I could carry ten of him!” Alex shook his head. “I can run just fine.”

“Then let’s go.” The gunman said, making his way out of the room.

It wasn’t long until the shooting had stopped. It wouldn’t be long before the two gangs started looking for their missing persons. The three had made their way towards the south end of the building and were slowly taking the stairs down to the ground floor. “So who are you anyway?” Sam asked the gunman. “A friend of a friend.” The man answered bluntly, peeking around a door. “Alright, mystery man, you’re real cool and all-“

“Shut up. Someone is coming.” He said, holding a hand up. Sam stepped up to the doorway, cracking her knuckles. “I got this. Stand back.” She said, taking the other side of the doorway. A few moments later, a pair of flashlights beamed back and forth as they made their way towards the door. “How the fuck did you lose sight of him, he was right next to that big ass oni.”

“Well if you didn’t notice, she disappeared right around the same time he did, jackass. I bet she’s what Lady Callista smelled on him. I’d run too if I was gonna be on her list.”

As the two walked through the door frame, Sam quickly grabbed the two of them by their heads and slammed them together. THOCK!

They were out on the ground in half a second. “Here ya go.” Sam said, picking up one of the men’s rifles and handing it to Alex. “W-wait a minute, I’ve never shot s gun before!”

“Neither have I, first time for everything!” Sam said, taking the other for herself.

“Hopefully we won’t have to. Just make sure the safety is off.” The gunman said, pressing forward. They reached the ground floor in no time, making their way to the rear entrance. There were a few more flashlights out looking for them. Sam could hear someone shouting - well, shrieking really. Must have been that hybrid bitch Callista. It was still very dark out, thankfully, and with no lights other than what they had out here it would be easy enough to keep hidden.

“Alright, we just need to make our way to the southern project, right?” Asked Sam. “Right. There’s not much cover between here and there so keep low.” Answered the man. When Sam looked, she noticed Alex was getting shaky again.

A. You should take point, you got this.

B. Let the gunman take point, he knows what he's doing.

C. Reassure Alex, tell him everything is gonna be okay.

D. Take Alex’s hand. You can get him through this. Keep him close as you go.

<Sorry about the quality this time, it's a little rushed.

>>330952

B and maintain noise discipline while operating! But we can still do C non-verbally by choosing D and giving him little reassuring squeezes while making eye contact.

I made shitty doodles while watching Normalfag TV with my relatives this afternoon. Here's the Cathy themed ones.

Merry Christmas

“Hey, we’re in this together. Everything’s gonna be okay.” Sam said, taking Alex’s hand. His shivering passed as she gave it a squeeze. “Okay.” He nodded, wiping sweat from his face. “Alright, lovebirds, time to go.” The gunman said, pointing out toward the southern project. “We’re gonna head for that dozer over there. Only real cover we got. Like I said, keep low, move when I tell you to. Let’s go.”

The three of them crept their way across the yard, making sure to keep low and stopping whenever the gunman held up his hand. Once or twice a light passed their way, but they never seemed to see them. It felt like forever, crawling through the dirt and the unfinished pavement. Sam found herself looking back to make sure Alex was still behind her. She was relieved to find out he was keeping pace. If he focuses on the task at hand, there’s no time for him to think about being scared, she guessed. There were some stone pavers stacked up here and there, not really tall enough to hide behind. As they passed by them, a lone gang member came wandering through, shining his flashlight over every pile. Sam could feel her blood turn cold as the light moved alongside her and up to another pile before they moved on. Her heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest before Alex came up alongside her. She felt him take her hand and repay her with a squeeze. It helped.

There was the bulldozer, sitting near a large mound of dirt from the landscaping company. This place was a fucking mess, Sam thought to herself. The gunman took up a position at the corner of the dozer’s blade while Sam and Alex sat tight behind it. “We’re almost there.” Sam whispered to Alex. He simply nodded, too scared to talk. A light flashed nearby them, causing them to duck behind the tracks. “Hey, you find anything?” Sam heard someone ask. “Jesus man, don’t sneak up on me like that. No. Nothing.” She heard the gunman reply. “I’m gonna check around here for a little longer. You go look over by that playground. Callista ain’t too happy about this and I don’t want to give her a reason to take it out on us.”

“I hear ya. She’s giving that Russian prick a run for his money. Wouldn’t want to be him when his boss hears about this. Well, radio if you see or hear anything.” They replied as they walked away. “Will do. And stop sneaking up on people, I nearly shit myself, asshole.” Said the gunman. “Pussy.” Sam heard the other guy call back. They waited a few more moments before the Gunman came back around the corner and held his hand out. “Come on, the coast is clear.” He said, pulling Alex up. “Just a hundred yards or so to the building.”

The gunman made it to the building first, while Sam brought up the rear. They neared the entrance to the building when the gunman signaled for them to hide. Sam quickly grabbed Alex and pulled him to a bush beside the wall of the building, crouching as low as she could. The gunman stood nearby and unzipped his pants, standing a moment with his manhood out until he started to go. What the fuck is this guy doing? Sam thought to herself, holding Alex close. She felt him give a small jump, startled when another gang member - Cupid, walked around the corner. She held her breath as he approached the gunman. “You’re seriously taking a piss right now instead of searching?” The cupid member asked indignantly. “Hey, it’s not my head on the chopping block, is it?” Replied the gunman. “If I were you, I’d be more worried about finding Callista’s boy than where I take a piss.”

“Fuck you, pal. Y’know you Callista boys are so full of shit, I bet if I buried you right here you’d grow a tree out your ass.”

The gunman stopped himself short and zipped up his pants. “That a threat?” He asked, turning around, his rifle in hand.

“And if it is?” The Cupid member jeered, brandishing his own gun. “I might have to clip some wings off of one of you little angels.” He said, cocking his rifle. “You know as well as I do that Cupid can’t hold it’s own against Callista, so I think you’d better walk away, now, before I fuck the holes I put in you.” He said with a much more intimidating tone. The man holstered his gun and turned tail. “Whatever man, I don’t have time for your crazy ass anyway.” He retorted, hurrying away to the north, back the way they had come. Sam gasped for air as quietly as she could, relieved that they had dodged yet another bullet.

<I hope everyone had a good Christmas. Doublepost today for the long wait, hope you like it. Only one drawing this time.

>>331402

C then B (something tells me Alex won't object to a kiss). Nobody gets left behind. We wouldn't even be in this mess if we hadn't abandoned Alex in the first place.

Does Sam have an emergency flask of "Clean an Engine" grade booze on her? She might need to go full drunken master if there's going to be a combat encounter. I suspect an oni in love, suffused with mamono mana from a virgin's kiss, and plastered on high quality booze is the combat equivalent of an angry oriental goddess of war.

“Alex.” Sam started to protest.

“Sam, please.” He begged her. “I got left behind by my friends, I don’t want it to happen to someone risking their life for me.”

Sam sighed, grabbing his shoulder. “Alright, but if we don’t make it you get your ass out of here. We aren’t risking our lives so you can get caught.” Alex nodded, placing his hand on hers. It was now or never Sam, she thought, pulling him in. She bent down and placed her lips over his, closing her eyes until it was over. She smiled down at the bewildered manlet. “For luck.” She said before she turned back to the stairs.

When Sam reached the second floor she could smell the gunpowder and… blood. There were groans coming from the first floor, indicating someone was still alive at least. She hurried down the next flight and stopped just short of the corner. As she slowly stepped out she noticed there were bullet holes and blood spread all along the walls. The three cupids were sprawled across the floor moaning in pain. Fuck ‘em, Sam thought. Now where the hell did Rambo get to? She noticed some blood running in a speckled line out the back. She followed it, hoping that it wasn’t too late. It turned, heading alongside the building wall, then it crossed over to the parking garage.

There she found him, sitting against the wall, his belt strapped around his arm. “I thought I told you to get out of here.” He said, noticing Sam. “We are, and you’re coming with. Alex is bringing the vehicle down right now.”

The gunman was silent for a moment, then he lifted his rifle. “Can you shoot?” He asked. “Of course.” She said, taking the rifle. “But I thought you didn’t trust me?” The man took out his handgun and chuckled to himself. “I’m pretty sure you could have killed me without the rifle. Besides, I don’t have a choice, do I?” He answered, slowly rising to his feet. “He’ll see us if we head this way. It’s the only way out of the garage.” Sam shook her head and slung the rifle over her shoulder. “Can you even walk? How much of that blood back there was yours?”

“Oh this is nothing. I’ll be fine.” Replied the gunman. “I don’t buy it. You get on my shoulder before I put you there.” Sam ordered him. “I’m fine, let’s go.” He said, pushing on.

<slightly changing things up again.

A. You warned him. Up he goes. It’ll be faster this way.

B. Let him walk, it might be slow but at least you both can aim properly this way.

C. Ask him who he is. (Chance of attracting unwanted attention)

D. Cut the chatter. (Minor sneaking bonus)

<gonna be working friday+saturday and possibly sunday, not sure yet.

<so I’d like to get you guys at least one more post in before then but I need more votes!

<and remember, you can still throw in suggestions, you guys are writing this as much as I am with those.

>>331521

that might be the next step in his plan

<pic to motivate you guys (and myself)

>>331648

inb4 sam gets shot up getting alex to safety, and without able to truly express her feelings.

“You better not bleed out on me.” Said Sam, following the gunman. He remained silent, pointing forward with his good arm. Sam got the message. She kept her mouth shut and followed suit, keeping an eye out for any of their pursuers. They kept close to the wall as they went, the gunman leading the way. The silence in the air had become increasingly eerie. As they brushed past a bush Sam heard something. A vehicle? Was it Alex? No wait, it was coming from behind them. The gunman had noticed as well and tugged on her sleeve, motioning to the bush.

They hid there, waiting for the vehicle to drive past. Sam watched as it pulled up to the building where they had been and stopped. It was a truck full of cupid. They piled out and began searching inside the building, two of them staying by the truck. Okay, this seemed like a big deal before but fuck, I didn’t think they had this many guys out here. This doesn’t make any sense, Sam thought. A moment later they came out. Sam realized one of them was a kobold, the dog kind. Shit, she could track them easily, especially with commando here bleeding like he was. Sam watched as the kobold got a whiff of something. It was definitely them, she figured. It was only a matter of time until they were found, and there was no way they could take them all, even with the guns.

Alex had carefully made it over the busted up bridge. He had caught himself once or twice, nearly falling onto some rebar or off the bridge entirely, but he made it! Finding the SUV afterwards was easy. It was big, black, and had a ram bar on the front bumper. It was kind of crazy, but he had no time to think about it. He unlocked the door and climbed up into the driver's seat. “Alright, Alex, just pick up the others and remember to keep all the lights off. You got this.” He assured himself. The engine roared for a moment and Alex was off. He drove around until he found the ramp down, following it all the way down to the ground floor. He saw no sign of Sam or that other guy at the entrance. Not good. Alex’s head was filled with what-ifs and other nonsense, but these thoughts terrified him. He had to do something!

Out of the garage he turned towards the project next door, pulling up to the dirt road between the two buildings. There he saw them, a truck with a large group of those cupid bastards searching the area. Were those two hiding around here somewhere? What should he do?

A. Time for truck of peace. Hit the gas and take out whatever gets in your way. (Chance of wrecking the SUV as well as the cupid truck.)

B. Wait for a moment, they haven’t spotted you yet. (The others might be nearby and you might be able to escape covertly.)

C. Search the vehicle, there might be a gun somewhere in here, like the glove compartment or something.

D. The pressure is getting to you. Drive out of here, you coward!

<I got called off today! Sorry for not posting last night, I just wasn't feeling it. Hope this post makes up for it.

<Remember, vote, suggest and discuss!

>>331650

I would never. Not in this story at least.

>>331772

gAs gAs gAs

These are criminal mercenaries, not dedicated soldiers or fanatical jihadis. A surprise attack in total darkness, a few sickening thumps as coworkers are mowed down, screams and confusion, maybe Sam and Coop? will open fire on them from concealment: their morale will break and they'll flee to save their own precious skins.

Alright Alex, keep calm, sit and wait. They haven’t seen you yet. Try to figure out what’s going on. He told himself. They’re still looking, so they haven’t found them yet, Alex deduced. They’re probably still safe, but they can’t be far. As he sat back and watched the gang hop out of the truck there was a sense of urgency Alex could feel building up within himself. Where exactly were his friends? Were they hurt? Did they need help? He should do something, right? There had to be something in here he could use, like a gun or something. He opened the console between the driver and the passenger seats. First aid kit, not much else. Maybe the glove compartment? He leaned over to open it up, just barely reaching the release. It popped open and out slid a handgun, falling onto the floor. Shit, well at least it wasn’t loaded. He put the SUV in park and tried to grab the gun. I swear if I was just a little taller half of this shit wouldn’t happen to me, he swore to himself. He barely touched the grip, but he was able to drag it close enough to grab it. Alright, now where’s the ammo? The glove compartment had at least one mag. Would that be enough? Whatever, take what you can get, Alex.

After loading the gun he leaned back up to look out the windshield. The cupids had finished searching the building and were now looking down the street. Alex saw there was a kobold leading the group in the search. She was following a scent towards the side of the building. The others held flashlights toward where she was heading. A bush? Alex could barely see, but was something or someone in it - oh shit. He knew it was them. They were about to capture his friends!

It was now or never. Alex strapped on the seat belt and put the SUV in gear. He hit the gas, the wheels spinning while they kicked up dirt and then he was off. He sped up, closing in on them until someone shouted something. Some of the cupids opened fire, the bullets bouncing off the vehicle or embedding themselves in the the windshield. The rest dove out of the way. Two or three of them bounced off of the hood before Alex rammed into the truck, smashing the front in. He felt shaken up from the crash, but he quickly recovered and put it in reverse, pulling back to the bush. A stray bullet was stopped by the glass of his door. Thank God this thing was bulletproof, he figured. As soon as he got to the bush he slammed on the breaks and laid on the horn. “Alex, what the hell are you doing?” He heard Sam shout as she lifted the gunman into the backseat and slammed the door shut.

“I’m getting us all out of here! Shut up and hold on!” He replied, spinning the wheel. He gave it more gas and they sped off, leaving their pursuers in a heap of dust and confusion.

Character Select: (Cathy, Val, Big Alp, Tabby)

<Happy New Year /monster/! I hope everyone has had a good 2017 and has a great 2018! I can't wait to see what this year brings!

<Have fun and be safe everyone.

>>332050

> The look on the airborne Cupid's face

Cathy! I've been missing our lovable little ahoge MC.

And have a good new year everybody.

Thump thump thump.

Cathy awoke to someone pounding on her door. She stirred in her bed as the pounding grew louder. “Cathy?” Someone called from the outside. Cathy pulled herself out of bed and stumbled up to her feet. Her whole body hurt, like she had worked it too hard at the gym. She still had on the clothes from last night, she noticed. I probably look a mess, but whatever. She’d worry about that later, right now that pounding on the door is giving her a headache. “I’m coming, hang on!” She called. Peering through the peephole she saw that it was Tabitha. She looked flustered, bouncing a little from her anxiousness. Cathy sighed as she tinkered with the lock, opening the door. “Look, can we just pretend we never had that talk and go back-” Tabitha pushed her way in and closed the door behind herself. “Listen, Cathy. You were right, I was wrong.” She said. “Oka-ay?” Cathy replied cautiously, watching her friend make her way to the counter in her kitchenette. “I’m sorry about the way I acted.” Said Tabitha. “I didn’t mean to make you cry like that.” She turned to face Cathy, her expression changing from a gloomy look to shock. “Hey, are you okay? What’s wrong with your face?” She asked, putting a hand on Cathy’s cheek. Cathy felt her fingers rubbing on her face, but only just barely.

“What are you talking about? Stop it!” Cathy shook her off, confused. “What do you mean, ‘what’s wrong.’ I just woke up!”

“You didn’t look like that last time I saw you. What, did you go and get studs in your face?” Tabitha asked, pointing at her. Cathy shook her head. “I have no idea what you’re on about.”

“Go look in the mirror.” Answered Tabitha. Cathy groaned, marching over to the bathroom, her big cat friend following closely behind.

When she opened the door she flipped on the light and walked up to the mirror. A squeal escaped from her mouth as she saw her own face. Beside the ruffled and messy hair there were dark specks of… something around her face. When she felt them they seemed to be a part of her. Hard and rough, like… stone? Her cheeks, ears and neck felt stiff as well, but not solid. They were caked in the same stuff, coating them more evenly than the ‘freckles’ on her face. “What the… is this what my grandma meant by ‘unpleasant?’”

>>332496

I’m okay with writing a love interest for Cathy or not. I just don’t want to have it forced if it feels unnecessary. To be honest I liked what an anon said earlier about a Coop/Cathy pairing but again that is entirely up to you guys. I’ll keep trying to leave an open choice for people to write in if it will help. But I do like your idea for someone to be directly involved with Junko for better or worse. Been trying to figure out how to keep a perspective on the other side of the story.

The biggest problem right now however is trying to balance the right amount of characters without going overboard. Adding Sam as a playable character was kind of a spur of the moment idea. I’ll just have to think this over a little longer.

<Done writing the next part so far. Just have some drawings to do for it.

<Waking up a little earlier to chip away at those, I hope it’s worth it.

<In the meantime I am currently writing up another idea I had. Without revealing too much about it, I’m calling it Monster Mania.

<I’m not sure if I want to make it another CYOA or just a pastebin but I think it would be really fun as something to do while waiting for Cathy posts. I’ll let you guys decide.

<Might not do drawings for it but I would like to later on.

>>332283

<Pic for you and anons like you.

Cathy got down on the floor and began rummaging under her bed for something. “I know it's here somewhere.” She muttered, reaching all the way under. When that didn’t work, she crawled underneath, leaving only her legs and tail visible. “What are you looking for?” Asked Tabitha, nudging Cathy with her foot. Cathy crawled back out, her tail wagging a little as she pulled herself up. She had a sturdy looking box in her hands and a smile on her face. “This.” She answered, producing a key from her pocket. She placed the box on her bed and looked at Tabby who was still a little lost. “What’s this?” She asked, scratching her head. Cathy put the key in its hole and turned it, the box opening up to reveal a revolver sitting inside as well as a box of ammunition. “Just a little something my father left me. I don’t really like to use it but…” She said, her smile disappearing. She carefully took it out of the gun safe, checking to make sure it wasn’t loaded. When she decided it was safe, she held it up for Tabitha to see. “Whoa, I’m good. I’ve had some pretty bad experiences with these things. Besides, I got these guns right here.” She said jokingly. Cathy rolled her eyes. “Look, if what you’re telling me is true then we’re both gonna have bad experiences with guns. I need to know if you can use one.”

“Sure, just… aim and shoot, right?” Tabitha answered sheepishly. Cathy held it up for her to see. “It’s a little more complex than that. This is a double action revolver. This is the hammer, you pull this back and pull the trigger, boom.” She said, aiming it at it downward. Click! Tabitha jumped at the sound. “You can also just give the trigger a squeeze and it’ll fire but it’s a little tough if you’re not use to it.” Cathy explained, demonstrating once again with a click from the gun. Tabitha jumped again at the sound. “Look, I get it, how about I leave the gun with the expert, okay?”

Cathy sighed, putting the gun down on her nightstand. “Sorry, I just… get like that. Something my dad drilled into me.” She said, looking back into the box to pull out a holster with a strap. “We’re just going to the hospital to see Val anyway. See if she’s in with us to go get Alex. She’s more likely to know where he is than us, right?” Tabitha said, watching Cathy strip. “Look, other than Val we don’t know who we can trust. I know you got my back but I want to be able to defend myself. Besides, they won’t even know I have it.” She answered as she gathered up some clothes and went back into the bathroom to clean up. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

She looked over her body in the shower. The ‘stone’ around her body seemed to be mostly on her sides and back from what she could tell. Oddly enough her tail and horns remained unchanged, but her arms and legs were covered up to her shoulders and waist. As Cathy examined them closer, the ‘stone’ seemed to act like scales, folding as she bent her limbs. The soreness and stiffness were a pain, but she could manage it. Just like a day after the gym, she told herself. Except now half of her body was a living statue. Whatever. Worry about that later, Cathy. Val first, stone shit later. Besides, dad will be here- oh shit, dad is going to be here today.

Cathy came out of the bathroom hastily dressed, grabbing Tabitha’s hand. “Look, we gotta make this quick. My dad is going to be here today and I need to figure this shit out!” She yelped, pointing at herself. “You’re kidding. It’s your dad.” Tabby replied. Cathy gave her an indignant look. “Alright, alright, look, what did your mom say about it?” Asked Tabby. “She uh, she said to let it run its course. Either that or sunbathing.” She answered. “Sunbathing? We don’t have time for this, come on Cathy, get it together. Just text your dad and tell him you’re gonna be out for a bit. Besides, maybe someone can help you at the hospital. If not, we’ll figure it out when we get back. Your dad might be able to help, too.” Tabitha shrugged, turning to the door.

“No, you don’t understand. He’ll never let me live this down.” Cathy whined.

“Cathy. Chill. Text him, we go get Val, we go get Alex. Get your hoodie, we’re leaving.” Tabitha said, clearly tired of her shenanigans.

The two of them left in a hurry, heading for the hospital. It would only be a few hours before the sun came up.

Cathy’s mind wandered, desperate to find something to talk to Tabby about on the way to the hospital just to get her mind off her father.

A. Suggest something? (Write it out)

B. You forgot to accept her apology, fix that.

C. Ask her about her experiences with guns, why is she so skittish around them?

D. Joke about how it looks like you’re a no call no show for work.

<I hope it was worth the wait! Thanks for the votes/discussion, I'm considering everything we talked about and will be making attempts to utilize our ideas.

Alright, Cathy, just say something, anything to get your mind off it, thought Cathy. “So what’s with you and guns? You seemed a little jumpy back there.” She asked. What the hell is wrong with you, asking that? Cathy chastised herself. Tabitha took a deep breath. “It was years ago, back when I had just started working with Big Alp - before all this shit started. The gym we were at was kind of dumpy and on the bad side of town. I was heading home with both Big Alp and Terry when some strung out junkie came at us with a gun. He wanted our money, said he would shoot me if we didn’t pay up. Terry tried to talk him down, but he wasn’t having it so when he wasn’t looking Big Alp rushed him. The gun went off and Big Alp went down. He was bed bound and had chronic pain for a year, until he alped that is. I wasn’t sure back then but I know it’s because of a drug he took.”

Cathy was astonished, it was like she had opened the floodgates. “Wow… I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“It’s alright, I wanted to tell you. That’s why I’ve stuck with Big Alp all these years… but now I’m not so sure. He’s changed, and not just the alp parts.” Tabitha remarked. Cathy held up a hand. “Alright, real talk. I’m lost, is it he or she for Big Alp?”

Tabitha went silent for a moment before answering. “Do you not know what alps are?”

“I was incredibly sheltered as a child.” Cathy answered. “Did you try… looking it up?” Asked Tabitha, that catty grin creeping across her face. Cathy answered with a shrug.

“Only time it came up was on that image board. People just calling each other alps like it was an insult. So I never bothered.” She said. Tabitha sighed. “Listen up, I’m not gonna explain it twice. Big Alp use to be a man named Alan. We called him Big Al. He is now a magical little monster girl named Big Alp.” Tabby attempted to explain.

Cathy shook her head. “So… she’s a guy?” Tabby raised a brow. “Yes…?” She didn’t seem sure herself, Cathy thought.

“Well it doesn’t matter anyway, the thing is I learned Big Alp is under Cupid’s thumb and by extension this Junko company. She’s taking money and new equipment for her keeping quiet about them.” Tabby said.

“Hey… so that reminds me. I forgot to say it before but…” Cathy began, still keeping pace with Tabitha. “I accept your apology and I’m sorry for the way I acted as well.” Tabitha stopped and smiled. “We’re all good then?” She asked. Cathy nodded, only to get smothered by Tabby’s big arms in a hug.

Cathy returned the hug, holding her breath as best as she could until Tabby decided she had hugged her long enough. She gasped for air, pounding her fists on Tabitha’s tough abs. “Ow, ow, watch it, stone fist!” Tabitha giggled. “That actually hurts!” She backed off, giving Tabby space. “Hey, so, can we change topics? We can save the serious shit for Val.” Tabby said.

Cathy nodded with a smirk. “Okay, fine. What kinda guys are you into?” That shut Tabby up for a moment. Cathy took the opportunity to continue. “Because I’ve never had any luck with guys myself, I figured maybe you could give me some advice?”

Tabitha sighed, walking towards the hospital again. “Is this about Alex? We’re gonna get him back, okay?” Cathy shook her head, following after her. “That’s not what I mean. I mean afterward all this.”

“Can we talk about this later?” Tabitha groaned. “It’s not really one of my favorite topics.”

“What? No way, don’t you have any experience?” Asked Cathy, surprised. “But you’re so… attractive.”

“Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence. Hey look, there’s the hospital. Come on, we need to see Val.”

A. Tabby calls Val to see where she’s at. (Switch to Tabby)

B. Cathy goes to see about this stone body shit, maybe someone can help her out with it? (Keep playing as Cathy)

C. Suggest something (Write it out!)

D. Switch to Val, Sadie is waking up and she needs information.

<Should I slow down posts so we can get more votes? I don't want to snub people who didn't get to vote.

>>333074

<Don't worry, I got you covered.

Cathy took that as a queue to move on. Tabby probably wasn’t going to budge on the topic and she would rather not start shit again after just making up with her. “I’m gonna give her a call, why don’t you ask about that?” Tabby said, pointing at Cathy. She pulled out her cellphone and began dialing. Alright, I’ll do just that, Cathy mused. She walked up to the front desk where a sleepy looking bat lady sat rubbing her eyes. “Hi there!” Cathy greeted her. She looked up and gave her a tired smiled. “Hello, can I help you?” She didn’t seem to notice or care about the speckles of ‘stone’ on Cathy’s face. “Yes, I need to know if anyone can help me with this?” She said, pulling at one of the ‘pebbles.’

“I’ve never done this before and it’s kind of embarrassing.” Cathy explained. The bat lady put on a pair of glasses and inspected Cathy’s face for a moment. “Girl, you don’t need to see anyone for that, it’s completely natural. My daughter’s friend is going through it, too.” She replied.

“I know, but what do I do? Is there a way to make it go faster?” Asked Cathy. The bat woman shrugged. “I don’t know about that, but I suggest you let it run its course. Don’t want to hurt yourself, right?” She made a good point. Her mom said something like that, but said she could also go sunbathing… sun would be up soon, but she had no idea what was going to happen. Would she petrify? What if she couldn’t breathe? Oh god the anxiety is getting to me, the thought raced through Cathy’s head. What would she do? “Cathy!” Tabitha raised her voice. “Hello-o? We’re going up stairs to talk to Val. Come on.”

She pulled her away from the desk and down the hall into the elevators, shutting the door behind them. “So, you figure it out?” She asked, hitting one of the buttons. Cathy shook her head. “Nothing new. Either let it do it’s thing or go sunbathing, like my mom said. I donno, this is kind of starting to freak me out.”

Tabitha put a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it. “Hey, don’t worry, you’ll be fine! Now come on, we got other things to worry about.” She said as they reached their floor.

After turning down a hall, they saw Val standing there waiting for them with several other cops guarding a room. “Hey you two, everything okay? Whoa.” She stopped herself, looking Cathy up and down. “What did Tabbycat do to you?”

“I didn’t do anything.” Tabitha replied indignantly. Cathy shook her head. “Gargoyle stuff. I guess I’m a late bloomer. That’s not why we’re here, though. Can we speak to you in private?” Val shrugged, beckoning for them to follow her. “Alright, but I don’t have much time. Tell me when she’s awake, boys.” She called to the other officers. They both nodded. After leading them far enough away Val turned and crossed her arms. “Alright, so what’s going on this time?”

A. You already told her about Sam, now where do you start? (write it out!)

B. You getting a text message, check it.

C. There’s a commotion coming from back where you came! Go investigate!

>>332998

>permit more voting time based on how significant the choice is

<I like that idea. Have a post.

<Work tomorrow.

>>333073

<I just got a little lazy with the drawings today, apologies.

>>333077

>"I've got you covered."

I appreciate it friend. And your artwork is great, I never meant to imply otherwise. Just go on your schedule that's all I meant.

Vote C. I don't think Bones and Sam would've had time to make it back yet, they do need a hospital for mystery man, but I'm curious either way.

>>333077

C. Is it time? Time for monoeye bullying?

>>333466

Feel better OP (you faggot).

Have some more shitty fanart. Trying to have fun with doodling different, mostly silly, things Cathy could end up transforming into. Spent one million hours "coloring" in paint.

True ending is that Cathy gets wings and happily flies around.

Before either Cathy or Tabby could open their mouths, there was shouting coming from behind them. The two police officers from before came around the corner, running from something. Val jumped in front of them holding up her hands, “Whoa, hey, HEY! What the hell are you guys doing?” They ignored her and ran straight through the three of them, scrambling down the hall. “Carter! Gary!” Valerie shouted at them. Cathy turned to look back down the hall, quickly finding the door they had been guarding. Nothing. Not a sound, nothing out of place. The other two joined her to look. “What’s going on?” Tabby whispered. “Gazer. She must have used some kind of illusion to scare those two.” Answered Val, coming up behind her. Cathy shook her head, “Why is she here, anyway?”

“Because we hit her with a cruiser.” Val retorted, scowling. She ran up to the door, getting ready to go in. Cathy followed her up. “I’ll go in with you.” She whispered. “Me too.” Said Tabitha. Val put up a hand to silence them, nodding. “Careful, she’ll try to mess with your head, make you see things. Just focus on her.” She whispered.

She pointed at herself, then to the room, doing the same for Cathy, then Tabby. They both nodded. She then held up a hand, counting down. Three, two, one. In she went, then Cathy, with Tabby behind her.

Inside they found the bed empty, the only evidence of Sadie having been there was the black goop gazers occasionally trailed behind themselves. “Shit.” Val growled. “She couldn’t have gotten far.” Tabitha yelled as she ran back out of the room. She looked either way down the hall before running off in a direction. Val shook her head. “Cathy, you stay put, I don’t need you getting into trouble, okay?” Before Cathy could respond she ran off in the opposite direction. What the hell am I supposed to do here? Cathy thought. She looked around the room some more, her eyes catching the gazer residue trailing into the bathroom. Instinctively she drew her gun, there was no telling how dangerous this gazer person was. Slowly she turned the handle, popping the door open to find the two officers from before cuffed to the safety rail, naked and unconscious. “Oh, crap.” She said, closing the door.

A. Do what Val told you to do, don’t want to make things worse.

B. You don't have Val's number but you can call Tabby! Tell her to go after those cops that ran past you, they’re imposters!

C. No time, you need to go after them yourself, now!

D. Put your gun away, you don’t want to cause more trouble if someone sees you.

>>333093

>>333521

<Anons like you give me joy. I save every drawing everyone has made. even bully art

<Have somewhat more effort drawings. And thank you again, anon.

She had to act fast, Val might have told her to stay put but she didn’t know those two police were phonies! Cathy quickly whipped open the door to the room and began running down the hall after those ‘cops’ from before. Which way would they have gone? She could have already lost them - wait! The thought occurred to her, call Tabby, get her to find them! Tabitha was way faster than her. She dialed as quickly as possible while she ran, hoping that Tabby would answer her phone. It rang for a moment until finally she did pick up. “Cathy, I’m a little busy looking for the gazer -“

“Tabitha! Those two cops from before were imposters!” She shouted as she ran down the hall and into the stairway. “How do you know that?” Asked Tabby. “Found the… real ones… knocked out… in the bathroom…” Cathy huffed as she descended the stairs as quickly as she could. “I’m on it!” Tabitha replied, hanging up. “Wait… tell Val!” Cathy yelled in vain. Damn it, oh well, there was no time to worry about that. She would tell Val herself, but she didn’t have her number- wait! Sure she does!

Quickly, she began dialing again. Nine, one, one.

“Nine, one, one, state your emergency.” The operator answered. “I just saw two people attack some police at the Saint Monica Hospital!” She said. “They took their uniforms and are on the run! I’m in pursuit, tell Officer Rhodes!” Cathy barked, making it down another flight of stairs. “What’s your name?” The operator asked. “It’s… Cathy!” She answered, making it down to the bottom of the stairs and hitting the door. “Stay on the line, Cathy, and don’t do anything risky.” Risky? She looked at her upholstered revolver. Well, too late for that. She tucked it back under her hoodie and ran through the halls, looking back and forth until she came to a nurse’s station. “Has anyone seen two policemen run down this way?” She shouted. One of the nurses pointed in a direction and Cathy was off again.

Eventually her path lead her outside where she saw the two faux policemen running towards a van. That must be their escape vehicle! She charged after them, only to be passed up by Tabitha who came barreling out of the door behind her, quickly closing in on them.

The van started up and peeled out of the parking lot, driving erratically around other vehicles and off into the road with the jinko hot in pursuit. Cathy chased after them both, watching as Tabitha lunged and sank her claws into the back of the van. She held on with one claw and wrenched open one of the back doors with the other. BAM!

The sound made Cathy gasp. She saw Tabitha fall off the van, roll for a moment and lie there in the street.

“TABBY!” Cathy screamed, sprinting over to her friend. When she got there, Tabitha was writhing on the ground, groaning in pain. She was grasping at her arm, blood dripping down her shoulder. “Those bastards shot me!” She yelped. “Oh, thank God you’re alive!” Cathy cried, kneeling beside her. She looked at her phone for a moment, then put it back up to her ear. “Operator? Medical emergency just outside of the hospital. Gunshot wound.” After a moment she placed down the phone and shuddered. What would her father have done in this situation? “I’ll be fine, just don’t let them get away!” Tabitha grunted, probably trying to sound cool Cathy figured. She shook her head, forcing Tabitha’s hand away for a moment to get a clear look, a weak smile spreading her lips. “Looks like the bullet passed through.” She said, pulling off her hoodie. “Ouch, what are you doing?” Tabby complained. “Saving your life.” Cathy answered. Using her own claws, she tore off a sleeve and began to wrap Tabitha’s shoulder carefully. She ripped another piece off and another until there was enough to keep her friend from bleeding out. “Can you roll over and apply pressure here?” She asked, forcing Tabby’s free hand onto the front of the wound. Tabitha quietly obeyed, letting Cathy put pressure onto the exit wound until help would arrive.

A. Stay as Cathy and help get Tabitha into the hospital. Catch up with Val and figure out where to go from there.

B. Character select: Val, Big Alp, Alex, Sam, (Suggest a character? Not guaranteed.)

(Both options are possible.)

>>333813

>spoiler

<Sounds like a fun alternate timeline.

Also, no bullying. For now.

<Work for a couple days. Keep voting, suggesting and discussing!

It wasn’t long until emergency services arrived to the scene. Cathy followed the first responders all the way into the emergency room, keeping the pressure on Tabitha’s bullet wound. Tabby was groaning in pain as they rolled her in and put her next to a bedroom. Cathy helped as they lifted her up and over to it, Tabitha letting out a surprised yelp. Soon after a nurse and her aid came in to assess the situation. The aid gave Cathy a nod and took over for her, keeping pressure while the nurse prepared a temporary patch, cutting up what was left of Cathy’s makeshift bandages. Cathy stepped back and watched them go to work, still shaking from the adrenaline. It all felt like a flash in time when they eventually finished patching her up and got her on some kind of painkillers. Tabitha was lying on the bed with her eyes closed, breathing slowly. Cathy would love to talk to her, maybe she could calm herself down, but she knew that Tabby needed the rest. A moment later Valerie came into the room. “How is she?” She asked, walking over to Cathy. “She’s resting now. I’m just happy she’s okay.” Answered Cathy. Val nodded, keeping her eyes on Tabitha. The room was quiet for a moment as they both stared at their friend.

“Nice piece.” Val said, breaking the silence. “Oh, haha… thanks.” Cathy said, embarrassed now that she realized she was practically open carry. “My dad gave it to me. Taught me how to shoot in case I ever needed to defend myself. He wouldn’t let me move out if I didn’t take it with me.” She rambled, trying to keep her composure. Val nodded. “I’m glad he did.”

Their chatter died out awkwardly for a few more moments until Valerie let out a sigh.

“I shouldn’t have let you two visit. I endangered both of you the moment I took my eyes off that gazer.” Val admitted, crossing her arms. “You couldn’t have known that. They even knocked out the other two officers.” Cathy argued, trying to give her some sort of comfort. “They ran right past us and I didn’t even consider Sadie using her tricks as a disguise.” Val grumbled more to herself than to Cathy. “Point is, I don’t want you getting involved anymore. Look what happened to Tabitha. It’s too dangerous.” She stated, looking Cathy in the eyes. Cathy shook her head. “I understand what you’re saying… but I can’t ignore everything happening around me. Alex was kidnapped, my boss is in on it on some level and Tabby just got shot. I’m feeling pretty involved.” As Val was about to respond Cathy’s phone rang. She pulled it out and read the caller ID. Dad. “Well? Answer it.” Said Val, leaning over to look at the phone.

“Hey, Dad.” Cathy answered, her voice cracking. “Sorry I’m not home, something came up and I had to take care of it.”

Dad took a deep breath and sighed. “I know. I got your text. I’ll be waiting for you at the Monster Burger. Is your cop friend with you?” He asked, his voice sounding low and gruff today. “She is.” Cathy answered. “Good. Bring her with you if you can.” He replied.

“Dad, what’s this about?” She asked. “Don’t tell me you flew all this way just to meet my friends.”

“Something like that. I’ll be waiting. I love you, sweetheart.” He said. Cathy sighed. “I love you, too, Dad.” She waited for him to hang up. Then the thought hit her. How did he know she had a cop friend? She never told him about Val. Not to mention him keeping his voice low like that. “Shit…” she murmured. “What is it?” Val asked. “I need you to come with me to meet my dad.” Answered Cathy. Val narrowed her brow. “Me? What the hell for?”

“I think my dad is up to some… shit.” Cathy said, rubbing her head. The hellhound shook her head. “Shit of what variety?”