>>41039 >You were pleasantly surprised to find that the hearing protection was adjustable, simply by running a finger along the edge of the lunar eclipse patch. Sliding your finger across the face of the patch had an additional effect of clarifying nearby voices, probably so you could have a conversation with someone right next to a blaring amp stack and hear them just fine This is pretty cool. >So, do you want to bring them back to Pyrite Lane? Sure, whatever punk rock nonsense they get up to can't bother us with our trusty magical ear protection equipped. Now let's eat. That stuff looks pretty appetizing.

>>41039 Man, Mara is scary when it comes to business, isn't she. >you see a quick flash of creamy white that disappears into the crowd, but not without knocking over a couple patrons. Aha, so our stalker is a giant icecream girl. Sounds very apetizing. As for the wasps, i get the feeling they'll be trouble sooner or later, but i personally have no reason to outright reject them, as long as they don't go around snooping in places they don't belong. Usually they are agressive, but if weed can pacify rapehounds, it can pacify hornets too

>>41039 Bring them back and give Ben his shirt.

>>41039 >>42558 That reminds me, is the Stupid Shirt mentioned among our items the shirt we're wearing or the one we got for Ben?

Any updates and/or response to anon's (>>42633) question?

>>42633 >>43509 Ben's shirt is currently in Mara's bag with her stuff, and both his and Anon's are Stupid Shirts, just different colors. Next update is in progress, and should hopefully be posted somewhat soon-ish.

>>41039 “Sure! Why not? Our camp could use more folks.” you say, popping open your container of poutine. Damn, it looks even better than it smells! As you begin to chow down, Morgan hands the little brass pipe back to Ben, who taps it out into his palm. “And the bowl’s cashed, so that’s another reason to head back.” he adds, pocketing the pipe, then turns to Yvonne. “We got a lot more White Widow to smoke and some beers n’ booze back there, too. Y’want a Big Friendly?” he asks. A smirk crosses the hornet’s face, as she places a hand on his bicep. “If it’s your Big Friendly? Anytime~” she flirts back. Ben simply laughs and stands up, helping the black and white bug to her feet. While being the tallest of the bugs, she was just a smidge shorter than your friend, but not by much. Rochelle and Morgan follow suit, the smaller bugs stretching their arms and wings out. “Let’s get a move on, then! We’ll do a lil’ more partyin’ and start catchin’ some bands afterwards.” he replies, moving to grab the handle of the cart. Yvonne heads to the other side of it, and tosses a couple luggage bags towards her friends. Rochelle catches her bag, a large black duffel with a red cross on the side of it, while Morgan has to jump to grab hers, a well-worn khaki canvas backpack that had a metallic rattle when jostled. The hornet then hefted her own luggage, a mottled gray seabag, over her shoulder, contorting her wing to rest up and over it. On the side pocket were two large, embroidered black letters that read ‘G.K.’ Underneath that was a smaller set of embroidered black letters that read ‘Y. DuBois’. With her other hand, she lifts up an even larger blue duffel, opting to hold it by the carry straps. You were guessing that was probably their tent. https://youtu.be/QMOPQInpOCU?si=KtxfuFDEwbiowdXr As the group starts to move, Ben, Yvonne, and Mara take the lead, while you hang back with Rochelle and Morgan. From the quick snippet you hear, it sounds like Mara is already asking the hornet if she’s interested in a reading session, making you grin between bites of poutine. That didn’t take long. “Heeeeey! Sooooo, Ben says you play the flute?” you hear Morgan ask on your left, her stoner’s drawl grabbing your attention. The short colorful bug girl kept pace with a brisk stride, occasionally hopping or skipping a few steps ahead. You swallow the last bit of potato and cheese left in the forkful you took, and clear your throat. “Eh, I’m alright at it, I can at least play a few songs.” you answer somewhat modestly, your grin turning a bit sheepish. “Hmmmm… Ben said you were reaaaallllly good, not just alright…” you hear Rochelle reply skeptically in her own drawl , and you look over at her. The striped girl’s russet eyes were half lidded, a lazy but content smile crossing her face. Like Morgan, she was also walking somewhat quickly to keep pace with you. “Maaayyybeee… you could play us a song?~” she suggests, stepping closer to your right side. You feel the tip of one of her feathery antennae brush against your arm. “Oooooh! Yeah! Do that, that would be cooooool! ” Morgan adds, practically skipping at every step now. “I can hold your food while you play!” she then offers, sidling up closer to your other side. You start to feel one of her antennae tapping against your arm holding the poutine container. “Don’t do thaaaat… her gut is a bottomless pit…” Rochelle counters. “You can give it to meeeeee… I’m more…” she continues, and slowly looks you up and down. “...Thiiiiirsty than hungry, right now…” she finishes with a smile. You can feel your face starting to turn a bit red. “Heeey! I wouldn’t eat the whooooole thing! Maybe just a nibble~” Morgan jabs back, tapping your arm faster with her antennae. You look back over at the shorter girl, her hazel eyes wide as her eyebrows twitched upwards twice. “I might have an appetite, but I’m a gooooood girl. I’ll only do what I’m told~” she flirts, the lazy smirk from earlier returning to her face. “Besides, right noooow? I’m craving some cake.” Her eyes scan over your arms and hands, while her antennae slid down your upper arm. “Sooooo, how’d a beefcake like you end up picking flute over anything else?” she asks without missing a beat. Your face grows hotter, and you choke back a cough. “Uh, well, my flute’s been handed down through my family for a few generations now. I think it’s my great or great-great grandfather who originally bought it.” you explain, your free hand scratching the back of your neck. “I ended up being way more interested in it than my brother or sister when we were kids, so my Dad ended up letting me have it.” “Mmmmm… a family heirloom~” Rochelle observes, and you feel her feathery antennae brush against part of your arm again. “Soooo… that means you plan on having kids… riiiiight?~” she asks you. You cough, and you feel your face burning bright red. “Okay sluts, stop layin’ it on so thick!” Yvonne yells back over her shoulder with a laugh. “Poor guy’s gonna pop a blood vessel if you keep it up!” Morgan sticks her tongue out, while Rochelle smirks and gives the hornet a rude gesture. They did, however, both step a little away from you, giving you more breathing space. You’ll have to thank Yvonne later. After a few quiet moments, you feel a poke at your side. “Welllll?~” Rochelle prods, giving you a soft smile. “Um… eventually.” you mutter, and awkwardly clear your throat. “Anyway, I can probably play something when we get back to camp.” you then offer, causing Morgan to begin skipping again and Rochelle to hum in delight. It at least gave you time to finish your poutine, too. From there, the conversation flows a little easier. Morgan had asked you what you did for work, and after explaining to the girls what all an electrician did, the girls shared a little more about themselves. As it turns out, Morgan, due to her strong sense of smell and taste, is an excellent forager, as well as an aspiring chef, who wants to share her passion for tasty food with as many people as she can. Her current hurdle in her craft, though, has been appearances. While her culinary attempts end up being quite tasty, they look anything but. (“It all looks like puke, but it tastes like heaven!” Yvonne piped in.) Rochelle, on the other hand, is training to be a nurse. From a young age she had always desired to help others, a drive that her parents encouraged by having her apprentice with the village healer. This resulted in her discovering an affinity for blood magic, yet she still wants to learn more mundane methods of care. Since crossing the portals, she’s been looking into Earth’s medical practices, which has also given her an addiction to old TV hospital dramas and soap operas. While you conversed, your group passed by the fork heading towards the second stage, and the sound of a single funky percussive bass line echoed slightly over the crowd noise. That sounded kinda cool, so you hoped whoever it was, was just doing a sound-check for a later show. Further up the path your group was on, you started to see the edges of the campground, with tents and the occasional camper or RV popping up. From this side of the camp, it seemed there was more of an even mix of humans to monsters, and while many spots had been taken, there was still a lot of space for more groups to settle in. One of the sites on this side of the campground reminded you of the War Hogs camp, although way more country. A couple camper trailers, horse trailers, and tents had been set up in a loose circle around a large bonfire. Seated around the fire were some men, a few holstaurs, a couple centaurs, what looked like some sheep girls, one out-of-place looking blue-skinned woman in tan robes and with a skeletal-looking arm, and one very tall looking rabbit girl in an oversized 10-gallon hat. One of the camper trailers had its window open, and the sounds of Johnny Cash’s troubles filtered out from it. A little ways down from the cowboy camp, was a site that had more of what you would call an asiatic theme to it. There were only tents here, but each and everyone sported colorful patterned tapestries, a few of which you recognized from earlier. You guessed this was probably where Hiroko and Tsuki were camping when they weren’t working at their booth. Like the previous site, this one had a large bonfire, though unlike the last site, there were not as many campers seated around it. A massive, olive-skinned spider woman with horns was resting as close to the blaze as she could, a look of pure bliss on her face. Seated behind her on her furry carapace was a small, nerdy looking guy, who was in the middle of giving her a shoulder rub. Next to them, was a woman with features that reminded you of a panda, sharing a drink with another woman who had long, purplish-auburn hair. Said hair seemed to move of its own will, almost giving the impression of octopus tentacles. The last campsite that stuck out to you, was one that seemed the most mundane (all things considered), but something about it just seemed off. A lot of small cheap tents that sported hand-painted pentacles, a thick haze of intensely strong smelling sage, and the tinny sound of some bad new-age music coming from a broken speaker assaulted your senses. There were a few human-looking women milling about, muttering to themselves and waving around smoldering bundles of leaves. The words ‘Gypsies’ and ‘Wiccans’ ran through your head, making you wonder how much of that was intuition, or simple profiling. It wasn’t too much longer after that when you arrived back at Pyrite Lane. As soon as you passed the tree line, you heard Rochelle gasp. “You guy’s found a pooooond?!” she exclaims, her eyes widening. Cackling with glee, she drops her bag, and jumps into the air. Her wings immediately become a blur as a loud whining-hum fills the air, as the mosquito zips towards the water. A splash soon follows, cutting off the hum, only to be replaced by more giggling. “This week’s gonna be aweeessooooome!” she yells, spreading out to float on her back. Yvonne shakes her head, but you hear her laugh. “Hey, don’t get distracted! We gotta still gotta set up the tent!” the hornet yells back, while setting down her gray sea bag. With a clatter, Morgan drops her backpack, leaping into the air to buzz around the place. After a few passes, she stops above a small cluster of trees a couple yards from your tents, and waves at Yvonne. “These trees look goooooood! I think it’s the best we’re gonna get!” Morgan shouts. The hornet nods, and makes a running leap with the tent bag, her wings sounding like a roaring engine as she flew, joining Morgan to hover above the spot. Just what the heck are they doing? You look over at Ben, your eyebrow raised, and he simply shrugs. “We won’t know unless we look.” he says, and starts pulling the wagon towards the tents. Mara was wearing a smirk, and began to move towards her shelter with her bag of merch. “You two go on ahead. I need to find the right deck for Yvonne, once they finish up, she wants to know what her future holds.~” she explains, disappearing inside her dwelling, only to step back out a moment later. “Oh, Ben! Before I forget.” she starts, stepping quickly over to him. “Here’s your shirt, Anon and I were able to get an enchanted one for you, as well.” she continues, handing him the bundle of red and gold fabric. “Sweet, thanks!” he replies, unfolding it. You could tell from here the writing on it was starting to morph, but you couldn’t see what it said. A grin crosses Ben’s face, and he glances over at you. “Yeah, that’s dope. I’m gonna toss this on quick.” he says, his eyes flicking down to your shirt. “Though… I think I’m gonna toss on a hoodie over it. I dunno how much I wanna advertise how fucked up I’m gonna get to everyone.” he adds. You glance down at your shirt, and notice that it now says you have a Chatty, Slight Buzz. Huh, he’s probably got a point. “Ya know, that’s a good idea, I’m gonna toss on something over mine, too.” you say. The three of you return to your respective tents (Ben and yourself taking a moment longer to undue the padlocks you set), and you rummage through your duffel until you find something suitable. You had heard nights in the desert could get cold, so you packed a few button-up flannels and long sleeve t-shirts. Finding one of your lighter flannels, you quickly tossed on the blue and black patterned shirt, buttoning it up part way, followed by rolling up the sleeves. The writing on your tie-dye shirt was now partially obscured, but you could check it easily when needed. Returning outside, you join back with Ben, who now wore a dark green zip-up hoodie over his red and gold tie-dye shirt, though at the moment, he left the hoodie unzipped. His shirt read his status as Cross-Faded, which you figured was probably from his weed combining with the beer from earlier. Making your way behind your tents towards the trees where the bugs were planning to set up, you were at first confused, as you could see their tent bag on the ground, but nothing else. Ben tapped you on the shoulder, pointing upwards when you glanced at him. Looking up, you feel your jaw drop at the sight that greets you. Strapped tightly between three of the trees was a fabric floor, easily large enough to fit the girls, and possibly a few more people. Morgan was inside the structure, holding up the supports while Rochelle and Yvonne hovered outside, securing the poles to the anchor points. Once finished with that, they quickly began to set up the rainfly above the shelter, and soon, the livable habitat was complete. You hear Ben let out a low whistle of appreciation. “That’s sick. I hope they brought a ladder so we can check it out!” he says. You were hoping so too, but there was no way in hell you were climbing up there unless you were Stone Sober. Yvonne slowly buzzed downwards, landing in front of Ben, a satisfied smile on her face. “Alright! So are we gonna party, or what?” she asks, giving your friend a playful nudge on his shoulder. A gasp from the bug’s tent catches your attention, and you look up. Morgan is leaning out of the door, staring at you with a wide eyed gleeful grin. “LUUUUMMMBERJACK!” she calls out, and begins to giggle. She leaps out, hovering for a moment until Rochelle joins her, and the two zip down to land in front of you. The fly’s eyes are locked onto your arms again, while the mosquito is giving you another lazy smile. “Soooo… how ‘bout that sooooong?~” Rochelle asks. Gained 3 Campers. Current campsite capacity is 6 of ??? Camper Skills Yvonne: Bouncer Morgan: Forager, Chef (Student) Rochelle: Medic (Student) What kinda song do you want to play for the girls? 1. Something Rock 2. Something Pop 3. Something Classical 4. Something Vidya Also Pre-game options before the first show (Can select multiple): 1. Drink a beer? (Y/N) 2. Drink some liquor? (Y/N) 3. Drink some water? (Y/N) 4. Partake of the White Widow? (Y/N)

>>44189 Okay then, time for the pied piper to make his debut. I'm assuming anon isn't Ian Anderson and can't play Bouree, which is classical AND rock together. Classical would probably be easier since that's what the instrument is associated with, even if the present audience might not be into it. So I'd say 3. What are drinking though? Water's a boring option, hard liquor and weed a little too much. Beer would maintain our buzz. We just ate, so it's not like we'd be drinking into an empty stomach. So 1. Y

>>44226 >I'm assuming anon isn't Ian Anderson and can't play Bouree Half-correct, Anon might not be Ian Anderson, but he can play Bouree, albeit not flawlessly. If we were to say Ian is a 10 out of 10, Anon's flute skills are about a 6 to 7, giving us plenty of room for improvement. Being an heirloom instrument as well, Anon's family has had him listen to more than just classical pieces. So yes, Jethro Tull is on the table. Get him drunk enough (a risky maneuver) and he might start singing like Ian, too.

>>44313 Then let's go for Bouree!

I guess it's dead, then?

>>45930 >I guess it's dead, then? It's been one week. Updates have been coming out in about 2ish or so weeks, so, next part is in progress. Writing isn't magic, it takes time. Alternatively, you can help by posting and encouraging discussion regarding our current options and what we might possibly encounter down the line! That would help a lot more than a bump with a 'it's dead, Jim' comment.

Definitely drink some beer at least too, we here party

>>44189 “Uhh, sure! Let’s get a fire going first, though.” you reply, and turn to Ben. “How long does it take to set up that portable pit you brought?” you ask, causing Ben to snort. “Seconds! I’ll have it started by the time you fish out and put your flute together.” he replies, and gestures back towards the rest of the tents. “I’ll set it up by the pond, if the fire gets outta hand for some reason, we’ll have enough water to handle it.” “I’ll start looking for sticks and leaves!” Morgan exclaims, her wings buzzing again as she flies deeper into the woods. The rest of your group heads back to the clearing, with Ben disappearing into his tent for a moment, returning with the cooler, along with the collapsible pit and his cajon drum on top. After a few strides and a quick glance around, your friend seemed satisfied with the spot he chose, and began to build the pit. He wasn’t kidding, either, by the time you managed to get your flute case out of your drawstring bag, he had the pit assembled. As it was just five inter-locking vented metal plates, it wasn’t the most difficult thing to put together, but the speed was still impressive. When your flute was finally ready, Ben had some of the kindling that Morgan was gathering smoldering in the pit, and was beginning to place some of the smaller dried firewood over it. Mara had returned from her tent, bringing a small camping chair and pop-up fabric table with her. Yvonne retrieved her sea bag from where she had left it, rummaging through it quickly to pull out three folding tripod stools. Rochelle moved the wagon closer to the pit, then went around staking a few of the mana torches around the edge of the pond. With not much else to do after that, she decided to simply stand by and admire your flute, a soft smile gracing her features as you play a few scales to warm up. Moments later, with the fire finally burning merrily, Ben cracks the cooler back open. “Who’s thirsty?! Other than beer, we got Jager and Whiskey!” he asks, then adds. Yvonne was immediately at his side, looking down into the cooler. “I’ll take a beer. What’s Jager?” the hornet replies. Ben hands her one of the tall red and gold cans, making her eyes widen. “HA! They really are called ‘Big Friendly’s’!” she exclaims with a grin, popping the can open right away. “Told ya!” he replies, then pulls out a familiar large square green bottle from the cooler. “This is Jagermeiester. If you like black licorice, you’ll love this. It’s not as versatile as whiskey, or as strong, but it’s tasty!” He then twists the cap off, cracking open the seal, and lets Yvonne sniff from the bottle. A curious but perplexed look crosses her features. “Huh. It kinda smells like the jelly sweets my father likes to snack on.” she mutters, as Ben reaches back into the cooler. “Who else wants a beer?!” he calls out. You hold your hand out, and with practiced ease, Ben immediately tosses a can right into your waiting palm, which you cracked open a second later. “Mara?” The fox shakes her head, and holds up a small plastic water bottle. “I’m good for now, thank you, though!” she replies, setting the bottle back down on her table. She had that eye-patterned fabric spread across the top, and was in the middle of shuffling a few of her decks. “I’ll take one!” Morgan shouts over the buzz of her wings, returning from the woods with another armful of kindling. She lands next to the wagon, dropping the bundle and skipping over to the cooler. “Ro, you’re still thirsty, right?” she then shouts over her shoulder. The mosquito in question was still focused on you, and murmured something nearly inaudible. “Ro!! Do you want a beer!” Morgan yelled again, a giggle warbling her sentence slightly. Rochelle’s attention on you breaks for a moment, as she turns to the fly. “Uhhhhh… yeaaahhh! I could go for one, I’m feeling prettyyyyyy…” the mosquito trails off, her attention turning back to you as you finish your warm up scales. “...parched.” she finishes, licking her lips. With another giggle, Morgan snags two cans from the cooler, takes two of the stools from Yvonne, and skips back over, handing one of each to Rochelle. Both bugs crack their cans in unison, each taking a few big gulps. With a satisfied sigh, a lazy smile crosses the blonde bug’s face. “Sooooo… what song are you gonna play?~” she asks, setting up her stool to take a seat. You take a sizable glug of your own beer, and place it on the ground near your feet. SPIRITS - Temporary Resolve sustained. Tolerance 4(-2.2) [Casual Drinker] = Chatty Cat sustained. Temporary Intuition still at +1 “It’s a little piece called Bourée. Kind of an old song, but it's been revamped in a bluesy style.” you answer, then nod at Ben. “I just need a beat, when you’re ready.” Your friend had just put the bottle of Jager back into the cooler, and was pulling out a beer for himself, along with a large mason jar containing both the White Widow and an herb grinder, which he hands to Yvonne. “One sec!” he replies, then fishes his brass sherlock pipe back out of his pocket. “Could you pack this for me?” he asks, handing it over to the hornet. She gives him a nod and a grin, as he sits down on his box drum, and rolls his shoulders. “A one, two, one two three four!” https://youtu.be/tbg7U9tIC88?si=H4cbYkfzByS9OGEZ While you were playing, Yvonne set her stool up between Ben and Mara, with the fox beginning to draw a spread for her. The hornet already seemed deeply invested, casually preparing the next bowl while her eyes were locked to the cards. Glancing down at the table, you see The Fool, The Star, The Lovers, and the Three of Cups face up, with a fair number of cards still face down. You then turned towards the shorter bugs, the girls sipping their beers, wide smiles across their faces as they stared at you. Rochelle’s gaze seems to bounce around you from one place to another, but Morgan’s eyes stay glued to your arms. Soon, the flow of the music begins to take you, your own eyes closing to focus on the tune. Minutes later, you finish the song with a slight flourish, and open your eyes. A flutter of applause comes from the girls, with Morgan and Rochelle clapping the loudest. Yvonne starts to cough out smoke, and passes the lit sherlock pipe back to Ben. “Ohhhh yeah, that was goooood! Better than ‘just alright’.~” the mosquito teases, causing your face to turn slightly red. You pick your beer back up, and take another decent swig. “Waaay better! You don’t gotta be modest!” Morgan adds, then smirks while bouncing her eyebrows. “Though Ro and I do think modest guys are veeeerrrry cute.~” the fly finishes with a wink, turning your face more red. Rochelle lightly pushes Morgan with her elbow, followed by a half-serious ‘shhhh’. “Uhh, thanks.” you reply sheepishly, and take another nervous swig. You then hear a yell towards the edge of the camp, near the banner, and turn. You see a somewhat busty goat girl in shutter shades, a neon green halter top, with matching cargo shorts, waving at your group. With her is a shirtless brown haired guy in denim shorts, carrying a backpack and a forty (which at this distance appeared to be a High Life) . They both smile wide as they catch your group’s attention. “Heya, neighbor! We thought we heard songs from the woods!” the goat yells, as the two make their way into camp. You snort and start to chuckle at the new girl’s comment. “Wrong album, but close!” you reply. She gives you a quick, perplexed look, but shakes it off, so you move on. “Anyway, who are you two? You said you’re neighbors?” you ask. “Yeah! I’m Bryce, and this is my wife Thalia.” the shirtless guy answers. “Our group’s set up a few minutes down and away from the main path. We heard you playin’ right after we left camp to check out who’s on the main stage, and she kinda dragged me here.” he explains with an awkward laugh. “I can’t ignore another flautist when I hear one!” Thalia says, playfully flicking his ear lobe. Bryce immediately reached and pinched the goat’s ear in return, making her bleat and laugh at the same time. She then bats his hand away, and stifles a giggle. “Anyway, we thought we’d say hi before heading to the show! Are you guys staying here, or going to one of the stages? We wouldn’t mind some new friends joining us and sharing our wine!” she adds. 1. Finish Pre-game, join your ‘neighbors’, and go to the Main Stage 2. Finish Pre-game and go to the Second Stage 3. Pre-game for a little longer, then go to the Main Stage 4. Pre-game for a little longer, then go to the Second Stage

>>46628 >ou see The Fool, The Star, The Lovers, and the Three of Cups face up, If only I knew how to read the tarot, I could see how this relates to the current situation. Three of Cups = the three bugs maybe? Well anyway. I'm a little curious about these new people, and them being a married couple means they're probably "safe" to be around, even if the goat doesn't recognize Tull references she makes herself. So should we just go to the main stage, get some actual music in? Experience what the festival is all about? If we stick around for any more "pre-game" we'll just get more inebriated. Or maybe that'll happen anyway. But 1. for now

>>46628 >>46668 Man, good thing you mentioned "fly" and "mosquito". Here was me thinking they were just weirdly colored wasps, all three of them. Guess it makes sense that there wouldn't be repeats. It's nice that we got some cool people to hang around now, starting to feel like a party already. Like the other anon said, Pre-gamin much more than this is going to get us too smashed and weak to resist temptations of any kind(if we aren't already). Although, before deciding where to go, do we know what's going to be on the Main stage. There was a funky bassline from the second stage, but i don't think we've heard anything from the main stage yet.

>>46668 Also, don't know what the fool would mean, but perhaps stars and lovers would mean just "star crossed lovers"? Just throwing it out there.

>>48210 Now if I remember my tarots right, The Fool is always (You)

>>48244 Welp, if we are going to go deep into this, Wikipedia says this about the three of cups: >This card often carries the meaning of joyful social contact,[1] although it may be considered to be rather superficial, unlike the Two of Cups which is considered more personal. There's agreement, general harmony, frivolity, and sometimes it is associated with birth, especially if it comes up with other birth-related cards such as The Empress. >The Three of Cups represents groups coming together to focus on a common emotional goal Which makes sense in context, although there is no way of knowing if Festival anon is using that meaning or some other, custom one. Either way it seems to be referring to our group having a good time. Researching the other ones, the star and lovers mean "Loss, theft, privation, abandonment; another reading says-Hope and bright prospects," and "Attraction, love, beauty, trials overcome.", so depending if it was upright or reversed it means good or bad news for her.

Looks like next update is going to take a while, so tell me, what do you think about the girls that we've seen until now? Festival-anon, avert your eyes. Wouldn't want to influence your decision making. For me, whatever happens, happens, and we'll react accordingly. In no particular order. >Mara: I usually like Kitsune, but Mara hasn't done much particularly for me. She's been more a supporting character than anything else. I'm sure she'll get more development later, but i think festival anon expected us to interact more with her. >Eros catgirl: Cute, but catgirls aren't my thing. >The group at the bar: Nothing that catches my eye there, although we don't have much to go off. I personally get lost when too many characters are introduced at once. I think it was comprised of two Onis, a mouse and another one. >Stalker: AKA giant icecream girl, very likely a Hebi. Could go for her, but for now we don't have much info about her. Though she's going to need to get a bit agressive thanks to our snake fear, or we'd need to get quite drunk. >Bartender(Lakini): A Merrow, i think. Don't know how her MGE mechanic would come to play, if it even does. Maybe we'll catch her peeking at us while bathing. Honestly hope so, she's very flirty, and i quit like her. >Danuki: I find them boring. Not for any weird reasons, it's just usually they get relegated to shopkeeps and not much else. >Spider in the back(Tsuki): Top candidate for now, i love bugs, and these ones particularly. If we encounter her at night something is very likely to happen, and we could always say we will try to help her with her fear of men, although i get the feeling it's less fear of men and more fear of what she could do to men, so afraid of herself. I could be wrong though. >Boog trio: Yvonne seems very focused on Ben, and Ben on Yvonne, so of the other two. Morgan is cute but a bit of a pothead, and Rochelle is cute too, and more responsible. They both are very "voracious", which i like, and they might(?) come as a bundle, although i wouldn't want to assume that and then just anger both at the same time. I like them too, but they aren't the highest on my list Hope i didn't miss any.

>>48785 Well, I've been playing Silksong so much since it came out that I might be biased in favor of bugs because of that. But these bugs seem like a fun bunch.

>>49006 Oh they are definitely a fun bunch.

Any news on the next update? It's taking quite long.

>>49275 It's still roughly within the timeframe festival anon gave >>45934 >2ish or so weeks

>>49281 It's been 20 days...

>>49289 That's still a couple of days over the 2 weeks and he said it's 2ish or so, not exactly 2 weeks. What I'm trying to say is that we shouldn't pressure him as this board has a history of anons getting burned out from trying to keep up a pace of writing.

>>46628 “Sure, we’ll join ya. We were just havin’ a couple drinks before going that way, anyway! I’m Anon, by the way.” you reply, taking a swig of beer, and then briefly introduce everyone to the new couple. Ben stifles a couple coughs, leaning over and handing his lit sherlock pipe over to Morgan. “Do you happen to know who’s playin’ on the main stage, anyway?” he asks, smoke wisping out of his mouth. “I haven’t even looked at the set list since we got here.” Thalia reaches into her cargo shorts, pulling out and unfolding a thick pamphlet. “Well I know there’s two bands, one does covers and the other’s got all original stuff…” she starts, her finger running down one of the pages. “Ah, here they are! Steve ‘N’ Seagulls and Dirtfoot.” Morgan coughs lightly, passing the lit pipe to Rochelle. “Dir-” she starts, before a harder coughing fit runs through her, expelling all the smoke in her lungs. The fly shakes her head, clearing her throat. “Sorrrryyy~ Dirtfoot? What’s their stuff like?” she asks, wobbling slightly in her stool. The goat simply shrugs. “Bryce and I haven’t heard ‘em, but the pamphlet describes ‘em as being some kinda gypsy punk. All I know is they got a sax player, and that’s enough for me to check them out!” Thalia answers, making all the bugs perk up. “Hey, that could be good! I’m down!” Yvonne pipes in. The hornet’s attention returns back to Mara, the fox flipping over the last card on the table. You were able to catch a quick glance at the spread, when you feel something poke your arm. Looking back over, you find Rochelle offering you the lit sherlock pipe, that lazy smile still on her face, smoke escaping from the corners of her lips. Your brow furrowed for a moment, an odd familiarity itching in the back of your mind, but you shake it off. Giving the mosquito a smile, you take the pipe, but opt not to take a puff. You glance at Ben, gesturing at the couple, and he nods in response. “Do you two smoke, by the way?” you ask, offering the pipe to Bryce, who was the closest. He eagerly took the pipe, a wide smile on his face. “Fuck yeah we do, thanks! I haven’t had earth-grown weed in years.” he answers, taking a small hit from the pipe. His odd comment made your eyebrow rise. “Years? The portals have only been open for, what, a year and change?” Ben asks, beating you to the punch. Bryce nods, passing the pipe to his wife, who also took a small hit. “I have an ‘Oh’ of that, by the way, you don’t need to take small puffs. Appreciated, though!” your friend adds. “Noted, thanks! And yeah, Thalia and I have only been on this side of the portals for… shit, a couple weeks now, I think?” Bryce begins. “It’s a bit of a story, wanna walk n’ talk to the main stage?” he then asks. “May as well! Does anyone want an extra beer for when we get there?” Ben replies, then asks, leaning over from his seat to crack open the cooler. A cluster of ‘Yeah’ and ‘Sure’ sounds out from the bugs and yourself, though you notice Mara shaking her head. “I might have a beer later, but I think I’ll stay here for now, and keep watch over the fire. I have a feeling a few more customers may come by while you’re away, and I would be most disappointed to miss them.~” the fox says, and turns to your camp neighbors. “If you two are interested after the show, I’d be delighted to read your fortunes.~” she offers, and with a flick of her wrist, another business card appears between her fingers, which she then hands to Thalia, in exchange for Ben’s sherlock pipe. The goat looks over the card, her eyes slightly narrowed, but a smile still crossed her features. “Maybe! I’ll let our friend Cici know, too, she’s really into this kinda stuff.” Thalia replies, pocketing the card. Mara’s signature wider-than-normal smile appears, the fox nodding. “The more the merrier!~” she replies, and returns her attention back to Yvonne’s spread, handing the bug the smoldering pipe. “Remember that the decision is ultimately yours, but you may find more stability than you initially expect. Look for guidance amongst those living in a similar situation. No matter the choice, you will find joy.~” the kitsune finishes, collecting her cards back together. The hornet seems lost in thought for a moment, then closes her eyes, letting out a sigh and grinning. “It’s gonna be a long, fun week, that’s for sure at least!” she says, and takes a hit off the pipe. Suppressing a chuckle, you see Ben take one of the cold cans he just pulled from the cooler, and in one smooth motion, presses it against the hornet’s neck. With a hacking cough, she immediately jolts upright, her hand slapping against the offending metal can, while her wings sputter and flex. “Here’s your extra beer!” Ben says with a snort. Yvonne turns to him, laughing. “You fucking prick! You just killed my high!” she playfully scolds as her face turns a light shade of pink, making your friend roll his eyes. “Oh nooo! What are we gonna do now?” he jests back, pointing at his pipe in her other hand. “I guess you’re just gonna have to smoke more of my weed, but that’s a sacrifice I’m okay with.” he adds, smirking. You kinda hoped he was being serious about that pelvis insurance from earlier, if the deeper red blush and the hornet’s bit lip were any indication. Mara has temporarily left the party. She will stay at Pyrite Lane until another camper in your group decides to return. You can ask Mara to rejoin the party later if you would like. If you need her counsel while away from camp, you can attempt to call or send her a text, but if she is with a customer, you may not hear back from her until their session has finished. She will answer if it is an emergency, however. Once everyone was ready (your flute once again cased and in your bag, with the extra beers in Bryce’s backpack), the group began to make its way towards the Main Stage. Ben’s pipe had another fresh pack, and was still in rotation, though you maintained your decision to abstain for now. This time, you took the lead on the path, with Morgan and Rochelle flanking your sides once again. Behind you was Bryce and Thalia, followed by Yvonne and Ben. You hear your shirtless companion clear his throat, gaining the attention of the party once again. “Anyways, the girls won’t know, but do you guys remember that second big American eclipse, years ago?” he begins. Both Ben and yourself nod, and Bryce continues. “I went camping by myself that weekend in Ouachita National Forest. I thought the best way to see it was somewhere quiet and out in nature. So, after some hiking, I ended up finding this awesome clearing with glowing mushrooms all over the place.” At the mention of mushrooms, the bugs begin to giggle. “Glowing mushrooms? That’s how most outlander stories usually start.” Yvonne teases. “So where’d you end up popping up at?” “The Riphean foothills, but I’m gettin’ there.” he quickly answers, waving his hand dismissively. “So yeah, a couple nights later, those glowing mushrooms got a lot brighter and started to pulse. At first, I thought I just smoked too much and greened out, so I went to bed early. Next morning when I wake up, I find myself in a completely different forest, and I am freaking the fuck out.” At this, Thalia wraps an arm around his waist. “This cute dumbass is sooooo lucky I found him out there when I did! I was out on a whim looking for wild berries when we crossed paths.” she pipes in, leaning closer to nuzzle into his neck. “He was on the other side of the river, heading down stream, a few days from the next village. I had to convince him that going to my village was a better idea.” Bryce starts to chuckle, and gives her a brief peck on the top of her head. “Yeah, well, asking me if I needed a bed to stay in, followed by rippin’ your top off, was a very compelling offer.” he points out. “You’re still jumping ahead a bit, hun, I was wandering the forest for days before I saw you. By that point, I was out of food, and I wasn’t quite ready to eat some weird drippy-looking fruit and hope for the best.” The goat lets out another bleating-laugh. “You say that like prisoner fruits aren’t your favorite thing to snack on.~” Thalia teases, getting another playful pinch from her husband. “They’re my second favorite. There’s a certain peach that’s my all time favorite.” he teases back, resulting in another bleating-giggle from Thalia. “Soooooo… what was up with the other village, anyway?” Rochelle asks, bringing the flirting couple back to the present. Thalia simply smirked. “It’s an amazonian village.” she answered. This got a laugh from the whole group, though since you weren’t smoking, your laughter faded sooner. “You said you’ve only been back for a couple weeks, right? What’d you two do before coming here?” you ask, and a wide smile crosses Bryce’s face. “What’dya think we did? I got back in contact with my folks! Trying to get letters across the portals over the last year has been a bitch and a half cause of all the government red tape, but they at least knew I was alive!” he answered, and took a gulp from his big bottle of High Life. “Not gonna lie, I was a little worried they’d want nothing to do with Thalia or Portia, but they were absolutely ecstatic to meet them.” “Portia’s our little girl, she’s spending the week with her grandparents while we’re here.” Thalia adds, smiling as wide as her husband. “Awwwww! How old is she?” Morgan asks, stepping closer to your side. You feel her antennae start to tap and brush against your arm for a few moments. “She turned three a couple months back, and she’s already a gabber. Kid made a big deal to my mom about how we’re getting her a little brother or sister this week.” Bryce answers, smirking. Thalia lets out a wistful sigh, and places her free hand over her belly. “That’s the plan, at least if Bacchus and Eros decide to bless us! We’re hoping the festival’s energy and the eclipse give us a little extra boost, too.” the goat adds. You’re reminded of that couple from earlier in the day, Freddie and Renee. Weren’t they aiming to become parents this week, also? https://youtu.be/OiBmb5INGxA?si=vHKN0ejU3AHHu57_ Your group continued on the path, past the campgrounds and down the Upper Bazaar/Main Stage pathway at the fork. Bryce and Thalia shared a few more stories from back home, mostly about their daughter’s antics with her cousins, when the sound of amplified music began to reach your ears. You weren’t quite at the main stage yet, but you found the source soon enough. A large, open air canopy was set up, with eight benches, arranged in three rows and two columns, with a smattering of occupants. Towards the other end of the canopy at the head of the aisle, was a skinny blonde guy in swim trunks and a tacky Hawaiian shirt, holding hands with and kissing a much, much larger white & blue skinned woman, with pointy fins along her arms, and a thick, shark-looking tail. Around her arm you noticed what looked like a belt that had a slight blue glow to it. She seemed to be a little unsteady on her feet, though curiously enough, her legs appeared to have the same slight glow as the belt on her arm. Behind them and standing at a raised podium was another smiling woman, though beyond the lavender hair and dark blue fins behind the ears, you couldn’t make out many more details. At the very least, this was definitely a makeshift chapel. At the edge of the canopy, there were three musicians standing next to a small stack of amps, all wearing clothing in shades of pink. The first was some kind of harpy, a bass guitar held in the crook of one wing, while the talons on her other wing plucked the strings. Next to her was a short tan girl with magenta hair, sitting on and playing a cajon that didn’t look as beat up as Ben’s was. You couldn’t make out any monsterish features on her, but you got the vibe she wasn’t human, either. The last musician was- You blinked. It was the pink cat girl again, singing and strumming away on her guitar. She was still wearing that massive backpack, and you idly wonder if she’s had it on for the whole day now. It wasn’t long before she notices you, eyes locking to yours, her smile and eyes widening. She breaks her gaze with you for a moment, flicking to either side of you, then locks onto you again. Her smile changes ever so slightly, a slight edge creeping into her eyes. You get a very distinct tingly feeling, the phrase ‘Challenge Accepted’ runs prominently through your mind, when that fluttery feeling hits your stomach again, hard, making you stumble slightly. Morgan and Rochelle step closer to either side of you, helping you to reorient yourself, as well as not-so-subtly ushering your group away from the chapel and further down the path. “Did she get you with the glam-eyes?” Rochelle asks, her tone less playful than it was earlier. She had a grip on your forearm, her thumb gently rubbing circles on your skin. “The what?” you ask, raising an eyebrow. “Is that why it felt like my gut was doing backflips?” “Yeahhhh… if they see a guy they like, Eros Cultists will nooooooot hesitate in using their goddess-given Glamour.” Morgan answers, slightly pouting. “I think it’s unfair, Eros gives ‘em a skill that eeeeeeven succubi use very sparingly.” the fly adds, her grip on your other arm tightening. Her antennae begin to frantically tap away on your bicep once again, which even the mosquito notices. “Relaaaax, Mo… at least we know who our competition is.~” Rochelle says soothingly. “Besiiiiides… we have our own… advantages.~” the mosquito then points out, her thumb rubbing your arm a little firmer. “Ro, you’re right!” Morgan gasps, and tugs your arm, getting your undivided attention. “I’m making you jambalaya tonight!” she exclaims, her hazel eyes sparkling. “Weeellll, I’ll make eeeevryone jambalaya, but you get to dish up first!~” she elaborates, the bounce in her pace picking up. “Uhhhhh… is that the beeessst idea, Mo?” the mosquito asks cautiously, which the fly dismisses with a wave of her free hand. “I knooooow!” she growls, and locks eyes with you again. “Wear a blindfold, it’ll just looooook bad, but your tongue won’t know that!” “Ooooh! Well if you want, back at our camp, we got some melting veggies and raging mush-” Thalia starts to offer, but Morgan quickly shakes her head. “Nooooooo! No tricks! I want Earth-realm ingredients oooonly!” the fly insists, causing the goat to chortle. “It’s okay, I get it~ If you change your mind though, we brought plenty of produce from Hyperborea!” the goat finishes with a wink. “I got some chorizo in the cooler, you could probably use that.” Ben pipes in. “There’s some bacon and potatoes too, but I’m saving some of that for breakfast this week.” “That should woooooork! I brought some rice, but we miiiiiiiight need more, and we’ll definitely need veggies, maaaaayyyyyybeeee another kind of meat…” the fly starts to plan. You couldn’t help but smile at the fly. “Let’s go enjoy the show, first. We can find what you need when we head back.” you say, the fly practically vibrating at your words. “Yesssss! Party first, then weeeeee can look around!~” Side-Quest Active: Help Morgan find/forage for ingredients between shows. https://youtu.be/elHcYm4oYg0?si=5ispJ_iHCU5gaXxM Minutes later, your group was cresting a large hill, the dull roar of music blended with a crowd reaching your ears. Below and a ways from the hill was The Main Stage, where at the moment, it appeared the band coming on next was setting up. At a smaller stage just off to the side, you could see the first band, a group of guys in denim overalls and straw hats in the middle of a jam. There were jumbo-sized video screens set up above and around both stages, showing off the current group in better detail. Towards the front of the stage was most of the crowd, you wouldn’t quite call it a mosh pit, but it was definitely a lively, dancing crowd. Midways from the stage and the hill was about a third of the audience, most having set up picnic blankets or folding chairs to watch the show. At the top of the hill, where you were now, were only a few groups of folk sitting around, casually enjoying the music. Now and then along the top of the hill you noticed some small platforms, and on each of these was at least one or two cameramen filming the performance. One of these pairs caught your eye, making you smirk. You weren’t surprised at all to see Gus and Tilly here, the former standing on the latter’s carapace, operating a tripod-mounted camera. The scruffy guy appeared to be changing out lenses, while his wife was doing something on her tablet once again. They looked a little busy, but you were kinda curious to see what pictures they might have taken since the beer tent. Where do you want to enjoy the show? 1. Get close to the stage 2. Settle down in the midground 3. Find a spot on the hill crest 4. [Chatty Cat] Sit by and talk to Gus and Tilly

Apologies for the delay, I recently completed another solar cycle (yes, I'm phrasing it that way for a reason) and that kind of threw a wrench into things for a bit.

>>49347 Happy solar cycle day!

>>49275 >>49343 Speak of the devil...

>>49343 >Look for guidance amongst those living in a similar situation. No matter the choice, you will find joy Well at least this I can interpret just fine. >“Glowing mushrooms? That’s how most outlander stories usually start.” I feel like this is something that should be investigated further. Teleporting rings of mushrooms have something to do with fairies, I think? Mythically speaking, I mean. >Side-Quest Active: Help Morgan find/forage for ingredients between shows. Neat. We'd be remiss not to take advantage of our status effect, so I'm voting 4 for now, figuring out the best place to view and listen to a concert is a different matter.

>>49343 Looks like stuff is starting to get heated, huh. Mara is slowly starting to scare me. There is something a bit uncanny about the way she always smiles whenever she gets a new customer. I'm starting to think she's less reading someone's fate and more "influencing" it. The boogs are working quite hard i see. If we lower our guard too much we might get snatched up too soon. At least we'll have a full stomach. I'd say we chat up the photographer pair and ask everyone else what they want to do. I'm down to dance if they are down to dance, and being in the crowd during a concert is something to be experienced at least once.

>>49420 >I feel like this is something that should be investigated further. Is there anyone specifically you want Anon to ask about this? Different folk might provide different details... >>49491 >I'm starting to think she's less reading someone's fate and more "influencing" it. Tomato/Tuhmahto. You could say that shining a light on something that's been in the dark is still an influence. Now, what could someone possibly gain from that?

>>49614 Ominous.

>>49614 Well Yvonne's the one who said it so it'd make sense to ask her

Next part is mostly done, just doing some editing and adjusting right now. Expect an update in the next couple days or so. If there's anything additional you want Anon to ask or talk about, post it now.

>>51455 Hmm, aside from the portal thing, or if we are moving closer to the concert or listening from afar, there isn't much else.

>>49343 https://youtu.be/0rK4SAjRtW4?si=Q5n2J6_mmJV7XqID “Do you see anywhere good to sit?” Ben asks, trying to follow where you were looking around at. “I’m already guessing you’ll wanna chill somewhere back here.” You look away from where the photographer and his wife were set up, and back down towards the crowd at the stage. It didn’t take too long before you found a few large, slithering reasons not to go down there. “Yeaaaaahh… I uh, saw Gus and Tilly. Why uh… why don’t we go and chill over by them?” you offer. Your friend gives you a nod and a knowing smile. “Sounds good to me! Let’s see how they’re doing.” he says, as you start to lead the group in their direction. Rochelle tugs at your sleeve, and you glance over at the mosquito. “Yooouuu… don’t wanna go down to the stage?” she asks, her soft russet eyes locked onto yours. Her hand at your sleeve grips your arm, squeezing gently. “How come?” You break her gaze, looking down at the few long, writhing shapes in the crowd, only to look back up towards where Gus and Tilly were. You really didn’t want to focus on what’s down there right now, if you could help it. “Snakes.” you mutter, quieter than you intended, and cough. Rochelle looks down at the stage, the mosquito squeezing your arm slightly harder, when you hear her gasp. “Ohhhhh…! Don’t worry, Anon.~” she starts, and steps so close, she’s practically glued to your side. “Mo and I won’t let any… sssneaky sserpents get close to you.~” Morgan, still on your other side, peeks around you at the stage, also stepping much closer, her hand gripping your wrist, while her antennae bounce quickly on your bicep. “So, ummmm… what happened?” the fly asks. You grimace, quickly burying old memories from your youth. “I got attacked.” you answer simply, keeping your vision locked forward. Ben snorts, but says nothing, thankfully. An awkward silence settles in for a few moments, before you hear Bryce cough. “Who are these friends of yours we’re meetin’ again?” he asks, passing Ben’s smoldering sherlock pipe to Morgan. She takes a large draw, handing it over to Rochelle, when another coughing fit strikes her. You walk right through the cloud, inadvertently taking a large whiff of the floral and skunky herb, coughing as well. The fly blushes and gives you a wobbly smile, her gaze dropping to the ground almost immediately. With a thumbs up in return, you let her know it was okay, bringing her hazel eyes back up to yours. Ben’s stuff was certainly strong (as you were beginning to feel a slight tingle start behind your eyes), but it wasn’t anything you weren’t already used to being around. SPIRITS: Temporary Intuition increased to +1.2, Tolerance at 4(-2.4) For a brief moment, you feel a sense of relief wash over you, which abruptly ends when Rochelle pulls your attention away from Morgan, as the mosquito has her own, though not as harsh, coughing fit. “They’re a couple we met back at the beer tent earlier today, they seemed pretty chill!” Ben answers, beginning to wave as your group closes the distance. “Hey, strangers!” he then yells out, catching Tilly’s notice. The beetle waves at your group, while Gus finagles with his camera, detaching it from the tripod. The scruffy photographer then hops down, joining his wife in briefly waving. “Howdy! How’s the festival been treating y’all?” he replies, handing Tilly his camera. The beetle slowly fishes a long cord out from a small pack by her tablet, linking both devices together. “Great! We’ve just been partying and meeting new friends!” you answer, and quickly introduce the group to the couple. “Do you two mind having some company? We’re looking for somewhere to sit and enjoy the show.” you ask, which gets a headshake from Gus. “Not at all! I’m havin’ Tilly set up the auto-cam for the rest of this set, but I’ll need to take some manual shots when the next band starts playin’.” he says. Ben licks his finger, holding the digit in the air for a few seconds. “We’ll sit down on the other side of Tilly, if that’s cool, we’ll be down wind from there. I don’t think you want our smoking messing up your shots.” your friend points out, making the scruffy photographer laugh. “That’s fine! A little smoke ain’t gonna hurt things too much anyways!” Gus replies, your group moving to settle in. Bryce had a large picnic blanket stuffed in his pack, which was quickly spread out on the ground. The party eventually sat in a semi-circle, of which you were towards the edge, with Morgan at the very end on your left, and Rochelle on your right. Next to her was Yvonne and Ben, followed by Thalia and Bryce. Gus, having re-secured the camera to the tripod, sat at the other end, next to his wife, leaning against one of her beetle legs. “Have you gotten any good pictures since the beer tent?” you ask, receiving a shrug from the scruffy photographer in return. https://youtu.be/ntWqBVxgS8Q?si=hNcem1F7pxRjbAC0 “Nothin’ really magazine cover worthy, yet, at least. Though I did get a decent picture of one of the security teams up in the stagelight catwalks.” he replied, taking the work tablet from his wife. After a few swipes, he flipped it around. Displayed was a photo of two soldiers, one man, the other a tanned woman with large, pinkish-white feathered wings, crouching on a platform. Both were wearing pink camouflage uniforms and chest-rigs, with matching boonie hats that had “SECURITY” embroidered in black on the front. The guy, apparently aware he was being photographed, was waving his left hand, with some kind of assault rifle held in his right. The gal appeared to be adjusting something on her own, larger rifle. It looked familiar, but you couldn’t place where you would’ve seen one before. On her shoulder was a large patch, featuring a navy-blue bird with a gray beak, but you couldn’t make out any more details. Yvonne, however, let out a small gasp. “Am… am I seeing that right? Are those two Steelbills?!” she asks, her eyes widening. Tilly turns, giving a small nod and a smile at the hornet. “Mhmm. The Pharaoh wants the best in protection.” the beetle answers simply. “Tilly was tellin’ me earlier that there’s a lot of troops from Nadija’s homeland here. They’re roughly a lil’ over half of the hired security force.” Gus pipes in. A low whistle escapes from Yvonne’s lips. “Holy honey...” she starts. “I mean, I was expecting some Marten soldiers here, but not The Storks. Nadija’s not fuckin’ around, I guess!” “Uhh, I’m kinda lost here. What’s Marten, and what are The Storks now?” Ben asks, one of his eyebrows raised. “Emm Arr Tee Enn, The Mamano Republic of Ta’Netjer. It’s the country The Pharaoh hails from, and their soldiers are top notch. The Steelbills are especially rare, you only see ‘em if something big is going down.” the hornet explains. “The closest we have in the Gossamer Kingdoms, compared to The Storks, would probably be The Star-Mantis Corp, and they’re pretty much just a glorified version of the Queen’s Ceremonial Guard.” she adds, making Ben chuckle. “You’re kinda makin’ it sound like The Pharaoh brought her own version of Delta Force or The S.A.S. or something…” he observes, receiving a quirked eyebrow from Yvonne, but Gus clears his throat. “That’s uh, not too far from the truth, from what Tilly’s told me.” the scruffy photographer adds. “How’d you put it again, shug?” “Spooky actions in the dark.” the beetle says flatly, a small smile crossing her lips. “All for love.” The hornet nods at this, beginning to grin. “Yeah, they have a bit of a reputation for clandestine stuff. The first and last time I saw a couple of Storks was before we opened the portals, they were some of the first to step through, and they made sure everything was safe enough for the rest of the united forces to come through.” Yvonne continues, then laughs. “I mean, a bunch of ‘em are outlanders, anyway, so they kinda had to go first.” There was that word again, and it reminded you of Bryce’s mushroom story, making your brow furrow. “Hey, Yvonne, that reminds me… so, I get that people from Earth that end up over in your realm are called Outlanders. You mentioned something earlier, about how most outlanders talk about glowing mushrooms before they cross over. What’s up with that?” you ask. The hornet laughs and shrugs. “Hell if I know, I’m not a mage or a scientist, and as far as I know, I don’t have any fae in my family tree that are willing to tell me! All I know for certain, is that they’re a key part in most, but not all, portal crossings.” she replies, and looks over at Rochelle. “Did Lorraine ever mention anything to you, during your alchemy lessons?” The mosquito puts a finger to her chin, her eyes glossy. “Hmmmm…. wellllll, she diiiid say the moon and starlight can enhance many herb and mushroom effects, depending on the phases and time of year…” she answers, and taps her finger a couple times. “It’s not tooooo far-fetched to say that might play a small part, but with mushrooms specifically…” she adds, trailing off. A few moments later, she scrunches her eyes shut, and frowns. “Ooooonly vigor potions and wound poultices come to mind. We’ll have to find someone who knows waaaaaaaaaay more about fungi.” she finishes with a huff, taking her finger from her chin. With it, she starts to trail small circles on your arm. “Sorry.~” You give the mosquito a soft smile, which seems to brighten her mood up. “It’s cool, I’m sure we’ll find someone who knows, sooner or later.” you tell her, and you notice her not-so-subtly scooching up closer against you. Morgan, not to be outdone, presses against your other side, slightly sandwiching you between both bugs. A certain rhyme crosses your mind, and you smirk. You really did feel pretty snug. “Hey… all this mushroom talk got me to thinkin’... are they still doin’ psych treatment studies in Colorado with goldcaps?” Bryce asks, glancing between you, Ben, and Gus. The scruffy guy and yourself shrug, but your friend perks up immediately, taking his attention off of his mid-packed bowl. “Actually, yeah, they legalized it for anxiety and depression. Minnesota followed suit not too long after. Why?” he asks. The shirtless guy then turns to you, and taps his temple with his forefinger. “You said you got a problem with snakes? A couple magic ‘shrooms might be what you need!” he exclaims. You suppress a grimace at the thought of serpents, and roll your eyes with a scoff. “Man, I just gotta avoid them. I don’t think tripping balls is gonna help change that.” you spit out quickly. “Hey, hey, I’m just sayin’, it’s food for thought. You’re gonna have a tough time avoidin’ snakes this whole week, ya know.” he replies, taking a drink from his bottle of High Life. Thalia was rummaging through her husband’s backpack, and grinned. “There it is! Who’s hungry?” the goat asks, pulling out a large ziplock bag filled with pretzels and snack nuts. A chorus of approval sounded from the group, and Thalia set the open bag down in the center of the semi-circle. She then pulls out a couple of the beers Ben packed, along with a corked bottle and a small stack of plastic cups. “I’m feeling like a little pinot grigio, does anyone else want some?” the goat asks. Ask about Keywords? Also Do you feel like… 1. Drinking your spare beer? (Y/N) 2. Trying some of Thalia’s wine? (Y/N) 3. Finding some water? (Y/N) 4. Trying some of the bar-mix snacks? (Y/N) 5. Partaking of the White Widow? (Y/N)

>>51661 Security with rifles at a concert is kind of spooky. But you never know when an Apophis might try to overhtrow you, so maybe it's a necessary precaution. Keywords, keywords. Lots of keywords. I reckon they sort of explained who the Steelbills are already. The two countries are more interesting than their soldiery, so I'd probably ask about those. Gossamer Kingdoms is plural, which is interesting. But the decision. I think we've had enough beer for now, and are likely hydrated enough not to need water for the time being. We already ate, so snacks aren't necessary either. I say we make like A Clockwork Orange and TRY THE WINE.

>>51661 It's been 6 months(damn), >It didn’t take too long before you found a few large, slithering reasons not to go down there. Fuck! Did you misspell mamono? Also, the Yvonne said RTN instead of RTM. It's becoming somewhat clear. I just remembered pharaohs have a special voice. Of course, a concert, people gathered around massive speakers. How did i not see this earlier. There is a non 0 possibility of something like that happening, if the sight of the Steelbills really is that rare. Good that we have our earmuffs. This might be an attempt of the Pharaoh of establishing a colony on earthen soil. We should start up a conversation about how that The Mamono(?) Republic of Ta’Netjer acts and handles their external politics. Maybe we'd get a good idea if that's something the pharaoh would do, without pulling the alarm lever too quickly, or sounding like a conspiracy theorist whacko. I think we can get some more information about the portals from Mara. She's bound to know something. I'd like to ask Rochelle what she meant with "fae in her family", and i don't think she means fairies. There isn't any classification of the sort in the encyclopedia. The tolerance stat is lowering is still hanging above our heads like a sword, so i'd say not to drink too much wine. Hopefully it recovers in the morning once we sober up. The bugs are getting pretty handsy. How many arms did they have again? So to summarize OOC Mamano or Mamono, Arms? IC Drink the wine responsibly, eat some of the snacks(shouldn't drink on an empty stomach), and then ask about the republic and their politics. Later we can ask Mara about the portals and also about the republic. It's definitely not a coincidence that she's here, and maybe not even a coincidence that she stayed back.

>>51988 I guess you're right about not drinking on an empty stomach. Maybe the nuts will go well with the wine, some wines are a little nutty from what I hear (I never drink... wine)

>>52645 Yeah, but do you think my schizo theory is anywhere near plausible?

>>52671 I find it a little impractical to try and stake a claim on territory by mind controlling people who came to that specific spot from all over, personally.

>>52715 So you think it's just a festival with nothing else going on?

>>52745 there's definitely something going on, but the pharaoh staking a claim probably isn't that. isn't the festival taking place in an oasis already?

>>52745 >>52773 Yeah special forces operatives don't just turn up at a concert for no reason.

>>52799 Guess for now we'll just wait. IIRC, it's still the first day, we can go around snooping and investigating tomorrow.

Hey everyone, next part is still in progress, but today I decided to dick around with the Sora AI for shits and giggles. If you don't care for AI slop, you can disregard this post. Also, glad to see there's been some discussion and theories on what's going on and what might happen. Remember, it doesn't hurt to re-read previous parts, if there's anything else that catches your eye or that you feel Anon can ask, post it!

>>53251 cursed

>>53251 Lakini a cute