ask jasper where you might find his mom

i agree with the previous suggestions... well, maybe? i am definitely also curious about the angel eating, but now may not be the best time to ask. maybe casually inquiring further about suriel (and abaddon ;3) before leaving is the best idea. and if suriel is more powerful in jasper's household than previously thought, maybe it's not a bad idea to ditch or for a bit and summon arty to go find suriel later...

1/3 Marn 2019/11/11(Mon)00:17 No. 949231 ID: c1eaac
File 157346024916.png - (222.56KB , 700x600 , 81.png )

You think of a lot of things you might want to ask Jasper, including more about how his entire angel-eating operation works, but you're not sure that now is the best time to ask about that. Probably better to stick to questions he might actually give you the answers to.

"Is Suriel around? I assume they're involved with this party in some capacity, if they invited me," you say, deciding not to mention that you saw Suriel earlier. Maybe Jasper knows what they're up to right now - or what duties they should be doing.

"They should be around. I haven't seen them since earlier," Jasper says, with another shrug. "I don't think they would just up and leave, though. They tend to be invested in how these things go."

Interesting, that an angel would be so invested in a party where their own kind are butchered and eaten. You can't help but wonder what Suriel's stake in this whole thing is.

"Do you know where specifically they might be, dear?" Or asks, smiling sweetly at Jasper. Their hand is still on your shoulder, and it's comforting, if not a little distracting.

"Maybe in the garden? Sometimes they stay out there until I'm finished greeting guests, and dinner starts." Jasper glances back over his shoulder, towards the main hall, where you can hear the raucous noise of the partygoers. Unfortunately, he's just confirmed what you already know, but it's good to know that Suriel might still be out there. At least, until dinner starts. "They don't like drawing much attention to themself, or being treated like a common house servant by our guests."

2/3 Marn 2019/11/11(Mon)00:17 No. 949232 ID: c1eaac
File 157346027433.png - (190.12KB , 700x600 , 82.png )

Interesting. You tuck the information away for later, and quickly decide to veer down a completely different track, before you leave Jasper.

"What about your mother?" you ask. "Abbadon? Is she home?"

"Oh, probably. She's upstairs, if she's anywhere," he says, sounding largely ambivalent. "I don't know what you'd want with her, though."

"Abbadon and Glas's mother are friends," Or says sweetly, and you have to admit, you have no idea if they're telling the truth or if they just pulled that one out of their ass. "He was probably just hoping to say hello and introduce himself. Weren't you, Glas?"

"Uh, yes," you say, hastily. Mostly you were just curious about what sort of demon could possibly raise someone like Jasper, but you're definitely not going to admit that out loud.

"Well, good luck getting ahold of her," Jasper says, with an amused sort of snort. "Are we done here? I'd like to get back to my party."

"I think we are," you say, surprised to find him looking to you for an answer. It's his estate, so technically he could just walk away whenever he liked. "Do you mind if I stay? I know you didn't invite me here, but..."

Jasper waves you off. "Do what you like. As long as you don't make trouble, it's of no real consequence to me."

"Really?" you ask, surprised.

"Oh, of course." He smiles, showing off his shark-like teeth. "Besides, if Suriel invited you here, they've probably got a plan for you. I wouldn't want to get in the way."

3/3 Marn 2019/11/11(Mon)00:18 No. 949233 ID: c1eaac
File 157346030573.png - (168.97KB , 700x600 , 83.png )

You're taken aback by the answer, so much so that you can't get a response in before Jasper takes off again, walking quickly down the hall in the same direction Lilah disappeared off to. You watch him round the corner and vanish from sight, then glance to Or.

"That went well," you say, wryly.

"Better than expected, certainly," they say, offering you an encouraging smile. "What now? Are you going to look for Suriel? Or Abbadon?"

You frown, only just beginning to contemplate your next step.

> Return to the party.
> Look for Suriel.
> Look for Abbadon.
> Explore Jasper's estate.
> Something else?

Look for Suriel, but get some exploring in meanwhile?

i vote we summon arty and go find suriel. in that order, specifically, seeing as its pretty clear suriel intends to do us harm/humiliate us judging by jaspers reaction. summon arty BEFORE we separate from ornias - they said they knew him, so maybe theyd like to say hello

>>949238

>>949239
Seconded.

Abbadon ????? yes go

yeah, i also vote for summoning arty before going to look for suriel. altho it is a bit of a shame to use up the feather for something so stressful ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ but maybe if things go well, he'll still want to hang around afterwards ;Dc

Just... return to the party. Summoning arty on the small possibility that he'll actually help us with whatever scheme suriel has cooked up instead of ducking out on it is a foolish, foolish move.

seconding cal's suggest

Definitely go find Suriel. I feel like we need to confront them personally; I don't think we'd be able to figure out what Suriel's plan is without directly talking to them.

1/4 Marn 2019/11/22(Fri)13:36 No. 950088 ID: c1eaac
File 157445856197.png - (115.31KB , 700x600 , 84.png )

"I'd like to look for Suriel, I think. I don't think I'll be able to figure out what they want unless I talk to them," you explain to Or, after taking a moment to think it over.

"I see," they say, nodding. "That makes sense. Are you still going to summon Arty to help you?"

"I am," you say, then hesitate, studying their expression and feeling like you ought to say something more. After all, you are sort of ditching them to try and find Suriel. "As long as you don't mind, of course. If you want me to come back to the party with you -"

"That's very sweet of you to offer, but I don't mind," Or says, flashing you a genuine smile. "I'm very good when left to my own devices, you know, and I have plenty of friends here. You'll just have to fill me in on all of the gossip once you're finished talking to Suriel. Actually..."

They gesture with one hand and produce a calling card with an elegant flourish, this one sporting a gold sigil drawn onto pale pink paper. You take it from them carefully, tucking it into one of the pockets hidden within your cape.

"Just in case you need it," they say, with a wink.

2/4 Marn 2019/11/22(Fri)13:36 No. 950089 ID: c1eaac
File 157445857564.png - (192.77KB , 700x600 , 85.png )

OBTAINED: ORNIAS'S CALLING CARD

3/4 Marn 2019/11/22(Fri)13:36 No. 950090 ID: c1eaac
File 157445859808.png - (184.94KB , 700x600 , 86.png )

You stammer out a surprised thanks to Or, and part ways shortly afterwards, Or returning towards the hustle and bustle of the party as you look for someplace private to summon up Arty. You settle on a sitting room that's nearly three times the size of the study where you and Or were before, making sure to shut and lock the door behind you as you enter.

You've never summoned an angel before, which becomes explicitly clear to you as you take out Arty's feather and stare at it, turning it over in your hands. In theory you know how it works, but, well...

"Here goes nothing," you murmur, holding the feather between thumb and forefinger and setting it alight.

4/4 Marn 2019/11/22(Fri)13:36 No. 950091 ID: c1eaac
File 157445861250.png - (167.83KB , 700x750 , 87.png )

The feather burns quickly, more quickly than you would have thought. The light of the flame grows so bright that it hurts to look at directly, turning into a flash of white light that threatens to envelop the room - until suddenly, it recedes, and the feather is gone, and Arty is standing there in front of you.

"Oh, hey! It's you!" he says, brightly. He's in human clothes, and looks shockingly nonplussed as he twists this way and that to take in his surroundings. His eyes fix back on you after a few seconds, the mechanical one rotating and dilating in its socket.

"Is this your place?" he asks. "It's kind of...dark. Not really what I would've expected."

You're beginning to realize, as Arty says this, that there is a non-zero chance that he gave you his feather as an explicit invitation to hook up, and that you summoned him to do pretty much the opposite of that.

So. How exactly are you going to explain this one?

OKAY HERES WHAT U GOTTA DO... go back to the room u were smooching ornias in... smooch arty for a little while... and THEN go find suriel. OR... ask arty for the favor of helping u with suriel, and promise to make up for it after the party by taking him home with u ;3

give arty a SMOOCH and then explain that you brought him here to investigate the dangerous group of angel-eaters actually, but that you would love to hook up if you both live afterwards

"Er, no, it's not my place, and I'm really sorry about these circumstances. Truly, I was planning on saving it for a home visit from you, but things have gotten a bit complicated here. Do you mind if we attend another party together before jumping right into that, and possibly help confront the shady angel that secretly invited me here with possibly nefarious goals in mind for me?"

Offer whatever context he needs when prompted, and emphasize that he wouldn't have been summoned under these less-than-ideal circumstances if you weren't literally scared for your life and needed someone who was able to back you up.

Hook up anyways, what could possibly go wrong?
But seriously, apologize for summoning him for something so serious, explain the situation to him, and politely ask for his help and advice.

And *then* hook up.

>>950281
OH THIS
also
kiss him first

1/4 Marn 2019/12/15(Sun)16:41 No. 951700 ID: c1eaac
File 157645690057.png - (213.04KB , 700x600 , 88.png )

Wow, Arty is handsome. You'd almost forgotten how handsome he is, since you last saw him two weeks ago. You definitely want to kiss him, but now seems like kind of a bad time to do that, especially since you're in a house full of angel-eaters, some of whom don't seem to like you very much.

Still. You do really want to kiss him.

"Um, hi," you say instead, trying to come off as less tongue-tied than you actually are. Your palms feel very sweaty, and you resist the urge to wipe them on your cape, clenching them into fists at your sides. "It's not really my place - and I think I should probably apologize in advance for summoning you here without an explanation."

"It's fine," Arty says, shrugging. "I was just on Earth. Not doin' anything important. What's up?"

"Well, I was planning on saving your feather for something nicer, but..." You grimace. "Stuff here is getting too complicated."

"Where is here, exactly?" Arty asks, looking around again.

Your grimace deepens. "Jasper Abbadon's house."

2/4 Marn 2019/12/15(Sun)16:42 No. 951701 ID: c1eaac
File 157645692650.png - (183.88KB , 700x600 , 89.png )

"Oh!" Arty says. Despite your misgivings, he doesn't look angry or annoyed - mostly surprised, and then a little excited. "I heard you let him get the shit kicked out of him by Eae at court. You want me to finish the job?"

"Not exactly," you say, a little stunned that he offered. "He's throwing one of his dinner parties, and I was invited."

Arty frowns, looking almost disappointed. "You don't seem like the type to go to these things."

"I'm not," you assure him, hastily. "One of his servants invited me without telling him, and I'm trying to figure out why. Jasper said they probably have some kind of plan for me, and Or said they might not talk to me with other demons around. So...I invited you. Because you're the only angel I know who would be okay with all this."

"Aw, ain't you sweet," Arty says. He's brightened again, running a hand through his hair as he looks around the room. "Can't say I'd ever pass up a chance to fuck around in Jasper's estate. Pretty much everybody knows he's breakin' the peace treaty with Heaven, but the evidence keeps goin' missing every time someone tries to get their hands on it. Pretty sure he's got an inside man with the archangels, or somethin' like that."

You remember that Camio said something to the same general effect, and almost feel a little bad for not bringing him along tonight. You might have been able to use his memory for gossip to dig up more dirt on Suriel.

3/4 Marn 2019/12/15(Sun)16:42 No. 951702 ID: c1eaac
File 157645694115.png - (168.79KB , 700x600 , 90.png )

"One thing, though," Arty says, gesturing to himself. "I didn't exactly get dressed tonight thinkin' I would be at a fancy party. I'm gonna stick out like a sore thumb, unless you were planning on sneakin' around instead of goin' right through the main ballroom or whatever. I mean, some of the people here know me already, but I don't think any of those people would blow my cover if they thought I was here as your date."

You also doubt that Or would blow Arty's cover. You're not completely certain about Eligos, but at least Arty could snap him in half if he tried.

"I could try to change your clothes with magic," you offer, hesitantly. Your Aunt Lotus has been teaching you basic glamours, and you're pretty sure you could whip something up. "It might not be perfect, but it'll look a little fancier than what you have on now."

"Sure," Arty agrees, cheerful as ever. "Just nothing too stuffy, alright?"

4/4 Marn 2019/12/15(Sun)16:42 No. 951703 ID: c1eaac
File 157645695620.png - (112.82KB , 350x820 , 91.png )

"Okay," you agree, stepping back to get a better look at Arty, and to start to formulate an outfit in your mind. How are you going to make him look like a regular party guest?

exactly that outfit

it's fantast 2019/12/16(Mon)23:48 No. 951773 ID: 2af340
File 157656888316.png - (116.67KB , 375x820 , him.png )

he

>>951773
yes, the nipple is necessary

alyssa 2019/12/17(Tue)09:29 No. 951786 ID: c1eaac
File 157660374705.png - (194.01KB , 700x820 , arty.png )

dear glas please make him look like captain marvel amen

>>951786
amen

Suggestion 2019/12/22(Sun)03:00 No. 952010 ID: 712b57
File 157701240413.jpg - (3.39MB , 3024x4032 , IMG_20191222_115540538.jpg )

mods help and forgive me, my computer is out of commission and all i have is my phone and my passionate desire for Arty's midriff to show
so sorry about the uh. file size
anyway, what better way to make ppl think he was your date then to match?
thats why the midriff, cool gloves are bc, well, flashing a lil shoulder is fun and flirty, the coat matches your cape somewhat, and then the boots are practical because arty is a practical man. big ole stompers! the pendant is just to add some pop to the otherwise not super fancy outfit, but its optional. i went with plain ish pants that have that lil. fold crease thing in the front bc thats also very pretty--i mean flows with the outfit and his coat and stuff. it's a fun outfit!

>>952010
oh, i am loving the the bottom hem of that coat

cmdonovann 2019/12/29(Sun)16:19 No. 952322 ID: b787ea
File 157766514434.png - (1.27MB , 3000x3000 , artydressupfinal.png )

alright here. not QUITE a tiddy window but close enough ;p

1/2 Marn 2020/03/23(Mon)10:43 No. 959525 ID: c1eaac
File 158498538638.png - (194.06KB , 700x690 , 92.png )

You hem and haw over outfit ideas for a little bit before deciding on one that you're pretty sure is just the right level of appropriate for a party like this. Once you're set, you focus as hard as you can on Arty, hard enough to give yourself a little headache right behind your eyebrows. A cloud of sweet-smelling smoke envelops him, and when it clears...

"Hey, this is pretty fancy," he says, grinning, twisting this way and that to look at his new outfit.

You bite your lip. It's definitely better than you had imagined, but you're not just going to SAY that.

"I'm glad you like it," you say instead, feeling more than a little pleased that you've managed to impress Arty with your magical skills. "Can we go look for Suriel, now?"

2/2 Marn 2020/03/23(Mon)10:43 No. 959526 ID: c1eaac
File 158498540159.png - (217.46KB , 700x600 , 93.png )

"Sure, sure," Arty says, still grinning. If you're not careful, you're apt to let him distract you as much as Or did. "D'you have a lead on where they might be? I'm pretty good at trackin', but a lead always helps."

"I saw them in the hedge maze, before," you offer, a little hesitantly. Murmur and your half-siblings might still be in the garden, and while your half-siblings are no trouble at all, you'd like to avoid Murmur if possible. Especially without Or to defuse the situation. Unfortunately, it's looking like you need to go back outside to find Suriel.

"You don't look too sure about that," Arty says. You look up to find him leaning slightly closer to you, and you grimace.

"Murmur was out in the garden making a scene when I left. There was some drama between him and Eligos, and he'd come out to complain. I don't want to run into him again."

"Ah," Arty says, and nods knowingly. "Yeah, he does that. Well, I bet there's another way out to the garden, if I know my rich demon houses. Or we can snoop around inside first. Or you can send me out there as a distraction to see if Murmur's still out there, and I'll keep him busy while you go on ahead into the maze."

Those are all very clever ideas, which makes you even more grateful Arty is backing you up on this one. Unfortunately, you're not sure which one of them is the best idea, but you're going to have to pick one, and fast.

find another way out and maybe do some light snooping on the way

snoop with arty (for safety, of course, only safety) and head out to the back garden! i think its fine to risk murmur - arty can take him

>>959526
whatever you do, ask for kiss before you do it

Marn 2020/05/17(Sun)19:59 No. 966953 ID: c1eaac
File 158977075323.png - (138.92KB , 700x600 , 94.png )

"Let's see if we can find another way outside?" you ask, glancing at Arty to make sure he approves. You can always do a little snooping on the way - in fact, you're pretty sure that looking around for doors to the garden counts as snooping to begin with. Two birds, one stone.

"Sounds good to me," Arty says, with a little shrug. "I don't really know the layout of this place, or I'd suggest where to start. You mind taking the lead for the time bein'?"

"That's fine," you say, more confidently than you really feel about it. This is your first time at Jasper's estate, too, but you've probably been in more enormous demon mansions than Arty has. Past a certain point, they all look more or less the same.

Your plan settled, you and Arty step out into the hallway. You blink as your eyes adjust once again to the light, and survey your options for where to go next. You could head back down the hallway you and Or originally came from, and towards the noise of the party guests, or you could go the opposite way, farther into the first floor of the estate. There's also bound to be a staircase around here somewhere, which would allow you access to the second floor.

"So, where to?" Arty asks, also glancing around, looking a little surprised at the sheer size of the hallway.

> Go back towards the party.
> Go farther away from the party.
> Make your way upstairs.

farther away from the party! but also hold artys hand because he is your DATE and you gotta be REALISTIC so that you dont blow his cover and for only that reason and nothing else

>>966957
seconded!!

make your way upstairs. i wanna see what jasper's got cooking around here

go upstairs in the hopes that you might run into abaddon... and of COURSE hold arty's hand.

I'm pretty sure you won't find the garden upstairs. Head away from the party, but stay on this floor.

1/3 Marn 2020/05/19(Tue)10:58 No. 967143 ID: c1eaac
File 158991111798.png - (141.07KB , 700x600 , 95.png )

"Let's try this way," you say, leading Arty further away from the noise of the party, down the hall that you and Or saw Jasper walking down before. He doesn't seem to be anywhere in sight now, so you're probably okay to snoop, at least for a little bit. You kind of wanted to snoop around upstairs, too, but you begrudgingly have to admit that going upstairs isn't going to get you much closer to the garden.

As you walk, you very smoothly slip your hand into Arty's, just to keep up the appearance of him being your date. And to keep him from wandering off. Definitely just those two reasons, and nothing else. And you're definitely not going to overthink it, and make your hands all sweaty.

2/3 Marn 2020/05/19(Tue)11:03 No. 967144 ID: c1eaac
File 158991140125.png - (104.10KB , 700x600 , 96.png )

As you walk, the columns flanking the hall begin to be replaced by huge glass windows on the wall to one side of you, giving you a surprisingly clear view of the garden. You don't see Murmur out there anymore - actually, you don't see anyone out there. Maybe it's getting close to dinnertime, because the garden looks pretty much deserted.

"I don't see shit out there," Arty says, stopping next to you to peer out the window.

You squint at the hedge maze, searching it for any signs of movement. "Me neither."

"You reckon the angel you're looking for went somewhere else?" he asks, giving you a sidelong glance.

"Maybe," you say. "But maybe they're farther in the hedge maze than we can see."

The maze seems like a pretty convenient place to do business in secret, after all. Or to spring a trap on someone. The hedge walls are so high that they obscure everything inside from view, and there's really no way to know if Suriel is lurking in there somewhere. And you still have no conclusive idea what they want from you, which might be the most concerning part.

3/3 Marn 2020/05/19(Tue)11:04 No. 967146 ID: c1eaac
File 158991144651.png - (71.42KB , 700x600 , 97.png )

"Why don't we go out and look, then?" Arty asks. Before you know it, he's tugging you farther down the hall, to a little atrium surrounded by the same floor-to-ceiling windows. There's a glass door on one end of it that obviously leads to the garden, and he pushes it open, releasing the two of you abruptly into the fresh, floral air.

You find yourself standing nearly at the entrance of the hedge maze - a different entrance than the one you saw from the front of the garden, before. You must be at the back of it, now. The path forks almost immediately from there, with no real clue which way to go.

"Hope you're good at mazes," Arty says brightly. "Aren't you only supposed to take right turns or something?"

You swallow, considering the two paths.

> Go left.
> Go right.

listen to arty, lets make right turns!

left on account of it's okay to break the law

"There's no 'right' direction in particular. The key is just to pick one and stick to it. I don't see any clues here, so I'll let you decide the initial direction, and unless it becomes apparent that the maze is shifting somehow, that will be the direction we turn at every junction."

left because why not!

Follow the right hand wall. Try to compose a mental map.

1/3 Marn 2020/05/20(Wed)10:40 No. 967253 ID: c1eaac
File 158999641193.png - (265.50KB , 700x600 , 98.png )

"I'm pretty sure the trick to mazes is to just pick one direction and stick to it," you tell Arty. Then again, you can't remember the last time you actually took a walk through a hedge maze. You must have been very young. Hopefully your sense of direction hasn't suffered since then.

You decide to make only right turns, but it isn't long before you hit your first dead-end. There are two demons here, drinking and chatting with each other. They give you and Arty a sidelong glance as you approach - you assume they were intending on having alone time.

"Oh, it's you," the dark-haired one says. You remember suddenly where you know her from - you ran into her and her companion while you were looking for Eae and Jasper, at court. Maybe they're friends with Jasper? "Looking for an angel again?"

2/3 Marn 2020/05/20(Wed)10:40 No. 967254 ID: c1eaac
File 158999642786.png - (180.97KB , 700x600 , 99.png )

"He's already got an angel," her companion points out. "Maybe they're looking for somewhere to be alone."

"Well, this spot's taken," she says, and sniffs.

"Actually, we're looking for a different angel," Arty says smoothly. "Maybe you know 'em. They're kind of the boss around here, from what I've heard."

"Suriel," you add.

"Oh, Jasper's head servant?" the blond demon asks. "I just saw them around here a little while ago. They were walking and talking to someone. Dunno who it was, they passed by too quickly."

Huh. Not exactly comforting information, but at least you know Suriel's still in the maze somewhere - or they were still here very recently. That means you're not just wandering around in the maze for no reason.

3/3 Marn 2020/05/20(Wed)10:41 No. 967255 ID: c1eaac
File 158999648937.png - (12.88KB , 700x600 , 100.png )

You go over your mental map of the maze, tracing the path you've been down already. You know this one ends in a dead end, so maybe it's time to backtrack? You could also stay here and ask these two some more questions, but they might get annoyed if you overstay your welcome.

> Go back to the start.
> Ask more questions.
> Something else?

these lesbians seem interesting, you never know what secrets they could be hiding. i say ask them more questions!

go back and go left! clearly these two want to be alone to kiss and thats respectable

"You saw them near here, or just heard them?" If the former, that's rather suspicious since this whole branch is one big dead end. Check the hedge wall on your way out for weak spots. You don't need to, of course, if it's the latter. (Either way, we now know that Suriel passed close by to this spot. Therefore, so will we if we want to find them.)

1/3 Marn 2020/05/22(Fri)13:45 No. 967517 ID: c1eaac
File 159018034035.png - (146.41KB , 700x600 , 101.png )

"Did you actually see Suriel? Or just hear them?" you ask, just to be sure.

"Saw them. Kind of," the blond demon says. "They turned around the corner and then realized it was a dead end, I guess. Or that we were already here. So they turned around and left."

Interesting. You'd expect Suriel to know the maze a little better, considering how close they apparently are to Jasper, but maybe they don't come out here much. It's not hard to get turned around in the maze. Maybe they and their companion were even looking for somewhere to be alone, or someone in particular.

"How long ago was that?" you ask. You don't want to push your luck with too many questions, but you'd rather be informed before you start down the other branch of the maze.

"Probably...fifteen minutes?" The blond demon shrugs. "Not too long ago."

2/3 Marn 2020/05/22(Fri)13:46 No. 967518 ID: c1eaac
File 159018036136.png - (168.80KB , 700x600 , 102.png )

"Well, thanks for the help," Arty says brightly, perhaps sensing (as you have) that the two of you are outstaying your welcome. "You two have names? I'm Arty, by the way."

"I'm Fen. Marquis Fen, to be formal about it. That's Lady Rima." the blond demon says, then pauses, and looks strangely between you and her companion. "You two don't know each other?"

Rima looks back at her, baffled. "Why would we?"

"You're both Hethsons," Fen says bluntly.

There's an awkward silence as you and Rima regard each other, both of you - you're sure - trying to figure out if you've ever met before in your lives. The fact that she doesn't seem to know makes you feel a little better about it, all things considered. She doesn't look that much older than you, but it's probable that she was raised in a completely different part of your mother's estate, or with her other parent. Still, always weird to meet a new half-sibling.

"Well, there are hundreds of us by now," Rima says finally, with a little huff. "You can't expect us to recognize each other on sight. We don't all have Marax's reputation."

3/3 Marn 2020/05/22(Fri)13:46 No. 967519 ID: c1eaac
File 159018037432.png - (12.72KB , 700x600 , 103.png )

"It's nice to meet you, anyway," you manage, backing up into a hedge as you start to head back the way you came. You'd like to find Suriel and be out of here by nightfall, if possible, which isn't that many hours away.

"Charmed, I'm sure," Rima says, wryly. It's the last you hear from either her or Fen before you turn a corner and they vanish from sight.

You and Arty make your way back to the maze entrance you came through, which really isn't so far from the dead end where you just were, and continue past it. The left path very quickly splits again, and you're left with the choice to keep going straight, or to make a right hand turn.

> Keep straight.
> Go right.

make a right! it didnt work out for us the first time but u never know! right turns only and im sticking to it

There's no reason to abandon the right hand wall rule.

i doubt there's a straight person in this thread
turn right

let's go right!

Yeah, sticking to one direction will land you in as many dead ends as picking at random would; the difference is that sticking to one direction is guaranteed to find your destination eventually. Turn right.

>>967533
You gotta be horny to keep up with this quest, and concern over gender is time that could be better spent on horny.

Rightwards!

Marn 2020/05/23(Sat)12:24 No. 967635 ID: c1eaac
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You and Arty continue through the maze, keeping to the right-hand rule until you can't anymore. You find yourselves stuck at another dead end - and you can hear Rima and Fen's voices close by, so you must not have gotten very far from where you started. At the very least, you've pretty much mapped out an entire corner of the maze, so you have a few branching paths you could go down when you start to backtrack.

Feel free to draw on the map if it's an easier way for you to describe where the boys should go next!

back down the path and take the first right we see! (the one above rima i think? but ant unexplored right will do)

^^ seconded, backtrack and take that right above where rima and fen are!

Stick. To. The plan. Keep hugging that right wall.

(I am starting to realize that this strategy is only useful when you don't have a perfect mental map of the maze thus far and can actually lose track of where you've been, unlike here. But it's good to be thorough when searching for someone!)

1/2 Marn 2020/05/25(Mon)14:15 No. 967873 ID: c1eaac
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You turn around and get ready to backtrack again with a sigh, tugging Arty with you by the hand.

"I'm already tired of this," you say, glancing up at him. "I feel like we're not making any progress. We keep having to go back to the beginning."

"We're making progress!" he says, encouragingly. "It just doesn't feel that way right now, but we'll find the right path eventually. We already know pretty much anything in this corner of the maze is a no-go, right?" He pauses, thoughtfully. "If I leave the maze and get a runnin' start, I could do a fly-over, and -"

"No," you say, shaking your head. You're already at a party where people are intending to eat angel meat, and you don't need Arty attracting that kind of attention. "Someone might see you. Suriel will know we're looking for them, or someone will try to shoot you out of the sky, and -"

"Alright, alright, point taken," he says, holding his hands up in surrender.

2/2 Marn 2020/05/25(Mon)14:15 No. 967874 ID: c1eaac
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Once again, you head back the way you came, taking the first right available to you. You follow the path down a ways until you come upon a curious fork - two paths that would technically both be right turns. You can't see or hear anything down the one directly ahead of you, but down the other one (to your left), you hear two people having what sounds like an extremely heated argument.

eavesdrop on the argument a little to see if suriel is involved. if so, follow the voices! if not, keep right!

that might be suriel arguing! we gotta check it out!

>>967876
+1

Go towards the arguing.

listen to the argument and see if suriel's part of it. even if not, listen in anyway. you might learn something useful about the other stuff going on around here!

1/3 Marn 2020/05/25(Mon)21:51 No. 967976 ID: c1eaac
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"I'm not usually one to condone eavesdropping, but..." you trail off, nodding in the direction that the arguing voices are coming from.

Arty seems to get the jist, and nods, tugging you farther down that particular path. As you weave around the hedges, the voices get louder. It's hard to tell where, exactly, they're coming from - they sound close, but the hedge walls don't muffle very much noise, so they could be farther away than you think.

" - can't believe you would embarrass me like that," one of the voices is snapping at the other. You're pretty sure there's only two people in the argument - and didn't Fen say Suriel was with someone else? Food for thought.

"You're right, you usually embarrass yourself enough without my help," the other voice says, just as acerbic. You hear the sound of what might be a scuffle happening.

"You know, you're lucky I don't have you thrown out of here. Jasper would -"

"Jasper would what? Ban me from his house? Oh, please, by all means, I'd love to see you convince him -"

" - don't need to convince anyone that you're an absolute prick who -"

Just as you're getting a little caught up in the argument yourself (and realizing that you don't even know what Suriel's voice sounds like, anyway), you and Arty round a corner straight into the two people you've been listening to.

3/3 Marn 2020/05/25(Mon)21:52 No. 967978 ID: c1eaac
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"GO AWAY," Murmur says.

TURN AROUND ABORT MISSION

OKAY YEAH LET’S TURN AROUND

YEAH. RUN. TURN AROUND AND TAKE THE PATH AT THE FORK. This is NOT worth getting involved in.

turn around and leave
we Never Saw This

Awkward thumbs up and leave.

OH. oh. okay. bye

1/2 Marn 2020/05/27(Wed)17:16 No. 968212 ID: c1eaac
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You and Arty backpedal wordlessly away, very nearly tripping over yourselves in an effort to make it back to the fork you were at just a moment ago. You find it, and rush past it, losing yourself in a completely unfamiliar new area of the maze just as Arty starts to wheeze in bursts of laughter.

"Holy shit," he manages between laughs, letting go of your hand to double over and clutch at his stomach. "Was that -"

"Murmur and Marax," you supply for him.

"I thought they were -"

"They are." A tiny smile tugs at the corner of your lips, both because Arty's laughter is so contagious and because this situation is so fucking ridiculous. "I mean, I thought they were. They both came here with different dates."

"I hate to be the one t'tell you," Arty says, as gravely as he can manage. "But I think that was foreplay for them."

A bark of laughter bubbles up unexpectedly from your throat, so sudden that you clasp your hands over your mouth, afraid Murmur might hear. But you're definitely out of earshot, now, so you uncover your mouth and let yourself laugh. It feels good, like you can forget about your stress for a second, forget about Suriel and Jasper and who knows what else. Like you can just exist here, with Arty.

2/2 Marn 2020/05/27(Wed)17:16 No. 968213 ID: c1eaac
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Unfortunately, you do still have to find Suriel. And you've found yourself at a weird, three-pronged crossroads.

First right again~

right makes right!
also, we can't not fuck arty

we go right!! onwards!!

right once again! and maybe pay arty a compliment as you go because he's very cute

good job adapting the maze to this medium, marn! really creative!

1/3 Marn 2020/06/08(Mon)11:10 No. 969220 ID: c1eaac
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You and Arty keep moving, and quickly find out that the first right at the crossroads leads to a dead end. You backtrack to take the next right, and have much more luck, losing yourself in a lengthy section of the maze that you haven't encountered before. It isn't long before you hear voices again - and definitely not Murmur and Marax's. They're close, too - they sound like they might be just around the corner, though still too hushed and conspiratorial to hear what they're actually saying.

2/3 Marn 2020/06/08(Mon)11:10 No. 969221 ID: c1eaac
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You peer around the corner of a hedge at the long corridor ahead of you, and your heart races as you recognize Suriel. They're talking to a demon you don't recognize. You're trying to get a better read on him, to figure out if he's a party guest or what, when his gaze flicks towards you. You're met with an arresting pair of eyes - slit pupils, a venomous shade of bright green.

Arty lets out a soft hiss and tugs you roughly back by the collar of your cloak.

"What -" you begin, but he shushes you. There's a look of recognition in his face that you don't like, one that says plainly that he knows what you just saw, and he's afraid of it.

3/3 Marn 2020/06/08(Mon)11:11 No. 969222 ID: c1eaac
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"I don't know what he's doing here, but it ain't good," Arty says in a whisper, nodding his head towards the corridor where Suriel and the demon are talking. "If I were you, I'd ditch this party right now."

"What?" you ask again, blinking. "Who is he?"

"My brother," Arty says, grimly.

"I thought -"

"Not Reuben," Arty cuts you off. "My other brother, the one I was actually born with. Apollyon. He's the one who took out my eye."

END CHAPTER 2
CONTINUE TO INTERMISSION: https://questden.org/kusaba/quest/res/969223.html