>Saturday, August 16th, 1884. The usual Californian heat is kept at bay by a late-summer breeze.

You slowly let your hand drift away from Mary's ears, returning it to the picnic table you sat at. Andrew and Steele were still chatting amongst themselves, the former's attention drifting from the latter as Buckwheat demanded a piece of pancake from Andrew's half-full plate. "This's my food, kid. Go play with the chick, leave me alone."

The chick in question was busy pecking away at the same patch of grass Mary was grazing on, and Buckwheat's response to such a suggestion was prompt and sharp: Andrew soon found himself brushing dirt off of his food, groaning at the state of his pancakes after the muddied donkey had decided Andrew didn't deserve them. You held back a laugh while Steele apologized for the occurrence, offering to buy Andrew a new serving...

-----

Once the three of you were done with your breakfasts, you floated the idea of getting some training in to the other two. "It'll help keep the neofauna calmer an' it'll make them stronger," you argued, "which'll keep us safer."

Andrew quickly got on board with the idea, but Steele seemed more apprehensive. "Are you sure such a dangerous activity is necessary? Indiana here does a fine job as-is," he stroked a hand across the mole's head, "and Andrew is on my payroll specifically to prevent such misfortune."

The aforementioned buffalo hunter spoke next. "You shouldn't just be relyin' on me for that. Guns don't do much against the kinds'a threats we seem t' be attractin' to us like flies."

There was a bit of silence... before Steele conceded. "I'll watch you two for a while, if it helps. Then I'll see if it would be worth the investment."

With that, both you and Andrew quickly took to training your little monsters in the grassy field you found yourselves in.

-----

The two of you had thought to begun with another battle against each other, but abandoned the idea after Andrew's chick nearly lit Taylor on fire. It wasn't worth the time it would take for both parties to heal, you'd reasoned, and instead the two of you pivoted to training against whatever wild neofauna came your way.

You'd thought the suggestion questionable. Andrew had been entirely on board. Yet, once you realized the main alternative would have been too close to property damage for comfort, you went along with it.

Mary found herself zapping down all manner of strange birds-- the monochrome starlings, regular old sparrows and, at one point, even one of those oversized eagle chicks. She didn't last long once that one came back to its senses, and you soon swapped her out for Taylor... who'd instead spent his time harassing the various red-eyed rats that roamed the area.

Andrew's training was much more tame than yours. He seemed much more focused on getting his neofauna to obey instructions than training them to be any stronger. He seemed to be struggling with the task-- especially in regards to Buckwheat, who seemed confused by the very concept of directions, and you soon abandoned your own party to try and teach him how to direct his.

-----

Morning turned to midday. Midday turned to afternoon. Afternoon...

...the sun was already beginning to set.

You laid back in the field, Mary trotting over to accompany you, exhausted. Your voice was sore from the amount of commands you'd given-- the amount of talking you'd done. That's what you'd figured, anyways. Maybe it had more to do with the speech you'd given last evening..?

Andrew was the polar opposite of you. The more you'd instructed him, the more inflamed he'd seemed to become at the prospect. You were watching him, now, trying and succeeding to command his small orange chick to scratch a tree trunk. It was a little victory, for sure, but one that Andrew seemed to treasure greatly. He ran over to his critter and gave it gentle praise, ruffling its feathers and smiling ever so slightly.

Steele had sat the entire thing out. He'd mentioned wanting to join in a few times but never acted upon it. "This isn't my field of expertise," he'd claimed, "and I would rather leave you two to it."
The bulky businessman sat at the same park bench he'd spent his entire day at, his expression a mix of fake intrigue and honest boredom.

You were just about done training for the day, but Andrew seemed like he could spend the entire night on his chick alone. That gave you an idea...

>Leave Andrew in the field and return to the heart of the city with Steele. A walk could help get things off his mind.

>Return to training and try to convince Steele to join in this time. [Roll 1d100, Bo3]

>Stay in the field and just... talk with Steele. It wouldn't hurt to get to know the man a little more.

>There was a show in town! Try to get both Andrew and Steele to go to it with you.

>Write-in.

>>6191968
>>6191969

The thread intros are looking evermore slick. Nice job, QM.

>Stay in the field and just... talk with Steele. It wouldn't hurt to get to know the man a little more.

Small write-in about what to ask:

- What is he doing in government?
- How and when will Steele want to depart for the East?
- How will he deal with Indiana's (the mole, not the state) battle-lust if he doesn't want to train him?

>>6191969
>Return to training and try to convince Steele to join in this time. [Roll 1d100, Bo3]

>>6191985
+1

>>6191985
+1

>>6191969
These are good questions, all.

>>6191969
supporting >>6191985

>>6191969
>>6191985
+1

>>6191985
Supporting

>>6191985
+1
Finally caught up with this, good job QM.

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(posting tomorrow, I have somehow caught an impromptu, very low-grade fever and haven't been able to write shit for the entire day. I blame the curse. Hopefully it will be gone by tomorrow since it's only like 38ish Celsius. It's good to see everyone again-- I'll do what I can to have a post up tomorrow!)

>>6193115
Cute art.

>I blame the curse.
I blame cold/flu/covid season being a triple whammy these dark years. At least three QMs have been struck by it this weekend, and I've had a persistent cough myself. Get well soon, QM!

>>6193115

Get well soon, QM. We'll be there when the next update drops.

(fever's not gone, but it's gone enough to write, so:

>>6191985
>>6192006
>>6192154
>>6192661
>>6192775
>>6192859
>>6193020
we'll be chatting with Steele! Writing.)

Why not spend some time with Steele?

You had ignored him yesterday, after all, and the man seemed rather bereft of things to do today.
You sifted through what you could do with him in your head-- he didn't want to train, so you wouldn't ask him to. He didn't seem especially thrill-seeking, so going to a show could be left for later.

You settled on having a conversation... after your throat had gotten a little bit of rest. It'd have been no use to talk when you were that sore, after all.

So, after you spent some time relaxing in the plush, grassy fields, you got to your feet and joined Steele at the picnic table.

"Hey, Steele." You greeted him with a small wave.

The aforementioned businessman was quickly delighted by your presence, a grin overtaking his face. "Oh, Buchanan!" He rubbed his nose. "Finally, you've come to rescue me from watching such tedium," he chuckled.

You were surprised he could find tedium in such a task. Sure, Andrew kept giving the same command to his chick, but the chick responded differently each time. It was part of the big problem he'd been having with training it. "Ah guess this isn't really in your wheelhouse?"

Steele shook his head. "No, I wouldn't say so." He stroked Indiana's head, seemingly unable to keep himself still once he'd started talking. "There is too much farming in it. Too much toiling away at a force of nature that hasn't got a chance in the world of listening t' you."

Odd, why was he being so pessimistic? Steele continued. "I must apologize for the harsh description-- I've just never been one for animals, you must understand." His eyes drifted to Taylor, asleep on your shoulders, then back to Indiana in his lap. "Neofauna are thankfully smarter than the average hound... but I cannot in good faith say that they are much more fascinating. Even with all their miracles, I find myself more interested in the affairs of any given human."

This prompted the mole to clamber out of Steele's lap and onto the table, turning back towards the businessman and stretching an elongated claw out towards his hand. It was an odd sight-- the mole didn't seem to understand what Steele was saying, but was reacting like Steele... needed reassurance? And Steele had taken the mole's claw as if he'd agreed.
You changed the topic. "Well, you seem pretty endeared t' little Indiana. How are you..."

You trailed off. You didn't want to be rude, and it was a bit of a rude suggestion.

"Yes?" Steele prompted you to continue, so you did.

"How exactly are you goin' to... handle him?"

The businessman blanked for a moment. "Elucidate, please."

You weren't sure what that word meant, but you figured it had something to do with wanting more information. "Well-- from what Andrew'n I have studied," your eyes drifted down to the table, "they're feisty creatures. They need t' do this or it builds up 'nside of 'em an' they get restless. Like little kids." A thought struck you... but you kept on going. "Indiana's one of 'em," you pointed to the mole, "so he'll need t' start trainin' eventually. I don't think he'd serve well as just a pet."

Steele chuckled. "You can put any worries of him serving me as a pet to sleep, Buchanan." He moved Indiana to his right as gently as he could. "I see him more as a friend or a bodyguard, and he seems to share the sentiment. He'll... get his fix from defending me, I think."

You raised a brow. "Isn't that what you're payin' Andrew t' do?"

Steele nodded. "Yes, from human threats. I doubt his guns will do much against the creatures we have faced so far."

You wanted to object, but instantly recalled the metal-eaters. The moles, too... they would be rather hard to shoot. "Well... what about when you get back t' Indiana, then? What'll he do for you there?"

The businessman's expression sagged a bit. "Well..." His once-booming voice began to quiet. "I'm sure Indiana will get plenty of exercise there too. The whole world's in danger right now, after all, and Indiana is still part of this world!"

That was quite the exaggeration-- oh, you'd forgotten to ask something important. "When are you goin' there, anyways? Back t' Indiana?"

Steele's mustache bristled. After you gave him a confused apology, he answered your question. "Well, I have no intentions of leaving you on your own, Buchanan. Not for a long time. I appreciate your efforts and grealty enjoy your company-- it would be silly to abandon you during a time in which I can't return home without a grand journey across these fair States." His expression drifted off again. "It would be much easier if we could find a working train, but I doubt such a thing exists on this side of the Pacific anymore. Besides, I'm... having fun."

You'd gathered as much. Yet... hearing Steele stay it aloud refreshed the surprise it once brought you. "In this kind'a world..." You chuckled. "Ah really gotta tell you, you've made things a bit more fun for me as well. You're good at cheerin' people up." That brought a smile to the old man's face. "You must've had no time gettin' elected t' whatever... politic thingy you're doin' right now."

"To the House." Steele clarified.

Wait, did he mean the House or some mayoral position? Something else? "Of Representatives?"

Steele nodded. "Indiana, sixth district. Three years and counting." A bit of pride entered his expression, though it seemed fleeting.

You didn't know much about politics. Hell, the Stater speech was probably the most political you had ever gotten. But you knew that the House of Representatives was a big deal. To you, it was only two steps removed from the top: the presidency of the entire country. "Wow, ah... congratulations!"

That prompted a guffaw from the old man. "Oh, please, I've had enough of that kind of praise already. Besides, you're three years too late, Buchanan. Get with the times!" He smiled from ear to ear.

His laughter was infectious, as seemed to be standard by this point, and you jabbed right back at him. The two of you exchanged friendly insults for a time, keeping up conversation as the sun began to sink into the bottom of the sky, your loud chatter waning as the sunlight shied away from your table and into the abyss below the horizon.

<><><><><>

Andrew had kept training even into the late hours of the day.

Apparently last night's long night at a rowdy saloon wasn't enough to convince him to sleep earlier. After you'd insisted that he join you and Steele at the hotel, all he'd done was down a shot of Bourbon and insist he was going to be fine. He'd ignored any further attempts to dissuade him, and you eventually left the man to his own devices after he'd started shouting commands louder than you could argue.

Now you lay in bed, once again, the day having flown by you like a bullet past your ear.

You pulled out the day's newspaper. You'd grabbed it on the way here. It would've been foolish not to, you told yourself, after what yesterday had brought.

To your great relief, today seemed comparatively uneventful.

There was scant discussion of any disastrous misfortune.

There was a small article dedicated to how the people of New York were seeking help and rebuilding after the earthquake. Aftershocks had struck places as far away as Pennsylvania, it'd stated, and help was being solicited from all of New England. That was the front page for the day.

Behind a wall of advertisements, you sifted through a brief business section. Trade with China had been ceased recently, at least in Europe, after an incident involving a Dutch merchant and a cup of tea somehow assaulting him. That was pretty humorous, you'd thought, though part of you also knew that such a thing was almost plausible in this chaotic new age. America was considering following suit... hopefully there would be some investigation into the incident first.

The final page was cluttered with more ads, mixed in with cries for help or outrage against various occurrences in the city.
A man had been caught selling gin to children, which had prompted an especially passionate "woman of temperance" to write in to the paper.
A teenaged child had ridden one of Andrew's donkeys into a store and been kicked out. The paper included an illustration showing a horrified shopkeeper and an absolutely thrilled young boy in the midst of trashed merchandise and a broken wall... an illustration that seemed to originate from the shopkeeper himself, if the subtitle was to be believed, who'd come to the papers to complain about such incidents.

After an advertisement lauding the "thrills and chills" a trip to the Brazilian Empire's Amazon would surely provide you, complete with bragging about the deaths of an entire platoon within its "hidden, overgrown depths" and asking an exorbitant price of $50 just for transportation, you rolled the paper up and stowed it away in your trunk.

The night was young, and you felt it best to get to sleep... but part of you thought it better to do something else. It wasn't as late as yesterday, after all. You could cram something else in.

>But you better not. Just go to sleep and rest well. Tomorrow will be easier with a full night's sleep.

>Go find Andrew and make sure he's okay. Just in case.

>Go search for creatures. You haven't done much studying this late at night-- maybe there are some nocturnal neofauna you're missing out on?

>Write-in.

>>6193834
>Go search for creatures. You haven't done much studying this late at night-- maybe there are some nocturnal neofauna you're missing out on?
We love our studying.

>>6193834
>Go search for creatures. You haven't done much studying this late at night-- maybe there are some nocturnal neofauna you're missing out on?

>>6193834
Sinistea and Polchageist menacing the Dutch and Chinese is a hilarious mental image.
The Amazon... Wonder if anyone will find a Mew?

>Go search for creatures. You haven't done much studying this late at night-- maybe there are some nocturnal neofauna you're missing out on?

>>6193834
>Go search for creatures. You haven't done much studying this late at night-- maybe there are some nocturnal neofauna you're missing out on?

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>>6193834

>Go search for creatures. You haven't done much studying this late at night-- maybe there are some nocturnal neofauna you're missing out on?

We're nothing if not a masterful naturalist. Plus, I wanna see the reaction to more ghost type Pokémon. It's one thing to have them listed as demons, but straight up substantial supernatural phenomena? That needs studying. Also I wonder how Pokémon that evolve to trade holding certain items are going to work, like Electrivire, Magmortar or Gengar.

Also, good to see you back QM! I was looking forward to seeing this quest again! Do you make all these banners yourself?

>>6193830
>>6193831
>>6193832
>>6193834

>Go search for creatures. You haven't done much studying this late at night-- maybe there are some nocturnal neofauna you're missing out on?

Next night we sleep early. Waltur shouldn't become an insomniac just because of all the nightly critters.

>>6193834
>Go search for creatures. You haven't done much studying this late at night-- maybe there are some nocturnal neofauna you're missing out on?
Maybe Andrew can tag along if we see him outside; who knows what lurks in the dark now? At least we should make use of our two remaining nutberries while they are unspoiled.

>>6193834
>Go find Andrew and make sure he's okay. Just in case.

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Rolled 36 (1d100)

4chan is complaining about quoting people again. Imagine all your posts are here and (You)'d appropriately.

We're searching for creatures!

>Do you make all these banners yourself?
Yes, but not the art. I make the banners mostly by searching through my never-ending stash of fanart (pic related) and applying the text appropriately.

I've been considering cropping future banners to stay within a certain aspect ratio since I kept losing thread 3 on the catalogue due to its banner being way wider than the other threads', but I haven't decided anything for sure yet.

Glad to have you back.

<><><><><>

You hadn't even considered studying neofauna late at night before. Such a thing seemed like a fool's errand without proper lighting.

Yet here you stood, on the outskirts of Sacramento, scanning the area for any sign of movement.

It wasn't anywhere near as easy to see as it would've been during daytime. You could only see about a foot or two in front of you, and even that was a little unclear due to just how dark it was. At least Mary was helping you see that much. When you looked up to try and see the stars, you were met with such overwhelming darkness that, for just a moment... it was hard not to wonder if this world really was inhabited by demons. Abandoned by God.

But... you threw that thinking aside once Mary stumbled over to you and lay her weary head upon the side of your leg. She was a good reminder of why you'd abandoned such thought in the first place.

You lowered yourself into the grass, crossing your legs and pulling out your notebook, giving Mary some scratches while you waited for any kind of motion... only to be met with something strange.

Nothing.

For a long while, there was nothing but silence. It was like the entire field was just... dead. All you could hear was the wind brushing against your cold cheek, the scratching you were giving Mary, and her contented bleats. You'd resigned yourself to reading over your notes and fixing small mistakes, doing little more than listening carefully, as you tried to keep yourself awake. Then... you finally saw something.

Light.

Far to your left, from behind... something that you could only make out in silhouette, you saw a warm glow.

You jumped to your feet, notebook in one hand and a command for Mary to rise with you in your other, the sheep protesting at your sudden change of direction until noticing the aberration herself.

The light grew closer. It began creeping across the rock it had emerged from, its warmth overwhelming the cool grey surface of the stone, illuminating its many cracks and dimples as it crept down to light up... the dry grass beneath it.

You began to approach, doing your best to keep Mary quiet by whispering orders and keeping yourself hunched over. The light grew stronger and stronger, spilling out from behind the stone like an inconsistent waterfall, growing from a faint whisper of yellow into a chorus of warm orange hues and light red highlights--

FWOOSH

You and Mary were thrown backwards!

The pair of you tumbled into the grass, backs first, as something flew by you. The flash of heat that followed it confirmed your suspicions-- the flaming horse from two nights ago had returned to haunt you!

But was it the same-- you winced, peeling yourself off the ground to try and look in its direction-- was it the same specific horse? Was it another member of the species?

You spotted the fire it brought with it disappearing into the horizon, running behind a tree... then looping back and heading straight for you.

Mary forced herself up, letting out a loud bleat ending in a crackle you'd hardly heard before, standing tall and running in front of you to protect you. But the horse was coming at you fast--

You had little time. You had to act now.

>Roll out of the way and shout for Mary to follow.

>Command Mary to fight back! Tell her to [insert one of the following depending on what you want:]
Shock the horse! / try to Tackle the horse's side! / go for the horse's knees! / Tackle the horse head-on! / Write-in another strategy!

>Join Mary in making a lot of noise! Shout something loud and short in the hopes that it'll catch the horse off-guard.

>Write-in.

No matter which option you choose, please roll 1d100! Best of 3 rules will be used.

Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>6194709
>Command Mary to fight back! Tell her to shock the horse!

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>6194709
>Command Mary to fight back! Tell her to shock the horse!
Come on dice

Rolled 20 (1d100)

>>6194732
>Command Mary to fight back! Tell her to shock the horse!

>>6194739
Dang anon, you killed a Ponyta.

>>6194743
Nah, the paralysis procced

Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>6194698
>>6194709

>Command Mary to fight back! Tell her to shock that thing into the high heavens.

Too late to roll, but worth a try. Still, I think Mary is OBLITERATING that Ponyta with >>6194739's 98.

>>6194604

Jesus Christ, that is a lot of art. Can't wait to see what the other covers might bring.

>>6194992

Man am I happy about being late for once

>>6194709
>Command Mary to fight back! Tell her to shock the horse!
I guess we all agree. But what do we think about taming the Ponyta? We do need a Neofauna to get us around and a flaming horse seems like a solid choice.

>>6195005

I am highly in favour of domesticizing it. However, I don't think we can sit on it's back because of the fire hazard.

>>6195022
All we have to do is get it to trust us, then bam. Inexaustible horsey rides.

>>6195139
Is that true of game lore, or just the show?

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>>6194739
Jesus, we'll definitely be fine.

The horse is getting shocked. Writing.

And act you did.

"Mary! Shock it!" You barely realized the words had escaped your mouth when you heard a loud BZZT flee from Mary's wool, letting loose a flash of lightning that struck straight and true-- right into the horse's kneecaps.

The poor thing let out an ear-splitting screech, crumpling in front of Mary and slamming its neck into the grass. The foal's tongue flopped out, twitching, as it... didn't move.
Only then could you get a good view of the creature. A lightly-colored foal of some kind... completely alight where its mane should've been. All it had for features were a pair of oversized, cat-like ears and blue hooves. Any hair had been entirely replaced by a fire that you could feel the strength of from several feet away.

You were worried Mary had gone a little too far. Maybe injured it. Killed it. You inched forward, your heart still racing, a hand out, ready to stroke its cheek...

...only to be caught up in a huge cloud of smoke billowing out of the thing's nostrils!

Your eyes instantly flooded. You caught yourself coughing, hacking, crawling backwards. It clearly didn't want you near it-- that much was obvious, and you were willing to oblige.

You crawled back to Mary, praising her performance, watching the pony struggle to get back on its feet and keeping your distance. The horse was still flailing about, trying to reach Mary, snorting smoke, clearly desperate to do some kind of damage to you for one reason or another. You almost wanted to take pity on it, but every attempt was met with sharp opposition and more indignation at its sorry state.
Mary was more than pleased to receive your praise... but you noticed her attention drifting after a minute or two. She'd been beaming, sitting upright and smiling from ear to ear, until the horse had let out another sharp neigh.

To your surprise, Mary turned her attention to the foal... without contempt. Instead, she seemed curious. The horse made more noise-- snorts, whinnies, the like-- interspersed with futile attempts to rise to its legs. Mary almost seemed to listen to the noises as if they made sense to her.

But... no, that was silly. She hadn't understood the metal ants, the rhinos, the birds. Why would this foal be any different?

-----

You spent your evening studying every aspect of the creature that you could. You kept your distance, not wanting to be burned by its flames, but managed to get close enough to comment on certain things-- the quality of its hooves (...almost stone-like...), the vents on its back that produced the flames (...through some type of organ, I'd imagine, that I cannot fathom the anatomy of...), its impressively uniform coat and its rather small size. It was almost like a pint-sized Dora. You would've been lucky if you could ride it... assuming you felt brave enough to ride something thats back was cloaked in fire, of course. It seemed more like the kind of ponies you could find at a small fair than a proper horse.

Yet, despite this, the pony had more than enough fighting spirit to make up for it. The damned creature kept kicking and snorting throughout its paralysis, refusing to give in to its failing knees, neighing and doing its absolute best to keep you at bay.

At some point, you began to wonder where the guards were.

Surely they would have heard this by now, wouldn't they? You were on the outskirts of Sacramento, possibly the most heavily-foritified place in the city that wasn't home to the elite or the Governor himself.

You let your eyes drift from the paralyzed horse for a moment or two. Everything was pitch-black. Mary remained your only light source outside of the immobile horse, and yet... you still couldn't make out any soldiers. No sounds gave them away. No armor made their silhouettes known.

For whatever reason, the oddity sent a chill down your spine. Maybe it had to do with what you'd last seen when you were in a similar situation. That... dreadful child...

No, now was not the time to be thinking about such things. You commanded Mary to follow you and took a short walk around the area. It wouldn't hurt to find a footpath of some sorts. Or make sure you were in the clear. Alone, truly, save for God's newest creations.

As the two of you traversed the place, you... found yourself vindicated. Not a soul could be seen--

xjpgy wz nzzi

Dear God, what was that?

You stumbled backwards, disoriented. Your ears were ringing and your head was spinning. Back and forth-- there was nobody here, nobody that could have said that. Nobody could have said those words. All you'd done was thought them. But-- no, you hadn't even thought those words. Those weren't your thoughts. Why were you--?

Mary let out a bleat-- sharp, dry. Was she scared? You turned back to her--

Wzcdiy Hvmt, tjp xvpbco v bgdhknz ja bjgy. V nhvgg cdio ja apm-- ij, nfdi? V xgvr jm orj, hvtwz. Rcj rvn oj nvt. Do rvni'o dhkjmovio, vitcjr.

Hvmt, zqzm ocz rzgg-wzcvqzy nczzk, lpdxfgt rzio ndgzio. Ncz ydyi'o nkzvf v rjmy-- cjr xjpmozjpn ja czm! Dinozvy, ncz amjuz: ajm epno v hjhzio. Czm ztzn rzmzi'o pigdfz ocvo ja v xvkopmzy yzzm'n-- vrvmz ja don jri hjmovgdot viy pirdggdib oj vxxzko do.

A shout snapped Mary out of whatever stupor she'd fallen into. She looked at you, her expression unreadable, turning tail and fleeing back towards the horse. Why was she running? You had to follow--

Wpo tjp nojkkzy! Do rvn cvmy ijo oj, rczi kmznziozy rdoc npxc v kmzoot ndbco. D rvn agvoozmzy, ja xjpmnz, wpo cvy vgmzvyt jqzmnozkkzy ht wjpiyvmdzn.

And it vanished.

In front of your eyes.

Whatever you had just seen... whatever your mind had conjured up in front of you... vanished.

~~~~~

Walter hadn't gotten up yet.

That wasn't an issue, of course. I wasn't gonna bother him. The man looked like he'd seen a ghost. Dunno how he even made it back to his fancy hotel in one piece.

The only thing gettin' in the way of some more training was this letter I found in front'a his doorstep. From a certain Mr. Muyr...

The sun was already startin' to rise. I'd promised Dora I'd be back at the old fort by noon, and the little guy wouldn't stop runnin' in place an' chirpin'...

...I'm not goin' t' open an innocent man's mail, I decided. I slipped the letter underneath his doorstep and left it at that. Walter could handle it.

~~~~~

...

...you were alive.

That much was certain.

Mary lay on top of you, unconscious.

You were... at the hotel. In bed.

Only one thought occupied your head.

What in God's name was that?

Panic gripped you. You felt your heart seize up as you forced yourself out of bed, breath tight, lungs tighter, skin paler than your worst nightmare. You threw on the nearest pair of clothes you had, scooped up the letter in front of your door, and slammed the thing open.

Wherever Steele was, he could wait.

You had to know.

<><><><><>

The horse was still there. Asleep.

Mary bleated alarm upon seeing where you were looking. She twitched and shivered, running behind you and growling like a dog. The further you got from the scene the easier her demeanor was, and you had to be completely out of sight for her to calm down even a little bit.

Once the two of you were far from the foal... you could breathe.

Your head still hurt from whatever that thing had done to it. That yellow, floating... thing. You were half-tempted to try looking for an icebox in the hopes that numbing your scalp would somehow help.
Mary's coat was... different. Patches of her wool seemed to have turned into cotton-- how on earth this occurred was beyond you. When you tried to pluck the wayward flowers out of her wool, all they did was stick to you and slow you down. You had to stick your hands in the nearest pond to be rid of them. It was an interesting development nonetheless-- not too dissimilar to what she had done in her previous training session, and something you would surely have to work on.

For now, though, your thoughts were elsewhere. Whatever that thing was... you were certain it was neofauna of some sort. New fauna, probably native to California.

The hundredth kind that you'd spotted.

You wasted no time in writing down all you could about it.

Its page seemed like the scribblings of a madman. Inhuman, with an enormous head-- and yet, not like your typical earthly fauna either. Ability to disappear at will, if it was even real to begin with-- but it had to be! The horse, the area-- Mary was scared. Some sort of power over the brain, be it neofaunic or human.

Beyond anything I have ever seen.

You wanted to attribute it to God-- no, to Satan? To-- you couldn't understand. Was it an angel? It couldn't be. It wasn't anything like...

Mary guided you over to a park bench, nudging you from the front and sitting you down.

Taylor and Florian were still at the hotel, you'd realized.

You'd just... left them there.

You... had to do something.

>Return to the hotel. Pick them up.

>Read that letter you got first.

>Ignore all of that and spend more quality time with Mary.

>>6195397
>Return to the hotel. Pick them up.
Lest they start trouble or be nabbed by rustlers.

>>6195397
>Return to the hotel. Pick them up.
What >>6195416 said

>>6195391
Nice Caesar cipher you got there, QM
The question is who is the one speaking in that and why Walter could pick up on it. It sounds like at first its his own narration like usual, but the last line shifts to sounding like somebody else? Is this fucking Arceus?

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>>6195425
It's floating, yellow, and spoke directly into our head so it's psychic. I'm thinking Abra, since it's floating and has a big old noggin.

>>6195430
>glimpse of gold
>skin? A claw or two
Yup, that's an Abra
>"I was flattered, of course, but had already overstepped my boundaries."
The Psychic mons know by now. They must all be laying low on purpose because they can think as well as or better than humans, so they can already predict or see the future in store

>>6195386
>>6195389
>>6195391
>>6195396
>>6195397

>Read that letter you got first.

What the fuck is happening here? Maybe more importantly, why is Mary scared out of her mind by a sleeping Ponyta?

>>6195397
>Return to the hotel. Pick them up.
Spooky psychic neofauna.

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>>6195397
>Return to the hotel. Pick them up.
And THEN
>Read the letter

TAYLOR PRODUCES SILK NATURALLY AND I DONT WANT A REPEAT OF CHINA TOWN, WE NEED TO SAVE OUR LITTLE FRIENDS NOWNOWNOWNOWNOW

>>6195607
If the sheep is scared it's cause she needs her flock, CHANGE YOUR VOTE MAN, PLEASE, WE CAN ALWAYS READ THE LETTER LATER WHEN THEY'RE SAFE AND ACCOUNTED FOR!

As an aside I hope the Ponyta is actually ok. Just paralyzed temporarily and not cardiac arrested or something. We need to start coming up with a better way of approaching these animals than just tasering them.

>>6195397
>Return to the hotel. Pick them up.

>>6195675
>We need to start coming up with a better way of approaching these animals than just tasering them.
We didn't approach it. it came at us, full-tilt, on fire,with hooves harder than diamonds. We did what we had to. Besides, Abra's, uh... Looking after it? Maybe?
Maybe planning to scavenge its remains...

Jesus, I nearly forgot about the quest with all the stuff I had to do today. Sorry.

We'll be heading back to the hotel. Writing now.

>>6196023
Waiting warmly!

>>6195894

Abra and Ponyta is a Laurel and Hardy-typed duo if I've ever seen one.

You... weren't going to leave your neofauna there. Even through the headache, it was hard not to recall what had happened in Chinatown. If another ambitious soul found out about Taylor...

...no, that couldn't happen. You wouldn't let it. Right.

Mary tried to force you back onto the bench, nudging you slightly, bleating concern. She circled the bench and looked up at you. But you couldn't do what she wanted. Not now. You had to go...

She didn't resist the second time. She let you go without pushback. You gave her a scratch and murmured your thanks... then got to walking.

Hopefully your headache would clear up soon.

-----

BONG. BONG.

It took an entire crowd of people stuffing a church entrance to remind you that it was morningtime.

>Sunday, August 17th

You felt a little silly for not picking up on it earlier. Of course that... encounter wasn't a dream. Mary had gotten worried just by seeing the place you'd encountered that... thing. And the horse... it was still there.

This ice really wasn't helping. Repeating thoughts probably didn't mean things were getting better. No matter-- you could spend some extra time at the hotel with your neofauna. Maybe have a little rest with them. Check on the sapling...

A certain man in the crowd caught your attention.

He hadn't done much to warrant it. It was just an older man in a suit and tie, after all.

But the crowd was parting for him. Whispering things. Paying attention.

You started wandering over to the right of the crowd, trying to get a better glimpse of the man. It was hard to make out, but you eventually managed to glean some slight details.

The man had a hand in his coat pocket and a stern expression on his face. His ascent up the church steps sent most of the citizens surrounding him in various different directions-- many who tried to enter at the same time that he did were pulled back by other people or shooed away by guards.

If there was a service starting now... maybe it would be best to attend. You didn't want to entertain the thought, but... if what you'd met last night really was a demon, maybe some of your ills could be cured with a visit to the church. Maybe...

>Ignore the church entirely. You have higher priorities and you really don't think you met any kind of demon.

>Come back to the church later. It's pretty crowded right now, and you have to make sure Taylor and Florian are okay... but it wouldn't hurt to completely rule out some sort of demonic after-effects.

>Stop by the church now. You want to be rid of this headache as soon as possible, by any means possible.

>>6196302

>Come back to the church later. It's pretty crowded right now, and you have to make sure Taylor and Florian are okay... but it wouldn't hurt to completely rule out some sort of demonic after-effects.

Just to ask who the fancy man we just saw was. I don't think praying will help this headache much.

>>6196302
>Come back to the church later. It's pretty crowded right now, and you have to make sure Taylor and Florian are okay... but it wouldn't hurt to completely rule out some sort of demonic after-effects.

>>6196302
>Come back to the church later. It's pretty crowded right now, and you have to make sure Taylor and Florian are okay... but it wouldn't hurt to completely rule out some sort of demonic after-effects.

(also, as an aside, sorry for not giving a heads-up last night! I ended up falling asleep on my keyboard again. Hopefully I'll shift around my posting times so that I can post earlier and prevent the writing quality from suffering so badly from sleep deprivation. I'll have to see if my schedule lets me, but I'll see what I can do.)

>>6196302
>Come back to the church later. It's pretty crowded right now, and you have to make sure Taylor and Florian are okay... but it wouldn't hurt to completely rule out some sort of demonic after-effects.
Given the regular noise level of Sacramento this sermon is due to have some amount of shouting, which is really not conducive to curing headaches. Maybe others have also confessed demonic encounters like yours to the pastor?
Just caught up, its been a wild ride so far and a very entertaining read. Whatever schedule is best for you QM is also best for us; you're essential after all.

>>6196302
>Come back to the church later. It's pretty crowded right now, and you have to make sure Taylor and Florian are okay... but it wouldn't hurt to completely rule out some sort of demonic after-effects.
Just in case... But I'm pretty sure we're just suffering the "confused" effect.

>>6196302
>Come back to the church later. It's pretty crowded right now, and you have to make sure Taylor and Florian are okay... but it wouldn't hurt to completely rule out some sort of demonic after-effects.

It would be interesting what they're talking about, maybe we'll be able to see if our speech is already having impact on the people here. But I don't want to risk attracting attention while we're in this state.

>>6196302
>Come back to the church later. It's pretty crowded right now, and you have to make sure Taylor and Florian are okay... but it wouldn't hurt to completely rule out some sort of demonic after-effects.

I'm willing to bet they have some kind of snake oil salesman here, or something akin to that nature. Hell maybe it's that one dick head politician here to take matters into his own hands. In which case, we can zap him after we make sure Taylor and Florian are ok.

Alright, we'll come back to the church later. Writing now.

>>6196396
>Just caught up, its been a wild ride so far and a very entertaining read.
Thank you! I'm always glad to hear about other people enjoying my amateurish writings haha.

>>6196401
>I'm pretty sure we're just suffering the "confused" effect.
Ding-ding-ding! You get a cookie! I hope you don't mind that it's oatmeal-raisin.

...you had higher priorities. The church could wait.

Peeling your eyes away from the mass of people, you refocused on the most important task at hand: keeping your friends safe.

With a renewed determination and your sheepy friend by your side, you headed back to the hotel.

<><><><><>

You stumbled through the hotel's deserted corridors like you'd never been through them, one hand on your ice pack and another tracing the walls. It was a miracle that most of the clientele seemed to be missing. The only people you really saw were the occasional maid or janitor.

As you crept closer to the stables that held your friends, however, you were able to make out an... odd sound. Some kind of crying?

Opening the stable doors flooded your nose with an overwhelming, familiar kind of stink. The sheer amount of horses being kept here was enough to boggle your already-dizzied brain, but you weren't here for those. No, you were here for the temporary neofauna quarters over to the left.

The quarters in question seemed to be what remained of a hastily-rebuilt office. Desks and shelves had been segmented with planks or books, lined up against the walls, and made into various shapes and sizes to accommodate the wide variety of neofauna... that you presumed would be kept here if any guest were to bring some with them. As it was now, though, the only neofauna being held here were your own.

Taylor seemed well-adjusted enough. He had curled up in his small drawer-nest and seemingly fallen asleep. Florian, however... seemed to be the source of the crying.

The closer you got to him, the louder it got. It was hard to even make out what he was crying about-- until you noticed what was sat next to him.

The nutberry sat beside him. The one you'd used to tame him. His closest companion... was a mushy, rotten mess that was covered in hundreds and hundreds of ants.

Florian gave it a poke and a nudge. He stopped crying, briefly, when he saw it budge a little bit... before it slumped over once again, a pile of sludge and seeds that was only barely discernible as any kind of berry.

The display almost hurt you more than the volume of Florian's crying. You hadn't realized the berry had meant so much to him until now-- you'd just assumed that Florian enjoyed the company of flora. When you brought him the potted plant that sat in one of the larger drawers, however, he just kept on crying. It wasn't the same.

You tried to ignore the crying at first-- you focused instead on the positives. Both of your friends were safe and in comfortable enclosures. They didn't have any other neofauna bothering them. There weren't any people here to demonize them or make noise to disturb them with. They even had a rather sizeable window to the outdoors... but you could only ignore the crying for so long.

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Unsure of what else to do, you slid a hand underneath Florian and tried to pull him away from the nutberry. He squeaked and cried, falling over in your palm in an attempt to return to his rotted friend, but you kept pulling him further away. You felt that, if you didn't take him away, the small plant would never leave his rotting berry's side.

Once Florian eventually stopped trying to jump out of your hand to return to the berry, you finally got him to stay still long enough to wipe the odd tears welling up in his eyes. It seemed to be regular water... not even the usual salty tears that humans produced. That gave you an idea.

After wiping away Florian's tears, you tried to dab your wet finger onto the bud atop his little body. Plants liked water, after all, and it probably wasn't good for him to lose so much over something like this.
Florian didn't respond to it at first. He did nothing but turn grumpy and uncommunicative, not moving his sight from his rotted berry. After you started poking his cheeks and sprinkling water in different places, however, he started to cheer up a little. His frown went to a neutral grimace; his brows lightened up. Eventually, he even started smiling!

It was hard not to enjoy messing with him a little bit-- you pretended to try and poke one cheek before poking another, pinched his bud, and generally "roughhoused" with the delicate bud as much as you could. Given Florian's size-- hardly greater than your index finger-- it was tough... but it made the two of you happy enough to be worth the effort.

You would have questioned as much if that was all that had happened. You'd pulled Florian away from his grieving and distracted him enough to cheer him up. That was certainly meaningful, and definitely helped keep the both of you in good spirits... but Florian seemed to think that wasn't enough.

The more you played with Florian's bud, the more you started to notice the air changing. What had once been a stale, faintly manure-laced atmosphere had begun to change. The vague stinking of the stables began to disappear, replaced instead by the faint smell of roses. The darkness of the room began to seem less like an oppressive side-effect of being so empty and more like a comforting blanket of shadow. Your headache began to ease and slip away...

You brought Florian over to the windowsill and sat him down, continuing to lightly poke at and caress his bulb. Your eyes began to drift to the outdoors as you finally felt the heavy fog clogging up your brain begin to lift...

When you next looked to your flowery friend, he had an enormous smile on his face. His cheeks were almost as rosy as the air's scent, and his bulb... had split in two!

The strange occurrence snapped you out of your stupor-- what on earth was that? You couldn't help but try to figure it out. A pair of red and blue balls sat in either vine, contained in what almost looked like a pair of leafy cribs, tipped with what had originally been the outer lacing of Florian's bulb. As you got closer to them, the rosy scent that lingered in the room became overpowering-- eventually you had to pull back, pinch your nose, shake your head-- rid yourself of the smell enough to keep your eyes from watering.

Florian was vaguely confused by your sudden intrigue, and the smell started to fade... but you needed it to stay! Your head was still hurting, and this was clearly helping somehow. You tried to keep your curiosity at bay for some more time, replacing Florian's watery tears with your quickly-melting ice pack and sprinkling him some more. The smell soon returned in full force-- enough that you had to keep a bit of distance from the bud while sprinkling it.

To your surprise, it seemed to have been strong enough to wake Taylor up. The grassy bug chittered at the two of you from across the room, making some kind of delighted noise before crawling out of his nest and over to the two of you, crawling up your pant leg and onto your shoulders.

Within just a few minutes of smelling whatever Florian's bud was producing... your headache was gone. Taylor seemed to have gotten a full-night's rest... and Florian himself was barely thinking of his fallen friend.

You couldn't even begin to think of all the uses this kind of aromatic therapy could offer humanity.

The mere thought was enough to put a smile on your face. People with pounding headaches cured simply and easily through smelling some roses for a few minutes. It was miraculous! Absolutely ingenius! How on earth those scents were made-- how they produced those properties, why they smelled like roses... there were so many questions, so quickly. You felt like you had to spread that knowledge far and wide--

--but you stopped yourself.
You remembered Chinatown. How people had reacted when they'd seen even a small amount of the silk Taylor could produce. How they had turned into a raging mob over the dead eagle's bandages.
If that was how they reacted to something as comparatively useless as silk...

...this kind of magic remedy would be lucky to spur mobs as small as Taylor's silk had.

>Go to your room. Try to study as much as you can about Florian's bud. Try to see what makes him replicate the smell-- is it water? Happiness? Grief? You need to know! [CHOOSING THIS OPTION MEANS YOU WILL MISS OUT ON THE CHURCH]

>Seek out Steele and Andrew and only tell them about this new discovery. You trust them to keep this information safe and you won't be able to keep it secret from them if it's so useful for simple ailments like headaches or bad sleep. Then, bring them with you to church.

>Resolve to keep the scent a total secret and return to church.

posting to keep my trip, only just realized that I lost it

>>6197121
>Seek out Steele and Andrew and only tell them about this new discovery. You trust them to keep this information safe and you won't be able to keep it secret from them if it's so useful for simple ailments like headaches or bad sleep. Then, bring them with you to church.
Thy already know the wonders of neofauna better than most.

>>6197121
>Seek out Steele and Andrew and only tell them about this new discovery. You trust them to keep this information safe and you won't be able to keep it secret from them if it's so useful for simple ailments like headaches or bad sleep. Then, bring them with you to church.

>>6197189
+1

>>6197121
>>Seek out Steele and Andrew and only tell them about this new discovery. You trust them to keep this information safe and you won't be able to keep it secret from them if it's so useful for simple ailments like headaches or bad sleep. Then, bring them with you to church.

>>6197117
>>6197120
>>6197121

>Seek out Steele and Andrew and only tell them about this new discovery. You trust them to keep this information safe and you won't be able to keep it secret from them if it's so useful for simple ailments like headaches or bad sleep. Then, bring them with you to church.

Are we just going to ignore the Ponyta? I'll "write in" that we recover the poor thing with Andrew (to help against any unforeseen threat) as soon as possible.

>>6197189
+1

>>6197121
>Seek out Steele and Andrew and only tell them about this new discovery. You trust them to keep this information safe and you won't be able to keep it secret from them if it's so useful for simple ailments like headaches or bad sleep. Then, bring them with you to church.
>Write In. Tell Steele and Andrew about the Ponyta and forest encounter as well, maybe they can help us. But we should go after the church

>>6197121

>>6197484
I'd also prioritize that over the church.

>>6197189 is me.

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(entry tomorrow, pic related)

>>6197930

My condolences, QM. We will be there when you recover from the gastrointestinal defect.

>>6197930
Gotta go to the bathroom fast!

(Feel better soon...)

>>6197930
Get well soon!

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>>6197930
I'm so sorry.

Hi hi, I am sound of body and mind once more

We'll be seeking out Andrew and Steele. I'm going to write the church before the horse because the horse is farther away, so it would make little sense for Walter to pursue it first.

This next entry will be the church. The decisions stemming from it will probably also relate to what happens in the church. But we can go back to the horse afterwards.

Writing now.

>>6198454
As you should be. I hope the archive breaks that single image so that no soul has to lay eyes upon it ever again.

You resolved only to tell your closest confidants. Steele and Andrew alone.

Florian lay, now, nodding off upon the windowsill. Watching him sleep was almost as calming as smelling his flower bud had been.

You wanted to stay in that room forever, letting time pass you by as you smelled the rosy scent and let yourself relax...

...but you'd wanted to go to church, and morning sermons weren't very long. You wanted to make it there on time.

So... you managed to force yourself out and about, in search of both your human friends... and a certain steeple-crowned building.

<><><><><>

"...an' once I started smellin' it, my headache just... vanished."

You and your usual company were on your way to church already. You'd felt it appropriate to explain everything as you went. "I've got no clue as t' how it works, but when it happened..." ...you held a finger above a napping Florian, asleep in your palm... "...that bulb split in two."

Steele didn't seem too phased. He was more preoccupied with buttoning up a blazer he'd rushed to grab alongside a top hat before you two left. "It always did seem a bit odd. Walter-- you're certain that the service is ongoing?"

You nodded. "Ah'd be surprised if it wasn't. It couldn't've been too long'n there..."

Andrew was more focused on what you were saying. "Not sure ah can believe that scent's any kind'a cure-all... maybe it's jus' good for headaches. But," he paused with a finger to his chin, "that's still plen'y valuable."
He poked Florian's bulb slightly, trying to pry it apart, to no avail. The sleeping sprite's "bulb" stayed shut.

"I'm not sure he'd like that." You mumbled. "Maybe leave him 'lone while he's sleepin'."

Andrew nodded. "Whatever you say. Besides, we're here."

Mary bleated confirmation. She held her head high, staring up at the dizzying steeple and stumbling around.

This church was certainly an upgrade from Shenanigan Gulch's paltry offering. It was nearly twice as large, with sharply sloping roofs that sat atop a long shingled body, painted lightly and lacking much detail save for in the front. The entrance was wide enough to accommodate an entire swarm of people entering at once, covered in its own small roof section, somehow holding up the entire church steeple by itself. You were rather impressed at the building's construction... but became slightly worried when you realized that, unlike most buildings in the city... the church was spotless. Not a single plank of wood or piece of door was burnt or scratched.

You discarded the thought. The church was an important center of the city's community. It might have just been defended the hardest, or worked on the most recently. There was no need to assume that neofauna just couldn't harm it. Besides, the entrance was lined with armored guards. They could have easily fended off...

Oh. You hadn't even realized that the church doors had been open for some time now.
"Come on Andrew," Steele said, "it hasn't started yet. We're early."

"Actually, Steele..." ...you let yourself trail off. "No, nevermind."

Andrew trailed behind Steele while you followed Andrew. You climbed the steps alongside Mary, making no effort to keep her out, and... to your great surprise, you weren't stopped.

As you slipped into the church, you gave one last look back to the multiple guards near the entrance.

Not a peep from any of them.

You felt your hands move to grab Taylor just in case... before simply accepting the strange circumstances and leaving him be. Nobody was demanding you leave him behind... yet.

-----

"Over already? But it's hardly afternoon!"

The pastor sighed. "Yes, my son. We have nothing planned until the evening. Our morning sermon is long over, but tonight's shall be longer."

You couldn't help but feel a little guilty about that. You really figured it would still be in session by now. An entire tiny town of people had flooded these holy halls a mere half hour ago. How did the pastor even have time to speak to them all so quickly?

"That's... rather unfortunate." Steele frowned briefly. "Thank you for your time, father. I'll see you again this evening." With that, his usual smile returned and Steele spun on his heel. "So!"

You and Andrew paid attention. "We have other plans, don't we? Let's attend to them!"

"Ah-- I must ask one thing of you," the pastor spoke up. "You in particular," he pointed to Andrew.

Andrew had, of course, left Buckwheat out of the church. His boots, however, made up for Buckwheat's absence. "Please clean up after yourself. I haven't got the staff to do it for you."

Steele descended the platform him and the pastor had stood upon and made his way over to you. "We can leave him be and go do something else if you'd like. I have no doubts that Andrew will be able to catch up."

You looked to Andrew to see if he was okay with it, and the buffalo hunter gave you a firm nod. "Ah've got no qualms. This shouldn't take too long."

-----

You and Steele descended the lengthy church steps, paying careful attention to each uneven platform, before Steele immediately began discussing plans.

You would have listened to them, of course-- there was no reason to ignore your friend.

No reason, of course, save for another appearance from that man before.

The man was talking with a guard off to your right. He was being followed by two more guards, both equipped with similar armor to those guarding the church, and wearing something very expensive in all black. Partly balding, looked elderly...

He'd noticed you.

The two of you shared eye contact for just a moment. Long enough for you to recognize each other.

That was the same man you'd seen at the telegram office! But-- no, you hadn't seen his arms then. You couldn't confirm. Right now, however, he still had his left arm hidden underneath his coat...

"Buchanan?" Steele sighed. "Pay attention, please."

You did as he said. When he began talking...

...the man had left. You'd turned back to see if he was still there, and... no. Nothing.

"...say, did you read that letter yet?"

"What?" Wait, what letter?

"Andrew mentioned having to stop by your room and deliver something. He mentioned slipping it underneath your door... what else could it be but a letter?"

Shoot. It had entirely slipped your mind.

>"No, actually, not yet." Open it right there and then, in front of Steele.

>"Nope, ah'll do it when I get back." Admit that you forgot to open it, but also that you don't want to do so in public. Focus instead on finding the sleeping horse and making sure it's okay.

>"Wait, you an' Andrew have been talking about me?" Change topics and try to learn more about what they've been discussing.

>"What's that got to do with what you want us to do?" Ignore the letter entirely and try to get Steele to bring you someplace. You're in the mood for a distraction.

>Write-in.

>>6198761
>"Nope, ah'll do it when I get back." Admit that you forgot to open it, but also that you don't want to do so in public. Focus instead on finding the sleeping horse and making sure it's okay.

>>6198771
+1
That mystery man... who could he be?

>>6198761
>>6198771
+1

>>6198884
>That mystery man... who could he be?

My bet is it's the mayor that the staters want to get rid of

>>6198761
>"Wait, you an' Andrew have been talking about me?" Change topics and try to learn more about what they've been discussing.

>>6198756
>>6198759
>>6198761

>"Nope, ah'll do it when I get back." Admit that you forgot to open it, but also that you don't want to do so in public. Focus instead on finding the sleeping horse and making sure it's okay.

Hors.

>>6199084
>My bet is it's the mayor that the staters want to get rid of
Makes sense.

>>6198771
Horse wins by a country mile. I'll be writing about that now.

50/50 chance it actually gets posted today since it's nearly midnight. I'll start writing now for sure though.

>>6199417
Take your time, QM. No worries.

"No, ah... haven't opened it yet." You caught yourself. "A-and ah'd rather not do it in public..." ...you turned your attention back to the guards, briefly... "since it's prob'ly private."

"Ah, fair enough! Fair enough." Steele straightened up. "Shall we get to it, then?"

You blinked. "No, sorry... I didn't hear what you'd been sayin'. I was thinkin' about a sort of... flamin' horse I saw last night."

Steele's curiosity was immediately piqued. His attention drifted to a burnt shack further down the road. "What? Oh-- do you think it could be the cause of all this scorching?"

That hadn't even crossed your mind. This horse seemed different than the one you'd seen riding by the hotel, so... if there was a habitat of flaming horses nearby, maybe they were accidentally setting fires? "Maybe! I... hadn't considered that."

You frowned. This was all theory, of course... but if it turned out to be real, how on earth could you get the people of Sacramento to be less hostile towards them?

No matter. "Last ah saw it, it was sleepin'. I... just want t' make sure it's okay."

Steele's enthusiasm dampened. "I do appreciate your concern for other creatures, Buchanan. It truly is touching. But I have to ask... are you sure it's safe?"

You couldn't help but laugh at the idea. Was it safe! Was any of this? You were traveling around with a living lightning coil and a tiny sprite with the ability to lull people into trances. Of course it wasn't safe!

"Steele... ah think I'm long past the point of questionin' if things are." You were still chuckling as you spoke. "It doesn't matter t' me. I don't trust that horse's doin' very well, and I want t' go make sure that I'm wrong. Will you come with me?"

The businessman gave you an analytic stare...

...before offering a hand and nodding. "Of course, Buchanan. I'll come with you."

<><><><><>

"Calm down, Mary." You knelt and whispered to your panicking sheepy friend, who'd been shaking in her hooves since you reached this open plain. "There's nothin' there. You don't need to be so afraid."

You made the statement with a pang of guilt. The horse had left a smoldering pit of charred grass in its wake, sparsely littered with the cotton-like bits of wool Mary had fastened onto it previously, while leaving none of itself left to be found.

Steele bent down to examine the grass. "It isn't very warm... I suppose it found its way out of here a long while ago."

Part of you was relieved. Had the horse still been there it would have been in the same place for nearly half a day, pinned down by sticky wool that never let go. You were glad it didn't have to suffer like that.

And yet... part of you wanted to know more. See more. You couldn't just let a flaming horse lie.

Sure, it was comparatively uninteresting. After seeing fire-breathing anteaters, giant bugs with the ability to flatten a person, and silk-spinning miracle workers, a firey horse seemed rather tame. But... there was an elegance to it that you couldn't describe. The longer you thought about it, the more its majesty gripped you in a way that few other neofauna could. A horse so in tune with nature that it defied the very idea of ferrying mankind. One so beholden to the earth itself that it would rather burn its mane away by fire than subject itself to the will of humanity. You wanted to see that horse.

"...ah, here!" Steele perked up. You watched him follow some trail that you couldn't see yourself. "Buchanan! I think I may know where it's headed!"

You left Mary behind to go and look at what Steele was pointing out-- a series of charred bits of grass in the shape of hoofprints...

"If you are really so concerned for it that you must see it in the flesh, we could try to follow this trail and see where it leads!" Steele smiled. "Regardless of the pursuit, I think it is more than safe to say that this creature is safe and sound."

You took a glance up at the scorching Sacramento sky. Midday... you had time to spare.

>But higher priorities to tend to. Rest easy knowing that the horse is safe and return to the hotel. Try to study Florian, read the letter, and relax a bit. You would rather search for a less aggressive specimen of flaming horse during a cooler time period than try to track this one down during the peak of the sun's heat.

>Pursue the pony! You don't want to give this up. You're glad that it's safe, but... where has it gone? Are there more like it to find out there? Does it really have any relation to all the charred buildings?

>Write-in.

>>6199444
>Pursue the pony! You don't want to give this up. You're glad that it's safe, but... where has it gone? Are there more like it to find out there? Does it really have any relation to all the charred buildings?

>>6199443
Buchanan and Steele are of a good sort. I quite like them, even if Senator Thomas IS a filthy politician.

>>6199444
Good pun, QM, kek.

>Pursue the pony! You don't want to give this up. You're glad that it's safe, but... where has it gone? Are there more like it to find out there? Does it really have any relation to all the charred buildings?
Gotta sketch 'em all, gotta sketch 'em all!
If we can find out that rust makes its flames not hurt humans, we can help bring peace between the Ponyta race and the humans of this town, and score a sweet signature mount for us and the Staters

>>6199444
>Pursue the pony! You don't want to give this up. You're glad that it's safe, but... where has it gone? Are there more like it to find out there? Does it really have any relation to all the charred buildings?
Even if it left, that Ponyta probably has a similar headache to us, maybe Florian can be persuaded to help?
On another note, should we look into sourcing a replacement toy for Florian? Like a rubber ball we can put the remaining seeds into?

>>6199548
>>6199459
All good ideas
let's go chase down that pony

>>6199444
>But higher priorities to tend to. Rest easy knowing that the horse is safe and return to the hotel. Try to study Florian, read the letter, and relax a bit. You would rather search for a less aggressive specimen of flaming horse during a cooler time period than try to track this one down during the peak of the sun's heat.

>>6199453
>>6199459
>>6199459
Guys, as concerned as I was for the pony, we need to make sure there's no active threats in town. Who was that guy? What did he want? What did he say in that church? Will it turn people against our lil friends? What's in the letter? The Pony's wandered off now, it's fine, we should focus up.

>>6199443
>>6199444

>Pursue the pony! You don't want to give this up. You're glad that it's safe, but... where has it gone? Are there more like it to find out there? Does it really have any relation to all the charred buildings?

This might or might not end well. In either case, we will get a new entry in the book of many mon.

>>6199444
>Pursue the pony! You don't want to give this up. You're glad that it's safe, but... where has it gone? Are there more like it to find out there? Does it really have any relation to all the charred buildings?

>>6199644
Riding into town astride a Ponyta, unburnt and with valuable lessons on how to befriend them and calm their fire? That will probably buy a lot of good will in spite of what the malevolent mayor has planned.

entry tomorrow again, sorry! Busy week, going lots of places.

>>6199960
I'm just glad you can leave the bathroom again, kek.

File: brain_empty.png (77 KB, 481x348)

77 KB PNG

Rolled 58 (1d100)

Alright, I'm here. Going to start writing now. It's pretty unanimous that we're chasing the pony.

>>6199459
>Good pun, QM, kek.
what pun?

>>6200550
Sleeping/flaming horse. Maybe pun's the wrong word? Good play-on-words.

>>6200597
ah, maybe? Puns usually refer to jokes specifically, but maybe I'm misinterpreting. Either way, thank you!

(Entry's almost done, I'm just going over it rn. Double-checking for wording, mistakes, etc. Expect it within the hour.)

"I'm going to chase it."

Steele paused. "What?"

"I'm going to chase it, Steele. I want t' find it." You returned your attention to the businessman in question.

He, in turn, smiled. "Then chase it we shall!"

You gave him a half-hearted nod, devoting most of your attention to the charred trail instead. "Right... where are you going?" You couldn't help but mumble.

The trail was somewhat haphazard. It was certainly heading somewhere, but it seemed to stumble in and out of existence. Sometimes it would veer wildly off track, other times it would disappear into sand. The only consistent direction it was heading in was...

"There!" You almost shouted, getting to your feet and turning your attention to the plains opposite the city. "It's... ah think it's somewhere over there.

Come on, Mary." You whistled to your sheepy companion, thankful that both Taylor and Florian seemed asleep for the moment, calling for her to follow you away from Sacramento...

<><><><><>

"Surely it's somewhere here..." Steele voiced your exhaustion.

You two hadn't been looking for long, but the heat was really starting to get to you. It was very odd. The further you got from Sacramento, the more it felt like the sun itself was trying to set your clothes on fire. You'd been periodically dousing yourself, Florian, and Taylor to stave off exactly that... even if you could admit that it was bordering on paranoia.

"It can't be too much farther. A-an' anyways, if we keep going on, 'm just gonna... come back later." You managed to mumble. "It'll be... colder later."

Steele dabbed his face with his handkerchief, as he'd been doing for quite some time now, and managed to muster up another reply. "This must be the hottest noontime all month," he chuckled, "and you must be the most persistent naturalist I've known."

"You've known others?" You inquired. "A-ah've been lucky t' meet a single one back home."

Steele nodded. "Yes, well, it's a rather higher-class..."

He trailed off. You couldn't blame him. Both of you had been stopped in your tracks. It was hard not to.

How else could someone react after seeing a flaming horse be equaled by a tiny bug?

"That's..." Steele couldn't finish a sentence. You could see a brief mania in his eyes-- the tiny puddle the bug skated upon was almost tantalizing enough to drink in this weather, especially with Steele's coat, you reckoned.

"...fascinating." You finished his sentence for him and instantly dove into your haversack. You grabbed your notebook, grabbed your paper--

NYYEIGH

The horse let out a loud bray, stumbling backwards and snorting loudly, letting loose a stream of fire from its nostrils before charging into the puddle the bug skated in!

Filthy water sprayed everywhere. It coated the horse, it coated the sand surrounding it-- it even coated the tiny bug, who was thrown off its routine and flung onto California's dry soil.

Its spindly legs and small stature made you think that it was surely dead-- yet, despite your assumption, the little creature rose to its feet and sprayed what must've been an entire bucket's worth of water at the horse's face! It is unknown where this water could have originated, you wrote, tearing your pencil across your notebook's pages with such force that the entire book threatened to rip, but it is clear that it is effective--

The horse fired back with a flame so hot that the two of you could feel it from the safe distance you and Steele had been observing at. The sandy dirt surrounding the bug extinguished it as soon as the flame was left to burn, but the bug itself found itself alight!

"Mary! Come back!"

You perked up. Steele was calling out... oh no.

You'd become so absorbed in your note-taking that you'd forgotten to keep track of Mary, and she bolted forward to tackle the horse's side!

The horse was instantly knocked to the ground, caught off-guard by Mary's sudden attack, and let out a deflated groan. Mary followed her assault with a triumphant bleat, only to be kicked into the dirt by one of the horse's stray legs!

You were torn-- part of you wanted to intervene, part of you knew this seemed to be relatively natural, another part of you screamed for Mary to be safe and another wanted her to obey--

Mary wasn't getting back up as soon as you'd expected her to. She was off to your right, struggling to stabilize herself. The bug seemed completely frozen by the sudden intruder, hardly making a move. The horse was well aware of you now... and hardly pleased.

>Let things play out as they are now! It'd border on dangerous to intervene, and Mary can handle herself. You know she can.

>Command Mary to shock the horse like she did last time! She'll be okay enough to hear out a command, surely!

>Throw sand at the horse to try and distract it, then take Mary and run! You might get shocked, but you can't risk staying here.

>Tempt the horse towards you, then throw yourself in front of Mary when it attacks! You can both dodge the horse and keep Mary safe!

>Pull out your revolver and fire a blank! The sound might distract the horse and alert any nearby people to your presence. That could be especially helpful if Andrew was looking for you...

>Write-in

>>6200615
Surskit?

>>6200619
>Tempt the horse towards you, then throw yourself in front of Mary when it attacks! You can both dodge the horse and keep Mary safe!
Also, do we have a nutberry? If so...
>Hold up a nutberry!

>>6200619
>>6200699
+1

>>6200699
Fine, +1

>>6200619
>>6200699
+1

>>6200611
>>6200615
>>6200619

>Throw sand at the horse to try and distract it, then take Mary and run! You might get shocked, but you can't risk staying here.

Sand attack!

Rolled 479 (1d510)

>>6200699
Two nutberries that are near spoiling, yes. I'll get to writing. This roll will determine whether the nutberry succeeds or not.

I should have been doing these from the beginning, sans Mary, but I completely forgot to account for failure rate so Florian and Taylor ended up being auto-captured due to having 255 catch rates. Oops.

Anyways, expect these with encounters from now on.

File: post10.jpg (115 KB, 1024x1024)

115 KB JPG

The horse stomped a hoof into the ground, huffing out another stream of smoke, lowering its head...

It was preparing to charge... and had given you a good idea.

"Steele, get back!"

The businessman didn't question your order. He seemed more than happy to abscond from the battle. That prompted you to focus all of your attention on the horse. It already looked angry, yes, but you could make it angrier. You started darting from side to side, taunting it, moving erratically...

...and the horse charged forward, its head ERUPTING into flame and cloaking its entire body as it did so!

You hadn't expected that for sure-- when combined with the existing heat, you almost found yourself falling unconscious-- but forced yourself awake well enough to execute the plan.

It wasn't easy. You made yourself stare the horse down. You stared down its flaming head, forcing yourself to gaze into the fire pouring out of its eye sockets, waiting until your eyes began to blur and the heat around you became unbearable to dive away-- off to the right!
The landing was perfect-- not on top of or too far from Mary, excellent in fulfilling its purpose of managing to avoid the horse--

FWOOM

--very narrowly.
You heard it race behind you and felt the warmth of its fire graze your ankles... but you were fine.

The bug seemed to take notice of your tactics and rushed forward, spraying a disturbingly large jet of water at the charging horse and...missing, only succeeding in turning the ground beneath the horse into mud. Much to your amusement, this ended up causing the horse to lose its balance and trip over itself, leading it to cartwheel onto the ground... at which point spraying it with even more water became a matter of triviality.

What happened next wasn't on your mind. You were instead busy with Mary, helping get her back on her feet and taking glances from side to side to make sure she was safe. You could hear Steele rushing in from behind you-- "Buchanan, is she alright?"

You nodded. "She'll... I'm pretty sure she'll be alright." She was standing on all fours now. She looked a little winded, and you could see a decently-sized dent in her wool, but she was smiling and looking at you with a sort of determined pain in her big black eyes. She was definitely hurt, but didn't seem ready to back down.

"Good, that's... that's very good to hear, Buchanan." Steele was definitely winded. You couldn't blame him. The heat still hadn't died down. Its source was still uncertain, too...

FWOOM

Both you and Steele snapped upright. Something had just gone up in flames behind you--

You winced. The horse had clearly missed an attempt to smite the poor bug, who was now crouching in front of... a burning bush. One of Missy's kind seemed to have landed in the crossfire, and quickly ran out of the bush in a panic. That didn't last, of course-- the strange neofauna tottered over to the water-bug and got itself a dousing (against the latter's will) in no time.

However... almost immediately after the neofauna was set on fire, the temperature dropped a noticeable amount. It also became significantly less Sunny, and you and Steele both found yourselves much less sweaty...

...you were being distracted.

The drenched horse looked back at the pair of you with death in its eyes. Flames danced across its irises and impressed upon you the fiery destruction that this creature was to rain down upon you.

Unsure of what else to do, you reached for the nutberries in your haversack. Only two remained, both spoiling... but they'd have to do. You took the slightly squishier one, placed it upon your palm and raised that palm to the horse...

...only to watch it burn the nutberry to ash right in front of you.

The next few seconds may have been the most painful since you hit your head in Shenanigan's Gulch. Your hand wasn't spared any fire-- it was burned (you were only thankful that the burn looked light), which prompted you to gasp-- which invited loads of smoke into your lungs and nostrils, prompting a coughing fit and making it impossible to see anything.

After a moment, when you thought your senses had finally cleared up... everything went black.

-----

"Buchanan!" You could hear Steele shout but couldn't see anything. You tried to answer and only fell into another coughing fit, clearly not having rested long enough to speak again.

Mary wasn't by your side. Steele was somewhere else. You hoped the two were together, but couldn't see for sure--

THWOCK

An ear-piercing bray enveloped the area. Had... had Steele just hit the horse?

You didn't have the time to ponder that-- Taylor was long-gone, with the only indication of him still being here was the occasional mention of silk from Steele. Mary brought down lightning, Steele cheered her on...

...by the time your eyes and throat cleared up enough to see again, you were facing an orange sky. Getting to your feet elicited only the sight of a rather defeated horse, drenched in water and once more pinned down by both Mary's odd sticky spores and Taylor's wayward strands of silk.

Steele crouched near the triumphant pair, giving a rather beaten-up Mary scratches underneath her chin (with a rather bloodied fist) while Taylor took it upon himself to return to you and climb up your shirt to give you a nibble on the cheek. He'd clearly missed you... how long were you out for?

The whole scenario was a little hard to take in... you felt the best way to stay grounded was focus on the basics.

>Join Steele in giving Mary a plentiful amount of scratches wherever she'd like them. She deserves it... even if she disobeyed you.

>Bring Taylor back to Mary and Steele to see if he finds anything worth spinning silk over. Steele has blood on his fists and Mary is bruised all over. They probably both need tending to.

>Let Florian join in on the fun and try to see if you can find some way to get him to bring his soothing aroma back. Mary might need it...

>Try to give the horse another sniff of your final nutberry. Considering how erratic some other wild neofauna have been behaving, maybe this fit was out of its control...?

>Write-in.

>>6201329
>Try to give the horse another sniff of your final nutberry. Considering how erratic some other wild neofauna have been behaving, maybe this fit was out of its control...?

This horse is a formidable enemy, even more reason to try and get it on our side, so we can better protect ourselves in such situations in the future.

>>6201329
The battles are pretty cool QM. I always forget that we could technically use all our pokemon at once, we don't have to take turns like the games.

>>6201288
About capture rate, do smaller numbers mean higher chance of success?

>>6201329
>Try to give the horse another sniff of your final nutberry. Considering how erratic some other wild neofauna have been behaving, maybe this fit was out of its control...?
Gotta get that horse. Also, all our lads deserve pats.

>>6201433
>do smaller numbers mean higher chance of success?
Unfortunately not lol. I wish, but I’m trying a sort of combination of dice mechanics and capture rates in the games.

Capture rolls are roll-under. I can’t remember if I’ve clarified this outside of the rentry (https://rentry.org/PokepocalypseQST) before, so I’m making it loud and clear here.

When catching a Pokémon, its success or failure depends on its species’ catch rate in the game. For example, in this case Ponyta’s catch rate is 190, so if the dice end up with a number that is equal to 190 or lower then the capture will succeed.

Status conditions will make captures more likely to succeed. Right now, the Ponyta is heavily restrained. This isn’t a condition in the game, but I will be counting it as a type of paralysis since it is very functionally similar. Putting something to sleep will halve its catch rate, making the dice into a d255 (unless the base catch rate is 255, at which point it’ll probably become a d285 or something just to allow some window of failure) while every other status effect will turn it into a d385.

I would just use the standard catch rate formula, but 1) it’d be a bit unfair since there are basically no catch rate modifiers in this entire quest outside of status conditions, which means that attempts will fail far more likely than they will succeed and 2) I don’t like doing math every time I’m trying to figure out something as important as a new character introduction lol.

I hope that helps clarify things a bit. I might change things later on if this system ends up being unfair (seriously considering varying dice for lower capture rates, but I don’t want to give every mon the same chance of capture so it’s just a concept for now) but this is how it works for the moment. With practice, Walter might be able to improve his chances. But I’ve figured out exactly 0% of how that will work so don’t expect it any time soon unfortunately.

>>6201327
>>6201328
>>6201329

>Try to give the horse another sniff of your final nutberry. Considering how erratic some other wild Neofauna have been behaving, maybe this fit was out of its control...?

Always damage your desired demon before capturing.

>>6201446

That's... still more mechanics than I was honestly expecting.

>>6201329
>Bring Taylor back to Mary and Steele to see if he finds anything worth spinning silk over. Steele has blood on his fists and Mary is bruised all over. They probably both need tending to.
Save the final nutberry to plant, methinks.

>>6201487
I think we've already planted one. We looked at the sapling last thread.

>>6201329
>Try to give the horse another sniff of your final nutberry. Considering how erratic some other wild Neofauna have been behaving, maybe this fit was out of its control...?
Sunk Cost Fallacy? Never heard of it.
We still have the sapling back in the hotel, and this nutberry is already starting to spoil, better use it while we can.
>>6201446
I'm surprised we don't get a malus on the capture rate for antagonising wild mons

>>6201512
Ah, derp. My bad.

>>6201329
>>6201487
Changing my vote to
>Try to give the horse another sniff of your final nutberry. Considering how erratic some other wild Neofauna have been behaving, maybe this fit was out of its control...?

>>6201537
Pokemon fight for fun, and beating them into submission is the easiest way to tame one. It is known.

>>6201537

I mean, it has kind of been shown in every form of Pokémon-related media that beating the ever-loving crap out of a Pokémon until it's on its knees makes it easier to capture. I doubt its hard feelings matter all that much.

welp >>6201541 basically already said what I just posted my excuses for kicking in open doors I suppose

>>6201329
Even though this has no chance of winning against the rotten nutberry vote,

>Let Florian join in on the fun and try to see if you can find some way to get him to bring his soothing aroma back. Mary might need it...

>>6201329
>Bring Taylor back to Mary and Steele to see if he finds anything worth spinning silk over. Steele has blood on his fists and Mary is bruised all over. They probably both need tending to.

Rolled 125 (1d385)

Five votes for using the last nutberry on the horse, that option wins!

>>6201957
Writing now...

You returned to a rather simple tactic you'd defaulted to whenever you saw a new and interesting neofauna.

You knelt down in front of the flaming horse... and offered it a nutberry.

A brief silence blanketed the sandy clearing. Steele looked at you with a mix of confusion and his usual cheer. Taylor and Florian stopped whatever they were doing to watch. Mary gazed on as you lowered the half-squished nutberry down to the horse's mouth level...

...and gave a confused bleat as the equine began munching on it.

You were surprised to see the horse slobbering spit upon your palm. For whatever reason, you had assumed it would run on some kind of oil or other lighter fluid. And yet... no, it was perfectly biological. That just made it all the more mysterious!

As the horse lapped up the last of the nutberry's remains, it let out a contented huff and let its head descend onto the sand beneath it. It looked... well, it didn't exactly look happy, but it certainly looked less irritated than it had before.

"Buchanan... did you just give that horse one of your...?"

You gave Steele a small nod. With your burned hand, no less. You really weren't thinking straight. "Got t' get rid of it before it spoils."

Steele laughed back, but it was the kind of laugh one made when he did not want to offend. It was a bit restrained. Dry. "I do wonder how it will ever be able to reside within a stable."

That was a good point. You tried not to consider it for the time being. Instead, you decided to turn your attention to Steele's bloodied fist and Mary's bruised... everything. Cora's makeshift medical kit was going to help you plenty this evening.

<><><><><>

Night had fallen, and you were still here.

Steele was laying in the sand and looking up at the starry night sky. Taylor and Florian slept next to him, far away from the horse, while Mary helped you break the horse free from its restraints.

The horse itself... was asleep. Even when freed, it just kept sleeping through whatever had happened to it. You couldn't blame it. Heck, you envied the poor thing. If you felt it just, you'd have been back at the hotel by now. But the horse was rather beaten up, and you didn't want to wake it just for this. So, instead, you decided to spend some time documenting the creature.

Ignubae Equuleus, you began, is the kind of creature you might hear of in old legends. A magnificent horse tamed only by flame, it strikes fear in the hearts of those lucky enough to see it.

Next was the paragraph where you introduced your own... but how were you going to write that without giving your horse a name?

>Write-in a suggestion for the horse's name!

>>6201974
Winnie, short for Winona.

>>6201974
>Flamberge
flame-bladed sword

>>6202135
>>6201974
Works for me, it's fairly unlikely we'll also catch an Teddiursa and will want to name it after the Pooh.

Random question QM, the OP image in the thread is a Ponyta. Did you roll for the encounter before the thread started, or is it just a coincidence?

>>6201974
>Write-in a suggestion for the horse's name!
If its female: Stella, Light-based name
If its male: Martin, after Martin of Tours, Christian saint famous for dividing his cloak to share with a beggar (sharing warmth is something horsey does at all times)
I'd argue Christian saints are more believable namesakes than Greek deities?

>>6202169
While that's a possibility, I figure this is a two-for-one. Winnie as in whinnying, of course, but later on when we saddle her, we'll be a Winona Rider.

>>6202135
+1
I like it.

>>6202170
Happy coincidence. It was meant to reflect the ponyta encounter from last thread, not this new capture.

>>6202135
I regret to inform you that I forgot to specify that this is a male.

>>6202241
How about Bucky? Short for Bucephalus, Alexander the Great's horse.

>>6201974
>>6202167
I'll change my vote to support >>6202244

>>6202244
+1

>>6202244
+1
I think Walter would be educated enough to know the name Bucephalus. We could give that as a “full” name but call him Bucky most of the time.

>>6201974

>Aster

We already have Buckwheat, and another equine named Bucky would just be confusing. I would instead propose a name bastardization of the sun god Helius' horse, Sterope.

>>6202241
ah, than Winona won't work.

>>6202303
Indeed Bucky is easily confused with Buckwheat.

I vote for Hades.

>>6202182
>I'd argue Christian saints are more believable namesakes than Greek deities?
Maybe, but maybe not. Greco-Roman inspired iconography was really in vogue in the early United States.

>>6201974
>>6202303
+1 to Aster

>>6202303
Actually, you may have a point. I'll support Aster then.

>>6202295
Changing to
>>6202303
+1

File: 293.png (151 KB, 475x475)

151 KB PNG

>>6202303
Alright, that's locked in. Aster it is.

Writing now.

You could come up with one on the spot, of course!

-----

The next half-hour or so were dedicated to frantic documentation of every minutia Aster seemed to possess. The qualities of his hooves, the intricacies of his neck (as best you could while he was still producing fire), documentation of the events that had brought you to tame him...

"I missed the service." Steele mumbled from his spot in the sand.

"What?" You'd been so absorbed in your work that you barely heard him.

"The church. There was going to be an evening sermon. I missed it." The businessman sounded solemn.

"Oh, uhm... I'm sorry." You tried to snap yourself out of your writing trance, forcing your head away from the notebook and onto Steele.

"Don't let it haunt you," Steele shrugged. He sat up a little, turning his attention towards you as you had him. "I'll just pray in my room. I missed plenty of sermons on the way here. I can miss another," he smiled.

"Ah hope you don't have to just b'cause you wanted t' follow me 'round," you shied away. It was hard not to feel a little bit guilty given the blood on Steele's fist. "Especially if it got you hurt."

"Oh, this?" Steele raised the fist in question. "Don't worry about it! I have plenty of experience, this is hardly a scratch! Look, when I get rid of the stains it's all intact." He beckoned for you to watch as he rubbed some of the drier bits of blood off of his knuckles to reveal... an untouched set of fingers. Not a bruise or a cut could be seen upon them.

"Wha... didn't you punch Aster 'n the cheek?" You said, astounded.

Steele gave a quiet laugh. "Ah, already named it? Quite impressive. And-- well, somewhat, yes. Your little bug friend," he motioned to Taylor still sleeping by his side, "wanted to use my fist to jump onto your horse and attack him. I felt it a bad idea, given his leafy attire, and tried to get him off. However... well, he's a stubborn fellow, so he spun his silk upon my hand in an attempt not to be shaken off. The horse tried to attack us both at that time, and I reacted on impulse with the hand he had spat silk upon. Taylor stayed out of the way, while his silk made for a very effective boxing glove!"

An uneasy silence engulfed you both.

At least Taylor hadn't jumped onto the back of a fiery horse. That was definitely the better outcome.

"Don't worry about my fist. I will be fine." Steele gave you a thumbs-up and a grin. All you could really do was nod back and agree. You decided to turn your attention to Mary instead, and began searching through your haversack for your medical supplies...

-----

"Where's Andrew?" Steele pondered.

You hadn't even considered him for some time now, but... wasn't he supposed to join you? "At the hotel, maybe?" You guessed.

"He might be..." Steele sat up again. He'd been watching the stars for nearly an hour now-- you were impressed he made no indication of aching from the gesture. "I think I'll go make sure of it. You're welcome to join if you wish."

Aster was still sleeping. Properly, now. His flaming mane had completely gone out, and you'd been trying to study what he looked like without it. The temperature was beginning to plummet, too, especially without that fire. You were really beginning to feel it...

>...and felt it best to retire to the hotel with Steele. If the nutberry worked like it did before, Aster could be woken up and led to follow you rather easily.

>...but, nevertheless, you wanted to stick it out in the sticks. Even without a sleeping bag, you could handle a night on the outskirts of Sacramento. You'd just have to find something else for comfort.

>>6202746
>>...and felt it best to retire to the hotel with Steele. If the nutberry worked like it did before, Aster could be woken up and led to follow you rather easily.

>>6202744
>Your little bug friend," he motioned to Taylor still sleeping by his side, "wanted to use my fist to jump onto your horse and attack him
Absolute madlad bug type

>>6202773
+1

>>6202793
Bug/grass, too. He tried to tackle a Ponyta with a 4x weakness against it.

>>6202746
>...and felt it best to retire to the hotel with Steele. If the nutberry worked like it did before, Aster could be woken up and led to follow you rather easily.

>>6202746
>...and felt it best to retire to the hotel with Steele. If the nutberry worked like it did before, Aster could be woken up and led to follow you rather easily.

I'm curious to read the letter as well, let's get to the hotel

>>6202744
>>6202746

>...and felt it best to retire to the hotel with Steele. If the nutberry worked like it did before, Aster could be woken up and led to follow you rather easily.

Being out here sounds like we're asking to be ambushed.

Speaking of which, could we ask Taylor to try his best to tend to Aster? Now that Aster's flames are out, he shouldn't be able to burn the silk bandaging. If this is not an option, seeking care for/taking care of Aster ourselves would be my replacement suggestion. The poor guy has been hurt quite a bit, and as his owner we are now responsible for his well-being.

>>6202933
Agreed. Pokemon catching and training in a world without potions is rough.

supremely shit day, I'm going to save the entry for tomorrow because all I can write right now is depressing. The next scene is not supposed to be depressing. Not even close lol.

>>6203298
Oh no, sorry to hear it QM. I hope tomorrow is kinder to you. Looking forward to the update!

>>6203298
Take care QM

>>6203298

That's awful (and quite relatable for me today). I hope it does get better (as the other anon said). We'll be patiently waiting for the next update.

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it seems that the troubles are to continue for some time, but I will write regardless

We're heading to the hotel. Writing

>>6203881
You have my sympathies. Thanks for sticking with it, but if you need time, take it.

>>6203888
it's fine man, just some health issues. I'll power through fine, I'm doing lots to stop it right now. I probably shouldn't be bringing them up, even, but I do want to be as communicative as possible.

I really want to write this scene, anyways, so I'm going to get to it now. Thanks for sticking with the quest through all the turmoil.

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...so you figured it would be a better idea to slightly disturb your new companion rather than risk being attacked at night out here.

"I think ah'll be doin' that." You got to your feet and shook out your legs to get your blood pumping a bit. "Guess I gotta find a way t' help Aster up... can you lend a hand or two?"

Steele nodded and strutted over to your side. "It's the least I can do. Let me help you there..."

<><><><><>

Never again would you let yourself try to lift a horse out of its sleep. Not even with help from a relatively strong man. Not ever.

You fell into your plush sheets with a loud WHUMPH, your entire body aching and unwinding as it hit the soft mattress, the painful amount of time it took you to get Aster from the outskirts of Sacramento to your hotel weighing on you almost as much as the weight of his bulk had.

An absurd thought came to you briefly-- thank God you hadn't had to carry him all the way to the hotel while asleep, thank him twice that he was compliant when you did manage to wake him up, and thank God a third and final time that you could get him into the stables safe and sound. Without his fire, the staff hadn't batted an eye at admitting him...

You couldn't keep yourself awake any longer. Before you could even tuck yourself into bed properly, you were out like a light.

<><><><><>

>Monday, August 18th, 1884

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

You were forced awake by the loudest knocking you'd ever heard. Before you'd even gotten up, you found yourself yelling-- "Coming, coming!"

You threw open your trunk, searching through it for any clothes you had, slapping on a haphazard combination of blazer and briefs, only managing to put on pants by the time you were halfway to the door.

You opened the door without shoes, not registering who was there before asking-- "Who is it--?"

Why had you even asked?

The distinctive face of Mr. Muyr greeted you at the door.

"Walter." He spoke coolly.

His tone of voice sent a shiver down your spine, but Muyr's expression betrayed his intentions. He was smiling. "My apologies for meeting you so early in the morning," he glanced at the clock and mouthing the time: eight thirty in the morning, "but I wanted to discuss the next week of gatherings at the saloon."

Unsure of how to answer, a confused inquiry fell out of your mouth. "How... how'd you find my room?"

Muyr took a seat on the fancy ottoman at the foot of your bed. "Oh, sorry. I probably should've clarified-- your friend Andrew let me know your suite number. I was lucky enough to meet him out in the streets." Muyr's smile widened further. "He's a very good fellow. A principled man with a good heart. You'd do well t' learn from him." Why had Andrew given away your suite number to Muyr that quickly..?

"That's not what I came here for, though." Muyr returned to the topic at hand. "I mentioned when we were last at the Floating Dollar that this week I would be focusing a lot on your, uh, neofauna," his eyes instinctively moved to where Mary tended to linger around your ankles, only for her to be absent, "and their importance at large. It's a topic that I am... less than skilled in."

You finally shut the door behind you and took a seat opposite Muyr. He continued speaking. "I'd like to confirm that you will be attending this week's worth of gatherings at the saloon. Just for this week. I want to keep people as cohesive and happy as they were last time you came, and this will be a very important week. I'd like you to be the glue that keeps people together while I introduce all these new ideas to them. I won't force you to attend, just like I didn't before. I'll keep my word on that. I'd like you to be there for Friday, at least, but the end result remains up to you.

I'm willing to pay you... twenty dollars a night to attend," he paused while you tried to refrain from gasping, "but your plans are more important than my payment. I will leave the decision up to you."

"Additionally..." Muyr stopped, seemingly reconsidering what he was about to say, before continuing, "...I'd appreciate it if you taught me how you came across the means to tame such creatures. Especially with enough ease to be accompanied by more than one. It's rare enough to see one man alongside these creatures in a town like this, let alone a man alongside thrice that number. I don't expect to ever attain that kind of surplus, but I'd like to give it a try. If you want payment for that, too, I'd be happy to provide some."

It took you a moment to process all of what he'd said. Your eyes had barely cleared enough to make out his face, yet here he was doling out major proposals for insane amounts of cash. He kept talking, beginning to pace back and forth as he rattled off things he might have to prepare for you once you figured out what you wanted him to pay you for the first speech you'd given, but all of it went in one ear and out the other. You were too busy trying to think of what to do...

>Agree to visit the saloon every day without a price and teach Muyr about the basics without a fee. It's the least you feel you can do after how he's treated you.

>Visit the saloon every day with the price tag but abstain from asking for payment when teaching. The more people that know how to tame these creatures the better, and if you attach a price tag to the service people might start getting suspicious.

>Other adjustments to the terms in case you want to be specific. Adjust modifiers on the template below to make your vote.
Visit the saloon [Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday, remove as needed] for [free/twenty dollars a night, remove the answer you aren't picking], [agree/refuse] to teach Muyr [for payment/for free]

>Write-in.

(additionally, for the uninitiated, 20 dollars in 1884 money is about 645 dollars in 2025 money. Inflation is fun!)

>>6203982
I'm inclined to
>Visit the saloon every day with the price tag but abstain from asking for payment when teaching. The more people that know how to tame these creatures the better, and if you attach a price tag to the service people might start getting suspicious.
but can we ask our traveling companions first if this interferes with any plans of theirs?

>>6203992
Yes, Walter’s going to do that immediately after negotiating the terms.

>>6203992
+1

>>6203982
>Agree to visit the saloon every day without a price and teach Muyr about the basics without a fee. It's the least you feel you can do after how he's treated you.

>>6203982
>Visit the saloon every day with the price tag but abstain from asking for payment when teaching. The more people that know how to tame these creatures the better, and if you attach a price tag to the service people might start getting suspicious.

Walter needs some cash to tide him over until he can collect on his contract. This’ll get us through for a while.

>>6204096
Seconding. I'd even be willing to drop it to ten dollars a day.

>>6203992
+1
We don't need that much money, even 10-15 dollars would be fine. I think Waltuh is more interested in breaching it to the people how to tame and take care of neofauna.

>>6203978
>>6203982

>Visit the saloon every day with the price tag but abstain from asking for payment when teaching. The more people that know how to tame these creatures the better, and if you attach a price tag to the service people might start getting suspicious.

Awesome, but I still want around 15 bucks from Muyr. We are not rich by any stretch of the imagination, and relying on Steele is all fun and games until we find ourselves without his company.

Also, after Muyr leaves I would like to read the letter and check in on Aster to see if he is healing properly. Let's question Andrew about him telling Muyr about our suite too. Sounds rather odd for someone as naturally distrusting as him. I suspect this Muyr guy has some sinister connections.

>>6203982
>>6203992
+1

>>6204253
Yeah we keep getting told Steele spent a lot to get us this far and then some. I think it's only fair Walter gets to make that money back and more from here, especially since we're taking a full week here for the Staters before moving on from Sacramento. There's still so many other states to go between California and New York, and the road is a long one.

been posting about it in qtg to avoid clogging up the trhead here but im going to save the entry for this weekend

i got randomly hit with another fucking fever so i need to take a few days to recuperate

i'll be back on saturday/sunday, sit tight til then

>>6204969
Sitting tight!

>>6204969

We're waiting patiently. It sucks that you have to suffer from the curse this badly.

>>6204969
The QM curse has struck everyone at once, it would seem.

Get well soon!

>>6204969
Take the time you need to RnR and get well soon, OP. I'm a new lurker to the quest and recently caught up, anyway. Just think about fun thoughts like Walter and the gang adopting a Raltz. Or running into a Psyduck with a headache.

>>6205231
Yeah. I think I'm coming down with something now, too.

>>6205622
>Ralts
>on 4chan
Down that path, lies darkness.

>>6205755
>Yeah. I think I'm coming down with something now, too.
Sorry to hear that.

>Down that path, lies darkness.
The thread was very civil when Walter trusted the priest at Shenanigan's Gulch with the pack of Zorua. OP seems like a trustworthy guy.

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>>6205899
A man can only remain strong so long...

>>6205910

I would really prefer that our QM keeps this quest clean. It should be spared all the usual /qst/ degeneracy, not only because I despise it but also because it would be a really shitty and abrupt change to the current theme. Waltur is a virtuous Christian and I would like him to remain one in this aspect.

>>6206070
Agreed. Walter is a devout and responsible role model, as his care for the neofauna he already has shows. I doubt that degeneracy would be an actual risk given the precedent set for his character. If he ever does end up becoming a "parent" to an intelligent mon, the worst he would do is losing them on accident.

>>6206070
>>6206093
>>6205910
Obviously, we must find our lad a good, virtuous human waifu STAT. jk

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>>6205910
We had a guy in my high school who lost his flash drive. Someone plugged it into a computer to find its owner and got flashbanged by literal gigabytes of Pokémon porn.

The owner was the spergiest sperg who ever sperged. He wore a Naruto headband and ran down the hall with his arms behind him.

Think on this for a bit before you continue with… whatever that is.

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the fever's winding down but I need to give myself another night

entry tomorrow, hopefully earlier

thank you for all the well-wishes; here's hoping to less interruptions from now on

>>6206070
>>6206093
lol, don't worry about it. I'm a borderline prude, there's gonna be none of that kind of stuff in this quest.

Oh, I just realized I both did not post about my writing and didn't actually settle the vote.

We're going to negotiate with Muyr to get paid to attend daily, but teach him for free.

Writing!

Twenty dollars a night...

"...and we could arrange for a carriage next Monday at the earliest..." Muyr was still pacing around, practically rambling to himself at this point, walking in the same exact circular motion as before.

"Mr. Muyr?" You interrupted.

That got his attention. The aged man stopped his pacing and gave you a furrowed glance. "Yes?"

"Ah'd uh, ah'd be happy t' jus' teach you for free. I don't think it'd be right t' put a price on that kind of thing." You said, while returning Muyr's empty chair to your desk. "And... I'll attend every night, but... it's a lot of time out of my schedule, and I need t' check with my group to make sure that it won't interfere with them either. I'll do it for fifteen, but... ah just need t' make sure I can before you pay me."

That left the old man... relieved? He walked over and gave your hand a firm shake, leaving it rather sore after he was done. "I suppose that's settled, then! I'll see you tonight and pay you then. If you have the time to spare, I'd appreciate your tutoring to be as soon as possible, after the meeting." Muyr started towards the door. "I apologize for interrupting your morning so suddenly. I'll send some forewarning next time. I hope your day goes well, Walter."

"And yours, Mr. Muyr." You stammered.

With that, the man was gone... and you had yet to catch up on what he'd said.

<><><><><>

Breakfast was surprisingly hearty today. Alongside the usual fluffy french toast sat a side of mixed salad, its ingredients unknown to you but rather tasty-looking, and some grapes in a small bowl. "I know this hotel is expensive, but I didn't expect so much food given the circumstances," you wondered aloud.

"Haven't you read the news, my boy? There's been a sudden surplus!" Steele remarked once he was done swallowing what looked like some kind of cabbage.

Huh. Maybe it had to do with Florian's kind? You'd seen what they could do with simple berries. What would happen if they got ahold of entire crop fields..?

Andrew was almost halfway done with his french toast. "If any'a you want my salad, go ahead 'n take it. I won't touch it. Didn't order it, anyhow."

Steele snapped up his offer right away. You were too busy noticing that almost every other patron at the dining hall had a salad at their tables, too... "...must be a big surplus if they're forcin' it onto guests..."

Andrew nodded. "Yep. I don't trust it much. Not like I'm one for eatin' leaves, anyways. That's Dora's job." He smirked.

While Andrew stuffed another piece of french toast in his mouth, you couldn't help but give Steele a glance in hopes of seeing something happen. Andrew's suspicion was rubbing off on you... but all you figured out was that Steele really liked that salad. Oh well.

Andrew, though... well, you had something important to ask him. "Hey, Andrew?"

The buffalo hunter nodded and gave you his attention.

"Did you... tell Mr. Muyr where I was stayin'?" You didn't realize it, but the question came out as a whisper.

Andrew asked you to repeat it a little more loudly, but understood it before you could finish your second try. "Oh, right. I've got to apologize fer that. He'd mentioned sending you a letter last evenin' that you never read. Was waitin' for you in his office all day and you never showed. Ah guess I felt a bit sorry for the bastard an'... forgot t' think before ah told him about stuff like that. Sorry."

You were actually surprised to hear Andrew apologize. He didn't seem like the type. His expression was rather sincere, too. "I don't know how he found me, neither. Was out trainin' almost all day after you brought me to that church." The idea seemed to unsettle Andrew, and he returned his eyes to his plate.

"...thanks for apologizin', anyways." You smiled, trying to distract him to no avail. You could worry about his explanations for giving away your room number later. "On the topic of trainin', though... what are you two going to be doin' for the next week'r so?"

Steele chimed in, more than eager to explain. "Ah, finally, a more jovial topic! Well! I was planning on spending some time fishing today, by the harbor, away from the ships in a spot I had reserved a few days prior. Tomorrow I'd like to take the steamer down the river come afternoon, and I have plenty of exercise planned for the early morning and late evening..."

Steele's plans were extensive and rather lavish. You could barely find a free hour within most of them. You had to stop him from going hour by hour for all of Friday and Saturday's activities, but were surprised to hear of no theatre or dining at Igel's among them. You'd expected him to be doing more things in the richer parts of town, but Steele seemed adamant about exploring Sacramento's other sectors instead.

Andrew, on the other hand, was much more concise. "There're meetings every evenin' at the Floatin' Dollar. I'll be there. Other than that, ah haven't got anythin' planned. Some trainin', probably." He wasn't looking at you while he spoke, but gave you a brief glance once he was nearly done. "I'd be up t' look through your journal some more, if you'd let me."

You had plenty of time to burn until the meeting today... so it wouldn't hurt to figure out your priorities while you could still let Steele and Andrew know about them.

>Spend the day...

>...at the hotel. Take a rest in your room, give your neofauna some care at the stables, and just relax.

>...fishing with Steele. If you bring Mary along, you might be able to help him catch lots of fish.

>...training with Andrew. You're curious about a rematch, especially now that you have some more variety amongst your team.

>...training alone. You want to develop Mary's new move-- that strange cottony wool needs a name, and you definitely want to apply it to battle use. Plus, you need to get Aster used to receiving commands somehow...

>Write-in.

>>6207262
>...training alone. You want to develop Mary's new move-- that strange cottony wool needs a name, and you definitely want to apply it to battle use. Plus, you need to get Aster used to receiving commands somehow...
We need to make sure Aster is in a good temperament to make sure he doesn't cause a ruckus later.

>>6207261
>Well! I was planning on spending some time fishing today, by the harbor, away from the ships in a spot I had reserved a few days prior.
We'd be wise to remind him that the local game has dramatically changed since the neofauna arrived.

I really despise the fifteen minute wait.

>>6207262
>>...training alone. You want to develop Mary's new move-- that strange cottony wool needs a name, and you definitely want to apply it to battle use. Plus, you need to get Aster used to receiving commands somehow...

>>6207262
>...training alone. You want to develop Mary's new move-- that strange cottony wool needs a name, and you definitely want to apply it to battle use. Plus, you need to get Aster used to receiving commands somehow...

>>6207305
>We'd be wise to remind him that the local game has dramatically changed since the neofauna arrived.
Good thinking.

>>6207262
Adding that to mt vote at >>6207359