Convergence (>talk with the catgirl)

[Naesr Tazam]

>Jay: Food first, mischief later; Hunter first, Seer later.
> Jack: Squeakers is tired and Jay is... busy. Fend for yourself!
> Hawk: Open the portal. Bind the demon for he is already here

[Fuade]

Well, I, for one, would love to see Jay fight bears at his size. Hunter.

[AProcrastinatingWriter]

>Marquette: Be the Seer of Taste.
>Hawk: Think about what you're doing here. You positive it's the right thing to do?

[Squiggles]

Okay so far we have

Hunter: 2
Seer 2
Expeller: 0
Flier: 0

[Fuade]

Any chance we can keep him in this glowy god state for a bit? It's really cool looking.

[Wessolf27]

> Jay: Be the Seer, show all possibilities.
> Jack: Aaaah cats! You hate cats!!!! Kick it off!
> Layelah: Go giant. You can do that right? Become a giant panther?
> Hawk: Proceed with the ritual
> Master's Summon: Any possibility that what you see can be what your master sees? Alert him if possible.

[HalcyonicStitcher]

I cast a vote for FLIER. This option is the most adorable and the one most likely to result in hilarious shenanigans.

[Squiggles]

>Seer.
Because Jack currently hasn't been shown to have/use anything resembling information-gathering capabilities/things, unlike the other ones.
(Squeakers is somewhat hunterlike, and Jack can expel energies. Also we don't need Jay to become a fluttery little asshole be able to go wherever "his whim takes him". That could be really bad.)
Basically the seer class adds more than the other ones, in my opinion.

>Marquette: Be the Seer of Taste.

> Jay: Be the Seer, show all possibilities.

You made your decision. Nothing spites Order and brings about Chaos more than being able to peek into realities' plans and mucking them up. Look now, your new appendage breaks so many laws in this realm it's awesome. So much has become laid out before you it'd drive a sane mind mad. Past, Present, Future. So many variables. You've never been a Seer before to any recollection but this is the form you'll be the most handy in and you know especially now, the handier you are, the longer you can play.

Something in your visions makes you pause. Order is trying to cull one of your kin. Shame on it, that's not something you're going to allow.

> Jack: Squeakers is tired and Jay is... busy. Fend for yourself!

> Jack: Aaaah cats! You hate cats!!!! Kick it off!

Augh! Megan's stupid cat! You hate that cat!

Damn it Megan, you're going to have these potions shoved down your throat and you're going to not hold some petty grudge for once!

Right as the beast's claws are to meet your face a shattering crash happens right behind you.



The demon cat reels back in shock at the sudden pouring of pitched darkness engulfs the immediate area. You waste no time ducking for cover.



Something emerges from amidst the dark fog.

> Layelah: Go giant. You can do that right? Become a giant panther?

You can do lots of things but you're not strong enough yet to change this form's size. You can shape shift to some degree, devour people, and create fire. You don't know if you really want to shoot fire at that creature. It's holding two potions that you really don't want to see used.

> Hawk: Open the portal. Bind the demon for he is already here

There is no demon you're bringing forth. Only one you're getting rid of.

>Hawk: Think about what you're doing here. You positive it's the right thing to do?

You've thought about it. For years perhaps even. Does this rivalry even have a point? Are you supposed to beat Jack or is it some head game the Master has set up as a test? That's the thing. This enemy, rival, whatever he is, is dangerous. He's careless and never thinks his actions through. If he beats you, then what? He summons some world killing dark god or something because it'd be neat? Who knows.

Of course you're saying this as a part of your justifications, the list is plenty long by now. A large portion of your life you spent around the human. He's been a consistent pain in your ass. This rivalry itself is toxic. Neither of you are as far as you probably should be at this point. Why? Because you keep fighting. Yet you'll keep fighting until there's one left because the Master will only chose one in the end.

Now you two have a deadline. You figured you'd be left alone whilst the idiot scrabbled about pointlessly trying to come up with a good enough summon to top yours. Today you were proven wrong. You were attacked. And while you've gotten into physical confrontations before with both Jack and his summon, you've never really had a moment where you thought you were going to die.

Hells, this is a mercy. At least once you've succeeded, he'll not have to worry about what life here will be like, a living failure, forever known as the one not good enough for the Balance Summoner.

In the end though, no matter your justifications. If you didn't think this was your only course of action left, well, you really wouldn't be doing it.

> Hawk: Proceed with the ritual

You know Jack well enough, he'll come. You're all ready and waiting.

> Master's Summon: Any possibility that what you see can be what your master sees? Alert him if possible.

You can only do that when the Master uses some spell, which he isn't right now. You're trapped in this field, you can't get out, your whines and barks aren't heard, and the whelps are getting into real danger. You need out! You got to protect them!

---replies---

Any chance we can keep him in this glowy god state for a bit? It's really cool looking.

show spoiler

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Undoubtedly you'll see it again in the future.

[Fuade]

Master's Summon: Can you dig under or fly over the barrier? Possibly by smashing through the ceiling?

Jack: Is this just some bottled darkness or is this some horrible flesh eating thing? React accordingly

Hawk: To be fair, the rat was only sitting on you until you shot a flash bang into it's face. That's like slapping a bull because it's in your way.

Jay:...

Juggle. Just do it.

[AProcrastinatingWriter]

Jay:...

Juggle. Just do it.

A whole reaction image isn't appropriate, but I do believe this warrants me typing out the words 'Just as Planned'.

ANYWAY

>Jay: Show that cat how creatures from your realm battle.
>Jack:Shout commands like a Pokemon trainer Marvel at the power a summon can possess.

EDIT: Also apparently my thousandth post was me typing out the words 'Just as Planned'. This is entirely satisfactory to me.

[Naesr Tazam]

> Jay: Play with fire.
> Layelah: Fight fire with... no, run away. Just... just run.
> Jack: Begin wondering if you're nothing more than an incomptent who relies on others to bail him out of trouble.
> Megan Hawk: Better continue preparing for further contingencies while you wait. You're dealing with an unbalanced foe who favors chaos, remember?
> Gremble: Shadow. You need shadow. Even the smallest, lightest bit of shade may help. Can you cast a shadow anywhere? On yourself, perhaps?

[Wessolf27]

> Jay: Play with fire.
> Layelah: Fight fire with... no, run away. Just... just run.
> Jack: Begin wondering if you're nothing more than an incomptent who relies on others to bail him out of trouble.
> Megan Hawk: Better continue preparing for further contingencies while you wait. You're dealing with an unbalanced foe who favors chaos, remember?
> Gremble: Shadow. You need shadow. Even the smallest, lightest bit of shade may help. Can you cast a shadow anywhere? On yourself, perhaps?

This one

[Squiggles]

> Layelah: Fight fire with... no, run away. Just... just run.

Jay:...

Juggle. Just do it.

Running is to be had. Strange prey wielding potion bottles is not a thing you want to hunt. On that thought, you're going to run, hide, probably sleep a little, and then pretend none of this happened.

>Jay: Show that cat how creatures from your realm battle.

Usually there's a lot more head biting when confrontations tasty meals present themselves. Your kind tend to be durable. That's what makes this place so fun; other things aren't. The planty tentacles, grab a hold of the wriggling fur creature and hold fast. You see the fun to be had in many of your actions now. Naturally you're picking the bestest.

> Jay: Play with fire.

Fire is great. It's like you, an entity or wild abandon and wanton destruction.



It's so beautiful.

>Jack:Shout commands like a Pokemon trainer Marvel at the power a summon can possess.

This won't do at all. You're not a summon killer and you don't want your summon to be a summon killer. The only command that comes to mind right now that you shout is a simple two worded one, "Jay, Stop!"



You don't know their names, you don't know how you know them, you only have a vague idea how they work but damn it you want things to go right and that doesn't involve sitting on your rump. Whatever it's called you shoot it at the burning vines and it cost you half a mana point.



The second one cost you a fourth but it does its job and sends the cat demon flying.



It looks confused and maybe a little stunned but will otherwise be fine.

Jack: Is this just some bottled darkness or is this some horrible flesh eating thing? React accordingly

If you're not dead from it or feeling any off affects by now chances are it's just some strange dark magic. Megan's not going to make a slow acting offensive potion.

Jay's laughing like a maniac. It's mildly disturbing. You have to hand it to him he did come up with a rather clever combo of potions, even if it would have ended in a charcoaled cat. You make note to keep the little guy far away from unknown potions in the future. Megan's going to kill you when he sees his cabin and the pathway now has burning mana vines coming up from it.

> Jack: Begin wondering if you're nothing more than an incomptent who relies on others to bail him out of trouble.

Well you did mess up pretty much everything today. You messed up your memory, your study time, the master's drawing room, your rival, the library if you want to get technical, and now the apothecary room/cabin. Did you manage to do anything right today?





Layelah: You saved me even after I tried to claw your face off! You're a nice human, I'll get you a nice fat bird. Not as nice as the one for my elf but still, it'll be a great present. I'm glad I didn't devour you like I was planing.

Jack: *wheeze*

Master's Summon: Can you dig under or fly over the barrier? Possibly by smashing through the ceiling?

> Gremble: Shadow. You need shadow. Even the smallest, lightest bit of shade may help. Can you cast a shadow anywhere? On yourself, perhaps?

You are surrounded by light magic on all sides and it's a barrier between you and anywhere else. Your Shadow magic won't work and so you're trapped here for the time being. You can only hope something breaks the circle.

Hawk: To be fair, the rat was only sitting on you until you shot a flash bang into it's face. That's like slapping a bull because it's in your way.

> Megan Hawk: Better continue preparing for further contingencies while you wait. You're dealing with an unbalanced foe who favors chaos, remember?

To be fair he shouldn't have sent it after you in the first place. It's a pointless debate because it all still comes back to the simplest of things: him or you and whose life is going to be ruined. You did all that you could to prepare for this. The waiting game will be spent with a spell book in hand.

[Naesr Tazam]

> Jack: N-n-n-nekomimi?
> Jay: CAN'T... BREATHE!
> Layelah: Off to catch a birdie, NYAN~

[Doorhandle]

This adventure just gets better every time it updates.
Also, is Gremble based on that thing from the never-ending story?

Jack: Don't let it get you down. A good summoner has to stop his minions from getting out of hand, and you can do that well, even if it only in the nick of time.
Preserve. and keep an eye on jay: it seems he can now summon himself to the battlefeild.


Also the other guy. He seems unconvinced that you didn't mean any malice.

[Wessolf27]

> Jack: N-n-n-nekomimi?
> Jay: CAN'T... BREATHE!
> Layelah: Off to catch a birdie, NYAN~

Add to this:

Layelah: be in love with your master
Jack: cats were bad... but catgirls are worse!!
Hawk: What'cha reading?

[Yamtaggler]

>Jack: Great, now your next summon will have to be a wolf to keep the catgirls away. Unless you're into that sort of thing, in which case I'm not here to judge man, so it's all you.

[Ruxin]

Jack: cats were bad... but catgirls are worse!!

Are you implying something?

Also, good adventure. Keep it up!

[HalcyonicStitcher]

Jack: Resolve to be a more responsible summoner. Try to put a leash or harness on Jay.

[Fuade]

While you can't teach him the difference between right and wrong, can we set up a sort of positive/negative feedback thing? Like bop his nose with a newspaper every time he tries murdering a cat or something, and giving him a mana treat every time he does good. Train him like you would a dog.

[Naesr Tazam]

While you can't teach him the difference between right and wrong, can we set up a sort of positive/negative feedback thing? Like bop his nose with a newspaper every time he tries murdering a cat or something, and giving him a mana treat every time he does good. Train him like you would a dog.

Seconding, since that's what we've been doing so far - minus the newspaper, man we need to find Jack one of those - and it seems to work.

[crepuscularDissembler]

Are you forgetting the whole "Seer" thing? Jay probably knew when he did that that Jack would end up saving Layelah and gaining her approval.
Not that he did it for those reasons. He just decided that this was the most hilarious/interesting pathway.

[Yamtaggler]

Are you forgetting the whole "Seer" thing? Jay probably knew when he did that that Jack would end up saving Layelah and gaining her approval.
Not that he did it for those reasons. He just decided that this was the most hilarious/interesting pathway.

Yeah, I think I can see a smile under there. Of course, he's always smiling... Creepy...

[Dfaran]

>Jack: Get out from under this thing and go deliver those potions already before Megan heals himself or something and your good deed is rendered moot.

[Squiggles]

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This took way too long guys, sorry for that. Between being sick and not sleeping well I couldn't focus wortha hoot on drawing for more than short bits at a time.

> Jack: N-n-n-nekomimi?

> Jay: CAN'T... BREATHE!

The air was knocked out of your lungs with that pounce. Your face has gone red from the lack of air and you're highest priority is trying to get the cat to stop pressing on your chest.

> Jay: CAN'T... BREATHE!

You don't need air like mortal critters do. You don't like the squishing though!

Jack: cats were bad... but catgirls are worse!!

They're definitely heavier.

Jack: Cat-

Layelah: Layelah or Laylie, not cat. I'm not a cat. I'm just like a cat, silly human.

Jack: Okay, Laylie, can you get up? This isn't comfortable.

Layelah: Prrr... I'm comfy. Myee hee hee!

>Jack: Great, now your next summon will have to be a wolf to keep the catgirls away. Unless you're into that sort of thing, in which case I'm not here to judge man, so it's all you.

Wait, what? No. No way. Not in a million years! She's a cat demon, the kind known for eating people. And she's Megan's summon so even more no. She's not even a humanoid most of the time! Gods, there's probably dozens of rules and really good reasons why this female is the last female you'd ever have any sort of romantic feelings for!

I guess what you're trying to say is. Even if she looks kind of like a cute girl. She's a cat. She might say she's not a cat, but she's a really weird kind of cat and you're not into cats.



Now she's looking at you strangely. Great. Megan's summon thinks you're odd. Got to think of something to say and fast.

Jack: Laylie!

Layelah: Mrrow?

Jack: How mad is your master at me right now?

Layelah: Ffft, he's really mad. I haven't seen my master this mad in a while. He didn't even tell me I couldn't eat you for once. You're lucky your new squishy toy came when he did.

Also the other guy. He seems unconvinced that you didn't mean any malice.

>Jack: Get out from under this thing and go deliver those potions already before Megan heals himself or something and your good deed is rendered moot.

> Layelah: Off to catch a birdie, NYAN~

Birds do make such good prey, and they're tasty too. Perhaps you'll go out now and- Butterfly!



Whelp, she's a cat again, solving that dilemma. Finding out he's mad at you is not a big surprise. It's not really all that different than usual you suppose. He's always mad at you for something or another. You guess you should gather up the summons and get going now before something else comes along to slow things down. Perhaps Megan'll at least be grateful you brought his cat back. You remember actually being jealous when the master gave him the kitten.



Relieved. That's what you're feeling right now. The cat... Laylie, isn't harmed and Jay did a great job defending you and is also no worse for wear. Somehow you don't think he's going to be a very good offensive summon. The lack of restraint, heck, his demeanor in general was worrisome. He could have killed that cat and not cared at all.

Jack: Resolve to be a more responsible summoner. Try to put a leash or harness on Jay.

While you can't teach him the difference between right and wrong, can we set up a sort of positive/negative feedback thing? Like bop his nose with a newspaper every time he tries murdering a cat or something, and giving him a mana treat every time he does good. Train him like you would a dog.

Seconding, since that's what we've been doing so far - minus the newspaper, man we need to find Jack one of those - and it seems to work.

Jack: Don't let it get you down. A good summoner has to stop his minions from getting out of hand, and you can do that well, even if it only in the nick of time.
Preserve. and keep an eye on jay: it seems he can now summon himself to the battlefeild.

All of that is right. You're going to have to figure out how to keep him in line. You might have messed up here by picking the little guy as a summon in the first place without learning more about his kind. Megan's probably laughing it up right now. Well, what's done is done and now you've got to get things worked out before the master gets back otherwise you're going to look stupid. Still. You're ahead of your rival in the summoning field. He's only got this cat. You got your vermin spirit and a maquette, not too shabby.

Layelah: be in love with your master

Why would you not? Without him there wouldn't be a you. He's the best person you will ever have even if you live ten lives.

Hawk: What'cha reading?

It's a spell book. A rather basic one, true, but this isn't the time for heavy reading. Surely, even including all the inevitable detours your summon has undoubtedly made, she has found Jack. He'll be on his way to get even like always and you'll not have to worry about him ever again.

---replies---

This adventure just gets better every time it updates.
Also, is Gremble based on that thing from the never-ending story?

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Actually no. XD

Grembles were a creature I designed about a year or so ago back when I had it in my head I wanted to make adoptable art. I was aiming for something creepy cute and not quite fully placable in the animal kingdom. Enter the dog-demon-goblin-thing, a critter with a lot of superstition and a bad reputation.



The Master's gremble ended up with larger horns than most of the designs and a lot plainer. Funnily, he kinda sorta looks vaguely like Falcor the dragon-dog thing from never ending story, because of his coloring and those long ears. XD



See how these two are more grey? That's more typical than lighter colored Grembles.

Are you forgetting the whole "Seer" thing? Jay probably knew when he did that that Jack would end up saving Layelah and gaining her approval.
Not that he did it for those reasons. He just decided that this was the most hilarious/interesting pathway.

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Clever, clever reader.

Also, good adventure. Keep it up!

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That's the goal, glad you're liking it.