Pokemon Umbral Theatre 36: We're Alone, We're Very Alone

[Menarker]

Ah neat.

Anyhow, things is running faster now. Pierce, Earl and I just need to post the remainer of his stuff and we'll be done intermission wise.

Then we can proceed with "Charlotte's sidequest" despite the titular player not being with us.

Hopefully we can get the rules "finalized" again before mission start.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Do you guys need me for the sidequest? I'm okay pitching in some involvement or like, laying some general "Charlotte would do X" things for the sake of the sidequest I guess.

[Dracorion]

That'd be up to how much AB needs from you, pretty much. I don't think it changes much for the rest of us if Charlotte doesn't speak much.

As far as I'm concerned, you can be as involved as you want.

[Astral Harmony]

I'll have to check and see how much of what you want I remember and/or have in this or that PM.

EDIT: Got enough to go on. If Menarker's fixed the battle stat issues that I guess existed when he practiced with Relm, we should be good to move on any day then, I s'pose. I'm working for the next four days but I'll try to do something.

[Menarker]

Originally Posted by Armored Bishoujo

I'll have to check and see how much of what you want I remember and/or have in this or that PM.

EDIT: Got enough to go on. If Menarker's fixed the battle stat issues that I guess existed when he practiced with Relm, we should be good to move on any day then, I s'pose. I'm working for the next four days but I'll try to do something.

Well, you said you were going to look over the proposed rules and see what you would come up with.

Anyhow, if we can organize a time when you, me and Relm could all get together and work on it or at least clarify things, that'll help keep things smooth.

[Aldurin]

I'll take a look at it to make sure nothing is blatantly wrong from my version of mathematical insanity, but I probably won't go too deep into it.

[Astral Harmony]

Okay, I added a notepad version of the new Final Umbral Guide to the first post of this thread. I think an edupad version is in order perhaps, and figured Menarker would probably prefer to tell me where to place it so I don't end up destroying something precious in the process.

And speaking of Edupad...Dracorion? Aldurin? You guys have some bizarre in-character dialogue, y'know that?

Update: Issue with Rogue Pokemon fixed.

[Aldurin]

Originally Posted by Armored Bishoujo

And speaking of Edupad...Dracorion? Aldurin? You guys have some bizarre in-character dialogue, y'know that?

We'll try to squeeze in a fist-bump at some point in the mission, though whether the situation is appropriate for it or not is not guaranteed.

[Menarker]

Hey all. Due to last night's pad crash (which it was not the first of) despite low amount of activity, I've decided to create a new "main pad" for us to go to for discussion.

http://edupad.ch/AqF6tQZHoC

The old pad will still exist with their content untouched, mainly to preserve the color-authorship scheme that is present. However, our discussions and planning will be brought over to the new pad to keep things stable.

[Astral Harmony]

Armored Bishoujo: "The Umbral Guide is updated and posted, as is the Character & Pokemon Stats Guide. The C&PSG was so large it had to be put into two different files, the 1st one being characters and the second one being Pokemon, some miscellaneous data on Slayer weapons and armor and other nonsense, and a glossary which should help in explaning all the acronyms. Good thing I used acronyms, too, or otherwise this guide would probably be four sections long."

Bowls of Stupid Productions Presents...

...an Armored Bishoujo original omake...

...The World Ends With an Impact...

...but first, a quick Cast of Characters!

- Impact (AKA Ray Green): The anti-hero of the story and a Player in the Reaper's Game, partnered with Dark Charlotte. It's generally believed that Impact's death resulted as yet another step in the success story of the PATCA-lead rebellion, but very few people are aware of how he truely died. Not even his partner Charlotte seems to know. This could very well just be a secret between him and his murderer. Trained by a top academy and honed in nearly a decade of war, Impact is an indominable warrior, although occasionally his ego may get the better of his decision making talent, such as in his dealings with Shannon, one whose actions had cost him many valuable soldiers. Ever since his death, the stress of the war seems to have surfaced and he can often be embarrassing to associate with. In battle, Impact wields a number of pins related to his Slayer weapons and demonic powers.

- Charlotte Beaufort (AKA Dark Charlotte): A mysterious being who functions as a Player in the Reaper's Game, partnered with Impact. During a certain battle with a hated enemy, Charlotte engages her opponent in a fatalistic and self-sacrificing way, though it's believed by many of the PATCA staff that she probably didn't do it for any selfless reason. Ever since then, they've been encountering this woman more often than not. Dubbed Dark Charlotte, she is ruled entirely by her own motivations, regardless of whether they allow her to ally with her former comrades or turn against them. Charlotte isn't actually a part of the Reaper's Game, but has intruded into it to help Impact win and be revived all so he can distract others from anything she might be doing in the Pokemon World. Charlotte uses a shotgun empowered with malevolent energies and other shadowy powers to bitchslap Noise.

- Shannon Mordhaus: A young Pokemon trainer who, like Impact, died in the Pokemon Umbral sequel. She is a Player in the Reaper's Game, and is partnered with Discord. Shannon's is a story of tremendous self-sacrifice for the sake of her friends and those she loves, and she still holds a deep-seated hatred for Impact. It can be expected that she'll try to sabotage Impact's chances at being revived, even if it means that she'll never return to the Pokemon World herself. The method behind her demise remains a mystery, though she's changed her wardrobe in a very unique way that could hint upon how she died. Shannon fights using a sword reminiscent of Gaea and angelic wings, which grants her insane speed and agility and allows her to add a mighty boost of momentum to her otherwise inferior attacks.

- Discord: A young and talented Vorpal Frenzy mercenary who served Impact during the Pokemon Umbral sequel as a sellsword until she was killed in the war with the Knomere, Fear Vanguard, rebellion, and too many other foes. She is a Player in the Reaper's Game, partnered with Shannon. When and how she died isn't a mystery, and surprisingly she bears no ill will towards her employer or her murderers, aware that she made the decision to serve Impact and understanding that her enemies would justifiably kill her if possible. Ever since the death of Vladier Burkmont, Discord's sadistic nature seems to have softened somewhat, and now she spends much of her time having fun at the expense of Shannon. Discord still uses her trademark twin snakeswords to whip and cut her enemies into kibble.

- Renny Tresserhorn: A Harrier Reaper in the Reaper's Game, partnered with his wife Lola. If you thought he was bad before, his marriage to Lola turned both of them into intolerable fruitcakes. They clearly mean to stop Impact from being resurrected and probably kill Charlotte in the process, while conflicted with their duty because it means they will have to erase both Shannon and Discord as well, two people he feels deserve a second chance at life. He is responsible for dispatching ridiculously cute Noise with kitty faces that are surprisingly fierce, especially when coupled with Lola's background music mix.

- Lolianne Tresserhorn: A Harrier Reaper in the Reaper's Game, partnered with her husband Renny. And if Harliette hated the kind of woman Lola was before she was wed to the man she loves, she must absolutely detest Lola now. Lola is fully supportive of any and all decisions that Renny makes, and adores doing any and all things for him, from cooking his meals to cleaning up after him to wearing sexy lingerie to seduce him. She seems to lack the imaginative talent to create Noise, but apparently has an untaught knack for mixing techno music, which causes no end of grief to Impact and Charlotte. Renny's cute Noise and Lola's cheerful background music are a surprisingly devastating combo when used against them.

- Irene Granger: No, she's not dead. She's not a Player or a Reaper, either. And she...seems to be willing to help Impact? But she was the de facto leader of the rebellion! Wasn't she one of Impact's greatest opponents? Ever since the end of everything from the Knomere threat to the existence of the Rezonscape, Irene's been trying to conclude everything that remains to be concluded, such as finding decent leadership to help rebuild the war-devastated Honmyr and solidifying her relationship with Pierce. In other words, even though the war could be long over, Irene's work has only just begun. And the names of Impact and Charlotte and on her very long laundry list.

The World Ends With An Impact, Day 2, Interval 2: Tutorials Ain't Funny

(Impact is breathing heavily while Charlotte just stands there, arms folded)
Charlotte: "Do you need a cigarette?"
Impact: "That has to have been like, what, about fifty battles? Is that normal?"
Charlotte: "If you like grinding XP like Armored Bishoujo does when he plays video games, then fifty battles is nothing. Anyways, that doesn't matter. Do we have enough 500 yen pins?"
(Impact checks his Inquiry Visor)
Impact: "We've got enough and then some. You know, I observed something strange while we were fighting. We gained a large number of levels, but the battles didn't get any easier."
Charlotte: "Oh, that. I've been downshifting our levels."
Impact: "Are you retarded?! Our lives depend on this! Why?"
Charlotte: "Correction; YOUR life depends on this. And I've been fucking with your level because setting our levels lower increases the chance of us earning pins from the damn Noise. It's what separates the casual Players from us hardcore badasses. You do want to be a hardcore badass, don't you?"
Impact: "Right, because my reputation in an alternate Hungry World version of Shibuya is so goddamn important. Well, whatever, we got the pins. Let's go talk to Discord."
(Impact & Charlotte find Shannon & Discord.)
Impact: "Here you go. An assload of 500 yen pins."
Discord: "And here you go. A Definitivo Chili Dog."
Impact: "Why thank you."
(Impact eats the Definitivo Chili Dog.)
Charlotte: "You fuckin' moron..."
Impact: "I'm not usually big on hot dogs, but this...this is certainly happening."
Charlotte: "Dumbshit! We needed to trade that for the K-On! Season 2 bluray. What the hell were you thinking, eating it?! We'll have to fight a lot of battles and I don't think we have enough mission time left."
Impact: "Oh. Uhhh...sorry, I wasn't really thinking. You know how instinct works, right? Be given a very tasty food item, you just eat it without realizing how important it is not to eat it."
Charlotte: "Well, I guess it makes sense for you to impulsively consume large juicy weiners with brown stuff on them. Ugh. Anyways, I'm not technically a part of this game so you losing and being erased isn't really any skin off my nose. Just a damn inconvenience...pretty much like how you were when you were alive."
Shannon: "Relax, we have another one."
Charlotte: "What do you need two for?"
Shannon: "Well, if Impact there turned that one in, we were going to share this one. Did you look at these items with the Inquiry Visor? We can eat food to sync us up better, and we can even permanently bolster our statistics, though that usually requires us to digest it."
Charlotte: "How does Impact digest food?"
Impact: "Yeah, I might wanna go swimming later."
Shannon: "Check your statistics in the Inquiry Visor menu. Food has a number of bytes that come with it. You eat the food, then go fight the appropriate number of battles. Once you do, the food is down and you gain its true benefits."
Charlotte: "That's helpful. We can eat stuff to boost our HP while reducing our experience levels which lowers our HP. We can keep our HP high and continue increasing our chance of acquiring kickass pins."
Discord: "We'll go turn in this hot dog now."
Charlotte: "Please do. Better you than us, I guess."
(Shannon & Discord leave)
Charlotte: "Why did I bother saddling myself with this dolt?"
Impact: "Are you coming or not?"
Charlotte: "What're we doing?"
Impact: "Well, I gotta fight some battles in order to digest this hot dog, right? Better get on with it."
(Impact & Charlotte go kick some ass while Shannon & Discord complete the mission and return)
Impact: "Oh, you're back. Good, because I have a question."
Discord: "If it's about that, I suggested a blow job, but Shannon didn't want to do it."
Shannon: "Right, like THAT'S never going to get old."
Discord: "I'm glad you agree."
Impact: "I'm talking about the bytes. I digested the food, but now the bytes are grayed out. What's that mean?"
Shannon: "That means you can't eat anything that substantial anymore. All you can really do now is light snacking."
Charlotte: "Light snacking doesn't offer a lotta bonuses, though. Anyways we can cheat our way around it?"
Shannon: "Yeah, just set your Visor for the next day."
Charlotte: "Would that work?"
Shannon: "Worked for us."
Impact: "How does that make any damn sense? You can't possibly expect me to just set the damn Visor for the next day and-...wow, it actually worked. And my pins got a lot of points."
Shannon: "Just be careful with changing the Visor's date to level up pins. Pins don't tend to evolve often at all when using that trick."
Charlotte: "This is ridiculous. Impact only ate that whole thing ten minutes ago, and now his bytes are clear just because he fucked around with the Visor's time setting? Why didn't that cause our mission time to end suddenly?"
Irene: "A demon did it. Probably one with time powers."
Impact: "You!"
Irene: "Yep. Me."
(Impact prepares his psyches and rushes Irene, but darkness overtakes him and he blacks out)

Day 3, Interval 1: Me, Myself and Irene

(Impact wakes up to find himself at the Building 104)
Impact: "Saved by the sleep, Irene. Saved by the sleep."
Shannon: "You alright there, Mister Tyrant?"
Impact: "Oh, get out of my sight before I find a good up-moving escalator to throw you down."
Shannon: "Huh?"
Impact: "Y'know. It keeps moving up so you're never going to run out of stairs to break your bones on."
Shannon: "I...don't think that'd work, and while I'd love to abandon you, I'm afraid this time we're partnered up."
Impact: "Are you shitting me? Where the hell is Charlotte?"
Shannon: "She, Discord, and myself woke up early while you were taking a nap out in the middle of the street. She wanted to go find Irene and, considering how rosy our relationship is with each other-"
Impact: "Talk to Garus. He can show you EXACTLY how rosy your relationship is with Charlotte."
Shannon: "...Wow. Uhhh, anyways, she used her deus ex machina-esque powers to break both pacts, partnered up with Discord, and they left me stuck with you. Can't fight the Noise without a partner, so I had to help myself."
Impact: "Gee, thanks, Charlotte. Next time just drop your pants and take a steaming shit on my chest."
Shannon: "I heard about your relationship with Leprihare so I'm not so certain you're being sarcastic. Anyways, they actually can't be far ahead and hey, maybe we'll find Irene first. I'd kind of like to talk to her, too. Maybe she can tell me if Moon and the others are alright."
(At that time, the Visors they wear indicate a new e-mail)
Impact: "Or not and have to deal with this fucking mission instead. Let's see what it says."
Shannon: "Actually, we might be in luck. This e-mail's from Charlotte. Maybe she found Irene?"
Impact: "Let's hope so, but what's with these strings of words?"
Shannon: "They're Internet memes. What can we do with these?"
Impact: "Charlotte used a Internet meme to bring the wrath of the Memebusters down on a Reaper who was blocking our way the day before yesterday. We can clear some walls with these phrases."
Shannon: "I think that's just a power Charlotte has. I can't access a Reaper's mind to read it or imprint anything into it."
Impact: "Which would probably make these useless."
Shannon: "Hmm...well, we can imprint them into ordinary people around here. Let's go searching, Impact. Maybe we can use these memes to blaze ourselves a path through after all."
Impact: "Alright, but I'm the leader of our group, got it? I decide where we go and I make all the decisions along the way, and I don't give a damn whether you like it or not."
Shannon: "Well, since I don't have Gaea with me, I guess I've got no choice but to play along. Lead the way, m'lord. Oh, but one thing."
Impact: "Yes?"
Shannon: "Please don't suggest blow jobs."
Impact: "..."
Shannon: "You're going to suggest blow jobs, aren't you?"
Impact: "I'll just file it under 'N' or 'no promises'."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The World Ends With an Impact, Day 3, Interval 2: A Court Battle System? O RLY?

Irene: "S'up, dawg?"
Impact: "..."
Shannon: "..."
Irene: "..."
Impact: "..."
Shannon: "Impact, say something."
Impact: "..."
Irene: "Did...did I do something?"
Shannon: "My guess is that we found you far too soon. He hasn't mentally prepared and organized everything he wanted to say to you when we found you again."
Irene: "Oh, alright then. So I guess I should go run and hide or something?"
Shannon: "Impact, cover your eyes and count to thirty."
Impact: "..."
Irene: "Oh crap, I think I broke him."
Shannon: "For the love of Armored Bishoujo, Impact, say something already."
Impact: "...Shannon, go give Irene a blow job."
Irene: "Yep, I broke him."
Shannon: *sigh* "Tell you what, I think I know what you want to say to her so I'll just handle it for you."
Irene: "...You mean I don't get to have a blow job?"
Shannon: "I hate you both...with all of my hate. Now, Irene, I think Impact's slighty annoyed by the fact that you murdered him."
Irene: "Well, tell him not to be slightly annoyed with me 'cause I didn't murder him."
Impact: "You liar!"
Shannon: "Oh neat, he rebooted himself."
Irene: "I hope he didn't format himself. I'd like to get that Shannon X Charlotte doujin he might have stored on his hard drive."
Impact: "Look, Irene, there's a pretty strong possibility that I might not make it out of this Reality Shard alive, so at the very least you could be honest about killing me off to tie up loose ends in Honmyr."
Irene: "Impact, I've told you time and again long ago that I didn't intend to kill you. Despite the horrid things you've done, Honmyr most likely wouldn't exist today without you and your efforts. Evil intentioned you were, you did help immensely in annihilating the Knomere, so I would never be able to bring myself to just cut you down in cold blood."
Impact: "That's it! Irene Crosswald, I challenge you to a Courtroom Battle!"
Irene: "It's 'Granger', now."
Impact: "Huh?"
Irene: "I'm telling you, my last name is Granger."
Impact: "You...married that...that...that guy?"
Irene: "Yep. I mean, after all I put him through for my own sake, I would've been a horrible woman if I denied him anything that he desired. So, yes, I'm his woman, as I have been for a long time. The ring here just makes it official 'n' stuff."
Shannon: *takes Irene's hand* "My gosh, Irene, it's beautiful!"
Irene: "Yep, and once again Piercey is in the poor house again. I guess his nature of spending extravagantly for girls he likes won't be easily cured anytime soon."
Impact: "Well, whatever! Irene Crosswald-!"
Irene: "'Granger', damn it!"
Impact: "Irene Granger, I challenge you to a Courtroom Battle!"

*The scene shifts to an official-looking courtroom as the Courtroom BGM plays. Impact, Shannon, and Irene are the only ones there.*
*Begin Courtroom Battle*
Armored Bishoujo: *bow* "We humbly apologize for the lack of comedy during this Courtroom Battle. Even I can't be funny all the time...or any of the time..."
Irene: *positioned at the witness stand* "So, uhh...shouldn't there be a jury? Or, hell, a judge?"
Impact: *positioned at the prosecutor stand* "I am judge, jury, and most importantly of all, executioner here. Wait, where's Shannon?"
Shannon: *positioned at the defense stand* "I don't know about you, but I make this attorney badge look good."
Impact: "Well, I guess it would be unkind of me to not allow the witness the possibility of defending herself. Anyways, witness."
Irene: "Yeppers?"
Impact: "State your name and occupation."
Irene: "But all three of us know my name and occupation."
Impact: "Just do it already."
Irene: *sigh* "I am Irene Granger, former chief of the disbanded PATCA HQ in Fainas Metropolis and the leader of the rebellion. I am also considered one of the heroes who ended the threat of the Rezonscape, the threat of the Knomere, and the threat of Bezelain and her organization of Adonova. I like long walks on the beach, guys with no tan lines and getting blow jobs from Shannon."
Shannon: "...All of my hate, Irene. All of my hate."
Irene: "If you're asking for a current day occupation, I'm more or less a raunchy housewife at this point."
Impact: "I think we can move on. Witness, you shall testify."
Irene: "About?"
Impact: "About murdering me, dumbass, what else?!"
Shannon: "Objection! The witness does not have to submit testimony that could directly incriminate herself."
Impact: "Objection! The defense is not blowing someone."
Shannon: *sigh* "Look, could we stop with that? How about just having the witness testify about something closely related to your murder but not as accusatory?"
Impact: "Such as?"
Shannon: "Hmm...well, how about testifying about discovering the body? You did that, right, witness?"
Irene: "Discovered his body? Yes, we did."
Impact: "We? Who else was there?"
Irene: "The rest of the Resistance, obviously."
Impact: "Alright, then. I guess we should start with you testifying about events leading up to the discovery first."
Irene: "You got it."

*Close up of Irene and Impact's challenging eyes*

*Begin Testimony*
Title: "About Recent Events"
Irene (1): "After the Knomere threat was more or less quelled, we did want to head for Fainas Metropolis and put an end to your tyranny."
Irene (2): "But the Rezonscape's influence was fast becoming a dilemma we simply could not ignore."
Irene (3): "So, the Resistance more or less put affairs above ground on the back burner and headed down."
Irene (4): "And then, once the Rezonscape was dealt with, we turned our attention to you."
Irene (5): "But it seems that somebody or something else had gotten to you first."

*End Testimony & Begin Cross-Examination*
Impact: [Press on 3] "I find it surprising that the entire Resistance was needed to deal with one Rezonscape."
Irene: "I tried for many years to keep the worst case scenario from happening, but it did."
Impact: "Worst case scenario?"
Irene: "Yes. We couldn't render Rezonark, the source of the Rezonscape, vulnerable to any kind of attack without first returning all six of the Arkments to him. Then and only then could the indescribable confrontation with that man finally begin. We were all very necessary, and while I can't exactly account for every single member of the Resistance, I am quite certain that no units able to actually defeat you returned to Fainas before Rezonark was defeated."
Impact: "Hmmm...well, defense? Anything you might wanna ask?"
Shannon: "There's nothing in that testimony I can use to defend the accused. No questions."

*End Cross-Examination*
Impact: "Well, that wasn't very helpful. Alright, witness, now I ask that you testify about discovering my body."
Shannon: "Any clues could help, witness, so please provide as many details as possible."
Irene: "No worries, I know what I'm doing."

*Begin Testimony*
Title: "An Impactful Scene"
Irene (1): "When we discovered the body, it was clear that at least several hours had passed since your death."
Irene (2): "The autopsy suggests that you were first ambushed and mortally wounded. We believe by only a single person."
Irene (3): "A bladed weapon was stabbed into your lower abdomen and dropped you to the floor."
Irene (4): "You didn't stand back up, but you must have been crawling."
Irene (5): "There were bloody handmarks on the floor, the nearby wall, and a trail of blood smeared by what we believe are your legs, and other blood markings too."
Irene (6): "You crawled from the room you were in all the way to the president's office, a distance of about twenty yards."
Irene (7): "And that's where we found your body, Impact. It seemed that from the position of your body, you were trying to reach for something."

*End Testimony & Begin Cross-Examination*
Impact: [Press on 1] "Several hours is a long time. Do you think anybody else could have chanced upon my body before you arrived?"
Irene: "That's very possible, but we've seen no evidence as such. If they saw your corpse or all the blood, they probably just spun back around and abandoned the place. We've done a thorough investigation, and it seems like the crime scene was left uninterrupted."
Impact: [Press on 2] "Are you sure it was just one person that killed me?"
Irene: "We believe so. All wounds inflicted on your body come from the same weapon. I mean, I suppose multiple people could've attacked you with similar weapons, but that doesn't seem likely. The wounds suggest that this had to be someone with an extremely deep personal grudge against you, and while many people did hate you and wanted you dead, I imagine a handful of people only having such a severe grudge."
Impact: [Press on 3] "Can you describe this bladed weapon?"
Irene: "It was a pretty large sword, kind of like a claymore except with a lot more blade to it."
Impact: "Like the weapons you use?"
Irene: "Of course. But I'm telling you that I wasn't there when you were killed."
Impact: [Press on 5] "Can you expand on what you describe as 'other blood markings'?"
Irene: "Well, some of them are believed to have been you coughing up blood, while others suggest that the murderer didn't flee when they mortally wounded you. Instead, he or she must have followed you out of the room and continued to inflict other wounds on you, most likely out of pure enjoyment. There were additional unnecessary gash marks on your body, and blood splatters on the wall where blood must have exited from those wounds."
Impact: "'Unnecessary' gash marks?"
Irene: "That first wound would've killed you in about half an hour, but you would've been uncontious within only a few minutes after your blood pressure dropped enough. We assume you actually passed out from blood loss before dying."
Impact: [Press on 7] "My memory is a little fuzzy. Would you happen to know about what I might have been reaching for?"
Irene: "Yep, we found out, and we were appalled."
Impact: "...Go ahead."
Irene: "I've always known about a secret button underneath the president's desk. Ex-President Andricksen used it for something, but you turned it into some kind of super detonator. There are huge stockpiles of high explosives in Fainas, the Recycled City, the Hiroshiho Empire, the Prideguard HQ...I could go on and on. Obviously, you intended to use this to negotiate an escape in case things grew sour, but we guess that when you found yourself on the verge of death, you attempted to get to that button and press it regardless. Sort of a 'if I can't have Honmyr, no one will get it' kind of thing."
Impact: "Huh. Good thinking on my behalf, I guess. Anyways, Shannon, anything from you?"
Shannon: "You're a terrible monster of a man, Impact."
Impact: "Funny. I don't recall being or saying anything to the contrary."

*End Cross-Examination*
Impact: "Witness."
Irene: "More testimony?"
Shannon: "You haven't objected or presented evidence to contradict her testimony thus far, prosecution. Do you not know how to do this whole Courtroom Battle thing?"
Impact: "I can't really get much out of this battle without any kind of evidence to submit that contradicts her testimony, stupid."
Irene: "I take that to mean that we're finished."
Impact: "Yes, this Courtroom Battle is over. You are off the hook...for now."
Shannon: "Did I win?"
Impact: "Nobody really won. We just need to collect more evidence."

*End Courtroom Battle*
Irene: "Well, then, I have these for you, Impact."
Impact: "An autopsy report on me? And these are photos of the crime scene!"
Irene: "You had no small pool of enemies who wanted you dead, Impact. And while I can't claim to be a friend myself, I should think that you'd at least be given every chance possible to find out who ended your life. Whether you have the chance to avenge your own death or not...I guess that should be left up to your performance in this Reality Shard."
Impact: "You're still not going to admit that you did it?"
Irene: "Impact, I don't have any reasons to lie to you about anything. Sometimes I withheld information from you, but that was mostly due to the fact that you couldn't necessarily use it and it was pointless to get you all riled up over something you couldn't do anything about. In other words, you're just going to have to trust me."
Impact: "Well maybe if you gave me a chance-"
Irene: "This isn't about me giving you a chance to see if you can do something. I didn't give you a chance to do something because if I did, you'd probably ruin one or seven different plans of mine, and when I say that, I mean 'plans that, if you ruin them, could be detrimental to you and your plans as well.' So, and I reiterate, you're just going to have to trust me."
Impact: *sigh* "I guess I don't have a choice. I can't do anything whether I trust you or not, as usual, and I doubt I can kill you, even with Shannon here."
Shannon: "So what'll we do now? It's actually kind of late and still no mission mail."
Impact: "Isn't there supposed to be one every day?"
Shannon: "Maybe the person who makes them got preoccupied or something."
Impact: "So what are you going to do from now on, Irene? I imagine you'll want to return to Pierce."
Irene: "Nah, I'm sure he's still trying to convince Chizuru to bear him a child or twelve. I'll stick around in the Reality Shard, at least until this weird tournament of yours is over."
Shannon: "Has he tried to get you to bear him a little one, too?"
Irene: "He wants me to, but I barely managed to handle Rayleen throughout this ridiculous adventure. I'm lucky she's still only lost that one arm, let alone remains alive. Besides, I think I'm a little too old to be popping out kids. Pierce just doesn't always think about what he's asking, I guess."
Shannon: "Should we try to find Charlotte and Discord, Impact? They were looking for Irene too, weren't they?"
Impact: "If they need to see her, I guess Irene can just find them herself."
Irene: "Maybe they were looking for me because they knew you'd have wanted to talk to me. But coolio, I'll go see if I can find them."
*Irene leaves*
Impact: "Wait! Damn it, I wanted to examine this evidence a bit and then see if there's a discrepancy with her testimony."
Shannon: "I'm sure we'll find her again before the week is over. Or hell, look for her after the week is over if you come back to life."
Impact: *examines the evidence* "Well, the autopsy checks out with Irene's story, but...what's with this?"
Shannon: "Huh?"
Impact: "Check this photo. These are bloodmarks and streaks from where I must have crawled from where I was ambushed to where I eventually died. There are places where it looks like blood fell from my body but didn't hit the ground. See? The marks are sort of broken up."
Shannon: "...Do you think that maybe your murderer was standing there when your blood spilled there and it spilled onto the bastard instead?"
Impact: "That sounds reasonable. Now, last time I remember Irene, she was all decked out in that Crimson Phoenix armor, which had very large armored boots. These markings wouldn't match those bigass boots of hers. Actually, she wouldn't match if she was wearing her old PATCA gear."
Shannon: "...Impact, I think these marks look like bare feet."
Impact: *looks closer* "Now that I really look at it, you're right. There are individual bumps and curves. The person who did this was indeed not wearing anything on the feet."
Shannon: "The marks are pretty small. I think this could only have been made by a woman...or maybe a young, effiminate man."
Impact: "So, a woman or a shota. Well, this is an Armored Bishoujo RPG, so that about only narrows it down by about twenty-fucking-percent."
Shannon: "Yeah, but how many people do you know who go around murdering others without wearing shoes? Maybe it wasn't just the feet. Maybe the whole person was naked."
Impact: "So I was murdered by a naked woman? Huh. I mean, I know that's how Pierce imagined he would die one day, but me? Well, I guess I'll have to try and figure it out as we go along. Now, it's been a surprisingly exhausting day, and I'd really to settle down and eat...and eat a lot. And you're going to eat a lot too, Shannon."
Shannon: "..."
Impact: "..."
Shannon: "...You want me to eat a lot of dick, right?"
Impact: "No, no, no, we're talking about legitimate food here, this time. The Noise are getting stronger, and we're gonna need some permanent stat boosts."
Shannon: "And you want to feed me, too? I'm pretty sure you'll just swap me out with Discord again tomorrow morning or something."
Impact: "I don't care to think about the future right now, Shannon. Look, just come on and make room in that flat stomach of yours. We're going to eat until we're damn near unstoppable. And we're gonna fight until we're drowning in pins."
Shannon: "Well, guess I had nothing better planned for today."