“It started about 3 years ago, as you probably know. I was still young, eager to do like my inspirations- the great warrior-queens of my lineage past. Amerta, the First. Mirela, the Unifier Queen. Grandma Rena, the strongest Glittershine in generations! I set out to wander the realm in disguise and make a name for myself. My mom wished me well, my dad gave me a big hug and told me to make my name the most famous in the land!”

“So I decided to head to…”

> “Laterra, ancient city of research and mystery! With all the study of ancient ruins and legends there, I was sure I could find some heroic deeds that needing doing!”
> “Port Bortem, the roughest port in the land! With all those ne’er do wells, it needed a heroic touch to set things straight, right?”
> “Util, the last great frontier zone. Our expeditions there had completely stalled out- but no one had magic like me. It made perfect sense!”


(Expect slow updates, like maybe 1-2 a day. This is a late post for me I just decided to nut up and do it.)

>>5963641
> “Util, the last great frontier zone. Our expeditions there had completely stalled out- but no one had magic like me. It made perfect sense!”
Promising start! Btw, 1 or 2 posts a day isn't slow around here.

> “Util, the last great frontier zone. Our expeditions there had completely stalled out- but no one had magic like me. It made perfect sense!”

>>5963640

>>5963640
you have my attention, OP. Did svtfoe inspire this in any way ?
>>5963641
>“Laterra, ancient city of research and mystery! With all the study of ancient ruins and legends there, I was sure I could find some heroic deeds that needing doing!”

>>5963641
>> “Port Bortem, the roughest port in the land! With all those ne’er do wells, it needed a heroic touch to set things straight, right?”

>>5963641
>> “Laterra, ancient city of research and mystery! With all the study of ancient ruins and legends there, I was sure I could find some heroic deeds that needing doing!”

>>5963641
>“Util, the last great frontier zone. Our expeditions there had completely stalled out- but no one had magic like me. It made perfect sense!”

>>5963641
> “Util, the last great frontier zone. Our expeditions there had completely stalled out- but no one had magic like me. It made perfect sense!”

>>5963641
>> “Port Bortem, the roughest port in the land! With all those ne’er do wells, it needed a heroic touch to set things straight, right?”

>>5963641
>>5963687
I won't lie, it was part of it. But other things did as well. Kirby, Blazblue, RWBY, a few others.

>>5963642
>>5963667
>>5964115
>>5964272

…“Util, the last great frontier zone. Our expeditions there had completely stalled out- but no one had magic like me. It made perfect sense! I’d go out there, lead a party of amazing adventurers and friends to fame and glory with a bunch of fun quests, hijinks, and kicking butt!” She has a brittle smile on her face now. “And that’s what I did! At least…at least at first…” the smile fades. “...I remember it so clearly. I was so eager…”

—-----------------------

“Util was everything I expected at first. It was sandy and coarse, b-but had a strong air, y'know? The first thing I did, I-I went to the Headsman to ask about potential excursions soon. I knew there weren’t going to be many, but I figured just one was what I needed. And, and yeah, there was one! Someone was looking for at least one partner to go on one with. T-that’s where I met…him." Her expression becomes forlorn, and you know exactly why. "My love. My life. He stayed by me through everything. EVERYTHING." She grits her teeth. "Until…” she chokes up.

You raise an eyebrow. You knew who she was referring to and what happened, but it needed to be on the record. “The name and occupation of the individual?”

She frowns at you- you suspect she knows that you know, but she can't say that right now- it'd muddle up the record.

> “...Ray Tassel. He was just a sweet farm boy that took up a sword and shield...a budding warrior looking for adventure- it called to him in a way I could get. He was so simple. So earnest…so perfect.”
> “L-Leon Wright. He was so…so adorably nerdy! I’d never met a guy who called himself a scribe but was so willing to actually get out in the world. Oh, I couldn’t help teasing him all the time!”
> “Dane Fall. H-he looked dark, mysterious, fascinating! I thought a rogue like him would be perfect for my story…but then I learned how shy he really was. We…clicked so easily.

>>5964526
>> “L-Leon Wright. He was so…so adorably nerdy! I’d never met a guy who called himself a scribe but was so willing to actually get out in the world. Oh, I couldn’t help teasing him all the time!”

What could go wrong?

>>5964526
>“L-Leon Wright. He was so…so adorably nerdy! I’d never met a guy who called himself a scribe but was so willing to actually get out in the world. Oh, I couldn’t help teasing him all the time!”

>>5964526
>I won't lie, it was part of it. But other things did as well. Kirby, Blazblue, RWBY, a few others.
I betted on it because of the princess from another planet thing, kek. let's see how this goes

>“L-Leon Wright. He was so…so adorably nerdy! I’d never met a guy who called himself a scribe but was so willing to actually get out in the world. Oh, I couldn’t help teasing him all the time!”

>>5964526
> “L-Leon Wright. He was so…so adorably nerdy! I’d never met a guy who called himself a scribe but was so willing to actually get out in the world. Oh, I couldn’t help teasing him all the time!”

>>5964526

> “...Ray Tassel. He was just a sweet farm boy that took up a sword and shield...a budding warrior looking for adventure- it called to him in a way I could get. He was so simple. So earnest…so perfect.”

>>5964526
> “...Ray Tassel. He was just a sweet farm boy that took up a sword and shield...a budding warrior looking for adventure- it called to him in a way I could get. He was so simple. So earnest…so perfect.”
Interesting premise, QM.

>>5964526
>“...Ray Tassel. He was just a sweet farm boy that took up a sword and shield...a budding warrior looking for adventure- it called to him in a way I could get. He was so simple. So earnest…so perfect.”

>>5964526
>>“L-Leon Wright. He was so…so adorably nerdy! I’d never met a guy who called himself a scribe but was so willing to actually get out in the world. Oh, I couldn’t help teasing him all the time!”

>>5964526
>> “...Ray Tassel. He was just a sweet farm boy that took up a sword and shield...a budding warrior looking for adventure- it called to him in a way I could get. He was so simple. So earnest…so perfect.”

>>5964526
>>5964534
>>5964544
>>5964561
>>5964563
>>5964790
“L-Leon Wright. He was so…so adorably nerdy! I’d never met a guy who called himself a scribe but was so willing to actually get out in the world. Oh, I couldn’t help teasing him!”

You suppose that’s how he got that backbone you recall of him. Then again, sounds like he might’ve had it all along. “Was he opposed to the partnership?” you ask due to necessity.

“What? No!” She actually sounds indignant. “I mean, I-I teased him and he didn’t fight back for a while, but we both knew it was all in good fun. He was so surprised when I offered to partner with him…” she looks off dreamily, reminiscing for a moment- however, she refocuses before you have to remind her. “We-we started off small. I remember we found a lake that was surrounded by big, teethy lizard things with no eyes. L-like, all jaw. He was so scared, and- and I was like ‘oh, this is no problem! I’ll feed them a fireball buffet!” And- and then I did it, but they literally ATE the fireballs! So I was panicking for a bit, and then, and then he tosses a big old stone in one’s mouth when it was coming down, a-and, I was shocked because you wouldn’t expect that, right?” She grins shakily, but it’s slightly more stable. “So I asked him where that was, and he says ‘I lift a lot of books,’ and- and that was it.” She shrugged. “I think I fell for him then and there.” She grins to herself, again lost in memory. “I didn’t stop teasing him, though. He never asked me to stop, either…even though he was always so by the book.”

“I- We had a few fun adventures…” she continues, “but none of it was anything important. We scouted places, we reported back, we got paid, and did that a few times. It was pretty same-y. At least, until we found the Pit.”

“The Pit?” You inquire.

She nods glumly. “Yeah…at the time, we thought it- that it was just an old mausoleum. Something that held a lot of old-timey dead people…that’s all. He said that it was likely that it was an old burial ground for an ancient race of people that came before us. He was so excited…” she trails off once again. “And so was I. We went in and pretty much got separated almost immediately…” she admits with a blush. “But, after some time, we found each other again- but we were in a massive room that almost looked like an arena, or- or a stadium…”

Hm. This might want some elaboration…what to ask first, if anything?

> “Do you know what happened to him before that?”
> “How long, exactly, did you take down there?
> “How did you survive before you found him?
>Other

>>5965471
> “How did you survive before you found him?

>>5965471
>“How long, exactly, did you take down there?

>>5965471
>“How long, exactly, did you take down there?

>>5965471
>> “Do you know what happened to him before that?”

>>5965471
> “Do you know what happened to him before that?”

>>5965471
>“Do you know what happened to him before that?”

I'll update today multiple times (not quite a run) if there's not a tie.

>>5965471
>> “How did you survive before you found him?

>>5965471
> “How long, exactly, did you take down there?

>>5965471
>“How did you survive before you found him?

Rolled 1 (1d3)

Three way tie. I'll just roll for it.

>>5965471
>>5965471
>>5965577
>>5965588
>>5965730
“Do you know what happened to him before that?” you ask. “It seems odd that you just ‘ran back into him’.”

“I…” she pauses. “We didn’t really think about it at the time, but later on, he said that he’d stumbled into a hidden doorway. He looked for an exit and ran across…some mural with a lot of weird beasts on it. Afterwards, he walked down a long stairwell until he got to that open air place…” she shakes her head. “H-He couldn’t remember all of it from memory; we talked about it afterwards, after, uh…” she blushes again and looks down, clearly despondent. “Bad things happened.”

“You mean the release of the Netherborn,” you supply. She flinches at that. The Netherborn were an ancient race of chaotic, destructive beings that literally fed and grew off of negative emotions and were attracted to large outputs of it. It raised merry havoc with society and threw things into a dismal dark age in mere months. Resistant to magic, resistance to steel, they were a nightmare to fight without heavy ordinance or really REALLY good combat skills. No one had known why or how they’d been released…until last year, when the secret had finally gotten out. At least, part of it.

“I didn’t mean to!” she insists. “It was an accident- I- we- I didn’t know! I thought it was a treasure chest!” she says half-sobbing. “It was just sitting there out in the open! I wouldn’t have opened it if I had known!”

This is actually good information. Part of your job in getting her confession was getting the details of what happened. That means figuring out how and when to press her for information.

However, as sorrowful as she might be…you need to keep an ear open for any contradictions or lies she might say to make herself sound better. These are her last words, after all; you don’t doubt that she’d at least try to paint herself in the best way possible. The more accurate you can be certain her information to be, the better it’ll be for you in the end, you’re sure.

“I-I thought we’d get some treasure, not…that,” she explains, looking away from you. “There was a long hallway and it was at the very end. Leon was worried, but…we opened it anyway. Once the first one came out, we just ran away.”

Hm.

>Is something wrong here?
>Yes
>No.

OR

>Ask her to continue the story.

(I'm trying something, give a bit more interactivity to this. I'd wanted to do it anyway but wasn't sure how to introduce it. Now's better than later, I suppose.)

>>5966530
>Is something wrong here?
>Yes

>>5966530
I should mention to say what you think is wrong in your post, sorry.

>>5966530
>Yes
What was Leon worried about, specifically? Did he suspect what was in the chests? And why didn't Mippie listen to him?

>>5966620
+1. I was thinking it had something to do with the setup of the place but this is better.

Ohohoho. I see.

Well, let's take down the facts.

>>5963640
>The prisoner is Mippi Glittershine, princess of the Glittershine Royal House
>Her kingdom is in ruins, and her people are calling for her blood
>Mippi brought in "outsiders" to "share this wondrous land of Faenalia with"
>Mippi was found because her "oldest friend turned against her", and this friend "left three days ago"
>Mippi claims that she's not a bad person, and that she just made a mistake
>Mippi did "this" (let in the outsiders?) to "make up for" something (the narrator cuts her off before she says what)
>Mippi was captured for "causing the Manaburn" and "destroying the Magical Realm," which left many people dead

>>5963641
>This whole thing started 3 years ago
>Mippi was inspired by: "Amerta, the First. Mirela, the Unifier Queen. Grandma Rena, the strongest Glittershine in generations!"
>She set off to "wander the land in disguise and make a name for herself"

>>5964526
>Mippi went to "Util, the last great frontier zone"
>She first "went to the Headsman to ask about potential excursions" (or expeditions), which involve "leading a party of amazing adventurers and friends to fame and glory with a bunch of fun quests"
>This is where she met the love of her life, which stayed with her through "EVERYTHING" (presumably the Manaburn and everyone dying and so on)
>The narrator already knows who this love of her life is [evidently he had an important role to play later]

>>5965471
>The love of Mippi's life is Leon Wright, a nerdy, "by the book" scribe who nevertheless was buff and went adventuring
>Mippi liked to tease him, but eventually asked him to partner with her
>They had a "fun few adventures, but nothing important," according to Mippi
>Then they found the Pit, an "old burial ground for an ancient race of people that came before us": Leon was excited by this
>Leon and Mippi entered, but got separated, eventually finding each other in a massive room that looked like a stadium

>>5966530
>The narrator is skeptical that Leon and Mippi just happened to run back into each other
>Mippi claims that Leon had found a hidden doorway: he found "some mural with a lot of weird beasts on it", then walked down a long stairwell (was it hidden in/behind the mural?) to get to the arena room
>Mippi claims that Leon doesn't remember all of it
>The narrator tells us/Mippi that the "bad things that happened" was the release of the Netherborn, an " an ancient race of chaotic, destructive beings that literally fed and grew off of negative emotions and were attracted to large outputs of it." (These are presumably the "outsiders" that Mippi brought in.)
>Mippi says that "she didn't mean to" release the Netherborn, and she thought "it" (presumably whatever released them) was a "treasure chest"

In conclusion...

>OBJECTION!!!

Mippi claims that she accidentally released the Netherborn, but in the first post, she says that "she wanted to share this wondrous land of Faenalia with" them!

>>5966629
(Which implies that it was intentional, or at the very least that she had some kind of contact with or knowledge of the Netherborn before releasing them!)

Also...

>What kind of weird beasts were on the mural?
>What was a "treasure chest" doing in an arena? Why did they assume it was an arena? Where was it located? Was it locked? Who actually opened it?
>Given that Leon is a scribe and was "excited" about the Pit, did he already know about the Netherborn?
>Who is Mippi's oldest friend, assuming that it's not Leon? (This is something the narrator knows already, but we don't)

File: IMG_0346.gif (4.04 MB, 638x360)

4.04 MB GIF

>>5966629

>>5966530
>No.
his worries could be because of mimics or some trap and since by the description a netherborn is freakly sturdy it's no wonder they escaped after being attacked by one. we need more info.

>Ask her to continue the story.

>>5966629
alright, I should've update before voting. this is very good

...I'll be closing votes in about 1 hour from this post. I did say I would update more than once.

>>5966629
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ5eklOlrQE&list=RD66LCfFqIbAA

This is part of the soundtrack I listen to when I update. Just thought you might like to know. It's that kinda concept behind this little quest.

File: edgeworth_tap.gif (28 KB, 146x138)

28 KB GIF

>>5966664
>>5966653
I do what I can.

>>5966642
Also,
>What was Mippi "making up for"? (If the narrator already knows this-- since they cut her off-- can we be let in on it?)

>>5966530
>>5966620
>>5966626
>>5966629
>>5966642
>>5966664
“Hold on,” you insist, and she jumps slightly. “I have more than a few questions. What was Leon worried about, specifically? Did he suspect what was in the chests? And why didn't you listen to him?”

“What? I, well…” she flinches, looking away. “He was always a worrywart…” she admitted. “And it worked out usually when I took the lead. I…I thought this was another time that’d happen. So I just opened it,” she admits. “I didn’t mean to!”

You have your doubts. “Details, Ms. Glittershine. WHAT was he worried about?”

She pauses, looks at you. Looks away. “I…he…thought there might be ghosts. That’s all. That’s why he freaked out. But I insisted there wouldn’t be.”

That sounded like her. According to her friend, some priestess named Regina, ‘she ‘believed in herself’ way too much’. Clearly to a negative point. Although that in and of itself sounded suspect. “What was a "treasure chest" doing in an arena, I wonder.”

She shrugs. “I-I dunno! It was just there, like I said. At the end of a hallway, under a big statue, but just there We were surprised, too!”

“And you’re sure this was an arena?” you press. “Not something else?”

“It…it was wide and a dome, I’m-I thought it was an arena!” she insists. “What else could it have been?”

You can think of a few things, perhaps. But that’ll come later. “Then tell me this,” you pivot. “Given that Leon is a scribe and was "excited" about the Pit, did he already know about the Netherborn?”

Her mouth goes into a thin line. “I…he…never said at the time. Like I said, he thought it was ghosts. Everyone knows ghosts don’t exist!” she states loudly. “So of course I’d have thought that he was just freaking out over nothing!” You can at least acknowledge that you’ve never heard of spectres running around here before.

“Ghosts, right…” you mutter. Then you look her in the eye. “If he was worried about ghosts, what kind of weird beasts were on the mural?”

“I dunno!” she barks out. “But since it was a mausoleum or something, he…he thought maybe spirits inhabited it! So after that I opened it. And he came out, and then we freaked and ran. We knew it was trouble, so we bailed and collapsed the tunnel behind us. We…we thought we’d handled it.” She sighs, slumping.

Yeah, you could see that failing. And somehow, she ended up killing countless people to try to make up for that failure. Likely what she was talking about earlier. That doesn’t excuse her, however. Especially not now. Anyway, that was a lot of details, and you can’t belabor this point much longer. The recorder’s still going, after all, and despite wanting the truth, how much you antagonize her will likely affect how much more she's willing to spill going forwards.

Make an accusation. Something feels VERY off, here. (What?)
It all makes sense enough so far. Time to move on.

Done for tonight. Just letting folks know.

>>5966735
>It all makes sense enough so far. Time to move on.
If we push her too hard, too early, before we catch her in a lie, she'll clam up.

>>5966735
>Make an accusation. Something feels VERY off, here. (What?)
What >>5966629 said here about sharing this wondrous land of Faenalia

>>5966735
No accusation, but can she go into more detail about what came out

>>5966735
>It all makes sense enough so far. Time to move on.

>>5966735
>It all makes sense enough so far. Time to move on.

>“I dunno!” she barks out. “But since it was a mausoleum or something
Rather than a chest, perhaps it was some sort of sarcophagus or tomb. The "Arena" was actually a burial chamber.

>>5966735
>It all makes sense enough so far. Time to move on.

>>5966735
>It all makes sense enough so far. Time to move on.
I believe in what >>5966629 is saying, but I don't want to make her clam up. We need info first, then we can go in for it.

I'm >>5966629.

I think I'm right that the release of the Netherborn wasn't an accident, or at the very least the initial release was accidental but Mippi then struck a deal with them, but I don't see a need to press it here. If we have a contradiction in mind as we continue to talk to her, we can steer her toward confirming it.

Therefore:
>Move on
>Point out anon >>5966776's deduction about the sarcophagus though, that's good thinking

>>5966735
>>5966746
>>5966770
>>5966776
>>5966880
>>5966920
>>5967320
Hm. Well, whether she’s hiding something or not, you’ll let things lie as they are. It doesn’t even sound all that unlikely- time to move on. “Alright, then. We’ll move on. Though I feel that that 'treasure chest' might've been a tomb of some sort instead.”

She allows a grim smile, nodding in agreement. “Y-yeah. I guess that makes sense..." She pauses, letting that sink in, before continuing. "Sooo…after that, we…well, we agreed to not talk about it, right? I mean, something like that? We high-tailed it out of there since we figured someone would come looking and asking questions we didn’t want to answer. So, uh…we took off for a smaller town. Egaville.”

You nod. That had been a stopover on your investigation; you’d understood that she’d gotten up to something there that had resulted in a lake being depopulated of fish, of all things, but the details… “Can you tell me what happened there?”

She actually chuckles. “Well…it wasn’t pleasant. I, uh…I came down with a bit of a sickness.” She blushes. “It’s…it’s nothing bad, but it’s a common thing in my family, I had to take a lot of baths, that’s all. I-there was a pond.” She shrugs too casually, though she’s stopped meeting your eyes. “Used it. Not the best idea even if it worked. We, uh, left. Quickly.”

Hm. Well, at least she admits to that. Sounds accurate, at least. “And where’d you go then?”

Here, she gets a bit more quiet. Something she doesn’t want to admit? “I…Leon said there was somewhere we could lie low for a bit and then head back out. Somewhere he knew.” She pursed her lips. “We stayed with his teacher. Around the outskirts of Mesteria.”

You blink. Mesteria, also formerly known as the City Of Books, was a desolate ruin. Had apparently been overran by Netherborn about two years ago. Your investigation had hit a wall there when you went to investigate. This would be VERY interesting in filling in some gaps. Now, how to open this…?

> “Who, exactly, was his teacher?”
> “How long did you stay there?”
> “Why there, specifically?”
> Other (Only one question, please.)

>>5967847
>“Why there, specifically?”

>>5967847
>> “How long did you stay there?”

>>5967847
>“Who, exactly, was his teacher?”

>>5967847
> “Why there, specifically?”

>>5967847
>> “Who, exactly, was his teacher?”

>>5967847
>> “Who, exactly, was his teacher?”

>>5967847
>“Who, exactly, was his teacher?”

>>5967847
>> “Who, exactly, was his teacher?”

>>5967847
> “Who, exactly, was his teacher?”

>>5967847
>“Why there, specifically?”

>>5967847
>>5967873
>>5967941
>>5967991
>>5968024
>>5968032
>>5968072
Perhaps one of the biggest questions would be the identity of the one who hid them. “Alright. And who, exactly, was his teacher?” you ask.

“No one important,” she quickly dismisses, looking away. “I-I mean…well, we just basically…y’know…bunked out there and did odd jobs for him in disguise, nothing major. He didn’t like people knowing him so we did stuff for him.” Hm. “It was mostly little things like getting groceries, delivering packages, stuff like that. We hid out for like, months before we left.” Interesting. Close to a year stuck around there?

“Mippi.” You say simply. It was just too obvious of a dodge. “I asked for a name. If he wasn’t anyone important, then why avoid that?”

She pauses, and you can sense the nerves come right back. “I…he…” And finally, she slumps. “...he didn’t like people knowing his name, that’s all. Where he lives or anything. I just…wanted to respect that. But…” she sighs again. “Galbolor. It was Mr. Galbolor.”

…you recall that name. Galbolor was some big shot elder around there. Apparently he'd been the first to sound the alarm- and one of the first to die. She looks at your blank expression, and her own seems to grow to some level of surprise at your lack of reaction, though she doesn’t say anything. Next question.

>Why did you leave?
>Elaborate on what you did for Galbolor.
>Did you meet anyone else around there?
>Other

>>5968509
>Elaborate on what you did for Galbolor.

>>5968509
>Elaborate on what you did for Galbolor.
Why didn't he want people to know who he was? Why did you have to wear a disguise?

>>5968509
>>Elaborate on what you did for Galbolor.
What was in the packages that he had you delivering?

>>5968509
>Why did you leave?

>>5968509
>Elaborate on what you did for Galbolor.

>>5968509
>>Elaborate on what you did for Galbolor.

>>5968509
>Elaborate on what you did for Galbolor.

>>5968509
>>Did you meet anyone else around there?

>>5968539
Is Mippi a magic drug-runner??

>>5968509
>>5968518
>>5968534
>>5968539
>>5968582
>>5968725
>>5968808
You consider the matter carefully, but decide there’s something to cling to with this guy. “Elaborate on what you did for Galbolor, if you please.”

She blinks, then rears back. “W-what? What do you mean?”

“I mean, why didn't he want people to know who he was?” you state calmly. The fact that his name was known yet he tried to maintain some level of secrecy… “Why did you have to wear a disguise?” You lean a touch closer. “What was in the packages that he had you delivering?”

“I-I…I dunno!” she says after a moment, looking panicked. “We didn’t want to get outed as the people at the Pit, s-so we wore hoods and junk as disguises whenever we went into town! It wasn’t anything nefarious! It was so no one knew or would find out who we were. We’d sometimes get a delivery early in the morning, then he’d tell us where to deliver it, and we’d just go, take it, drop it off at whatever spot, and come back,” she explains. “Usually it was- it was just somewhere, not like, a PERSON, which was a big help,” she adds.

“And as for why he tried to keep his dealings secret?” you remind her.

“I-I guess it’s ‘cause he wanted to keep stuff to himself, Iunno!” she admits. She turns away, blushing. “I remember one time we got in trouble because we peeked, and it was a bunch of pets that escaped. We had to track down each and every one- and they were small, too! Like, like frogs and blood rabbits an’ stuff. Dunno why he’d want to hide that, but he did,” she says, shrugging. “I mean-I thought they were cute. Even if the grocery lady didn’t. Boy, she could yell,” she muttered. “I might be blonde but that doesn’t mean she can call me a ‘dumb blonde’...” she groused, but it ends quickly enough. "...those were good times, though."

>I'd like a bit more detail... (on what?)
>Any particular reason why you left?
>What did Leon think of the situation?
>Other

>>5969351
>What did Leon think of the situation?
He sounds like a young man with a lot of curiosity... Did he have any theories about why he was smuggling pets and such secretly?

>>5969351
>>What did Leon think of the situation?

>>5969351
>>What did Leon think of the situation?

>>5969351
>What did Leon think of the situation?
strange, but believable for a wizard

>>5969351
>What did Leon think of the situation?

>>5969351
>>What did Leon think of the situation?

>>5969351
>Any particular reason why you left?

>>5969351
>>I'd like a bit more detail... (on what?)
You said the packages usually were dropped off and not handed over to anyone, what guarantee was there the wrong person wouldn't take a package?

>>5969351
>What did Leon think of the situation?

>>5969351
>>What did Leon think of the situation?

OP ?

>>5970430
it's been less than two days. I wouldn't panic yet.

I was exceedingly tired yesterday. Thank you for worrying about me.

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

“And what did Leon think of the situation?” you ask. She'd spoken a lot about him, but little about his actions, you've come to notice. You wonder if everything about him is really as she claims it is.

“O-oh, he was super nervous at first… but being together helped a lot. It was actually then that we really kinda connected, you know?” She looks off, dreamily. “For a while it really was our own little world…sort of, anyway. Even if there was bad news, we stuck by each other. We…I’m pretty sure even then we loved each other…” she swoons, though it passes quickly in favor of sorrow. “...I just wish it lasted longer.”

“You do?” You press.

She sighs in response. “We…we had to go. Galbolor kicked us out. Said we were too much trouble,” she says softly. “We ended up heading for Vodelin.” Vodelin was another big city. Said to be a big research place, second only to Laterra in terms of studies undertaken there. <green>You recall from your intel that it got overran a year or so ago, too.</green> “B-but we didn’t stay very long. A few weeks, that’s all!” she insists quickly. “We, we, um, ended up staying a little while in nature before we went back to Util…” and here she drops in clear despair. “...where it all started really going wrong.”

You feel like she's leaving something out. The questions, though, are 'what', and 'is it important?'

Press for details. For such a catastrophic situation, this all seems too innocent. (What?)
She's really sounding more like a victim of circumstance, here. Might be time to move on.

>>5970617
>Press for details. For such a catastrophic situation, this all seems too innocent. (What?)
>Please elaborate on what did you do while in Vodelin.
A place for studies seems like something Leon would hesitate to leave behind, and I imagine there are many libraries and scrolls and things of that nature to study and learn about.

>>5970617
no problem, OP
>>5970628
>+1

>>5970628
Small correction, it should say "what you both did" since it's about both her and Leon.

>>5970617
>Press for details. For such a catastrophic situation, this all seems too innocent. (What?)
What did they do in Laterra for those few weeks?

>>5970617
>>5970672
I copied the wrong name, Vodelin not Laterra

>>5970617
>Press for details. For such a catastrophic situation, this all seems too innocent. (What?)
What led Galbolor to decide you were troublesome? Did he say?

>>5970677
+1

>>5970617
>Press for details. For such a catastrophic situation, this all seems too innocent.
Were the reasons that you had to leave Laterra and Vodelin connected? Getting chased out of one place is bad luck, but twice is a pattern.

>>5970617
>Were the reasons that you had to leave Laterra and Vodelin connected? Getting chased out of one place is bad luck, but twice is a pattern.
>Please elaborate on what did you do while in Vodelin.

Will post later. Maybe straight out run tomorrow. I hope folks are enjoying this.

>>5971465
I sure am. keep it up, QM!

>>5971465
alright, waiting warmly

>>5970617
>>5970628
>>5970634
>>5970672
>>5970677
>>5970688
>>5970745
>>5970842
“That so?” you wonder. “I find that odd.”

She nods, unknowing of what you really mean. “Y-yeah. It’s something I wish I could’ve changed, but-”

“No, I mean that Leon was so nervous, not to mention that you apparently tried to lay low so carefully, but Mr. Galbolor found you troublesome,” you point out. “What happened for him to decide that?”

She seems surprised but also nervous, if how she immediately breaks eye contact is telling. “Oh, uh, well, we just didn’t, uh, always see eye to eye about things…”

“Could you elaborate?” you ask. “Just to get all of the details.”

Honestly, this job is something else. You’ve done investigations before, but it’s not really your wheelhouse. This kinda stuff could be…frustrating.

She shrugs, still not meeting your eyes. “Y’know. Food, decor, uh, leaving dishes unwashed, the usual. No one ever found out who we were!” she says quickly. “It was just a lot of little things adding up, and, uh, I guess he eventually got tired of it, called us troublemakers, and the next thing you know we were headed towards Vodelin.”

“And you did what once you got there?” you ask bluntly.

“Oh, uh, like I said, not much. Ate, slept, took a couple small gigs for cash, then left,” she says quickly. “We were hoping to go somewhere further out, but, well…we ended up going back towards Util once I, well…got a letter in Vodelin. F-from my parents.” She rubs her arm nervously.

She’s hiding something. But can you get her to crack without clamming up? The approach matters, here.

> “So, no one could identify you?” There’s something off about that.
> “This Galbalor just pushed you out for such minor issues?” That sounds uncharacteristic.
> “You went back due to your parents? What did they want?” They’d seemed so supportive at first.
> Other

>>5971767
> “This Galbalor just pushed you out for such minor issues?” That sounds uncharacteristic.

>>5971767
>“This Galbalor just pushed you out for such minor issues?” That sounds uncharacteristic.

>>5971767
> “So, no one could identify you?” There’s something off about that.

>>5971767
>“This Galbalor just pushed you out for such minor issues?” That sounds uncharacteristic.

>>5971767
>> “You went back due to your parents? What did they want?” They’d seemed so supportive at first.

Will begin in around 2 hours, I think.

>>5971767
> “So, no one could identify you?” There’s something off about that.

I thought Galbolor would have thought them too much trouble because she already admitted to messing up at least 1 job here >>5969351
>“I remember one time we got in trouble because we peeked, and it was a bunch of pets that escaped. We had to track down each and every one- and they were small, too! Like, like frogs and blood rabbits an’ stuff. Dunno why he’d want to hide that, but he did,”
Plus he just seemed to be a paranoid guy who wouldn't want to put up with them

>>5972165
My suspicion is that she's hiding just how much, and how badly, they fucked up. First in the 'treasure room', then in Mesteria. Maybe the two fuck-ups are related, and exacerbated the problem that expanded into the devastation for which she is currently wanted.

I will have to delay the run, actually. Tax issues. Will post when I can.

>>5972289
How long a hiatus do you figure? Is this a "check back later" thing or qn "archive the thread and maybe I'll be back in a few months" thing?

>>5972298
Another hour or so while I try to puzzle this form out. If nothing happens I'll just start this to take my mind off of it.

Problem tenatively resolved. Writing.

>>5971767
>>5971800
>>5971810
>>5971828
Maybe the impersonal angle… “This Galbalor just pushed you out for such minor issues?” you ask her. “That sounds uncharacteristic.”

“W-well, I mean…” she hesitates. “He didn’t really care to take us in at first,” she admits. “We kinda…guilted him into it?” she said, red in the face. “Or, well! Leon said something, but I never really knew what. Just he started to say no, then Leon spoke with him privately, and theeen he said to come in and not touch anything.” she shrugged. “I wasn’t going to ask questions, so I just hugged him and took the offer. Either way, I, uh, don't think he actually ever liked us. So, uh, yeah, he found an excuse and, uh, took it. Like I said, the, uh, real trouble, t-that started when we headed back to Util.”

Hm. So he never actually liked them? "And Leon was alright with this?"

"I mean...sorta? They, uh, apparently had an iffy relationship there. He didn't want Leon to have any friends or social life, o-or anything!" she says, a bit heated now. "He couldn't go out, he couldn't have friends, just sit there and study! It was a travesty! So what if he had to sneak out sometimes, that doesn't mean he'll suddenly betray his teacher!" she complains. "I could hardly bear it..."

Wow. She gets awfully huffy and talkative when her boy-toy comes up.

>That might be something to lean on. "You snuck out with him?"
>You'll leave it be for now. "Fine, I get it. Let's move on to what happened at Util."
>Other

>>5972375
>That might be something to lean on. "You snuck out with him?"
Sounds like maybe Galbalor considered Mippi a bad influence.

>>5972375
>>That might be something to lean on. "You snuck out with him?"

>>5972375
>That might be something to lean on. "You snuck out with him?"

>>5972375
>>That might be something to lean on. "You snuck out with him?"

>>5972375
>That might be something to lean on. "You snuck out with him?"

>>5972375
>>5972379
>>5972386
>>5972387
>>5972398
>>5972410

That might be something to lean on. "You snuck out with him?" That seems…irresponsible.

She looks away, shrugging. “I mean…he needed some air. Obviously. We didn’t do anything nefarious, we just kinda walked around, saw the city- he even showed me a few of his favorite places! I-I mean, we couldn’t go in because they were closed, but it was nice anyway! Just him and me…” she has that airheaded look on again. “We went to the weeping gardens, and he gave me the cutest pink flower. We walked next to the Wall of Stars and it felt like a dream…” Yeah, she’s off in her own world. “It was so magical…I remember he looked into my eyes and told me ‘thanks for bringing me out of my shell, really!’…it was like something out of a fairy tale, then Jack happened, but I know he was about to! It was so perfect! We left after walking along the river after we visited the wall, so we didn’t do anything much.”

…???

Who the hells was ‘Jack’? She doesn’t seem to have noticed her slip. But that seems important. The question, though, is if you want to bring it up now or wait until later. Maybe she’ll bring them up herself…

"By the time we got back, it was late. We didn't do it again, though, it was just the once!" she reassures. Nope, she doesn't seem to recognize what she said. "I-I dunno if he ever found out but, uh, he DID get scarier for a while there..."

"Right, so..." you start, but she interrupts.

“Util was… w-well, it was the real horribleness,” she says. “We- the letter had said that they’d heard that- that some things had come out of the ruins not too long after we left and caused a lot of destruction. And they, uh, they were worried about me, ssssoooo…” she looks away. “They were gonna come fetch me. I- I dunno how they found me in Vodelin, but, uh…” she shrugged. “Parents, y’know? S-so I went there t-to meet them halfway and pick me up.”

>Did they send anyone after you?
>What was the situation like when you arrived?
>Why go back to Util and not go home?
>Other

>>5972437
>What was the situation like when you arrived?

>>5972437
>Why go back to Util and not go home?
I'm thinking Jack might be someone else, but the way she said make it seems like an event, not a person.

>>5972437
>Why go back to Util and not go home?
I'm tempted to ask if anyone followed her, but this could give us some insight into how her relationship was with her parents. There's a chance she might be on the run from something/someone.

>>5972437
>Why go back to Util and not go home?

>>5972437
>Who is Jack?

>>5972437
>>5972446
>>5972457
>>5972477
Hm. “Why go back to Util and not go home?” You probe. It doesn’t seem like it makes sense.

“Oh, well, uh…I wanted, to, uh, make sure things were okay,” she says timidly. “Y’know, considering the news there, and me, uh, wanting to, well, make a name for myself…” It’s amazing how this girl flips emotions so fast. Not even your friends are so volatile…well, no, maybe one of them is. “I-I mean, it was just on the way anyway, sooo, uh, yeah! Being a hero and all!”

Hm. “So you went there to see to their protection?”

She nods like a bobblyhead. “Y-yeah! Me and Leon didn’t want to risk anyone getting hurt, so, yeah! We went and tried to help in any way we could! And there were a lot of people there! I-it was...unpleasant,” she admits, looking down. "There were, uh...a lot hurt. Like, a LOT. It, uh, was...almost a bit overwhelming, honestly."

>And what did your parents think of that when they found you?
>Can you elaborate on what you did there, then?
>Well, it’s a wasteland now, so…my apologies.
>Other

>>5972507
>Can you elaborate on what you did there, then?
she's a bad liar

>>5972507
>Can you elaborate on what you did there, then?

>>5972507
>>And what did your parents think of that when they found you?

>>5972507
>>And what did your parents think of that when they found you?
Can't wait for the reveal that we are the executioner

>>5972507
>Can you elaborate on what you did there, then?

>>5972507
>Well, it’s a wasteland now, so…my apologies.
heh
gottem

>>5972507
>>And what did your parents think of that when they found you?

>>5972507
>Can you elaborate on what you did there, then?

>>5972507
>Well, it’s a wasteland now, so…my apologies.

>>5972507
>>Can you elaborate on what you did there, then?

>>5972507
>>5972514
>>5972516
>>5972529
>>5972658
>>5973106
“Hm. Tried to help?” Did she really? “Can you elaborate on what you did there, then?”

“O-oh!” She seems a bit taken aback at your question. “W-well, uh, I didn’t really try to stand out. T-there were a lot of injured. And- and Leon wasn’t a great medic, sooooo, we decided to just help with separate things. I, uh, did my best to help heal the injured while, um, he helped with collecting information a-and doing odd jobs like, uh, running messages and stuff. Y’know, we’d done it before, so yeah!” She grins a bit, shrugs. “Nothing special! But every bit helps! But, uh, then everything erupted… really badly.”

Hm. You know what she’s talking about. According to your investigation when tracking her, Ground Zero had been where the Pit opened up in what was called a massive eruption of a giant, toothy Netherborne, along with many smaller ones. What was left of it was called The Maw in reminder of the beast. “I take it you fought?”

She nodded. “I…the wand…it was a family heirloom, a powerfully magic one. I just hadn’t realized how powerful it could get at the time,” she explained. She sighed. “I certainly didn’t know how to control it completely. So I just…did what I could instead.” She sighs, looking down. “It wasn’t enough. It just…I wasn’t enough.” She slumps down, so much energy gone. “I ran, Leon ran, everyone ran for it. A-and for a lot of people…that wasn’t enough either. The ones that got away were the ones that could fly or had transport,” she says sorrowfully. “At that point, that was when I realized we had to fix our mistake. We…we had to find some way to seal the Netherborne back up. And that would mean going further than we’d ever gone before. Beyond the Kingdom, beyond the Yellow Veil, beyond anything we’d ever known. B-because they kept attacking me specifically, so, uh, we figured that the Wand of Dreams had something to do with it, so we had to find out what! And- and all the history and legends say it came beyond the realm we know now, with the Traveler! So, if we were going to find anything…”

“It would be out past the borders,” you conclude. The Yellow Veil was a literal magic wall that basically defined the borders of ‘civilized’ land and true chaotic wilderness. You’d poked around one section of it, but it wasn’t anything particular. Easy enough to walk through. “You’d be on your own.” And possibly beyond the reach of any law enforcement for a time, though you didn’t say THAT part.

> So…what happened to your parents in all this? You went to meet them and then that happened, but you made no mention of them.
> Sounds like we’re getting to the meat of the matter. What happened to make you break the wand?
> Did anyone recognize you while you were there?
> Although hold on, I’ve got some other questions… (what?)

>>5973481
> So…what happened to your parents in all this? You went to meet them and then that happened, but you made no mention of them.

>>5973481
>So…what happened to your parents in all this? You went to meet them and then that happened, but you made no mention of them.

>>5973481
> So…what happened to your parents in all this? You went to meet them and then that happened, but you made no mention of them.

>>5973481
>> So…what happened to your parents in all this? You went to meet them and then that happened, but you made no mention of them.

>>5973481
>Did anyone recognize you while you were there?

>>5973481
> So…what happened to your parents in all this? You went to meet them and then that happened, but you made no mention of them.
I assume they're dead desu, or we probably wouldn't be discussing her execution.

>>5973481
>So…what happened to your parents in all this? You went to meet them and then that happened, but you made no mention of them.

>>5973481
>>5973486
>>5973490
>>5973539
>>5973543
>>5973652
>>5973659
Well, there’s an obvious elephant in the room, so you might as well poke it. “So…what happened to your parents in all this? You went to meet them and then that happened, but you made no mention of them beyond that.”

Immediately she looks downcast. “I…they…got hurt. Apparently.” She can’t look you in the eye at all. She looks like she’s on the verge of tears, in fact. “They fled back to the castle. I-I tried to leave a note, a message with one of them- my friend, actually- Beppa? Or, well. Ex-friend, I guess,” she sighed. “She said she’d tell them, even if she thought what I was doing was a bad idea.” She sighs. “I guess she was right. Was probably right about a lot of things…I wonder how she’s doing.”

Fine, last you checked, if sad. You never told her exactly what was going to happen when you found her friend, but her looking at you and saying ‘just let it be peaceful’ isn’t exactly a subtle hint. Might not be the best option to mention that right now, though. You don’t think she knows her friend sold her out.

“A-anyway, I was away for a long time…at least, to me. When I came back, I…they…” she can’t finish.

“Dead already?” you asked. They certainly weren’t available when you came around.

She simply nods. “They tried to hold the castle against the Netherborne. They…I never even got to say goodbye…” she laments. “And… now look at me.” She snorts derisively. “They’ll have words for me on the other side.”

Perhaps. But that’ll come later. “Alright, then. Back on track. You and Leon crossed the Yellow Veil.” You get the feeling this part of the story is about to come to a head, one way or another. If you have any clarifying questions, you’ll need to start thinking of them now.

> Let’s get to one of the big questions. The Manaburn. Why’d that happen? Why eradicate the source of magic for 95% of the planet and the lifeforce for so many magically-based beings?
> Let’s get to one of the big questions. The Wand of Dreams. What series of events led you to shatter the most sacred relic of your family line and kingdom, and something that itself that immense magical power?
> I have a few more questions before we get into the meat and potatoes of it. (What?)

>>5974286
> Let’s get to one of the big questions. The Wand of Dreams. What series of events led you to shatter the most sacred relic of your family line and kingdom, and something that itself that immense magical power?
Just something that’s been bugging me for a while, after all this confession ends will we finish her them and there or are we gonna bring her to some court that’ll probably give her the death penalty ?

>>5974286
> I have a few more questions before we get into the meat and potatoes of it. (What?)
"Why did you think two kids were better suited to protect and defend the Wand of Dreams, out beyond the boundaries of known civilization, than the realm's greatest scholars and warriors in a fortified location?"

Regardless, my guess is breaking the wand cause dtge mana-burn, but in the process stopped the Netherborn.

>>5974286
>Let’s get to one of the big questions. The Wand of Dreams. What series of events led you to shatter the most sacred relic of your family line and kingdom, and something that itself that immense magical power?

>>5974286
>Let’s get to one of the big questions. The Manaburn. Why’d that happen? Why eradicate the source of magic for 95% of the planet and the lifeforce for so many magically-based beings?

>>5974286
>Let’s get to one of the big questions. The Wand of Dreams. What series of events led you to shatter the most sacred relic of your family line and kingdom, and something that itself that immense magical power?

>>5974286
>Is Beppa the "oldest friend" who turned against you?
>Expand on the legend of the Traveler (>>5973481). This is the first time you've mentioned it.
>What is the history of or legends surrounding the Wand of Dreams?
>What do you think will happen to you in the afterlife?

> Let’s get to one of the big questions. The Wand of Dreams. What series of events led you to shatter the most sacred relic of your family line and kingdom, and something that itself that immense magical power?

>>5974286
>Let’s get to one of the big questions. The Manaburn. Why’d that happen? Why eradicate the source of magic for 95% of the planet and the lifeforce for so many magically-based beings?

>>5974286
>>5974345
>>5974387
>>5974505
>>5974514
You huff as she seems to tense up slightly. “Let’s get to one of the big questions. The Wand of Dreams.” You fix her with an unblinking stare. “What series of events led you to shatter the most sacred relic of your family line and kingdom, and something that itself has immense magical power?”

She sighs, putting her face in her hands. “It…wasn’t fun.” She takes a few moments to collect herself. “I, uh, didn’t expect to end up running across the source of it. What empowered the Wand, I mean. What’s more, I didn’t expect THEM to follow me.”

“Who?” you inquire.

“The, uh, Netherborn,” she explains, not meeting your face.. “I, uh… apparently was being tracked. B-because, you know…animals?” she shrugs. “We, uh, we went there first so we had a couple days lead. We kinda, well…we were trying to be slow and careful, sinc we’d never been here before, obviously.” She allows a small smile to come back across her face as she remembers. “The place was just so…so GREEN. It’s amazing how green it was. Such a lush color…”

“It IS a good color,” you agree. “But moving on?”

She blanches, continuing. “R-right. So we, uh were trying to find our way through, and, and for any clue about anything that could help us out. I, uh, we’d gotten lucky the first day or so there. B-because we found a mural. One that depicted the wand and some- some sort of map!” We, uh, it was a small one. Nearly broken, but Leon was able to figure it out!” She sighs. “We didn’t think someone would be by to read it again, but…” she sighs.

“Someone in particular chased you?” you infer. That was news.

“It…he, uh- his name was Jack,” she explains hesitantly, rolling her shoulder. She is clearly nervous about this. “He’s, uh, some sort of…weird N-netherborn-person…hybrid? I-Iunno, I uh, we, we first met him there and he, uh, he wanted to kill us.” She glances away, looking in every direction while trying not to move her head much. “I mean, I guess he wanted the staff, but obviously no. Because…I mean, Iunno.” She shrugged. “Some, some ancient power that was within it I think it was. I- y’know, moths to a flame or something like that. We beat him back, but, uh…we couldn’t…we couldn’t finish the job.” She gains that downcast look again. “He could command and change the creepy things almost at will. We-we got lucky in fending him off the first time.”

Hmmm. So, what, if anything, reads wrong about this? Presuming you even want to pursue it…

> “So you had more than one engagement with this guy?”
> “That name sounds familiar, actually…”
> “You felt like it was better destroyed than won over, then?”
> Other

First mention of Jack: >>5972437

>“I mean…he needed some air. Obviously. We didn’t do anything nefarious, we just kinda walked around, saw the city- he even showed me a few of his favorite places! I-I mean, we couldn’t go in because they were closed, but it was nice anyway! Just him and me…” she has that airheaded look on again. “We went to the weeping gardens, and he gave me the cutest pink flower. We walked next to the Wall of Stars and it felt like a dream…” Yeah, she’s off in her own world. “It was so magical…I remember he looked into my eyes and told me ‘thanks for bringing me out of my shell, really!’…it was like something out of a fairy tale, then Jack happened, but I know he was about to! It was so perfect! We left after walking along the river after we visited the wall, so we didn’t do anything much.”

>>5975045
>Yeah, sure. But didn't you meet Jack much earlier than that? When you snuck out with Leon?

>>5975045
>>5975059+1

>>5975045
>>5975059
This, but ALSO, she specifically didn't go home and fled far from civilization because the Netherborn seemed to be following her, I thought? I'm on mobile and can't double check right now, but didn't she mention that earlier? Why is she now acting like it's a surprise she was tracked and followed?

>>5975059
+1

>>5975059
Supporting

>>5975166
>>5975059
+1

>>5975045
Our Toffee has arrived

>>5975059
>+1

File: das kapital.png (417 KB, 552x915)

417 KB PNG

>>5975327
Or maybe our Marx?

>>5975045
>>5975059
>>5975164
>>5975166
>>5975179
>>5975247
>>5975265
>>5975460

You blink. And then you frown. Right, no more messing around. At the very least, just now, you’ve spotted a thread that’s just far too obvious to ignore. “Yeah, sure,” you allow. And then you point it out. “...But didn't you meet Jack much earlier than that? When you snuck out with Leon?”

Her face goes immediately still. Frozen, almost, in a blank expression. “...No, I didn’t.”

“You did,” you press, taking the recorder from her before she can realize. You rewind it a couple of times before finally hearing a familiar bit, and playing it back:

‘...It was so magical…I remember he looked into my eyes and told me ‘thanks for bringing me out of my shell, really!’…it was like something out of a fairy tale, then Jack happened-” Click. The recording stops, and you fix her with a stare.

She’s sweating. You rewind briefly and play it back again. ‘-tale, then Jack happened-’ Click.

Mippi doesn’t say a word. You return the recorder to its prior recording position and resume the recording. “So. It appears I have to raise an objection to your supposed timeline of events. Care to inform me of the truth of the matter? So. Where’d you really meet him, and why were they following you? You specifically didn't go home and fled far from civilization because of it, after all. Why act surprised that they tail you this far?”

Mippi is still blank faced. “Uhhhhhhh…sssslip of the...tongue?” she haphazardly attempts. "I mean, y-y'know, I'm just, uh thinking fast enough my mouth-outspeeds-my-brain?" Even you can see through that one. She's sweating, looking everywhere trying to find an answer. This just reminds you of your friend who’s way better than you at this. She’d probably wring it out of the girl without her ever realizing- girl can fit in anywhere and with anyone. You’re going to have to make due, however.

> “If you’re lying to me too much, then perhaps we should end this right here…” As in, RIGHT now.
> “Look. Do you want to be remembered as a liar who did nothing but cause problems, or someone who understood what they did wrong in their last moments?” Appeal to that last little sense of decency, you suppose.
> “I’m not going to judge you. I just would like the truth.” For your assignment, if nothing else.
> “Would you rather I just make up something? I have a running theory of what happened, if you’d rather offload it to me.” (What theory?)

>>5975806
> “I’m not going to judge you. I just would like the truth.” For your assignment, if nothing else.

>>5975806
> “Look. Do you want to be remembered as a liar who did nothing but cause problems, or someone who understood what they did wrong in their last moments?” Appeal to that last little sense of decency, you suppose.

>>5975806
> “I’m not going to judge you. I just would like the truth.” For your assignment, if nothing else.
Wow she played that one off poorly

>>5975806
>“I’m not going to judge you. I just would like the truth.” For your assignment, if nothing else.

>>5975806
>“I’m not going to judge you. I just would like the truth.” For your assignment, if nothing else.
I might look at making a theory later, if I have time, but for now this'll do.

>>5975806
>“I’m not going to judge you. I just would like the truth.” For your assignment, if nothing else.

she really can't lie for the life of her and also has some slips. we'll have a field day.

>>5975806
>“If you’re lying to me too much, then perhaps we should end this right here…” As in, RIGHT now.

>>5975806
> “Would you rather I just make up something? I have a running theory of what happened, if you’d rather offload it to me.” (What theory?)
We can always just assume the absolute worst outcomes, ie: she intentionally gave rise to Jack.
Or even better, that Leon did it and she's shifting the blame to him due to her selfishness.

Get her to say the truth before the significantly worse lie comes through. It seems like nothing was truly intentional... but her trying to downplay things made them much worse.

>>5976064
Not a bad strategy, but if we convince her we're sympathetic or at least non-judgemental, she's more likely to keep her guard down.

>>5976065
All we really have to do is convince her that the hole in the truth will probably be much worse than the real truth.

ESPECIALLY if it does more damage. If Leon or any of her friends eat blowback because she dodges responsibility yet AGAIN, maybe she'll acquiesce to her own failures.

The world paid for her trying to blow off a problem she caused. Giving her examples of how she could do more harm by dodging the facts does three things simultaneously.

Puts the terrible theories on record until she counters them
Makes her understand the consequence of this 'latest' decision (she definitely has NOT been thinking ahead even a few steps)
Gives her more reason to tell the truth

>>5976064
>>5976066
I’m hesitant but I wanna see how this would go. Changing my vote to this.

>>5975806
>“Look. Do you want to be remembered as a liar who did nothing but cause problems, or someone who understood what they did wrong in their last moments?” Appeal to that last little sense of decency, you suppose.

>>5976107
Does she really know these are her last moments? Not entirely sure.

>>5976136
considering she's on her last legs and that if we aren't the ones to off her, she'll be sent sent to a trial that will likely end in capital penalty, I think she's aware of it. Also she says it's her last will and testament in the opening text. >>5963640

>>5976136
We're executing her alright

>>5975806
>>5975809
>>5975837
>>5975843
>>5975849
>>5975861
You lean back, making sure she knows that you’re not joking around nor trying to be too aggressive. “I’m not going to judge you,” you insist. “I just would like the truth.” Not that you think she’s innocent. She’s clearly had a bigger hand in all of this than she wants to admit, even at the end of it all. That much you can surmise now. Even if it was unintentional, her trying to twist the facts means that it’s possible people could think of her much worse than what might’ve ACTUALLY happened. Still, coming on too strong now could mean issues. You have to pick and choose your shots, and while you aren’t exactly a sniper, you’re still a good shot. “We’re on record, so it’d be best to clear up any…misconceptions.”

“I- ngh.” She glances down at the recorder, and there’s a flash of a glare there, of childish annoyance- but it vanishes just as quickly, replaced by sadness. “I…okay. Ssoooo…yeah. Jack happened, uh…before.”

“How before?” you ask.

“Like…when first exploring The Pit before. Heeee was kinda the first thing out of that coffin chest whatchamacallit.” Oho. Everything else about him was the truth, though! I just…didn’t know at the time. He, uh, seemed very charismatic. But also super freaky, so, uh, after we talked a little bit, um, he uh…tried to kill us with a bunch of Netherborne. And then like I said I kinda-sorta, uh…brought the entire place down on him. I-I thought that was it!”

“And then he showed up at Mesteria,” you concluded.

“Y-yeah,” she confirms, looking down. “I, uh…wasn’t- I wasn’t expecting that. He, uh…didn’t like us trying the whole ‘destroy The Pit on top of him’ bit.”

“I can imagine,” you retort dryly. “Is that why he went after Mageria? Vengeance?”

“He, uh, tracked us down himself,” she confesses. “Wanted the wand. We said no. The, uh, the problem with that is- is that he’s super tough. I-I wouldn’t be able to do anything to him without…blasting several city blocks to rubble in the process. S-so we just kinda…ran. W-we thought he’d follow us into the wilds, not…not that.”

>Anything ELSE you should probably confess?
>And you didn’t think about reporting this problem to any higher ups…why?
>...Well, if that’s the truth, then that’s that. Let’s move on, alright?
>Other

>>5976780
>>And you didn’t think about reporting this problem to any higher ups…why?

>>5976780
>>And you didn’t think about reporting this problem to any higher ups…why?

There's more shame in not asking for help than covering it up.

Look how far everythings gone vs trying to solve it with everyone while it was 'smaller'

>>5976780
>And you didn’t think about reporting this problem to any higher ups…why?
Seems like she was willing to jeopardize a lot of lives to save face and stay out of trouble. She fled from Jack rather than reporting him because she let him out. She knew they wanted the wand, and would follow her way from civilization to take it from her, but didn't want anyone else to help protect it because she knew that would mean admitting she fucked up.

>>5976780
>And you didn’t think about reporting this problem to any higher ups…why?

>>5976780
>And you didn’t think about reporting this problem to any higher ups…why?

>>5976780
>>Anything ELSE you should probably confess?

>>5976780
>And you didn’t think about reporting this problem to any higher ups…why?

>>5976780
>And you didn’t think about reporting this problem to any higher ups…why?

>>5976780
>>5976790
>>5976795
>>5976796
>>5976799
>>5976827
>>5976886
>>5976919

“And you didn’t think about reporting this problem to any higher ups…why?” you question, cocking an eyebrow as she breaks eye contact again, apparently near the verge of tears. “Look how far everything’s gone.”

There’s a moment of silence from her. Then, she inhales deeply.“...do you REALLY think I-I DON’T KNOW THAT BY NOW?!” Whoa. Angry lass, now- her eyes are wild and yeah, tears. “I-I wanted to prove myself as a hero, a-as someone who could be counted on! Not…not such a screw-up! Not a failure, not someone who farking ENDED THE FAMILY LINE!” She’s shivering, though with rage, despair, or disappointment, you’re not sure. Maybe all and some besides. “I-I can’t- I couldn’t- why do you think I stayed here?!”

Well, that came out of nowhere. “Pardon?”

She glowers at you briefly, before it again vanishes into exhaustion. “I-I knew that…that once Beppa left she’d probably point someone to me. I-I knew. She…she was always the reasonable one. She tried to get me to give up, but I just…I couldn’t go back. E-Everyone-everyone w-would-” she gasps out a breath, like she got punched in the gut. “I- they DID…” And now the tears fall truly as she shakes her head. “...I can’t go back. I can’t…”

…Hm. You can’t say as you care, but it might be good information for the recording. Or maybe it’s just fluff, who knows. Either way, seems like in some ways she's selfish to the end.

>Let’s move on, then. Onto the actual breaking of the Wand. Mind explaining the scenario where that happened?
>Think the people deserve an explanation. What would convince you that asking for help would be so bad?
>Other

>>5977010
>Think the people deserve an explanation. What would convince you that asking for help would be so bad?
Maybe it's a mistake to push her further, but I'm curious.

>>5977019
+1

Feign sympathy, but insist. Ask her if she has any message she wants those who've lost loved ones to hear. That'll eitehr expose her as a selfish monster or, ideally, give her pause.

It'll help em decide of I really want her to die.

>>5977010

>>5977010
>Think the people deserve an explanation. What would convince you that asking for help would be so bad?
Curiosity killed the cat, but we’re not a cat so we’re good.

>>5977010
>Think the people deserve an explanation. What would convince you that asking for help would be so bad?

Everyone requires help. Even Beppa tried to help her. Even we require help. Nothing is ever truly done alone; that is the nature of royalty in the first place. What is a princess without her people?

Honestly, it probably is pushing her a bit far... but it's a point that needs to be made.

>>5977010
>Let’s move on, then. Onto the actual breaking of the Wand. Mind explaining the scenario where that happened?

>>5977010

>Let’s move on, then. Onto the actual breaking of the Wand. Mind explaining the scenario where that happened?

Will update again today, just so no one is caught off guard.

>>5977010
>Let’s move on, then. Onto the actual breaking of the Wand. Mind explaining the scenario where that happened?
>>5977054
ok

>>5977010
>>5977019
>>5977029
>>5977030
>>5977034
It might cause more friction…it might be what she needs to hear asked. Who knows. But you’re going to at least broach the topic, you decide. “Well…I think the people deserve an explanation, if nothing else. What would convince you that asking for help would be so bad?”

She doesn’t stop crying as she answers. “E-e-everyone would-would laugh…they never- t-t-they always said I would- I would screw up…that I-I-I was just a STUPID girl with her STUPID head in the STUPID clouds and they were RIGHT!” she sobs as whatever emotional barriers she had finally seem to fall. “They were riiiiiight!” she wails. You didn’t think that she’d have such a breakdown, but… “I didn’t wanna…I just wanted to be- to be SOMETHING! A-and my parents…they-they loved me and wanted- wanted me to be amazing and- and…” She grips her hair, and you can see small strands falling out before she lets go, letting out another burst of tears before she sighs, calming down with her face in her hands- though it’s a different air than before. It’s something far more resigned. “...I’m…just… a horrible person, I guess.” She sounds completely defeated- not that you were trying to fight her in the first place. “Just…a stupid girl that ruined everything. I wanted to be a hero…” she laments as she looks up with tear stained, dead eyes. “...but I ended up being the worst villain in the world. In two, even.” Even her voice has gone from something higher pitched, even shrill at times, to flat and nigh-unemotional.

Well, considering the names you’ve heard her being called, you don’t doubt that. The world outside has…not stabilized, yet. Working on it, but not there yet. There’s things you could say, but…

>Ask her to resume discussing the Wand of Dreams. The Manaburn. All that, remember?
> “You sound less stupid and more immature. And you’re, what, 16, 17 tops? Last I checked that was kinda expected.”
> Other

>>5977260
>In two worlds? What happened in the second one?

>>5977260
> “You sound less stupid and more immature. And you’re, what, 16, 17 tops? Last I checked that was kinda expected.”
We broke through a barrier, but we don't have a full account yet. Gotta' keep her willing to chat.

>>5977260
> “You sound less stupid and more immature. And you’re, what, 16, 17 tops? Last I checked that was kinda expected.”
"Leon and Beppa both had your back. Greatness was never about one person"

>Ask her to resume discussing the Wand of Dreams. The Manaburn. All that, remember?
"Help me help others. Any bit we learn may help those that are left."

>>5977266
Manaburn fucked people on both sides of the veil. What remains to be seen is if it actually stopped the Netherborn threat properly.

>>5977266
>>5977270
Could also be that the Netherborn's source is another world, too? Something I was wondering was whether the Netherborn and 'outsiders' are related...

>>5977260
>> “You sound less stupid and more immature. And you’re, what, 16, 17 tops? Last I checked that was kinda expected.”

>>5977260
>Ask her to resume discussing the Wand of Dreams. The Manaburn. All that, remember?

>>5977270
>+1

>>5977260
>“You sound less stupid and more immature. And you’re, what, 16, 17 tops? Last I checked that was kinda expected.”

>>5977260
>>Ask her to resume discussing the Wand of Dreams. The Manaburn. All that, remember?

>>5977260
>>5977269
>>5977270
>>5977280
>>5977293
>>5977541
You can’t help but sigh. “You sound less stupid and more immature. And you’re, what, 16, 17 tops? Last I checked, that was kinda expected.”

“17,” she confirms, still dead voiced. “Birthday was 5 months ago.”

“Right, so you did all this not even out of childhood,” you point out. “It might not absolve you, but you were literally not grown enough to get it. I mean, you didn’t realize it back then, but you HAD help. Leon and Beppa both had your back.” You shrug. “Heck, I have help. I certainly didn’t find you on my own. Greatness was and rarely is ever about one person.”

“Mm. Well, lot of good that’ll help me now…” she half-mumbles, but even then…

“It might,” you press. “I’d like you to resume discussing the Wand of Dreams. The Manaburn. All that, remember?” you lean a bit forwards, ignoring her slight flinch. “Help me help others. Any bit we learn may help those that are left." You don’t care too much, honestly, but anything to keep her talking.

You say that, at least, but she seems to take a moment to think on it, eyes flitting everywhere but you as she considers the ‘offer’. It’s getting close to a minute, and you’re about to just press on when she finally lets out a sigh. “Fiiiiiine,” she confesses, head in her hand. “If I’m going to go down as the literal worst person of all time, they might as well hate me for stuff I did and not…stuff they THINK I did, I guess.”

Not the emotion you were trying to invoke, but you’ll take it. “Then let’s start with the Wand of Dreams itself.”

“He wanted it because he wanted to corrupt it,” she says plainly, not looking at you. “The idea was to take the Wand, corrupt it, then use its focused power to control the Magical Realm, enhance the Netherborn, and corrupt the world to his liking,” she says flatly. “I tried to keep it away from him but he was really persistent. Couldn’t kill him, either, no matter what I tried.”

(cont.)

>>5978025
You can’t help but blink. Frankly, to you, that sounded like a perfectly justifiable reason to-

“-eventually after one fight near the Source Tree- y’know, the source of all Mana? I got really mad and decided ‘hey, if he’s going to keep coming after me forever and I can’t kill him, just break the darn thing and no one gets it!’” Huh. She’s mocking her own tone now. “Buuuut, I forgot that the Wand was a stabilizing influence in the Magical Realm and has a butt-ton of magic in it itself. So I broke it, and doing that so close to the Source Tree caused a massive backlash that basically caused it to overload like it was on fire. And since the Source Tree is linked to all Mana…” she rolls her hand dismissively, even though you can see the tears coming back. “It resonated. Through almost everything. Next thing I know… plants and animals are dropping dead near me. Everything’s fading…” She sighs, the put-upon nonchalance failing. “And mana just burns out everywhere. Killed most of the Netherborne…killed a lot of other things, too. Same when I walked back across the veil. Just…death. Everywhere. Because of me.”

…uh. Huh. That was…surprisingly specific. Not that it wasn’t welcome, but you get the feeling she's just about done, emotionally. Whatever fire was there at first, there's precious little of it now.

“Is that it?” No, no you don’t think it is.

> “And you really didn’t think people would understand you were between a rock and a hard place?” (Even if she kinda put herself there?)
> “...I’m noticing a distinct lack of Leon in that spiel. What happened to him?”
> “Alright. There’s a few things I’d like you to touch on, if you’re feeling up to it…” (What?)
>Other

>>5978030
> “...I’m noticing a distinct lack of Leon in that spiel. What happened to him?”

>>5978030
> “...I’m noticing a distinct lack of Leon in that spiel. What happened to him?”

>>5978030
> “...I’m noticing a distinct lack of Leon in that spiel. What happened to him?”

>>5978030
>“...I’m noticing a distinct lack of Leon in that spiel. What happened to him?”

>>5978030
>“...I’m noticing a distinct lack of Leon in that spiel. What happened to him?”

>>5978030
>> “...I’m noticing a distinct lack of Leon in that spiel. What happened to him?”

>>5978030
>> “...I’m noticing a distinct lack of Leon in that spiel. What happened to him?”

>>5978030
> “...I’m noticing a distinct lack of Leon in that spiel. What happened to him?”

Yeah didn't "Jack" stop their fairy tale romance?

>>5978670
>Yeah didn't "Jack" stop their fairy tale romance?
we don't know exactly

>>5978030
>“...I’m noticing a distinct lack of Leon in that spiel. What happened to him?”

>>5978030
>>5978038
>>5978039
>>5978044
>>5978064
>>5978165
>>5978171
>>5978382
>>5979305
Well, you have to admit, it would’ve been considered rather thorough- if it weren’t for a particular name you noticed by its conspicuous absence. “...I’m noticing a distinct lack of Leon in that spiel.” Her eyes shoot up at the name, finally focusing on you. “What happened to him?”

There’s a tense silence- and to your surprise, you can practically feel her emanating an emotion you weren’t certain you expected out of her by now- rage. Pure, unadulterated loathing. Hate. It was good hate. Wasn’t quite aimed at you, either- though her eyes were locked onto you, you could tell the daggers in her eyes weren’t for your face. “What do you THINK?!”

You suppose that’s clear enough. “Ah, dead then-”

“He VANISHED!” Oh. But as she goes on, you notice that the fire is already dimming. “A-As soon as I broke the stupid wand, he…he- something washes over us, and he…just…fades away…” she says softly, as though reliving the moment right there. “Poof. Just little lights, and…and he’s gone.” She’s staring at nothing again, now. “I…I couldn’t find him. I can’t. I…I hoped maybe he was just…transported or something, I don’t know. Missing. Not gone. But I can’t find him. Anywhere. No one’s seen him. At all. So pretty sure he’s just…gone. Because of me, the idiot princess. Like everything else…” she trails off.

Huh. Rough. You can see why she’d hoped it was teleportation. You can’t do that without help, but it’d be nice.

> “I see…should we move on to your final statements, then?” Might as well start to wrap this up, her follies aren’t your business.
> “For what it’s worth, I’m not seeing an irredeemable villain, personally.” A screwup of gargantuan proportions, but that’s not new.
> “In a way. Facing down your wrongs is noble. And brave.” It’s cold advice, but...
> Other

>>5979604
>“In a way. Facing down your wrongs is noble. And brave.” It’s cold advice, but...

>>5979604
> “For what it’s worth, I’m not seeing an irredeemable villain, personally.” A screwup of gargantuan proportions, but that’s not new.
> “In a way. Facing down your wrongs is noble. And brave.” It’s cold advice, but...
Both are true, though she may yet need to die for what she's done... A merciful death, at least.

How many people are confirmed dead from the manaburn? How many 'disappeared' in that way she described?

>>5979604
>“For what it’s worth, I’m not seeing an irredeemable villain, personally.” A screwup of gargantuan proportions, but that’s not new.

>>5979604
>“For what it’s worth, I’m not seeing an irredeemable villain, personally.” A screwup of gargantuan proportions, but that’s not new.

>>5979604
>> “In a way. Facing down your wrongs is noble. And brave.” It’s cold advice, but...

>>5979604
>> “I see…should we move on to your final statements, then?” Might as well start to wrap this up, her follies aren’t your business.

>>5979604
>> Other
How long ago and in what way?

If others disappeared the same way, it MAY not have been vaporization. Could be the death of magic making corrections, like non-magical beings being placed 'where they belong'.

In that sense, it may mean many who 'died' may be recovered as a result of her testimony.

May be unlikely, but it's worth investigating.

>>5979604
>“I see…should we move on to your final statements, then?” Might as well start to wrap this up, her follies aren’t your business.

>>5979604
> “I see…should we move on to your final statements, then?” Might as well start to wrap this up, her follies aren’t your business.

3 way tie. Will update tomorrow regardless but please try to break it.

>>5980372
Now that’s something

>>5979604
> “For what it’s worth, I’m not seeing an irredeemable villain, personally.” A screwup of gargantuan proportions, but that’s not new.

>>5979604
>>5979618
>>5979620
>>5979651
>>5980425
Regardless, you still need to keep her stable, at least. And that’ll mean pulling back. With, perhaps, a bit of truth. “For what it’s worth, I’m not seeing an irredeemable villain, personally,” you admit. She’s a screwup of gargantuan proportions, but that’s not new. You’ve screwed up at least once in a massive way. You know plenty who have, too. “The important bit is that you don’t just roll over and die. You do what you can to keep living, keep trying...even if it costs you everything." And don't you feel THAT. "If nothing else, you DID solve the problem. That much is true, if the Netherborn really WERE wiped out.” From what you heard of those things? Better some people left than none.

She blinks, almost as if she’s surprised at the positive statement. For a moment that dead face regains just a slight spark, but it fades as she sighs and shrugs…though it’s not dead, if you’re reading her right. “Well. Most of them. They’re in too small numbers to be a danger to, y’know. What’s left of civilization. I think.” Her voice shrinks. “I hope…” she mumbles.

Understandable. From your investigations (with some help from your compatriots) the Manaburn event wiped out…well.

A LOT. There were a lot of magically-sustained entities that bit it due to her actions. Fairies, sylphs, genies, and more were pretty much blinked from this plane of existence in moments. Some dropped dead, and others that might’ve met a similar end. ‘Vanished’ was the word, indeed. You suspect that some demi-planes that have their own self-sustaining mana cycle and the beings that live there might’ve survived, called back there somehow or fled or pushed, but those are precious few and far in between, and it’s not like they’d be easy to get to or from, now. No, now what was once a world flush with mana is little more than a drip-feed, at best.

Though maybe she could- “Hey.” Hm? “You’ve…been asking me a lot of questions.” She’s looking at you oddly.

“Yeah?” you respond.

“I get that you want my statement on…what actually happened. And why you’re going to…to kill me,” she says, shivering. Never easy, that. “But…why even bother going through all this trouble?”

That’s not what you expected. “Pardon?”

“You’ve been…well. Not the nicest, but…why are you trying?” She seems genuinely curious, and confused. “I feel like you’ve been trying to be more sympathetic than…than someone like me deserves. You should’ve at least known a little about me before whoever hired you to find me did it, right? Everyone knows my name. Everyone hates me. So…why? How?”

…hm. So we’re getting to the end of things, are we? You won’t have much to say about her last will, obviously. That’s her business.

Not that you knew about her before this.

> “I wanted to see if you’re worth giving another shot.”
> “Doing a good job means getting the facts, not rumors.”
> “No reason to be rude to a dead woman, is there?”

>>5981157
>“I wanted to see if you’re worth giving another shot.”

>>5981157
>“I wanted to see if you’re worth giving another shot.”

>>5981157
>“I wanted to see if you’re worth giving another shot.”

>>5981157
>Doing a good job means getting the facts, not rumors

>>5981157
>No reason to be rude to a dead woman, is there?

>>5981189
+1
Also if possible let’s rub our belly

>>5981157
>> “Doing a good job means getting the facts, not rumors.”

>>5981157
>“Doing a good job means getting the facts, not rumors.”

>>5981157
>“No reason to be rude to a dead woman, is there?”

>>5981157
>> “Doing a good job means getting the facts, not rumors.”

>>5981157
>> “I wanted to see if you’re worth giving another shot.”

>>5981157
>> “Doing a good job means getting the facts, not rumors.”

>>5981157
> “Doing a good job means getting the facts, not rumors.”

>>5981157
>> “Doing a good job means getting the facts, not rumors.”

>>5981157
> “Doing a good job means getting the facts, not rumors.”

>>5981157
> “I wanted to see if you’re worth giving another shot.”
I'm >>5964704 on mobile, btw.

>>5981157
>> “Doing a good job means getting the facts, not rumors.”

turn off recorder

>> “I wanted to see if you’re worth giving another shot.”

In this line of work, you find most are not truly evil. They exist, of course, but most people have reasons for what they did. The truth may have more to help others than one would think. Rumors generally may satiate people's emotions, but there's no facts to really solve any remaining problems.

Judge and executioner. If you stayed alive, what more could you possibly do to make things worse. That is, given your intentions were never to cause more damage.
For all intents and purposes, everything you were is already dead. You're magicless and have no royal decree behind you. All you have are your two hands and any skills separate of royalty.

If you've truly learned that you were selfish, then you've already killed Mippi Glittershine. All that's left is for the nameless person you are to atone.


>Not that you knew about her before this.

Interesting. You know, we've never fully clarified who we are. We didn't come off as an assassin. More like some sort of executioner. But that last part definitely threw me off.

>>5981157
> “Doing a good job means getting the facts, not rumors.”
And then, in a lower voice
> “No reason to be rude to a dead woman, is there?”

>>5981157
>> “Doing a good job means getting the facts, not rumors.”
Nothing too complicated.

>>5981157
>> “No reason to be rude to a dead woman, is there?”

>>5981541
+1, I like this.
Absolutely kickass quest, QM. You’ve outdone yourself here.

>>5981615
Thank you. Posting in about an hour.

>>5981157
>>5981541
>>5981162
>>5981171
>>5981189
You have to think about this. There are…multiple reasons, if you’re being honest with yourself. Which is more than usual. You’d be lying if you said it didn’t stir a familiar nerve. It’s not like you’ve never done this before, obviously, but this kid? She’s at least not beyond the point of no return. The point where she’s just worthless. At least, not to you. Even so, you’re a professional, through and through. So you pay no mind when she leans back in surprise as you lean forwards. “Doing a good job means getting the facts, not rumors.”

“O-oh.” You’re not sure if she expected that, blinking in surprise, but she turns away after a moment… “Well, I appreciate that. I-I mean, giving me a chance to explain myself. It’s…” she grimaces. “I don’t think it’s helped, but it hasn’t hurt, either. It’s…at least kind of relieving that it’s all out there now. Just…everything.”

“Good.” And with that you reach and stop the recording, causing her to blink in surprise. “Because I ALSO wanted to see if you’re worth giving another shot.”

There’s a moment of shocked surprise in her expression, as she tries to register what you just said. “I…what?”

You lean back. “I’ve been doing this for a long time,” you explain. “And something I’ve noticed is that everyone has an excuse. A lot of them are stupid. A lot are fake. A lot only make sense to the person themselves. But there’s a surprising number of folks out there that do things most would consider bad for…well, if not GOOD reasons, then understandable ones. They feel like they don’t have a choice, often. Or they see it as a sacrifice that really does need to be made. Or they’re genuinely desperate for a resolution. Tons of reasons,” you shrug. Your own was more personal, but no less valid. “If you stayed alive, what more could you possibly do to make things worse?” you shrug. “I mean, given your intentions were never to cause more damage, right?”

“Of course not!” she half-yells. “All- all I’ve ever wanted at all was just…to make people PROUD of me! To be someone that could and would help people and be someone they could count on! But I got…this!” she laments. “How would someone like me actually be able to help anyone now? I’d be shot on sight everywhere!”
You shrug. “There’s plenty of ways. And there’s more than one way to change your looks,” you hint. “Not like you have anything left as you are. For all intents and purposes, everything you were is already dead.” She flinches at that, but doesn’t refute it. “You're magicless, and have no royal decree behind you. All you have are your two hands, and any skills separate from royalty.”

“I mean…I know how to do a FEW things…” she mumbles. “I liked gardening. And cooking. And fighting. And talking to people...but I don’t know if someone like me really deserves it.”

(cont.)

>>5981951
You let out a soft snort. “Look. If you've truly learned how badly you screwed up and don’t like it, then you've already killed Mippi Glittershine. That girl’s dead and gone,” you shrug. She looks at you in confusion as you motion to her. “What I’m seeing here sure isn’t who’s in those pictures. This here? This is someone else. Someone born from the ashes. So…all that's left is, well… for whoever you are now to atone.”

She pauses at that. Thinking. It’s a few minutes, even, and the two of you sit in silence for the duration. But finally, she speaks. “I…don’t know how I’d even start.”

You shrug again. “There’s plenty of ways…” And fortunately, some of them you’ve even been authorized to help with.

> “You could help survivors protect what’s left. Quietly. You’ve had your taste of ‘fame’, and it’s not great, is it? I might have something to keep you in the shadow.”
> “Helping people not go hungry is usually a perennial winner. I might have something that could help that along.”
> “Atonement often requires sacrifice. I might have something that could help you…but you’d only have one shot.”

>>5981953
>“Atonement often requires sacrifice. I might have something that could help you…but you’d only have one shot.”

>>5981953
> “You could help survivors protect what’s left. Quietly. You’ve had your taste of ‘fame’, and it’s not great, is it? I might have something to keep you in the shadow.”

>>5981953
>“Atonement often requires sacrifice. I might have something that could help you…but you’d only have one shot.”

>>5981951
That's not what was voted for OP

>>5981953
>“Atonement often requires sacrifice. I might have something that could help you…but you’d only have one shot.”
>>5981986
it kinda was, anon