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[ENTER THE PALACE]
[You find yourself with a sensation like floating in water.]
[Above, the sky is dark. You can occasionally see things shifting, like gusts of wind, or perhaps waves of water. Is it…even a sky above you? Or is it some kind of giant ocean? Whatever it is, you can’t make it out very well. All around you, you appear to be floating in what appears to be water. It looks like a great, wide ocean of…space in every direction around you, with stars and lights twinkling in the distance. It looks like water and feels like water, but it doesn’t make you wet. You can reach your hand into it and pull some out, the purple and violet water and the tiny points of light inside it will even rest in your hands if you cup them to carry it, but once you’re not trying to hold it anymore, it’ll flow off of you, not a single drop remaining behind. You feel something similar if you go underneath the surface. The “water” doesn’t touch your eyes, mouth or nose when give the chance, it merely drifts around you, allowing you to breathe and see unabated. And you can see for a great distance, the twinkling stars illuminating the ocean of space all around you. Though perhaps less dark and empty, it feels every bit as vast as the sky above. You feel like you could swim forever and never reach the edge.]
[It’s quiet, here, with little noise around you but the starry ocean’s waves crashing back into its surface. It’s peaceful. In another situation, it might even be comfortable.]
[Above, the sky is dark. You can occasionally see things shifting, like gusts of wind, or perhaps waves of water. Is it…even a sky above you? Or is it some kind of giant ocean? Whatever it is, you can’t make it out very well. All around you, you appear to be floating in what appears to be water. It looks like a great, wide ocean of…space in every direction around you, with stars and lights twinkling in the distance. It looks like water and feels like water, but it doesn’t make you wet. You can reach your hand into it and pull some out, the purple and violet water and the tiny points of light inside it will even rest in your hands if you cup them to carry it, but once you’re not trying to hold it anymore, it’ll flow off of you, not a single drop remaining behind. You feel something similar if you go underneath the surface. The “water” doesn’t touch your eyes, mouth or nose when give the chance, it merely drifts around you, allowing you to breathe and see unabated. And you can see for a great distance, the twinkling stars illuminating the ocean of space all around you. Though perhaps less dark and empty, it feels every bit as vast as the sky above. You feel like you could swim forever and never reach the edge.]
[It’s quiet, here, with little noise around you but the starry ocean’s waves crashing back into its surface. It’s peaceful. In another situation, it might even be comfortable.]
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Do you have to hit so hard?!
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So, yes.
Yes I do.
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[She sounds so very sympathetic.]
There are one or two more things you should consider for your defense. Certain spells can aid your defense, depending on what kind of spell it is. Some spells require you to get close to use them, while others allow you to attack from a distance. Close-range spells can help with Guarding or Parrying, but ranged spells may make Dodging easier because of the distance involved. Bear in mind, Esmau is a vicious opponent and is extremely dangerous in close range herself. You will need to be on guard at all times if you get close to her.
[If the last spell you cast on your turn has a defense bonus, it will be applied to you until the start of your next turn. Spells will be either Melee or Ranged and will have a different bonus depending on which kind. Be careful, if you end your turn with a melee spell, you may leave yourself open to a Reaction Attack.]
It will be some time before we even figure out a way to practically apply any of this. As of right now, Esmau is still invincible, so the best way to deal with her if you see her in the halls of the palace will likely just be to run. But be careful - she's not above attacking your back if you give it to her. If you can, try to stun her first. If you can't, do what you must to get away, including taking damage if need be.
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she bends, slowly, to pick up her spellbook. eyes on Zarya the entire time. ]
I know already. Her attacking my back is how I am here, in front of you.
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I'm sorry.
Nessa made the choice that led to this situation. But that choice was forced upon her by the Warden's manipulation. I hate that it has hurt her this badly, for this long. And I know she hates that it has now started to hurt those she cares about.
[Her hands tighten on her staff as her frustration becomes to seep more visibly into her words.]
I hate the idea that she is to be erased and I am supposed to just take her body as if it's my own. That I would ever accept such an outcome.
I wish I could fight Esmau for her. Rather than merely trying to advise you how to do it. I wish I could fight the Warden in your stead, so that none of you were imprisoned in a realm where you can be damaged so badly by possessions and shadows and nightmares.
But, at this moment. This is all that I'm capable of.
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why do so many never seem to suffer so much as a whisper from what's possessing them? why is hers so terrible? ]
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fuck. ]
...well. It will be enough.
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That's enough for now.
[She reaches into her vest.]
Go explore the Palace. Expand your spellbook, empower your spark and help the others. Return to me when you're ready for the advanced lessons.
[She pulls her hand from her vest and opens it. A blue butterfly flies from her hand and circles around Sprezzatura, fluttering its wings a couple times.
You can tell the butterfly holds something within. It asks a question: You are being given the option to assist. Will you take it? But it is not a question for you. And no answer from you will reveal what the butterfly has within it. It's looking for someone else.
Nonetheless, you acquire Blue Butterfly.]
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I will head to motel, then.
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Good luck.
[Zarya returns to her seat on one of the gravestones.]
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- A gray serpent monster with the lower half of a snake and the upper half of a woman. This has four bells in front of it.
- A dog with three heads standing before a gate. This has one bell in front of it.
- Stone statues made out of people standing before a giant serpent. This has one bell in front of it.
- Eight tentacles reaching up from the ocean to wrap around a ship. This has one bell in front of it.]
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this is... Echidna, Cerberus, Basilisk, Kraken. she dithers in the doorway for a few moments, simply eyeing up the murals and checking intermittently over her shoulder for a glaive she's just ambiently expecting to come at any moment.
Echidna, Cerberus, Basilisk, Kraken. ahhh.
a sense of compulsion comes over her. dings the Cerberus bell. ]
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[...]
[...]
[Minato is really special. He's always concerned about others, I think he spends almost all of his tokens purchasing The Lovers to heal people if they get hurt...he's really kind, but he's got this quiet strength to him too.]
[Also, his relationship with Akira is super romantic. They were pulled from different worlds and fell in love. It's like their hearts were pulled from across the universe just to meet each other...!]
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The exact same thing happens.
Hold X to skip.]
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[...]
[...]
[Tsumugi is...kind of weird, but. In a way that you really like. She says weird stuff, but she's a fun person. She's really, really, really into cosplay, but...as much as you try to be aloof about it, you think that maybe you could like that stuff too, with the right outfit, maybe...]
[It's kind of weird in a different way when she cosplays as that "Junko Enoshima" person. Is she, like, LARPing when she does that? What character is that from anyway?]
[Sometimes you get a strange feeling, based on a dream you had once and some stuff you saw inside her Palace, but... ...it's probably nothing. She's your friend. You're sure of it.]
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she should be transcribing this.
she should be transcribing this.
fumbles out her phone and starts to tap out a really, really rough paraphrased version of what's being said. only once she's finished (and replayed the dialogue at least once more) does she move on to tap each of the Echidna bells in succession. ]
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[Magolor is weird. And kind of annoying. Why is he a floating orb? And why is a floating orb always so sassy with you?! He calls you bookworm. But, he's still on Echidna so that means he's here to help...you guess. Grumble, grumble.]
[You kissed Satoko during a task. Wuhhhh. You're still not sure what to make of that. Kisses made in a different dimension don't count, right?]
[Keigo's world sounds strange, but kind of interesting....it sounds like people there have something like magic, but it's way, way more common? You'd kinda like to ask him more about it some day.]
[Akira kind of tries to act cool and aloof and Fran really, really tries to act cool and aloof, but, you think they both care a lot about everybody here, and you really admire them for that. Fran is weird and prideful and prickly about having stuff like this pointed out, which is funny, but also, kind of silly. Either way, you're happy that you consider both of them your friends.]
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there's only one bell left. ]
...
[ her chest is tight. she doesn't want to ring it. ]
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("get over yourself.")
what if she skips it, and something's missed? something imperative. would she be able to accept that?
a manicured finger stretches out. . .
and taps the bell. ]
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