[Endgame: rise or DROWN]

[warpweft]

[How long have you been exploring Nessa's palace now? You've met her family, viewed her memories, learned how to fight as a witch and tried to find the source of her power and the Treasure of her palace: the Voidheart. And along the way, you've tired your best, with mixed success, to avoid the incarnation of her eldest cousin and the representation of her trauma and fear, the Nightmare of Esmau.]

[Wherever you are in the Palace right now, you feel the ground briefly shake under your feet. Little shakes here and there haven't been out of the ordinary - Esmau is trying to blow the place down to the studs, after all. But that felt different. That felt....worse.]

[Your phone beeps as you receive a message.]

Comments

[cosplayed_out]

...

So, you wanted to be the villain to force us to do the right thing?

[warpweft]

[Huff.]

What do I care if all of you think I'm a prick if it means Nessa gets her life back.

I'm a Shadow. Shadows are supposed to be villains.

[cosplayed_out]

... I guess real life isn't too different from anime after all.

[warpweft]

Please.

If this were an anime, I'd be significantly better dressed.

And I'd have a cool symbolic monster form.

[cosplayed_out]

I can make you a cosplay.

[warpweft]

[Huff.]

Do you want know how to get Nessa to dress up with you? It's not cosplay, but it's a start.

[cosplayed_out]

No, no. That would be cheating.

I'll drag her into the cosplay swamp in no time!

[warpweft]

You shouldn't underestimate her.

Have you ever considered that she'll drag you into the lolita swamp instead?

[cosplayed_out]

I wouldn't have taken you for an EGL! But, there's plenty of media with characters who wear EGL. Kamikaze Girls, Rozen Maiden, Umineko...

Oh, and... you owe me a pinch.

[warpweft]

[Punches her in the shoulder.]

[cosplayed_out]

Hey... you specifically said 'pinch'!

[warpweft]

I'm going out with a bang.

[cosplayed_out]

I'll write a fic pairing you with Broccoli Carrotstick.