Archive of Our Own

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “WE’RE FALLING!!” Noelle screams, holding tightly to Susie.

SUSIE - “IT’S OKAY!” She yells back. “WE DID IT ONCE, AND WE WERE FINE!!”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “THAT DOESN’T HELP!!!”

1. “WHAT DID YOU SAY?! YOU’RE SCREAMING TOO LOUD!!”
2. [Composure - Godly 16] “Yeah, it’s gonna be fine. Don’t worry about it.”

YOU - “WHAT DID YOU SAY?! YOU’RE SCREAMING TOO LOUD!!”

SUSIE - “WHAAAT?!”

VISUAL CALCULUS [Impossible: Failure] - The fall seems to last for an eternity, and also for a few moments. Dilation of temporal perception is common in high-stress scenarios.

PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Legendary: Failure] - Noelle says something else, but none of you can hear anything over the wind rushing past your ears.

THE FUN GANG (AND NOELLE HOLIDAY) - But eventually you, Susie, and Noelle land feet- and hoof-first onto a smooth stone platform. Miraculously, none of you are hurt by the sudden stop, legs bending easily to absorb the shock.

ENDURANCE [Medium: Success] - It felt like you jumped off a low ledge, rather than the thousands of meters it actually was, or seemed to be.

SAVOIR FAIRE [Challenging: Success] - That was the perfect crouch-landing! You have a promising future in stuntwork – did you know that professional stuntspeople make 500k a year?

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Failure] - You have no idea if this is actually true.

1. “Where are we?” [Look up.]
2. “You alright, Noelle?” [Look at Noelle.]
3. “Ralsei’s castle should be just up ahead.”
4. “I’ll lead the way. Follow me!” [Walk forward.]

YOU - “Where are we?” [Look up.]

THE MOON? - You notice that the starless sky has a new decoration: a round circle of silvery light, directly above where you’re standing.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) - It looks about the right size to be the Moon, but you don’t see any of the familiar craters or seas – it is entirely smooth and unblemished, like the shell of an egg.

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - Wait… that’s no moon! It’s a class two Transdimensional Mass Transporter!

RHETORIC - You mean a magic portal?

INLAND EMPIRE - Of course not! Portals are only *cis*dimensional – they can’t bring you into other worlds, only into different parts of the same one. Completely different.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Is that the moon…?” She has noticed the strange satellite, too.

SUSIE - “Alright! We’re in the Dark World.” Susie announces, dusting her hands off. “Dunno about the moon, but Ralsei’s place should be further ahead.”

SUSIE - The girl stands up, stretching her arms. “Aaah, welcome back, you kickass boots. Noelle, what did you–”

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Easy: Success] - Her breath catches in her throat. Yours does, too.

SUSIE - “...Oh.”

NOELLE HOLIDAY’S WINTER CLOAK - Noelle’s red-and-green checkered sweater and black skirt are gone. She’s now wearing a long, white, hooded cloak. The sleeves are loose and flared, lined on the inside with bright blue fur.

ENDURANCE - It looks comfortable to wear, and quite warm as well.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Easy: Success] - Like a reassuring embrace from a loved one.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Medium: Success] - Her fur has a slight pink tint to it, and her hair is now platinum blonde. A more subtle change than your own, closer to Susie’s hue-shift.

INLAND EMPIRE - Her ceremonial robe is perfect, unblemished. Nothing – be it spell or hex – will sully it.

1. “Noelle, are you okay? You look pale.”
2. [Electrochemistry - Formidable 13] Give her a compliment.

YOU - “Noelle, are you okay? You look pale.”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “W-Wait, I do?” She gives a closer look at her hands. “You’re right! I look like my winter coat came in early… only, the colour is more exaggerated? I don’t feel any stranger, though, just a little rattled from the fall…”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “But really though, I’m okay—” Her self-inspection cuts off sharply as she notices your own changes. “Kris! You’re blue all over! Are you feeling alright?”

1. “No, not at all. I’m currently dying from hypothermia. Here it comes… BLEARGH!!” [Fall over.]
2. “I’m okay, I’m okay! This is just what I look like when I’m here.”

YOU - “I’m okay, I’m okay. This is just what I look like when I’m here.”

SUSIE - “Yeah, Kris is fine,” Susie adds. “By the way Noelle, you’re… uh…”

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Medium: Success] - ‘You’re looking good.’

SUSIE - “...Pink. You’re pink. But, like. In a good way, I guess.” The girl kicks a pebble out of the way. “You’re also probably a wizard, or something? You’ve got the cool robes.”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Is… is that so?” she asks, her cheeks flushed. “Is this a mage’s outfit? Am I… a mage, now?”

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - Two kinds of hope shine in her gaze.

SUSIE - “Uhh, I guess so?” she speculates blindly. “I mean, Ralsei wears robes, and he’s got that healing sparkle stuff, so–”

RALSEI - “Kris! Susie!”

DRAMA - And right on cue, here comes the boy!

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Medium: Success] - At an 8.6 on the ‘D’awww’ scale, he is the fluffiest boy in town!

RALSEI - The living chimney brush runs up to you, his bright red scarf trailing in the air behind him.

COMPOSURE [Easy: Success] - He’s not hiding his muzzle anymore.

1. “Hey Ralsei!”
2. “‘Sup.”

YOU - “‘Sup.”

RALSEI - “Hello!” he stops in his tracks. His scarf flips over his head, but he wraps it around quickly. “I’ve waited ever-so-long!”

SUSIE - “Yeah, yeah… it’s been what, a day?”

RALSEI - “Oh…! That is short, isn’t it?” He asks.

COMPOSURE [Challenging: Success] - He hides it well, but the prince looks vaguely confused. He does not seem to understand what a full, 24-hour day cycle is.

LOGIC [Easy: Success] - It stands to reason: there’s no point in measuring the diurnal cycle if you live in a world of eternal night. Perhaps time is kept according to when the moon sets and rises?

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - Or perhaps by more mystical means. Clocks that tick to the pulse of the Fountain, bells timed by the flow of dark and icy rivers… the possibilities are endless.

RALSEI - “It's just that… I’ve never had friends before,” he confesses. “So I’ve never had to wait so long to see them again, either!”

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - That, and he is the only Darkner in his realm. He's never had someone in his corner before.

INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Success] - A prince with no subjects is a poor thing to witness, but at least he now has a Jester, a Knight, a Brute, and a Mage in his… hold on, he’s green? Not crimson? Let's hope his court isn't colour-blind...

SUSIE - “Well, I guess we’ll try not to keep you on your toes next time.” she grins.

RALSEI - “Regardless, I’m so glad you’re here!”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - Noelle straightens her back and speaks up. “H-hello! I’m… new. I’m friends with Kris and Susie.”

REACTION SPEED [Medium: Success] - ‘Friends’?

RALSEI - “Pardon?” He turns to the deer girl, his smile wavering slightly.

SUSIE - “Oh yeah, this is Noelle. She wanted to check your place out.”

1. “She’s our classmate.”
2. Say nothing.

YOU - “She’s our classmate.”

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Medium: Success] - To her mother, your teacher, and most of your peers. You know who and what kind of animal she *truly* is.

RALSEI - “Your… classmate? A new Lightner is here? That’s… that’s wonderful!” His smile returns in full force. “Noelle, was it?”

RALSEI - The Prince curtseys, holding the hem of his robe to the sides in a graceful dip. “My name is Ralsei, and I am the Dark Prince of this realm. It’s so nice to meet you! I’m sorry I didn’t notice you earlier…”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “That’s okay! It’s nice to meet you too, Ralsei.”

COMPOSURE [Medium: Failure] - He’s so excited by the possibility of making a new friend, that his voice trembled slightly. His body language is a little tense, too.

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - He has never felt this happy before in his life. But he’s also afraid… why would that be?

COMPOSURE - Maybe he doesn’t want to mess up his first impression with her? God knows his last meeting with new Lightners could have gone a lot better.

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - His memory of the world outside his castle is almost nonexistent – he knows nothing but the dream, the shadows on the cave wall. Meeting new people can be overwhelming, but seldom more than for those who have never met anybody at all.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Um, thank you!” She curtseys back, though not as gracefully as him. “It’s nice to meet you too. You’re… you’re a prince, right?”

RALSEI - “Well, not exactly, since I have no subjects… but don’t worry, I’m still a fair ruler. I know many things about the workings of this world, I’m proficient at healing magic, and I can cook pretty well!”

RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - Those are all fine qualities in a party member or a friend, but not so relevant for the leader of a nation – or, indeed, anything larger than a neighbourhood baking club in a fantasy setting.

HALF LIGHT - He’s trying to make himself seem useful, so that he won’t be thrown away once his false credentials are revealed.

RALSEI - “My princedom is just up ahead. Follow me, please!”

1. Follow Ralsei.
2. [Physical Instrument - Medium 10] Make it a race!

YOU - Follow Ralsei.

RALSEI - He walks ahead of you three, leading the way.

AUTHORITY [Medium: Success] - Like a kindergarten teacher leading his little students. All that’s missing is a babyish tune to sing along to as you toddle down the street.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - Babyish? You’re one to talk, Tantrum Tyrant! Marching songs are a time-honoured tradition. Come on, let’s get those legs moving – HUP, two, three, four!

RHETORIC [Easy: Success] - Unfortunately, many of those marching songs are the opposite of babyish, and not in a good way. I don’t think we want anyone stuttering with burning faces over the fourth verse of “All The Little Angels”.

RHETORIC - The Coach is right, though; walking in silence is starting to feel awkward. Why don’t you break the ice, for Noelle’s sake?

Task updated: Pun tally (28)

1. “By the way, what’s with the moon?”
2. “Is it just me or is the path a lot less dangerous?”
3. “Ralsei, could you please fill Noelle in?”
4. I don’t know what I could talk about. [Stay silent.]

YOU - “By the way, what’s with the moon?”

RALSEI - “Oh, that is a Lightbridge!” he explains. “It connects the Dark World with the Light World, so that Lightners can come and go as they please!”

LOGIC - So you won’t have to seal Ralsei’s Fountain to go home. This makes things easier.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - A world of your own, hidden behind closet doors…

RALSEI - “As for the bridge itself, I made it with my own magic. It was a little difficult, but I managed it in the end!”

SHIVERS [Challenging: Success] - A lonesome prince raises his arms to the sky, glimmers of light rising from the ground beneath his paws. The updraft of magic billows his robe and sets his scarf fluttering. His body trembles, muscles and mind strained to their limit by the effort of casting such a powerful spell.

SHIVERS - Suddenly, his arms fall to his sides and he crumples to the floor, exhausted. ‘Just a little more effort,’ he thinks, ‘just a little more focus and effort and hope and I can create this connection. My friends will come. I know it.’

SHIVERS - The boy sighs, closes his eyes, and gets back up. He gathers light in one paw, and manifests a flame in the other. It’s time to try again.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “You made it yourself? How? With magic?”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “…Wait. Are you a wizard? Like a real one?”

RALSEI - “Yes!” he grins, giddy with long-sought recognition. “I made it myself! I used my own magic, and I’m a wizard!”

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - He looks so proud of himself! And he *should* be, the little star.

HEALED MORALE +1

RALSEI - “I-I mean… It wasn't very hard to set up. It only took a few hours…”

VOLITION [Easy: Success] - Ralsei is being too modest: he pushed himself to the brink of passing out, just to make it easier for his new friends to visit. His diligence is inspiring.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “That’s still quite impressive!”

HALF LIGHT [Formidable: Success] - Hold on. We've been walking on a straight, *open* path for several minutes, and nothing has attacked us!

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Susie squints into the darkness. ‘...Is it just me, or is the path a lot less dangerous this time?’

HALF LIGHT - See?! What’s going on?

1. “By the way, what’s with the moon?”
2. “Is it just me or is the path a lot less dangerous?”
3. “Ralsei, could you please fill Noelle in?”
4. I’ve said what I wanted to say.

YOU - “Is it just me or is the path a lot less dangerous?”

SUSIE - “Heh, same braincell. But yeah, that’s weird, right? There’s no Darkners around, or even those giant dust mounds – just a few of those creepy onion-tree things. Not even the kind that try to kill you.”

VITREOUS NODES - Atop a distant island half-hidden by the darkness, a crop of large, bulbous growths sways in an invisible wind. A seed pod detaches from the head of the largest plant, drifting into the void.

RALSEI - “That’s because the Dark World has changed,” he says. “The geography of these lands isn’t quite fixed, like it is in the Light World. Here, the further you are from the centre, the more likely things are to move around. You might find new nooks and crannies, depending on when you visit and which direction you approach from!”

RALSEI - He raises a paw reassuringly. “Don’t worry though, this one path is fixed, and will always remain so. I made sure to pick the right one.”

VISUAL CALCULUS - As though you weren’t having enough navigation problems already. You thought Jevil’s non-Euclidean prison was the worst it got…

1. “Susie and I went to a different Dark World yesterday. It was a kingdom full of playing-card Darkners, so I’ve been calling it the ‘Card Kingdom’. We met a lot of cool folks there – fought a few of them, helped some others. They turned back into toys, though.”
2. “Fun fact! The unused classroom was a Dark World yesterday. Don’t worry, Susie and I took care of it.”
3. Watch them talk.

YOU - Watch them talk.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - She looks confused. “The right one?”

RALSEI - “Yes! The path furthest to the right.”

Task updated: Pun tally (29)

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “I see… How does that even work? I mean, maybe the right path could be the left one – not that I’m saying you’re getting us lost, or that you are lost yourself, or anything! It just doesn’t seem like we’re taking any right turns; we’ve been walking in a straight line this whole time. Or, I think we have? It’s kind of hard to tell…”

RHETORIC - Do you mind if I chime in? This is getting embarrassing.

1. Sure. Thanks for asking permission. [Broadcast Rhetoric.]
2. No, thank you. I can tell her myself. [Refuse.]

YOU - Sure. Thanks for asking permission. [Broadcast Rhetoric.]

RHETORIC [Broadcast: Noelle Holiday] - “Most things around here work on puns: the Jack of Spades enjoys digging holes, the forests are populated with long-eared dust bunnies, and kinged checker pieces are granted literal crowns. It’s really not surprising that the ‘right’ path also happens to be the correct one.”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Oh, nice! …H- huh?!” she looks around, startled. “What!?”

SUSIE - “Did you hear something?”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Oh… oh! No, I didn’t, it was… um, one of Kris’ voices, fahah.” she smiles. It’s a little strained. “Thank you for explaining, Logic!”

RHETORIC [Broadcast: Noelle Holiday] - “Wha– I’m Rhetoric! Logic sounds *completely* different: he slurs his vowels and speaks too fast!”

LOGIC - Clarity isn’t everything, you know. I may not enunciate my arguments quite as precisely, but at least they tend to make sense – which is more than can be said for yours.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Right, sorry… it’s just– you all sound a little similar, y’know? N-not that it’s hard to tell, I mean!”

SUSIE - “No way! There’s *more* of you?! Kris, I thought you had just Half Light and the other two in there.”

AUTHORITY AND SUGGESTION [Reaction Speed: Success] - The *OTHER TWO*!?

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “So, that means that you weren’t exaggerating when you said…” Her voice dies midway through. She glances down at the smooth, light grey stone.

EMPATHY - Not for lack of words, but lack of courage. She doesn’t want to finish her sentence.

COMPOSURE [Medium: Success] - She looks distinctly less comfortable than Susie is with the disembodied conversation buzzing from brain to brain.

EMPATHY - Right… she’s known you since the very beginning, so she has a frame of reference for how conversations with you are supposed to go. Susie doesn’t really get how abnormal these interjections are, for you specifically or for anyone else.

SUSIE - “Hey…” she steps closer to Noelle. “If he made you feel bad, you could tell him off or something.”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Uh, um… ok…”

RHETORIC - Noelle looks a little nervous; you should change the subject.

AUTHORITY - You should apologise to her first, Speaker.

RHETORIC - I don’t think doing that would be a good idea. I’d still have to use the Broadcast option, and I don’t want to make her any more uncomfortable. Kris can apologise on my behalf.

1. “By the way, what’s with the moon?”
2. “Is it just me or is the path a lot less dangerous?”
3. “It’s okay, he apologises for scaring you. Ralsei, could you please fill Noelle in?”
4. I’ve said what I wanted to say.
5. [Rhetoric - Medium 10] Think about another topic.
6. Make your own apologies, dude.

YOU - Make your own apologies, dude.

RHETORIC - I’ll do that. *Later*.

1. “By the way, what’s with the moon?”
2. “Is it just me or is the path a lot less dangerous?”
3. “It’s okay, he apologises for scaring you. Ralsei, could you please fill Noelle in?”
4. I’ve said what I wanted to say.
5. [Rhetoric - Medium 10] Think about another topic.
6. Make your own apologies, dude.

YOU - “It’s okay, he apologises for scaring you. Ralsei, could you please fill Noelle in?”

RALSEI - “Oh, I would love to! Noelle, what would you like to know first?”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Um, uh…” She stammers. She’s looking a little calmer, now that the subject has shifted. “Gosh, I don’t know what to ask… Oh! What’s the Light World?”

RALSEI - “It’s where you come from. You, Kris, and Susie are all from the Light World, which makes you Lightners. Conversely, I am a Darkner, because I’m from the Dark World! The Dark World lives ‘below’ the Light World – think of them like two parallel ‘dimensions’, or planes of existence.”

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - Like a diamond turned upside down. From its tip, a myriad facets fracture and grow.

INLAND EMPIRE [Challenging: Success] - Spreading exponentially like the branches of a tree. Or, perhaps, a tangle of roots.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “I guess that makes sense. We literally fell down to get here. So, if you have a princedom and there's a 'centre' we're headed towards, are there other, um, kingdoms and Darkners out there? Could you reach them if you just keep walking?”

RHETORIC - Okay, this is a good moment to bring it up; *why* is he saying that there’s only one Dark World? He said ‘a Dark World’ a few times before, to you specifically, as if there are multiple. Does he know something that he doesn’t want to share?

SUGGESTION [Easy: Success] - He loves sharing his knowledge; just ask him to clarify, and he’ll talk your ear off about the smallest of details.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Besides, Noelle is curious too. No harm in indulging her curiosity.

1. “And how many Dark Worlds are there? Is there just one with many sections, or are there multiple?”
2. “As far as we’ve seen, there are only two Dark Worlds; this one and Card Kingdom.”
3. Leave it be.

YOU - “And how many Dark Worlds are there? Is there just one with many sections, or are there multiple?”

RALSEI - “Oh, good questions, you two! The answer is… well, both. It’s something of an ambiguous term, you see: it can be used in the singular or the plural pretty much interchangeably.”

REACTION SPEED [Medium: Success] - Susie raises both her eyebrows. She’s intrigued, now.

RALSEI - He starts waving his paws around as he hits his verbal stride. “Strictly speaking, ‘the Dark World’ means the Dark as a whole, whereas ‘a Dark World’ refers to a particular section of the total Dark given form by a Fountain: continually traversable, populated by its own types of Darkner, and following a distinct theme. So, my Castle and the Card Kingdom are both parts of *the* Dark World, but could also be considered Dark *Worlds* in their own right!”

RALSEI - “As for the panorama around us, that’s how the space at the periphery of a Dark World looks like; all cliffs and floristic oddities. In the Light World, this corresponds to those stretches of empty floor at the edges of rooms. Don’t worry, as long as you don’t approach them, you’ll be fine!”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Oh, good to know!” She puts a hoof to her chin. “Continually traversable… So, you can’t reach others just by walking? Good to know.”

RALSEI - “That would be quite difficult, not to mention dangerous! So with that, please don’t walk too far from the castle when you visit.”

SUSIE - “Will do. I’ll just bring my own murder-plants over next time.”

RALSEI - “Susie!” he barely keeps in his laughter.

LOGIC [Medium: Success] - Wait. Something is amiss.

1. What do you mean?
2. You’re right.

YOU - What do you mean?

LOGIC - There is a substantial inconsistency between the explanation you got earlier, and the one he’s given Noelle just now. Remember what he said, when you asked him about the buildings? He said that Dark Worlds are *created* by Fountains, and now he’s saying that they are *given form* by them. The first description implies creating something *ex nihilo*; the other, gathering what was already there to transform it into something new.

RHETORIC - You can see his point of view, though you’re hesitant to agree. Still, you can’t ignore the elephant in the room. What is the prince hiding?

1. “Ralsei, didn’t you say Dark Worlds happen when a Fountain is created?”
2. Maybe he just misspoke?
3. What is it with you blue guys today?!
4. I think it’s more complicated than that. [Discard thought.]

YOU - Maybe he just misspoke?

LOGIC - He’s always been careful about explaining what he knows. Why would he stumble right here, right now? Meeting someone new can’t be the cause, or else he would have blubbered the moment he met you two for the first time.

EMPATHY [Medium: Success] - That’s quite an uncharitable reading. Not everyone is a mastermind in manipulation, acting on pure intellectual cruelty and with ruthless efficiency. People make mistakes.

SUGGESTION [Easy: Success] - I have to agree. Logic, I’m all for subtleties and subtext, but sometimes people just don’t realise they were wrong until it’s too late.

LOGIC - It’s better to be a little suspicious of the kid than blindly trusting him – he’s being inconsistent in a way that’s too premeditated to be borne of mere error.

1. “Ralsei, didn’t you say Dark Worlds happen when a Fountain is created?”
2. Maybe he just misspoke?
3. What is it with you blue guys today?!
4. I think it’s more complicated than that. [Discard thought.]

YOU - I think it’s more complicated than that. [Discard thought.]

SUGGESTION [Challenging: Failure] - You were able to suss out quite a few things from Ralsei in the brief time you spent together, but you would be hard-pressed to accuse him of being an outright liar, even by omission.

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - There are bigger albatrosses around your throat. You may not feel them thrashing, but they’re there.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “You seem to know a lot about all this… ‘Dark World’ stuff. How come?”

RALSEI - “Well, it’s because I studie–”

SUSIE - “Cuz he’s a nerd,” she interjects. “He got the Nerd Fountain.”

RALSEI - “Susie!!” he pouts.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - The deer girl chuckles from the surprise. “ Fahahah! He’s a nerd?” she asks, playing along. “My goodness! Berdly has competition now!”

RALSEI - “Who’s Berdly?”

SUSIE - “Ehh, you don’t want to know.”

CASTLE TOWN WALLS - You see the outer walls of Ralsei’s home approaching from the horizon, the winged castle towering over them. The blue glow looks brighter from afar.

VISUAL CALCULUS [Formidable: Failure] - Just when you think you’d figured out how these negative photons work, you realise you don’t know enough about their physics, or even the physics of classic light in general, to understand why that is happening. How could it be as bright as a lighthouse from here, while losing its strength up close?

LOGIC [Impossible: Failure] - Do I look like a Physics textbook? You don’t know the answer.

INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Success] - The answer lies in the mind’s perception, mirrored in the mirror.

VISUAL CALCULUS - I have to disagree. Everything has its logic and rules, you only need to learn them.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - Actually… I think you might *both* be right. Perception can be subjective, but not totally disordered: the mind has a tendency to read rules into chaos. Think more colloquially: what rule of ordinary life is being reversed here?

1. [Conceptualization - Challenging 12] Try to figure it out.
2. It’s magic, I ain’t gotta explain crap. [Dismiss thought.]

YOU - Try to figure it out.

-1 Don’t know much about physics

CHECK SUCCESS

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Challenging: Success] - A bit of lateral thinking, and the answer strikes you as clear as day. In the Light World, sources of illumination appear brighter as you approach them, and grow dim with distance. Here, the laws of light and dark are turned on their head: the further you go, the *brighter* things will appear!

VISUAL CALCULUS [Easy: Success] - But surely negative photons would attenuate with distance in the same manner as positive ones?

CONCEPTUALIZATION - Shh-shh-shh! It’s not about the strict rules and equations; it’s about what *feels* right. Here, things happen simply because you expect them to happen.

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - You’ve already seen that leaps of faith really do work here; what’s stopping you from spreading your wings to fly away?

VISUAL CALCULUS - So the math here is based on *vibes*?! Oh, Dolores help us…

CASTLE TOWN - Eventually, you cross the wide-open gates into Castle Town. The blue torches burn their soft, comforting azure, and the buildings seem just as run-down and abandoned as they were yesterday. A 16-bit waltz fills the still air.

INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Success] - Ghosts are dancing to the tune of destiny as you walk their empty streets. It is the only melody they are permitted to know.

Now playing: Empty Town

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “This must be his princedom…” Noelle looks around, a little disappointed. She moves closer to you, falling in step with the clank of your sabatons. “It all looks so empty, doesn’t it?” she whispers.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY - Your heartbeat picks up. She’s talking to you now!

PAIN THRESHOLD [Easy: Success] - And you want to talk to her as well, like you used to do before… everything. What do you say? What *can* you say?

1. “I’ve seen abandoned towns more lively than this.”
2. “When we first came here, I thought this place looked like a prison.”
3. “It’s so quiet… like walking through a graveyard.”
4. Say nothing.

YOU - “I’ve seen abandoned towns more lively than this.”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “It might actually *be* abandoned, if Ralsei is the only resident… I don’t think even a ghost would want to live here.” Her eyes linger upon a boarded-up building. Grey, dull dust clings to the gaps in its bricks and the spaces in the wood.

SUSIE - “What’re you whispering about?” Susie calls over to the pair of you.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “N–Nothing!!” she chokes out.

SUSIE - “‘Kay. Just don’t walk too far away, this place messes with your head.” she warns.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Got it…!” She smiles nervously in Susie’s direction for a few seconds, then whips her head around to whisper frantically in your ear. “Kris, Susie just *asked me a question*!”

1. “I’m glad you’re getting comfortable.”
2. “Yes, she did!”

YOU - “Yes, she… did.”

SUGGESTION - ‘Asked her a question’? That’s an embarrassingly low bar.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “I know, right?! This is…” She sighs. “This is wonderful. Thank you for letting me in on this, Kris.”

DAMAGED MORALE -3

VOLITION [Challenging: Failure] - *Nngh*! Ow… how am I injured? You already know about her crush, this shouldn’t be such a shock!

PAIN THRESHOLD [Challenging: Failure] - What happened to you? Why does it hurt so much to hear her say that?

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Formidable: Inevitable Failure] - It wasn’t the content of the words – not *just* that. It was… something in the way she said it. Those words… you’ve heard them before.

ENCYCLOPEDIA - You don’t know where.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Kris? Are you okay? Your eyes are welling up… is something wrong?”

COMPOSURE [Formidable: Success] - You blink away the tears and clench your teeth. The pang of sadness and ill-placed dread has left, leaving behind a numb sensation of emptiness.

1. “I’m okay. Something got in my eye.” [Lie]
2. [Drama - Medium 10] Come up with a more reasonable cover story.

YOU - “I’m okay. Something got in my eye.” [Lie.]

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Oh, I see.” she smiles. “If we find a water fountain or something, you should wash your face there, that will help.”

CENTRAL PLAZA - Your feet have carried you to the centre of the centre of the Dark World: the main square of Castle Town, the small space separating the Castle from the Town.

INLAND EMPIRE [Trivial: Success] - And in the centre of the square, a faint but steady gleam.

1. Approach the healing light.
2. Approach Susie.
3. Approach Ralsei.

YOU - Approach the healing light.

SAVOIR FAIRE - While the others walk ahead to the castle, you hang back to surreptitiously brush your hand against the twinkling star. You immediately feel better, inexplicable heart-pangs washed out by cool, clear light.

HEALED HEALTH +MAX

HEALED MORALE +MAX

CENTRAL PLAZA - Now that your mind is no longer focused on its own pain, you realise that the healing light sits at the center of a mosaic of cyan, blue, and black, the design itself depicting geometric patterns that remind you of the illustrations in your mother’s personal hymn book. Smaller buildings surround you here, their walls bent to the curve of the plaza’s boundary. Well-kept bushes line the main street running up to the castle.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Easy: Success] - It’s as though you and your friends have shrunk down to the size of figurines, wandering through a sketchbook diorama.

INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Success] - In each of those empty, lightless buildings lies a kernel of potential, only waiting for the right touch to bloom again for the first time.

VISUAL CALCULUS [Medium: Success] - Not all of them. ‘Diorama’ is right – those buildings at the plaza’s edge are nothing more than cardboard cutouts, placed to produce a careful illusion of depth. That’s why they curve so easily: they’re nothing but paper.

1. I wonder if Ralsei erected those.
2. I wonder what those are in the Light World.
3. I wonder why you’re choosing to focus on weird, irrelevant details. [Dismiss thought.]

YOU - I wonder why you’re choosing to focus on weird, irrelevant details. [Dismiss thought.]

VISUAL CALCULUS [Challenging: Success] - No detail is ever irrelevant. You just don’t see how it fits into the bigger picture yet.

VOLITION - That was undeserved. He’s just doing his job.

INLAND EMPIRE - It’s okay. Everything comes together, sooner or later.

RALSEI - “We’re almost there. My castle is just up ahead,” he says. “It’s past all these old buildings. I apologise, Noelle, if I knew you were coming I would have prepared something for you as well…”

RALSEI - “Oh, by the way! Kris, Susie, I have a very nice surprise waiting for you.”

SUSIE - “A surprise, huh…” She looks up at the tallest point of Ralsei’s castle, a tentative grin on her muzzle.

VISUAL CALCULUS - The backlighting – or perhaps, backdarking? – caused by the Fountain makes it look larger than it actually is. Again, a reversal of the rule.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Easy: Success] - You wonder what he has in store for you. Is he going to surprise you with a slice of cake, fresh from the oven? Your tastebuds certainly hope so!

ENDURANCE - Your stomach does not. Why must these worlds be inundated with sugar and junk food? It’s supposed to be a fantasy land, not Candyland.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Awww, don’t worry!” she reassures him. “You’re too kind. To be honest, I’m still a little overwhelmed…”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “I mean, first I find out the supply closet has an alternate dimension inside it, then how I looked changed with my friend, and *now* I’m being invited to a real-life castle?”

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - Which is, coincidentally, the title of this year’s hit bestseller isekai light novel.

1. “When you put it like that, it *is* pretty intense.”
2. She called me her… friend?
3. Do not recite the deep magic to me, voice from the beyond. I was there when Berdly got into them.
4. [Let her continue.]

YOU - [Let her continue.]

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Gosh, how could today get any crazier?!”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - ??? - “UEE HEE HEE, I HEAR AN EXCELLENT QUESTION!”

REACTION SPEED - Huh?!

HALF LIGHT - Ack!!

SUSIE - She whips her head around. “Huh?! Who’s that?”

DEVILSCYTHE - A playing card rises from Susie’s pocket, and between one blink and the next, it turns into a large scythe clad in bells and with serrated teeth. “DO NOT BE AFRAID! IT’S ME, ME!”

Now playing: THEWORLDREVOLVING

DEVILSCYTHE - The weapon floats further up and glows brightly, soon transforming into the demonic-looking jester you know and… tolerate.

JEVIL - “I AM BACK!” He laughs maniacally, twirling in his personal bubble of zero-gravity.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Eep!” Noelle jumps back in surprise, almost snagging her cloak on her hooves. “Who the holly are you?!”

JEVIL - His eyes widen. “...BUT WAIT, WHAT IS THIS?!”

SAVOIR FAIRE - Jevil falls to the ground like a sack of potatoes, landing square on his face with an echoing *splorch*.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - She is too stunned to speak.

Now playing: Empty Town

RALSEI - Ralsei hurries over. “Mr. Jevil! Do you need any healing?”

SUSIE - “Dude???” Susie exclaims, baffled. “Are you okay? That looked nasty…”

SUSIE - She helps him back to his feet, then turns to your other friend. “Noelle, are you alright too? He didn’t scare you, did he?”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “No no no! H-he just startled me, is all… i-is he alright?”

SUGGESTION - Her face is red: she can’t believe Susie asked her a question *again*. Your friend has some issues, kid.

DRAMA [Trivial: Success] - Everything’s fine, he’s just doing a bit.

REACTION SPEED [Medium: Success] - I wouldn’t be so sure. There was a hint of genuine alarm on his face, just before he dropped like a stone.

JEVIL - “I AM, I AM, UEE HEE HEE!” he reassures her, rubbing one cheek. “I SIMPLY… FORGOT I COULD NOT FLOAT ANYMORE!”

JEVIL - He chuckles under his breath. “IT MUST BE BECAUSE I LOST MY TAIL…”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Is that a normal thing for a Darkner to lose??”

JEVIL - “NO.”

LOGIC [Medium: Success] - …Right, he fell over because he lacks a tail – those typically help with balance, so associating it with the source of his levitation isn’t *too* much of a logical stretch. And since you took it from him, equipping it in the process, maybe you’ll float, too? Or at least, learn how to do so.

1. Wait, do I still have a tail?! [Check.]
2. Wait, did they notice I have a tail?!
3. I can see where this train of thought is leading. Fortunately, the possibility of my team and/or myself discovering that I have an extraneous appendage does not distress, nor concern me, in any way whatsoever. I am exceedingly normal.

YOU - Wait. Do I still have a tail…? [Check *discreetly*.]

ENDURANCE - You feel around your sacrum area while no-one is looking – thank you for the diversion, Jevil – and you soon feel something growing out of your lower back. Unsurprisingly, it’s the tail. As you turn its split tip over your hands, you notice the lavender colour has dulled a little, becoming greyer.

ENDURANCE [Challenging: Failure] - Don’t panic – it’s not necrosis, or else you’d be in a lot more pain. Something is happening right now, to your body and to this body part, but you don’t know what.

PERCEPTION (TOUCH) [Challenging: Success] - There is a cold, tingly sensation radiating from your appendage, like blood seeping back into a constricted limb.

LOGIC - The old neural pathways must be changing, then; they are rewiring themselves to fit your anatomy.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Challenging: Success] - It’s not that bad of a sensation, all things considered.

PAIN THRESHOLD - Maybe Jevil is feeling it himself. Losing a little of yourself each day, until only the memory of what you had, or were, is left…

LOGIC [Easy: Success] - Neural connections grow with repeated stimulation: the more you use its foreign instincts to dodge attacks, the more this tail may fuse to your spine. This is serious, Kris, you should take it off before it becomes a fifth limb.

1. Are you kidding? No! I’m keeping it.
2. The magic tail stays on. Tailed Kris or bust!
3. The tail only shows up in the Dark World, though. I’ll keep it equipped, I’m sure it’s going to be fine.
4. Good idea. “Hey Jevil, here’s your tail.” [Unequip the Jevilstail right in front of Noelle to freak her out.]
5. Good idea. Let me find somewhere to do this… [Go somewhere private to unequip the Jevilstail.]

YOU - The magic tail stays on. Tailed Kris or bust!

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - You have made a wise choice, my friend.

LOGIC - I understand. Just be careful not to rely on its power too much, or your own dodging skills may grow rusty.

ENDURANCE [Trivial: Success] - For someone who claims to see things as they are, he’s being quite close-minded! Don’t listen to him, he can’t see the potential hidden in this thing.

SAVOIR FAIRE - A tail will help you keep your balance, just as it helped Jevil keep his. It’s such a shame that you, as a human, are among the few beings who aren’t born with them.

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success] - Technically speaking, humans *have* a tail; the coccyx. It is a vestigial bone, the very last vertebra of a human spine, and the current connection point of the Jevilstail.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Um… what’s your name again?” she asks, trying to break the ice. “I didn’t hear it over your yelling…”

JEVIL - The jester turns to your white-cloaked friend, a wide grin on his face. “MY NAME IS JEVIL, JEVIL!” He approaches the girl with confidence, but leans a little too far forward and stumbles.

SAVOIR FAIRE [Easy: Success] - He darts a foot out to correct his course, converting the forward jolt into a smooth step right up in front of her.

HALF LIGHT [Challenging: Success] - Something is wrong. He’s not moving right.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Trivial: Success] - Yeah, because *he lost his damn tail*. He needs that to balance! You wouldn’t be moving right if you were trying to hop on one leg, would you?

JEVIL - “AND YOU MUST BE… MISS NOELLE HOLIDAY, MUST YOU NOT?” he reaches out with a mittened hand.

COMPOSURE [Challenging: Failure] - His palm is facing upwards, as if he’s expecting her to give him something. She doesn’t get the hint.

SAVOIR FAIRE [Easy: Success] - He’s asking for her hand so he can kiss it. It’s an old-fashioned and smooth gesture, if a little tacky – what, is he going to be the second person in town to unironically own a fedora?

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Y… yeah, I’m Noelle… h-how do you know my name?” she asks, tentatively. “No, better question; are you okay? You staggered just now. It’s because you lost your tail, right?”

REACTION SPEED - She’s so observant!

JEVIL - “YOUR SCALY FRIEND HAS TOLD ME QUITE A LOT ABOUT YOU…” he deftly sidesteps her concern.

SUSIE - “What?! No, I haven’t!”

SUSIE - “...Okay, I did. But I thought you couldn’t hear me!”

JEVIL - He turns his head a perfect 180 degrees. “IS THE BLIND MAN’S GAZE NOTHING BUT DARKNESS? CAN ONE ONLY HEAR WHEN THERE IS SOUND, SOUND?”

SUSIE - “I guess so? Just– um. Don’t… scare Noelle like that next time.”

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Easy: Success] - What she really wants to say is ‘don’t tell anybody what I told you’, but she decided to switch one worry with another. As for how Noelle took the boundary statement, Susie could have told her she kicked her puppy and tore up her maths homework, and it would still have made her just as happy.

HALF LIGHT [Legendary: Success] - Tread carefully around the deer, Jingles – you’re on thin ice. Susie likes you, which is the *only* reason I haven’t strangled the life out of that stupid springy neck. *Yet*.

RHETORIC - To translate that from Neanderthal-With-Sharp-Rock-ese: ‘Please be more considerate of Noelle’s feelings going forward’.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Am I supposed to let you kiss my hand…?” she manages to ask.

JEVIL - “ONLY IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH SUCH, MY LADY.”

VOLITION - You’re surprised he’s showing this much courtesy. Considering how he treated you when you first met him, it’s impressive that he can show any amount of restraint or decorum.

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Someone is playing favourites.

PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Formidable: Success] - The corner of his eye twitches.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Medium: Success] - Don’t sweat it, Jev. Noelle is a good person to play favourites with.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “I’d rather do a handshake!” She grabs the jester’s hand. “My name is Noelle – though you already knew that, apparently, faha! It’s nice to meet you!”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Say… have we met each other? I mean, of course not, since it’s our first meeting and all, but you seem *so* familiar!”

COMPOSURE - Her grip is tight, her handshake firm. Despite feeling under duress, she is still able to be courteous.

HALF LIGHT [Medium: Success] - Like always.

JEVIL - “MAYBE, IN A FORMER LIFE, I MET YOU MORE THAN ONCE? UEE HEE HEE, DEJA-VUS ARE TRULY A WONDER, WONDER!” he laughs. “PERHAPS SOME TEA WILL CLEAR YOUR MIND?”

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Y… yeah…” She’s grimacing at his insistent, screechy tone.

INLAND EMPIRE [Formidable: Failure] - Good job, Noelle! You’re getting over your coulrophobia!

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “...Wait.” her eyes brighten with recognition. “You’re that joker card Kris used to play with as a kid!”

JEVIL - He bows so low that the tassels on his cap brush against the ground. “THE VERY SAME!”

SUSIE - “Huh, you guys know each other already?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Well, it’s the first time I’m talking *to* him… but when Kris and I were little, we used to play pretend with all sorts of things! They gave names to the playing cards – the king of spades was their favourite! I think his name was… King, or something? Guess you got Mr Dreemurr’s naming sense, Kris! Faha!”

SUSIE - “That’s actually…” She puts her hands inside her pockets. “Kinda sick.”

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Inevitable Failure] - …You don’t remember any of that.

1. What?
2. Of course I do, don’t be silly.

YOU - …What?

ENCYCLOPEDIA - You remember that it *happened*, obviously. But the specifics – who you played with, what characters and stories you imagined, how you felt at the time – all this is gone.

1. [Encyclopedia - Medium 10] Seriously, did I spend time with Jevil?
2. It’s probably nothing. [Discard thought.]

YOU - Seriously, did I spend time with Jevil?

+3 She remembers your playdates

+2 Motherlode of make-believe

+1 He looks familiar, does he not?

+1 Played Jevil’s game

-10 an unnecessary memory

CHECK FAILURE

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Inevitable Failure] - You think back to the time before, and find… not *quite* nothing. Or rather, a different kind of nothing: instead of a yawning absence, your mental path is blocked by a smooth blank wall. This has been locked away, in the same manner as your memories of how we arrived here.

VOLITION [Medium: Success] - This is getting absurd. Redacting the sensitive details of our involvement for the sake of operational security makes at least some measure of sense, but what possible use could there be in smuggling away your childhood play-dates? If things keep going at this rate, I wouldn’t be altogether surprised to find out that you’re a living proof of Last Thursdayism.

1. Huh, when you put it like that, it sounds pretty bad… I should do something about this. [Pursue Thought.]
2. Pfft, I’ll be alright! I still remember all the important stuff. [Discard Thought.]

YOU - Huh, when you put it like that, it *sounds* pretty bad… I should do something about this. [Pursue Thought.]

VOLITION [Challenging: Success] - Harry had a very serious memory problem, too, but he eventually got his life back together, thanks to us and to his friends. We’ll do the same for you.

Thought gained: I Forgot To Remember To Forget

I FORGOT TO REMEMBER TO FORGET

Let’s face it: your memory cortex is less like the proverbial steel trap and somewhat closer to a pasta strainer. Things you used to remember, you’ve forgotten. Knowledge you used to have, you’ve lost. Still, this is clearly not the normal kind of memory oblivion; you know how and why it was done to you, although the who, when, and what remain a mystery. The strangest thing is that you’ve also removed some – but not all – of your memories of the Dark World and its inhabitants.

You removed these memories, too, for a reason. The question is; why?

Temporary research bonuses:
+2 LOGIC: Follow the pattern
-1 ENCYCLOPEDIA: Lacunose past

Research time: ???

CASTLE TOWN - After a little more walking, you have arrived, and the blue glow that you spotted on your way in has softened into a gentle ambience that seems to calm the world around it.

SHIVERS [Formidable: Success] - The Dark of the Fountain flows into the sky, above the empty buildings of the town, above the castle itself. The once stale air is now filled with a sense of anticipation.

LOGIC - Wait. Where are the Card Kingdom people? Lancer was able to sneak in through the Grand Door, and door-shaped portals abounded in his land. How come everyone has stayed behind?

SUSIE - She has caught on, too. “...Hey Ralsei, where *is* everyone? The houses were still all empty as we walked up here.”

RALSEI - “Umm…” he glances at you, a silent request in his eyes.

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Challenging: Success] - ‘Could you go pick them up, please? They’re on the other side of the Grand Door.’

LOGIC [Easy: Success] - The Card Kingdom Darkners are in the unused classroom. Since they seem to turn back into inanimate objects when in the Light World, they’re going to need a Lightner to carry them back.

EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - You should get them. Susie is worried about Lancer, and Noelle is starting to rethink this whole business.

INLAND EMPIRE - You can see it in the way they look at you. Eyes never lie.

1. “I think I know where Lancer is. Let me go get him.”
2. Let Ralsei take the fall.

YOU - “I think I know where Lancer is. Let me go get him.”

SUSIE - “Got it. Me and– uh, Noelle and I will wait here.” She leans against the castle walls, arms crossed.

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “Who’s Lancer? Is he a Darkner too?”

SUSIE - “He’s… a friend. King’s son. You’ll see him soon.”

RALSEI - He looks at you and smiles softly, happy for your help.

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Medium: Success] - ‘You can go,’ he says with his eyes. ‘I’ll see you soon.’

UNUSED CLASSROOM - A far cry from the acres of scarlet forests and checkered plains, this boxy, windowless room is the epitome of discarded. A fine layer of dust covers everything, even the toys. The chalkboard has ghosts of tic-tac-toe boards and empty gallows for faded hangmen. The calendar pinned on the door of the blue closet – once the walls to a grand, barren castle – reads September 2017. The last day marked is the 15th.

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Easy: Success] - This room went unused for six years.

INLAND EMPIRE - You sense a strange unease, welling up from nowhere but your very heart. You feel like you are somewhere you shouldn’t be.

VOLITION [Formidable: Failure] - Why is that?

1. I guess I got used to the kings’ kingdom pretty fast.
2. It’s nothing. [Dismiss thought.]

YOU - It’s nothing. [Dismiss thought.]

VOLITION - Wait. Let’s talk for a moment.

1. We shouldn’t let them wait. [Gather the toys.]
2. What is it?

YOU - What is it?

VOLITION - Empathy and I noticed that being around Noelle is making you feel uncomfortable, sometimes. Do you want to talk about it?

1. Shouldn’t you know the reason?
2. No.
3. …

YOU - Shouldn’t you know the *reason*?

VOLITION - We have a hunch, yes, but there are many reasons as to why you might feel uneasy around a friend who’s grown apart, and also might have a crush on. I thought that we could help you talk through those feelings, and… well, help you feel better.

SUGGESTION - That sounds like a very good idea!

ESPRIT DE CORPS - Trust exercises are a proven, if much lampooned, way to build up a bond between members of the same group.

AUTHORITY - Everyone, everyone, don’t push Kris. Let them choose.

1. We shouldn’t let them wait. [Gather the toys.]
2. What is it?
3. I don’t want to talk about it.
4. [Volition - Godly 16] Sure, let’s talk. I’ll start from the top…

YOU - “We shouldn’t let them wait.” [Gather the toys.]

INTERFACING - (Mmm. Didn’t think so.)

ENDURANCE - You gather toys and game pieces from around the room, carefully amassing them into a single, compact ball. It is a long, tedious process, but eventually you have everything that might be a Darkner piled up together.

VISUAL CALCULUS [Easy: Success] - It kind of worked like a 3D puzzle, the ones your brother would get himself after diligently saving up on his allowance, except that only a few of the pieces here are actually intended to fit together.

MEGABALL OF JUNK - A large ball of objects – construction blocks, cards, chess and checker pieces, jigsaw fragments and more – are all rolled up into one.

VISUAL CALCULUS [Medium: Success] - It’s not that heavy. Despite the ball’s large volume and circumference, due to the lightweight materials and many airgaps where pieces don’t fit together well, its density is considerably lower than projected. I’d put it at between 600 and 630 grams; it’s barely halfway to a kilo.

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - Not everything fit inside the ball: some things were just too big to carry, like the rug, or too dangerous, like the open box of pins. Those got crammed into the closet.

INLAND EMPIRE - Farewell, you beautiful pointy beasts. It’s such a shame you never saw those pins galloping through the purple fields…

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Medium: Success] - Don’t worry, the boys and I will make you strong enough that you’ll carry everything in your own arms.

ENCYCLOPEDIA - While you were putting things inside the closet, you recognised the lowest tier as the prison floor; mostly due to the three King cards, a pink die with heart-shaped pips, and a few animal-shaped blocks of wood tucked into a corner, next to the toy caravans.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Godly: Failure] - There was some real moss growing inside, but it crunched to the touch and smelled like curdled milk. Some things, even a terminal moss addict wouldn’t touch.

PERCEPTION (SMELL) [Challenging: Failure] - Your nose is full of microfibres, debris, dust, and who knows what else. You feel like you’re one second away from sneezing.

1. [Physical Instrument - Medium 11] Carry the ball in your arms.
2. [Savoir Faire - Formidable 13] Carry the ball on your head.
3. [Visual Calculus - Challenging 12] Devise another way of carrying the conglomerate mass.
4. This was dumb, I’ll just carry it piecewise.

YOU - Carry the ball on your head.

+2 A tail to help you balance

+1 Pulled off The Move

CHECK SUCCESS

SAVOIR FAIRE [Formidable: Success] - You place the large ball you’ve created on top of your head. Easy does it… there! You have found the perfect body position and balance to keep everything steady.

1. I put Seam at the top. If they fall, I’ll know that the ball is unbalanced.
2. I wish I could carry Seam in my arms… their fur is too rough and unpleasant to the touch, though.

YOU - I wish I could carry Seam in my arms… their fur is too rough and unpleasant to the touch, though.

INTERFACING [Medium: Success] - Besides being a little worn and missing a button-eye, Seam is in strikingly good condition for their apparent age. You did not see any tags or company name embroidered under their paw pad, and the stitching lacks the precision of machine manufacture. You wouldn’t be surprised if you had a hand-made vintage toy casually hidden in this classroom.

REACTION SPEED [Medium: Success] - Weren’t they Asriel’s plush once?

ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Inevitable Failure] - They were. However, you only remember that specific detail. Not their role in your games, nor anything else.

VOLITION - At least you haven’t forgotten that part of your childhood.

VOLITION [Formidable: Success] - Maybe Seam can help you jog your memory? That’d be a good place to start, if they were so closely involved in your past.

New task: Talk to Seam

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Challenging: Success] - Or you could sneak into Toriel’s classroom and huff the markers instead? It’s been a while since you last did it. Besides, the door to the hallway is right there.

New task: Huff the markers

VOLITION - …

VOLITION [Trivial: Success] - Don’t do that.

Task deleted: Huff the markers

INTERFACING - That reminds me…

Task updated: Ask your mom to book you an appointment to the optometrist (important) (please do this it’s important) (you need those!)

1. [Inland Empire - Godly 16] “Hey, Seam! How’s it going?”
2. [Savoir Faire - Challenging 12] Sneak into your mom’s room to huff the markers.
3. Time to go. [Return to the Dark World.]

YOU - Time to go. [Return to the Dark World.]

NOELLE HOLIDAY - “So, the first Dragon Blazers is actually an interquel, despite coming out in…” Noelle’s ear twitches, and she turns in your direction. “Oh, Kris! You’re back!”

RALSEI - “Hello!”

SUSIE - She approaches you, looking a little impatient. “Hey, so, where is every…”

REACTION SPEED - Look, something’s shining above you!

SUSIE - She sees it too. “...One…?” she looks up, dumbfounded.

INLAND EMPIRE [Trivial: Success] - They’re all falling like snow.

SUSIE - “Uh, guys? What are those snowflake things?”

JEVIL - “UEE HEE HEE, IT’S THE STARS OF THE SHOW!”