clouds came and covered the sun

[hairpining]

[You find yourself in a small, quaint little town. The architecture has a notably late-1800s bent to it, in contrast to the clean, crisp air you breathe – combined with a faint, flowery scent – it's almost as though it is not industrialized at all.

Which would be easy enough to believe. After all, there do not seem to be any people out other than you and your fellow spelunkers – in spite of the occasional whisper you might hear. Hushed and impossible to actually make out.

Far in the distance lies a towering building, similar in shape to a fairytale castle.]

(Castle Town | Atelier | Smithy | Castle Town Revisited |
Painting the Roses Red | The Golden Afternoon | Castle Corridor |
The Library of Babel | The Girl Without Hands | The Garden of Paradise | The White Bride and the Black One |
The Princess Sleeping in the Glass Coffin)

((BGM entirely for ~atmospheric~ and ~stylistic~ purposes and personal reference, feel free to listen if you want to!))

Comments

[kalahiki]

Depends on the kid, really.

Television producers just assume everyone's kind of stupid, though, so they can make the message simple enough for everyone. It's a shitty way of doing things, but there it is.

[hairpining]

It seems to me that she is the fondest of blue roses -- the town's dollmaker and blacksmith both grow them.

[Makes sense, doesn't it? Think back ten or so years.

If you look, the dollmaker's shop and the smithy are on opposite sides of the town. So which do you go to first?]

[fangirlitis]

...sold♥

[guardofsteel]

[ Staring... back... Why are you staring at him, he is so confused. ]

What?

[artsistic]

...Yeah. If she doesn't turn out okay in the end, there'll be hell to pay.

[hairpining]

... Curious.

[AH WELL]

May I ask a favor of you, My Lady?

[kalahiki]

[Kind of looming a bit, and sort of obviously on guard, even if he sounds relaxed.]

...Who are you?

[provocate]

Ah... hm. Yes, that seems a poor way to prepare your youth...

[fangirlitis]

Anything you like♥

Ah, but I can't marry you.

[guardofsteel]

I'm not in the habit of blowing things up.

[kalahiki]

[...Blacksmith...Yuu's a mechanic, isn't he?

But then what the hell is a dollmaker?

....Ffffuck.]

...Dollmaker and blacksmith, huh?

[Well let's head for the dollmaker and we'll see what's up there.]

[hairpining]

As befits a prince, there is a princess that I love. Today is her birthday -- and so, it is my wish to present her with those flowers that she so adores.

Should you gather them for me, I shall gladly return you to your home.

[provocate]

[Looks up! Aaand eyes the castle a little]

I have no idea~! Shall we go see, my dear? [Gestures for her to walk ahead?]

[guardofsteel]

[ This is the part where being a Barrier Warrior comes in handy, isn't it? ]

Elijah. Elijah Hayward. And you are?

[artsistic]

Good. I'm sure you'll like it.

[kalahiki]

It's not the worst way but it does leave them with a lot of problems, or so I'm told.

It's not something I ever knew about growing up, so I couldn't talk a lot about those problems.

[fangirlitis]

Okay then.

Thanks for your caution.

[artsistic]

Or we can deal with... whoever that is, first.

[She motions to the "prince."]

[fangirlitis]

[Aha, a quest!] I'll be happy to! Where can I find these flowers, noble prince?

[kalahiki]

[I can manifest my soul as a gigantic shark god who spits ice.

But, he visibly relaxes. Wrong name, wrong voice, not enough creeper.]

Sei. I don't suppose you actually know Michi at all?

[provocate]

Oh? [Well now you have his attention bro ('8]

You had an abnormal wigglerhood, dear?

[fangirlitis]

I can't wait♥

Let's proceed carefully.

[provocate]

We could... [Ehhhhhh... less enthusiastic about that option? Clearly they should just go start sticking their hands in things nothing could possibly go wrong there... 8'|]

[kalahiki]

My mother sold me. [Shrugs.] So no, not really.

[hairpining]

It seems to me that she is the fondest of blue roses -- the town's dollmaker and blacksmith both grow them.

[Makes sense, doesn't it? Think about how she dresses.

If you look, the dollmaker's shop and the smithy are on opposite sides of the town. So which do you go to first?]