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vulpixisananimal · 6 months ago

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<Null> {Mal Du Pays} [Loop] (Siffrin)

[It's still raining.]

[You've stopped at the fork in the path, those two strangers just a few feet ahead of you. One tall, with dark skin, lightless hair and a stoic face. They were standing under the tree reading something. The other was shorter, with dark hair. He was sitting down, eyes closed with a smile on his face. Both had bonded earings to eachother.]

[Why were you filled with dread?]

"Loop?" [Mirabelle leans close to you.] "Do you think. . ?"

"Maybe." [You tug at the rim of your cloak.] "You start the talking."

"O-okay!" [Mirabelle took a deep breath, and stepped forward. You followed behind her.] "Uhm, excuse me?"

[The taller one looked up from the book. A slight, genuine smile on her face. They waved.] "Ah, hello! May I help you?"

[Mirabelle cleared her throat, then continued.] "W-well, there's been something going on at the homestead a little ways back, and, we wanted to check in! Make sure everything's okay, uhm. ."

[The tall one nodded.] "I understand. We're both just fine. Thank you."

"O-oh, well-"

[Okay, you needed to step in.] "We wanted to ask you a few questions if that's alright."

[They nod again.] "Of course, My name is Merlan, and this is Perci, forgive him, he gets lost in thought."

"That's okay! U-uhm, I'm Mirabelle, it's good to meet you."

"Siffrin, it's a pleasure~"

[Merlan raised an eyebrow.] "Ah, Saviors? Oh forgive me." [They leaned down to their partner and shook him.]

[Perci yawned, and stretched, and opened his eyes to look at you. Directly at you with a little, sly smile.] "Company? I just closed my eyes for a moment!"

"N-no it's okay! No need to worry about it!" [Mirabelle reassured.]

"Ah thank you, Lady Mirabelle. So, what can I do for you." [He seemed, charming.]

[You smell something, it was hard to tell because of the rain.]

[Mirabelle started talking.] "Okay, well, uhm, there's been a very, dangerous sadness in the area! So, so I wanted, to, to-"

[You cut her off.] "-To make sure that it wasn't going after fellow travelers. You two haven't seen anything like that, have you?"

"I'm not sure, have we?" [Perci turned to his bonded.]

"I've seen glimpses of it." [They were tapping their foot.] "A dangerous thing, to see a bonded sadness even after the Kings defeat is, curious."

[Bonded sadness? Was that like that pair of strong sadness on the second floor of the house? You keep smiling.] "And there's not been anything else strange?"

[Merlon shook his head.] "Nothing, nothing. Apart from randomly meeting the Saviors of Vaugarde! How'd you beat him, by the way?"

[Mirabelle held her hands close.] "I, reflected his freezing spell back at him, and-"

"Oh no no no! I know that! I mean more, how you got to him. That house full of sadness and traps. One wrong move and it's all over, so, well, how?"

". . . Uhm, luck?" [She responds. Yes, luck. Luck and not the time loops you were stuck in for hundreds or thousands of loops.]

[Perci's eyes are digging deeper into you. Why was he so intense?] "Must have been some wild luck. If the King was strong enough to freeze time. . ."

"An impossibility." [Merlon finishes. They were back to reading, writing, in a book.] "Time cannot be crafted without dying. Unless you had outside assistance."

[Like a wish.]

"It, it wasn't easy, at all. . ." [Mirabelle looked away.]

[Three floors of complex mazes and keys and traps that you had long, long, long ago memorized. It was a hell.]

[HOW long have you- ugh, nevermind! You shrug, still smiling.] "Well, if you're sure you two haven't seen anything. . ."

"Positive!" [Perci is still smiling.] "Honestly we should be going, if a sadness is nearby."

"O-okay, well, we'll leave you too it, then!" [She glances at you, you nod.]

"It's wonderful to meet you both, take care Merlon, Perci~" <You turn to walk back, and wave. You were excited to get out of here, you didn't like this.>

"Goodbye Saiviors." [Says Merlon.]

"Hope we see you again, Mirabelle, Loop!" [Says Perci.]

[You turn around, still smiling, looking right at the two of them.] ". . . Sorry?"

"I said. . . Goodbye, hope we see you again?" <Perci respond. Merlon quietly kicks him in the shin. They exchange a look.> ". . . . Mirabelle, and. . ."

"Siffrin." [Merlon interupts.]

"Siffrin! Ah yes right, hope to see you again-"

"No." <You smile wider, that kind of smile.> "Drop the act."

". . . Act?" [Perci says. Nice acting.]

"You said Loop. That's not my name. In fact, no-one knows that name." <You step forward.> "Why are you taking a rest here?"

"Well, because I was tired-"

"Because mind craft has a range limit." <You interrupt.> "Don't try fooling me, Perci, when it comes to acting I am of the best."

". . . Bravo." <He claps.> "Truly, bravo."

<At this point, Mirabelle is standing by you. Hand on her sword.> "You two were behind this?"

<He bowed> "Forgive the misdirection, watching from the sidelines is much better for gaining information."

"What does that blinding mean!" <You were getting angry. You eye up your enemy, two swords, mind craft, how strong? Quick? What was his craft type?>

"People tend to lie, saivor. Not so much when you step back and let them open themselves up. Oh, scissors craft, by the way."

<?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!>

[?????????????????????]

"You're writing all this down, my love?" [Perci turns to his bonded.]

"Every moment." [They reply.]

"W-what?!?" [Mirabelle was getting frustrated.] "You, you're controlling our friends for information?!?"

"Of course! I'm not doing any harm, they wont notice anything different, I get to poke around their heads, and if anything bad happens I snap my fingers and it's all forgotten."

<You want to kill him.> "Did you do this to Ramos?"

"Oh Ramos? Oh they were such a mess, but they were raised by someone from a forgotten culture! I had to interview and poke around in that mind. And just left them with, a parting gift!" <He talked so casually, waving a hand.>

"They turned into a sadness!!!" <Mirabelle yelled.>

<Both were taken aback by that, and looked at each other.> ". . . Is that what happened? I felt some strange and strong emotions before the charm was broken, did they really. . ?"

"You didn't know?!?"

"No, but, that is fascinating!" <He turned to Merlon.> "Do you think we could replicate that? Someone turning into a sadness like that. . ."

"Oh I'm sure we can figure it out." <Merlon replies casually.>

"That's, that's horrible!!!" <Mirabelle exclaimed.>

"It's increddible!" <Perci turned back to you, a sparkle in his eye.> "A sadness created through strong emotions enhanced through mind craft? Aren't you just a little bit curious about it?"

"No!!!!"

"No? But isn't that what Change is all about?"

<You step interject.> "Stop talking. What do you want."

"Information!" <Perci said with a flourish.> "Lore! History! The truths hidden within the words and minds of thousands of people! Everything from the smallest story to the grandest legends! Even legends that don't want to be remembered~"

[Dont want. . Like, our home?]

<You ignore Loop.> "And so to get to it you violate a persons privacy? Their will?"

"Oh it's not like they'll notice, or remember, it's fine!" <He laughs, waving away the question.> "Besides, wouldn't you do something like that? For your home?"

". . . . . . . ." <You're reading our mind. Aren't you>

"I am! What a quick learner."

"H-huh?!?" <Mirabelle looked confused.>

[Oh if you're reading our blinding thought I'll tell you to jump off a cliff PERSONALLY!!! You BLINDING IDIOT!!!!]

"Ahaa, very fascinating. Two voices? I thought I was going mad."

<Yes, two voices. You should be able to tell more, since you are using mind craft.>

"Oh no no no! From here I can only tell the most surface of thoughts. But just shake my hand, and-"

[HA! HAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!!]

<You see Perci wince, then laugh, shaking his head.> "Oh tricky! I like you, Null and Loop, correct? In the body of Siffrin the nobody. Now, was that a craft? Or-"

"An identity disorder, love." <Merlon adds.> "Many types, all acting very differently, caused by trauma in childhood. Our hero has a dramatic backstory."

[Stop talking like we're FRIENDS!!!]

<You glance over at Mirabelle, she's looking confused between you and Perci.> "He's reading our minds."

"He's- no!! That's private!!" <Mirabelle exlaimed.>

"Oh! No this is fascinating!" <Perci looked like a teacher excited to explain todays lesson. You wanted to rip him apart.> "See, Lady Mirabelle, your mind is so cluttered thinking about every single possibility at once it's very hard to single out many thoughts! So full of anxiety and fear."

"But your friend, friends, here are so much different! They are having a conversation in their mind! Yes many people have an internal monolog but this is an internal debate! It's a breath of fresh air, honestly!"

<. . . . . . .>

[Disgusting, get OUT!!] "Why do you need this!! You've caused enough harm already!!!"

"Because!" <Perci waves his arms dramaticly in the rain.> "Because of that island culture! The island north of Vaugarde, it's history, it's people! They're yearning for home and I can see it. And I will deliver it to them, I will dig, and dig, and dig untill every bone, every word, every little tale is exposed for the world to see!"

[. . . . . . That. . .]

<Doesn't. . . . Seem evil. . .>

[No, it doesn't. But. . .] "But you're, you're just going to hurt people and poke in their heads for that?!? I never asked you to help with our home! How do you know others will!!"

"I asked." <Merlon says, flatly.>

<. . . .>

"I want to see the beach again. The forrest, the maze of water and winds. The darting stars whispering through the night sky, the clouds hugging the stone reaching for the lightless night. . ." <For the first time, you see some emotion on Merlons face.>

[. . . You look away.] "And you're fine with, hurting people to remember that?"

"Yes." [They reply, too quickly.]

[. . . . .]

"Haven't you see their faces, Loop?" <Perci steps forward.> "Other islanders begging for an explination for why they're like this? For their memories, names, faces? What about that man at the Inn? Polaris? What would he do to remember."

[. . . . . . . . You're done talking.]

<Agreed, you take another step, hand on your dagger..> "If you want to help islanders, stop using mind craft."

"Well, sorry, but no. It's too useful a tool." <Perci put a hand on his sword. He knows this talk is over.> "But. . . A wager? A one-on-one fight, if you win, I undo the mind craft here. I win, you let me poke around that brain of yours as much as I like."

"What?!?" <Mirabelle exlaims.> "That's rediculous! You can't just-"

"-Fine." <You interupt, drawing your dagger.>

"Loop?!?"

"Lady Mirabelle, let them fight." <Merlon comments.> "My bonded will not do any undue harm, if your rogue does the same."

"It's just a friendly match, Mirabelle dear." <Perci draws twin swords, stepping forward.>

[Yes, friendly. Very friendly. Extremely, friendly. . . Ha. Hahaha. . .]

<You're pathetic, Perci. You're a conniving snake, a crab, a bastard and betrayal to the concept of history and stories. I am going to kill you.>

<You see the corner of Perci's mouth twitch.> ". . Shall we?"

[Do we have a plan, dearest Null?]

<Yes. You rush in.>

"Bleeding- Ah, my mistake for underestimating you." <Perci rolls his shoulder and gets ready to attack again.>

[Not this AGAIN.]

[. . . . . . . That's-]

[You're going to kill us.]

[?!?!?!??!?!?!]

<He, swung with both at the same time.>

[He's CHANGING THINGS]

<Impossible, it's, it's a fluke. Rushing at you again, you, you- >

[You froze up, and got stabbed. STARS Null what are you-]

"S-siffrin!!" [You hear Mirabelle exclaim. Your breathing is heavy, you were already exhausted from looping and THIS ISN'T HELPING!!!]

"Increddible, absolutley increddible." [Perci is staring at wonder.] "It's like your thought switch in an instant. Going from one plan to another faster than any mind should be able to!"

"Future vision? Perhaps?" [Merlon adds. You look over to Mirabelle, you share a look.] "No, not quite. . ."

"Oh!" [Perci snaps his fingers.] "Is that what that looping you keep thinking about is? Time looping back when you loose?"

<. . . . .>

[Percis face lights up.] "It IS!!! Oh, oh my, Merlon we have a lot of work to do."

<Again. Jump, stab down- >

[IT'S NOT WORKING]

<Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day.>

[What are you DOING?!?]

"Reciting plays to cover your thoughts?" <Perci says. Strike block lunge.> "It might work~"

"Your rogue is a very talented fighter, Mirabelle." <Merlon's voice.>

". . . ." <Mirabelle> "He, he is."

<Dodge, duck, jump, cornered. Block He looks you in the eye.>

< -And then is heard no more. It is a tale>

<Block, parry. Block, dodge.>

"No crafts, Null?" <Perci lunges.> "Focused too much on your footwork, perhaps."

[I can. Just-]

<No. You just. Needed. A dagger.>

<He's taunting.> "I can tell by your thoughts, you've already tried beating me quite a bit."

"Stop it!!" <Mirabelle.> "Both of you!! They, S-sif you'll, you'll-"

<Jump, duck, parry, counter.>

<He's gloating.> "I'd call it cheating, but, it looks like you're only hurting yourself."

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