You mull over the offer in front of you for a long time. It seems… too good to be true. Seth Supplies would handle the corn distribution, delivery, and stocking, and NMI would ensure you got an exceptionally good deal. But… something… strikes you as off. You can't put your finger on it, but…
Janna.
You'd never seen Janna like that before. You'd never known her to go more than two minutes without making some sort of sarcastic quip, let alone look you in the eye with that stare. You keep glancing at the documents, but the look on her face is all you can see. Finally, you set them to the side. There will be no deal in Doofania today.
You shake your head. You might want to talk to Janna soon about what just happened. As you send the documents through the shredder, you pause. Then, after a moment of hesitation, you take out the black business card, and shred that too.
You wonder if you're doing the right thing. You wonder how this will all turn out. You wonder how it would have turned out, if you had chosen differently…
---
Elsewhere, Elsewhen, Elsehow
"Oh, hello Janna." You say as you see your oddest intern step through the door. "I suppose you're here to prank me or something, now that I decided to take that business offe-"
You duck as the staff of Lord Feldrake sails unerringly through the air and impales itself in the wall directly behind where your head just was.
[-50 Loyalty]
"I quit."
"What?!?"
"This was a mistake. Keep your toy. I'm outta here."
"Hold on a second." The staff above you says unexpectedly. "I'm going with you."
You watch as the staff pulls itself out of the wall and floats back to Janna's glowing hand. The girl can't seem to believe it herself.
The staff tilts in your direction. "This kid has potential, but potential needs some real anger to get it started. Luckily, you just gave her a great reason to be upset!"
"Janna! I don't understand! What did I do?"
Janna closed her eyes, bared her teeth, and sighed.
"The same thing they all do. Fall for it."
---
Later
You took the cookie from him and cracked it open, reading it aloud.
"A great evil has been unleashed?" you ask. "I'm flattered, guys, really, but--"
"No wait sorry." Jumong said. "Wrong one."
He held out another cookie, this one already opened.
"A great evil has been… Hey wait, this says the same thing!"
"That's weird." Binggure said. He cracked open another cookie. And another.
A great evil has been unleashed
A great evil has been unleashed
A great evil has been unleashed
"Should uuhhh… we be worried about that?" Tobe asked.
Jumong shrugged. "I'm sure it's fine."
---
Even Later
You've finally prepared for the auction that Xanatos invited you to. The magical community of New York City is pretty quaint, you suppose, even though it's a little hard to navigate. As you settle in, you notice Xanatos, sitting a short distance away from you.
And someone sitting next to him.
With a duck-headed staff.