[X] [Outfit] The White Thread. You will appear as the manifestation of sprinkled moondust, sweetening and luxuriant. With the white thread, the Parasol will grant you a Dream of Sugar-Dusted Dunes, which will stop even the most acrimonious arguments with the memory of delight and joy and bring a smile to even the most wizened face.
[X] [Mission] A depressed river barge. One of the massive barges that brings grain and barley to Tishrei's poorest from the interior has anchored itself in the riverbed and is refusing to move. The captain has not been able to sway it, despite the fact that the barge is now blocking other shipments of grain and potentially endangering the food supply for the poorest denizens of Tishrei. Most of the magicians normally tasked with solving such a problem have been dispatched upriver, where the daughter of the river has gone missing. Your task is to try and cheer up or otherwise convince the river barge to move.
[X] [Outfit] The Red Thread. You will appear as the first blush of autumn on the Moon's face, fleeting and vibrant. With the red thread, the Parasol of the Midnight Waltz will grant you a Dream of Festive Dance, which urges men to set aside their quarrels in the spirit of romance and grand gestures.
I'll make my case like so: we're most likely deciding what type of moon-flavoured magical girl we want to be, and what role Starfall will serve in the party.
I think I've fulfilled the requirements for a moon based theme, as the moon is often considered a friend to lovers and symbolises festivity. We can also see it as the blood moon, whatever.
This can tie into what role we want Starfall to serve - It's a fairly traditional theme in fairy tales that the Spirit is an abettor to the Heroine's romance. I can't see Starfall engaging in it herself, as she's just too alien, but the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, or the sorceress who gives Ariel legs to meet the Prince is a storied role I could see her filling in time.
Plus, of course it isn't just applicable to being a love sage. The mentality of bringing people together is useful in diplomacy in general and fits what I've seen of Starfall - she doesn't want to leave her partner, and she wanted to help the Giant, etc.
[X] [Outfit] The Blue Thread. You will appear as a materialized figment of the elusive blue moon, mysterious and wistful. With the blue thread, the Parasol of the Midnight Waltz will grant you a Dream of Half-Forgotten Nights, which will bring tears to the darkest eyes and open the hearts of even the cruelest and most wicked spirits with its power.
I like this one. Reminds me of Excalibur, just with an outfit.
[X] [Mission] A depressed river barge. One of the massive barges that brings grain and barley to Tishrei's poorest from the interior has anchored itself in the riverbed and is refusing to move. The captain has not been able to sway it, despite the fact that the barge is now blocking other shipments of grain and potentially endangering the food supply for the poorest denizens of Tishrei. Most of the magicians normally tasked with solving such a problem have been dispatched upriver, where the daughter of the river has gone missing. Your task is to try and cheer up or otherwise convince the river barge to move.
[X] [Outfit] The White Thread. You will appear as the manifestation of sprinkled moondust, sweetening and luxuriant. With the white thread, the Parasol will grant you a Dream of Sugar-Dusted Dunes, which will stop even the most acrimonious arguments with the memory of delight and joy and bring a smile to even the most wizened face.
[X] [Mission] A depressed river barge. One of the massive barges that brings grain and barley to Tishrei's poorest from the interior has anchored itself in the riverbed and is refusing to move. The captain has not been able to sway it, despite the fact that the barge is now blocking other shipments of grain and potentially endangering the food supply for the poorest denizens of Tishrei. Most of the magicians normally tasked with solving such a problem have been dispatched upriver, where the daughter of the river has gone missing. Your task is to try and cheer up or otherwise convince the river barge to move.
[X] [Outfit] The Red Thread. You will appear as the first blush of autumn on the Moon's face, fleeting and vibrant. With the red thread, the Parasol of the Midnight Waltz will grant you a Dream of Festive Dance, which urges men to set aside their quarrels in the spirit of romance and grand gestures.
I'll make my case like so: we're most likely deciding what type of moon-flavoured magical girl we want to be, and what role Starfall will serve in the party.
I think I've fulfilled the requirements for a moon based theme, as the moon is often considered a friend to lovers and symbolises festivity. We can also see it as the blood moon, whatever.
This can tie into what role we want Starfall to serve - It's a fairly traditional theme in fairy tales that the Spirit is an abettor to the Heroine's romance. I can't see Starfall engaging in it herself, as she's just too alien, but the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, or the sorceress who gives Ariel legs to meet the Prince is a storied role I could see her filling in time.
Plus, of course it isn't just applicable to being a love sage. The mentality of bringing people together is useful in diplomacy in general and fits what I've seen of Starfall - she doesn't want to leave her partner, and she wanted to help the Giant, etc.
I actually like this a lot! Going to rewrite it as:
[] [Outfit] The Red Thread. You will appear as a blush of scarlet on the Moon's face, fleeting and vibrant. With the red thread, the Parasol of the Midnight Waltz will grant you a Dream of Ever-Festive Dance, which urges men and spirits to set aside their quarrels and petty fights for the sake of grand gestures of love and romance.
Which can work with the love of family and the love of partners. Of course, you usually have to work with a prior connection there, so just keep that in mind- this can't bring people who don't know each other together.
Romantic Starfall! She who was disappointed in love by her avian paramours, yet seeks it for others! Magical Girl Starfall!
[x] [Outfit] The Red Thread. You will appear as a blush of scarlet on the Moon's face, fleeting and vibrant. With the red thread, the Parasol of the Midnight Waltz will grant you a Dream of Ever-Festive Dance, which urges men and spirits to set aside their quarrels and petty fights for the sake of grand gestures of love and romance.
[x] [Outfit] The Red Thread. You will appear as a blush of scarlet on the Moon's face, fleeting and vibrant. With the red thread, the Parasol of the Midnight Waltz will grant you a Dream of Ever-Festive Dance, which urges men and spirits to set aside their quarrels and petty fights for the sake of grand gestures of love and romance.
[x] [Outfit] The Red Thread. You will appear as a blush of scarlet on the Moon's face, fleeting and vibrant. With the red thread, the Parasol of the Midnight Waltz will grant you a Dream of Ever-Festive Dance, which urges men and spirits to set aside their quarrels and petty fights for the sake of grand gestures of love and romance.
[X] [Mission] A depressed river barge. One of the massive barges that brings grain and barley to Tishrei's poorest from the interior has anchored itself in the riverbed and is refusing to move. The captain has not been able to sway it, despite the fact that the barge is now blocking other shipments of grain and potentially endangering the food supply for the poorest denizens of Tishrei. Most of the magicians normally tasked with solving such a problem have been dispatched upriver, where the daughter of the river has gone missing. Your task is to try and cheer up or otherwise convince the river barge to move.
[x] [Outfit] The Blue Thread. You will appear as a materialized figment of the elusive blue moon, mysterious and wistful. With the blue thread, the Parasol of the Midnight Waltz will grant you a Dream of Half-Forgotten Nights, which will bring tears to the darkest eyes and open the hearts of even the cruelest and most wicked spirits with its power. [x] [Mission] A breakaway train. After years of arduous work on the southern railway a steam locomotive spirit appears to have snapped and gone literally off the rails. The train car and five of its attached passenger cabin cars have detached themselves from the railway tracks leading out of the city and appear to be trying to escape into the forest. The Grand Lodge Tilers, normally tasked with dealing with the issue, are absorbed with a sudden outburst of wolf spirit attacks in the eastern villages, and so it is your task to stop the train before it breaks down entirely or inflicts serious damage on the forest.
[x] [Outfit] The Red Thread. You will appear as a blush of scarlet on the Moon's face, fleeting and vibrant. With the red thread, the Parasol of the Midnight Waltz will grant you a Dream of Ever-Festive Dance, which urges men and spirits to set aside their quarrels and petty fights for the sake of grand gestures of love and romance.
I wasn't going to vote because all of the existing options seem interesting to me, and to be honest this write-in isn't any more intrinsically interesting than they are (and actually seems like it would be less useful, but pragmatism doesn't have a place in this quest ). That said, I'm a sucker for underdog write-ins.
[x] [Outfit] The Red Thread. You will appear as a blush of scarlet on the Moon's face, fleeting and vibrant. With the red thread, the Parasol of the Midnight Waltz will grant you a Dream of Ever-Festive Dance, which urges men and spirits to set aside their quarrels and petty fights for the sake of grand gestures of love and romance.
[X] [Mission] A depressed river barge. One of the massive barges that brings grain and barley to Tishrei's poorest from the interior has anchored itself in the riverbed and is refusing to move. The captain has not been able to sway it, despite the fact that the barge is now blocking other shipments of grain and potentially endangering the food supply for the poorest denizens of Tishrei. Most of the magicians normally tasked with solving such a problem have been dispatched upriver, where the daughter of the river has gone missing. Your task is to try and cheer up or otherwise convince the river barge to move.
Obviously Starfall's attack landed but Pariya's didn't because the master magician actually has very short arms. That's okay and nothing to be ashamed of! Honestly that just means her hugs are closer by default if you think about it. It's a charming quality.
Now, logically, I thought that the Black thread would be my usual vote and might come in handy more often....but something in me just needed to vote blue XD
Also, let it be known that the vote for the color of outfit I want has nothing to do with my vote for the barge...it...just felt like a good starting quest.
I have no idea what the hell I just read but I liked it!
and I want more of it!
Watched!
[x] [Outfit] The Red Thread. You will appear as a blush of scarlet on the Moon's face, fleeting and vibrant. With the red thread, the Parasol of the Midnight Waltz will grant you a Dream of Ever-Festive Dance, which urges men and spirits to set aside their quarrels and petty fights for the sake of grand gestures of love and romance.
[X] [Mission] A depressed river barge. One of the massive barges that brings grain and barley to Tishrei's poorest from the interior has anchored itself in the riverbed and is refusing to move. The captain has not been able to sway it, despite the fact that the barge is now blocking other shipments of grain and potentially endangering the food supply for the poorest denizens of Tishrei. Most of the magicians normally tasked with solving such a problem have been dispatched upriver, where the daughter of the river has gone missing. Your task is to try and cheer up or otherwise convince the river barge to move.
because of this:
[X] [Outfit] The Black Thread. You will appear as the impossible reflection of the moon's dark side, wondrous and breathtaking. With the black thread, the Parasol will grant you a Dream of The Silent Face, which encourages both man and spirit to reveal the secrets they have held from each other and themselves, revealing all that was hidden.
[X] [Mission] A depressed river barge. One of the massive barges that brings grain and barley to Tishrei's poorest from the interior has anchored itself in the riverbed and is refusing to move. The captain has not been able to sway it, despite the fact that the barge is now blocking other shipments of grain and potentially endangering the food supply for the poorest denizens of Tishrei. Most of the magicians normally tasked with solving such a problem have been dispatched upriver, where the daughter of the river has gone missing. Your task is to try and cheer up or otherwise convince the river barge to move.
[x] [Outfit] The Red Thread. You will appear as a blush of scarlet on the Moon's face, fleeting and vibrant. With the red thread, the Parasol of the Midnight Waltz will grant you a Dream of Ever-Festive Dance, which urges men and spirits to set aside their quarrels and petty fights for the sake of grand gestures of love and romance.
[X] [Mission] A depressed river barge. One of the massive barges that brings grain and barley to Tishrei's poorest from the interior has anchored itself in the riverbed and is refusing to move. The captain has not been able to sway it, despite the fact that the barge is now blocking other shipments of grain and potentially endangering the food supply for the poorest denizens of Tishrei. Most of the magicians normally tasked with solving such a problem have been dispatched upriver, where the daughter of the river has gone missing. Your task is to try and cheer up or otherwise convince the river barge to move.
The Parasol hums, no doubt with anticipation, as you mull over the options in your head amid the gentle sky and dome shaped clouds of the dream. The properties of each sounds amazing, and the dream stuff is pretty interesting too. You pace around the billowy fabric that covers the ground with the utmost frustration at this recent spate of decisions you've had to make, each of them harder than the last. Is this what it means to leave the tower and become a familiar? Making decisions? It's certainly something new. You've never had the opportunity to make your own choices much before. How exactly do humans do it, spending so much of their lives barrelling from choice to choice? Or are they like you, listening to others? Ariela calls Pariya "master", and Pariya seems to answer to the empress. Maybe there's a big chain going from top to bottom, and only the empress has to make decisions? But ugh! Then, as the painting said, you'd be helping her make decisions. That's no good at all.
You draw on the only thing that you think you can help you amid parentheses' absence, your memories. You've never had a very good memory, but here and there there are episodes that you remember all too clearly. When your mother set fire to- no, not those. When your grandpa stole- no, too many of those to sift through. When your father discovered puns- oh no, not that one. You remember it now. The family gathered around, him standing with an uncharacteristic grin on his dour face, as if he had just found the funniest joke in the world, and then, to everyone's utter disappointment, he utters his masterwork:
"What does a cat say when it has no money? I'm paw!"
No, that won't do at all. There is one- oh, you remember it now. You remember it well. You were...short. You can't remember how old you were, but you were certainly short, barely up to the top of your grandpa's boot, and your parents came. Your mother had tears in her eyes, and even your father had a darkness to his face you had never seen before. They held some document in their hand, with a broken purple seal, and they hugged you more than they ever have. But you didn't care about all that, because they were there, and that was fine for you. And you pulled all kinds of pranks, like throwing out all your father's changes of clothes so he had to wear a blanket in the cold, or when you poured freezing water on your mother's head. And each time, they were frustrated, and a little angry, but you could see the smiles tugging at the edges of their lips, the way each time their anger got more exaggerated. You remember that by the end, everyone was smiling, even the skeleton! Wait, there was a skeleton? No, different memory. Get out of this one, skeleton.
Yes. You know which thread you want to choose.
"The white thread!" You shout out to the parasol, which zips into the air in delight, retracting the black and the blue.
Wonderful, mistress! I will craft it at once. A splendid choice, as always. Now, stay still, this may feel rather strange, but by my utility I swear it will go excellently!
The white thread grows longer and longer, curling around your waist, and soon after there are additional threads, each of them weaving their way around your body, an astral glow growing until you can hardly see. When you open your eyes, you feel different, maybe a little peppier, maybe a little lighter. Huh. You were expecting an elaborate transformation sequence, but this works too! Very efficient.
The parasol holds a mirror hanging, hooked to its handle. Please, tell me how you like it!
You gasp, touching your face with a gloved hand. Every part of your outfit has been transformed. The black and blue tricorn has been changed into a splendid crest-shaped headdress with the design of black stars, blue sky, and white pearls, tied in the back with a bow that caps the white-gold braid of your hair, with two trails of hanging pearls on either side of your face. Your long, thick blue and gold winter jumper has been replaced with a frilly knee-length dress that reaches down just above your knees, with poofy short sleeves. You still wear boots, but now they are tall and white, with black soles and grey dune patterns along their length. A shiny grey frill is sown into the breast, its v-shape pointing towards your waist, and the pattern of the moon surrounded by black stars appears around it. Moondust falls from your hair as you tilt your head.
"Oh wow, it's-" you start to say, but then some moondust falls in your eye and you have to rub it out. "It's beautiful- besides the moondust. Can we lower the moondust?"
I can reduce the moondust but it's...it's thematic with the outfit, mistress.
"Oh, I'm not criticizing it, I'm just-" When more moondust falls onto your eyes you try to scratch it, but that just creates more moondust. "Just a little less, please."
But I really- As you wish. I would not want my mistress to be impeded by moondust.
"Thank you," you say, as the parasol blows some of the moondust away. What remains adds a slight shine to your hair, but it's not falling down.
I am glad you appreciate it. I was taught many functions by the all-giving Moon, and I am excited to use them all. Some, even I don't know about! Now, shall we commence to the dream?
"Oh, but what about you?"
M-me?
You gesture to the parasol's color. "You're still all dark colors! Shouldn't you change some of your shades? Maybe try changing your inside to white to match my outfit?"
O-oh, Mistress! You are too kind, to be thinking of me! But you are quite right! I should change it, shouldn't I...oh, I've never had anyone think of me! This is just splendid! Let me just... The parasol closes itself, and then reopens, with the inside of the canopy changed to white whilst the outside and the shaft retain their black color.
"Oh, I love it! Good job, Parasol! I knew you had it in you," you say with a smile.
Bits of red appear on the inside of the Parasol's canopy. Oh M-mistress, you do flatter me so...! But, I must control myself! Now the dream! Mistress, for this, it is best that we concoct a story! All dreams are stories that are told to us in sleep, disjointed though they may appear to mortals. If we are to enjoy this dream, we must create a story for it!
Of course! That makes a lot of sense. When you flew up in the air with Ariela and almost crashed, that was because of the dream you remembered! Maybe not the crashing part, but the rest of it was! So all you need to do is think of a suitable dream...you close your eyes and imagine it, forming the picture in the canvass of your mind.
Oh, I see now! Yes, your name is Dustfall, and you are fallen from the moon! Oh, what a wonderful image that is, you truly are a visionary, mistress! Oh, and what's this?! A parasol comes to earth with her! When she descends from the sky to bring the sugar of the heavens to all, it carries her all the way through! And, oh, oh the Parasol and her, they share a single kiss-
You open your eyes. "Um."
S-sorry, Mistress, I just-
"Oh, no, I just didn't quite imagine that, but we can work it in! Like a kiss between good friends! The best of friends!"
Y-yes. Friends. Of course, Mistress...
"Parasol?"
Oh, it's nothing! Don't stop by my account! I was just being a silly, fluttery parasol. So stupid! Haha! Please continue, Mistress. Please.
You purse your lips. What's gotten into the thing? Oh well. You can't get distracted. You close your eyes tight, imagining ever more vivid images, adrenaline coursing through your veins as the dream gets more detailed, scenes appearing in front of you in the dreamspace, scenes you have built flashing by, experience gained from working so hard at teaching not only yourself, but Death, how to construct dreams.
And once they get to earth...with a single punch...oh my, mistress, this is getting very violent! I like it!
You grin at the sprawling epic you've constructed on the canvass. This is going to be the best dream ever.
---
You wake up with a start, the taste of sugar on your lips. You glance around the room, and you're still in the living room of...wherever you are (welcome back to the land of the living, you were asleep for four days). Oh, huh. You suppose that time works differently here (no, you're just not in the tower anymore so now you'll start noticing when the days pass). Indeed, things have changed. The hole in the ceiling you made has been covered up with a large wooden board, and the couches have been placed back to where they were before. There is now a bed in the living room, up against the corner, however, and a desk where you see...(it's Boas, remember), Boas, who you of course remember, writing something, facing away from you, wearing his guard's helmet and black military outfit, outer jacket hanging on the back of his chair.
There's a blanket draped around you that you shrug off, taking a step forward with your parasol in your still-gloved hand. Wait...did you have it with you when you fell asleep? You could have sworn...hmm. Boas is still working at his desk. You tiptoe over to him but he still doesn't seem to take notice of you, even though the pearls of your headdress jingle lightly as you walk. What exactly is he doing that takes so much attention...?
You get your answer when you lean over his shoulder. There is a huge stack of blank pages on one side of the desk. Without even needing to so much as glance, Boas takes a document, scans it from top to bottom, and then takes his steel pen, writing over the document incredibly quickly, before stamping it and then moving to the next document. He continues on this process for a few minutes, barely taking his eyes off the page, his hand never stopping or slowing down.
"Wow," you finally breathe after he does this without fail twenty times, only for Boas to jump at the sound of your voice, the steel pen snapping, a loud bang on the desk as his hand suddenly jolts down, embedding itself into the desk. He glances down, opening his gloved fist, facing his palm, and then sighs as he turns around, tiredness in his voice.
"Ariela, what have I told you about-oh. Starfall. You're awake. Ah. Forgive me for that...admonishment. I had thought you were my sister," he says as he rolls his shoulders and gets up, bowing. "Welcome back."
You quirk a brow, your attention lingering on the indentation made by his fist into the desk (either officer pointdexter has some kind of magic hand or he lifts more than he shows). But you flash him a charming smile regardless, giving him a curtsy for his trouble, all apologetic elegance (you put on one new outfit and suddenly you act like you're the sugar plum fairy).
"Please, call me Dustfall." You say (oh my stars is that what you came up with). Well, what's wrong with that name? You think it's quite good (this is meant to be a disguise-)
"Dustfall! A fine name!" Boas says with a smile of his own and a metallic-sounding clap (oh no he's an idiot). "I like it! It certainly complements what you're going for. Am I right to presume that you are perhaps, moondust?" (a flattering idiot).
"Oh hush," you mutter to parentheses under your breath, and turn back your attention to Boas. "Yes, thank you! I am glad that some people are able to appreciate the basic thematic design behind this excellent outfit. My very own parasol made it, after all, and I am terribly proud of him for it." (Starfall don't you dare play me against that butt-kissing umbrella).
"Yes," Boas says, and then just stands there awkwardly, a smile affixed to his face for a little too long, not saying anything. Your own smile fades, but he's still standing there, smiling. His hands are shaking.
"Uh..."
Boas suddenly reaches his hand into his uniform and retrieves a card, holding it in both hands while he bows his head. "Do-you-want-to-join-my-revolutionary-club?" (oh never mind he's just a boy).
"What," you say, and then take the card out of his hand. It appears to be a small pamphlet of some kind with a blue cover. You read it. "The Club To Bring About the End of the Old Regime...membership includes a place in the inner circle at the time of the great uprising, and one free drink ticket per meeting". (oh never mind he's just a loser).
Boas rubs his arm, looking terribly embarrassed, his face red. "I couldn't get anyone else to join. Ariela just laughed at me when I showed her, and I'm pretty sure Master Pariya would use the pamphlet as a coaster for her tea. I used to have some other friends and we'd meet every week...we had a falling out over who should be the leader of the apportions committee for the annual uprising planning session and now everyone's gone and made their own club...it's just me and Erasmo now."
"I AM THE GENERAL SECRETARY! FEAR MY WRATH, BUT ONLY IF IT IS ON THE AGENDA!" Erasmo bellows from inside the helmet atop Boas' head.
"Yeah. So it's just me and him, and- and don't feel like you have to, but-"
"I'll do it," you say, a serious face on as you crush the pamphlet in your hands. If you have taken on the Dream of Sugar-dusted dunes, you might as well start with the little things. It's not like there's going to be a lot of work involved, right? You don't even know what a club is. "I'll join your club."
Boas gasps and puts his hands together. "Really-I-I don't know what to say, Star-Dustfall! It is a great honor to have such an esteemed spirit on our committee. Once I'm finished doing all this magicians' copywriting, I'll be sure to introduce you to the rules of the club, the constitution, its founding document, the guidelines for executive members, the overall hierarchical structure, oh! Oh, this is so exciting! We'll have to call an annual general meeting and appoint the new executive...we'll only be a few away from a constitutional quorum..." He starts to trail off, rummaging through papers in a box he retrieves from underneath the desk as you begin to regret your decision.
"I don't really want to do any of that. I just want to be part of the club," you say firmly. He stops rummaging, and then turns to you, eyes widening.
"You-you're right! It's a brilliant idea. Away with rules! Away with hierarchies! Why do we allow ourselves to fit into tyrannical boxes?!" He closes the box and throws it into the corner of the room. "I see now- you are already transforming the face of the club forever- the new strategy is already working!"
"New strategy...?"
"The Strategy of revolutionary virtue! If I am simply kind to everyone, regardless of class, gender, status, or any other socially constructed qualification, the revolution will gain new adherents through a principle of virtue, wherein all are treated well by all, and all realize the fallacy of their own social superiority and inferiority, and instead are made aware of the equality of human beings!" He explains, gesticulating a little too wildly. He waves his arms a little too much and falls backwards up against his desk.
"I think you just rediscovered being a nice person," a new voice intones from the doorway, and there you see Ariela. She's holding a cup of steaming coffee in her left hand. She's wearing the same green jacket as you remember, but she's added a golden sash to her waist and replaced her green cravat with a white one, matching your own, and she doesn't have a hair out of place. "So Pariya's calculation was correct, if a little off. Glad to see you awake, Starfall. Now! Let's leave. The earlier we go, the less chance we get detected along the way."
"...Detected...?" You ask as you help Boas up and he dusts himself off.
"The head treasurer is on the hunt now. Apparently the empress is enraged that you're still missing. That said, Master Pariya said so long as they don't get a hold of any of your hair or personal belongings, they won't be able to find you. Just...if you see a paper butterfly, don't appreciate it. Run," Ariela explains with a cool nonchalance, finishing up her coffee. "Now come on! We've got a barge to cheer up, and I've been told I can't blow it up, the earlier we start, the better!" Ariela exclaims, a new confidence in her voice. But your stomach growls nightmarishly, like some ancient monster awakened from its slumber hungering for the flesh of innocent spuds.
"Can I at least eat...?"
"If we go now there will be potatoes on the stagecoach." Ariela says with a knowing grin, and then turns on her heel, walking out. "Keep working on that magician copywriting, Boas, the roof repairs won't pay for themselves!" After a few seconds hesitation, you wave goodbye to Boas and rush to catch up with Ariela as fast as you can (like a dog to treats).
"Wait," you hear Boas' voice trail off behind you, increasingly distant, as you follow Ariela, "you forgot your...revolutionary cockade."
---
"I don't know how you can eat like that," Ariela mutters, nose almost buried in a book as the two of you sit in the rolling stagecoach, windows covered by curtains that allow just enough light to read. You shrug and lick your fingers, making sure to get all of that starchy goodness before you wipe your hands with a napkin, brushing pieces of potato skin off your lap and onto the floor of the stagecoach.
"Like what?" You ask without a hint of shame. Ariela peeks over the spine of her book and rolls her eyes, then goes back to reading it. Bored, you idly slap your hands against your thighs, trying to make a tune. When that doesn't work, you watch until Ariela seems sufficiently engrossed in her book, and then lean over, hand reaching to the edge of the curtain, starting to pull it away-
"I can see what you're doing," Ariela says as she flips the page, and you curse, sitting back down with a huff and crossing your arms, heels kicking up against the bottom of your seat. You try to tune out, but the trouble is that when you're not eating it's a lot harder to just allow time to pass by, and everything is so much more complicated in the human world! Time is much harder to ignore when there's others around. You want to make conversation, but you're not even sure where to start. 'Hey, so, you're human, how's it like being a weakling?' No, that won't work. 'What does it feel like to have blood?' No, that won't do either. You try to think of human topics, but you're drawing a blank. You're sure your father tried to tell you things about humans, but you can't remember much. Hmmmmmmm. Oh! You lean in, tilting your head and squinting at the spine of the book that Ariela is reading.
"...The She-Rider of Ruyan," you read the title out loud. "What is it about?"
"...You can read?" Ariela says, putting the book down, genuine surprise in her voice. When you furrow your brow in confusion, she adds, "many spirits can't. Magicians often pass on their knowledge of reading and writing to spirits and they learn that way."
"Oh. Well, yes, of course I can read! My father was very insistent in that. I didn't want to, but his face came very close to mine and he said that the only creatures who don't know how to read are the ones fit only for eating dirt and that if I didn't want to read the only thing I'd eat from then on was dirt, like a common rat! So that was very convincing," you explain cheerfully.
"...Your father is a wise man, though my parents were even harsher on me." Ariela says, her chest swelling with filial pride, before she clears her throat. "Ahem! The book. This is actually my favorite work! The titular character, Renna the She-Rider, is actually a camp follower of the army of the empire abducted by the horseriders of the steppe. At first, they treat her like any other captive not even worth a ransom and have her work as a slave, but she shows her worth when the horseriders are attacked by a neighboring clan by shooting one of the rival's best horsemen right off his steed! From then on, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and romance, earning her freedom and eventually even becoming a member of the clan! But then, the empire prepares to attack, with its best magicians at the ready and the magical stallions of the plains broken by their relentless raids. So Renna the She-rider prepares to defend her new home against the magicians and...well..."
"...Well?" You say, leaning forward in your seat. "What happens next? I want to know what happens!"
"...I've never read to the end. I was always afraid..." She closes the book, putting it on her lap and tracing a finger along the painted cover. "I was always afraid that it'd end in tragedy. How could a few hundred horsemen face against the might of the magicians? But I didn't want to-Hey!"
You grab the book from her and put your hand on her face when she tries to reach back for it. She tries to grab it from you but your arm is just long enough to prevent her from doing more than ineffectually flailing her arms.
"Give it back! I don't want to know the ending, don't spoil it for me-"
"...Oh," you say as you read the last page, holding it away from Ariela. "They all die in the end!" You declare with a sense of happiness. That's that mystery settled! And it makes sense, too. It's like Death said. All things die in the end! All told, it was a smart tactical decision to just put an end to the speculation now. You would have been frustrated for days if you didn't know the ending. You hand the book back to Ariela, who screams in frustration and wraps her arms around the book, glowering at you (I can see we are already strengthening our bond to our magician).
"Why did you do that." Ariela says, oddly resigned. "I didn't want to know."
You're taken aback with her sudden change of mood. "I don't know why it's such a surprise...? I mean, what's the problem with them dying in the end? Everything dies. Even I will die, eventually, at some point," you say, with the airs of someone who knows absolutely what they're talking about (if you could really comprehend mortality then you wouldn't be spending days doing nothing but chewing on a single potato or sleeping). Well, you don't think that's fair. Death calls you Death-of-stars, and although you have no idea what it means, you do have some kind of power of the dead. Even as you've been rolling through the city, you feel the dead welling up from under you and all around. You've never quite felt this concentration of it, and that makes it all the more acute and clear to you.
"That doesn't make it any less sad!" Ariela says, raising her voice, but when you look down and avert your gaze from her anger her voice softens. "You're just a spirit and Pariya told me it's likely you've never really faced death. But when people die...leave...go away...all of that hurts."
"I don't understand. They don't go away. They're right there. They're just dead," you counter. "Even if mother died, she'd still be with me. Just as a ghost. I could ask Dea-" something stops you in your throat. "Ask deat-" You cough. What in the world...? "Ask de-urgh." You grip your throat. It's like bony fingers are stabbing into your windpipe and stopping you from forming words. You get the point, even if the sensation is needlessly unpleasant. Fine. You won't tell her about Death. "She's still with me, just as a ghost."
Ariela shakes her head and explains it. You're surprised by her patience; a part of you was afraid she'd snap and yell at you, but you can tell she's trying. "Maybe that's how it works for spirits. But when someone goes away- when a book ends, when a...when a mother...disappears, we don't get to see them again. Magicians are forbidden from practicing any kind of resurrection ritual, and humans who speak to the dead are shunned or taken in as tilers by the Magicians, pushed out of society and towards the military, towards the frontier."
"...That makes sense. But then you'd just...never see them again? Ever? That sounds positively terrible. But what about the book? What's the big problem? You can just read it over again," you point out.
"It's not that simple, Starfall," she says, and when you correct her, "okay, Dustfall, not the most clandestine name but it'll have to do, it's not that simple. When you read a book that you really, really like to the end, it's like saying goodbye to the story, to the characters, once and for all. And sure, you can read it again, but every time you reach the end, you know there's an ending, you know you're going to say goodbye again, and there's that terrible feeling in your gut, that you know what's coming, that even if it's a happy ending, it's time to say goodbye again. So that's why I didn't want to finish the story. I know everything dies- I know it all has to end, but I didn't want to say goodbye to Renna. Maybe later- but- but not yet."
You fidget with the lip of your glove. "I didn't know," is all you can say.
"That's okay. Better to learn it through a book than- than with something worse. But enough of that!" Ariela says as she smooths our her jacket and puts her book aside. "We're not going to be any use helping that depressed barge if we're depressed ourselves!" She stands over you in the carriage, arms at her sides, grinning. "So I order you to stop worrying about me and my book, as your magician! I will not ha-AHHH!" She starts to order as the carriage comes to an extremely sudden stop and the both of you go flying.
When Pariya opens the carriage door and finds you, she inclines her head in a sign of mourning as you gaze at her through blurry eyes, and upside down.
"Oof. Okay, next time, you drive," she says, patting her hat (WAIT PARIYA WAS DRIVING ISN'T SHE BLIND).
"I do not believe that I have the acquired knowledge to drive a carriage, master," the hat replies, "though I suppose that neither do you."
"Ha! Well, I am spending my retirement money on this. There's no way I'm paying a coach driver," Pariya says as she grasps you by the chest and hoists you over her shoulder, then does the same for Ariela, who, as you look over, seems similarly dazed.
"An astute financial calculation, though perhaps one that has poor outcomes for passengers," the hat comments with the slightest amusement in its voice, as both you and Ariela groan as Pariya carries you to the barge, moving in a blur as she flies across the water. It would be an amazing and terrifying sight if you did not feel as if your brain had not just been tossed around the inside of your skull. As it is, you close your eyes and wait to be put down.
---
"I do not want a moon princess and an apprentice, I want you, Treasurer! Why do you do this to poor Hevan?" The would-be captain of the barge asks. You're really rather dizzy, though, so you let Parentheses take over the description (He's all rounded, with no sharp corners; even his hat is a felt toque rather than the hanging caps that many of the sailors wear as they run to and fro on the flat deck. The barge is a vast thing of varnished cedar wood, far larger and longer than something that could be moved by mortal means, and it sits on the fast-flowing river utterly implacable, as if even the river's current is mere suggestion to it. Without sails, without haulers, the barge floats lightly on the surface, its mechanism of propulsion incomprehensible. These spirit barges, carrying produce up and down the imperial river Ghela, are powered by beings much older than themselves, ancient creatures representing the memory of greater times).
Wow. That's pretty good (I also do monologues~). And what a view! Ariela helps you up, but is just as spellbound. Cold wind buffets your face, blowing the pearls of your headdress back, reminding you of Grandpa. The river stretches on and on in both directions, one to the sparkling sea and the other further inland, its length filled to the brim with traffic of boats and ships, barges and low-flying balloons. To the south you see the city, tendrils of railway stretching out in every direction, outskirts clinging to their lines. You can still see, even from here, the forbidding sight of the magician's tower and the rainbow domes of the inner city, now so far away. The fields are ripe and colorful, and the trees are the same color as you saw from the sky, orange, red, and yellow. It's marvelous.
"I remember when Mum took me on a steamer," Ariela recalls as she breathes in the river air. "We went all the way up the river to the Veklin hills, and she shot down a griffin. That was the first time she let me shoot a gun."
"Unfortunately we do not have time to enjoy the view," Pariya cuts in, approaching the two of you with the captain of the ship at her side. "I have just spoken to Captain Hevan. He says that the barge spirit is refusing to let anyone into its source room- where the actual remains of the spirit itself is kept. I could break it myself, but as this is something of a practice mission for the two of you..."
"You want us to do it instead," Ariela finishes. "That's fine. What do we need to know?"
Pariya guides you to the captain's quarters and the four of you sit down as she explains, in a tone not dissimilar from your father's when he wanted to teach you something, how a spirit barrier works and how to break it. She's not all that bad at it, although she does have a habit of peppering her education with strange jokes about wood you don't understand, even if it makes Ariela giggle and the captain go red in the face.
Spirit fragments, Pariya explains, are the remains of some ancient spirit which has either special attribute, unique circumstance, or sheer power, been rendered immortal. Even after such a spirit is destroyed and defeated, usually by the magicians, the fragment of the spirit remains alive, but only semi-conscious. You are reminded of the head of Yuldar, which survived even the beheading and destruction of its body. Bonding with the fragment of a spirit is in normal circumstances extremely dangerous. The spirit fragment, in instinctual pursuit of a new existence, will attempt to possess and destroy the mind of its magician. But left alone, such fragments are too dangerous, often seeking out hosts and attempting to reconnect into a coherent whole, even when such a thing is simply not possible. So, for the sake of the fragment and anyone it could harm, fragments are bound to objects, powering them. All objects have spirits, but very few gain real consciousness, and so the fragment and the object spirit meld together and form a coherent whole without destroying an existing spirit.
When a fragment is bound to an object, it gains the wishes of that object, and almost all objects have only one wish: to be used as they were created (see, parasol doesn't really like you, he's just-) Shush. Pariya continues. Fragments therefore gain consciousness, but they are also given purpose and happiness in fulfilling a new role as an object. Sometimes, however, the fragment regains some level of memory. Such a remembrance is rarely pleasant for the fragment.
"In this case," Pariya finishes darkly, "I believe that the fragment has remembered its former self, and has become depressed as a result. Hevan has told me that the fragment speaks to him in his dreams, and it complains that all it does is tow barley, that it wants to do something more. When the captain asks what that is, the fragment refuses to tell him, but complains of nightmares."
Captain Hevan scratches his beard and sighs, his voice gravelly as he laments. "It is more frustrating than my own boy! The kid doesn't want to become a barge captain, he wants to be a poet! Youth these days, I swear they will destroy us all-"
"Thank you, Hevan," Pariya says, cutting off the captain. "Now, the two of you formed your bond very recently. But you must learn how to work together on this task. In the end, the first objective is simply to ease the fragment's mind. Do not destroy it, or blow it up, Ariela, unless you absolutely must. I suspect it is simply distressed, not dangerous. Your second objective is to finish this as magician and familiar. Not apart." She turns to you. "Grand spirit of the stars, whose domain is the dreamtime," she starts, and you notice only now she hasn't called you by your name even once, "can you enter dreams?"
"I-I think I can. I'm not entirely sure how to, but I've altered dreams before."
"See to it that you learn quickly," Pariya advises sternly, "as my spirit is of the land and I cannot give you any practical information on navigating the dreamtime, but it will likely be critical for the sake of healing this spirit's mind. All I can tell you is relating specifically to the matter of fragments..." She explains in detail the process through which a fragment can be pacified through the use of dreams, entailing the strengths and weaknesses of each style. Your task will be to enter the center of the spirit's dream and speak to it within the dream, guiding it away from whatever dark thoughts and depressive moods it has found itself in. She adds, in detail, that unlike simple alteration, you will need a second to help you through a dream and the dangers it can have.
In other words, you and Ariela will need to work together to ensure that the dream does not consume you. Ariela has had some training in this respect, though more a generalist education than first-hand experience. "I believe that is all. Can I trust you to do this, without causing damage or harm to any around?" Pariya asks, but you feel as though her question is pointed at you more than at Ariela.
You share a glance with Ariela. "We won't fail," Ariela says, perhaps weaker than she intended.
"Magician and familiar," you affirm, with an edge of determination in your voice.
---
Article:
You have awoken from your four-day nap only to be faced with the challenge of dealing with a spirit fragment embedded in a barge, ancient immortal pieces of spirits so powerful or long-lasting that even death could not fully snuff out their consciousness. Your parasol, and your newly acquired Dream of Sugar-Dusted Dunes, will be essential to navigating the challenges you face ahead. Dealing with spirit fragments' dreams is inherently dangerous, but then, so has everything else you've done. The difference is that you will also be responsible for the safety of your magician in the dreamtime, making this a far more dangerous task than your other dabblings.
In the center of the barge, a spirit fragments dreams a frightful dream. To help it overcome the darkness at the corner of its eyes, you must enter its dream and repair its mind. How will you and Ariela do so?
[] Burn Your Way Through. Taking inspiration from your mother's impatient and unstoppable attitude to problem-solving, It is possible, given the power of your parasol, to force your way into the dream and fight your way through the enemies that the dream sends at you to thwart your approach.
The Countess' Fury: A figment of a dream dies to a bullet just as well as one in ordinary life. Ariela will lend her considerable fighting skills drawn from her mother to you, guiding you through battles you have no understanding of how to even initiate, creating strategy you would have no hope of making.
[] Play your part and smile. Akin to your father's ability to blend seamlessly into any situation that involves a transaction, you may opt instead to act as part of a crowd, incorporating yourself into the barge's dream and playing along with the story as much as you can, even in the face of an unpredictable situation.
The Tinker's Tongue: Often the best way to avoid a fight is to predict it before it even happens. Ariela has worked with her brother to keep them out of serious trouble with the state before, and she will lend critical assistance to passing social encounters with dream-images you have no hope of succeeding in.
[] Walk the Silent Path. Few would think your grandfather a master of stealth, but the winter cossack is a man who prefers to trick and fool. You will go through the dream sneaking past the creatures inside, avoiding obstacles and dangers that you do not need to fight as you proceed towards its center.
The Owl's Eye: Taking into account every part of a situation is essential to the art of stealth. Pariya may be blind, but she still sees what is most important in a time of danger. She has given Ariela a skill in perception, allowing her to analyze the environment and pass by enemies quietly.
[x] Play your part and smile. Akin to your father's ability to blend seamlessly into any situation that involves a transaction, you may opt instead to act as part of a crowd, incorporating yourself into the barge's dream and playing along with the story as much as you can, even in the face of an unpredictable situation.
[X] Play your part and smile. Akin to your father's ability to blend seamlessly into any situation that involves a transaction, you may opt instead to act as part of a crowd, incorporating yourself into the barge's dream and playing along with the story as much as you can, even in the face of an unpredictable situation.
I want the battle one, just so we can have a kickass story to tell.
[X] Burn Your Way Through. Taking inspiration from your mother's impatient and unstoppable attitude to problem-solving, It is possible, given the power of your parasol, to force your way into the dream and fight your way through the enemies that the dream sends at you to thwart your approach.
[X] Play your part and smile. Akin to your father's ability to blend seamlessly into any situation that involves a transaction, you may opt instead to act as part of a crowd, incorporating yourself into the barge's dream and playing along with the story as much as you can, even in the face of an unpredictable situation.
I want to see more of Parasol and Parentheses fighting for our love, tis cute. Also nice to see our Magician be so chill and understanding with regards to spoilers and it's interesting that Death's so violently shy.
[x] Walk the Silent Path. Few would think your grandfather a master of stealth, but the winter cossack is a man who prefers to trick and fool. You will go through the dream sneaking past the creatures inside, avoiding obstacles and dangers that you do not need to fight as you proceed towards its center.
Your mother had tears in her eyes, and even your father had a darkness to his face you had never seen before. They held some document in their hand, with a broken purple seal, and they hugged you more than they ever have.
). That said, I'm a sucker for underdog write-ins.
