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>>3166025
"Were you the one of us that found the faith?" you ask.

She shakes her head. "You did. Last thing I remember is asking Dad if we could stop going to church at around...nine, I think? We were nine. It just didn't feel right any more. I think he stopped going too, but if you wanna have that talk with Dad..."

You really, unendingly do not right now. Not everyone reacted as well as Fancy and Trista did to some of your rituals. That's a talk to have a lot later. A lot later.

Then your brain cycles back around: "Wait, Erin sings really well."

Teenage Human You starts whistling conspicuously and walking away.

"You can't just leave me to process that by myself!"

"What not-you person do you keep thinking I am?" your childhood asks.

You wake up from sheer indignant outrage. Gods in Asgard but either you used to be a little shit or you have a pent-up well of Little Shit that's only venting out in your dreams. Which of these is worse?

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>>3166105
Erin has nestled into your arms entirely, and it's not hard to tell why. Even with everyone sleeping in this room (well, except for Forum and Vickie) it's cold in here, and it's raining again. Old houses have drafts, but you, you're nice and warm. You feel oddly rested despite waking up first and probably earlier than you meant to - fuck finding the clock right now - but you've got a whole lot of Fairest all up on you and she's between you and the bathroom and a change of clothes.

"Erin," you murmur, as gently as you can.

She moans softly in her sleep and kisses your hand. Your whole face and neck burn, and it's all you can do to stop yourself from burying them against her shoulder so you can hide from how that just felt.

"I gotta get up Erin," you insist, a little faster. She makes the universal and completely wordless Do I Gotta noise and rolls over in your arms.

"Colors?" the Fairest says, her voice bleary from sleep. "...Hey. I told you not to break that girl's heart for me."

That burning feeling creeps its way down your neck. "Well...I did. I couldn't not tell her, Erin. That's not fair to anyone. Her, or you, or even me."

Erin's lips twitch into a smile in the morning darkness. "You sound like Arthur," she murmurs, before she slips her hand from around you. "Have fun bein' awake. I'm gonna go back to sleep where you're naked."

Freya preserve you're going to die here on this couch.

You manage to escape Erin's soft, murmuring clutches, make it into the bathroom without waking anyone else up or kicking the furniture by accident, and do what needs doing. You shower and change into clean clothes, and pad your way into the kitchen with Bifrost's sheath in hand.

Vickie's in here, a good five feet from Forum, though from the way he's got entirely too much spread-out blanket and she's got none at all she probably moved out from Troll cuddles. She's fallen asleep with her cheek on a laptop's keyboard; the screen is bright with the colors of Mister Roger's neighborhood, and the speakers are filled with the soft sounds of his voice as the episode wraps up. He tells everyone that he loves them, just the way they are.

> Wake her up, gently
> Go out into the morning rain. Clear your head, see the city.
> Spend some time with one of your Contract books
> Write-in?

>>3166149
>> Spend some time with one of your Contract books

>>3166149
>> Spend some time with one of your Contract books

>>3166149

Wanted to write in "sit and watch Mr Rogers for a while", but damn, the episode's over. So...

>> Spend some time with one of your Contract books

>>3166264
I mean, it's a laptop, chances are you could restart the episode or just wait for the next one to autoplay. What kinda person would have just one episode?

>>3166149
>spend some time with one of your contracts books.

I would explore but going out solo seems suicidal just now

>>3166149
>Go out into the morning rain. Clear your head, see the city.

>spend some time with one of your contract books

KNOWLEDGE is POWER

>>3166149
>> Write-in?
Watch more Rogers. Valuable lore there indeed.

I gotta pay bills to Prevent Homelessness and then I'll call and write. Three, four hours or so.

>>3166149
> Spend some time with one of your Contract books

Called, writing.

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>>3166149
Quietly, so as not to disturb Vickie or Forum, you dig out the books you brought with you, find Riots on Demand, and open it up. After a moment you manage to get your phone flashlight on and the phone propped up so you can read without it getting in anyone's eyes.

"What are you passionate about?" the first sentence reads. "Really passionate about? Not just the shit you do when your blood is up, the shit that gets your blood up? What gives your soul a rock-hard fucking soul-cock? That's what Verdant Spring is all about, and if you're rubbing your eyes all over my book you'd better have an idea of what it is you love, you cherish, so much you're ready to die and kill and look like a God-damn idiot for it. You sittin' down? You thinkin' about that? Then let's do this."

The laptop's speakers start playing It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood. You turn the page to Chapter One: Giving A Fuck.

You have begun to learn CONTRACTS OF VERDANT SPRING.

* * * *

Forum's voice interrupts your reading as the birds are starting to sing in the grey predawn. It's stopped raining, for now, though that doesn't mean anything; it's stopped raining three times already tonight, and it always seems to start back up again. He's soft, not whispering, just low.

"Couldn't sleep?" the Troll asks. "...I woke up when she scooted out. It's amazing how well you sleep without someone until you have them, and then you just. Can't."

You set a mark in your book and close it; you close your eyes to still the strange feeling just over your heart. "Yeah," you agree, after a second.

Forum sits up (you hear his elbows creak, then crack-pop, though he doesn't seem to notice) and then stands slowly before padding over to the table and sitting across from you. "You were gonna talk to her about last night. About Erin."

"Was," you agree. "...It came to me in a dream."

Forum snorts softly. "She came to me, after...she said she woke up in the middle of the night and realized she couldn't date people right now. Said she can't love herself, and if she can't love herself she can't love anyone else, not right. Poor girl wouldn't stop trying to apologize to me for that."

You look away, down at the sleeping Darkling. Her fingers are curled in a death grip around the edge of the laptop. "She kept saying that to me too," you admit.

You feel, rather than see, Forum nod. "She's started sleeping with me again after that. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel about that, but...she looks up to you, you know. To your sense of right and wrong, to your confidence. It didn't take a lot of time at all for you to become that girl's hero, and it rips her up inside that you spend time with someone like Erin."

You look back at Forum. "What's Forum Troll, son of Winter, think of that?"

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>>3168646
He shakes his head, and brushes a flurry of snow off his shoulders. "We ain't talkin' about Forum Troll, son of Winter. We're talkin' about you and Vickie."

> I think we are talking about you. Who died and made you her representative?
> What do you want me to do? I didn't ask for her...her...her adoration, Forum, I'm just as lost as she is.
> I never had a lot of friends. I'm trying my best, okay?
> Write-in?

>>3168660
> I never had a lot of friends. I'm trying my best, okay?
Relationships are hard.

>>3168660
> What do you want me to do? I didn't ask for her...her...her adoration, Forum, I'm just as lost as she is.

Though probably not quite in this aggressive a tone. More of a “I’m trying to learn, too” deal.

> I think we are talking about you. Who died and made you her representative?

>>3168660
>I never had a lot of friends. I'm trying my best, okay?

>>3168660
>> I never had a lot of friends. I'm trying my best, okay?

>>3168660
>> I think we are talking about you. Who died and made you her representative?

>>3168660
> What do you want me to do? I didn't ask for her...her...her adoration, Forum, I'm just as lost as she is.

>write-in

>what's someone "like" Erin, Forum? In what way is she all that different from an oathbreaker and former assassin, an active and explosive serial killer, and the openly and unrepentantly evil mother-fucking Rook?

>>3168660
>> What do you want me to do? I didn't ask for her...her...her adoration, Forum, I'm just as lost as she is.

>>3168660
>> What do you want me to do? I didn't ask for her...her...her adoration, Forum, I'm just as lost as she is.
> I'm....honored that she thinks of me that way, but, I mean, I'm also fucking terrified. Whatever answers she's looking for in me, I do /not/ have them.

Called,writing.

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>>3168660
The frustrated sound you make disturbs Vickie; you and Forum both freeze when you hear her groan in her sleep and turn her head over. The Darkling's shadowy hair spills over her face, obscuring it in thick layers of black and grey.

Forum's voice is still low in that murmuring not-whisper: "Can you fucking not?"

Your lower your own voice. "What is it you want from me? I didn't set out for - I didn't ask for her adoration, Forum. I'm just as lost as she is! Maybe more, honestly, I just...sort of...do things, when they feel right to do. If she wants answers I don't have them."

Forum takes a heavy breath and shakes his head. "Not answers. Vickie's...afraid. And the person who scares Vickie most is Vickie. She wants to feel like a good person, you know? We all do. And whether you mean to or not, you come off like a pretty good person. She's got a lot of reasons to hate Erin and it fucks her up that you don't. Some part of her thinks maybe being mad about it makes her a bad person."

You frown. What do you even say to that?

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do or not do," Forum says. "You and Erin, that's your business. My high horse died when I apprenticed myself to the Rook, y'know? But I don't like seeing the two of you fight, so, I dunno. Give her a day or three and then talk to her about her mad. If you've got it in you to accept that she's got legit reasons, tell her that."

"Y'know..." you begin, slowly. "Of all of us except maybe Sally and Fancy, you're the only person who's not like..."

"Guilty of something horrific?" Forum finishes, his eyebrows going up. He shrugs. "So what? Who cares? I didn't join Summer, I joined Winter. I like y'all. End of story." The Troll gets up (creak-crack-pop) and winces. "Post-script though, I'm bringin' air mattresses to the next kitchen tile sleepover. Fuck this shit."

You shyly offer your fist out, and Forum bumps it.

Down on the floor, Vickie stretches, curls in on herself into a tiny ball, and cracks open one eyeball. "Fuck'reyoutwo doin' up?" she mumbles. " 's daylight isn't it. Fuckin'. Stupid sexy knight making me get up in the goddamn morning..."

"Forecast says rain all week," Forum says with a wry edge.

"Forecast says I'm gonna do your mom all week." Vickie stretches again before snapping back into her little ball. "I'm gonna fuckin' hibernate."

You nudge her foot with your boot. "I wanted to help cook breakfast," you offer. Your Darkling friend groans, rolls onto her back, and kicks herself up from the floor in one movement. "...Damn."

"Wash your hands and get out the eggs, bacon, peppers, olives, and cheese," Vickie orders. "I'm takin' a shower."

* * * *

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>>3172255
Food has the desired effect of helping Vickie wake up and summoning the others. Astrid wanders downstairs cautiously, but joins the rest of you in the kitchen; Dad follows some minutes later. He goes to the front door first to check the mail - it always comes early in this neighborhood - and comes back with a thick envelope sealed with wax that has your name on it.

Inside is a summons to attend to the Court of Raul the Inquisitor, and certifications of safe passage for everyone with you. Appended to the end of the note, though, is a different set of handwriting:

"The mortal being invited is not the same as her being welcome."

You frown at it, but your smile comes back when you see that Fido's certification of safe passage is a small, sterling silver collar tag shaped like a maple leaf. You laugh and clip it to his collar; his tail wag-wags while you pet him and slip him some bacon.

"We're due this evening," you tell the others. "I can show you the way."

> Bring Fancy with you
> Leave her here

AND

> What do you do with your day?

>>3172262
>> Leave her here
AND
>Spend time with Vickie(+Forum), whatever she wants

>>3172262
>Bring Fancy

AND

>Hit the town, see the sights, scout it out, possibly meet other local Lost

Bringing Fancy is high-risk, high-reward. Being mortal she may offend some, and if it gets violent she’s a liability. However, she is also by far the most stable person likely to be in that room and will force full explanations of certain terms and phrases, reducing misunderstandings and deceptions. Given that she does have a Safe Passage writ, I think it’s an odds-on benefit, but this is a toughie.

As for the town... well, your buddies haven’t been here, and it could be important to let local Lost see you being someone other than a Hound. Updating the mental map and giving allies the chance to establish one is also a major consideration for me.

>>3172320
>and will force full explanations of certain terms and phrases
Unneccesary if the Rook is coming and Fido also mellows people. We're already playing on hard difficulty by not simply supporting Mariah as Queen, lets not make it nary impossible.

>>3172320
>>Bring Fancy
>AND
>>Hit the town, see the sights, scout it out, possibly meet other local Lost

>>3172262
>Bring Fancy with you
AND
>Go look into getting Rook an arm

>>3172255
> "Guilty of something horrific?"

Winter doesn't do guilt? I note that he doesn't say he hasn't done anything horrific.

>>3172262
> Leave her here

I mean, let's not stir shit up when we're looking for allies and a quiet coup.

Go hang out with our wang out. Check out old places that we last saw when we were a person.

>>3173357
That's a colloquialism common to American English (and I think British English as well but don't quote me); he's not saying that he doesn't feel guilty, but agreeing with Colors' implication that he hasn't done anything on the level of the others.

>>3173422
Pft. All changelings are murderers and rapists. It's why we should build a wall in front of the Hedge. The changelings that come back, they aren't their best ones. They're sending us the worst of the bunch.

Okay it's too hard to write like Trump, but seriously they've all done some pretty fucked up shit in Arcadia. Kind of the premise of the game.

>>3173762
Weren't there exceptions like the ones being used as a living mirror or just thrown into death mazes, or that one Ogre who is just a coach driver for that Lesser Fae ?

>>3172262
> Let Fancy decide
> Get Rook an arm

Gonna call and write after work tomorrow. Today's kinda shot.

Aight, here we go. I'm drunk AF and beat down from work but HERE WE GO.

>>3179269

What could possibly go wrong??!!

>>3179466
Among other things, alcohol-induced crying jags! Those are always fun.

Votes re-opened until tomorrow after work again. Or my death. One of those.

>>3179500
you ok?

>>3179500
If you're not feeling it put off the quest. If you're not having fun I'm not either.

>>3180108
I'm having fun even if he isn't right now.

But burnout is real.

>>3180108

Not that I disagree in the slightest....

....but this is the man who continued running DLQ through horrible tooth problems and horrible surgery for those horrible problems and its recovery.

I'm not sure he entirely connects "personal pain and suffering" to the concept of giving himself a break.

>>3180368
You are correct.

That said I am pretty fucking exhausted so this'll get going again tomorrow morning after proper sleep.

In other news, working on the articles has sorta paused side story content. Why I'm writing them I don't properly know but I think it might have something to do with sheer spite. I keep thinking maybe what I need is to cycle off CSQ, run something else for a little bit. I never finished (or properly archived...) Delphi And The Argo-Nots...