ｏｎｅ。 ａｕｄｉｏ。

[repudiate]

[ There are a few slight moments of silence - perhaps, if you listen closely enough, you can hear some slight sounds of nature from the forest's edge in the background - before a girl speaks up with a quite deadpan (and calm, considering the situation) tone. ]

Am I being reduced to this again this soon already? I really must be popular with all of you witches. So, which one of you do I have the honor of dealing with this time? Bernkastel again, or even that Featherine witch? ... Either way, you can come out and start laughing now. If you're looking for your cue, this is it.

[ She pauses for a moment, as if she actually does expect someone to pop up. But when it doesn't happen, she just continues talking. ]

It's pretty inconsiderate to let someone waiting after dragging them in, you know. Although I guess I should expect as much from the lot of you.

And what's up with these wings? 'Sure, let's give her pink wings this time just to see the look on her face, ahahaha' or whatever, right? I'm not laughing, but surely you predicted as much.

... Any normal person would start to think I'm going insane by now, like I'm talking to myself. Ah.. it's useless, it's all useless. Does anyone who's not me feel like speaking up already?

Comments

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[repudiate]

[ Oh, he's completely right on that one - Bernkastel doesn't lie. It's exactly just twisting words, hiding the truth, but not lying. But to Ange, who perhaps already considers any truth beside her own by now as a lie, it's just lying. Sure, she didn't promise her a miracle - she just said she'd look for a fragment where it would be possible. But she can't stand that witch, so she just stubbornly calls it lying. ]

I don't think we need to discuss the more subtle nuances about that witch. You can call it lying if you want, or hiding the truth or twisting words or whatever sort of name you want to give to it, but it doesn't change anything about what she is. I fell for her sly words once, but I won't do it again. [ Or so Ange thinks.. ] I've had enough of Bernkastel messing with me or my family by now. Or any other witch, for that matter.

You're right, it would most likely just make it worse on him. He's pretty competitive, so he might just decide to jump into the whole idea of a game once it's proposed to him, but at a certain point he might just yell 'useless, it's all useless' and end up with a punishment game. ... I'm pretty sure he would give it his all, though.

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[breaks_destiny]

[Indeed, it definitively doesn't change the overall of what Bernkastel is. Of what she can be, it was only for a brief time that Keiichi thought that she was someone that could be trusted completely, a very brief time before he thought it over and realized that there were many reasons to not to. Even before he knew more about her.]

That's right, the way we call it doesn't change the way things are. 'What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet'. Or in this case 'The words of a witch, by any given name would be all deceiving'.

If you really want to avoid falling for them again, your best option would be the avoid or ignore her as much as possible in this place. You may need a lot of luck though, the village isn't that big.

So long as he gives it his all, ending with a punishment game shouldn't be a shame. Games require a lot of talent, true, but there's also a bit of luck involved and not everyone can 'not lose', so someone has to end dressed as the maid. But so long as they all tried their best and respected each other, the game and the punishment will be equally fun, and there'll always be another day to play another game. Would you give it your all, as well, Ange?

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[repudiate]

Shakespeare at a time like this? You have a strange sense of theatrics, Keiichi. ... Not that I particularly mind. It's true though.. no matter what you call Bernkastel's actions or what she is, it doesn't change a single thing about her. Mostly the fact that she can't be trusted under any circumstances.

[ She pauses for a slight moment, as if thinking about something. ]

My plan so far is staying away from her as much as possible though. If she doesn't bother me or my older brother, I have no reason to bother her. Unfortunately she often seems to find me too interesting to stay away from, even at the most inappropriate times. [ re: I'M GOING TO JUMP OFF A SKYSCRAPER-- oh hi, Bernkastel. ]

... Sort of. Once there's something I find working hard for worth, I'd give it my all. I'm not sure if that would exactly apply to games like that as well, though.. I have no reason to play games at all, honestly. I guess Battler onii-chan and I are different in that sense.

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[breaks_destiny]

What's wrong with Shakespeare at a time like this? Finding yourself in a green forest, with wings on your back and a plain dress, the gentle warmth of the starting summer surrounding you. Don't tell me it doesn't make you think that Puck may come out from behind a bush at any given time like in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'?

[He can't help but chuckle without humor at that.]

It certainly is a problem when only one person wants to avoid the other. But with so many people here maybe you'll be lucky and she may find someone else even more interesting than you. Don't take offense, but I think we both know that it's better if she finds someone boring rather than interesting.

[Mostly because at least she doesn't seem to go around destroying boring things. Or so it seems, if she does then they are screwed either way.]

I could give you a lecture on how it's good to loosen up at times, but now isn't the moment for it anyway. Still, it would be fun if you were to join a game, just for fun. I'm sure you would be a formidable opponent no matter which game is picked.

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[repudiate]

[ That idea is just terrible.. but it still manages to amuse her. Not that it always shows a whole lot with Ange, but still. ]

If you'd ask me, I'd prefer him to just stay away. Weird screwed up love antics like in that play are the last thing I need right now. Although I guess it's still more favorable than any of his more tragic plays, I've already seen enough of that by now.

No, I get what you're saying. Given the choice I'd much prefer to be found boring by her. It's nothing but a nuisance if she pops up every single time just to make fun of me or even worse. If she finds you an interesting person as well.. I have to give you my condoles, but I know how much of a pain it is at the very least.

I might give it a try if you insist that much. I'm not particularly into games or anything like it, but if I end up being trapped in this place for a long time I might as well find alternative ways to spend the time. [ And hey, she can see Battler getting a punishment game, maybe.. ]

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[breaks_destiny]

Aw, come on, he didn't do it with bad intention... Not completely bad intentions at least.

[Chuckling.]

But I agree, we don't need more tragedies around. In that matter Luceti is quite a blessing, not even death is permanent here. People can still die, unfortunately, though they come back, to some that may be pretty comforting.

I would prefer to be boring as well, though I try to be optimistic. If she's interested in me it means that she's ignoring others.

[Namely Rena, Rika and Satoshi. So long as she doesn't touch them it's okay, isn't it?]

I confess it, I'm pretty insistent, but always with the best intentions. And of course I don't expect anyone to run to play games right after arriving, but if you or your brother ever want some distraction or something like that, I'm always open for a game.

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[repudiate]

Even death isn't permanent..? ... Tch, maybe this place is more like I expected from the moment I arrived here than I even thought at first. So when people die, they'll just reappear the next day like nothing happened or whatever?

... That sort of altruism.. I guess I can sort of understand it. As long as she would ignore onii-chan, even bothering me would be alright. Guess we're in the same boat there, Keiichi.

Don't worry, I'll doubtlessly contact you if such a situation would arise.

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[breaks_destiny]

Not exactly, it takes at least a week for them to return. And it seems there's some sort of price for it, though it varies and people normally don't talk about what it is they are missing. But given that physically they tend to be all right I think it may be something along the lines of a memory or a sense or an ability they had. Like, don't know, the ability to paint for example.

Should we hope then that she will find us both interesting enough to leave the people we want her away from untouched?

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[repudiate]

Taking away memories or an ability.. That would still make death very disadvantageous. Well, aside from the fact that dying itself isn't really a hobby everyone enjoys. At that rate, if you just kept dying in this place, you might end up without any memory or ability left, huh?

Yeah.. that's something I can agree on. If just the two of us can keep her occupied enough because we're seemingly interesting to her, as long as she doesn't bother other people.. that's okay.

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[breaks_destiny]

It certainly isn't, I suppose it's a measure to ensure that death really doesn't serve for much to us. Unless we want to become just lifeless dolls so they can experiment on us freely. I don't know of anyone who has died many times but there's the general idea that one could basically keep killing someone until there's nothing left of them.

I just hope to be able to hold her interest long enough while she's here. At least we both know what to expect with her, I find that better than to leave someone who doesn't know catch her interest and start it all again.

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[repudiate]

... Tch, it's actually a pretty unnerving idea, ending up like that. And yet it wouldn't surprise me if our captors were that sort of people.

Don't worry, I don't think holding her interest will be a very difficult task. Once something manages to catch that witch's interests, she doesn't let go easily. [ Ange can attest to that fact, after all. ] She's like a dog who refuses to let go of its bone once he finally got it.

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[breaks_destiny]

Seeing they enjoyed the idea of altering our minds so we thought that being here is normal and they were our benefactors rather than what they truly are, it wouldn't surprise me either.

But even a dog may end tired of a bone once it has gotten all it could got from it, right? Makes me wish to be a bone with tones of meat to be able to entertain her.