Y2 WIP Adventures (come and proof-read!)

[Metis]

Painting Rumors, Stage 3:

Spoiler

You've learned that Nadia has some very weird, very twisted rumors persistently surrounding her, and you have a pretty good idea on where to find her. At this point you'd really like to start asking her some questions yourself, because you suspect the best (and not to mention fastest) way to confirm whether those rumors have any merit to them is to get answers straight from the horse's mouth.

There's one problem with that idea that's nagging at you, though. Assuming that the worst rumors about Nadia are true, she'd obviously just reign herself in because you're an underclassman. And you don't think it's fair to approach her with something that's peak "embarrassing" for an underclassman, than simply assume that if she's willing to discuss that with you she'd be willing to discuss worse stuff with her peers. You'd have to eavesdrop on one of her conversations actually discussing such a thing to confirm that properly, but you don't think there's any set of circumstances in which Professor Badcrumble would accept that approach as "proper" no matter how much Professor Briardi might (or might not, you're not sure) believe otherwise.

Despite that you decide to try and approach Nadia yourself anyway. It might only give you a first impression - or at least an attempt at getting one - but you're confident that'll be worthwhile enough to go through with it. You're going to need to know what Nadia is like if you're going to figure out which rumors about her are true and which ones aren't, and approaching her yourself is the only way to confirm.

That brings up a second question, though: With what are you going to approach her? You might be able to talk with her about the rumors straight up given that you're not a professor, but you are acting on their behalf, so that feels like a dangerous assumption to make. And if Nadia doesn't want to talk about that you might miss your chance to talk to her altogether. But than what kind of "embarrassing" problem would an underclassman bring to a complete stranger fourth year just because a bunch of rumors told you so? What could she realistically even help you with? You barely know anything about her, not enough to even guess. Than again the same would be true for so many others, wouldn't it? And yet...so strange. You guess you know she enjoys painting? You don't feel like "embarrassingly awful drawing skills" will work here, though...

How bad would it be if these rumors are completely bogus, and you (supposedly) bring something embarrassing to her anyway, for that matter? You could always test the waters, ask Nadia about it awkwardly and see how she reacts, but...this is getting more complicated by the minute. All you want is a first impression. This shouldn't be so difficult.

Alright, here's the plan: Approach Nadia with something that overheard rumors would have told you she could help you with, tip-toe around the subject a bit to see if she bites instead of sending you away, and if she does bite give her the problem and see what she does with it. Depending on what impression that leaves you with you can figure out which rumors about her speak true, and from there work towards figuring out who, if anyone, continues to spread those rumors either because or despite them being bogus. Plan complete. You even know where to find Nadia.

That leaves just one (admittedly major) final blank space to be filled...what "problem" are you going to approach her with?

-Anatomy. You can come up with a convincing problem.
--Since the most bizarre aspect of the rumors is Nadia supposedly knowing how to address all kinds of medical related issues, despite attending a cram school for painting, it seems reasonable to try and approach her with a "problem" along those lines. And wouldn't you know it, you're confident you know enough about anatomy to convincingly fake such a condition. Risky? Perhaps, but what alternatives exist? Trying to ask a fourth year student about how to become a good kisser with a straight face? All told you think this approach is more likely to work than not, compared to the competition.

Confident that you've chosen the right path you head to the Garden Gallery and look around for Nadia, hoping you'll be able to find her. And you do - rounding one particular corner you see an older Avila student sitting on a stone statue of a crab much larger than you recall real ones being, silently working on a painting. It's hard to get a good look at her because the easel largely blocks your view, but you can make out that her Avila uniform looks off. She's got an extra layer going from her shoulders to her midsection-no, make that two, actually. One in front and one on her back, splitting such that she's able to use her arms while still covering most of her uniform. Is that to avoid staining her uniform while she's painting? Feels like an enchant would be easier, but call whatever rolls a wheel you suppose. It doesn't look too out of place at least, since the extra cloth mimics Avila's uniform color and style perfectly. Probably cut from old uniforms, if you had to guess.

You slowly walk up to the older student, assuming that this is indeed Nadia, although she catches you in the corner of her eye before you get close enough to steal a glimpse of her painting. "Please take a seat, I'll be ready in a moment," she suddenly says. You do as she asks, taking a seat next to her and appreciating just how well this crustacean shell work as a bench. You also get the chance to glance at Nadia's painting before she's finished putting her tools down, but all you see on the canvas is an Academagia student in the Garden Gallery, reading a book on one of the stone benches. For someone with so many rumors and everything floating around her you'd be lying if you said you weren't disappointed. Not that the painting looks bad even unfinished, it's just so utterly mundane. Disappointingly so, almost.

"Sorry about that," Nadia says as she turns her attention to you. "I get so absorbed in my painting that I forget to pay attention sometime. So, I take it you're here for a bit of advice?"

You nod and get three words into describing the condition you chose before your thoughts hit a brick wall as you belated realize you forgot to prepare something else critically important: An act. Someone worried over an unidentified condition obviously wouldn't speak confidently and intelligently about it, and with nothing else prepared you're not sure what to do right on the spot. "I...I-I, eh..." you sputter out awkwardly as you frantically try, and fail, to come up with some sort of character or angle.

"Calm down," Nadia gently suggests with a bright smile on her face. Roughly no part of you feels calm right now. But if this genuine panic is, itself, working as an act than you suppose your best option is to either ride it to success or ride it into death. Hopefully the former. "Take a deep breath, collect your words, and just throw them out. Don't worry or hesitate, just throw them out."

Is that really the best idea? Do you have any other alternatives right now? None you can think of, so just ride or die, right? Here goes nothing, you suppose. You close your eyes, take a deep breath, mentally line up the symptoms and the proper descriptions someone completely ignorant about them would use to describe them, and throw them out. It feels less like "throwing them out" and more like "loading them onto a poorly constructed catapult and watching them wildly scatter across the heavens", but you did the best you could. Hesitantly opening your eyes again and staring awkwardly at Nadia you can see a reassuring smile on her face.

"Hmm..." Nadia goes as she looks you over with an appraising eye that makes you more nervous than any black-clad physician could. The symptoms of the problem you chose shouldn't be something that Nadia could see straight through your uniform in any case, but her staring you down is making you nervous all the same. "How long have you been feeling that way?"

Your mind races to deliver every possible anatomical answer to you on silver platters, but that doesn't answer your question of what answer you want to give to Nadia. A long time? A short time? You don't know! Yet knowing that this is something you should be able to answer easily you awkwardly sputter out something about not being sure. Afterwards you quickly amend that "a friend" recently told you about these troubles, hence why you're not sure when the symptoms first appeared.

Nadia briefly looks you over like she's seen straight through your bold-faced lie, but so long as she doesn't see through the other bold-faced lie you're trying to sell her she can see through the first all day as far as you're concerned. After that pointed narrowed eye glance, however, Nadia gets a more concerned look on her face. "Right. How long ago did your friend tell you about this?" Knowing this would get way too complicated if this were a secret you've been keeping for a while you answer that your "friend" only told you recently. "That's good. Though why did your friend want to ask me for advice?"

That is a less easy question to answer. The truth obviously won't work, and you can't think of a halfway reasonable explanation off-hand for why you wouldn't have dragged your "friend" off to the Infirmary instead. As such the only answer you have for this question is awkward silence. Nadia slowly shakes her head.

"I'm guessing your friend is afraid of visiting the infirmary?" Nadia asks. There's a hint of disbelief in her tone, but all told she hides it pretty well. As for her question, you can't help but nod. It makes too much sense not to. "I was afraid of that. Look, I know how nerve-wracking it can be to place your trust into the hands of people you don't really know. But trying to ignore your problems will only make them worse. So despite how hard it is you'll have to just push through it, sometimes. Ask someone you trust to come along and support you if that's what it takes, there's no shame in that. Just don't cower and hide until your problems catch up to you. You can't do everything on your own." With pointed emphasis, staring you right in the eyes, Nadia adds "Make sure to tell your friend that."

Despite reminding yourself of why you're actually here Nadia seeing straight through your "friend" excuse, and making sure you know that she has short of outright calling you out on it, nevertheless makes you feel like you're being dissected. As such you mumble a quick agreement, and excuse, before getting ready to rush off. Nadia can see what you're planning on doing and stops you long enough to offer her support, even offering to bring your "friend" to the infirmary herself if that's what it'll take, but you shake your head and say you can support your friend yourself. Again tripping over your words because said friend doesn't exist, but Nadia doesn't call you out on it. She just asks you to make good on that promise, for the sake of your friend's feelings if not your own.

You nod one final time, mouth a quick tanks to Nadia, and start running. The knife's edge you felt like you were on throughout that entire conversation, combined with how confrontational Nadia can be even when she seems to be doing her best to support someone, is catching up to you. Your head feels light, your thoughts are running rampant despite not being able to connect two dots properly, you can feel chills...yeah, run. Run off to Lake Ardica, cool off for a moment and properly collect and organize your thoughts.

You reach the lake safely and sit down by the bank, taking in the smell of the fresh water's surface. It does a lot to ease your worries, more than it should, but you're not looking a gifted horse in the mouth right now. So...Nadia. Collect, organize, what all did you want to think about? Well, first off, Nadia is definitely open to giving advice to other students. You've confirmed this, so those rumors are indeed true. Even if the finer details might get twisted or distorted. As they seem to, because based on your (admittedly somewhat limited?) experience it doesn't seem like Nadia's advice is anything the faculty - even Professor Badcrumble - would give her any grief over. Okay, so maybe if you had asked her about kissing instead it might have been a different story. You're not sure on that front, but given what you did bring to her, what did Nadia ultimately tell you? "Don't be afraid of visiting the Infirmary". "Don't ignore your problems lest they only get worse". "Learn to place your trust in those you need to rely on, even if you require the support of a friend to do so. And don't be ashamed if that's what it takes".

This at least solves the mystery of how Nadia turned a painting cram school into a seeming doctorate - she never treated or diagnosed those who came to her with medical related stuff herself, she convinced them not to be afraid of visiting the infirmary. She even offered to take you there herself if that's what it took, though you're not sure if she gave others the same offer. It seems so obvious in hindsight. Like if you just think about it logically: How else could someone achieving sudden popularity due to a misunderstanding about attending a painting cram school give honest-to-goodness meaningful advice to a number of different people with completely unrelated problems? And Nadia deserved those rumors sticking around, in a strange way. You could have asked any professor or student's parent the same question, and not gotten a better answer than what Nadia gave you. It makes you question a number of things, but nothing you can find answers to.

After a bit of aimless pondering, really just giving your head a chance to get back into the proper swing of things, you ask yourself whether to bring what you've learned to Professor Briardi. You know how the rumors around Nadia got started, and based on her continuing to give advice to people feel like you've got a solid idea on why those rumors keep spreading too. They're almost certainly blown completely out of proportions, probably misinterpreted on top of that, but so long as there's that core of truth there doesn't have to be some malicious enemy who keeps spreading these rumors. So...is there anything more for you to investigate? Does Nadia have any enemies who'd keep spreading these rumors as a way to hurt her? It's hard to imagine that she does. Someone jealous of her, perhaps? Possible, you suppose, but you've got basically nothing in terms of leads to figure that out. You also have to question why someone jealous of the attention that Nadia gets would active spread rumors that markedly increase the amount of attention that Nadia gets, as well. Five seconds into this theory and it already doesn't make any sense...

You know what, you'll figure this out later. You still feel a bit caught off-guard, weary, and you'd prefer to address that as soon as possible. Rushing would only cause you to miss something important, and that obviously wouldn't help anyone.

--Since the most bizarre aspect of the rumors is Nadia supposedly knowing how to address all kinds of medical related issues, despite attending a cram school for painting, it seems reasonable to try and approach her with a "problem" along those lines. The question is...what, exactly? You don't have anything you'd approach her with right now, and would prefer not to wait until you do (in fact you'd prefer if you never did, but let's not start making unreasonable wishes here). So the only solution is faking something, but...can you do that convincingly? Than again, could you hope to be any more convincing trying to ask a fourth year student about how to become a good kisser with a straight face...no, clearly this approach is the correct one. You think. You're just not sure how to make it work...

You end up heading off to the Venalicium to do some last minute studying, and quickly end up even more stuck than you did previously since you just cannot get a solid grasp on what'll work best. You're not even sure whether or not the condition should be something that should be obvious. It'd be a disaster if Nadia found and called you out, of course, but than she's attending a cram school for painting. What grand medical knowledge could she possibly have gained form that? Than again the rumors certainly suggest there's something consistent about the advice she gives, and it has to be worth something if people keep asking for more, so...just how does this add up?

After far too long sinking into the quagmire of doubt you have to admit that this might in fact require a different approach - were it not for the fact said approach is, if anything, even more completely absurd - or at least some kind of inspiration on your end. Because as it is you can poke your head into books all day long, but without a clear idea of what you're looking for that's not going to help...

-Dating. The "how does one kiss" idea seems workable.
--You search around the Garden Gallery for Nadia, hoping she's here right now. You're in luck - rounding one particular corner you see an older Avila student sitting on a stone statue of some kind of sea creature, silently working on a painting. It's hard to get a good look at her because of that, but you can make out that her Avila uniform looks off. She's got an extra layer going from her shoulders to her midsection-no, make that two, actually. One in front and one on her back, splitting such that she's able to use her arms while still covering most of her uniform. That's probably to avoid staining her actual uniform while she's painting? Feels like an anti-stain enchant would be easier, but whatever works you suppose. It doesn't look too out of place at least, since the extra cloth mimics Avila's uniform color and style perfectly. Probably cut from old uniforms, if you had to guess. All told, surely this is Nadia.

You carefully walk up to Nadia, although she catches you in the corner of her eye before you get close enough to steal a glimpse of her painting. "Please take a seat, I'll be ready in a moment," she suddenly says. You do as she asks, and slowly take a seat next to her. You don't recall what creature this is a statue of, but you have to give it credit where it's due - it makes for a perfect stone bench. You even get the chance to glance at Nadia's painting before she's finished putting her tools down, but all you see on the canvas is an Academagia student in the Garden Gallery, reading a book on one of the stone benches. For someone with so many rumors and everything floating around her you'd be lying if you said you weren't disappointed. Not that the painting looks bad even unfinished, it's just so utterly mundane. Disappointingly so, almost.

"Sorry about that," Nadia says as she turns her attention to you. "I get so absorbed in my painting that I forget to pay attention sometime. So, I take it you're here for a bit of advice?"

You nod, but a half second later you realize you completely forgot to act "in character", or mentally prepare any sort of character to act as at all. Well, natural improv is it, you're not letting this opportunity slip away. "I...I-I, eh..." you stutter out as you finally think to ask yourself how you're supposed to ask this senior student "how do people kiss?" with something resembling a straight face. Preferably without catching fire and burning down to the ground in the process. And realizing, to the surprise of absolutely no one but your ill-prepared self, that you've got no answer to that question.

"Calm down," Nadia gently suggests with a bright smile on her face. It's a good thing you're not two years older, or that advice probably would have had the exact opposite effect. "Take a deep breath, collect your words, and just throw them out. Don't worry or hesitate, just throw them out."

As much as you might wish otherwise right now you're not going to get much of anywhere if you don't, so you close your eyes and do your best to follow Nadia's advice. Of course it feels like your "I want to know how to kiss someone" wasn't thrown out so much as it was send tumbling down a flight of stairs, but at least you managed to say it. You can feel your face burn up a bit as you open your eyes again, but glancing at Nadia she's still looking at you with that same bright smile.

"Interesting," Nadia says with the slightest hint of a catty smirk curling up at the edge of her lips. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you interested in that?"

Um...why would you be interested in that? Obviously because you're intending to kiss someone, right? Obviously. But...who? Your mind runs face-first into a brick wall trying to run down this (hypothetical) trail of thought before you even remember that whole "underclassman aren't allowed to date" deal. You don't think Nadia would rat you out in that regard, and you have an out even if she does anyhow, but still. This situation feels like it's rapidly spinning out of control.

You get so lost in thought you completely lose track of Nadia until she places a hand on your shoulder to get your attention. "You must be thinking of someone really special to space out like that," she teases. It's actually not too bad because you know she's not entirely right, but that doesn't dissuade your face from redoubling it's efforts to try and cook itself. "Hey, don't worry so much, I'm only teasing. If you need some dating advice I'd be more than happy to share what I know."

You'll admit, the prospect of getting genuine dating advice from an older student is so exciting your briefly forget what you're actually here for. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Well, if it works it works, you suppose. Just never mind the road you took to get there.

"First off, this person you're wanting to kiss - have you ever held hands before?" Nadia asks, pretty thoroughly throwing off your expectations. You shake your head, sensing that that's the better answer to give in this instance. It seems you're right, because there's a brief flash of joy on Nadia's face. "Thought so. In that case, try it sometime. I know it seems mundane, but don't underestimate how much even the slightest touch can do. Brushing hands can do more to make someone's heart race than a well placed kiss, sometimes."

"E-eh...b-but than, w-what about...?" you sputter out, not bothering to finish the thought because you're sure Nadia can finish it for you. And would have a much easier time doing so, at that.

Indeed, she nods. "Don't worry so much. I can't exactly show you how kissing works, though even if I could I don't have a boyfriend yet, so I can't say I've got any experience with it myself. Still, I can tell you the most important bits." Wait, what? How does that work? "You wanted to know how to kiss your sweetheart, right?" Nadia, not giving you much time to think, asks. You nod, but you can feel curiosity starting to build up already. "Well, try to put yourself in their shoes, imagine them asking the same question - how would you want to be kissed?"

You'll admit that some ideas start to form in your head, but you're able to chase them off quickly enough and remain focussed on your actual task. Which is trying to figure out what answer to give Nadia, of which you have exactly...none to choose from.

Nadia, for her part, looks slightly bemused at your awkward silence. "Not as simple a question as you thought, huh?" she asks. You actually dare to mumble something about having some idea loudly enough for her to hear, and of course she picks up on that. "You should speak clearly, especially if you want people to understand you. And speaking of speaking clearly, do you understand what I'm trying to say?" Nadia asks. You quietly say something about feeling confused, which Nadia apparently interpreted as an answer to her question because she puts a hand on your shoulder to get your attention again. Then she gently explains, in no uncertain terms, that she's trying to tell you that everyone has different ideas of what a good kiss is like. And that only your "sweetheart" (you didn't even notice her using that term earlier) can tell you what they feel is important.

"Now do you understand?" Nadia asks, just to make sure. You nod, of course, and start to excuse yourself because you're (genuinely) starting to feel a bit worn down from the whole talk. Nadia, with that same bright smile, wishes you the best of luck with your sweetheart.

You end up running out of the Garden Gallery with your head still feeling like it's on fire and heart pounding in your chest, but thankfully you cool off enough before you end up running to Lake Ardica that you don't feel a need to try and douse yourself by taking a dive. After a few minutes spend sitting in the grass, staring at the lake's surface and catching your breath, you start to mentally go over what you all just went through. And what you've learned from it.

Nadia is definitely open to giving advice to other students, that is without question at this point. So those rumors are true, even if the finer details might get twisted or distorted. And it seems they do, because based on your (admittedly somewhat limited?) experience it doesn't seem like Nadia's advice is anything the faculty - even Professor Badcrumble - would give her any grief over. The Legate might balk at an upperclassman talking to an underclassman about dating and kissing and all of that, but what did Nadia ultimately tell you? To try holding hands instead of kissing. To ask "your sweetheart" what they want out of a kiss, instead of asking someone else for an explanation. You have to give it to Nadia, it feels like she's won this round.

Something is still bothering you about how she admitted that she apparently doesn't have a boyfriend, though. Is that confirmation that she made the entire thing up? She admitted to not having much experience, but than she did mention that in the context of kissing. Dating, who knows. Besides, she could have learned those lessons from someone else. Her friends, the students who come to her for advice, possibly even her family. You have no idea what's going on in Nadia's life, minus this rumor business about her. She could be the heiress apparent to the Roses of Coventia and have an uncle with a doctorate in kissing, and you wouldn't even know about it.

A bit more aimless pondering later, really just giving your head (and heart) a chance to fully cool off, and you ask yourself whether to bring what you've learned to Professor Briardi. You know how the rumors around Nadia got started, and based on her continuing to give advice to people feel like you've got a solid idea on why those rumors keep spreading too. They're almost certainly blown completely out of proportions, probably misinterpreted on top of that, but so long as there's that core of truth there doesn't have to be some malicious enemy who keeps spreading these rumors. So...is there anything more for you to investigate? Does Nadia have any enemies who'd keep spreading these rumors as a way to hurt her? Are people just not able to stop gossiping about her, and how she lends people's personal worries an ear? Does it resonate with them because they've got personal worries of their own? Or are they just interested in scandalous stories? You're not sure. Hell, could be a little of everything. And you've got basically nothing in terms of leads to figure that out, at this point.

...You know what, you'll figure this out later. Right now you still feel caught off-guard, and you'd prefer to address that as soon as possible.

--You begin searching around the Garden Gallery looking for Nadia, hoping that she's here right now, but after running a full circle through the place you've yet to find her. Though you don't know how she looks, do you? You assumed you could find her just by looking at which fourth year Avila student was painting around here, seems more than distinct enough, but what if Nadia isn't painting right now? What if she's hanging out with her friends instead? You don't know how she looks, so you actually could have passed right by her.

That idea in mind you start to ask the students around here about where Nadia is, limiting your questions to underclassman at first since you are weary of being called out by an upperclassman. Of course the underclassman, as you were told, don't have much contact with Nadia, so none are able to help you. That is until you run into [RANDOM SAME COLLEGE STUDENT], who - unlike everyone else so far - has the brilliant idea of asking you why you're looking for Nadia. And you, in your infinite, impatient wisdom, decide to answer that question. That you're looking for her because you want to ask her about becoming a better kisser.

There's about two seconds of dead silence before the realization hits, and afterwards you flee out of the Garden Gallery faster than [RANDOM SAME COLLEGE STUDENT] can get another word in.

Okay, so...that was a complete and utter failure. Now you're going to have to spend time throwing around Glamours until you're able to convince the rumor mill that that little blunder did not, in fact, happen, and that instead someone is trying to play a prank on you. Or pranking in general. Whichever will work better.

Not your finest moment, all told. But hey, any landing you can walk away from...you suppose...

-Revision. A touch of magic will solve this.
--The most inexplicable aspect of the rumors is the part where Nadia, supposedly, knows how to treat all of these weird and random issues students would normally go to the Infirmary for, despite attending a cram school for painting. So you'd probably get the best information if you approach her with a "problem" along those lines. The problem is convincingly faking such a condition, considering you neither have nor want to have one any time soon or even, preferably, ever. Of course what's the alternative, trying to ask a fourth year student about how to become a good kisser with a straight face? No, this is clearly the better...actually, maybe a bit of magic will solve this problem? You're still an underclassman. Miscast a spell, got an odd-looking rash because of it that doesn't seem to want to go away, don't want to visit the Infirmary because it's admitting you failed miserably? Simple, yet effective. You like this plan.

You use your knowledge of Revision to create a convincing rash on your upper arm, and head to the Garden Gallery to look around for Nadia. You find her quickly, rounding one particular corner there's an older Avila student sitting on a stone statue of a creature you can only call nature's bench, silently working on a painting. It's hard to get a good look at her because the easel largely blocks your view, but you can make out that her Avila uniform looks off. She's got an extra layer going from her shoulders to her midsection-no, make that two, actually. One in front and one on her back, splitting such that she's able to use her arms while still covering most of her uniform. Is that to avoid staining her uniform while she's painting? Feels like a spell to clean her uniform would be easier, but whatever makes her her airship float you suppose. It doesn't look too out of place at least, since the extra cloth mimics Avila's uniform color and style perfectly. Probably cut from old uniforms, if you had to guess.

You slowly walk up to the older student, assuming that this is indeed Nadia, although she catches you in the corner of her eye before you get close enough to steal a glimpse of her painting. "Please take a seat, I'll be ready in a moment," she suddenly says. You do as she asks, taking a seat next to her and appreciating just how well this creature's shell work as a bench. You also get the chance to glance at Nadia's painting before she's finished putting her tools down, but all you see on the canvas is an Academagia student in the Garden Gallery, reading a book on one of the stone benches. For someone with so many rumors and everything floating around her you'd be lying if you said you weren't disappointed. Not that the painting looks bad even unfinished, it's just so utterly mundane. Disappointingly so, almost.

"Sorry about that," Nadia says as she turns her attention to you. "I get so absorbed in my painting that I forget to pay attention sometime. So, I take it you're here for a bit of advice?"

You nod and get three words into describing the "rash" before you catch yourself being far too enthusiastic and happy about it. You're supposed to be worried over this weird thing that stubbornly refuses to go away, obviously you wouldn't talk about it like the brilliant plan it really is, and with no proper act prepared your imagined one crashes and burns before getting off the ground. "I...I-I, eh..." you nervously sputter out as you frantically try - and fail - to reign yourself in and get back in character, at least several minutes too late.

"Calm down," Nadia gently suggests with a bright smile on her face. You're not sure how to interpret it, really - did she fail to see through you, or isn't she mad despite doing so? The lack of answer only makes the panic you feel setting in worse, but if that's what makes the belated act work than you suppose your best option is to keep bluffing until the end. "Take a deep breath, collect your words, and just throw them out. Don't worry or hesitate, just throw them out."

That sounds like she didn't see through you...? On the one side you find that hard to believe, but than what other option do you have? Nothing you can think of, so just bluff (and pray) until the end, right? Here goes nothing, you suppose. You close your eyes, take a deep breath, mentally sort out how a student with a bizarrely persistent rash would actually describe it, and proceed to recklessly throw those words out. It actually feels pretty good, being given this time to think your answer over, but a part of you can't help but worry that you took too much time to be convincing. Hesitantly opening your eyes again and staring awkwardly at Nadia you can see a reassuring smile on her face.

"Hmm..." Nadia goes as she looks you over with an appraising eye. It reminds you of a black-clad physician moreso than you'd like to admit, despite the fact that Nadia can't see the rash straight through your uniform. At least if and when she wants to take a look you can just roll up your sleeve, you made sure to position it so that you wouldn't have to take any clothes off. "How long has this rash been bothering you?"

That's easy - the entire idea is that this rash is strangely persistent and that's why you're worried about it, so you simply give that answer to Nadia. She slowly nods, continuing to look you over for something you can't even begin to imagine. You told here where the rash is and you can't even begin to imagine that she has some sort of anti-clothes vision spell cast on her, so why is she giving you that curious look?

"Why are you so afraid of visiting the Infirmary?" Nadia suddenly asks. You're not even sure what to make of that question, you just raise a curious eyebrow. Nadia, pointedly, shakes her head in response. "I know how embarrassing it can be to admit that you failed, and maybe even continue to do so despite your best efforts," Nadia begins, staring pointedly at her painting before continuing. You understand the point she's trying to make, fortunately. "But trying to ignore your problems will only make them worse. So despite how hard it might be to admit you made a mistake, or if you have a hard time placing your trust into the hands of adults you don't know all that well, I'm afraid you really should bring this rash to the Infirmary. Ask someone you trust to come along and support you if that's what it takes, there's no shame in that if you're afraid. Just don't make the mistake of hiding from your problems until they catch up to you. You'll get better by moving forward, physically or magically."

You don't know how to respond to that. Except when Nadia seems to interpret your stunned speechlessness as a silent call for help, and offers to bring you to the Infirmary herself, you quickly force yourself to act and awkwardly sputter out something along the lines of being able to go there yourself. Nadia nods and, pointedly, tells you to make good on that promise for the sake of those who care about you if not your own, and you nod one final time before feeling like you wrestle yourself free from this girl by taking off and sprinting out of the Garden Gallery. You don't even care where you're going right now, just run. By the time you realize what you're doing again you find yourself standing before Lake Ardica, and you decide to sit down by the edge, taking in the smell of the fresh water. It does a lot to ease your worries, along with a good, old fashioned deep breath. Especially because your lungs are complaining about all the sudden running you did.

So, Nadia. What all did you learn in the end? Well, first off, Nadia is definitely open to giving advice to other students. You can personally confirm those rumors are, indeed, true. Even if, admittedly, the finer details might get twisted or distorted. And they seem to, because based on your (admittedly limited?) experience it doesn't seem like Nadia's advice is anything the faculty - even Professor Badcrumble - would give her any grief over. Well, maybe if you'd asked her about kissing instead that would have been a different story, you're not sure on that one, but what did Nadia ultimately say about the rash you brought her? "Don't be afraid of visiting the Infirmary". "Ignoring your problems will only make them worse". "Don't be afraid of admitting when you made a mistake, or that you need help to push through a difficult stumbling block".

This at least solves the mystery of Nadia's mysterious doctor training cram school for novice painters. She never even looked at the rash you created-and should probably take a moment to dispel, now that you think about it. She told you to go to the Infirmary, even offered to take you there herself if that's what it took. Probably gave others the same offer, if you had to guess. You have to admit, in hindsight? That just seems so obvious. How else could Nadia meaningfully give people medical advice after rumors about her attending a painting cram school went full crazy? And despite that Nadia deserves those rumors sticking around, in a strange way. You could have asked any professor or student's parent the same question, and not gotten a better answer than what Nadia gave you. It makes you wonder if it'd be the same story if you'd asked her about kissing. Would she have just told you not to be afraid to ask your parents about it? Feels like that's exactly what she would have done.

So...what now? Bring what you've learned to Professor Briardi? You know how the rumors around Nadia got started, and based on the advice Nadia gave you feel like you know how they keep spreading too. They're almost certainly blown completely out of proportions, probably misinterpreted on top of that, but so long as there's that core of truth there doesn't have to be some malicious enemy who keeps spreading these rumors. So...is there anything more for you to investigate? Does Nadia have any enemies who'd keep spreading these rumors as a way to hurt her? It's hard to imagine...though maybe someone is really jealous of her? That's possible, but in that case why would this mysterious individual spread rumors about Nadia that increase the amount of attention and recognition she gets? Maybe one of her friends is secretly spreading these rumors for that exact reason? Sounds absurd. Surely Nadia's friend wouldn't completely twist her friend's actual accomplishments so badly...

You know what, you'll figure this out later. You still feel a bit...caught off guard, you guess the best word is, and you'd prefer to clear your head as soon as possible. Rushing would only cause you to miss something important, and that obviously wouldn't help anyone.

--The most inexplicable aspect of the rumors is the part where Nadia, supposedly, knows how to treat all of these weird and random issues students would normally go to the Infirmary for, despite attending a cram school for painting. So you'd probably get the best information if you approach her with a "problem" along those lines. The problem is convincingly faking such a condition, considering you neither have nor want to have one any time soon or even, preferably, ever. Of course what's the alternative, trying to ask a fourth year student about how to become a good kisser with a straight face? No, this is clearly the better...actually, maybe a bit of magic will solve this problem? You're still an underclassman. Miscast a spell, got an odd-looking rash because of it that doesn't seem to want to go away, don't want to visit the Infirmary because it's admitting you failed miserably? Simple, yet effective. You like this plan.

You do your best to create a convincing rash on your upper arm, and finally getting it right after several failed attempts, try to dispel it as a test to see how easily it can be dispelled. You don't know if Nadia studied Negation at any point, after all, and she might just try that approach. It, eh...it doesn't work.

...Well then. To bring this situation to Nadia and pray the rumors about whatever secret cache of knowledge she's managed to unearth in her painting cram school is true, or to just admit defeat, go to the Infirmary, and spend the rest of your time in the Venalicium reviewing all of these Phemes and spells you clearly don't know as well as you thought you did? Given those two options...definitely the latter. You get the feeling that if a prayer could be relied on you wouldn't be in this position in the first place...

Having these lengthy exits not lead into a quick infodump stage where most of their actual information can be told only once instead of trice (as will happen much later in this very adventure, in fact) might look like a probable cause for the mysterious word inflation I mentioned before. But rest assured, this adventure broke all kinds of word count records even when it was just a basic skeleton with only the final stage having more than one exit success text filled in. So the mystery still remains.

Edited July 2, 2023 by Metis

[Metis]

Painting Rumors, Stage 4:

Spoiler

You've given the question of Nadia's mysterious swirl of rumors some more thought, and remembered one thing that you do want to do before this is all said and done. Even if it doesn't directly relate to investigating the rumors. And that is find whoever slipped you that note to see Professor Briardi, and ask her what that was all about. The regent told you that one of Nadia's friends gave you that note, and that Nadia does have a small Clique of close friends, so you don't think it'd be too much effort to find that girl again. And once you do you've got some questions you'd like answered.

Lacking much of any sort of starting point you head off to the Avila Common Room. Until, walking through the Great Hall, you can't help but overhear people mention your name a bunch. Curious, you decide to approach someone you recognize - who happens to be Olivia Solari - and ask what's going on. "Hmm? Oh, [PC FIRST NAME], perfect timing. Is it true you got advice from Nadia recently?"

You frown. You're not surprised that Olivia has heard of Nadia, they're in the same college after all, but how did she hear about that meeting? You obviously didn't tell anyone about your conversation with her...

"What's the matter, [PC FIRST NAME]? Cat got your tongue?" Cosetta Re, who you didn't even see walk up to you, asks.

"Give [him/her] a moment to think, Cosetta. You can't walk in on someone else's conversation and expect an answer just like that," Olivia chides, but of course Cosetta dismisses the suggestion as "unnecessary".

You stare at the two Avila students, turn to glance over at the Great Hall, seeing at least six people looking in your direction, and turn your attention back to your Classmates. "What is going on here?" you simply ask. You can't find the patience within yourself to say any more than that.

"What's it look like? People are talking about the chat you had with Nadia. Something about being worried about not growing up quickly enough?" Cosetta, with all the subtlety of a runaway stampede of elephants, asks.

"Oh? I heard [PC FIRST NAME] had a lengthy discussion about [his/her] love life. Which, I have to say, quite unexpected. I mean I can appreciate a good romance, but you realize underclassman aren't allowed to actually date yet according to school conduct rules, right?"

Both of the girls have bemused expressions on their faces, but those go away after seeing your sheer, undisguised confusion at what they're droning on about.

"...Off the mark?" Cosetta actually asks. You choose to ignore the question.

"Okay, apparently you didn't hear me the first time so I'll ask again: What is going on here!?"

Both of the girls stare at each other uncomfortably, but Olivia turns her attention back to you fairly quickly. "There's a rumor flying around that you met with Nadia recently, and talked about...well, people aren't entirely sure about that part, or even how long you two talked for that matter. But that's what people are gossiping about."

"You did meet with her, right?" Cosetta asks. It feels like it takes all of the concentration you can muster, but you do nod in answer to her question. "Than why are you surprised people are talking about it?"

Starting to feel your patience being strained. Like, yeah, maybe you should have expected this, but witnessing it first hand really puts into perspective just how ridiculous this is. "Cosetta, I don't think any bards or playwrights are going to immortalizing this conversation that we're having right now! So exactly what is so special about my conversation with Nadia that it captures the awe and attention of everyone," you say throwing your hands at the crowd in the Great Hall for emphasis, "before anyone has even written it!?"

Cosetta doesn't have an answer ready for that, but Olivia does. "[PC FIRST NAME], surely you've heard of Nadia's reputation that you even went to her for advice in the first place. So surely you also know why people would be interested."

"Olivia, I know about Nadia's painting cram school stuff and all of that. But how - in the good name of every God, new and old, out there - does that make me talking to her about, I'unno, my height, all that interesting?"

Olivia tries to form some sort of argument about the meeting saying something about you that no one else knew before, but you cut her off midway through with some pointed counterarguments about there being so many different versions of the story flying around you couldn't hope to tell which ones are correct unless you already knew the truth to begin with. And if there were signs of anything interesting (to gossip queens) going on than Rikildis would have been on top of it long ago, anyway.

"I mean, you've got a point..." Cosetta slowly admits, although of course you know full well what comes next. "But Rikildis isn't omnipotent - thank Octavius - and you, yourself, just admitted that you did meet with N-Na...di...ah...."

You raise an eyebrow, turn to look at Olivia, and see she's got the same expression as Cosetta on her face. "Don't say anything, let me guess: Professor Briardi is standing right behind me." Cosetta and Olivia shake their heads, which throws you off a bit. You were confident in that one. "Really? Oh, duh: Rikildis von Kiep?" you ask, but no, another pair of shaking heads. "Seriously? Then who-oh! Nadia's friend who slipped me that note during lunch! That's good timing, actually. I've been looking for her."

Yet again, shaking heads. Well, more like "shaking raised eyebrow" in Cosetta's case, but the shaking part is the important part in this case.

"Fine, I give up," you say as you finally turn around and see who's got the two girls frozen mid-sentence. That turns out to be none other than Nadia Qureshi. In hindsight? Really should have been able to guess that one.

"So, just out of curiosity, what was that part about you looking for one of my friends because she slipped you a note?" Nadia pointedly asks. You awkwardly stand there thinking over how to answer that question, but Nadia quickly waves a hand. "Alright. I can see you're going to need to think about this one, but I'm afraid I've got business to attend to in Mineta so we'll need to continue this conversation later. That said I do want to offer my apologies for that whole mess," Nadia says, pointedly throwing a glance at the many students here in the Great Hall. "I had actually dared to hope that, just this once, they would find some sense of decorum and not obsess over an underclassman's personal problems, but apparently that was simply expecting far too much. Just ignore them. Maybe head out into Mineta for a bit, hang out with your friends. While the professors catch wind of what these idiots are standing here gossiping about and they get hauled off to explain why they're obsessing over the personal or, gods forbid, love life of someone two or even three years younger than them."

Nadia wasn't quite done spewing fire all over the Great Hall better than any Dragon could hope to manage, but based on the very sudden flood of people hurriedly leaving she didn't need to in order to get her message across. Personally you feel like you understand what Professor Briardi was talking about earlier, when she mentioned people receiving "harsh reprimands" for gossiping about Nadia's advice.

Having said her piece (and having left over half the Great Hall feeling like a smoldering pile) Nadia tries to excuse herself, before Cosetta suddenly interrupts and points out something you didn't even notice: Nadia's uniform is different. You take a look yourself and indeed, she's got that same extra layer on her that she did before, while she was painting. "Yes, miss Nosy, this is indeed my painting uniform," Nadia impatiently drones out. "My regular one is currently in the laundry, so I'm wearing this one. Is that a problem, or can I head off now?"

Cosetta tries to say something, but Nadia brushes her off by insisting that she's worn her changed uniform around Mineta "for years", and that she's going to be late. Cosetta still tries to get her words in, even going so far as to follow Nadia as she walks off, but you suspect that Cosetta isn't going to find any success in...whatever point she's trying to make.

"Feels like Cosetta is going to end up getting some advice of her own, whether she asks for it or not," Olivia muses. Can't disagree with Olivia on that one, even if you do find yourself wondering about some of the points Cosetta is making. "That said, [PC FIRST NAME], you mentioned one of Nadia's friends slipped you a note at some point? What was that about?"

"Long story, and right now I'd just like to get some answers to this whole mess. Do you happen to know where Nadia hangs out with her Clique, or where else I can find her friends? I'm only looking for one of them, but...I mean, I didn't exactly get an opportunity to ask for a name and description there. Not with Cosetta's ever present nose getting in the way."

Olivia actually nods at that. "I do remember seeing Nadia walk into the common room with one of her friends more often than anyone else...Laila Wasem, I think her name is. I'm not sure that's who slipped you the note, exactly, but if she and Nadia are really that close she seems like the one most likely to know who did if she didn't. Well, or Nadia herself of course, but I suspect you might get more results trying to find and talk to her friend right now. I don't think Nadia will be in a very talkative mood after having thrown Cosetta through the nearest window."

Yeah, that does sound like a good idea. Especially that last part. Nadia did mention wanting to "continue this conversation", but the Great Hall still feels like she left it a smoldering ruin with her scathing comments earlier. Maybe don't approach her as a first resort. Especially when you really don't want to learn what she'd do if someone manages to actually tick her off instead of merely disappoint her, and she's likely to be on edge if not because of this ongoing rumor business than because Cosetta Re decided to ruffle her feathers. Or both.

So, Laila Wasem, was it? How to go about tracking her down? Olivia gave you a name, which is definitely a good start, but it doesn't tell you where to find her. And somehow you feel as though asking random students for directions about where to find one of Nadia's friends is going to be, eh...unusually challenging right about now...

-Astrology. Use some magic to track Laila down.
--Trying to track down someone you know so little about is by no means easy, but so long as Laila is at least reasonably close to the Academagia you're confident you can pull this off.

Admittedly you had not intended to pull it off right on the spot, with Olivia still watching, but sometimes you get into that groove of spellcasting and don't realize who's standing around you until you're done. Or they start screaming about their hair being on fire. In this case it's the former, though.

Quickly stringing together a series of spells which felt more complex in theory than in practice just now you turn your wand into a dowsing rod to track down Laila. Giving it a quick test it seems to be pulling you towards...you're not entirely sure, actually. The Grounds? Lake Ardica? Frontino? Somewhere in that general direction.

"You really need to show me how to cast spells like that, sometime," Olivia says, giving you a playful, knowing wink before walking off. She knows you've got other business on your plate, and you've got a wand pulling you in that direction right now, so time to get to it.

--Trying to track down someone you know so little about is by no means easy, but so long as Laila is at least reasonably close to the Academagia you're confident you can pull this off.

You piece together your best tracking spell, right in front of Olivia as it turns out, and try your best to interpret where it's trying to tell you to look. Unfortunately all you get out of it is "somewhere within or near the Academagia", which, eh...is less than helpful, all things considered.

"Trying to cast a spell like that without anything to focus it is really difficult," Olivia observes. You can't help but silently nod. She's right, after all. "Ah, right, I guess that is indeed none too helpful, sorry. Um...I would suggest asking one of Laila's friends for assistance, but..."

"If I knew where to find them, than even assuming I could convince them to help me, chances are they'd be able to simply point me in the right direction directly," you fill in. Olivia nods, and adds that she also doesn't know who you could even go to talk to, really. She's seen Nadia and Laila together often enough, but can't recall seeing Laila with someone else as often.

Sounds like this is just a dead end, than. You do want to try and get what you can out of your divination spells, really out of some kind of bizarre personal spite more than anything, but you know full well this isn't going to end well. Nevertheless, there's still a chance, and surely there's a reason so many people keep insisting that "never give up" - or some variation thereof - is good advice.

...Probably...

-Patrol. Look around the old fashioned way.
--While you doubt that Laila uses a personal brand of perfume so strong and magically enchanted with weird Astrology spells that you're able to detect and identify it from a good distance away despite barely having met the girl before, at the end of the day there are only so many places that she could be at any one time. Further, that first meeting - however brief it may have been - nevertheless gave you the idea that Laila is the type of person who would want to step outside the public eye while there's this storm of rumors flying around about Nadia. Is that an uncommon thing? No, admittedly. But than maybe Laila being around the Academagia is, itself, uncommon. The idea makes sense and it's not like trying to track her down otherwise will necessarily be easy, so why not stick to your strengths?

You ask Olivia if she knows anything more about Laila, whether she happened to have seen her somewhere else before or knows where she might hang out. Basically if she's got any starting points for you. Unfortunately Olivia shrugs. "Nothing like that, I'm afraid. Though I do think it's worth a try. The few times I saw Laila she did leave the impression of someone who would avoid being in the public eye, as I'm sure a close friend of Nadia would be while these rumors make the rounds. And even if that is a mistaken conclusion on my part, for the same reason you might wish to extricate yourself from these hallways for a short while. Trying to ask around would only make that situation worse, I'm sure."

Exactly. You nod, thank Olivia for her help, and head off in search for Laila. You figure the best approach here is to simply start looking up landmarks that an older Avila student might be at, in increasingly further distance from the Academagia. Sooner or later you should run into Laila that way.

That is the hope, anyway. It's a glorified wild goose chase, ultimately, so here's to hoping this isn't going to take literally forever.

--You walk around the entire Academagia and back, carefully looking through every nook and cranny of particularly promising locations like the Venalicium or the Great Hall, but alas, there's hide nor hair of Laila to be found anywhere. It's entirely possible you just missed her - it's not as if you know her face that well, after all - or that she was never in the Academagia to begin with, but either way, this attempt to find her has proven fruitless.

Hopefully the next one won't...

-Athletics. Nothing quite like running around with an actual aim.
--Running around the Academagia itself would be challenging. Stupid hallway rules, not wanting you to crash face-first into older students who are halfway through a spell trying to turn their enemy into a toad-okay so maybe there's actual merit to those rules, upon closer reflection. Point is you're going to have a hard time covering much ground within the Academagia itself, but outside you'll be able to go for a brisk jog at least. And when you think about it, isn't that a more likely place to run into Laila in the first place anyway? Your singular interaction with the girl (assuming it was Laila that gave you the note) may have been incredibly brief and not much of a social interaction at all, but it still left you with a strong impression that Laila isn't going to be joining any groups of random students gossiping in the hallways. You have a much easier time imagining her being somewhere quiet, somewhere more secluded. Away from the rampant buzzing of the gossiping students.

Actually, since she's still right in front of you, you ask Olivia what she thinks about where Laila might be. Whether you're on to something at all with your theories, assuming that it was Laila that handed you the note of course. "I'm not sure. I've only ever seen Laila in passing, really," Olivia slowly admits, searching through her memories. "I guess she did have a bit of a timid air about her, or at least I remember her leaving that impression, but..." Olivia shrugs. "I can't say I've ever spoken to her, so maybe I just happened to catch her on bad days? It can't hurt to give it a try. If nothing else you could use it as an opportunity to stay out of sight for a moment, while these rumors about you run their course and all of that."

Fair enough, and you feel like going for a quick jog right now to run the stress off anyhow. So that's the plan. A bit of aimless running while looking around randomly for Laila, in the hopes that you run into her somewhere outside the Academagia itself.

Hopefully this isn't going to take literally all day.

--Inside the Academagia itself you're hard-pressed to maintain so much as a brisk walk sometimes, but all the same you search around as fast as your legs are able to take you without getting hauled off to detention somewhere. Since, you know, that would rather complicate the process of running around to look for someone like a headless chicken...though putting it that way you can't help but wonder if perhaps you should have taken a different approach in the first place...

All the same you don't end up finding Laila anywhere. Not in the Venalicium, the Garden Gallery, the Great Hall, Avila's Common Room, and wherever else you thought to look for her. Well...great. At least you got your daily exercise done, you suppose? That's something, at least, though you'd have preferred actual results for your efforts...

Pardon the multiple "look around aimlessly" options, but getting directions to someone who doesn't leave signs in her wake when you can't ask other people about it turns out to be surprisingly difficult. To imagine, if nothing else .

Edited October 19, 2023 by Metis

[Metis]

Painting Rumors, Stage 5:

Spoiler

After a thankfully brief search you end up finding Laila in front of Lake Ardica. Sitting on the ground with her arms wrapped around as much of her as she can bar casting spells to give her extra joints, staring at the water with a look on her face that leaves the impression of her staring long past the lake itself. Somehow you get the feeling that maybe things aren't all sunshine and rainbows in Nadia's circle of friends. Just a hunch.

A bit lost as to how to approach Laila you decide to take a seat next to her, see if she notices and responds. It takes her second, but she does eventually see she's got company. "...You?" she quietly drones out. Taking a closer look at her face, yes. This is the girl who passed you that fateful note ever so...well it feels like it was a long time ago. For Laila's part she looks like she's got a question written all over her face, so you ask her to speak up. She...tries to? Nothing coherent comes out of her, though, so you can only guess at what's bothering her.

All told, your guess is the rumor business. You still haven't confirmed the truth behind them yet, and now you have ended up a victim of those same rumors. At least that has rekindled your interest into digging deeper. Which begs the question of what to say to Laila. For all you know she is the one who has been spreading these rumors, and is sitting here worried because she thinks you're on to her...although why she slipped you the note in that scenario would probably require a lot of explanation...

Laila, for her part, keeps staring at you, seemingly desperate to know your answer to the questions she can't give words to. You keep it simple and plainly admit that, no, you haven't confirmed the origin of the rumors yet. Laila looks...upset about that? Not like she's about to strangle you, but like someone's summoned a rain cloud right above her. "Than...why?" she asks, though you're not really sure if that was addressed to you or not. It does lead into something you've been wanting to ask, though.

"About that, I've been curious about something for a while now: Why me? You were right on the money with sending an underclassman to Professor Briardi's office about this whole mess, even the regent thought it was a good idea in hindsight, but still. Why, of all underclassman you could have passed a note to, me?"

As you feared, but also kinda expected, Laila doesn't have an real answer to that question. She does quietly mumble something about Astrology, but the half of it you can make out doesn't answer your question. She's got other stuff on her mind, clearly. But what?

"Fine. In that case, what do you know about who's spreading the rumors? Any idea who's doing it?" you ask. You figure you might as well, you're here and maybe Nadia's Astrology friend (though Nadia herself, being an Avila student, should be able to accomplish the same in that regard...) has a lead for you. But instead Laila gets a very distinct, very interesting look on face. A look of guilt. "You're not the one spreading those rumors," you slowly say. As a test, a hunch. You don't think it's Laila. She's the one who passed you the note, it just doesn't add up. And indeed, Laila nervously shakes her head. "But you do know who does," you add.

Laila doesn't say anything, but she flinches and starts shaking like a kid who managed to get her hand stuck in the cookie jar. It actually begs a question: Who could Laila be protecting by staying silent like this? You don't suspect her because of the whole note business, obviously she wouldn't have send someone to investigate herself...she wouldn't have, right? She does have a guilty look about her. And it does make a degree of sense - whoever is closest to Nadia would know or be able to find out about her every secret and meeting, so someone like that would be the most likely to be the one constantly spreading these rumors. But at the same time she send you after whoever is spreading these rumors, so why try to protect them by staying silent now? Did she only figure things out after the fact? Or...what?

Honestly, at this point you feel no desire to play twenty questions with this girl. You decide to do something you should have done a long time ago - report to Professor Briardi about your findings.

It's a bit of a walk going from Lake Ardica to Professor Briardi's office, but you get there in due time. You're a bit surprised when you see Professor Badcrumble in here, as well as Professor Briardi sitting behind her desk, but - as the latter explains basically as quickly as your mind pieces it together - Professor Badcrumble is also interested in your findings. So might as well inform two regents with one conversation.

So, albeit with slightly more of an audience than you were expecting, you inform the two regents about what you've learned. Both are relieved to hear that, while the rumors about Nadia giving advice are accurate, the actual advice she gives couldn't be more appropriate if she tried. Of course both had already heard about your "meeting" with her due to the rumors that cropped up as a result (and were "stamped out most harshly" as Professor Briardi puts it), but neither could get accurate information about the meeting itself, so whether Nadia required disciplinary actions remained an unsolved mystery. Until now.

"That leaves the question of why someone willing to lend her fellow students a helpful ear would be the target of so many off-color rumors. Have you learned anything about where they originate from, or who is spreading them?" Professor Badcrumble eventually asks, after which Professor Briardi comments that it is strange how Nadia gets all of this attention while a student like Sheary Warrington doesn't. You first explain the unfortunate miscommunication that happened with Nadia's painting cram school, although you have to admit that you've no idea how things managed to make the wild leap from that to the current situation. You also mention (somewhat uncomfortably) that you don't know who is behind the spreading of the rumors, but that Laila seems to have some idea as to who is. Even if she's not the culprit herself. Professor Badcrumble nods and silently stomps out Professor Briardi's office, drawing her wand. You could have just told her she's at Lake Ardica, but-actually, Laila might have moved. You're not sure on that.

"Did Nadia herself mention anything about these rumors?" Professor Briardi asks. You nod and mention she did approach you to apologize for getting you caught up in the whole rumor business. You also, out of curiosity, ask the regent if there was a suspiciously low number of people who got in trouble about spreading that gossip in the Great Hall. She raises an eyebrow and mentions that there was, and how you know about that.

"Ah, that was Nadia's doing, actually. She spat some serious fire at everyone in the Great Hall when she apologized to me about the whole rumor business. Felt like a Dragon couldn't have done a better job of it, frankly."

Professor Briardi (jokingly) mentions perhaps not trying to use that as a compliment where Nadia can hear you, when suddenly Professor Badcrumble storms back in with Laila in tow. She looks...off. Obviously unhappy about being here, but you're having a hard time reading her expression beyond that.

"Who's behind the rumors?" Professor Badcrumble plainly asks, but Laila doesn't respond. No venomous glares send your way, either. She just sits down in a chair and stares off into the distance, much like she did before.

"If [PC FIRST NAME] thinks you know something about these rumors I have to assume there's at least a reason [s/he] suspects," Professor Briardi notes. "Though aside from that I would also like an explanation for that note you gave [him/her]. Your idea was sound, I'll grant you that, but your presentation needs some...serious work."

No response, or even acknowledgement. Just an empty stare.

"If you need time to think over your answers, you can do so in detention," Professor Badcrumble threatens, but you know that's not going to do anything. If Laila isn't your mysterious rumor monger than she's staying silent because she's protecting who is, and if she is the mysterious rumor monger than what does she gain from admitting to it now? She stands to lose a lot more from that truth coming out than she has to gain from cooperating. In which case you feel like it's time to try a different approach...

-Empathy. Figure out how to make Laila talk.
--Observing Laila for a while, as the two regents continue to try and coerce her into spilling the beans, you realize something important. She's scared. You saw hints of this earlier at the lake, but this isn't just fear of getting reprimanded. Something is eating away at her. Something big. Something about Nadia. The professors can mention detention all day long without getting any reaction out of Laila, but one mention of Nadia and she shivers. The question is if she's guilty and afraid of losing her friend because of it, or if she is trying to protect Nadia and conflicted about getting hurt in Nadia's stead. You can't tell, neither explanation seems to make any sense, and the professors aren't going to figure it out any time soon either. So, time to put an end to this.

"Professors, enough," you suddenly say. Both of the regents are taken aback by the sudden outburst. "Please, stop. This is too painful to watch."

"Excuse me?" Professor Badcrumble asks, likely confused considering you're the only who ratted out Laila in the first place. You don't think that was a mistake, yet, but it will be if you don't step in here.

You ignore the regent's question and sit down in front of Laila, to make sure you can look her in the eyes. Of course she tries to look away at first, but gently calling her name is enough to draw her attention. "What are you so scared of?" you ask. Laila stares at you, silently swimming in her own thoughts as they dance across her face. Those thoughts sometimes slipping their leash so much Laila opens her mouth to give silent words to them...but each time she catches them. Reigns herself in again and again, until ultimately she gets a sad, defeated look on her face. Soon after her head falls again, shaking slowly.

You feel like you've gotten a good idea of what's going on inside that poor head of hers. She's lost among so many thoughts it's a wonder she can keep track of it all. Not only that, but she actively avoids giving words to them. Fights against them like they're her enemy. You get the impression Laila is holding back a lot more than just what she knows about this rumor monger, and that she can't bring herself to say one thing about anything in fear of everything pouring out. That's a complicated problem, but you want to know what she knows about the rumor monger. So you'll have to try and coax it out of her.

"There's too much stuff on your mind to keep your thoughts straight, isn't there?" you ask, finally breaking the long silence that has been hanging in this room. Laila doesn't lift her head, but after a(nother) brief discussion with all of her inner worries she nods. "In that case, can you tell me why you don't want to talk about this rumor business? Try to put those fears into words, and put the rest aside. Don't get caught up in everything, just focus on that one question."

Laila thinks it over, and you can see the answer crossing her mind. But she's still hesitant to say it. You give her a bit more encouragement, a bit more coaxing, and she eventually manages to get out "I'm afraid of losing Nadia."

"So you were the one spreading those rumors, and you're afraid Nadia will break your friendship when she finds out? Is that's what's going on?" Professor Badcrumble asks. It's clear she doesn't entirely believe her own theory, likely because she knows it flies in the face of Laila having given you the note sending you to Professor Briardi about it in the first place, but Laila doesn't seem to pick up on that. She instead glares at her regent with a half venomous, half close to tears look.

You get Laila's attention again and ask her if that's really why she's afraid of losing Nadia. You can see her sinking into her own thoughts again, but you catch her this time. "Laila, stop. Don't get caught up in everything, focus on one thing at a time. Are you the one spreading rumors about Nadia?"

Laila stares at you for a while, not thinking over her answer but thinking over whether to give you an answer. Ultimately, however, she looks you in the eyes for a second...and shakes her head.

"Than...is Nadia spreading those rumors herself? Leaving you afraid of losing your friendship if you tell on her...?" Professor Badcrumble asks, even less sure of herself than she was before, but you choose to ignore her for the moment. You need to focus on Laila just as much as she needs to focus on herself right now.

You get Laila's attention yet again, and pose your next question. "Why are you afraid of losing Nadia?" Pretty quickly you can see Laila getting tangled up in her own thoughts, so you gently shake her out of it and reassure her that she needs to stay focussed just on what you ask. Nothing more.

Laila gives you one last look of someone who lost her way, got stuck circling the wrong crossroads with no one to help guide her, and holds out a hand. You take it, of course. The poor girl is shaking, but she fights off her doubts long enough to give you an answer. "M-my parents...m-my parents haven't agreed to adopt her yet!" she eventually manages to get out.

"Your...wait...what?" Professor Briardi asks. Professor Badcrumble tries to ask the same, but she can't even get the words out.

Before Laila loses this momentum you squeeze her hand to get her attention, and fighting against your own emotions force yourself to calmly, slowly, ask where Nadia is. At this point it seems clear you're not going to make any sense of what has Laila caught in it's grip without her close friend, and you'd really like for Nadia to be here anyway. Laila's shivering has only gotten worse, despite finally speaking her mind just a little bit, and you'd really like for Nadia to give Laila the ear and shoulder she is clearly going to need.

For her part Laila seems to give up, as she reluctantly answers where Nadia is. "Dar al'aytam fi mintaqat tanar," she says, her voice little more than a whisper. The regents both raise their eyebrows, clearly not understanding what Laila is referring to. You, however, speak Bassan. You also are able to see that the more Laila says, the worse her shivering gets. Her entire body is shaking by now. Time to put an end to this and get Nadia here to support her friend. She desperately needs it.

"Alright, I understand," you say, squeezing Laila's hand to snap her free from her own head again. It's not as easy as before, but it's enough. "Laila, don't worry. I'll go there, find Nadia, and explain to her that you got caught up in this rumor mess in a bad way. I'll also do what I can to help her, if she needs it. Just hang in there for now, okay?"

Laila nods, and like she did at Lake Ardica earlier proceeds to wrap herself up in her own arms as best she can. She's clocked out of this conversation, you won't be getting anything more out of her.

"[PC FIRST NAME], what was that all about? What...location? Did Laila say Nadia is at?" Professor Badcrumble asks. Part of you doesn't want to answer the question right in front of Laila, but you know it's better if you do, and the regent will find out soon enough in any case.

"An orphanage in the Tanner's District," you answer, to the surprise of both of the regents. "I'm off to go fetch her, since she's about the only person who can get through to Laila right now. And I suspect we'll need her input to figure out this whole mess, anyway. Call it a hunch, but I don't think Laila's worried about this rumor business. Not just, at least. Any objections to that?"

Professor Briardi slowly shakes her head. Professor Badcrumble tries to warn you that the Tanner's District isn't a good neighbourhood for Academagia students to be in, but you point out you speak the language, so you're confident you'll be able to handle yourself. It's not enough to convince Professor Badcrumble that you don't need another set of warnings, but you remain confident even in the face of that.

Time to head off to the Tanner's District and see if you can find Nadia. Not where you expected this rumor business to take you, but better get used to it if you want to live the life of a wizard, you suppose. You just hope - however futile you know that is - that this unexpected change of scenery is going to be the end of it.

--You observe Laila for a while, trying to get a sense of how she feels, but you keep getting conflicting information you're not sure how to interpret. That she could be feeling a mix of emotions and responding differently depending on which emotion surfaces would be completely understandable, but you don't get that impression so much as...you don't even know. Honestly the easiest conclusion is that you started off the wrong foot and jumped straight into a wall instead of forward, but that would require admitting you failed and you don't feel like doing so right now.

Not like you've got another choice, though. Laila remains an enigma you cannot figure out, and without that you're not going to get any further than this. There must be something you're missing, or something you keep seeing when you shouldn't. But what? You'll have to give this whole mess a moment to sink in and try again later with a pair of fresh eyes. Hopefully at that point you can figure out what all of these movements and expressions mean...

-Interrogation. Make Laila talk.
--You briefly observe Professor Badcrumble try, and fail, to threaten Laila into spilling what she knows. It's not that she isn't afraid of detention, it's that she's afraid of something else a whole lot more. And she's not spilling one word about who or what that is. Cracking her shell through brute force alone would be much like trying to crack an actual shell with just a balled up fist - ineffective at worst, painful at best. As such, while student and regent are focussed on each other, you slide over to Professor Briardi and quietly suggest the two of you try a different approach: The classic (for a reason) good guard, bad guard routine. In short Professor Briardi will pick up where Professor Badcrumble left off, while you act all understanding and sympathetic in an attempt to convince Laila to cooperate with you. It can be a risky strategy as it can fail or even backfire if the suspect figures it out, but right now Laila seems like she might take the bait. You think it's worth a try, at least.

Professor Briardi nods at your suggestion, and even agrees that Laila does indeed seem the type to either be two steps behind or twenty steps ahead when it comes to "basic" interrogation strategies like this, but she also seems a bit put off at having to play the role of the bad guard. You've no real choice, though. You can't very well threaten Laila with the kind of disciplinary measures backed up by Professor Briardi's reputation for cruel and unusual (but educational!) punishments. Also you not playing the role of bad guard, assuming this little trick succeeds, leaves less risk that Nadia will seek retribution for you hurting her friend...not that you tell the regent about that particular detail...

Either way the regent agrees to give the plan a try, and the two of you step in to take over for Professor Badcrumble. She initially seems irritated at being told to step aside, but once her colleague starts up the good guard, bad guard routine with what feels like practised ease she figures out what's going on pretty quickly, and willingly steps aside to let the two of you handle this instead. Laila, for her part, falls squarely into the "two steps behind" category that Professor Briardi mentioned earlier. With each "polite suggestion" you bring up as an alternative to Professor Briardi's famed educational curses Laila seems more and more willing to trust you. Until, eventually, you can tell she's ready to answer your questions.

You start off simple, of course. Something distant, something innocent, something you already know about...yes, perfect: You start with the origin of the rumors about Laila's painting cram school. You already know Laila accidentally spread those rumors herself, but the point isn't to confirm old information. The point is to ease Laila into this. Get her to start talking so that, hopefully, she'll keep talking. You need to be patient here. One step at a time, don't rush.

Laila, as expected, wearily explains the (wilful, in some cases) misunderstanding and actual truth behind Nadia's "nude" painting cram school. Professor Briardi continues her role of bad guard while you continue your role of good guard, and ask Laila if she knows anything about how those rumors ended up getting twisted. You're not expecting an answer, and predictably you don't get one - she doesn't know anything about that. You make sure to pointedly agree with Laila when she claims not to know anything, and of course Professor Briardi picks up on that. Honestly you're not sure why you doubted her in the first place. From there the interrogation proceeds like clockwork, with Laila slowly explaining her side of the rumor story piece by piece. That said you don't learn anything you didn't already know or at least suspected, and at multiple points there were clear gaps in Laila's explanation. Some connected part of this mess she's keeping silent about. Which, yes, does indeed make you very curious.

"What are you hiding?" Professor Briardi asks Laila, and by now you honestly can't tell if that's a genuine response or her maintaining her bad guard role. Either way Laila flinches, and you step in to gently coax some answers out of her like the good guard you are. It takes carefully stepping through another trap field all over again, but eventually you convince Laila to open up about what is going on in the background that she's having such a hard time giving words to.

"I...I'm trying to convince my parents to adopt Nadia," Laila quietly answers. You're stunned silent, as is Professor Briardi. Whatever answer both of you were expecting, this was not it. "They haven't agreed to it yet, and I'm not sure if I can convince them. I want to, have to, b-but..."

Laila doesn't finish the thought, though you're not in any position to blame her because you're having an equally hard time trying to finish it yourself. What is going on here? You can't even begin to imagine that Laila has been pulling wool over both you and Professor Briardi this entire time. So...your best guess is that Nadia is behind the rumors, albeit to hide, well, this rather than anything selfish, and Laila is keeping silent to protect her best friend...and, hopefully, soon to be adopted...sister? What? Just...what?

"Laila, where is Nadia?" you sort of instinctively ask. There is just...this is not going to be resolved without Nadia's help, one way or another. Getting Laila to talk you can manage, but getting her to make sense is just completely beyond your abilities it would seem. So time to find Nadia, drag her here and see if she can help make sense of any of this mess.

A tense few seconds spend staring silently at your half confused, half concerned face later Laila quietly answers "dar al'aytam fi mintaqat tanar", almost too quiet for you to hear.

"[PC FIRST NAME], can you translate that?" Professor Briardi asks, and you nod - Nadia is apparently in an orphanage in the Tanner's District. Makes about as much sense as anything else seems to right now, so you believe it...actually, it really does make sense in a way, doesn't it? Laila trying to convince her parents to adopt Nadia, Nadia being at an orphanage...the pieces seem to finally be falling into place. If that's an appropriate term of phrase for puzzle pieces flying in from stage left and magically adhering themselves to a wall, at least.

In any case, you're heading to this orphanage next. Find Nadia, explain the gigantic mess that has piled up in her absence, and drag her here so that someone can finally make sense of things! Professor Briardi tries to warn you that the Tanner's District isn't a good neighbourhood for Academagia students to be in, but you point out you speak the language, so you're confident you'll be able to handle yourself. It's not enough to convince the regent that you don't need another set of warnings, but you'll manage. Worst case you won't regret trying.

Rumors twisting into unrecognizable forms, surviving and even thriving as their core of truth is proven true time and time again, while behind it all one panicked best friend nurses a serious case of anxiety over convincing her parents to adopt the very centre of attention that no one appears to really know as well as they think. Yourself included. Seems like only now you've started to scratch the true depths of this insanity, but that's fine. However deep this rabbit hole goes, you'll get to the bottom of it before all is said and done.

--You briefly observe Professor Badcrumble try, and fail, to threaten Laila into spilling what she knows. Put plainly, Laila is going to be a tough nut to crack. Like, really tough. And if her regent not being able to crack her through brute force is any indication this is going to require tactics if you want to have any impact here. But how? Interrogation is a fine art, you understand that, but so often among students it simply boils down to straight up bullying. You know how to effectively apply pressure, but applying pressure isn't what you need here. You need a trick to convince her to talk...and your invisible top hat is empty.

Rats...time to hit the books again, you suppose. Alternatively trying to get some practical experience, but considering the kind of people you'd need to practice on to get any meaningful experience that way? Yeah...you're walking a thin enough tightrope as is. No need to make that worse...

-Logic. Carefully think this through.
--The more you run through this entire mess in your head and try to put all of the pieces together, the more you're reminded of a famous (or infamous, depending) murder investigation a six year old boy ended up solving by pointing out he couldn't see through a wall. The details escape you right this second, but if memory serves you it ended up saying something about the culprit's familiarity with the area, given he(?) knew what was behind the wall despite not being able to see through it any more than the kid could(n't). One would think such an observation is blatantly obvious to any investigator, but for the same reason it can be difficult to take a step back and properly notice those things. Someone who knows what is behind a wall might not readily question such common knowledge, despite it only being common knowledge to locals.

This whole rumor business is starting to feel the same way. Sure, to you it seems fairly obvious that Laila is protecting Nadia, who in turn is spreading those rumors herself. And that Laila only learned about that fact after she send you to investigate. Truthfully she probably suspected Nadia beforehand, but only realized (or admitted) her friend's guilt afterwards, leading to her being all conflicted at Lake Ardica and everything. Most likely she did as a result of your batch of rumors, given that she knew you were on the case and would ask Nadia for advice as part of that investigation sooner or later. She was prepared herself, poised to catch the culprit, only to realize it was Nadia after all. As for motive, why Nadia would spread all of these rumors herself, simple attention. And suddenly the remaining pieces - from Nadia's "indiscretions" about her painting cram school to those rumors twisting into something completely ridiculous to Nadia's advice giving to the rumors surrounding those - fall neatly into place. Nadia was behind it all from the start, secretly enjoying the attention (and opportunity to knock her peers down a peg if the incident in the Great Hall is any indication), and by the time Laila learned of or admitted this truth it was too late. She already send you on the case, and is now caught between betraying her friend by exposing Nadia's wrongdoing or taking the fall herself.

You just cannot shake the feeling that you're on the entirely wrong trail, though. You remember that Professor Badcrumble talked to Nadia about the rumors before and didn't clue into her guilt, but you can't expect even Avila's regent to know everything about everyone at any given time. You didn't get a bad impression of Nadia yourself when you talked to her, but who knows how good of an actor she might or might not be. Or need to be, even, being friendly to others and enjoying public attention are not mutually exclusive. Same for the incident in the Great Hall, Nadia can be upset about people gossiping about you while not minding people gossiping about her. Hell, she could have been hiding jealously behind her disappointment in others and you simply never realized. Your mind comes up with reasons and excuses as quickly as you can throw questions at it, but still you remain unconvinced. As much as you never thought you'd ever think this, you really wish you had a six year old to show you the forest for the trees right now. You have to think back, try and see the wall that's in front of you rather than your knowledge of what's behind it. What are you not questioning? What are you not seeing?

While you remain lost in thought Professor Briardi and Professor Badcrumble continue to try (and fail) to get answers from Laila directly, but turns out compelling people to blurt out the truth doesn't work too well when they refuse to say anything in the first place. Pretty quickly Laila clams up entirely, refusing to even respond to her regent's questions at all. Professor Badcrumble obviously is displeased, but if her threatening disciplinary actions ever had any chance at working it would have done so in the first place. Not like you're having much more success either, mind. The idea that Laila could be an accomplice of Nadia's schemes crosses your mind, but why would she have send you to Professor Briardi in that case? If she wanted out, why continue to protect Nadia even in the face of two regents? The first theory makes sense. So why do you keep doubting what you're seeing here, no matter how often you run the entire scenario through your head with no questions left unanswered?

"[PC FIRST NAME], do you have anything to add to this, by chance?" Professor Badcrumble asks. You nod, sit down in front of Laila, and ask her directly what it is that you're not seeing here. Despite Laila still seemingly refusing to react you continue explaining yourself, admitting to and outlining the theories you've come up with, how they make sense in your head, how it all connects, but also that you simply cannot believe that any of it is close to right. Whether it's intuition telling you that or something else you don't know, but either way you ask - beg, even - for so much as a hint. Any sort of clue, anything to give you the foothold you need to actually figure this out.

Laila doesn't say anything, but for a moment you see her glance at her knapsack after you ask her for a hint. You ask if the answer is in there, and Laila slowly nods. Professor Badcrumble storms over to forcefully grab it shortly afterwards, but you actually hold out a hand to stop her and ask Laila if she'll give it to you. Body still half frozen she does reach out a hand, pulls out a small book, and hands it to you. Opening it...it's a daily schedule book, with the odd note or annotation here and there, written in Bassan. Huh. Not what you were expecting.

Professor Badcrumble tries to look over your shoulder as you start flipping through recent dates, though it seems that she can't read any of it. "[PC FIRST NAME], what is this 'hint' Laila mentioned?" she asks, impatiently.

"Uh, well..." you say, trying and failing to find any context or clue as to what Laila's hint is supposed to mean. Alas, this isn't a proper diary, so if there's an explanation in here it's buried somewhere further back than the day you were given that cursed note in the Great Hall. "I can't find any good explanation or context, but both the schedule and the notes repeatedly mention a plan to...convince Laila's parents to adopt Nadia."

The formerly tense, almost hostile atmosphere in the room suddenly breaks apart as the eye of the proverbial storm passes over. "A plan to...what?" Professor Badcrumble asks, Professor Briardi not far behind her colleague in terms of confusion. "Laila, what is this about?"

No response from Laila. At this point you're just going to focus on finding Nadia, because you seem to have stepped into a bigger quagmire of questions than Laila alone can drag you through without one if not both of you drowning. As such you go back to the current date in Laila's agenda, hoping to find a hint as to Nadia's schedule, and sure enough. Today there's a reminder to "go pick up Nadia" later in the day, though no location or exact time is specified. Not sure what to make of that you ask Laila if she can tell you where to find Nadia, both because you need answers and because if Nadia needs any sort of help than you can cover for Laila.

A tense few seconds of silence later Laila quietly answers "dar al'aytam fi mintaqat tanar", almost too quiet for you to hear.

"[PC FIRST NAME], translation please?" Professor Badcrumble asks, and you give her one - Nadia is apparently in an orphanage in the Tanner's District. Why you've no idea, but you're heading there next to find her and explain the gigantic mess that has piled up in her absence. Professor Badcrumble tries to warn you that the Tanner's District isn't a good neighbourhood for Academagia students to be in, but you point out you speak the language, so you're confident you'll be able to handle yourself. It's not enough to convince Professor Badcrumble that you don't need another set of warnings, but you remain confident even in the face of that.

Nadia, the seeming centre of all the Academagia's rumors, hanging out in an orphanage in the Tanner's District while her best friend is...you know what, you don't even know what to make of this mess anymore. Whatever intuition or unspoken realization lead you to question your theories, they were right, and now it's time to try and shed some light on this mess.

--You run through this entire mess start to finish several times, but simply cannot figure out how all of these pieces are supposed to connect. Laila can't be protecting Nadia, because than her sending you that note makes no sense. Laila being the rumor monger herself likewise doesn't make sense for the same reason. Laila being secretly jealous of Nadia, and sending you that note to knock Nadia down a peg without getting her own hands dirty, makes no sense considering how she acted at Lake Ardica. Laila being the rumor monger and sending you that note anyway to create some kind of bizarre alibi because she thought that little of your abilities is even more far fetched, and already you've ended up in the realm of completely random guesses.

You just cannot wrap your head around this one. Try as you might, that note always ends up the storm that steals the wind from beneath your wings. You're going to need more time to figure this one out...

I'd thank Google Translate for bringing us this stage and all, but that's probably just implied at this point.

[Metis]

Painting Rumors, Stage 6:

Spoiler

The Tanner's District is not a part of town that most Academagia students visit frequently if ever, but this is one of those rare situations where you find yourself walking these noticeably rougher streets. The buildings likewise have their own sort of style, shelving the usual flair and reinforcements against student mishaps for (often improvised or makeshift) tools and furniture that serves a strictly practical purpose. There's few luxuries to be had here, fewer still that aren't hoarded jealously by the types of groups most people wouldn't want to get involved with. It's a stark contrast with the Upper City, but the same can be said for Strozza itself - the difference between the Renaglian merchant princes and the commoners you see walking the city streets. Insofar that the former live in Strozzan territory in the first place. If you remember right Velocian vacation homes are the current trend among them, offering a different experience than the former trend of Merillian family mansions.

Finding the exact place you're looking for in this part of town is, as it turns out, not hard at all. Most people you talk to here place greater weight on speaking their language than any uniform you could get away with wearing in any part of Mineta in the first place would take away. And there's so few Academagia students who normally come through here that anyone who does so frequently - like, say, Nadia - inevitably stands out and gets noticed. You don't even need to give people a name, necessarily. Just ask where you can find "the Academagia student who comes through here often", and they know who you're talking about. That said you do still have to mention Nadia by name, and that you're looking for her because her friend got caught up in some trouble and is worried sick about her, before people are willing to point you in the right direction. It's obvious the people here hold a great deal of respect for Nadia, to the point where some of them insist that you do your best to help Nadia's friend as well.

It's a curious thing you don't have an answer to. Nadia must have an extensive history at that orphanage, if that alone is how she left such a positive impression in this neighbourhood that even her friend is treated as an honored guests. Than again Laila did speak the language herself, though you couldn't tell if she was a native speaker or not. Of course she was under so much pressure you could have (mis)interpreted her Renaglian the same way, so...no dice there. Has she been here before? You get the impression she's not known here, but a few people do admit they've seen her. And she's definitely held in high regard, if not as much as Nadia herself. Very curious...

In any case, eventually you find yourself standing before a large building that shows the signs of many repair jobs. People clearly care a lot about making sure this place is well maintained, even if that comes at the cost of not being able to maintain it's once good looks. Makes sense, as this is the orphanage people directed you to. You take a deep breath, step up to the front door, and give it a few good knocks. A moment later a woman holding a duster and wearing a dirty apron, who may be up to ten years younger than she looks, opens it. "A...what? W-what do you want?" she asks, presumably confused that an Academagia student is standing in front of her. You, realizing that you interrupted her in the middle of cleaning, quickly explain you're here to see Nadia because one of her friends in the Academagia got herself in trouble. The woman lets out a deep sigh. "So it's finally time, huh? Alright, come on in, Nadia should be here in a few minutes. And, eh, my apologies for the mess. I'm still in the middle of cleaning."

"No worries," you say as you walk in after the woman. The inside of the building is much like the outside - a large patchwork mess of things that were repaired, fixed up or replaced were possible (albeit with little to no regard for coherent aesthetics) time and time again. Fortunately it seems the matron (you presume that's who the woman is, at least) has already finished cleaning the living room, so all you have to do is wait. You do consider, but ultimately refrain from offering to help - you've got no idea about how this place usually operates, and apparently Nadia is expected to walk in at any moment anyway.

As the matron suggested a few minutes later you hear the front door open. Shortly after the joyous voice of Nadia announcing, in what is clearly native Bassan, that she's "home" rings through the hallway. You briefly look around for a hiding spot, but you know it's futile to even try. "Matron, have you finished-" Nadia continues, until she walks into the living room, sees you standing there awkwardly, and her words get caught up in her throat. She does a double-take, looks around confused, but no. There's no escape from this for either of you. "[PC FIRST NAME]!? Wha-how did-just, of all the places in Mineta where fate could have flung you why here?" It's a good thing you speak Bassan, because Nadia seems to have misplaced her Renaglian. Figuring you might as well follow suit you start to explain, in Bassan, that you're here to speak to her, but Nadia quickly cuts you off. "Not what I asked, [PC FIRST NAME]: How? How did you end up here, of all places?"

"Ah, well...Laila told me to find you here," you answer. You're not sure how to interpret the expressions coming and going on Nadia's face, only that the healthy assumption is probably to prepare for the worst.

"Why would Laila have told you to...unless-did she mention my parents? Is that what this is all about?"

"Laila never mentioned your parents specifically, but she did mention something about a maybe failed plan to have you be 'adopted' by her parents...if that makes any sense to you," you explain. Why, yes, mentioning the "adoption" bit to Nadia, inside this orphanage she just called her "home", does give you pause. Nadia frowns, for her part, but not deeply. She doesn't look like she's got no idea what you're talking about, merely that it's something she's thinking over. "Look, I'm sorry but can I please just try and explain what happened? Because things turned into a complete mess, and I'm afraid Laila got caught in the middle of it."

The revelation that Laila got herself into trouble is enough to quickly dispel whatever doubts Nadia was struggling with. She nods, confidently, and you quickly explain that Laila ended up becoming a suspect of some description with regards to the rumor mongering. Although attempts to get some kind of answer out of her were thoroughly unsuccessful, and instead things just seemed to escalated even more. Nadia actually manages to show a thin smile at the end. "Oh, dear. That rumor business...don't worry. I'm pretty sure I know exactly what happened, the poor girl. I guess it'll be home made pasta tonight." Nadia starts walking up to a staircase, but midway through she suddenly stops and turns back to you, showing what you can only call a broken smile. "Actually, speaking of things escalating. Did Laila say anything about...my heritage, by chance?"

You have no idea how to even begin to interpret that question, other than to suspect the feeling of dread creeping up your spine is probably right. "Ah...n-no? I mean, she did mention her parents possibly adopting you, but...I guess that's not what you're referring to...?"

No visible reaction from Nadia. She stands before the staircase in quiet contemplation, her expression seeming to get darker by the second. "I can still send [him/her] away. Erase [his/her] voice, keep my secret. I could bend the rumors to my own will if I have to, no one will suspect. But Laila...if I keep putting pressure on her she's going to break. Might have already. I...I've pushed her too far. Poor girl, I am so sorry. I've relied on you too much, and I didn't even realize. You really should have told me, but...maybe that's why? In that case, is it time...? I'm so close, though! Just a little more, and...but if it breaks her...no. No, it's time. Finally, finally, it's time," Nadia mutters to herself. You're not sure what to make of it. Apparently having made a decision Nadia turns her attention back to you, showing a broken smile and the tense face of someone trying to hold back tears. "[PC FIRST NAME], you can be my witness. Tell the professors about it if I don't get the chance. Laila will require a lot of attention before she'll be back to normal again, and I owe her an apology before anyone else."

You don't see how a joint meeting between professor and students wouldn't be better in this instance, but if that's what Nadia thinks is best you suppose you'll give her the benefit of the doubt...?

Speaking of doubt, Nadia composes herself as best she can, turns towards the staircase and shouts, "everyone, story time!" Shortly after there's the unmistakable noise of several doors opening and tons of footsteps running across the floor. Guess that answers the question of where all the orphans were hiding.

You take a step back and watch in equal parts terror and awe as a dozen-odd orphans, ranging from four to fourteen years (or thereabouts), come flooding down the staircase. At first there's a cacophony of noise that makes it all but impossible to make out anything specific, so all you can say for sure is that the orphans are excited to see Nadia. Apparently so excited that she has to scold one of them for running down the staircase, and moments later it becomes apparent why - two older orphans helping down the youngest orphan with a bandaged up leg. The latter is careful not to let her foot touch the floor, so you're guessing her leg is broken. Looking more closely you think you see hints of braces beneath the bandages, as well.

"N-Nadia!" the young girl goes, doing her best to hold out her arms as she gets deposited in Nadia's waiting arms by the two older orphans helping her. Nadia lifts her up and makes a (joking?) comment about the girl having gained some weight. "I-I've been careful to clean my plate, like you said. S-so, c-can I see your wings?"

"Alright, but be very careful not to fall, okay?" Nadia asks. The girl promise to be careful, and Nadia lifts her up a little higher. The girl, now half laying on Nadia's shoulder, carefully lifts up the back part of Nadia's "painting uniform", as she called it earlier, revealing that outside of that she's apparently also cut two holes in the back of it. Not just randomly, either, the edges have been padded and sewn, like that was the intended design.

You barely have time to prepare for what part of you feels like you should have seen coming a long time ago, yet still were not prepared for. Nadia closes her eyes, and from the two holes in her uniform's back two large wings suddenly sprout. They're wings you can only describe as butterfly-like, reaching to about Nadia's head at their tips and down to her waist at their bottom ends. The wings have a distinctly darker and thicker edge circling them, while a large number of thin lines criss-crossing a multitude of small geometric shapes, all in several different colors, are chaotically scattered around the centre. The wings even seem to give off a sort of pale, dim light, leaving the impression of a surrealistic painting turned into a stained glass window of sorts.

More than that, however, the wings are enchanting. As in, literally enchanting. All the orphans stare in quiet awe of Nadia's wings, and you also feel a faint tug. A strange pull, trying to draw you in. A sense of soothing that's trying to wash over you as you continue to stare. Some kind of magic coming from these wings, though you're not sure what.

So...what are you going to do about that?

-Satyric Revelry. Give in to this feeling.
--Knowing what you do about Nadia you cannot imagine this feeling is harmful. If you needed any further proof of that you need merely look at the girl she's holding. She's bedazzled, staring with a bright smile and shining eyes at the close view of Nadia's wings she's getting. No hint left of the broken leg that had her starting at the world with such a sad face before. You know that can be dangerous, letting go of your senses like that, but you're confident that even if you lose track Nadia wouldn't. Just looking at the group of orphans surrounding her you can see, can feel what kind of person she is. The only question is if there's any room left for you in there. You know you don't belong with them, never will belong with them, but still...maybe?

Right on cue Nadia turns to face you. "Oh, right! Silly me, I almost forgot: Everyone, meet [PC FIRST NAME]! [S/He]'s a fellow student at the Academagia. Go ahead and introduce yourself before you sit down, [s/he]'ll be joining our story time today."

You awkwardly stand around as the dozen-odd orphans - including the one on Nadia's back, when she helpfully stops and kneels down when she passes by - stop to introduce themselves, before heading off into another room to sit down on a large carpet. As Nadia (and her passenger) is the last one to walk by you end up staring at her with a look on your face you can't even describe. The charm on her wings has washed over you, and you feel like it's settled in fully. There's a soothing warmth blanketing your thoughts, the concern and worry that was running through you before feels like it's faded into the distance. You want to experience more of this, but you don't know if you have any right to ask her.

"Come along, [PC FIRST NAME]," Nadia gently says, showing the same bright smile when you first met her. She doesn't have a free hand to hold out for you to take, but you would if she did. You slowly nod and follow Nadia, shuffling behind her as she walks into the room. She sits down in front of everyone, and the young girl she carries carefully slides down to sit on her lap. Nadia, of course, holds her in her arms. For your part, you sit down somewhere that feels appropriate. It's hard to explain, although clear your head also feels a bit...drift-y. It feels hard to connect your thoughts, put them into words. Though you probably could if you put real effort into it.

"Nadia, what's today's story?" one of the orphans asks while you sit down.

"Today..." Nadia begins, suddenly trailing off before she briefly shows a weird smile. "Today I'll tell you the story of the cursed girl from Strozza, who was abandoned by her parents and given to strangers in a strange land for an empty, selfish promise. Until fate, ever the trickster, decided on a different plan."

...Nadia's talking about herself. Your head might only be flying with two-thirds of a sail and a broken paddle right now, but even so you immediately piece together she's talking about herself. So this is Nadia's way of telling you her life's story...you'd be lying if you didn't say something felt off about this, but you're willing to sit back and listen. You trust that Nadia knows what she's doing.

--"The best way to learn how to swim is by jumping directly into the ocean", as the (by now very old, admittedly) saying goes, right? And you don't have to worry about drowning here, so jumping into this effect face-first you do.

Almost too quickly a soothing warmth, some kind of mental haze washes over you. Drowning your thoughts, pushing them into the distance, and hiding them from sight. It's...eh, what's the word again...? You're starting to feel a bit light-headed, actually. Dizzy, too. Might have to sit down soon...

"Oh, right! Silly me, I almost forgot," suddenly rings in your ears, but you're not able to tell where the noise is coming from. It's Nadia's voice, that much you can tell, but directions and...that spacial word thing you can't recall off-hand is a bit difficult to process right now. "Everyone, meet [PC FIRST NAME]! [S/He]'s a fellow student at the Academagia. Go ahead and introduce yourself before you sit down, [s/he]'ll be joining our story time today."

Feeling more than half dazed you stare blankly at the dozen-odd orphans who pass by and introduce themselves before walking off. Some of them you could swear have mocking grins on their faces when they see the state you're in, but you choose to believe otherwise. These are Nadia's orphans, she'd have raised them better than that...right? They are Nadia's? Gods, your head is a mess right now...

Speaking of Nadia, she - and the youngest orphan still riding on her back, who likewise introduces herself when Nadia helpfully kneels down for her - walks up to you last. "Oh dear, are you feeling alright [PC FIRST NAME]?" Nadia asks. There's...something about the tone in her voice, but you can't for the life of you remember what to make of it. "[PC FIRST NAME], don't worry. How you're feeling is temporary, it can happen the first time you experience this. Go ahead and sit down with the others, try to close your eyes for a second and focus on your breathing. Try to clear your mind. It'll help take off the edge."

You slowly nod, albeit at an odd angle, and Nadia holds out a hand for you. It that necessa-no, never mind actually. Doctor's orders: No thinking. You've no idea if that's sound advice but it'll make you feel better anyway so good enough. You wearily take Nadia's hand, and she leads you to an adjacent room where the rest of the orphans have sat down on a large carpet. You don't ask questions, you sit down where Nadia tells you to and try doing what she suggested.

"Nadia, what's today's story?" a voice you don't recognise asks. You're not checking anything, you're focussing on your breathing. Like Nadia said it helps getting your head above whatever effect her wings have. No more drowning.

"Today..." Nadia slowly says, trailing off either for dramatic effect or for another reason. You're not looking so you can't tell. "Today I'll tell you the story of the cursed girl from Strozza, who was abandoned by her parents and given to strangers in a strange land for an empty, selfish promise. Until fate, ever the trickster, decided on a different plan."

You briefly ponder what story this is going to be as you don't recall hearing it before, until (finally!) your mind is once again able to connect two thoughts together and figure out that Nadia is talking about herself. So this is Nadia's way of telling you her life's story? Can't say you were expecting so large of an audience, but than these are her...wait, "her" kids? That's-no, you met the matron of this orphanage before. This haze, whatever it is, that Nadia's wings create sure is something. Feels like you're slowly but surely dragging yourself to shore, though, so time to sit back and listen. You do need to pay attention to this, after all.

-Glamour. Two can play that game.
--You take out your wand and whip up a quick spell to counteract whatever Nadia's wings are doing. It seems to work at first, but...no. Something about this isn't right. You can feel your Glamour doing what it's supposed to, but beneath the surface it feels...different. It's less like a blanket over a fire, and more like a bridge across a river. Trying to assess yourself you don't feel different, but you feel like you're able to stand on the metaphorical bridge and gaze at the water below. Is it really not doing anything to do? You don't feel like it is, and yet it's undeniably there. It's weird...

You're snapped back to attention when you notice Nadia turning around to face you. "Oh, right! Silly me, I almost forgot: Everyone, meet [PC FIRST NAME]! [S/He]'s a fellow student at the Academagia. Go ahead and introduce yourself before you sit down, [s/he]'ll be joining our story time today."

As commanded the dozen-odd orphans walk up to you and briefly introduce themselves before walking off into a different room, where they proceed to sit down on an oversized carpet. The last one to walk by is Nadia herself, who helpfully kneels down so that her passenger can introduce herself as well. It wasn't as noticeable with the others, but this girl gives you a good look at what effect Nadia's wings has had on these kids. The girl appears shy, seemingly afraid of facing you directly, and when she introduces herself she only speaks a few quiet words. Yet past the glassy look in her eyes there's a content, almost serene expression on her face you'd be hard pressed to find on a monk. Nothing left of the sad girl who was almost in tears when she was half carried down the stairs earlier. When Nadia turns back around you can't help but stare curiously and ask her what it is that her wings are doing.

"No explanation I could give you will answer that question better than experiencing it yourself, [PC FIRST NAME]," Nadia answers. Despite her passenger she's able to use a hand to steady your face, and take a close look in your eyes. Nadia smiles when she finds whatever it is that she was looking for. "I can see their warmth has settled in you, as well. Please, don't fight it. This is what my wings are, what I am, and what I want my wings to do. If it comes down to it, don't worry. You're part of this story time as much as everyone else. I'll protect you."

That Nadia even has to reassure you that she'll "protect" you feels questionable, but on the flipside...how dangerous can this really be? All things considered? How rude would it be to refuse if this is something Nadia wants to do? Not just out of some manner of desire or principle, but because it's part of her identity. As much as her wings are a part of her body...you think. Not entire sure on the specifics of that one yet, but it makes sense in your head that way. Finally, how can you say, with any measure of confidence, that you don't want to take a swim in the (evidently soothing?) waters rippling beneath your thoughts - and Glamour - right now when you've never tried it before? Worst case if it's not to your liking what's stopping you from just recasting your Glamour? Actually, that seems a good compromise. You won't dive in face-first just because Nadia asked, but if it's so important to her you will dip a toe into it. That seems fair.

You can't deny that part of you is scared, but nevertheless you take Nadia's hand, press it against your cheek, and ask her to make good on her promise. She nods, watching over you with a bright smile, as you use your other hand to draw your wand and dispel your Glamour.

Feels like within moments the river you've been standing above floods it's banks in a big way, and drowns you in thoughts not entirely your own. But you have to agree with what Nadia said earlier - more than anything you feel a soothing warmth wash over you. Thoughts that had been worrying you, crossing your mind time and again without any hope of resolution or answer, suddenly feel like they start to drift away, leaving you floating in a tranquil lake. Your mind is clear, but at the same time your thoughts feel distant, almost disconnected in some cases. It's hard to bridge the gaps, put the pieces together, but that aside it does feel really soothing.

The pressure you put on Nadia's hand slowly loses it's strength, and Nadia uses the opening to grab hold of yours. It feels...how does it feel? Should you feel unnerved? Embarrassed? Happy? Secure? You try to answer that question, but nothing comes to you. Next you try to look at Nadia and pose the question to her, but again the words just have such a hard time forming, let stand coming out. "This is what happens when you try to resist and have it hit you all at once," Nadia, likely in answer to your unspoken question, says with a bright, though also slightly playful smile. Definitely feel like she maybe should have mentioned that earlier. You've no problems piecing together that. "Just give yourself a minute to catch up, shake off the excess. You'll be fine. And, follow me. Story time is about to begin."

With Nadia holding your hand, not that she had any real need to, you're led into the other room where the orphans have sat down on the large carpet. Nadia shows you your place to sit, and she sits down herself in front of everyone. The young girl Nadia is still carrying carefully slides down to sit on her lap, held close in her arms. "Nadia, what's today's story?" one of the orphans asks. Looking around you think you can see what Nadia must have seen in your eyes earlier. That same glassy-eyed look you saw so clearly in the youngest girl earlier is visible in everyone here, the younger orphans moreso than the older ones. Your eyes must look the same as well right now. A shame you don't have a mirror on you to check, though maybe that's for the best.

"Today..." Nadia begins, suddenly trailing off before she briefly shows a weird smile. "Today I'll tell you the story of the cursed girl from Strozza, who was abandoned by her parents and given to strangers in a strange land for an empty, selfish promise. Until fate, ever the trickster, decided on a different plan."

Within three seconds you abruptly feel like you shake off the "excess" that Nadia mentioned earlier. Because Nadia's proposed "story" is talking about herself. Your head might feel like you're floating in the middle of Lake Ardica right now, but you still immediately piece together she's talking about herself. So this is Nadia's way of telling you her life's story? A fitting method of confession for a story teller, you suppose. But is she sure she wants all of the other orphans to hear as well? Well, at the end of the day what can you do but trust that Nadia knows what she's doing? If this is her decision you're not going to step in.

--You take out your wand to whip up a quick spell to counteract whatever Nadia's wings are doing, but as you're ready to draw Phemes you realize that you have absolutely no idea exactly what it is that Nadia's wings are doing. And as such not even half a clue as to how you're supposed to counteract it with a spell. So, eh...that's unfortunate. You can feel the effect of Nadia's wings, whatever it is, slowly envelop and wrap around you, blanketing your thoughts with some sort of...soothing warmth, it feels like, and all you can do is stand here and do nothing about it. That's not a great showing of your Academagia education, now is it?

As you ponder this embarrassment, and your good fortune that whatever this feeling is it at least doesn't seem actively harmful at all, Nadia turns around to face you. "Oh, right! Silly me, I almost forgot: Everyone, meet [PC FIRST NAME]! [S/He]'s a fellow student at the Academagia. Go ahead and introduce yourself before you sit down, [s/he]'ll be joining our story time today."

Like her personal army of magical constructs, forced to obey her every command without question, the dozen-odd orphans walk up to you and briefly introduce themselves. Afterwards they walk off into a different room, where they proceed to sit down on an oversized carpet. The last one to walk by is Nadia herself, who helpfully kneels down so that her passenger can introduce herself as well. The lot of them appear to have this...glassy look in their eyes, almost, some kind of distant stare you're not able to describe very well considering your own thoughts are likewise lost in the same haze. Actually you're probably looking much the same right now, but what are you supposed to do about it? What could you do about it?

"You do realize it says something, when you've got a wand in hand ready to counteract what it is my wings are doing?" Nadia, after turning around again, suddenly asks you. You'll admit, you weren't entirely paying attention to the fact that the youngest orphan still carried on her back was, well, being carried on Nadia's own back. Despite that Nadia is still able to free up one of her hands enough to take a closer look at your face. Your eyes, specifically. "I can see their warmth has settled in you. Please, don't fight it. This is what my wings are, what I am. This is what I want my wings to do. I know it's scary, to give in to something like this, but trust it. Dispelling this feeling is tantamount to dispelling me. Who I am, who I want to be."

You feel like that spiel would have worked better if you, demonstrably, could try and dispel this feeling rather than merely fail to do so. All the same you suppose it's a fair point, and if not that it's definitely a moot point, so you let out a sigh and put away your wand. Honestly this feeling that's washed over you, this soothing warmth as Nadia described it, indeed isn't all that bad. You feel calm, relaxed. Your worries are being pushed back, blanketed in some sort of haze that seems to keep them out of reach. It's certainly comforting, but part of you can't help but feel you'd be better off without...though you retain the good sense not to say as much to Nadia.

Speaking of which, Nadia leads you to where the other orphans have sat down and sits down herself in front of everyone, the youngest orphan on her back carefully sliding down to sit on her lap. "Nadia, what's today's story?" one of them asks. You can't help but feel the atmosphere in here is a bit heavy, but maybe that's just between you and Nadia. Those wings of hers...you try to figure out what you did wrong, how she feels about it, but this haze in your mind just won't let you. Try as you might you can't seem to connect two thoughts together.

"Today..." Nadia begins, trailing off as she seems to give you some sort of pointed look. If only you knew what it meant. Is she angry? Disappointed? Is it some sort of conversational cue you're not picking up on? At least you can't feel too stressed out about it right this second, but that's not exactly a victory in your ears. "Today I'll tell you the story of the cursed girl from Strozza, who was abandoned by her parents and given to strangers in a strange land for an empty, selfish promise. Until fate, ever the trickster, decided on a different plan."

All of a sudden, far more abruptly than you thought possible, your mind seems to shake itself out of this haze and fly to the nearest finish line in three seconds flat. Nadia is talking about herself, this is her scheme to tell you her life story while entertaining the orphans with some sort of dressed up fairy tale. Presumably, at least. Well, alright, you know what to do. And for Nadia's sake if not your own, you better. Unknowingly denying those wings she appears to be so proud of - as if you could have prepared yourself for that, anyhow - is a mistake you made. You'll not make the same mistake again.

-Dispassion. Try to break down and analyse this effect.
--Trying to accept this feeling enough to experience it, while not letting it wash over you to the point you don't have a point of reference to compare it to, is by no means an easy task. Especially when staring at Nadia's wings seems to force this...haze, this feeling of mist or fog to settle in your thoughts. It's by no means unpleasant, quite the contrary it'd do a lot to soothe your nerves and help you forget about your worries for a second, but you want to know what this is. And understanding it means doing this dance with it, giving and taking in equal measure. At least for the moment.

While you're struggling to try and control this new sensation Nadia turns to face you. "Oh, right! Silly me, I almost forgot: Everyone, meet [PC FIRST NAME]! [S/He]'s a fellow student at the Academagia. Go ahead and introduce yourself before you sit down, [s/he]'ll be joining our story time today."

The dozen-odd orphans pause to curtly introduce themselves before heading off into another room, where it seems a large carpet awaits them. Nadia's passenger is the last one to do so, when Nadia herself walks by and helpfully kneels down so her passenger can get introductions done as well. You nod politely at the young orphan, who acknowledges your nod with a shy smile despite seeming fully lost in the haze, then turn your attention to Nadia. She has a half worried, half bemused smile on her face when she sees you rubbing your head in an attempt to keep her wing's effect on you under control. "What is this?" you ask, wanting to say more, but the thoughts just end up...lost in the fog, still disconnected. The charm on her wings has definitely settled in, and trying to maintain the careful equilibrium is proving more difficult than you expected. There's a soothing warmth half blanketing your thoughts, and it's hard to connect the separate halves together.

"Don't fight it, [PC FIRST NAME], it's not harmful," Nadia reassures you, and you're willing to believe it isn't, but your curiosity simply takes priority. "Just let it wash over you, and don't worry about it. This is what I do, what I want to do. You're a part of this story time just like everyone else is right now. Worst case, I'll protect you."

You doubt you'd need any sort of protection in any event, you're not that out of it, but Nadia's request does make you wonder whether it would be rude to refuse. And whether there's really merit in doing so. You can perfectly believe that someone with bizarre magically soothing wings who grew up in an orphanage would take pride in the feeling they give off, even if that's not an impression Nadia has really given you before. Likely due to the fact she's not open about it, though maybe that's a feeling that could rise to the surface if that changes. Beyond that, from a practical standpoint you can't argue giving in would mess with your concentration if this accursed dance with it is noticeably ruining your concentration anyway. You know a serious situation is coming up, so perhaps now is the time to give in and experiment with how much of a hold it really can have over you? You've gotten a feeling for the contrast already, so...yes. Makes sense.

You nod at Nadia and, with some difficulty, switch over to avoid fighting against the feeling. It's a bit awkward at first, but staring at her wings the soothing warmth soon envelops you completely, and starts to settle in. It's comforting, and even yields a calming effect by pushing active thoughts back into the haze. Though this also makes it harder to connect those thoughts together, makes it harder to focus. Assessing yourself you can tell that this soothing effect is affecting your actual worries moreso than your curiosity, so it's not just a blanket or random thing. It feels more focussed, more purposeful than that. You thought this would be something a first year with a decent Glamour could replicate, but these finer details would probably prove to be too much for a first year. Second year, maybe?

While you're lost in thought you slowly follow behind Nadia into the other room. She sits down in front of everyone, and the young girl she carries carefully slides down to sit on her lap, held close in her arms. For your part you simply sit down where there's space, no need to make this complicated. "Nadia, what's today's story?" one of the orphans asks as you sit down. Staring at the orphan you can't help but notice all of them seem to have a distinct glassy-eyed look to them, the younger ones moreso than the older ones. Coincidence? You're doubtful...

"Today..." Nadia begins, suddenly trailing off before she briefly shows a weird smile. "Today I'll tell you the story of the cursed girl from Strozza, who was abandoned by her parents and given to strangers in a strange land for an empty, selfish promise. Until fate, ever the trickster, decided on a different plan."

Nadia's talking about herself. Despite the hazy feeling in your head you immediately piece together she's talking about herself. So this is Nadia's way of telling you her life's story? You suppose it's a fitting method of confession for a story teller, but is she sure she wants all of the other orphans to hear as well? Well, at the end of the day you trust that Nadia knows what she's doing. If this is her decision you're not going to step in.

--Trying to accept this feeling enough to experience it, while not letting it wash over you to the point you don't have a point of reference to compare it to, is by no means an easy task. Especially when staring at Nadia's wings seems to force this...haze, this feeling of mist or fog to settle in your thoughts. It's by no means unpleasant, quite the contrary it'd do a lot to soothe your nerves and help you forget about your worries for a second, but you want to know what this is. And understanding it means doing this dance with it, giving and taking in equal measure. At least for the moment.

To make a long story less long, it's an intricate dance that ends with you stumbling over your own two feet and losing control over this...warmth. It just feels too good, too soothing, too welcoming for you to recognize it as something that needs to be kept at bay. You want to, you've tried to, but you didn't manage it in the end.

"Oh, right! Silly me, I almost forgot," suddenly rings in your ears. You look up and see that Nadia has turned around and indeed just remembered that, oh right, you're here. You'd be disappointed in her if you weren't so busy being disappointed in yourself. "Everyone, meet [PC FIRST NAME]! [S/He]'s a fellow student at the Academagia. Go ahead and introduce yourself before you sit down, [s/he]'ll be joining our story time today."

The dozen-odd orphans walk up and and briefly introduce themselves before heading off into another room, where it seems a large carpet awaits them. Nadia's passenger is the last one to do so, when Nadia herself walks by and helpfully kneels down so her passenger can get introductions done as well. You try to nod politely at the young orphan, but the nod is a bit crooked as you're feeling a bit unsteady on your feet right now. You feel a bit dizzy, but nothing worse than that. Nadia, for her part, looks worried when she sees you rubbing your head in a futile attempt to chase this dizziness away. "What is this?" you ask, still curious about what this is and wanting answers, but the thoughts just end up...lost in the fog. Disconnected. The charm on Nadia's wings has settled in, and while it doesn't feel like it's the cause behind this dizziness you're feeling you don't have any better suggestions either.

"It's what my wings do, [PC FIRST NAME]. That's the best explanation I can give you," Nadia answers. It's not much of one, but it's all Nadia can (or is willing) to give you. She also, despite the passenger on her back, manages to free a hand enough to help rub your head. Not that it helps, but she's trying. "If you're feeling light headed, don't worry, it's only temporary. It can happen the first time you experience this. Just close your eyes, focus on your breathing, and try to clear your head. Leave the rest to me. You're a part of this story time just like everyone else. I'll take care of you, if I have to."

Simple breathing exercises and keeping your head clear? Ha! Nadia should have dispelled the effect and told you to try dancing the dance again. At least that would have been a challenge!

All the same, despite the smug grin on your face, you do take the hand that Nadia holds out for you and let her lead you to where the other orphans have sat down. No need to get overconfident, you've failed once before and if you don't remind yourself of that you're going to fail again more often than you strictly need to. Take a step back and follow Nadia's advice, return to the basics. You'll learn to control this...soothing feeling Nadia's wings give off, just give it time. Step by step, there's no rush.

"Nadia, what's today's story?" one of the orphans asks as you close your eyes and get started. Honestly you're not even in that dire of a state, but the dizzy feeling is still there, so you are curious if you could possibly get a feel for how much this really helps.

"Today..." Nadia answers, suddenly trailing off for some reason you're not paying attention to. You're paying attention to your breathing, and indeed, it works wonders. Curious that it only hits the dizziness, though, not the soothing effect itself. You'll have to continue to experiment with that later, if you get the chance. "Today I'll tell you the story of the cursed girl from Strozza, who was abandoned by her parents and given to strangers in a strange land for an empty, selfish promise. Until fate, ever the trickster, decided on a different plan."

Abruptly your concentration is shattered like the cheapest mirror this side of The Wall, as despite the haze your mind immediately puts together that Nadia is talking about herself. So this is Nadia's way of telling you her life's story? A fitting method of confession, for a story teller. Is she sure she wants all of the other orphans to hear as well, though? Well, at the end of the day you trust that Nadia knows what she's doing. If this is her decision you're not going to step in.

I would say this is the part where the adventure, as mine are want to do, broke off the rails and careened off of the nearest cliff in spectacular fashion, but this is actually still part of the plan...insofar that there was one to begin with. The off the rails section was actually most of the prior stages, if you can believe it.

The plan? I'd explain the inspiration behind it, but rest assured, it's so inexcusably stupid and thoroughly disconnected that context wouldn't even help .

Edited March 2 by Metis

[Metis]

And as punishment for stage 6 being late (and because it's done already anyway), Painting Rumors, Stage 7:

Spoiler

Nadia's audience (yourself included) listens in spellbound attention as she slowly shares her life story, veiled as some sort of Strozzan fairy tale legend. You'd like to give credit where it's due, Nadia knows how to tell a story to these orphan children, and it's obvious this is far from the first time she's done it. But the knowledge that she's indirectly confessing her own tale means you have a special job you need to do. Namely pay close attention and mentally strip away the flair and fairy tale aspect as Nadia tells it, so you know where Nadia comes from, how she ended up where she did, and just what Laila was freaking out about earlier. What, according to Nadia, caused her to collapse beneath the weight of it all.

Once stripped of the fairy tale aspects and the missing blank spots (likely omitted for the sake of the youngest orphans listening) filled back in as best you are able to, Nadia tells the story of how she was born the middle child of two rising entrepreneurs - one Strozzan, one Renaglian - who dared to dream of one day becoming one of the next Merchant Princes. They piled all of their hopes on their first born, and as a result neglected their other children - Nadia specifically was more or less given over to the Imperial Temple in Mineta at a very young age, as part of some (by now long forgotten, except for Nadia herself) political move or appeasement of a then-potential ally. The Temple itself didn't officially adopted her, mind. More specifically Nadia was send to live with the first of her "ally's" business associates in the Tanner's District who couldn't afford to say "no" to his business contact, and Nadia's parents forced her to join the temple and pursue the path of a priestess without question. Or hope that it would ever gain her so much as a hint of their love and respect, which is something she only realized and (bitterly) came to terms with years later. Fortunately what Nadia never got from her parents she did get from the staff at the Temple, as well as the matron of this orphanage the Temple continues to support. Between them Nadia was raised with love and care, despite her origins, and is able to show complete strangers the bright smile they taught her that life deserves. And you would know - you were one of those strangers not too long ago. As for Nadia's old "guardian", he's basically stepped out of the picture. Once he could finally afford to refuse his contacts he did at first opportunity, but despite feeling like they've got a tense relationship at best Nadia bears no grudge against the man. She knows exactly how badly the man was abused by those he trusted, as she has personally experienced his plight multiple times since - once for every child who found themselves at this place's doorstep with nowhere else to go, each of which has ended up embraced in Nadia's wings and arms at one time or another.

It's actually a strange realization that the youngest orphan currently here - that being the girl with the broken leg held in Nadia's arms - wasn't born yet when Nadia started attending the Academagia. It gives you a real sense of just how much time has passed since then, and how much longer Nadia has been here helping to raise these kids. Even as she, herself, was still being raised in turn. It's also interesting to note that as time goes on some of the older orphans also start to clue in that Nadia is actually talking about herself. The younger ones remain blissfully ignorant, though if that is something that should be changed you feel like that's something Nadia herself should explain to them later. You're sure that she wants to be the one to explain it to them, as well.

In any case, speaking of the Academagia, that was the "different plan" that fate apparently decided on which Nadia mentioned earlier. Completely out of nowhere she suddenly got an invitation, and despite bursting at the seams with worry her Temple mentor and the orphanage's Matron both promised to put in double the work so Nadia could forge her own future, and send her off with their blessings. It certainly was the start of a completely different direction for Nadia, but one she embraced willingly. Of course, she did end up facing two challenges. One being the fact that she was send there as her parents' heir, the princess of two wealthy traders from a distant land, rather than the girl from the Tanner's District's orphanage she really was. The other problem was the "curse" Nadia hasn't mentioned too much up to this point - her wings. It's noticeably harder to try and separate this part from the fairy tale fantasy Nadia presents it as, since she lays in on pretty thick (you presume so the younger orphans don't clue in that Nadia has been talking about herself this entire time), but from what you piece together her wings are a hereditary condition brought about by a scorned Fey. Apparently one of Nadia's ancestors was a lonely sort as a kid, ended up meeting and falling in love with a young Fey to the point of promising to marry her when he grew up, but by the time he did he'd gotten human friends and forgotten all about his Fey crush. The spurned Fey, also grown up by that point, cursed him and his descendants to have Fey wings as a reminder of his forgotten love.

That all said you strongly suspect that this is one of those instances where the fairy tale legends as they're told to kids - and as Nadia is telling them to these kids right now - are toned down a great deal compared to their original sources. Extrapolating based on your knowledge of other fairy tales and their original versions you're guessing that Nadia's ancestor either had an affair with this Fey after he had already married a human, in which case the Fey cursed the man's (most likely still unborn) child after she found out to expose his unfaithfulness to his wife, or the ancestor married and perhaps even had a child with this Fey, but was later forced to break up with her and return to the "human" world due to some external pressure. Either of the family or of the pointy object variety, or both. Some overlap exists between the two. Of those two theories the former seems simpler, but the latter is perhaps more likely insofar as this "curse" in concerned? You're not sure what a Fey - or group of them, potentially - can do insofar as cursing people with hereditary conditions like that. Does that indicate that Nadia's family does have some actual Fey heritage in them? Maybe, you're really not sure...

Nadia has a few more things to say about her life's story, like how she initially met Laila over just a common language before becoming the best of friends, but it's stuff that you feel like you're somewhat familiar with already. You also feel like the important bits have already been told, which is a good thing. That poor girl really needs to rest her voice.

As if on cue Nadia starts to cough from how worn out her voice is, and she tells the orphans that she'll finish her story next time, "once she remembers how the rest of it goes". The orphans who clued in on the truth each have a distinct look on them, like they know something big is happening in Nadia's life, but they can't do anything to help out the girl they also care about so much. They also tend to glance at you a lot more often than they did at first, or than their younger, still oblivious peers. They know that you being here, listening to all of this, isn't a coincidence. And they're not wrong.

Before leaving to go back to the Academagia, via the Admiratio to pick up some cooking ingredients to surprise Laila with later, the orphanage matron quickly takes Nadia aside. You can only observe the exchange from a distance, and you aren't able to make out too much of what is said, but what you see is a caring mother giving her grown, but still (relatively) young daughter one last dose of love and encouragement before sending her off to face her destiny and take it into her own hands. Nadia can't quite hold back all her tears in front of the matron, but she picks herself up pretty quickly, and turns towards the exit with that same bright smile you've seen on her before.

You can only hope she'll keep that smile. And not break too many guys' hearts with it. Part of you can't help but feel like the only reason Nadia hasn't already is because she's had all of this weight, all of this history holding her back, forcing her to keep most others at bay. If she lets go of all that? Oh dear...

"Sorry about that," Nadia says, her voice definitely strained, seeing you wait by the front door. "So, ready to go?"

-Indeed. Time to go.
--You nod, and the two of you head off to the Academagia, swinging by the Admiratio on the way as planned. It's a silent trip for the most part, mainly because Nadia really needs to rest her voice. You make some (one-sided) small talk, though.

Once at the Academagia the two of you ask Professor Briardi where Professor Badcrumble is keeping Laila "company", and head over immediately. Professor Briardi, for her part, can tell that this is going to be a personal moment, so she'll content herself with a report from her colleague later.

Nadia knocks on the door to the classroom where Laila and her regent are waiting, and seems to pre-empt her regent's response since you couldn't make anything out. All the same you follow behind Nadia, being her "witness" and all. Inside the classroom Professor Badcrumble is impatiently leaning against the professor's desk, while Laila sits pitifully in one of the regular seats. She turns her head when Nadia calls out to her, silently staring with a mixture of guilt and teary-eyed sadness.

"Am I to assume you can convince Laila to explain what she knows about this rumor business?" Professor Badcrumble asks Nadia. Which, eh...right. That rumor business. You may have completely forgotten about that detail...

"Of course," Nadia answers with a raspy voice. Professor Badcrumble notices and looks a bit concerned, though she doesn't comment on it. Nadia, for her part, sits down on the floor in front of Laila. Laila seems panicked, like she realizes - and is scared of - what's about to happen, but Nadia's bright smile is able to get through to her. At least a little bit. "You thought I was behind those rumors, isn't that right?" Nadia asks, a bit quietly to not stain her voice as much.

Laila briefly looks surprised, either because she didn't think Nadia knew or because she didn't think Nadia would admit it, but you're not sure which. Either way the realization in the face of her close friend quickly overwhelms her. The poor girl can't hold back her tears any longer, but Nadia quickly reacts and pulls the crying girl into her arms. Once she gets an opening she apologises to Laila for relying on her too much, and promises to explain everything so her best friend won't need to worry about keeping everything bottled up any longer. "W-wait," Laila manages to get out in between sobs, "y-you're really going t-to...?"

Nadia nods, and to the absolute, complete and utter lack of surprise - at least on your end, Professor Badcrumble not so much - Nadia sprouts her wings again. Afterwards she whispers some soothing words in Laila's ear, but you're not sure if she even heard them. One look at Nadia's wings and Laila seems to simply melt in her friend's arms. It's a bit surprising, you don't recall it having this much of an effect on you before. Does it affect others differently? You don't recall seeing much of a difference in reaction among the orphans, is Laila different in some way? No clue about that one.

Of course two seconds later, as if to answer your question, Nadia off-handedly mentions that she'll be cooking her home made pasta tonight, and just as quickly as Laila seemed to lose herself in the wings' haze she snaps back to reality and asks Nadia when she's cooking dinner. Alright, however those wings are affecting her it clearly can't be that strong if her friend's cooking snaps her right out of it.

"Well, I suppose this confirms you are indeed of Qureshi lineage," Professor Badcrumble, walking up to the two girls and staring curiously at Nadia's wings, says. Nadia looks nervous when her regent approaches her and even shifts back a little, but it's not too noticeable. Actually, Professor Badcrumble is looking at Nadia's wings...but she doesn't seem to have lost her focus at all? So it can affect different people in different ways after all? "That said, and my apologies for interrupting this tearful moment, but are you responsible for spreading the rumors? Or aware of who is, if not?"

Nadia can't help but laugh at that question. Not clue if that's a good thing or not. "Neither," Nadia clarifies before glancing over her shoulder to see if you're still around. "Laila suspected me because the adoption plan didn't go through. She thought I was lashing out, crying for help, because of-" Nadia is briefly interrupted by another coughing fit. Seems like her voice is at it's limit. "Sorry, because I relied on her too much. Too many secrets, it messed with her head. Ask [PC FIRST NAME], [s/he] can explain the rest. I need to bring this poor girl to her bed...and my voice as well."

Professor Badcrumble points out the irony in Nadia saying she relied on her friend too much, and asking someone else to explain for her with the same breath. But of course she can't really argue against Nadia's raspy voice, so she nods and says she'll plan a meeting with both of them later. Nadia doesn't seem afraid of that, she helps Laila pick herself up and lends her a shoulder as they walk off, leaving you with Professor Badcrumble.

Curiosity compels you to speak up before the regent does. "What was that about 'confirming' Nadia's lineage earlier? You didn't know who her parents are?"

"If it helps this long promised, and long overdue, explanation I've been made to wait on several times reach me any sooner: I knew, but I also wasn't convinced. The Academagia does background checks on prospective students, of course, but Nadia's has been shrouded in fog even before she learned the principles of Astrology and started to actively cover tracks and traces of her past. That said her records, her contacts, her tuition payments, none of those have ever shown any signs of falsehoods or trouble. And I've got a lot of students - and prospective students - to worry about. As such, without just cause to allocate any time or resources to investigate Nadia's secrecy further, I've had to content myself with believing that she is no more, or less, than the current heir apparent to her branch of the Qureshi lineage. Though it appears that you've been tasked with presenting me a different story."

"So I have, but one thing that really stood out - you mentioned that Nadia is the heir apparent? She told me she has an older sibling who's being groomed for that. Her parents' favorite, basically."

"She 'had' an older brother, yes," Professor Badcrumble corrects. "He perished about a year or so back, in a pirate attack on a trade convoy he was leading. Nadia's parents haven't made any official announcements about Nadia's change in status yet, but between the lengthy mourning period and Nadia attending the Academagia I'm not expecting any until she's closer to graduating. Her succession is a forgone conclusion, anyway, given that she's attending the Academagia and her younger brother doesn't." It slowly dawns on you that Professor Badcrumble just said that with a straight face. She genuinely believes this...she really does have no idea. Though apparently she's able to read as much from your expression. "That is my answer. Now, if I could please have my own long overdue share?"

You nod, let out a sigh, and slowly but surely tell Professor Badcrumble the story of the cursed girl from Strozza, the story of how the apparent scion of the Qureshi family ended up growing up among orphans in the Tanner's District. You don't even try to pretend as though you're not talking about Nadia, but the sheer disconnect between what Professor Badcrumble (thought she) knew and what you have to say still makes you feel like you're talking about a completely different person. You also help piece together that Laila knew about everything, and after the adoption plan fell through worried so much she tried to recruit outside help to get things moving in the right direction. That lead to her passing you the note, but Professor Briardi interpreted it as being related to the rumor business when Laila probably never intended (expected?) it to be. So when you ended up confronting her about it she clammed up, because she suspected Nadia was spreading rumors and Laila couldn't explain why Nadia would do something like that without inevitably spilling everything.

It's a very lengthy discussion, all told, but by the end of it Professor Badcrumble actually seems strangely pleased. "I cannot believe that girl-those girls, rather, managed to hide so much for so long...well, regardless, that gives me more than enough context to work with. And reason to investigate. [PC FIRST NAME], you should return to your own affairs for now. You've fulfilled your end of the bargain, and more than once might I add. If I need anything more I'll ask Nadia herself about it...once she's given her voice a chance to rest, at least."

Yeah, you're definitely feeling worn out yourself. You do feel like this isn't the last you've heard about this mess, though. Especially because the Academagia rumor scene is going to explode when it inevitably catches wind of all of this. Heh, better go and reinforce your door, batten down the hatches. Prepare for the coming storm...

I will, at no point, deny that from the PC's(/player's) perspective "giant wall of infodump text" is far from ideal. However - as is so often the case with my mysteries - trying to figure it out organically is about as feasible as trying to intuit the left field solutions to obstacles in old school adventure games. And if not that than I'm sure couldn't manage to give the player hints that aren't anvils, sledgehammers or anvils welded onto the end of sledgehammers anyhow. I also couldn't think of a more appropriate way for this sequence of events to go from the perspective of the NPC's own character, so I kept this stage as-is.

Incidentally, but if the adventure ends up needing to be cut into two parts due to length (it's a lot of words...) this is the most likely stage where that split ends up happening. I think.

Edited July 2, 2023 by Metis

[Metis]

Painting Rumors, Stage 8:

Spoiler

It's time for breakfast in the Great Hall, and your eating is disturbed when Irene Oxina suddenly sits down next to you. Not that she isn't allowed to do so, but it makes you uneasy all the same. "You're not here to pass along a mysterious note, are you?" you pre-emptively ask, just to soothe your nerves if nothing else.

"What? No," Irene answers, looking at you curiously. "I'm just here to eat. Do you really get mysterious notes so often you need to ask people about it?"

Before you can answer an announcement rings out throughout the entire Great Hall, saying, "[PC FULL NAME], please report to the Legate's office."

"No, let's just say I had a premonition," you answer with a defeated sigh. Irene looks even more curious now, but (somewhat awkwardly) starts eating instead of asking you what that was all about. For your part you stand up and get a move on. Best not to keep the Legate waiting.

It's a short and uneventful trip to the Legate's office, with the only real surprise waiting inside: Nadia Qureshi. The Legate is also here, of course, and fortunately he seems to be in a good mood. "[PC FIRST NAME], take a seat," he says, gesturing at an empty chair next to Nadia. You sit down, but can't help but stare around curiously, wondering what this is all about. "Nadia tells me that you've personally witnessed the wings she claims to have. Is this correct?"

You blink, confused. Whatever you were expecting this is not it. "Y-yes? Was that in question, at any point?" You stare curiously at Nadia, but she doesn't give an answer beyond looking away with an annoyed expression.

"Not in question, but also not confirmed as she has refused to show them," the Legate explains.

"I told you I'm not stretching my wings in a room this cramped. And I don't know if it's more embarrassing showing them in private to a professor or showing them to everyone out in public," Nadia explains. It strikes you as a curious thing, her being embarrassed about her wings. You can imagine her being afraid to show them out in public, but she had no issues showing them to Professor Badcrumble before. All the same you point out this office seems large enough to fit her wings. "I know, but they'd be far too close to-surrounded by walls for comfort. I know they look very beautiful and all of that, but they're also made of fragile glass. If I so much as walk into wall with them they break, and that really hurts. I've had that happen a few times taking a wrong turn in the orphanage, and Laila has had to come and carry me back to the Academagia more than once because of it." That sounds...painful. Nadia's expression tells you it was, but of course she tries not to let it show too much. "Anyway, is that all you needed [PC FIRST NAME] for?"

"No, given the circumstances I think not," the Legate answers. Nadia flinches, though you're not sure why. Fortunately the Legate explains it to you. "Kate-Professor Badcrumble, rather, has been looking into the situation surrounding Nadia's parents and her...let's say 'history' in the Tanner's District. It's a powder keg that's waiting to go off, and will probably sooner rather than later. The period of mourning for Nadia's late brother has passed, so I don't believe her parents will be able to maintain the charade for much longer. The faculty wishes to be prepared for that event as best we can, and ensure our students are prepared as well. To that end Kate has gotten in contact with Laila's parents about...revisiting their daughter's request to adopt Nadia, as well as select legal and diplomatic contacts to get a better sense of how...enforceable the parental claim over Nadia that Nadia's parents still legally have is long-term. Though that situation is still very much kept under wraps, for the moment."

You decide to just ask the million Pim question straightaway, namely why you're being told about this if that whole situation is (supposedly) still "kept under wraps". The Legate shows a smirk at your forwardness.

"Because there is more to attend to than Kate and I can handle on our own. And while Nadia's secret - entire life story, really - will undoubtedly end up in the hands of the student body sooner or later, for now we're trying to keep as few people informed as possible. Which brings me to you, who knows more about this situation than I do in some respects already - you've seen Nadia's wings twice, I'm told, while I've still only had them described to me. Not to mention that if things end up moving forward before we're ready, a well informed wildcard could prove a very useful unexpected ally to have on our side." You're flattered and all of that, but you do ask whether the Legate has already asked Laila for help as well. "She is contributing in her own way, the situation with her parents and all, but Nadia insisted that that is all we rely on her for. Evidently Nadia has been over-reliant on Laila in the past, and wishes to give her friend a much-needed chance to catch her breath."

That's comforting to hear. Laila deserves a break, and you know how badly she needs one. Of course that means it's apparently your turn next, so...yeah. That's fun. "Alright. So what is it you want me to do, exactly?"

"I understand that this is going to be a strange request, but first off - for Nadia's own sake - I want to have her wings checked. Obviously I'm no expert on the subject, but I simply cannot imagine 'made of fragile glass', as she put it earlier, is indicative that her wings are healthy. Or if they really are that vulnerable I would like to know what could be done to protect them. Treat them when, inevitably, they get injured. We can't reasonably assume that this matter will stay a secret, the story is going to reach the student body eventually and spread like wildfire shortly thereafter. We'll need to prepare for that eventuality, when we're still able to do so."

Huh. Makes sense, so you ask Nadia what she knows about the condition of her wings. And, afterwards, what she thinks about this whole situation, for that matter. "Ah, well...I-I mean, I c-can't disagree with any of it," she says shyly, actually looking away a bit. "A-as for my wings, I don't really remember them always being like this. They used to be a lot smaller so I never really ran them into stuff. Until they suddenly started growing like crazy. I-I don't want to be ignorant about this stuff, it's just...I-I can't exactly ask my parents about it, now can I?"

Again, logical points, and one important question that won't go left unsaid on your end. "Nadia, why are you freaking out right now?"

"...I'm scared, alright?" Nadia answers after a tense moment. "So much is happening so fast and it feels like there's nothing I can do because I can't even stretch my wings when I'm stuck in a small room like this. I'll admit I didn't really mind the rumors all that much, sure it annoyed me that people were talking dirt about complete strangers who just needed a listening ear but I didn't mind the attention. It made me feel wanted, special...like I wasn't the weird girl from the Tanner's District hiding behind the mask of a princess. This, though? This just feels like I'm stuck in a cage being observed by people who can't even tell whether or not I'm a rat, let stand whether part of me is supposedly dying or not. And I don't know that either. It's miserable."

Definitely more open about her feelings than Laila, at least. A real shame she's lost her bright smile, though. Time to see if you can get that back. "I'm not expecting much, but: Any potential leads, Legate?"

"I asked Professor Piaxenza about possibly getting in contact with Fay communities, though he told me not to expect much of anything on that front. It's not something that is done often, and our overall knowledge of fay communities - the fay in general, for that matter - is limited at best. My biggest hope is that someone else in Nadia's family has attended the Academagia before, and left some manner of written record behind. If such a textbook were donated to the academy it should have been recorded and archived somewhere, but what pile of books it has been lost in in the decades if not century and change since I don't know. Alternatively there is...one moment." The Legate opens a drawer and rifles through a number of records before finding the one he's looking for. "Rainer Schroeder. Third year Vernin student with a pixie Familiar who could maybe be of some help. The Familiar is rumored to come from a family of - to use a recognizable human term - physicians, though chose to become a Familiar to pursue a personal dream of working the forge instead. My concern here is that pixies have markedly different wings than Nadia does, or so the descriptions I was given leads me to assume, as such I have no idea how much help Rainer's Familiar could offer. It's an angle, though, if nothing else you might at least be pointed in the right direction. Better than Professor Piaxenza likely could, in any event."

"I'm sure I already know the answer to this, but just in case: There's no other member of the Qureshi line attending the Academagia right now? No long forgotten exiled cousins or something, someone who doesn't appear on official family records and has adopted a different name?" As expected the Legate explains that if such a student exists the faculty is unaware of it. And he would have no idea where to even begin looking for potential suspects, who - for their part - may or may not possess any greater knowledge than Nadia herself does, at this point. Not that anything so far has been especially tempting, but even so this idea sounds like a particularly solid dead end.

So...a hypothetical long lost book, an even more hypothetical long lost relative of Nadia, or a long shot attempt to convince a Familiar who, if she is able to do so in the first place, may or may not be willing to help you. Feels like the Legate kinda hung you out the dry on this one, yet you still want to give it your best shot. Not just because it would be that much more awesome if you succeeded despite the odds, but because Nadia definitely needs to get her wings checked. And some source who can explain to her what those wings even are, given that her family is...not going to be filling that role, most likely.

Alright...what now?

-Research. Library diving time.
--You step out of the Legate's office intending to try and find written records of Nadia's wings, but being left with the question of how you're even supposed to go about doing that. You suppose the best starting point is the Venalicium, to research Nadia's family tree. If you can get a list of every name that has been attached to the family cursed with a fay's wings you could then search for books written by those names, see if any of them have what you're looking for. It's a long shot, but it's a start.

In the Venalicium you pretty quickly figure out that trying to find solid information here is like trying to extract kindness from a dragon. The name "Qureshi" appears precisely nowhere other than on student lists that includes Nadia's own name, and while you are able to find scarce references to her family's curse they're so obscure that you pretty much have to be actively looking for them in order to see the connections. And when you do finally put the pieces together it just seems to tell the story of a piece of local folklore, spreading and inevitably twisting as it is taken from it's point of origin. Knowing that Nadia's wings are real you can gain some actual information from this mess, but at the same time you can see why Rikildis wasn't able to put these pieces together. Assuming she ever tried to do any research into Nadia's history like this.

Following this trail you discover that sometime within the original cursed ancestor's lifetime there was some sort of schism that lead to various winged children to leave their home town and go their own separate ways. They each took their own version of their family's story with them, which ended up becoming the different local folklores based on the original. Some also adopted different names, either for their own reasons or when they married into different families, although from there the trail goes cold. Maybe if you could access local libraries you could find out more, but for the Venalicium that's the end of that. It's good enough, though - you got some names you can look into more deeply, and if one of them did write a textbook or donate something to the Academagia at some point you should be able to find a record of it.

A bit of searching through indexes with a fine toothed comb and diving through dusty archives later you find what the Legate was hoping for: An archived graduation speech from seventy-odd years ago, given by a former Morvidus student bearing the name of one of the cursed descendants you read about earlier. Reading between the lines there's oblique hints in the speech about the student's (evidently undiscovered) wings, something about acceptance that you can't imagine made much of an impact when no one had any context for what the guy was talking about, and a promise to donate both his diary and his life's work to the Academagia's libraries once he had "grown enough to speak with confidence about his condition". Scouring the records from that date on you eventually stumble across the (former) student's name again about a decade later, when (unexpectedly both then and now, most likely) his diary was given to the Academagia as per his last will and testament. You do look, but there's no information to be found here about where or why he suddenly died. You just really hope it's nothing related to his wings, for Nadia's sake.

The diary in question is given a distinct title in these records, which is all you need to find it in whatever library it might be hiding in. You start off with the Venalicium's own index and wouldn't you know it, it's right here. Stored away in the Linguistic Section, given the diary is written entirely in Bassan. All this time...no matter. You found it. You go and grab it, being surprised when you see just how hefty the tome is, and start quickly scanning through later pages to see if this book has what you're looking for. The good news is that what makes Nadia's wings so brittle is described in extensive detail, including how to heal them. The diary also describes the social aspect of Nadia's wings, what function they normally serve among fay and how that ends up (not) translating to humans. Unfortunately the author of this diary ended up an example of why the latter is just as important. The final entry, in wild scribbles, talks about desperate plans to amputate his "cursed" wings. Given that's the final entry...yeah. The graduate should have listed to his own speech when he talked about acceptance, you suppose.

You head back to the Legate's office, hefty diary in hand, and are surprised to see Nadia is still here. The Legate asks if you've found something already, staring curiously at the big book you brought along. You nod and drop it on the Legate's desk, explaining the author is a distant relative of Nadia who spend his time studying and researching every aspect of his family's wings. Though he never got to finish that research, hence the only surviving record being his diary. "It describes more than just the physical condition of, in this case, Nadia's wings, too," you quickly add before the Legate can comment. "It also discusses the social aspect, what the wings are normally for in fay society, and all of that. That is something I feel is important for Nadia to have explained to her as well, and no offence, but I think it would be easier on her if I explained that part. In the meantime I can see to her treatment, explain that part as well. The process is simple enough, it'll just take a lot of time."

Nadia looks nothing short of concerned, while the Legate curiously asks what you're talking about. You show the Legate the relevant entries in the diary, as well as the last one as an answer to the unspoken question of why you're so concerned about Nadia's mental state because of all of this. Little is said between the two of you, but by the end of it the Legate still gives you an understanding nod. "Right. I'll go and inform Kate about these developments. You two can use this office to tend to Nadia's wing and have that private talk in the meantime." You nod, and wait patiently for the Legate to walk out. Which leaves you alone with Nadia, who looks...eh...what's a word for "more than concerned"?

"What the hell was that all about!?" she barks out. You hold up a hand, tell Nadia to calm down, and ask her if she wants to tend to her wings first or if she wants to know the other side of the diary first. "The latter," she spits out with all due impatience, but you calmly nod and say the two of you can take a look at the diary together. Nadia is clearly upset, mostly because she's still afraid of all of this unknown right in front of her, but while you might not be her equal in dramatic story telling you can sit down next to her and guide her through what the diary has to say about what her wings are for. It's not an easy talk to have with someone two years your senior, but you're familiar enough with keeping a clear head about you while studying odd texts to support Nadia. Though maybe that's just because, ultimately, none of it is personal to you. The only part that might be is what role Nadia's wings usually have in child raising, since that's referring to the soothing feeling they give off, but that's something you'll (apparently) be growing out of in a year or two anyway.

"I can't believe I never knew about any of this," Nadia, with a tone more quiet than her flushed red face would suggest, mutters underneath her breath. "[PC FIRST NAME], i-if it's not too much to ask, c-could you..." Without you having to suggest it Nadia stops to take a deep breath. "Could you check my beating muscles, make sure they're there? And healthy? I-I...I do remember feeling them before, I think, but...I'm not sure." You nod, tell Nadia to relax, and using the diary as a guideline carefully examine Nadia's back, where her wings are. She does have beating muscles hidden right below her skin, and as far as you can tell they are healthy. That Nadia has never used them before is a shame, though. Unlike a pixie, who'd use wings to fly, Nadia's wings are used to attract guys. She can't actually control her wings consciously, but if a guy manages to attract her, well, her wings will try to attract said guy in turn.

"So, ready to tend to your wings' physical condition?" you ask. Nadia nods, and finds a place she's comfortable stretching her wings in this office, while you go to open up the blinds. It turns out those wings require sunlight in order to stay healthy, and their current pale and brittle state is indicative of them being severely starved thereof. Nadia, with extremely slow and careful movements while her wings are out, moves a chair to face against the window, and sits down in it, wings facing the sun. Now for the very long process of using magic to help "wake up" her wings, and get them to start absorbing sunlight in earnest again. Casting and making the required spell work isn't hard, but much like cleaning up a dirty room you can't simply magic everything into the nearest closet and call it a day. Nadia's wings are going to need a lot of careful attention to properly clean up, but it's worth doing even if it'll take literal hours. They'll take a long time to recover and start healing on their own otherwise.

Somewhere north of an hour into the process, still far from the finish line, and the side effects of Nadia's wings finally being able to work again is starting to become a problem. Nadia is fighting to stay awake as her wings feel like they're running a marathon after years spend sitting on the bench, and you're starting to worry. As such you suggest that Nadia ask Laila help hold her steady, but of course she rejects that idea. "Nadia, you can't even keep your head up. You're going to need to rely on someone if you don't want to doze off, fall and break one if not both wings, so who is it going to be?"

"...Laila," Nadia annoyedly answers after a moment. "She'd worry if I didn't ask her for help, so fine. Go and get her, please, she should be studying in the Venalicium right now." You nod and quickly head off to find Laila, hoping you're not going to come back to Nadia sleeping on her seat. Laila is exactly where Nadia said she'd be, though, so it's a very short trip all told.

Laila, like Nadia said, is actually relieved that Nadia called on her. And apparently for good reason, because she solves the geometric puzzle of how to support a potentially sleeping Nadia while seating Laila reasonably comfortably for the next few hours while keeping Nadia's wings facing the window in three seconds flat - rotate the chair ninety degrees, Laila sits down in the chair normally, Nadia sits down on Laila's lap with her wings still facing the window, and if she falls asleep she can support herself against Laila's chest. Nadia pouts a bit about feeling embarrassed by Laila's solution, but doesn't require much convincing to put it into action. And, of course, less than two minutes later she's out like a light. For your part you continue to silently work on cleaning Nadia's wings. It's taking forever, sure, but the soothing effect you feel does wonders for making you lose track of time, it feels like. Or at least stop you from worrying about it.

What feels like around three hours later you finally, at long last, are done. Nadia is still fast asleep in the comfortable bed she's made of Laila, who in turn is visibly relieved she'll soon be able to move again. You ask Laila to carefully wakes up Nadia while you head off to find the Legate and Professor Badcrumble. As for finding the Legate you do consider that he probably has something in his office you could use to summon him, but you really don't want to mess around with anything and accidentally touch the wrong item. Old-fashioned search it is.

--You step out of the Legate's office intending to try and find written records of Nadia's wings, but being left with the question of how you're even supposed to go about doing that. You suppose you'll just throw words at the Venalicium and see what pops out. It's worked before, maybe it'll work again.

Several hours of pulling one dust covered old tome out of a long forgotten shelf after another, and you've got more information than you ever wanted about all kinds of wings both real and mythological, but unfortunately nothing that seems to relate to Nadia's wings. Why is it so difficult to find any good information about them? Not that you were expecting an easy time but you weren't expecting this much noise in an empty room either.

You keep looking, but soon enough your eyes start to hurt from all the reading. Time to pack up and come back to this later, assuming you can still stand the sight (and smell) of old books by that point...

-Heraldry. Search for a relative, or contact thereof.
--The best source of information would surely be someone who is personally familiar with these sorts of wings. As improbable as it might be that another such person is attending the Academagia right this second, you have to imagine that within the entirety of Mineta - culturally mixed, jaded against these sorts of "conditions" and likely to attract them as it is - there surely is someone who can at least put you in contact. Actually, Nadia's own family. Complications, sure, but perhaps a sufficiently convincing intermediate can get them to assist Nadia without either side cluing in. Unlikely, but probably what you're going to have to resort to. For now let's just keep that plan in the back of your mind.

You ask Nadia about everything she knows about her ancestry, which amounts to a referral to her old temple mentor given she grew up in the Tanner's District, and head off there again to meet the man. The trip feels a lot more routine given how much you've learned since you were here looking for Nadia, and finding your way around is no issue when you speak the language and know how to leverage Nadia's reputation. The temple Nadia (partially) grew up in is a smaller building than you're used to seeing in the main areas of Mineta, dedicated to one of the saints who's paradigm attracts few followers in a city as flooded with commerce as Mineta...if you've the fortune to live in the upper districts, that is.

Inside the temple it takes little effort to find a man who's name you were given, and after proper introductions are made he agrees to share what information he's uncovered over the years. It's ultimately not much, but the man has been gathering what he can about Nadia's family and the condition of their wings. Initially only to assist his ward, but later also in the event that Nadia would have winged offspring of her own. Honestly you can't help but agree with the man - after seeing Nadia in the orphanage it truly is all too easy to imagine that scenario.

As for the man's information, the long and short is that the descendants of Nadia's original cursed ancestor separated sometime within the man's lifetime after some unknown schism, each taking their own version of their family history with them and many changing their names as they married into other families and so on. It's muddied the waters to the point you doubt anyone could find much clear information about this in Mineta. Maybe a deep dive into local libraries might yield enough strands to make some connections given you know exactly what to look for, but it'd be a tall order regardless. "It doesn't help that some of these relatives' descendants ended up scattering to different islands altogether," Nadia's mentor adds, as if this wasn't difficult enough. "I can only imagine how difficult it must be to grow up as a 'cursed' child everyone knows about. That's one problem Nadia thankfully never had. Though, in turn, it came with it's own set of problems."

Such as her current ignorance and the seeming unhealthiness it's caused her wings to fall into, yes. You ask if the man knows anything about these descendants who travelled to other islands, not expecting any answer, but you're surprised to hear that these off-island descendants are often more visible than those living in Strozza, in a way. Since the Temple has greater presence on the other islands, and are likely to be called in to verify that these descendants aren't cursed in a bad way when clueless locals inevitably learn of these wings, there's actually reliable records on them. Of course such reports still only happen about once a decade or so, at least as far as Nadia's mentor is aware. "The last such report was, oh...five or six years ago? Somewhere around there, I believe," the man slowly says, recalling the memories bit by bit. "Velocian nobles filed such a request with the Temple, which was forwarded to me. They wished to invite a promising youth to join their court, and wanted answers to the questions the Astrologer they hired couldn't answer. Turns out the boy had wings, but I told them on no uncertain terms that the boy - wings and all - would treat them no worse or better than any other. Given the same care, and attention." You ask if the man recalls the boy's name, or if not that the name of the family who courted him. "Hmm...I do remember the child had a memorable name, somehow. Something related to...clouds? Weather? I can't recall, but something about it stood out."

Evidently it didn't stand out enough. Though...wait a minute. "Rainer? Rainer Schroeder?" you ask. Nadia's mentor nods, saying that was it. He also recalls the name of the nobles who courted him, but, eh...that seems of relative minor import all of a sudden...

You thank the man for his help and head straight back to the Academagia, deciding to swing by the Grand Forge. Curiosity is just overflowing right now. You swiftly navigate the place until you find Rainer, and ask him if you could talk somewhere in private. "You don't hear the banging and the clanging?" Rainer asks, indeed against a background of hammers striking metal and fires roaring as bellows are worked. "If you want to say something, say it. Elsewise I've got work to do." It's hard to know where to start when you've got so much you want to say. But not wanting to risk coming off as blackmail you start with the Legate's request, and follow up with what you learned about Rainer in your search for someone who could assist. In the end you simply ask Rainer if he can help. His expression at the end is as stoic as it was to begin with, despite the revelations. "Guess I should. Alright," he says plainly. He then takes a minute to inform his Familiar where he's off to, and follows you to the Legate's office.

Inside the office Nadia and the Legate are both still here, whatever conversation they were having coming to an abrupt halt. "Ah, Rainer Schroeder?" the Legate asks, to which Rainer nods. Nadia, meanwhile, stares at Rainer with mixed emotions. "I trust [PC FIRST NAME] informed you of the situation?"

"Mine moreso than yours, actually," Rainer says with an oddly normal tone. The Legate isn't sure how to interpret that. "[PC FIRST NAME], was it? Step aside, please."

You do, knowing what'll happen next. "You can't be serious," Nadia says, right before Rainer manifests his own wings. The Legate is taken aback, but Nadia looks caught between disbelief and disappointment. "I-no! I refuse to-you can't be serious!" she repeats, but no. This wild ride has only just gotten started.

"Couple of generations will do that," Rainer plainly says. Either he's well practised at maintaining his composure or stoic by nature. "Anyway, that's my qualifications. I trust there's no problems?"

The Legate can't do anything but shake his head and say he'll go and inform Professor Badcrumble about the developments, and that the three of you can use his office to tend to Nadia's wings in the meantime. Rainer seems fine with that, but of course Nadia is still a bit out of it. "I seriously refuse to believe this. Actually, are you sure your wings are the same as mine? They look different, your uniform doesn't look modified, and I don't see [PC FIRST NAME] experience any soothing effect either."

Now that Nadia mentions it, she's right. Where Nadia's wings have a lot of thin lines curving around many small, colorful shapes, Rainer's wings show far fewer, but thicker and overall straighter lines. The shapes are likewise far fewer in number, but much larger individually. There's also a noticeable difference in color - Nadia's wings are colorful despite their almost sickly pale hue, but Rainer's healthy(?) wings nevertheless seem drab in comparison. Finally Rainer's wings do go straight through his Academagia student uniform, and you indeed don't feel the same soothing effect set in despite staring closely at Rainer's wings.

"That's the difference between male and female wings. And my enchanted uniform," Rainer points out with an indifferent tone. Nadia, clueless as she is, curiously asks if her wings really are so different purely because she's a girl. In response Rainer grabs a chair to sit down in front of Nadia, and starts plainly - clinically, almost - explaining the differences between their wings, what their respective wings can do, why they do it, what they're normally used for among fay, and to what extent (if any) that translates to humans. You patiently wait your turn, truthfully not paying too close attention. A fair bit of this is ultimately academic knowledge to Nadia, and for you even more so. You do pay attention to the part about the soothing effect that Nadia's wings have (and that Rainer's wings don't), apparently normally used in child raising. Though all you learn is that you should grow out of it in a year or two.

"Any other questions?" Rainer eventually asks. Nadia slowly shakes her head. She's going to need time to let the revelation of Rainer's wings sink in. "Than let's talk about your beating muscles. Actually, let's check to see if they're there and healthy. [PC FIRST NAME]?" You snap to attention hearing your name mentioned. "You perform the examination. Just stay calm and follow my lead, you'll manage just fine." Kinda regretting not paying attention earlier and thus not knowing why you should do this instead of Rainer, but if that's what he thinks is best you'll believe it. He's right, of course. You carefully follow Rainer's instructions, putting slight pressure on Nadia's back where her wings sprout while Nadia focusses on some basic breathing exercises to remain calm. You can feel muscles beneath the skin, and based on what Rainer is telling you they're healthy. "Alright, good. Only females have those muscles, and they'll cause your wings to beat when they want to attract a mate," Rainer continues without missing a beat himself. "Don't fight it, and don't try to hide your wings or you'll get muscle cramps. If you want to make them stop ask someone to massage your beating muscles. Apply pressure to the top first, slowly move down until you reach the bottom, and repeat. Up to you whether you prefer a smooth sliding motion or a more intermittent 'trot' massage."

Nadia slowly nods, looking a bit overwhelmed, as Rainer says he'll move on to treating her wings next. He asks you to open the blinds, and you do so as Nadia moves to the centre of the room and hesitantly stretches her wings. Rainer has a pained look on his face seeing her wings, likely recalling some bad memory, though only briefly. He asks Nadia to take a seat with her wings facing the sun, and quickly runs both of you through what's wrong with Nadia's wings and what needs to be done. In short Nadia's wings require sunlight sort of like plants do, and their current pale and brittle state is akin to a withered flower stem. However Nadia's wings aren't dead, instead they're clogged with waste that sunlight would normally keep clean. So clogged her wings can't clean themselves effectively anymore, though Rainer has a solution: A spell which, while only affecting a tiny area of Nadia's two (relatively) large wings, will clear pathways inside them such that they'll be able to absorb sunlight and clean themselves up much more effectively. Rainer says when his Familiar gave him the same treatment earlier in his life it shaved years off of his own recovery from the same condition, so despite the hours this process will take you readily agree to help Rainer as best you can.

About an hour in, with Nadia saying she can feel parts of her wings starting to "wake up" and start running a marathon after years spend on the bench, as it were, she also starts to show signs of severe fatigue. It gets to the point where you're afraid she's not going to last the hours more this will take, so you ask Nadia if you should go fetch Laila to help keep her steady. Nadia tries to reject the idea, but you're not having any of it. "Nadia, you can't keep your eyes open even just talking to me. You're going to need to rely on someone if you don't want to doze off, fall and break one if not both wings, and me and Rainer are working on them. So who is it going to be?"

"...Laila," Nadia annoyedly answers after a moment. "She'd worry if I didn't ask her for help, so fine. Go and get her, please, she should be studying in the Venalicium right now." You nod to Nadia as well as to Rainer, and head off to find Laila. That said she's exactly where Nadia told you she'd be, so it's not much of a search.

Laila, like Nadia said, is actually relieved that Nadia called on her. And apparently for good reason, because she solves the geometric puzzle of how to support a potentially sleeping Nadia while seating Laila reasonably comfortably for the next few hours while keeping Nadia's wings facing the window in three seconds flat - rotate the chair ninety degrees, Laila sits down in the chair normally, Nadia sits down on Laila's lap with her wings still facing the window, and if she falls asleep she can support herself against Laila's chest. Nadia pouts a bit about feeling embarrassed by Laila's solution, but doesn't require much convincing to put it into action. And, of course, less than two minutes later she's out like a light. Knowing Nadia is in good hands you and Rainer can properly focus on tending to her wings, which ends up taking another two hours and change before all is said and done.

"Alright, all done," Rainer says after inspecting Nadia's wings one final time. Laila looks relieved she'll finally be able to move again, though after she carefully wakes up Nadia, who seems to have made a comfortable bed out of her friend. "Is that all?" Rainer asks, and you bring up the idea to write down the details of Nadia's - and Rainer's, to a lesser extent - wings, so she can read through it later at her own pace. Rainer nods and thinks to include what Nadia will need to do to properly, fully heal her wings as well, which is a good idea on Rainer's part. After that you bid Rainer goodbye as he returns to the Academagia Grand Forge and goes back to work like nothing ever happened. You'll admit you can't help but worry about him, as steady and steadfast as Rainer seems from first impressions, but right now you've got Nadia to worry about. You'll just have to put a pin into Rainer and address him if and when you find the time.

For now you should find the Legate as well as Professor Badcrumble, and inform them that Nadia's wings have been checked and treated. Chances are you could summon the Legate here with one of the things in his office, but you don't know what and don't want to risk touching the wrong object, so you'll suffice with looking for them the old fashioned way.

--The best source of information would surely be someone who is personally familiar with these sorts of wings. As improbable as it might be that another such person is attending the Academagia right this second, you have to imagine that within the entirety of Mineta - culturally mixed, jaded against these sorts of "conditions" and likely to attract them as it is - there surely is someone who can at least put you in contact. Actually, Nadia's own family. Complicated, sure, but perhaps a sufficiently convincing intermediate can get them to assist Nadia without either side cluing in.

You head off to do some research into Nadia's parents. But not only is it incredibly difficult (if not impossible) to find any sort of useful information about Nadia's ancestry in general, but useful information on how to convince Nadia's parents to share information without cluing in is, somehow, even more impossible to find. You knew this wasn't going to be easy, of course, but you did at least think this would be feasible. It seems like that is not the case, though. There's nothing here that could have reasonably told you that Nadia's parents have wings short of Nadia herself, and of course that excuse couldn't possibly end well.

Right. So...you're not sure where to go from here, actually. You'll have to give this some thought and maybe think of a different approach, because this one isn't going to work...

-Forge. Try asking Rainer's Familiar for advice.
--You actually know Rainer, although it'd be a stretch to even call him an acquaintance. And you're equally sure he doesn't know much more about you, if he even knows your name at all. Nevertheless you decide to try asking him about this first. He's often at work in the Academagia's Forges, and while the feeling may not be mutual you at least feel vaguely familiar with him.

At the Forges you casually navigate directly to where Rainer prefers to do his work, and find him in his usual spot. Tall, stoic, proud, and above all else ripped from his work at the forge, the guy completely ignores your existence until there's a break in his workflow. You understand, of course, and politely wait your turn from a safe distance. Not that you need to be told when to approach, mind. You know how this goes. "Do you need something?" Rainer asks, and knowing he values his time you get straight to the point: The Legate asked you to find someone who can diagnose someone with fey-like wings, since there are serious (if entirely guesswork) concerns they're not healthy. Rainer quirks an eyebrow at the strange request, and whistles for his Familiar.

Soon a pixie you can only describe as "buff" flies in from somewhere further back, asking if you're here for a job commission. After Rainer quickly relates your request...he? She? The buff physique, forger's overalls and short, topknot hair makes you think male, but is that by choice or just a uniform? Or did pixie fashion change on you last you checked? How do you really tell with pixies, again? You'd ask, but given the perplexed look on the pixie's face you suspect this situation is awkward enough already. "Are you pulling my leg here? I became a Familiar to get away from that stuff, you know."

"Personal favor for the Legate, though," Rainer counters. "Sounds serious too." You nod at that, though in hindsight you regret doing that. Worth it to try and convince the pixie, you guess, but still careless.

"For the love of...alright, fine. Twist my arm too why don't you. What do these wings look like, what's the problem?" the pixie, clearly unhappy about getting roped into this, asks. You describe Nadia's wings as best you can remember them, and while the pixie does get a knowing look on their face they also looks increasingly concerned. "You have got to be kidding me. Pale and brittle wings, what, during the final growth spurt? I'll help fix that just so I don't have to have nightmares about it, but who's going to do my share of today's work?" You offer to do the pixie's forging work yourself. You're no stranger to that, and you've got time. The pixie (unsurprisingly) isn't convinced, but Rainer vouches for you, apparently having seen you at work here before. You'll admit, you do feel a bit flattered there. "Fine with me, if Rainer thinks you'll cut the mustard you're his problem. Alright, you're coming with me to check out your friend. If this is going to take several hours you can walk back and get to work, otherwise I don't want someone messing with my station for a quick check-up. We have a deal?"

You nod. Others might be offended at having to make the extra trip, but you know the feeling of having a personal work space organized just right and it getting completely ruined when someone else uses it for even one minute. It's not even necessarily that they don't put the tools back where they belong, it's that inescapable feeling of never being able to be sure whether or not they did. Rainer nods as well, and so you end up going right back to the Legate's office. The Legate and Nadia are still inside, both surprised at your quick return.

"This the patient?" the pixie asks, looking at Nadia. She looks...apprehensive at who you've brought, but doesn't say anything. "I'm not going to lie, I wasn't expecting a human. But alright, Academagia attracts all types. Myself included. Though I'm guessing the girl's completely clueless about her wings? Physically and socially?"

Nadia looks away in equal parts embarrassment and shame, while the Legate points out that human society doesn't have much in the way of social norms with regards to wings. The pixie frowns deeply, flies over to the Legate and starts whispering into his ear. The man's expression changes quickly. "Ah...u-understood. I'll, eh, go and talk to Kate about this. She should be informed. The two-or three of you can use this office to check Nadia's wings after I've stepped out."

The three of you silently watch the Legate leave, but a second afterwards a slightly panicked Nadia demands to know what the pixie just told him. "What a girl's wings are for, and why 'human social norms' can get off it's high horse and take a proper hike about them not having any. Have you really never figured out what makes those wings of yours beat? Or do you not have beating muscles at all?" Nadia's confused, though (you note) not entirely clueless, expression apparently tells the pixie all they need to know. In response they fly over and perform some kind of quick physical examination on Nadia's back. Nadia apparently manages to relax enough for it despite the situation she's in. "You have them, and they seem healthy. Seriously, you really need to get out more."

Nadia begs for an explanation, and gets one, but while the pixie lowers their voice the empty office still lets you listen in while you patiently wait for your turn. Like the Legate suspected Nadia's wings are a completely different affair from the wings the pixie is using right now - Nadia's aren't used to fly, they're used to attract "mates". Why, yes, the pixie's terminology is noticeably clinical. A sign of the house they were raised in, you'd guess. The pixie goes into more detail about how this process exactly works among actual fay, what tricks Nadia can use to help control her wings and whatnot, but you don't pay too close attention. Most of it is purely academic knowledge for Nadia, let stand yourself. The only part you actually listen to intently ends up being what role Nadia's wings (usually) have in child raising, since that's talking about the soothing effect you've experienced before. Though all you really learn is that you should grow out of feeling it within a year or two at most.

"Now, wings, please? Oh, and other kid, open the blinds. Get some light in here." You nod and do as the pixie asks. Meanwhile a nervous Nadia walks into the centre of the office, carefully looks around her for how much space she has, and reluctantly stretches her wings. You turn around just in time to see the pixie's mortified face as they stare at Nadia's wings. You can still feel the soothing sensation try to set in, but somehow you doubt the pixie feels it. "Oh for-what did these wings do to you that you've let them wither like this!?" the pixie scolds, though of course Nadia has no clue what she did wrong. The pixie points to a chair by the now revealed window. "Go sit in that chair, wings facing the sun, and get comfortable. Other kid, this is going to take like all day. You know what to do."

You nod, briefly explain to Nadia where you'll be going, and head off. Filling in for the pixie is hard, and at times frustrating work - you will freely admit that the sheer precision a pixie forger can achieve by human standards is not something that crossed your mind before you realized just what you signed yourself up for - but while Rainer has high standards and even higher ambitions he does also have a respect for the amount of effort you (need to) put in to produce results that he can work with. It's tough work that ends up dragging on for over an hour and a half because you have to redo and spend extra time refining so much, but you put your back into it and, eventually, get it done. "You've done your share," Rainer says as he examines and, finally, approves of the final piece you bring him. He than suggests going back to check up on your friend, see there's anything you can do for them. Sounds like a good idea, so off you go. Again.

Back at the Legate's office Nadia and the pixie are still here, the former looking like she's fighting to keep her eyes open. You ask the pixie if that's normal, and they nod while Nadia explains that her wings feel like they're running a marathon after having sat on the bench for a few years. It doesn't hurt, but it is tiring her out. You suggest getting Laila to help hold her steady, but of course Nadia rejects that idea. "Nadia, you can't keep your eyes open even just talking to me. You're going to need to rely on either me or Laila if you don't want to doze off, fall and break one if not both wings, so who is it going to be?"

"...Laila," Nadia annoyedly answers after a moment. "She'd worry if I didn't ask her for help, so fine. Go and get her, please, she should be studying in the Venalicium right now." You nod and head off to find Laila. Except she's exactly where Nadia told you she'd be, so it's not much of a search. The first trip to the Academagia Forge and back took longer.

Laila, like Nadia said, is actually relieved that Nadia called on her. And apparently for good reason, because she solves the geometric puzzle of how to support a potentially sleeping Nadia while seating Laila reasonably comfortably for the next few hours while keeping Nadia's wings facing the window in three seconds flat - rotate the chair ninety degrees, Laila sits down in the chair normally, Nadia sits down on Laila's lap with her wings still facing the window, and if she falls asleep she can support herself against Laila's chest. Nadia pouts a bit about feeling embarrassed by Laila's solution, but doesn't require much convincing to put it into action. And, of course, less than two minutes later she's out like a light. For your part you actually decide to stay here as well until the pixie is done, in case you end up needed. You've got homework you can occupy yourself with in the meantime, and perhaps Nadia's wings - which continue to do their thing even as she's snoozing, interestingly enough - will help you concentrate. It's worth an experiment.

Another two hours and forty minutes later, the pixie announces that they're done. Nadia is still fast asleep in the comfortable bed she's made of Laila, who in turn is visibly relieved she'll soon be able to move again. "Alright, other kid-younger kid? Whatever I called you earlier. Grab a piece of parchment and a quill, open up those ears and get ready to write, because I'm going to have to lay down the law when it comes to sleepyhead over there. Pass that along to the Legate and that girl's regent, or whoever's job it is to make sure she sticks to it, because I don't have time to babysit her. That clear?"

You nod, and even have parchment and quill readily at hand. You deftly scribe the pixie's various recommendations and instructions, and head off to find the Legate and Professor Badcrumble while Laila carefully wakes up Nadia. As for finding the Legate you do consider that he probably has something in his office you could use to summon him, but you really don't want to mess around with anything and accidentally touch the wrong item. Old-fashioned search it is.

--You wish you could say you were more familiar with Rainer than you are(n't), but beggars can't be choosers. You make your way to the Academagia's Grand Forge and look around for him, confident that you at least remember how he looks.

Multiple circles through the entire building, though, and you've yet to find your target.

The sound of clanging metal and bellows feeding roaring flames snaps you back to reality, and you decide to leave this place for now and start looking for Rainer elsewhere. You can't say you're interested in running around in circles somewhere you're that much more likely to get injured if you're not paying attention - say, because you're looking for someone - so let's just not. If you made a mistake with regards to Rainer, oh well. You'll get another chance to find him. Eventually...

[FAMILIAR: Sprite]-Bond. Ask your own Familiar for advice.
--[PC FAMILIAR NAME] knows as least a few things about fairies, so reasoning that maybe she knows how to get in contact with someone who knows about Nadia's wings (knowing about Nadia's wings directly feels like too much of a stretch, if pointing you in the right direction isn't too much of a stretch to begin with) you head off to your dorm room to look for her. It doesn't take long to find her, but after you explain the situation the look on [PC FAMILIAR NAME]'s face is sadly a perplexed one. "I can tell you for sure that girl's wings aren't anything like mine, for what that's worth," she slowly mutters underneath her breath, not wanting to readily admit she's as clueless as you are right now. You ask if she knows anyone who might know more, and [PC FAMILIAR NAME] slowly shakes her head. To be expected, but worth asking just in case.

...Actually, you know someone who might know more, don't you? Rainer's Familiar, the Legate mentioned that. Maybe [PC FAMILIAR NAME] can help you there.

You head off to the Academagia's Forge with [PC FAMILIAR NAME] following along, and eventually find Rainer hard at work. [PC FAMILIAR NAME] has some choice compliments for the tall, ripped third year you're thankful he didn't hear. Waiting for a break in the workflow you walk up to him and ask if you can speak to his Familiar. "About?" Rainer curtly asks, and realising keeping Rainer in the dark is futile you quickly explain why you're here. Rainer quirks an eyebrow at the strange request, and whistles for his Familiar.

"Two more minutes-oh!" an irritated voice calls out, shortly after which a pixie you can only describe as "buff" flies into view from further back. He gives you a single glance before turning to stare [PC FAMILIAR NAME] up and down multiple times. "Well hello there, beautiful. Real shame I don't see you around here more often. Would you be interested in modelling for my next project, by chance?"

[PC FAMILIAR NAME], either playing along or genuinely, shoots the pixie an approving wink. While you resist the urge to mime smashing your head in with a hammer Rainer quickly informs his Familiar about why you're here, and you fill in the rest of the details. For better or worse that snaps him to attention real quick. "Are you kidding me? Pale and brittle wings during the final growth spurt, did I get that right? I guess no one told you that's what I'm trying to get away from, huh? Still, just...there really never is a pretty face without some string attached, is there?" You're not sure if [PC FAMILIAR NAME] is offended or amused by that last question.

"I'll take care of it," Rainer suddenly says. You'll admit you were not expecting that, from the looks of it even Rainer's Familiar wasn't expecting that, but he nods all the same.

"Sure. You deal with that, I'll work on pretty face's project. Assuming there's no objections." You don't care enough to complicate this plan of Rainer taking a look at Nadia's wings, and [PC FAMILIAR NAME] gives the plan a smile and a thumbs up. Alright, sounds like you're off to the Legate's office with Rainer and see what he can do for Nadia.

It's a short and uneventful trip there, though you do end up quietly pointing out that [PC FAMILIAR NAME] can be a real flirt, and whether you should be worried about that. Rainer, however, isn't, and plainly says that his Familiar wouldn't date anyone who couldn't beat him at arm wrestling. So, eh, yeah. You don't have to worry about [PC FAMILIAR NAME] either, seems like.

Arriving at the Legate's office you're surprised that both Nadia and the Legate are still in here, whatever conversation they were having coming to an abrupt halt. "Ah, Rainer Schroeder?" the Legate asks, to which Rainer nods. Nadia, meanwhile, stares at Rainer with mixed emotions. "I trust [PC FIRST NAME] informed you of the situation?"

Again Rainer nods. He doesn't seem like a guy of many words. "Pale and brittle wings treatment, explaining what the girl's wings are and what they're for. Anything else?" The Legate, after a moment, shakes his head, and ask Rainer if he doesn't need his Familiar's help for that. "No, just space and time. Speaking of, mind clearing out if this is being done in this office?"

"You really don't mince words, do you?" the Legate almost jovially asks, surprisingly. "Any particular reason I need to be chased out of my own office?" In answer to the Legate's question Rainer says something about Nadia's wings and "mating rituals" you didn't entirely catch, but whatever he said it certainly changed the Legate's opinion in no time flat. "S-stop, please, e-enough of that. Point taken. Um...let me just go and inform Professor Badcrumble about these developments. You can use this office for Nadia's treatment and...education in the meantime."

With that the Legate swiftly stands up and shuffles out, leaving behind a stoic Rainer, a confused [PC FIRST NAME] and a concerned Nadia. The last one, caught between embarrassment and panic, awkwardly sputters out something about wanting an explanation. "Sure, if you want that first," Rainer notes with an almost indifferent tone. Nadia nods, and Rainer grabs a chair to sits down in front of her. You patiently wait your turn again, leaning against the wall as Rainer plainly - clinically, almost - explains to Nadia what all her wings can do, why they do it, what they're normally used for among fay, and to what extent (if any) that translates to humans. Truthfully you're not paying too close attention, since a fair bit is academic knowledge to Nadia, and for you even more so. You do pay attention to the part about the soothing effect that Nadia's wings have, apparently normally used in child raising, though all you learn is that you should grow out of it in a year or two.

"You got all of that so far?" Rainer eventually asks, but while Nadia nods you can tell she's going to need another session before it all sinks in. You'll write it down for her once it's all said and done, actually, so she can re-read it at her own pace later. "Than, finally, let's...actually, let's check your beating muscles. See if they're there and healthy. [PC FIRST NAME], was it?" You suddenly snap to attention hearing your name mentioned. "Perform the examination. Just stay calm and follow my lead, you'll manage just fine." Kinda regretting not paying attention earlier and thus not knowing why you should do this instead of Rainer, but sure, if that's what he thinks is best you'll believe it. And he's right, besides. You carefully follow Rainer's instructions, putting slight pressure on Nadia's back where her wings sprout while Nadia focusses on some basic breathing exercises to remain calm. You can feel muscles beneath the skin, and based on what Rainer is telling you they're healthy. "Alright, good. Now remember, those muscles will cause your wings to beat when they want to attract a mate," Rainer continues without missing a beat himself. "Don't fight it, and don't try to hide your wings or you'll get muscle cramps. If you want to make them stop ask someone to massage your beating muscles. Apply pressure to the top first, slowly move down until you reach the bottom, and repeat. Up to you whether you prefer a smooth sliding motion or a more intermittent 'trot' massage."

Nadia slowly nods, and Rainer says it's time to move on to treating Nadia's wings. He asks you to open the blinds, and you do as Nadia moves to the centre of the room and hesitantly stretches her wings. Rainer has a weird look on his face seeing her wings, some mixture of unspoken emotions rather than the soothing effect you can feel starting to wash over you. It doesn't change Rainer, though. He asks Nadia to take a seat with her wings facing the sun, and quickly runs both of you through what's wrong with Nadia's wings and what needs to be done. In short, Nadia's wings require sunlight sort of like plants do, and their current pale and brittle state is akin to a withered flower stem. However Nadia's wings aren't dead, instead they're clogged with waste that sunlight would normally keep clean. So clogged her wings can't clean themselves effectively anymore, though Rainer has a solution: A spell which, while only affecting a tiny area of Nadia's two (relatively) large wings, will clear pathways inside them such that they'll be able to absorb sunlight and clean themselves up much more effectively. Rainer says it'll shave years off of Nadia's recovery, so despite the hours this process will take you agree to help Rainer as best you can.

About an hour into the process, Nadia saying she can feel parts of her wings starting to "wake up" and run a marathon after years spend on the bench, as it were, she also starts to show signs of severe fatigue. It gets to the point where you're afraid she's not going to last the hours more this will take, so you ask Nadia if you should go fetch Laila to help keep her steady. Nadia tries to reject the idea, but you're not having any of it. "Nadia, you can't keep your eyes open even just talking to me. You're going to need to rely on someone if you don't want to doze off, fall and break one if not both wings, and Rainer and me are busy working on them. So who is it going to be?"

"...Laila," Nadia annoyedly answers after a moment. "She'd worry if I didn't ask her for help, so fine. Go and get her, please, she should be studying in the Venalicium right now." You nod to Nadia as well as to Rainer, and head off to find Laila. That said she's exactly where Nadia told you she'd be, so it's not much of a search.

Laila, like Nadia said, is actually relieved that Nadia called on her. And apparently for good reason, because she solves the geometric puzzle of how to support a potentially sleeping Nadia while seating Laila reasonably comfortably for the next few hours while keeping Nadia's wings facing the window in three seconds flat - rotate the chair ninety degrees, Laila sits down in the chair normally, Nadia sits down on Laila's lap with her wings still facing the window, and if she falls asleep she can support herself against Laila's chest. Nadia pouts a bit about feeling embarrassed by Laila's solution, but doesn't require much convincing to put it into action. And, of course, less than two minutes later she's out like a light. Knowing Nadia is in good hands you and Rainer can properly focus on tending to her wings, which ends up taking another two hours and change before all is said and done.

"Alright, that's done," Rainer says after inspecting Nadia's wings one final time. Laila looks relieved she'll finally be able to move again, though after she carefully wakes up Nadia, who seems to have made a comfortable bed out of her friend. "Anything else?" Rainer asks, to which you nod. You make good on your earlier idea to write down the details of Nadia's wings, so she can read it later at her own pace. Rainer includes what Nadia will need to do to properly, fully heal her wings, which is a good idea on Rainer's part. After that, however, he can finally go back to the Forges-actually, hold on, [PC FAMILIAR NAME]! You'd better go and check on her.

You're more anxious returning to the Academagia's Forge than Rainer is. At the forge Rainer's Familiar is working on some kind of metal sculpture, by the looks of it, while [PC FAMILIAR NAME] is modelling...and nursing her hand for some reason. "I got talked into five rounds of arm wrestling," [PC FAMILIAR NAME] quietly admits, seeing you staring at her hand.

"Three," Rainer's Familiar corrects. "You're the one who insisted on best out of five after you lost the first two rounds."

You stare a bit perplexed at [PC FAMILIAR NAME], not sure how to respond. "I wanted to get a closer look at his muscles, okay?" your Familiar says, leaving you wondering whether that's even an excuse or not. "Then on the fifth round I tried beating him with both my hands and every bit of strength I had. Still lost and injured my hand in the process, but you know what? It was worth it."

...Right. Sounds like these two will get along just fine. Time to look for the Legate. And Professor Badcrumble as well, come to think of it.

--[PC FAMILIAR NAME] knows as least a few things about fairies, so reasoning that maybe she knows how to get in contact with someone who knows about Nadia's wings (knowing about Nadia's wings directly feels like too much of a stretch, if pointing you in the right direction isn't too much of a stretch to begin with) you head off to your dorm room to see if she's there. Unfortunately she's not, so...where could she be? You'll have to look around for her.

Three hours, twenty four minutes, and some amount of seconds worth of fruitless wandering around like a headless chicken later, you finally decide to give up and just return to your dorm room to get some much needed rest.

"Oh hi there, [PC FIRST NAME]," says the distinct voice of [PC FAMILIAR NAME] shortly after you open the door to your dorm room. "You look like you've had a busy day. Anything interesting happen?"

...You know what? No. You're just going to fall down on your bed, wake up an hour later and think about what to do from there...

Again, I'd accuse this stage of massively inflating the word count, but the word count was crazy even back when I only had a single success text filled in for basically everything, so...yeah...

As for the stage itself, rest assured that not everything in it was planned from the start. In fact this is actually a point where the adventure kinda swerved off the path a tiny bit, though only for a moment (until the topic of possible follow-up adventures in even later years comes up, but details...).

Edited March 2 by Metis

[Metis]

Painting Rumors, Stage 9:

Spoiler

Thinking it over you figure that it's probably better to look for Professor Badcrumble first - she should be easier to find, all told, and be the best at helping find the Legate. So you decide to head to Professor Badcrumble's office. That seems like a reasonable first place to check.

The good news is that Professor Badcrumble is, indeed, in her office. The better news is that the Legate is here as well! Have to love it when things work out like that. Both are more than happy to hear that Nadia's wings have been looked at, and readily follow you back to the Legate's office. Probably the first time you've seen the Legate be happy about returning to his office, come to think of it.

Back at the Legate's office you find a very groggy Nadia rubbing her eyes, and one bemused Laila playfully teasing her friend's "morning face" well into the afternoon. Both snap to attention - at least insofar that Nadia can right now - when they notice their regent and Legate walk in, though. "Nadia, how are you feeling?" Professor Badcrumble asks right away, while the Legate takes his time to slide back behind his desk. Really have to wonder if the man missed it or not.

"Hmm...? Hmm...my wings feel heavy. Feel weird in general, kinda like they're itching. Can't do anything about that, though. I don't dare to touch them."

"Don't," you quickly interject. "Your wings are still brittle, and will be until they've fully healed. The itching feeling is good, it's a sign your wings are recovering. You'll get used to it soon enough. Same with the drowsiness, that'll lessen as your wings get better. Try to keep them out in the sun a bit longer. Just think of it like this, if your wings feel like they're made out of metal instead of fragile glass that's a good thing." Nadia manages a small smile, though sadly it's not quite the bright smile you're used to seeing.

"Shouldn't Nadia be concerned about keeping her wing out in front of Orso, though?" Professor Badcrumble asks. You don't give her a chance to say more, because this is where you need to step in hard and fast.

"Absolutely not," you spit out with as much force as you can muster short of raising your voice. Professor Badcrumble is actually caught off-guard by that, which is good. If the regent is than Nadia will be as well, meaning you've still got a good opportunity to get your piece in. "But that actually leads into what we need to discuss next: How Nadia is going to take care of her wings going forward. Not just physically, but socially."

The regent seems curious about that last part, and you explain to both her (and the Legate) that Nadia taking care of her wings isn't the only major concern. How she learns to see her wings, when and where she should or shouldn't be embarrassed or afraid to show them, is just as important. As an example you point out that you're sure the regent if not the Legate could arrange for Nadia to be taken to this or another professor's office every day, and sat in front of a window for a few hours. But while that would give her wings the sunlight they need Nadia will end up socially stunted. She'd pick up the idea that she shouldn't show her wings out in public, that they're a part of her that need to be kept hidden behind closed doors. It might be beneficial now, considering the wings are currently still brittle, but if Nadia is taught to remain in a cage she'll take that idea with her into adulthood even after her wings have healed.

"A delicate problem," the Legate admits. Professor Badcrumble looks like she's at a loss about where to go from here, which probably doesn't help Nadia feel any better. She looks afraid, and all too aware of how hard it will be for her to overcome that. "So what options do we have? If Nadia goes out in public with her wings it'll be completely impossible to keep her heritage hidden from the student body. Not just in practice, but by definition - 'hiding out in public' would just be a different form of keeping her locked up in an office, after all."

"I know this isn't what you want to hear, but the only option we have is to blow the lid on Nadia's wings ourselves and be content to let the rumor mill do what it does. If Nadia can't show her wings to her fellow students and find some means of acceptance now, both from her peers and from herself, than by the time she tries it'll be too late. She'd have this ordeal to overcome on top of the ordeal she has to face at that point. Maybe she could, but it'll be that much harder."

"I don't necessarily disagree, [PC FIRST NAME], but I would prefer to hear all this from Nadia herself," Professor Badcrumble points out. You admit it's a fair point and turn your attention to Nadia, asking what her opinion on the matter is. It takes her some effort and a bit of gentle coaxing from Laila, but Nadia doesn't have too hard a time to put her fears into words.

"I think...I'm ready to show my wings to the other students," Nadia admits. You can hear the fear and doubts she has of the situation weighing her down, but also her determination to keep going. "I'm not afraid of rumors or people talking behind my back, that song and dance has been going on for a while now and I've never minded the attention. I'm afraid the orphan girl from the Tanner's District has to keep hiding behind a princess' mask, never spreading her wings."

Can't help but notice Professor Badcrumble frown a bit when Nadia mentions enjoying the attention she got from the rumors surrounding her. Before she gets a chance to comment you decide to throw out some very pointed questions, though. "Actually, now that you mention it, how does the entire student body not know about your wings already? It should be an open secret at best considering you are known to descend from the Qureshi family, right?"

A bit put off she was interrupted, but not calling you out on it since she doesn't know you did so intentionally, Professor Badcrumble explains that the Qureshi family has been the subject of rumors and even something approaching folklore around their native area. But local rumors and folklore are hardly reliable methods of relaying information, particularly across the multiple generation that their curse has been with them, and even more so across long distances. Nadia's branch of that family has stepped into the larger stage only as recently as Nadia's own parents, and even they have limited contact with the outside world at best - her older brother was the only one actually travelling on and leading the trade convoys to "distant" Renaglia, at least until his unfortunate end. And even if a student did know the folklore well enough to suspect Nadia had wings, using magic to confirm that, without any experience or frame of reference, is much easier said than done. Particularly without Nadia noticing in the process.

"The truth behind Nadia's wings was brought up by her parents when admitting her into the Academagia, but that is not information freely given to the student body. Even if there isn't the issue of said parents lying about other aspects, thus calling their entire story into question," the Legate points out. "Nadia revealing her wings was never the problem, though. The problem is that it will inevitably lead to more questions being asked, and answers to those questions being found before we'd like them to be. Nadia basically said as much herself: She wants the orphan girl from the Tanner's District to take off her mask and spread her wings. I can sympathize, but if that story spreads like wildfire within the Academagia her parents will be forced to respond to them. And remember that they are living a very bold-faced lie right now, with regards to Nadia. It's difficult to predict how that inevitable confrontation will go, and I would prefer Nadia to be in a better position before lighting that powder keg ourselves."

The fact that Nadia identifies herself as "the orphan girl from the Tanner's District" does say it all. You don't even think it's that far off the mark, either, given the situation with Laila's parents. That said you do have to question what "better position" Nadia could be in down the line. It's not just her wings that need to be stretched out in public, at this point you feel like Nadia herself would be much better off if she were able to take off her princess mask and absolutely crush it underneath her foot. She has enough people working to support her, she should focus on herself for a bit. Professor Badcrumble once again nods at your point, but ultimately defers to Nadia herself for her opinion. Which, to be fair, you're curious about as well.

"I already told you I want to show my wings," Nadia says, sounding and looking even more confident than last time. "Let the gossipers talk about what they want, I'm not stranger to that. I just want to spread my wings. Finally spread my poor wings."

"If that is Nadia's own - and to my ears, final - decision, I feel we should respect it," the Legate says after a brief silence. Professor Badcrumble looks more apprehensive, but doesn't voice any objections either. "I suppose the question, than, is how to introduce these wings to the other students, as it were. According to [PC FIRST NAME] they are still brittle, prone to breaking from all but the slightest touch. So I feel giving the students some form of advanced warning would be prudent, at least."

Nadia get a panicked expression on her face that says she'd die of embarrassment if the Legate were to simply make a school-wise announcement about her, without even having to say anything. She might enjoy the attention that being on stage gives her, but she's got too much of a storyteller in her to feel like being the subject of a clinical school-wide announcement is anything but deeply embarrassing. No, this news is going to need to reach the rest of the student body with a bit of the old stage flair. But how to arrange for that...

-Journalism. Rikildis' school paper will be of help here.
--It may not be exactly how Nadia imagined it, but if anyone in this school knows how to spread word about Nadia's wings - and with a bit of flair, at that - it's Rikildis. Of course you're going to need to give her the absolute best article you've ever written if you want her to go along with this plan, but honestly? You think you're up to that challenge.

You propose your solution, but of course Nadia is against it. You counter by pointing out that Rikildis is going to run an article on Nadia's wings one way or another, and using her to spread the story in the first place will, in a way, give you control over exactly what she'll say about it. You also point out that Rikildis can effectively manipulate the gossip that is going to result from Nadia revealing her wings, meaning that she can both help keep false information to a minimum and keep relevant information - like the fact that Nadia's wings are brittle - flowing freely. "I still don't like the idea," Nadia says, pouting a bit. "I get it, it's a good idea and all, just...this isn't how I wanted everyone to learn about my wings."

"You're in a pretty rare position where you can, to a degree, choose when and where people will learn your secret. So choosing the path most likely to have taken that choice away from you just doesn't sit well," you point out. Nadia nods emphatically. "I understand how you feel, but I still think this is the best approach. Remember, me interviewing you and handing that article to Rikildis is only the start of it. There is no way that students are going to believe you've got wings just because the Logodedalo’s Roar says so. You're going to have to actually show them, one way or another, and I think Rikildis is the best person to bridge that gap between reading and believing. Whatever way you want to go about it, Rikildis knows this stuff, she'll know what works. So I really do think convincing her to help is the best course."

"You say that as if getting that girl to feel any measure of empathy is a simple task," Professor Badcrumble notes. Not the biggest fan of Rikildis, you would guess. Nadia, for her part, starts to think about it. She's obviously not a fan of Rikildis either, but this idea of being able to make her dream a reality is enticing, and she's getting ready to bite.

"Empathy, no, but opportunity? You can say a lot of bad things about Rikildis, but her being stupid isn't one of them. She's not going to refuse running this article once she realizes the truth of the matter. Playing a part in how Nadia reveals her wings will irk her, sure, but she'll pay that price. Before or after she realizes there's the Legate and a regent behind this, one or the other."

Neither regent or Legate seem particularly convinced, but Nadia has taken the bait. "Alright, how's this - let's give that 'interview' of yours a try, and we'll see if this whole plan works out. Deal?" she offers. You nod, grab a quill and parchment, and quickly draft up the perfect interview to bring to Rikildis. It takes some attempts, a few revisions had to be made of course, but your experience combined with knowing the entire story front to back already makes for surprisingly quick work. Soon enough you've got one heart-wrenching account of a poor girl's struggles to show off a literally fragile side of herself, and how it's holding her back from growing into the person she wants to be, with as many "spreading her wings" puns as one would expect. And, more importantly, as few opening for further unwanted questions as possible. You know this stuff, what'll grab people's attention and keep it focussed where you want it to be. When Nadia reads the final interview she actually smiles. "This...this is actually really nice. Um, c-can we-I mean, d-do you really think this will work?"

"Positive," you answer with all the confidence in the world. Nadia, visibly, is getting excited. "That said you are going to have to come along to see Rikildis. Like I said, she's not going to believe me on my word alone, so-"

Nadia rapidly nods her head. Laila seems confused, concerned even, but she's willing to go along with Nadia. Literally go along with her. She explains that she's still very sensitive to the idea of Nadia harming her wings. After all the times Laila worried about whether or not she had to go and rescue Nadia from the orphanage in the Tanner's District - made worse by few times she actually did - she just can't stand the idea of Nadia doing this on her own. It irks Nadia a bit, since she does feel like she's relying on Laila too much, but she's also the first to admit that trying to convince Laila otherwise is a futile effort. Not to mention that if she does end up injuring herself Laila will never let her, and even more importantly Laila herself, hear the end of it.

That decided the three of you head off to Rikildis' newspaper room, where it turns out that Rikildis is actually not here. Grainne is, though, both confused and excited that Nadia just walked in here, and she'll do just as well. You first give her your article and simple say you wish to run it. Grainne reads through it, the expression on her face visibly becoming more and more contorted as she reads through your interview with Nadia and the completely left field revelations therein. By the end she looks up at you with a thoroughly confused expression, and slowly asks "Is this a joke of some sort? Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad one if it is, but...seriously?" You nod at Nadia, who has already stepped into the middle of the room and taken a careful look at her surroundings. Laila makes sure the doors are closed, and Nadia spreads her wings. Grainne stares perplexed at Nadia's wings for a few seconds before grabbing the nearest chair and unsteadily sitting down, legs lightly shaking. She continues to stare silently at Nadia's wings, the soothing effect slowly but surely settling in. You can see it in her eyes, she's definitely feeling it.

"Will that be enough to convince you?" Nadia asks. She actually sounds like she's unsure about whether to be annoyed or properly act the part of the poor girl from the Tanner's District. Probably feeling mixed emotions, if you had to guess.

Grainne slowly nods, and positively entranced by the soothing effect she helps work out Nadia's grand design - spreading the article about Nadia's wings so that rumor is making the rounds while Nadia herself goes painting in the Garden Gallery, until inevitably someone approaches her and she can show off her wings knowing that people are already aware of how brittle they are. Midway through the planning Rikildis returns to her "office" and gets the surprise of her life when she sees a winged Nadia sitting by the window, and Grainne completely wrapped around her finger. Of course Rikildis doesn't stay dumbstruck for long. The moment she recovers from the shock she's all business, and willing to both help design and execute Nadia's grand plan.

It's curious to note that as hard as Grainne seems to have gotten hit by Nadia's wings (a temporary condition, according to Nadia, apparently it can be be like that the first time you experience it) Rikildis doesn't seem affected at all. There's a hint of that distinct glassy look in her eyes, maybe, but she insists she can't feel anything unusual regardless. Meaning you're seeing things or Rikildis is lying. You're not too concerned either way, though.

Regardless, once planned out and put into practice the grand design starts running like Cordelia's finest clockwork. You help spread a special edition of the Logodedalo’s Roar that's basically your earlier "interview" with Nadia, which in and of itself generates a fair amount of interest since a lot of older students painfully associate your name with Nadia after the prior waves of rumors about you two landed a bunch of them in detention. The interview itself takes everyone by complete surprise, and soon enough the first wave of disbelief starts spreading beyond where you're handing out the story. But then, from the direction of the Garden Gallery, the second wave of rumors starts to spread as people have gone to see Nadia and confirmed the rumor is true. Unexpectedly there's actually a third rumor wave that shows up a bit later, after some students have scoured the Venalicium for some kind of historical reference to Nadia's family and confirmed the story through there as well. You kinda didn't want to call too much attention to that, Nadia's family being a, eh...sore subject and all? Still, if it helps confirm her story it's worth it, you guess.

Once you're back at Rikildis' newspaper room, fresh out of special editions, she actually tells you that she's already started compiling information about Nadia's family, and will be investigating the situation more closely. You suppose that was completely inevitable, but it still gives you an uneasy feeling. Not that you dare to tell or even show Rikildis as much. That girl is a gossip shark right now, the last thing she needs is to smell blood in the water. Still, overall you're hopeful that things will work out, and if nothing else you can say with confidence that Nadia is having the time of her life right now. She's quite literally the centre of the entire Academagia's attention, and already people are starting to accept the reputation she wanted to have as the new normal. You can't even say it wasn't earned, either - she wants to be known as-hell, she straight up wants to be the brightest smile of Avila. And based on the rumors flying around? She just is right now. Grinning from ear to ear now that she's finally shown - and, yes, spread - her literal wings.

You can't help but be curious about how things will settle down once the sudden rumor flood ebbs again, but with copies of Nadia's story in what feels like everyone's hands and Laila staying by Nadia's side just in case you have to assume those two will come out of this better than they were going into it.

--It may not be exactly how Nadia imagined it, but if anyone in this school knows how to spread word about Nadia's wings - and with a bit of flair, at that - it's Rikildis. Of course you're going to need to give her the absolute best article you've ever written if you want her to go along with this plan. That's going to be a tall order. Rikildis knows her stuff, obviously, otherwise you'd never suggest asking her for help. Convincing her to provide any help, though...that's going to require some preparations. And research. You're not comfortable trying to write an article that good on the spot.

You tentatively suggests that you have an idea in mind, but it's going to require some preparation on your part. People nod and wish you good luck, though nevertheless you can't help but shake the feeling of having been told to go outside and play like some kind of kid...well, no matter. If that's how people feel about you you'll just have to prove them wrong.

Of course that's easier said than done. You start looking for points of references, old articles that caught Rikildis' fancy and try to figure out how to appeal to her, but this feels like trying to make a sculpture out of smoke. All the same you persevere. It'll be a lot of work, yes, but eventually, eventually, you'll get it...

-Theatre. Put Nadia on stage, literally.
--Because of how unstable the rumor mill has been lately - what with gossip cropping up and spreading like wildfire one minute, only for those talking about it being hauled off to detention another minute later - there's actually one relatively major development regarding the Academagia's unofficial theatre troupe that's largely passed by unnoticed: There's an unexpected competition that formed over the role of Titania the Fairy Queen, of course from the classic play A Midwinter Night's Dream.

...Okay, so some would dispute that being even a relatively minor development, but come on. It's a lot more relevant than the rumors that made the rounds about you supposedly asking Nadia about your height, if nothing else.

In any case, this competition is unexpected simply due to the sheer number of people competing for the role. Usually the theatre troupe has to go out of their way to convince people to appear on stage, especially for larger productions, but this particular role has (last you heard) four people in the running for it. So what convinces you that Nadia can come out on top? Nothing. In fact you're so confident she couldn't succeed (unless she's managed to keep some manner of off campus acting cram school actually hidden all this time) you're not even suggesting she actually try for the role herself. That's not the point. The point is that this whole play and competition for the role is the perfect backdrop for Nadia to pull a stunt so unapologetic and monumentally dumb it circles back around into pure genius. Or so you believe, anyway.

Feeling confident this ploy is properly stupid enough to work you start to explain and outline your plan to Nadia. Namely that she "hears about" the competition going on for the role, and heads to the Dimmae to "practice" what she expects to end up as her own literal confession scene under the guise of trying to be cast for the role.

Nadia gives you the most perplexed, blank stare you think even Laila has ever seen on her. "I...run that by me again?" she asks, sounding as confused as she looks. You reassure her that you have not, in fact, lost your mind, and run her through the plan again. It is absurd? Yes. It is going to lead to rumors popping up and spreading to the four corners of the Academagia? Also yes. And that's what you're trying to accomplish, ultimately. "O-okay? Like, alright, I can see the rumors part. But what about the part where I do something so incredibly stupid I'd never live down the shame of it? Allegedly, at least. And, eh, no offence."

Poor girl, you've really thrown her into the left field here. "What's stupid about it? If you don't already know how to show and talk to people about your wings, as you're going to need to, where else could you possibly show them without getting 'found out' immediately? Test the waters around people who know a thing or two about better expressing yourself, and who might be willing to help you with it?"

Nadia visibly tries to think of some way to refute that argument, lines running across her faces like horses on a racetrack, but ultimately the only response she can give is a defeated sigh. "Alright. I'm not sold on this idea, but I guess I don't have anything better to suggest either, so...let's give it a shot. That said I'm not getting on any stage with these wings of mine, so either we find someone willing to run through scenes backstage or I'm leaving."

You smile and reassure Nadia that that'll be more than enough, and with that the three of you end up heading to the Dimmae. It turns out that Laila is still very sensitive to the idea of Nadia harming her wings, after all the times she had to wait either for Nadia to come back...or not come back for so long it became clear she had to go and rescue Nadia from the orphanage in the Tanner's District. A dance made even worse by few times Laila actually did have to go and rescue her friend, after which she was thoroughly unhappy about not going there sooner. As is she just can't stand the idea of Nadia doing this on her own, and insists on coming along. It irks Nadia a bit, since she does feel like she's relying on Laila too much, but she's also the first to admit that trying to convince Laila otherwise is a futile effort. Not to mention that if she does end up injuring herself Laila will never let her, and even more importantly Laila herself, hear the end of it.

At the Dimmae's main stage there's a flurry of activity going on as various people are preparing parts for the big event, so as planned (and expected) you end up leading Nadia and Laila backstage to one of the larger storage rooms for stage props. Normally it'd be even more cluttered and cramped than the Legate's office, but with people hard at work on the stage itself it's actually relatively spacious in here. "Excuse me, should you be here?" a feminine voice halfway caught between reading lines from a script and asking an actual question calls out from further back, and an older student walks out from behind some of the props. You actually recognize the girl - not by name, but she's one of the acting troupe's regulars and one of the competitors for the role of Titania. Not one of the favored choices, but a solid underdog...though she probably wouldn't regard that as a compliment.

"Uh..." is all Nadia can manage in terms of an answer to the girl's question. She looks pretty lost in general, but this isn't a place one would randomly walk into. "I-I don't know...? I-I'm looking f-for...gods how do I even explain this..."

Nadia's awkward stuttering earns her some sympathy from the actress. It's something she's familiar with, after all. "Well, if you've walked into a storage room you're either here to take something out or to escape the noise so you can practice lines in relative peace. And you don't look like one of our usual crew, so I'm guessing it's the latter." Nadia slowly nods, clearly not certain of herself. "Alright. That said I don't see you holding a script, so what part were you intending to practice?"

"Ah...what was the role called again, [PC FIRST NAME]?" Nadia asks, probably feeling too nervous to remember the answer off-hand. You turn your attention to the actress and answer that Nadia was hoping to practice the role of Titania, though afterwards you quickly amend that Nadia isn't here to audition for the role. Right on time for the actress not to turn hostile at seeing another potential competitor. Instead you clarify that Nadia needs to work on her acting, her expressing, and the role of Titania seemed a good fit. The scene where she reveals herself as the Fairy Queen, specifically.

The actress nods along with your explanation, visibly having been put at ease by your reassurance that Nadia isn't here to try and steal her role. "Alright, alright. That's not a bad idea, of course, but...why that particular scene, if I may ask?"

Nadia clams up and looks at you, as she refuses to answer that question. You can't help but shake your head - Nadia learning how to answer that question herself is the entire reason you're here, so you feel vindicated now that she's prove herself not up to the task...although, admittedly, perhaps if she were less out of her element that wouldn't be as big of an issue. All the same you're here right now, so to the actress' question you give a vague (and yet pointed) answer about Nadia having "something" she needs to be able to be more up front about. And the confession scene, thus, seemed like a good place to start.

The actress again nods, although out of the corner of her eye she tries to curiously stare at Nadia, trying to divine whatever secret she holds. Nadia notices and it makes her visibly uncomfortable, which the actress in turn notices, after which she puts on her best smile. "Okay, I get it. So, do you want my help running you through the scene? I've got the script right here, and rest assured, I've practised that part a lot. I'd be happy to give you some pointers, if you wish." Nadia wearily nods, and the actress starts guiding her through the particular scene. It takes a few attempts to get Nadia's role off the ground, as it always does when someone tries their hand at acting for the first time, but once she does get going the actress is able to give her several relevant pointers about how to act and appear confident, how to speak with proper conviction.

Thinking back to the time you asked Nadia for advice a part of you can't help but wonder whether she actually needed that advice. But than, this is different. Nadia can give advice to others well enough, yes, but can she express her own feelings as easily? Something deeply personal to her, rather than someone else. That's the big question...

"Alright, let's try the big reveal scene next," the actress suggests. Nadia nods, and the two start practising the scene where Titania reveals herself as the Fairy Queen...by revealing her wings. That last part proves to be especially important in this case, because after running through the scene a few times Nadia gets so into the role she accidentally (reflexively?) spreads her actual wings. Without checking whether there's enough room first! It happens in a flash, but within the seeming split second you can see Nadia's wing scrape against one of the props, and that's enough to cause her to jump back and let out a panicked scream. The actress is caught completely off guard, meanwhile Laila suddenly jumps into action and rushes over to Nadia's side. You also rush over, briefly ignoring the actress in favor of making sure Nadia is alright. The poor girl got spooked so bad she's crying out in Laila's arms, visibly shaking. Though she doesn't seem to be in pain, at least.

"I-I didn't mean to do that!" Nadia cries out on Laila's shoulder. She has some other things to say, but after the first part she buries her head in Laila's chest so thoroughly you can't make it out.

"What...what was that?" the actress asks, slowly walking up to Nadia. Only to get repelled back when Laila gives her a most venomous glare when she reaches out a hand to try touching one of Nadia's wings. "A-ah, w-what did you just say? I'm sorry, but I couldn't hear you clearly." Nadia, stifling some sobs and lifting her head to rest on Laila's shoulder instead, repeats that she didn't mean to stretch her wings there, it just sort of...happened. Which is not a problem she's ever had before, and considering how brittle her wings are that's really worrying her. "Right...l-look, loss of control like that isn't something you need to worry about. It happens when you really get settled into your role, but haven't build up an acting mindset yet. Happens to novices all the time-though only on stage, don't worry. T-that said...what are those...?"

Nadia, slowly composing herself as she recovers from the sudden shock, explains the truth behind her wings. And when the actress inevitably asks, the history behind them as well. It works out surprisingly well. The actress knows where Nadia has trouble expressing herself, and is able to help carry Nadia through the worst rough patches. While the whole hare-brained scheme - or so it appeared at first glance - gives Nadia plenty of footholds to keep her steady as she pours her heart out. Her modified uniform, her bizarre request, her undisguised emotions upon her wings unexpectedly coming out...all of it comes together to convince this random student that Nadia's story, as unbelievable as it sounds, is simply the truth.

From there the problem of Nadia introducing her wings is all but solved. The actress spreads the story to her friends, who tell their friends, and so on, until the entire Academagia is buzzing with rumors about Nadia and whatever inscrutable sequence of events took place in the Dimmae. Nadia is initially put off, feeling like her big moment was "ruined" by her nearly breaking her wing and going so far as to go to her usual spot in the Garden Gallery (along with Laila) to pout about how things went. But as a slow trickle of students starts to pour in, asking her about the rumors of her wings and what truly happened in the Dimmae, Nadia is able to use what she learned to convey her feelings through a much more vivid, much more emotional story than the one she told the orphans in the Tanner's District before. No longer detached from the cursed girl from Strozza, Nadia instead tells her own story. And once she spreads her wings to show that they are indeed real, and to let them take in the light of the sun shining down behind her, you can see these little confessions having more of an effect than any of Rikildis' special editions ever could. It might not have been as Nadia expected or wanted it, but in the end, the plan worked better than you could have hoped for.

Also, speaking of Rikildis, naturally the girl herself also drops by. And despite claiming otherwise you can see even her heart strings get tugged a bit when Nadia tells the Academagia's most notorious gossip about what dramatic misadventures lead her to this point. Rikildis, for her part, lets slip that this whole thing caught everyone completely off-guard, meaning that no one should be aware of Nadia's origins in the Tanner's District yet. Though, with Rikildis now definitely on the case, that is only a matter of time.

Nadia will recover quickly from this ordeal, you suspect. Although the mess did genuinely scare her she enjoys the attention (and sympathy) she is most certainly getting sharing the story to other students, and being able to share her personal feelings only gives it that much more kick. And, of course, with Laila by Nadia's side you suspect that even if she does encounter unexpected complications she'll be able to get herself through it.

--Because of how unstable the rumor mill has been lately - what with gossip cropping up and spreading like wildfire one minute, only for those talking about it being hauled off to detention another minute later - there's actually one relatively major development regarding the Academagia's unofficial theatre troupe that's largely passed by unnoticed: There's an unexpected competition that formed over the role of Titania the Fairy Queen, of course from the classic play A Midwinter Night's Dream.

...Okay, so some would dispute that being even a relatively minor development, but come on. It's a lot more relevant than the rumors that made the rounds about you supposedly asking Nadia about your height, if nothing else.

In any case, this competition is unexpected simply due to the sheer number of people competing for the role. Usually the theatre troupe has to go out of their way to convince people to appear on stage, especially for larger productions, but this particular role has (last you heard) four people in the running for it. But who could fill the role better than someone with literal wings? And a need to reveal them in at least a slightly dramatic fashion - like, say, on stage! It's simply a perfect plan.

Or it would be were it not for one tiny snag you, admittedly, completely forgot about: Nadia is not an actress. Doesn't know anything about acting either. And while she does have wings and all, in terms of casting someone for the role, that's nothing a relatively basic Glamour can't resolve. Which, in the famed Academy of Magic, is not in short supply as it turns out.

Alright, fine. So you need to take this plan back to the drawing board and workshop it a bit more, but you're not giving up until you see Nadia take the theatre world by storm!

...Or until you think of another approach to take. Whichever comes first...

-Romance. Make use of Nadia's painting (and advice dispensing) hobby.
--You point out that Nadia already has a habit of spending several hours in the Garden Gallery to paint, and that often enough someone will approach her to ask for advice about something or another. If she simply sets up shop in a place where there's ample sunlight shining through the leaves and overhang she can spread her wings there, have students take notice from a safe distance, and explain her situation to those that inevitably approach her. It might be slightly risky, but you do think that letting students actually see Nadia flinch and recoil from people trying to get close to her wings is the best way to get that message across. It's also probably the fastest way. Students have a habit of chatting to one another in Garden Gallery as is, and if they can simply walk by Nadia and confirm the story for themselves it'll spread that much faster.

Nadia initially seems sceptical about your idea, likely because she's weary of bringing her hobbies into this whole ordeal. But as you further describe your plan and paint a bit of a portrait of your own - namely that of Nadia sitting in a corner of the Garden Gallery, wings outstretched, quietly painting the world around her, as students pass by unsure about what to make of the girl's bizarre yet strangely beautiful wings - Nadia begins to visibly warm up to the idea. She actually pulls you closer, and alongside Laila the three of you start quietly workshopping ideas about what to do when an attractive guy manages to make Nadia's wings beat. At least until Professor Badcrumble steps in and reminds the three of you that you are still inside the Legate's office.

It's a fair point...so the three of you grab your stuff and run off to the Garden Gallery instead. Although not before swinging by the Great Hall to grab a late lunch. There's enough hours left to give this Garden Gallery idea a closer look and maybe even an honest attempt, but not on an empty stomach.

Nadia grabs her painting supplies, Laila grabs some books to read, and you learn that Laila is still very sensitive to the idea of Nadia harming her wings. After all the times Laila worried about whether or not she had to go and rescue Nadia from the orphanage in the Tanner's District - made worse by few times she actually did - she just can't stand the idea of Nadia doing this on her own. It irks Nadia a bit, since she does feel like she's relying on Laila too much, but she's also the first to admit that trying to convince Laila otherwise is a futile effort. Not to mention that if she does end up injuring herself Laila will never let her, and even more importantly Laila herself, hear the end of it.

Finding a good spot in the Garden Gallery, as in a quiet corner that's got more than it's fair share of sunlight shining through, isn't hard. Though it does make you aware this spot might only be good for certain hours in the day, and not others. That's inconvenient, but a problem for later. Right now-

"Oh hi there, [PC FIRST NAME], fancy meeting you here," a voice suddenly calls out. You turn and see Lambert Cobo seemingly emerge from one of the nearby bushes. You're going to guess him being here isn't a coincidence. Was he following you? "You know, people have been saying some really weird things about you ever since that announcement called you to the Legate's office, and Aymeri has gone off on a tangent claiming he's learned about something big going on between you, the Legate and those two fourth years over there. Obviously he's just bluffing, so I was hoping you could te-"

Suddenly, mid-sentence, Lambert comes to an abrupt stop. You call his name, wave a hand in front of his face and even poke him with your wand, but nope. He's frozen like someone got him good with a stunning spell. You turn to look at Nadia and Laila, curious if either of them did that, but neither of them have their wands in hand. Belatedly you realize that what Nadia does have, however, is her outstretched wings. "You have no idea how long I've waited to do that...what? I didn't paralyse your friend, you know my wings can't do that."

They can't, but come to think of it Lambert should be affected by the soothing feeling they give off. Same with most of the underclassman, actually. That's something you didn't account for. Mind you Lambert doesn't look like that that's what caused him to crash. You're hoping none of his wheels came off in the process, and sure enough, after Lambert gets his mind back on the road he turns around and runs off cackling maniacally about Aymeri and some other stuff that makes no sense to you.

"Not how I expected this to start off, to be perfectly honest," Nadia says, having taken a seat on the back of a stone unicorn. "Well, shall we hope the next costumer behaves a bit better?" You nod, knowing full well that behind you there's already a first year walking by and doing a double-take, wondering just what is even going on here. This may get worse before it gets better, but nothing to do but prepare to ride out the storm, so to say.

Other than Lambert's...unique reaction the idea goes off as planned. Many students end up passing by, glancing at Nadia's visible wings with a confused look, and walking off again. A fair few approach Nadia personally, either about her wings or about something else, though mostly the wings. Finally Nadia's open and still instinctive fear of her brittle wings, alongside the bookworm-y looking Laila showing undisguised emotion when Nadia's wings are not being treated delicately, offers fertile ground for those rumors to grow and ride the waves of passing students to spread to every corner of the Academagia. All told the plan is a rousing success. Rikildis even swings by and indirectly gives you an update on how close the student body is to figuring out the rest of Nadia's story (in short: Not very, but if they weren't on the case before they definitely are now, so that's not saying much necessarily). And of course Aymeri. You wish you could get a portrait of his face when he came by to confirm whatever Lambert undeniably ran to boast to him about, and probably exaggerated to high heaven in the process. The bewildered look of complete disbelief on his face, priceless.

That said Nadia didn't end up seeing anyone who touched her heart enough to cause her wings to paint her emotions on the world behind her. Though Nadia herself admits that, in hindsight, maybe that's for the best. She definitely wants to meet a guy who can make her feel like that, have a short staring contest before giving him her best "come hither" look and silently calling him over, the whole nine yards. But she also feels like going through a literal parade of students until someone makes her heart - and wings - flutter defeats the purpose. It makes her feel like she's going through a list of options and comparing the lot of them until she finds whoever she's willing to compromise with, and to Nadia that's the opposite of romance. She wants to be swept off her feet by someone who can make her forget about accounting, and instead make her feel like she can fly.

Laila off-handedly mentions that she's not sure about any idea that involves Nadia feeling like she can fly, given that her wings are most assuredly not designed for that, and within moments the two girls are teasing and joking with each other like the old friends they are. You feel confident that Nadia can work through her reluctance to depend on Laila, and Laila in turn her endless worrying over Nadia. You're also happy that despite Nadia having shown a very personal side of herself out in public, and the entire school undoubtedly still being a towering inferno of rumors because of it, she's able to show the world that bright smile again.

--You point out that Nadia already has a habit of spending several hours in the Garden Gallery to paint, and that often enough someone will approach her to ask for advice about something or another. If she simply sets up shop in a place where there's ample sunlight shining through the leaves and overhang she can spread her wings there, have students take notice from a safe distance, and explain her situation to those that inevitably approach her. It might be slightly risky, but you do think that letting students actually see Nadia flinch and recoil from people trying to get close to her wings is the best way to get that message across. It's also probably the fastest way. Students have a habit of chatting to one another in Garden Gallery as is, and if they can simply walk by Nadia and confirm the story for themselves it'll spread that much faster.

It's a fair idea, even Nadia admits that, but she's (understandably) weary of bringing her hobbies into this whole mess. And although you pegged her as someone who'd go for a plan like this you're not able to convince her otherwise.

"Perhaps Nadia simply needs time to let recent events sink in," the Legate suddenly suggests. You can't, with any sort of straight face, even attempt to think this isn't a major decision point for Nadia and all of that, so...yeah. You've got no response other than a weak shrug and the obvious question for Nadia.

"I know this sounds stupid, but...maybe I should at least try nursing my wing back to health in my room," Nadia slowly says, but you know full well she's only saying that in the hopes that some dashing prince will climb up whichever Avila's tower Nadia rooms in and carries her out on a winged horse. And that, to put it politely, ain't happening. You'll have to think this plan over again and try to get Nadia on board with it once she's had a moment to think it over, because a bedroom high up in a tower is no place for a bird like her.

It is surprisingly difficult to try and step back into the mindset of the era before every last bit of local folklore already has been examined from all angles and the results of said investigations being one quick Google search away (or whatever search engine you prefer to use).

Edited July 3, 2023 by Metis

[Metis]

Painting Rumors, Stage 10:

Spoiler

Today you find yourself making a round trip through the Academagia to get an ear on the ground, get a feel for the state of affairs and general flow among the students, because the day that the Legate and Professor Badcrumble feared (yet knew full well) would arrive is here. The truth of Nadia Qureshi, the abandoned orphan from the Tanner's District wearing the princess' mask her parents forced upon her, has reached some part of the student body. Predictably, very soon after the story has started to spread like an uncontrollable wildfire. It's the day that Nadia showed her wings to the world all over again, but this time with a decidedly darker undertone. This isn't about the "fairy girl", as Nadia is now known as, showing her real self to the world while secretly enjoying the attention that people give her. This is about a relationship drenched to the core in lies and poison having the veil cast off from it, and inevitably being left to die alone. Abandoned by the girl who was abandoned in turn.

The state of affairs among the students is as it usually is in this situation - lots of people blathering on and on about stuff that ultimately doesn't matter - but knowing the full context and truth about the story yourself does give you a very different perspective. Once you're satisfied with your little investigation you head over to Rikildis' newspaper room. If she's there you've got some questions you'd like answered.

Indeed, Rikildis and even Grainne are both here, hard at work. That's...potentially a bad sign? You'll reserve judgement for now. "[PC FIRST NAME]? Funny that you'd just walk in here, Grainne was about to leave to try and find you," Rikildis asks with undisguised glee, though it feels like nothing she could do will change your dour mood right now. "Go ahead and take a seat, Gainne'll be right-"

"Rikildis?" you pointedly spit out, feeling like you've in no mood to deal with all of this excitement. At least you get the newshound's attention. "There's no point even asking what 'story' you two are working on. But do you even realize what this is about?"

"Eh, yes? It's about Avila's oh-so popular fairy girl secretly having grown up in the Tanner's District here in Mineta, and everything that says about how much of a 'fairy' the girl undoubtedly isn't. I've done my homework, [PC FIRST NAME], don't you worry."

This is what you were afraid of, and why you decided to step in before things got ugly. "No, Rikildis. This is about Nadia having been all but sold out by her parents because they saw no worth to her other than as a stepping stone for their own ambitions. And after all the years she spend coming to terms with them never caring for her, despite dutifully doing what she was told at first, the truth of her abandonment finally coming to light and leading to some sort of confrontation. One where she is likely going to burn bridges as she walks away without thinking twice or looking back, leaving her parents to fend for themselves in the incoming sea of flames as every lie they told comes crashing down around them all at once."

That revelation silently hangs in the air for a while, and you feel like the cheery mood didn't deflate so much as it imploded. Not that you want to go around summoning rain clouds everywhere, but you feel Rikildis had to be dragged back down to reality here. Preparing to spread malicious rumors about Nadia because of her circumstances, like she had any say or fault in the matter? That's not acceptable. Not knowing what you do.

"[PC FIRST NAME]..." Rikildis begins, evidently finding it difficult to switch over to a more serious tone. "Don't underestimate me, or take me for a fool for that matter. I'm aware of Nadia Wasem's - and yes, I do use that name intentionally - situation. I wasn't planning on completely assassinating her person just because she's not the rich heiress people thought she was, I'm not that petty. I was planning on figuring out what all else is hiding behind that 'fairy girl' facade of hers. Unless you want to tell me with a straight face that a girl abandoned to grow up in the Tanner's District actually manages to have so bright a smile naturally."

You'll admit, you were not expecting Rikildis to know about the adoption plan. You did underestimate her, in that respect. "In fact, Rikildis, I can tell you with a straight face that there is no truer nature to Nadia than her fairy girl 'facade'. She is the orphan girl from the Tanner's District, the bright smile of the people there who ended up raising her with love and care, and now the fairy girl of Avila. The only thing still holding her back is her parents, the last remnant of the dark past she's still trying to fly away from. Though you calling her Nadia 'Wasem' is interesting, talking about her parents. Care to elaborate?"

Rikildis ponders for a minute, and eventually ask Grainne to get all of you something to drink. You don't necessarily plan on staying here long, but you're not opposed to the idea either. "Since you've given me some new information, and a lot to think about, I'll give you this one...well, not exactly for free, but in return: Laila Wasem, Professor Badcrumble and the Legate have had a number of hush-hush discussions with Laila's parents. Things like tuition, housing during the summer, points of contact, all of that finer bureaucratic stuff an Academagia student needs? Laila's parents have agreed to provide Nadia with all of that should her current support, namely her parents, mysteriously drop. On paper it's a business agreement, nothing unheard of, but in truth they've adopted Nadia in all but name. The moment Nadia's parents lose custody she's a fifteen second trip to City Hall away from walking out as Nadia Wasem. And given the circumstances them holding on to that for long isn't looking likely."

Part of you is relieved to hear that, that's likely a lot of weight off of Laila's if not Nadia's shoulders, probably both, but it also underlines that this confrontation between Nadia and her parents is approaching fast. You try to ask Rikildis about who found out about Nadia's past, and how, but the sudden blast of Grainne storming back into the room at full speed throws that thought out of your head so hard it's a miracle your internal organs didn't follow. "Rikildis! Big time emergency!" Grainne shouts. "A suspicious guy showed up at the Great Gate, asking in Bassan about Nadia. The gate guards are holding him for questioning, but I talked to one of the seniors who witnessed it and could understand part of what the guy was saying. He's definitely a relative, or at least he claims to be."

It takes a second for the information to sink in, but once it does the conclusion is obvious. Nadia's family is making their move. While Rikildis ponders her next move you think back to what the Legate said earlier. "If things end up moving forward before we're ready, a well informed wildcard could prove a very useful unexpected ally to have on our side". Are they ready? They must be well prepared if the progress with the adoption is any indication, but are they ready? You're worried, obviously, but is there anything you can even do here?

Your thoughts are interrupted when Rikildis, rudely, shakes you out of them and asks if you're coming along. "Bwhuh?" is the only thing you manage to get out in response to that.

"To interview that guy! I don't speak Bassan and translation spells aren't my shtick, so are you coming along with me to translate or not? If you think I'm letting this opportunity slip through my fingers you're crazy, I'm not known as the Academagia's most ruthless news hound for nothing. Worse case I'll twist Antonio's arm. But you seem like you'd care about getting a chance to talk to that guy yourself. Get a feel for him, maybe figure out his angle. He has to have a hell of a card up his sleeve if he thinks he can convince Nadia to go back to her family, obviously nothing good, and...well, maybe it's better if she never meets the guy. Maybe if we figure it out, call him out, they'll never need to."

..."A well informed wildcard could prove a very useful unexpected ally", huh? A part of you isn't sure about taking this away from Nadia, but another part of you is thinking that maybe, just maybe, the Legate was on to something. "Alright, you've convinced me," you say, actually surprising Grainne a bit. Rikildis probably as well, but she keeps a straight face. "That said, do you have a plan for how we could get a chance to talk to the guy? I'm just a random student as far as the gate guards are concerned, and you're, well..."

Rikildis' enthusiasm deflates a bit when she realizes that complication. "Right...any ideas?"

-Deceit. Trick the gate guards.
--"We could just lie to them," you suggest. "The Legate did involve me in this mess, so who's to say I didn't get involved in this as well? I speak the man's language, few other people do, the guy isn't going to see a random child coming, and all of that stuff..." You shrug. "You know how this goes."

"I do, yes. Let's just hope the gate guards do as well," Rikildis answers. Fair enough, but seeing as how no one has a better idea the three of you decide try the direct approach anyway.

The trip to the Great Gate is completely routine, and there you see two gate guards standing in front of the door to the guardhouse, furiously chatting with each other. You walk up front and centre, with Grainne and Rikildis following behind you. "Something the matter, stude-wait..." The gate guard suddenly looks very suspiciously at Grainne and Rikildis, which you suppose is fair enough, but an annoyance all the same. "Here to cause even more trouble? This isn't a theatre, you know."

Rikildis, obviously put off, opens her mouth but stops when you throw up a hand in front of her face. "Sir, I don't have time for this," you tell the gate guard with all the confidence you can muster. "If there's a problem with Rikildis being here explain it, otherwise you know who I've got an appointment with."

"An appointment, huh?" the gate guard replies. He clearly doesn't believe a word of it, and that's fair enough honestly. "Pray tell who arranged for that."

"The Legate," you answer without missing a beat. The gate guards don't seem convinced, but they don't seem convinced you're lying to them either. "Not the first time I've gotten involved in this business surrounding Nadia, and I expect it won't be the last either. Now is there an issue with these two coming along with me or not?"

Both gate guards seem confused, almost, until one of them points at Rikildis. "For starters, does the Legate know she's the one who started this latest wave of rumors in the first place?" Rikildis initially denies it, but the guard proceeds to explain what blind spot in Nadia's magical covering of tracks Rikildis abused to physically track her, and what hubris caused her to fall face-first into the exact same pitfall not ten minutes later when she was walking through the Great Gate petting her Familiar rat, Meniken, and promising him lots of treats for "a job very well done". Rikildis completely fails to defend herself at all against that accusation, which basically boils down to her being guilty as charged. Not that you've got time to deal with that right now, in character or out of character.

"That does explains a lot," you say, glancing at Rikildis with narrowed eyes. Not that you actually care, you're just putting on a show for the gate guards at their totally not a theatre. "That said I don't see it as a problem. All the more reason for Rikildis to help clean up the mess, if anything. So, any further revelations or objections to me trying to figure out what this guy is here for, or can we get to work?"

"You seem really eager," the gate guard comments, but you shut him down by throwing the mountain of reasons you have to be excited right into his face. None the least of which is "if the Legate asks you for a favor, you don't say no". A common enough phrase among students and probably faculty alike, you suspect. As expected the gate guard can do nothing but slowly nod at that. "Ah...yeah, that's fair enough. So...do we let them in?"

The other gate guard scratches his head, uncertain himself. "Legate'll have our hides if we don't when we should, or do when we shouldn't. Halfway tempted to just flip a coin on this one, but than [PC FIRST NAME] is connected to this whole Nadia nonsense somehow. Heard [his/her] name come up a lot along alongside Avila's fairy girl, or whatever they're calling her. More'n if [s/he]'s just one o' the gossip queens." They actually know your name off-hand. Not sure whether to be flattered or concerned about that. Or both. "Dammit, fine. S'not like we've got half a plan when it comes to captain linguistics in there, and if rumors about Nadia growing up in the Tanner's is true these three might actually be less of a risk all told. Wouldn't surprise me if Nadia blew up half the building with 'er relative still inside before all's said'n done between them."

You mouth a curt thanks as you push through the guards the moment they step aside, Rikildis and Grainne following along behind you. The inside of the guardhouse isn't anything special. A hallway, a clearly marked waiting room where you assume the man is waiting, and regular guardhouse stuff you're none too interested in right now. You're interested in Rikildis, who is pouting her heart out and muttering incoherent words about swearing some sort of retribution better than revenge and vengeance combined. Even Grainne can't get a handle on her. You walk up to Rikildis and ask her to stay focussed, and what the next part of the plan is.

"Since I doubt there's a few barrels of gunpowder just conveniently hiding in a basement, we go and talk to Nadia's relative," she explains, bitterness still dripping from her words. You tell her to save her vengeance and/or fireworks for later, and explain whatever plan she has. It takes some effort, but Rikildis does quickly work you through it...

--Your first thought is to simply lie to the guards, as you feel like you've been involved in this whole mess enough to talk your way in. Rikildis seems to approve, but does feel a need to test your skills, given the importance of deceiving the gate guards and all. You nod at that, and despite Rikildis giving you her best gate guard impression you confidently manage to answer or, where necessary, deflect her questions.

It's about halfway through that you finally catch on to Rikildis giving you this "test" as a way to trick you into explaining exactly how you ended up helping the Legate with regards to Nadia, which is not giving you much confidence with regards to trying to talk your way past actual gate guards. And if that wasn't bad enough your ability to actually lie to people's faces...well, maybe you were just having an off day, but it could use a bit of work. Or you could simply try to stick to the truth and avoid having to actually lie, instead go for a more Queen Hedi approach, but you can't help but seriously question that after Rikildis pulled a King Aranaz on you better than the man himself could have managed.

So...yeah. Really not feeling very confident about trying to meet this relative right now, or rather, getting to him in the first place. Actually talking to him is probably going to involve more than a bit of creative interpretation of the truth anyhow...

"Well, I guess that means I'll try and twist Antonio's arm instead," Rikildis says, looking suitably disappointed. "That said you'll still want to try getting in some last minute practice, maybe look up a spell or other textbook that might help. Practising your weaker skills is never a waste of time in any event, but more importantly, if Nadia delays talking to this guy you might just get another chance at this as well. And let's be honest here, she might not want to ever talk to the guy, all things considered. In which case where else is that relative of hers going to go? He can try the orphanage or the temple Nadia was raised in, if he knows where to find them, but, you know...good luck."

It's not impossible that the orphanage matron or Nadia's temple mentor would force a confrontation of some sort, but it does sound like a place that relative would only try if he started to get desperate. Yes, you'll follow Rikildis' advice here. Too much to gain, not enough to lose. Hopefully the gambit pays off...

-Bassan. Firmly underline your translation skills.
--"If the guy only speaks Bassan that means the gate guards will have send someone to fetch either a translator or someone capable of casting a translation spell, correct?" you suggest. Rikildis nods, and asks if you think you're good enough to answer that call. "You know what? I think I might just be. Can't hurt to try, right?"

Rikildis nods, and along with Grainne the three of you end up going to the Great Gate. The trip is completely uneventful, but the air by the gate house is anything but. Two gate guards are standing in front of the door, furiously chatting with each other. You walk up to them as confidently as you can, while Grainne and Rikildis follow behind you. "Something the matter, stude-wait..." The gate guard suddenly looks very suspiciously at Grainne and Rikildis, moreso the latter than the former. "Here to cause even more trouble? This isn't a theatre, you know."

Before Rikildis has a chance to open her mouth you ask "Excuse me, but apparently you need a Bassan interpreter?" The gate guards seem unsure of how to respond to that. And neither does Rikildis.

"I mean...yeah," one of the gate guards slowly admits, starting holes through Rikildis. "Can't say I was expecting a student to fill that role, though. Definitely did not think the gossip queen would get involved after she started the earlier mess."

At this point Rikildis breaks and demands an explanation. And she gets one. Apparently she's the one who started the flood of rumors about Nadia growing up in the Tanner's District, as she was seen walking back into the Academagia looking mighty pleased right before the rumor storm started. As if that wasn't enough apparently she was doting on her Familiar rat, Meniken, as well, and promising him lots of treats for "a job very well done". It doesn't end there, either. The gate guard proceeds to plainly explain, like it's the most normal thing in the world, what blind spot in Nadia's magical covering of tracks Rikildis abused to get her scoop. And what hubris caused her to fall face-first into the exact same pitfall not ten minutes later. Based on Rikildis' expression you can tell the gate guard caught her with her pants accidentally thrown into the Academagia's Forges, but as entertaining as this little exchange is you do have work to do.

"I'll admit that's news to me, but that's basically the reason I decided to bring along Rikildis," you suddenly tell the gate guard. Of course he looks confused. "If you know about Nadia growing up in the Tanner's District than surely your realize resolving this man isn't going to be as simple as just translating a few sentences. Someone is going to need to have an actual conversation with him, pick up on the things said between the lines using the terms specific to Nadia's heritage. Translation magic isn't going to cut it, and I suspect I'm one of very few people who has had an actual conversation with Nadia about her wings - and her heritage - in Bassan."

Both gate guards stare at each other curiously. "Eh...I mean...[s/he]'s not wrong, is [s/he]?" one of them quietly admits.

"No, I'on't think [s/he] is..." the other says, slowly nodding. "I mean, who else could handle this? Nadia's friend, what's her name? Laila?" Rikildis shoots down that idea by pointing out that Laila is far too shy to handle a conversation like that, but you stop her before she blurts out anything about the whole adoption deal. Which, yeah, if that doesn't rule out Laila talking to this guy you don't know what could. "Still more'n what's said, huh? Yikes," the gate guard, picking up on you politely telling Rikildis to stay focussed, points out. "So...s'really comes down to [PC FIRST NAME] or Nadia, doesn't it?"

"Nadia'd rip the man's head off before she hear three words out of the guy," the first guard points out. The other one nods in agreement. You're just confused that these two apparently know you by name. "Also remember that [PC FIRST NAME] isn't lying 'bout having heard Nadia's story and all that. Every other student talking 'bout Nadia talked about [him/her] as well. [S/He] didn't get dragged in by the gossip queen, the gossip queen caught up with the bigger fish when they got dragged in."

Well that explains that mystery, you suppose. Of course Rikildis starts seething again because of that latter comment. "Fine," the other guard finally says as he steps aside. His buddy doing the same soon after. "I guess the floor's yours. Just keep those two on a tight leash, and keep it civil. I trust you know what to do with whatever captain linguistics tells you."

You nod and hurriedly drag Rikildis and Grainne across the threshold before the former does something stupid. The inside of the guardhouse isn't anything special. A hallway, a clearly marked waiting room where you assume the man is waiting, and regular guardhouse stuff you're none too interested in right now. You're interested in Rikildis, who is pouting her heart out and muttering incoherent words about swearing some sort of retribution better than revenge and vengeance combined. Even Grainne can't get a handle on her. You walk up to Rikildis and tell her, in Bassan, to get her act together. The unfamiliar language is effective at snapping Rikildis out of her dreams of seeing this building on fire. "What did you just say to me?" she asks. Not as a threat, but as a genuine question.

"In short, 'focus'. We're here, now what? I trust you've got a plan?"

"Do you think you're talking to Lambert? Of course I've got a plan," Rikildis annoyedly insists. Despite her emotion you're fine letting her quickly explain and put it into action. Rikildis is right, she's not Lambert, she'll get her act together if it means getting her precious scoop. That and it's not as if you thought further ahead than this very moment anyway.

--The simplest solution would be to rely on your knowledge of Bassan to pass yourself off as a translator. Someone is going to be called in to translate for this guy if he only speaks Bassan, you have to assume. But would the gate guards believe someone called you in to translate for them when instead a professor at this Academy of Magic might be able to cast a translation spell? For that matter are you really confident you could translate for this guy, no matter what accent he might have? You have to admit that, all told, you don't feel very confident about this...

"Is there a problem?" Rikildis asks, and you plainly admit that you don't think you've got a convincing angle to try and convince the guards to let you in. She's disappointed, of course, but doesn't care to dwell on it for any length of time. "I guess that means I'll try and twist Antonio's arm. That said you'll still want to try thinking of an angle, maybe look up historical precedent for practical examples or whatever you think might help. Practising your weaker skills is never a waste of time in any event, but more importantly, if Nadia delays talking to this guy you might just get another chance at this as well. And let's be honest here, she might not want to ever talk to the guy, all things considered. In which case where else is that relative of hers going to go? He can try the orphanage or the temple Nadia was raised in, if he knows where to find them, but, you know...good luck."

It's not impossible that the orphanage matron or Nadia's temple mentor would force a confrontation of some sort, but it does sound like a place that relative would only try if he started to get desperate. Yes, you'll follow Rikildis' advice here. Too much to gain, not enough to lose. Hopefully the gambit pays off...

-Glamour. Pass yourself off as Nadia.
--You pull out your wand and quickly work your way through more than one spell until your form gives way to that of Nadia, wings included. Though you've made sure that you're able to fold and stretch those "wings" without having to draw your wand again. Complicated, yes, but you'd rather not walk all the way to the Great Gate with your Glamour wings outstretched. That's just begging for you to round a corner too closely, clip a wing and break the illusion. Nadia has the trained instinct and reflexes not to do that, you don't, and for the same reason she'd never have her wings outstretched indoors anyway. But, on the flipside, if you didn't mimic her wings at all the gate guards have the biggest opening to see through your illusion that you could possibly give them short a wand and a Negation spell. So, ultimately, as complicated as this little illusion is it's necessary to make it work.

Rikildis and Grainne are both suitably impressed. Until you tell them "Alright, you two next."

"W-wait wait, what? Why do we need to-" Rikildis starts, but you do your best impression of Nadia disciplining one of the orphans. It works out better than you expected.

"Wings, miss von Kiep. Wings that are supposed to have a soothing effect on underclassman, and I'll be pulling out these wings when, not if, the gate guards ask if I'm really Nadia. Now stop distracting me and start cooperating, I want to get a move on while these spells are still good."

Rikildis and, to a lesser extent, Grainne are clearly none too happy about subjecting themselves to your magic spells, but they're willing to for the sake of their scoop. Would the real Nadia be scolding them right now? It kinda feels like she would? Or is that just you getting confused because you're hearing your own words in Nadia's voice? Doesn't matter, you can worry about what Nadia would do if and when you end up having to impersonate her again.

The trip to the Great Gate is incredibly awkward for you, wearing someone else's face and all, but you feel like that actually is what makes it work. Nadia would not be confident - or happy, especially - in this situation, and guess what? Neither are you. You also get some first-hand experience about what it's like to be Nadia, with everyone giving you a sidelong glance or looking in your direction, but you pay it no mind. How Nadia actually enjoys this attention, though? Maybe it's the Glamours, but you're having a hard time imagining it.

At the Great Gate itself two gate guards are standing in front of the door to the guardhouse, furiously chatting with each other. You walk up and get their attention. "Huh? Oh, Nadia! I'm guessing you heard-actually..." The gate guard suddenly looks very suspiciously at Rikildis and Grainne behind you, which you suppose is fair enough, but an annoyance all the same. "You are Nadia, right?"

"Girls, step back, please," you say to Rikildis and Grainne. They comply, and you pull your trick to "stretch" your wings without touching your wand. The gate guards, who would not be at all affected by them anymore, show no unusual response. As they shouldn't. Rikildis and Grainne, for their parts, get hit by the Glamour you cast on them earlier, and start to look around confused. Nothing major, but it's enough to sell their alleged reaction to your "wings". To the guards you simply cross your arms and ask "Any further questions?"

The guards take another look at Rikildis and Grainne, who are still feeling your Glamour and reacting accordingly. After that they stare at each other, and shrug. "No, I guess not," one of them says. "Just, you know, keep it civil. And those two gossip queens on a tight leash, if you can. She's the one who started this current wave of rumors about you growing up in the Tanner's, you know."

The gate guard points at Rikildis when making that accusation. She's obviously put off, but the gate guard ends up bringing up some (if Rikildis' expression is anything to go by) excellent points about her walking back into the Academagia looking mighty pleased right before the rumor storm started, while doting on her Familiar rat, Meniken, and promising him lots of treats for "a job very well done".

You can't help but break out a catty grin when you stare at Rikildis trying and failing to salvage her dignity while the gate guard plainly explains what blind spot in "your" magical covering of tracks Rikildis abused, and what hubris caused her to fall face-first into the exact same pitfall not ten minutes later. Honestly you wish you could keep watching this all day, but you'd better get a move on before the real Nadia catches wind of this and shows up herself.

"I'll be sure to give you a guided tour of the Tanner's District later, seeing as how you're so interested in getting to know it, Rikildis," you say, trying with all your might to not start laughing at the sheer absurdity of it all. "The orphanage especially...eh, that said, are you ready to come along? Or do you want to finish this discussion about our respective indiscretions first?"

"I-I'm ready!" Rikildis barks out, face flushed red and voice dripping venom better than any snake. Really wish you had Nadia's actual wings to calm her down in this situation, though it probably wouldn't have that much of an effect if you had to guess. You nod, re-fold your wings now that you're thinking about it, and watch Rikildis and Grainne walk into the guardhouse before following them.

There's a sly grin on the gate guard's face, which he shows once Rikildis is out of sight. You can't help but respond with your own, as well as a thankful nod. Ironically so, in hindsight, considering you're not actually Nadia and managed to pull the wool over the man's eyes as he did over Rikildis, and Rikildis over Nadia in turn.

The inside of the guardhouse isn't anything special. A hallway, a clearly marked waiting room where you assume the man is waiting, and regular guardhouse stuff you're none too interested in right now. You're interested in Rikildis, who is pouting her heart out and muttering incoherent words about swearing some sort of retribution better than revenge and vengeance combined. Even Grainne can't get a handle on her. You walk up to Rikildis and start to give her a good scolding, which appears to cut right into Rikildis' now exposed feelings. "D-don't you tell me that, I-I have every right to-wait...what am I saying? [PC FIRST NAME], why are you scolding me!?" At least Rikildis had the good sense to lower her voice before spitting out that last part. Give her all the grief you want about her lacking manners, at least she's intelligent.

"If you're not going to play your part, I will. Now, my-Nadia's relative. Keep the disguise or no?"

Rikildis, with some effort, explains that if you can recast your disguise in the hallway before leaving it's best to take it off. She's got a plan in mind, but it's not going to work if you pass yourself off as Nadia. Besides which a relative of hers might be harder to trick, and there's things he might not be willing to say to her that he might let slip to strangers. It's a gamble, sure, but Rikildis seems convinced it'll be worth it.

You have to admit it's not like you've thought ahead further than this exact moment, and can't think of what to ask the relative off-hand, so you're willing to go with Rikildis' idea.

--You pull out your wand and quickly work your way through more than one spell until your form gives way to that of Nadia, including a convincing replica of her wings. Though looking yourself over you realize a very large problem with this idea - you can't put away your wings on command, at least without a wand in hand, like Nadia can. Or "stretch" them without a wand, for that matter. That's a problem because you can't walk through the Academagia with these Glamour wings, that's so out of character for Nadia you'd get found out faster than if you held up a sign saying "I'm secretly [PC FIRST NAME]!" But if you don't have wings at all, or at least the ability to stretch them without a wand in hand, the gate guards will be able to call your bluff easily. You can try to make an excuse, but...is that going to work?

"Nice Glamour, but I'm guessing there's a problem?" Rikildis asks. You nod and explain the situation with Nadia's wings, how you can't have them and yet also can't not have them at the same time. Which obviously doesn't work. Rikildis slowly nods, trying to hide her disappointment in you. "I guess that means I'll try and twist Antonio's arm. That said you'll still want to hit up a few textbooks and see if you can make this work. For one because studying magic is, I'm assuming, the entire reason you're here at the Academagia in the first place, though shoring up your shortcomings is never a waste of time in any event. But, more importantly, if Nadia delays talking to this guy you might just get another chance at this as well. And let's be honest here, she might not want to ever talk to the guy, all things considered. In which case where else is that relative of hers going to go? He can try the orphanage or the temple Nadia was raised in, if he knows where to find them, but, you know...good luck."

It's not impossible that the orphanage matron or Nadia's temple mentor would force a confrontation of some sort, but it does sound like a place that relative would only try if he started to get desperate. Yes, you'll follow Rikildis' advice here. Too much to gain, not enough to lose. Hopefully the gambit pays off...

Perhaps a bit whiplash-y compared to the previous stage, but it's what happens, and the last thing this adventure needs is filler .

Edited July 3, 2023 by Metis

[Metis]

Painting Rumors, Stage 11:

Spoiler

The three of you walk into the waiting room and find a Strozzan man - both in terms of facial features and clothing design - with a serious expression and frown on his face, waiting impatiently. He looks confused when suddenly, to him, three children walk in. "Are you supposed to be my translators?" he asks in some local Bassan dialect, sounding unsure if he should be surprised or insulted. You've no problems understanding him, though.

"Translator and scribes, to be more specific," you correct, speaking Bassan yourself. The man looks confused. "Please, don't worry about our ages. Even in a place as culturally mixed as the Academagia interpreters for the relatively harder languages are in short supply, though Bassan specifically is held to a higher standard in that regard. As for translation spells, they've unfortunately proven themselves to be inconsistent, unreliable at times. For important meetings the academy's faculty prefers to call in someone who can speak to, and translate for, the guest directly, as well as two students to act as scribes to record the conversation. That is to ensure an accurate written account in both languages, both to facilitate smooth communication in the future and to ensure that any translation difficulties can be swiftly copied and brought to the Linguistic section of the academy's primary library for closer examination and translation. So, do you have any questions so far?"

Part of you, in fact, doubted it was physically possible to string a guy along for that long, but you have to give Rikildis credit where it's due. She predicted the man's personality better than any Avila student, and now he's puffed up like a king observing his personal servants. You just really hope Grainne can indeed fake writing the Bassan script, because otherwise you're going to feel what it's like to have your carefully crafted charade collapse all around you yourself. Which makes you wonder if you're really doing the right thing, but only time will tell, you suppose. A lot depends on what this guy has to say, whether you want to admit that or not.

In any case, the man seems suitably flattered and appeased. "Ah, no. No questions. Well, no questions about the procedures here, but I have come and have been waiting here for only one simple reason: Where is Nadia Qureshi?"

You "translate" for Rikildis, who proceeds to write stuff down. As she always does. Honestly, this "scribe" cover for her? Not the worst idea on her part. "Why do you want to see her, mister...?"

The man initially looks put off by the question, but understanding washes over him when he realizes he's not made introductions yet. "Ah, of course, of course. Faysal Qureshi, pleased to meet you, I'm Nadia's uncle on her mother's side. As for why I want to see her, I simply wish to help set the record straight with her about some family matters. It's...something best discussed in person, not through lengthy correspondence."

Again you "translate" for Rikildis, and prepare yourself for the key moment. You're ready for this, though. "Anything you would like to have written down and translated for the academy's official records? I understand if it's personal business, of course, but written records can swiftly be copied and brought to a given professor's office in either language they're more comfortable with, should they require one. You can also request that the records be treated as confidential. In this case that would see both translations brought and kept to the office of Nadia's regent, with access only granted through either the regent's or the Legate's express permission."

The man thinks about it...and falls for it. Hook, line, sinker. You simply have to hand it to Rikildis, she's put on a better show than either of the Academagia's theatres will this day. "Ah. Well, truthfully 'confidential' feels a bit...too strong of a word for what is, ultimately, just a bit of family business. But I can see the great importance this academy places on the written word, and I'm sure Nadia's regent would appreciate a reliable record of her position in the Qureshi home straight from her family, so, yes."

Thoroughly duped, and enamoured with the idea of having his side of the story both recorded and brought straight to Professor Badcrumble for future reference, the man proceeds to spill his guts about what he wants other people to hear and believe about Nadia. It's not he same story he's planning on giving Nadia herself, you've no doubt of that. But it provides a lot of context, clues and potential leads on what angles he even has to try and convince Nadia not to abandon the family who long missed their opportunity to apologize. If they ever had such an opportunity at all.

Once the man is done outlining his grand design you subtly convince him to leave for today, mainly to give you an out (or at least time) in case someone else is on their way to try and talk to this guy. Or he thinks of something else he wants Professor Badcrumble to be brainwashed by later, because he's going to be in for a shock if he does. Of course even that goes exactly according to plan, almost as if Rikildis' reputation is hard earned and well deserved, and you're able to do what you need to do in order to convince the gate guards to not ask too many questions about what just happened.

Of course afterwards it's straight back to the newspaper room, to sort through all of the information.

"So the crux of this guy's argument is that his - and, by extension if she stays with them, Nadia's - family is rich?" Rikildis asks as she carefully puts away her copy of the man's confession. Grainne, in stark contrast, proceeds to throw hers in the nearest trash bin as she was secretly copying a piece of random text to feign her writing Bassan script. You've taken a look at her scribbles, and while it is actual Bassan script she was copying her (admittedly very rushed and unpractised) writing thereof is so sloppy it might as well be random doodles.

"That sounds like the long and short of it..." you muse, finding a chair to sit down on as you try and think this over. "Is there any chance that argument could even theoretically work? I mean Nadia's parents better be the king and queen of all the Merchant Princes if they want to try that approach to bring her back into their fold, but it's not like Nadia has ever given me the impression of being much of a gold digger even than. Come to think of it, how well off is Laila's family? Nadia would have to share with Laila if she stays with them, sure, but if they're able to offer enough regardless than is there even a contest here? Is there even a contest here in general, considering that Nadia going back to her family would mean stabbing her best friend in the back in a big way?"

"Friendship is not something you can rely on in these situations," Rikildis says dismissively. Which, yeah, of course she would say that. "That said, insofar as this battle of bank notes is concerned, I'm more interested in Nadia's side than Laila's. Laila's family is an open book, it'd take me longer to compile a proper accounting of their wealth that it would take me to find out about it. Nadia's family is a big mystery with at least two chronic liars at the helm. Whatever their real station and situation is, I'm curious about it."

One side of you is saying that if you can prove the offer from Nadia's uncle is a sad joke you can bring that information to Nadia and make sure she doesn't get suckered into going back to them. Another, and likely the better part of you, is saying that if you wanted to deeply insult Nadia on a personal level than assuming she needs outside help to stop her family from buying her into backstabbing Laila is probably a fantastic approach to take.

"What's that frown for, [PC FIRST NAME]?" Grainne asks as she puts a warm cup of tea in front of you. You'll admit, you are thirsty after that encounter with Nadia's uncle, so that is very welcome.

"I'm doubting where to go from here," you admit, alternating between drinking tea and staring conflicted at it. "I just can't imagine Nadia going back to her family no matter what, and assuming otherwise seems hazardous to my health. So...why investigate this uncle's claims? Bogus or not, stick a fork in the guy because he's done. He's just waiting for the paperwork to be delivered to him about that."

"More like 'for' him, if our earlier chat is any indication," Rikildis quips. You actually thought her whole idea sounded like something that could be genuinely useful, but yeah, probably too much effort. At the very least the Legate would not approve of having even more multi-lingual records to deal with. "As for why to verify the uncle's story, to get leverage on him. Remember that Nadia's whole 'adoption' so far is just an on paper business decision with a lot of unspoken emotion behind it, it's nothing official. Nadia is still Nadia Qureshi, that guy is still her uncle, and unless something can break her family's hold on her neither of those are going to change."

"...You're saying that if Faysal lied through his teeth about his family's wealth they might not just be in a situation where they don't have enough to convince Nadia to come back. They might not have enough to reliably support her Academagia tuition in the first place," you point out. Rikildis nods with a satisfied look, evidently pleased that you're starting to learn. "That would definitely give Laila's family a lot of genuine leverage, if they're the ones picking up that tab, but Professor Badcrumble mentioned before how none of Nadia's records or payments were ever late or incomplete ever since she's started attending the Academagia. So I'm doubtful that her family is in that dire of a strait."

"One way to say for sure," Rikildis says. She's picked up a fresh roll of parchment, ink and trio of quills, and looks ready to head right back out there. Seems a bit excessive, but Rikildis is nothing if not determined when a potential scoop is on the line. "So, ready to do some research?"

You are, but how are you supposed to figure out the true standing of Nadia's family? They don't exactly live in Mineta, and it's not as if you're willing to trust Faysal on his word alone, so...

-Sleight-of-Hand. Swipe the goods straight from the source.
--Given the fact that Faysal - and the rest of his family - keeps every card close to the chest and seems to lie as easily as normal people breathe you ultimate aren't going to trust much of any information that doesn't come straight from the source. Of course getting information straight from the source in any legal manner isn't going to happen, so...strategic borrowing it is. There's just one problem, and that's knowing where Faysal keeps the goods. And how to get access without him ever seeing you, actually. He knows your face, so pickpocketing isn't going to work. This is going to require a bit of the old breaking and entering while the man is out. That said, in all likelihood he's a trader. There's no way he heard about the rumors spreading in Mineta and travelled all the way here from Strozza within an hour even if he is secretly a Gates mage, and given the untimely death of Nadia's older brother it seems reasonable Faysal replaced him as the head of his family's merchant convoys. Problem is if he spends his days and nights on his ship in the docks than how are you supposed to access his cabin without anyone noticing? Hmm...

Rikildis picks up on your planning and "politely", in the scheming sense of the term, asks what's on your mind. That, in turn, gives you some inspiration. You ask Rikildis if Meniken is tracking Faysal right now. She stares at you a bit curiously and plainly asks if that was ever in doubt. You shake your head and say you've got a plan, albeit a risky one. Rikildis doesn't even ask, she just nods and tell you to lead the way. Grainne eagerly follows.

Following Meniken's trailing of Faysal leads the three of you to a shabby, run down-looking bed and breakfast place near the docks, in one of the less reputable areas where off-island sailors and other travellers are (hopefully) contained and kept outside the city proper. That Faysal is apparently staying here speaks volumes about what resources the man is willing (or able?) to spend on comforts, because a ship captain with enough money to throw around can definitely find a room in a better establishment. However begrudgingly it might be given, admittedly.

Underneath the cover of Grainne's Glamour - since let's be honest here, the only way that any of you are not going to stand out like sore thumbs here is by being invisible - the three of you carefully approach the building. Meniken runs out from underneath some nearby garbage into Rikildis' hands, and points out the exact room that Faysal is staying in. Fortunately enough there's a wooden board masquerading as an open window, held up by a stick to the side. While Rikildis tends to her Familiar and Grainne tends to her magic you climb up to the window, slip in underneath the wooden board and enter Faysal's room. It's small, it's smelly, it's messy, but it's also empty, and that's all you care about right now. Off to the side, on a table that's had a broken leg repaired in the ugliest manner possible, there's a small bundle of letters next to a thicker book, likely a manifest if you had to guess. You don't have time for bit ticket items, though. You snatch the letters, quickly get them over to Rikildis who rapidly makes a copy of each, and return the original letters exactly where they were before bailing. There's time to read them later, now is the time to leave.

The three - or, with Meniken, perhaps four of you - end up going to the Admiratio and grabbing an isolated table in the first clean and well maintained establishment that doesn't smell like someone broke a keg of the cheapest alcohol ever invented by man right in the main foyer you can find. Rikildis, of course, has learned her lesson and won't be caught off-guard again. Grainne, once again, provides some magical privacy as you start checking the contents of the letters you strategically borrowed.

Quickly the tower of lies that Faysal told you earlier collapses like Vernin's least successful architectural attempt to date. The letters contain a number of reminders about outstanding debts send by several different people (none of which you recognize by name, though there's a mixture of Bassan and Renaglian names among them for what that's worth), which is the final bell for Faysal's claim to financial fame. The individual debts aren't ruinous, they're actually pretty small amounts all told, but the quantity of them here is worrying. There's also a personal message from Nadia's (soon to be demoted) parents about how they're getting increasingly pressured about officially naming Nadia as their successor, and imploring Faysal to get her on board with their plans. Interestingly enough it seems that Faysal was halfway through writing a response to that, as one of the letters is an incomplete one written by Faysal to Nadia's parents, reminding them about how much trouble Nadia's younger brother is causing him and how much Nadia's parents are asking from him insofar as convincing Nadia. Apparently Nadia's younger brother has his hands in his parents' pockets, and he's spending faster than Faysal can earn it. It's clearly grinding Faysal's gears that his hard work is being squandered by his spoiled rotten cousin, though surprisingly he doesn't seem too resentful of his sister for having such an uncontrollable brat for a son.

Finally, there's a short note from an unnamed source informing Faysal that "a little bird" told them about the rumors regarding Nadia's origin in the Tanner's District, and asking for a reply. It's impossible to tell who the note is from or what the context behind the message is, but if anything you would guess this is what interrupted Faysal's own letter writing and caused him to respond to the rumors so quickly. The question is how the rumors managed to reach this mysterious note author so quickly. Perhaps they were literally told by a small bird, as in someone's Familiar. A relative of an Academagia student here in Mineta itself. That seems the most likely answer, but there's just nothing to draw any real conclusions from.

Despite Rikildis and Grainne having the time of their lives with this absolute goldmine of information you're feeling decidedly miserable. Plainly put, this is wrong. Not the breaking and entering, however much the guards might disagree with you, but not even informing Nadia about any of this doesn't sit well with you. These are her relatives you're swiping private correspondence from in order to try and help her, but how can you possibly believe that if Nadia hasn't even been told that this is what you're doing, let stand given the opportunity to be included in this whole mess? This is her business, her life, her family. Or former family, whichever. Yet she's the one least knowledgeable about it. It's just not right. You ask Rikildis for a copy of the letters explaining the debts, since ultimately that's what should make a difference here. Rikildis, unsurprisingly, knows the meaning of the dour look on your face, but she scribes you a copy of the relevant letters regardless. Even wishing you good luck, for whatever that'll be worth.

It's time to find Nadia and get the one person who should have been leading this whole parade front and centre from the beginning actually involved in this mess. Or at least informed of it, if that is all she cares about.

--Given the fact that Faysal - and the rest of his family - keeps every card close to the chest and seems to lie as easily as normal people breathe you ultimate aren't going to trust much of any information that doesn't come straight from the source. Of course getting information straight from the source in any legal manner isn't going to happen, so...strategic borrowing it is. There's just one problem, however, and that's Rikildis. You know she'd do anything for her scoop, but you're still not entirely comfortable trusting her with the the knowledge of how you "found" the kind of information you plan on (hopefully) lifting directly off of Faysal. Once you have it you can consider whether you trust her enough to stay quiet if you're willing to share, but until that point, you can't convince yourself it's a good idea.

As such you end up going at it alone, half-heartedly telling Rikildis something non-committal about being willing to help, but thinking that splitting up to cover more angles might just work out better. Rikildis doesn't say anything despite seeing straight through your paper thin excuse - she knows the score, and she knows she's willing to forget about it if it gets her a prize. Good thing you're confident in your ability to get it.

That said in this particular case you don't even get the chance. You head off to the Overlook in the Admiratio to keep a watchful eye out for Faysal, and of course any opportunity to "pick up" what the man may unfortunately drop, but despite staying here for longer than you're willing to admit you don't end up seeing him. Not sure if he was never here or if you simply missed him. You do know what he looks like and he's certainly distinct even in a city as culturally mixed as Mineta, but even so you can't always see through the sheer size of the crowd walking around.

You'll either have to hope you get another chance at this - which is an activity that feels like it'll strain your patience sooner rather than later - or think of another way. Some way that doesn't cause you to think informing Rikildis about it would be a horrible idea, because you're willing to bet she knows where the guy is, but has no idea how to get actual solid info off of him. You do, but you don't know where to find your target...

This is going to be rough. Dancing with Rikildis, on the Overlook? Now there's a waltz you never thought you'd have to seriously consider preparing for...

-Espionage. Time for some high stakes eavesdropping.
--You get the impression that if Faysal's earlier story is completely bogus than he wouldn't have much success trying to sell it to other people. What he has to say to those other people, and what those other people have to say to (and about) him, would be very interesting. The question is how to overhear it. Simply hiding in a crowd isn't going to work, Faysal knows who you are, and you don't fancy your chances of hiding in general out in Mineta. Academagia students sneaking around, high odds you'd get spotted trying to listen in on entire conversations. No, this is going to take more drastic measures. And that's going to be difficult without some manner of angle of your own...

Thinking about it it's not too hard to figure out what Faysal is doing here in Mineta, even though he never said anything about that bar wanting to talk to Nadia (which can't be his only reason even if he were secretly a Gates mage, considering the timings involved). Someone must have replaced Nadia's late older brother after he died, after all. And again, unless secret Gates magic is involved, Faysal must have been in Mineta already when these latest rumors about Nadia started spreading. So him being captain of the family merchant fleet makes perfect sense. How to turn that into an angle, though? Surely the man will have plenty of conversations with all kinds of business partners and other traders you could learn something from, but how to get yourself into a position to overhear them?

At this point Rikildis asks you what's on your mind, seeing how deeply lost in in you are. You share your thoughts and ask if Rikildis can help fill the missing gaps in your (lack of a) plan. As expected she pulls through immediately, pointing out that Meniken is on Faysal's tail as the two of you are speaking, and that it's only a matter of time before he meets someone to talk business. You'll admit it's a risk, but you think you're going to have to keep a close eye on Faysal and be ready to jump at the first opportunity to learn more. You don't know how many of those you'll get, so better to be bold than to lose your opportunity.

You nod and take Rikildis and Grainne alike along on Meniken's trail of Faysal, which leads the three of you to a shabby, run down-looking bed and breakfast place near the docks. Deeply unfortunately, this is somewhere that Academagia students would stand out like crazy, as this is one of the less reputable areas where off-island sailors and other travellers are (hopefully) contained and kept outside the upper city proper. That Faysal is apparently staying here speaks volumes about what resources the man is willing (or able?) to spend on comforts, because a ship captain with enough money to throw around can definitely find a room in a better establishment. However begrudgingly it might be given, admittedly. Still, any self-respecting trader able to talk about his family's wealth without an empty bottle of the cheapest booze known to man next to him can't be talking to prospective business partners in here. So you may yet get your chance to eavesdrop on the man.

Hiding out of sight while Meniken keeps a watchful eye on Faysal, pretty quickly the man leaves the building carrying a thick tome. A manifest? You're not sure, but keeping a safe distance you follow him into Mineta proper, where Faysal heads to a restaurant in the Admiratio and reserves a table for two. Perfect. Rikildis and Grainne, under the cover of Grainne's Glamour, likewise head into the restaurant and order food, though far enough away from Faysal that they're not at risk of getting spotted. You, on the other hand, can't help but notice the place looks a bit understaffed - there's a few people evidently waiting on food as-is, and some of the tables haven't been fully cleaned up and made ready for new customers. Seizing inspiration you quickly sneak into the building through the back door, as you guessed based on smell and state of affairs inside it's not close to the kitchen and not well guarded, and duck into a closet with cleaning supplies and spare uniforms. One of them is small enough to reasonably fit you if you're careful with rolling it up and pinning certain parts in place, so you put it on and grab a set of cleaning supplies. Time for your grand plan.

You head into the main restaurant area, dressed up and supplies in hand, and receive zero strange looks from the two staff members here. They clearly don't recognize you, but given their situation they don't seem to question your presence regardless. They probably assume someone else called in their kid to help out, and well, here you are. You don't give them any reason to doubt that idea, either. You get to work straightaway and properly put your back into it. You're not under a Glamour like Rikildis and Grainne are, the only way you're going to deceive Faysal if and when he notices you seem very familiar is to look busy. Would an Academagia student be called in to help clean a restaurant? Of course not. Not without you relying heavily on the wand you don't have on you right now.

That exact scenario does end up playing out when you actually end up being the one to bring Faysal (and the person he's meeting here) his order, but your prepared excuse alongside a bit of the old acting readily convinces him that he must not be getting enough sleep. Beyond that you actually end up putting in an awful lot of work, from cleaning and preparing tables to taking orders to a brief stint helping out in the kitchen to taking people their meals to helping them settle their bills. It's hectic enough that you don't get much of an opportunity to overhear any of what Faysal and his contact are talking about, but what you do get is every opportunity to make sure that Rikildis and Grainne can get that information. Even so you actually end up getting the biggest prize, when you help settle Faysal's bill and he suddenly realizes he "forgot" to bring his wallet. You'll admit the act is well practised, but of course you know better. And so Faysal's contact ends up settling the bill, with Faysal promising a dozen times over that he'll treat the man to a meal the next time they meet. Meanwhile you're given a restaurant bill with Faysal's name on it, yet paid for by his contact. If Rikildis and Grainne didn't get anything that called the man's dreams of family wealth into doubt you just did.

Sneaking out of the restaurant proves to be awkward considering how badly the staff here genuinely need an extra pair of hands, and randomly disappearing on them is going to leave a mess behind, but staying until someone questions exactly who you are and why you're here would likewise be trouble. You decide to try for a middle ground approach and put on your best "starting to get worn out" act, shortly after which you ask one of the staff members here if you can call it a day because you're starting to feel the fatigue - which, for the record, you are. The staff member you talk to seems to assume you're someone else's kid who doesn't want to disappoint whatever parent or relative asked you to help out, so she nods in understanding at your visible fatigue, actually pays you ten Pims for the work you've put in, and says that since rush hour is almost over the remainder of the staff will be able to handle it from here. You nod in turn, thank the staff member for understanding, and bolt out of there as fast as your tired legs will take you, taking the back door after retrieving your Academagia uniform. Because the moment that staff member informs your "parent" you've gone back home is the moment that every single egg in the Admiratio will spontaneously teleport above that restaurant's roof and bombard the people inside until they're able to omelettes for the next month. It felt like such an overcomplicated plan considering you could have just sat down alongside Rikildis and Grainne and done your best to read Faysal's lips under the cover of a Glamour, but you and your elaborate scheme ended up getting real prize, so that's something to be proud of.

That knowledge only makes it even more apparent that of all the things you're feeling right now pride isn't actually one of them. This receipt feels like great evidence considering that no trader worth his salt would suffer the indignity of having a contact pay for a meal, yet...well, what is this evidence of? Moreover, who is this evidence for? Nadia. Nadia is the one who should be ecstatic to see actual proof of her uncle's lies, and yet who are you going to meet next? Rikildis and Grainne. Not Nadia. Call it what you will, it just isn't right...

Rikildis and Grainne, for their parts, are of course ecstatic to see what you've managed to get, and share that they managed to overhear Faysal repeatedly complain bitterly about what you translate as Nadia's younger brother. Putting the pieces together it seems that he's spending his family's money faster than Faysal can earn it, and Faysal having an act prepared to duck out under paying restaurant bills suggests that problem is starting to become a real issue. That said you don't care to even speculate about whether this means Faysal's family isn't able to support Nadia's tuition anymore. This is about Nadia, this always has been about Nadia, and yet she's the one person who hasn't even been told about any of this yet. You've had enough. You let Rikildis make a copy of the restaurant receipt and pocket the real one, intending on giving it to Nadia. It's well past time to inform her about this...

--You get the impression that if Faysal's earlier story is completely bogus than he wouldn't have much success trying to sell it to other people. What he has to say to those other people, and what those other people have to say to (and about) him, would be very interesting. The question is how to overhear it. Simply hiding in a crowd isn't going to work, Faysal knows who you are, and you don't fancy your chances of hiding in general out in Mineta. Academagia students sneaking around, high odds you'd get spotted trying to listen in on entire conversations. No, this is going to take more drastic measures. And that's going to be difficult without some manner of angle of your own...

You spend a while brainstorming ideas with Rikildis and Grainne, trying to figure out how and where you could possibly get an opportunity to eavesdrop without way too high of a risk at getting spotted (which you determine by doing some quick training sessions to test your espionage-y skills, and those...well, if you want to break Faysal you feel like they'll need to go better). Ultimately, though, having already made such striking introductions makes this idea very difficult. You don't think it's impossible, but it'll take something better than you're able to bring to the table right now, and that's a problem. You don't know how many chances you'll get at this, and getting caught because you were having an off day is just not going to work.

All the while the clock is ever ticking towards the inevitable confrontation. Not that Nadia has made a move yet, or that Faysal can afford to leave Mineta until either he or Nadia has, but still. Tick, tock...

-Economy. Head to the Docks and start gathering information
--You lead Rikildis and Grainne over to the Academagia's Docks, figuring that there's a good chance you can find information there. Faysal didn't say why he came to Mineta beyond needing to have a personal chat with Nadia, but if that's the only reason the timing between when the story about Nadia's past started making the rounds and when he showed up simply doesn't add up. He got stopped at the Great Gate literally within an hour of Nadia's past starting to spread among the students. Even if he's secretly a Gates mage that is just too fast. You could be convinced he wanted to talk to Nadia because she revealed herself as the fairy girl of Avila, and by the time he got here he just happened to do so at quite possibly the best and worst time imaginable. Coincidences like that are rare, but they do happen. But even that sounds off. Why would Nadia's family need to travel all the way to Mineta just to have her uncle talk to her, in person, about her showing her wings? It makes no sense. She physically needs to expose her wings in order to keep them healthy. The faculty was informed about her wings the moment she was applied to attend the Academagia. There's no halfway realistic scenario where Nadia's family could have been under any illusion that their wings would have remained hidden no matter how practised they are at lying to themselves.

There is still a chance you're wrong about this, but in your ears a much more likely explanation is that Faysal is here on business. Someone had to have taken over overseeing the trade fleet and foreign dealings after Nadia's older brother died. If Faysal did that puts him in a much more reasonable location to hear about the rumors flying around about Nadia, and to get to the Academagia in the span of time that he did. You're not sure whether he heard about the rumors of Nadia's past initially or heard about them on the way to the Academagia, but either way you suspect there's good information to be gathered about the man at the Docks.

It takes a fair bit of bravery and good use of your Bassan to even find the right people to talk to, but by daring to speak to local Strozzan sailors in their own language (something neither Rikildis or Grainne would be able to do) you're able to learn of several names in this city who have some kind of beef with Faysal. One of them, after an introduction from one of his officers, is even willing to meet with you about it. Neither the officer or the man himself outright say it, but you can suss out they're interested because they're keeping tabs on Faysal, and Academagia students showing up asking questions about him is worth their time to investigate.

After a slightly tense, but ultimately polite discussion in Bassan, since the man prefers to reserve his Renaglian for actual mercantile business, the trader is willing to show you some of his accounting records. And in them you see clearly written why he (and others, you would guess) are keeping tabs on Faysal: The guy has outstanding debts. Not major ones, but if this is only one such record of several that would paint a less than pretty picture pretty quickly. Not to mention that even just this flies in the face of his earlier claims. The trader, both in return for the information you're willing to trade him (if reluctantly) and out of respect for you speaking his language, also tells you why Faysal has outstanding debts - Nadia's younger brother. The trader admits he doesn't know for sure what is going on there, his only true source of information is Faysal himself and he doesn't trust his word as far as he can throw it, but it's clear the boy has his hands in his parents' pockets. And he is spending like a drunken sailor.

That seems to confirm beyond any shadow of doubt that Nadia won't be returning to her parents, although the chance thereof was so slim before no spell would have allowed you to see it anyway. You thank the trader for all his help, and Rikildis talks you into getting her a copy of the accounting records showing Faysal's outstanding debts. You do convince the trader to give her a copy, but you also get one for yourself.

You're starting to feel guilty. All of this, supposedly, for Nadia's sake. And yet who is the one person who should be standing right next to you, but actually hasn't been told anything yet? The trader in you is screaming that you're on the wrong path, making the wrong deals with the wrong people, and you're no longer able to drown that voice out. It's time to deliver this stuff to Nadia and find out what she thinks about all of this.

--You lead Rikildis and Grainne over to Mineta's Docks thinking that there's a good chance you can find information there, and you might be right about that, but Faysal seems to almost be a cursed name because people seem strangely reluctant to mention him. Most purely because they don't want to discuss their potential contacts, which is fair enough, but sometimes you get less of a "it's business" feeling and more of a "it's personal" feeling.

Good news is that there is information here, you just have to figure out how to shake it loose from the tree it's stuck in. Bad news, well, the whole "shake it loose" part. You can't exactly talk business with these merchants, and getting merchants to not talk business is significantly more challenging. Not impossible, but you'll have to give some thought as to how you're going to approach this angle...

I can already foresee this stage being a bit of a stumbling block in practice, given the less than orthodox skills it requires .

Edited July 3, 2023 by Metis

[Metis]

Painting Rumors, Stage 12:

Spoiler

You walk around the Garden Gallery asking around and looking around, but finding Nadia proves to be more difficult than you thought. Based on what other students are saying she actually hasn't been painting in the Garden Gallery recently. Where could that girl be? She needs to be where the sun can see her somewhere to tend to her wings at least for some portion of the day, so where is she? After fruitlessly searching through what feels like more of the Academagia than you were consciously aware existed you decide to try another promising location: Nadia's painting cram school. She does still attend classes there, and if the girl can find a private room with a window to paint in anywhere outside the Academagia it's probably there.

Thankfully you do know where the place is, so you head there and inquire about Nadia. The staff is reluctant to answer your questions, but you're able to convince them that you only need to talk to her briefly about something important. They admit Nadia is here, and you get taken to one of the building's practice rooms where students are able to practice their painting in peace and quiet.

Inside Nadia is silently working on a painting, her back facing the window despite her wings not being outstretched, and her expression showing a mix of determination and sadness you're not used to seeing on her. It doesn't take long before she notices you. "Did Laila send you?" Nadia asks, not drawing her attention away from her painting.

"No, I'm here to talk to you myself," you admit. This is not a conversation you want to have, but you have to. "I don't know if you've heard, but I've been doing some digging into your uncle's affairs and actually managed to learn some stuff. Though I realized I should have informed you about it first. At least I should have told you about, even it if you didn't want to be brought in. So, here."

You hand Nadia the records you got showing Faysal's financial situation. She glances at it before turning her frown towards you. "You too? You're just like Laila, can't stop worrying even when I'm trying not to rely on everyone else so much...what is this, even? Outstanding debts, it looks like?"

"Basically. I don't know if your uncle managed to corner you yet, but-"

"He hasn't," Nadia interjects. Answers that question, you suppose.

"Oh. Well, I talked to him, and he basically tried to convince me the story about you being raised in the Tanner's District are just rumors, that the Qureshi family is too rich and important to have bad things happen to them, and all of that general stuff. I don't recall off-hand if there was a single part of his story that I could believe on his word, but if there was it's not like I'd be inclined to given the rest goes to show his word isn't worth anything."

"Were you expecting anything else?" Nadia asks, and you have to admit that, honestly, you weren't. "Than why even bother asking? Why dig into his financial history? Did you think that any amount of money could have convinced me to go back to them?"

You shake your head quickly enough to diffuse that powder keg before the fuse lights up. "I was convinced to look into it because if something could be done to show he's either unable or unwilling to support you the whole adoption idea could meaningfully move forward, and you know how many reasons there are to suspect that information is out there somewhere. And it turns out it is, if those financial records can call your parents' ability to afford your tuition into question than Laila's parents taking over would give them leverage. But it didn't feel right to do all of that without even so much as telling you about it, you're the one who should be desperate to do everything you can to break free from your parents and all, so...here I am."

Nadia glares at you, seemingly debating on whether to give you the scolding of your life or whether to get genuinely angry, but she ends up distracting herself by looking at the financial records again. "Any idea why they're in debt?" she asks. You see no reason to hold back now, so you explain that her younger brother is apparently spending more money than his parents can afford. Nadia actually nods at that. "Yeah, I might have guessed as much. Dammit, guess I should clear this matter up once and for all." You raise a curious eyebrow, which Nadia returns with a frown. "I mean get this whole mess over with. I wasn't planning on ever talking to my family at all, you know. You should know they've got nothing to say to me and apparently even less to offer, so why should I even listen to their blathering? But it seems like I won't get a moment's rest until this uncle stops hounding me, so, fine. I'm not lifting a finger to track him down, mind you, but if you drag him here or something I'll talk to him. Hopefully that'll be the end of it."

-Astrology. One tracking spell, coming up.
--Given that you have met Faysal before you don't think it would be too difficult to use Astrology to find him, even if Nadia doesn't feel like putting in any effort to try and track him down herself. You're no slouch at magic yourself, Academagia student and all, right? You've got this.

And you do. After confirming that Nadia basically doesn't know anything about her uncle (and has no desire to learn anything about him, for that matter) you decide on a more brute force approach to tracking him down. Harder to execute, but still within your limits.

Admittedly you probably would have been put to the test more if you didn't find Faysal doing some window shopping in the Admiratio less than five minutes later, but still. Success is success all the same...if it can be called as much at all in this situation.

Somewhat reluctantly you lead the man to the painting cram school, fetch Nadia, and while you eavesdrop from a safe distance the two of them end up having the exact conversation you knew they were going to. Nadia does manage to get some use out of the financial records you dug up, but the sting of her shooting down Faysal's claims to supposed financial fame does feel a bit weak considering Nadia was never going to really care about it one way or the other. Obviously Faysal is particularly unhappy about having records of his lies shoved into his face, that is mildly entertaining, but Nadia is so done with her family she refuses to explain where she got them from purely because she doesn't care. Which is probably for the best, for your sake, but as much as you know she doesn't want you to you can't help but worry about Nadia all the same.

So...that's that. Faysal storms off in a huff, muttering about something irrelevant because he's got no leverage or options left - never did, really - and Nadia herself just tells you that she's going back to painting before walking back into the cram school. You have to remind yourself that you knew this was coming, so in hindsight you're not sure why you were expecting something else.

Well, either way, that's that. Let's just hope this really is the end of it...

--Given that you have met Faysal before you don't think it would be too difficult to use Astrology to find him, but you're not exactly confident either. Nadia could definitely track the guy down in her sleep, all things considered, but...you already know the answer to that.

Lacking really anything to go on but one proper prior meeting you nevertheless give it your best shot, but as you go through failed spell after spell it quickly becomes apparent this isn't going to work. You need either something to give you a clue about how to track Faysal down, or something else that'll make it easier to find him. Like the guy being right outside the door to this room, as unlikely as that is.

All the same you don't want to ask Rikildis for help, and Nadia won't help regardless, so...guess there's nothing to do but try to get a better angle or hope the stars align, pretty much...

-Natural Philosophy. Use a sample from Nadia to track down her blood relative.
--Given the fact that Nadia is still related to her uncle by blood, a sample of her should make it very easy to locate her uncle no matter how absent that connection might be emotionally. The real question is what sample to ask for. A strand of hair would be (relatively) easily given but yield little result, whereas a blood sample would be hard earned but well rewarding. Hmm...

Nadia, having said her piece, returns to sitting on her seat and double-checks were you're standing before she stretches out her wings. You'll admit, you've missed seeing them. The soothing feeling can be a distraction, but it can also help you clear you head a bit. Make it easier to organize your thoughts before trying to piece them together. It's just a shame you'll most likely grow out of being able to feel it before Nadia's wings fully recover. It'll likely take even longer for her to stop checking her surroundings every time she wants to stretch them, too.

...Actually, her wings. Nadia's uncle has his own wings, doesn't he? If he belongs to the same bloodline than by all rights he should, hereditary curse and all. That means if you could get a sample of those wings you could find Nadia's uncle with your eyes closed. But how could you even get a sample of them? Nadia's wings are brittle, you could maybe talk her into donating a blood sample but touching her wings is surely out of the question...

"[PC FIRST NAME], I know they're soothing to look at and all, but please don't stare at my wings with that expression. Don't forget they're still brittle, one bad touch and I'm going straight to the Infirmary."

You nod and assure Nadia you haven't forgotten, but also that you want to try to get a sample of them to track down her uncle. Just as an experiment of how effective it is, if nothing else. Of course you're absolutely stumped as to how to get any sort of sample at all. Even if you could safely touch them you don't know if they'd yield flakes like skin does, or whether there's anything of proper substance inside them in solid, liquid or gaseous form (though the last one would be a pain to try and use anyhow), or whether the edges can be trimmed like nails, or something.

Nadia, after looking suitably disturbed by the undisguised curiosity of a natural philosopher, slowly casts a worried look at her wings. "Okay, I don't know about any of that and don't want to test literally any of theories, so I suggest you-actually, hang on...maybe there is something you could use." You instinctively take a step forward, than take a larger step backwards when Nadia glares at you. She shifts in her seat a bit and points towards the floor, after which you can see what she's referring to. The light shining through her wings is leaving a faint image on the smooth, stone floor of this place, more or less like stained glass. Would that work? You can't imagine it would work well in any case, but how many other people in Mineta have wings, currently? Surely it'll prove enough. Only one way to know for sure, really.

You sit down in the light, as far away from Nadia as you can manage, and start to weave some spells. Having to cast spells like this while feeling the soothing effect of Nadia's wings is throwing you off a bit, but not so much that you can't manage to piece a simple tracking spell together.

"So? Any idea where this uncle is?" Nadia asks. You scratch your head and explain, as best you can, that it's difficult to say. It feels like this particular tracking spell is as specific and well put together as you've ever managed to so far, but the pull is noticeably weak, and you're not sure whether that's a good thing or not. It feels like it should since you're only trying to track down a single person, no false leads or interference, but at the same time you were expecting a stronger pull.

"You've still got a few years of Astrology studies ahead of you, so don't worry too much," Nadia says. "If it'll get the job done it'll get the job done, all I care about is that if it gets done at all you get it done quickly. The faster I can put this issue to it's death bed the better."

...Right. You head off into Mineta and put your tracking spell to the test, only to find Faysal doing some window shopping in the Admiratio less than five minutes later. So, success, can't be upset about that, but...not much of a test, unfortunately.

Somewhat reluctantly you lead the man to the painting cram school, fetch Nadia, and while you eavesdrop from a safe distance the two of them end up having the exact conversation you knew they were going to. Nadia does manage to get some use out of the financial records you dug up, but the sting of her shooting down Faysal's claims to supposed financial fame does feel a bit weak considering Nadia was never going to really care about it one way or the other. Obviously Faysal is particularly unhappy about having records of his lies shoved into his face, that is mildly entertaining, but Nadia is so done with her family she refuses to explain where she got them from purely because she doesn't care. Which is probably for the best, for your sake, but as much as you know she doesn't want you to you can't help but worry about Nadia all the same.

So...that's that. Faysal storms off in a huff, muttering about something irrelevant because he's got no leverage or options left - never did, really - and Nadia herself just tells you that she's going back to painting before walking back into the cram school. You have to remind yourself that you knew this was coming, so in hindsight you're not sure why you were expecting something else.

Well, either way, that's that. Let's just hope this really is the end of it...

--Given the fact that Nadia is still related to her uncle by blood, a sample of her should make it very easy to locate her uncle no matter how absent that connection might be emotionally. The real question is what sample to ask for. A strand of hair would be (relatively) easily given but yield little result, whereas a blood sample would be hard earned but well rewarding. Hmm...

You decide to play it safe and only ask for a strand of hair, which is something you can pick up off of the floor easily enough after Nadia runs a comb through her hair once. Though the clearly forced motion she makes doing that, combined with the frustrated look on her face, makes it clear that this is as much as you're going to get - good thing you erred on the side of caution.

Sample obtained you do your best to try and track down Faysal through it, but as you feared it's not as easy as you had hoped. You can't get a clear idea on where Faysal is bar "somewhere in Mineta", and that's not really going to cut it. Perhaps you need a better spell? A better sample (and some sort of way to actually get it)? Something else? You're not sure. All you know is that this hair you've got, while a start, isn't going to be enough...

-Society. Ask around Mineta for the man's whereabouts.
--For better or worse a man like Faysal is going to be noticed wherever he goes, so it seems reasonable that you can just ask people about his whereabouts. Provided that you keep your reason for looking for him close at hand, at least.

You head out into Mineta, not expecting much, but right outside the painting cram school you find people who have heard (vague snippets of) gossip about Nadia and the man looking for him, and following the small ripple of rumors leads you straight to Faysal shopping around the Admiratio within five minutes. Sure? No reason to look a gifted horse in the mouth, you suppose.

Somewhat reluctantly you lead the man to the painting cram school, fetch Nadia, and while you eavesdrop from a safe distance the two of them end up having the exact conversation you knew they were going to. Nadia does manage to get some use out of the financial records you dug up, but the sting of her shooting down Faysal's claims to supposed financial fame does feel a bit weak considering Nadia was never going to really care about it one way or the other. Obviously Faysal is particularly unhappy about having records of his lies shoved into his face, that is mildly entertaining, but Nadia is so done with her family she refuses to explain where she got them from purely because she doesn't care. Which is probably for the best, for your sake, but as much as you know she doesn't want you to you can't help but worry about Nadia all the same.

So...that's that. Faysal storms off in a huff, muttering about something irrelevant because he's got no leverage or options left - never did, really - and Nadia herself just tells you that she's going back to painting before walking back into the cram school. You have to remind yourself that you knew this was coming, so in hindsight you're not sure why you were expecting something else.

Well, either way, that's that. Let's just hope this really is the end of it...

--For better or worse a man like Faysal is going to be noticed wherever he goes, so it seems reasonable that you can just ask people about his whereabouts.

You head out into Mineta, not expecting much, and right outside the painting cram school you find people who are less than willing to discuss whether they've seen a Strozzan man fitting Faysal's description walking around. That start turns out to be the beginning of a long trend, with people not exactly willing to answer your questions or otherwise not knowing anything worthwhile. You get the sense that Faysal does go to the Admiratio from time to time, but if he's here right now you're not able to find anything who can point you in his direction.

That's progress of a sort, you guess? Not really, but at least you know that Faysal is still in Mineta, so given enough time and effort eventually you should be able to run into him. You'd much rather do so sooner rather than later, though. And without getting glared at by people quite as much...

I'm sure it surprises absolutely no one that, no, this is not yet the end of this adventure. Close, but not quite yet...

[Metis]

Painting Rumors, Stage 13:

Spoiler

You're in the Admiratio doing some light shopping, when your day is suddenly interrupted by your name being shouted above the passing crowd. Your turn around to look and are surprised to see a panicked Laila running up to you, looking behind her as if she's running away from something. "Laila? What's going on?" you ask, drawing your wand in the process. And wondering what could have the girl running in terror when no one else is.

"T-that guy is after me," Laila says, her words nervously stumbling out. Before you get a chance to ask the obvious question she quickly adds, "I-I've tried to throw him off b-but I can't cover my tracks like Nadia can. P-please help me I-I don't know what to do!"

You can easily believe Laila isn't skilled at "covering her tracks" considering she just shouted your name over the crowd. All the same you bite back your pointed (some would say "snide") remarks and ask who is apparently chasing her. Unfortunately before Laila answers that question she whips her head to look behind her again, sees her pursuer somewhere in the crowd, and jumps behind you. You're not saying it would have accomplished anything even if you were the one two years older, you're saying that not being the case just makes it all the more ridiculous.

Knowing that trying to hide this girl would be like trying to hide an elephant among ants you decide to simply wait for Laila's pursuer to follow the sound of her panicked voice and end up in front of you. You don't have to wait long - not ten seconds later you see a familiar-looking man weave through the crowds. Nadia's uncle. "Hmm? Oh! You're that student from before," Faysal, speaking Bassan, says when he sees you standing there. Like a normal person he walks up, gives you a polite bow, and adds, "A pleasure to see you again, and my apologies for the public disturbance. I was not aware the girl was so apprehensive of friends yet introduced, and had I known you were this girl's friend I would have tried to contact you instead."

For as terrified as Laila seems, and for as understandable as that might be considering her tendencies and what Faysal represents to Nadia, you can't say he's behaving anything but perfectly normally. His words, though...if he were someone else you might give him the benefit of the doubt, but as is you're staying weary. Though you're also admitting that, while perhaps a bit strange, you feel no need to call over any guards right now either. "Likewise, though I must say most people wouldn't chase after a girl who is clearly afraid of them, even if those fears are unfounded." You say that in Bassan knowing full well that Laila speaks the language as well, but you're not concerned about her overhearing.

"Ah, y-yes, well. Regrettably I find myself forced to pursue all possible avenues to resolve this simply maddening state of affairs as soon as possible, so unfortunate as it is I've little choice but to try and convince this girl to speak to me. I assure you I mean her no harm, I simply wish to talk to her."

You know this guy is more crooked than a bent twig, but even so you can't fault him too much - you know the situation he's in, and how desperate he must be to resolve it. That said he really should just give up, or at least try to establish contact with Laila some other way the moment she runs in terror from him. It's not as if an Academagia student offers no options for possible middleman in that regard. "Well, I'm afraid she's in no mood to talk. But if you've got something to say to her I'm willing to bend an ear."

Faysal nods enthusiastically, like this works out just as well. "Of course, of course, I've no intention of scaring the poor girl," he continues to drone out like the world's most cheerful salesman. Little late on that one, you think, but sure. "See, the truth of the matter is that Nadia...I honestly don't even know what's gotten into her. These rumors, a spell of some kind, maybe she's gotten a boyfriend filling her mind with all the wrong ideas? I can't begin to guess. Whatever it is it's foul, clouding her judgement. I thought that if I couldn't reach her to cure her of this silly business perhaps I could convince her friends to help me out, talk to her and make her see reason. I'm sure it's obvious that Nadia is best off with her own family, even if we didn't have our...well, I'm sure you know about it. Our heritage to consider. I understand that girls her age can be fiercely independent, starting to build up their dreams and wanting to see more of the world and what have you, but I don't wish for her to rashly commit to something she'd later regret. I can relate - I do a lot of travelling myself, and seen plenty of sights I'm sure Nadia would love to see herself - but Nadia is simply too young to let go of the people supporting her."

So Nadia's family won't take "no" for an answer, and this is their next ploy to get her back into the fold. Unbelievable. You also wonder what this guy would think if he knew the parents of Nadia's friend hiding right behind you right now are poised to adopt Nadia the moment the hammer on Nadia's family drops. No wonder Laila is so scared of this guy. And so much for Nadia being too young to cut ties, for that matter. She's already prepared in that regard.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" suddenly rings out over the crowd. But this time it's not the panicked voice of Laila. No, this time it's the voice of one very ticked off Nadia. She forces her way though the crowd, stomping furiously over to her uncle before switching to Bassan. "I thought I told you to leave me alone! What do you think you're doing chasing after my friends, was one explanation of the extent of your failure not enough!?"

"N-Nadia, d-don't raise you voice in public. We raised you better than that-" Nadia's uncle tries to say, but he get unexpectedly interrupted when Nadia grabs him by the neck after that "raised you better than that" comment.

Nadia's response is so fast and dripping fury from every word that you're actually having a hard time making it out, but you suspect if you could you'd be wishing you couldn't hear it. It's pretty obvious from context that she did not take her uncle's claim at having "raised her better" (or raised her in general, for that matter) very well.

Of course this more than likely soon to escalate "conversation" isn't the only problem. You look behind you and see that Laila's on the ground clutching her head, seemingly in pain, and more than likely paralysed in fear and panic. Figuring that some guards can break up the two disgruntled relatives you choose to focus on Laila, trying to pick her up so you can at least get her off of the middle of the street. It's not the easiest task, and the sound of Bassan curses getting louder by the second doesn't help you or especially Laila, but you keep telling yourself don't need to speak Bassan to know that someone needs to step in there. Surely the guards will recognize that too, right?

After a lot more effort than you were expecting you've managed to half carry, half drag Laila off and place her against one of the nearby buildings. Unfortunately by the time you look back at the fighting pair you realize that you're too late. Guards apparently got involved, but one of them is on the ground (albeit without visible injuries), and in the corner of your eye you barely catch a livid Nadia running off after a shape that resembles Faysal, screaming furiously and swinging her arms around in ways that no athlete short of a boxer might recognize.

Well...now what?

-Empathy. Try to console Laila.
--Figuring that it's far too late to run after Nadia, and that you're not the best person for looking at the fallen guard (or, at least, the guards are not the best for looking after Laila) you turn you attention back to Laila and try to figure out what's going on with her. Unfortunately the situation doesn't look good. There's so many things that could be running wild in her head you don't even know what to start with, and the slowly gathering crowd of onlookers getting their shots in against Academagia students and whatever other part of this mess doesn't appeal to them doesn't help either. More guards are slowly showing up to try and keep the crowd moving, but it doesn't seem to stop low murmurs from reaching your ears. And Laila's, in turn.

Trying to focus on Laila and whatever is wrong with her is starting to get hard because even you are feeling a bit overwhelmed, and if you are than surely Laila is feeling it even worse. It's her best friend - hopefully soon to be sister, even - that just ran off screaming after the person who's most likely to have her taken away somewhere. And now with the crowd adding their perspective, none of which is good of course...right. You know what to do here.

You sit down next to Laila and pull her in for the best comforting hug you can give someone two years your senior. It's a bit awkward, but resting on your knees gives you the extra height (or illusion thereof) to make it work.

Laila, for her part, initially doesn't respond. But after a moment she pulls you closer, and despite the noise in the background you can hear her quietly beg for help, and for Nadia. You can't exactly help her with the latter, but you at least can help get her back to the Academagia. It'd be better for her if you took her off the street, especially this one right now.

The two of you end up slowly dragging yourselves all the way to the Great Gate, Laila not getting any worse (but not seeming to get any better either) or saying much of anything on the journey there. At the Great Gate you see a pair of guards talking to the gate guards, and one of the latter mentions going to inform Professor Badcrumble. Honestly, you'd be glad if Laila didn't hear it. You're sure she'll be alright, given enough time to rest and maybe a good night's sleep. Nadia, though...you really hope this is going to end well...

--It seems painfully obvious that Laila - as you pointed out earlier - is afraid of Faysal due to the whole "adoption" deal, but as much as you try to convince Laila that he's not going to figure that out (let stand come after her for) she doesn't look like she's hurting any less. This unexpected failure quickly turns into frustration, not helped by the quickly growing crowd of onlookers carelessly saying the worst things that come to mind without second thought, knowing full well they'll easily get away with it. There's nothing you can do about that, though. Making this scene any bigger might be cathartic but it's not going to help Laila, you might be missing something here but you're not that hopeless. You'll just have to bite it back and get Laila - and yourself - out of here. Before this escalates any further.

To that end you call out to one of the rapidly gathering guards, trying to keep the crowd moving, deliberately raising your voice enough to drown out the insults being flung around for just a single moment. No one even notices, it definitely doesn't make a difference, but it makes you feel better. Just a little...

"What's the big idea-?" a guard starts to asks with harsh tones, until his eyes land on Laila. You force yourself to ignore the boiling frustration simmering beneath your skin and, as best you can, briefly explain Laila collapsed shortly after the whole mess went down, and ask if the guard can help carry her back to the Academagia. He briefly looks at both of you with a curious eye, but quickly shakes himself out of his questions and focusses on the important situation in front of him. Frankly? Praise this man. He's an example you should follow. "Alright, can do. Any idea why she collapsed? Is she unwell?"

You don't exactly want to admit that you've no idea what, exactly, is wrong with her, so you sheepishly admit that while you don't think she's physically unwell you're not sure past that. The guard nods, any unspoken questions successfully kept hidden behind a composed, reliable focus.

The three of you end up slowly marching all the way to the Great Gate, Laila's condition - whatever it is - not getting any better on the way over. Though fortunately also not seeming to get any worse, at least. At the Great Gate itself there's two guards talking to the gate guards, and one of the latter mentions going to inform Professor Badcrumble. Right, Nadia...kinda forgot about her. Eh...par for the course given that this wasn't your finest moment, you suppose. All the same, albeit belatedly, you really hope this is going to end well for her...

-Field Medicine. Take a look at the fallen guard.
--Whatever the exact cause of Laila's current state there's basically nothing you can do about it right now, at least short of casting magic you probably shouldn't in a situation like this. Slowly but surely the crowd is getting restless, attracting yet more onlookers in the process, while additional guards are appearing to shout around orders and try to keep people moving. If only you were the one two years older. You're sure you'd have a much easier time getting through to Laila despite her state in that case, but...too late for wishing. There's a guard on the ground and you'd like to check on him, but at the same time you can't leave Laila alone. Decisions, decisions...

Your ears pick up the sound of one of the onlookers going on a bit of a tirade about Academagia students, and that settles it for you. Laila can't take that kind of abuse right now. She needs to taken away from here. You shout over the half-heartedly raised voice of the ranting onlooker for one of the guards to come over, saying that someone's gone unwell. The onlooker of course proceeds to rant about it, but you thoroughly ignore the idiot. You'll get the last laugh anyway.

"This girl?" the guard who runs up asks, looking over Laila. You nod, explain she collapsed when the shouting started, and ask the guard to get her back to the Academagia while you check out the guard on the ground. "Can do, but you a doctor in training or what do you think you can do?"

"The best I can," you answer, running off. You don't get a good look, but you think the guard approved of that answer.

As for the guard on the ground he's got two buddies trying, and failing, to pick him up, complaining about feeling severe sharp pain where he fell. His two buddies seem concerned about how to carry him away, until you show up. "This isn't a playground," one of them says. To which you respond that you're not playing.

You order the two guards to put their comrade down for a moment, which they reluctantly do, and you examine the affected area. No visible injury or broken skin, but you nevertheless recall this exact situation and are able to use your wand to confirm the specific injury moments later - the man had the poor luck to tear a bad muscle when he fell. Hurts like hell initially, makes it difficult to walk (or even stand) for a day or two, but nothing some bed rest can't clear up otherwise. Given the man is a member of the guard you fully expect him to walk it off by the end of tomorrow, worst case.

"Oh, good to hear this mild agony won't last too long," the injured guard notes with all due sarcasm. "Just don't tell my boss or he'll have my hide for not showing enough grit. So how's about me getting out of here, got any ideas on that front? Or a spell, perhaps?"

"If you stay still for a minute I can just mend the torn muscle directly," you note. All three guards stare perplexed at you, until the wounded guard - with a shrug - says he didn't have any plans this week anyway and lies down again. You're a bit annoyed at this abject lack of even the vaguest shred of confidence, but sure. You'll just have to show them.

Admittedly mending the torn muscle isn't easy given that you can't directly see it, but the injury is very recent and you're practised enough with your wand to get the job done. A lesser student wouldn't have been able to do this, but you can.

"There. Try standing up, slowly. Always a chance of further complications, don't stress yourself," you say, and the guard obliges. His buddies carefully help him up, and standing on his own two feet he's actually surprised the pain is gone. "I don't attend the Academagia to add to the background decor," you point out, feeling only slightly bitter. "Looks like you'll be fine, but try to take it easy today just in case, give it a chance to fully heal. I am only a student, still."

"Yeah, though a damn good one it seems," the formerly injured guard says. You'll admit, that made you crack a smile. "Someone gone to inform the Academagia about this mess yet?" he asks his buddies. They shake their heads. "Than let's go and get that done. Someone's head is going to roll for this."

You actually end up following the trio of guards all the way to the Great Gate, where they inform the gate guards about recent events. One of the latter of which goes off to inform Professor Badcrumble. You're honestly lost as to whether to mention what you know about Nadia's situation, what caused the powder keg to go off, or whether to keep silent about it. The temptation is definitely there to try and get the guards on Faysal's tail, blow the lid on the whole mess because anyone could see there was something big behind Nadia's outburst, but...no. If the guards have to know about that the Academagia regent, who is being informed about the mess right this second, could do a better job explaining things authoritatively than even a "damn good" student ever could. Speaking up here just seems like a good way to make your life more complicated for not much gain.

Speaking of lives that have been complicated, Nadia...you really hope they'll manage to drag herself through this mess...

--Whatever the exact cause of Laila's current state there's basically nothing you can do about it right now, at least short of casting magic you probably shouldn't in a situation like this. Slowly but surely the crowd is getting restless, attracting yet more onlookers in the process, while additional guards are appearing to shout around orders and try to keep people moving. If only you were the one two years older. You're sure you'd have a much easier time getting through to Laila despite her state in that case, but...too late for wishing. There's a guard on the ground on you'd like to check on him, but at the same time you can't leave Laila alone. Decisions, decisions...

Your ears pick up the sound of one of the onlookers going on a bit of a tirade about Academagia students, and that settles it for you. Laila can't take that kind of abuse right now. She needs to taken away from here. You shout over the half-heartedly raised voice of the ranting onlooker for one of the guards to come over, saying that someone's gone unwell. The onlooker of course proceeds to rant about it, but you thoroughly ignore the idiot. You'll get the last laugh anyway.

"This girl?" the guard who runs up asks, looking over Laila. You nod, explain she collapsed when the shouting started, and ask the guard to get her back to the Academagia while you check out the guard on the ground. "Can do, but you a doctor in training or what do you think you can do?"

"What I can," you answer with not as much confidence as you had hoped before running off. You're not sure, but you think the guard said something along the lines of "good luck"...though whether that was directed at you or his fellow guard is unclear...

Regardless, the guard on the ground has two buddies trying, and failing, to pick him up. You hear him complaining about feeling a sharp pain where he fell, but that's it. His two buddies seem concerned about how to carry him away, until you show up. "This isn't a playground," one of them says. To which you respond that you're aware, but if there's something you can do you're not standing by.

You ask the two guards to put their comrade down for a moment, which they reluctantly do, and examine the fallen guard. No visible injury or broken skin where he's complaining about feeling a sharp pain, nor the area near that spot...that's tricky. You try to use your wand to figure out what's wrong, but that's not giving you any information you're confident enough to repeat out loud. All you can tell is that the man took a bad spill, which obviously isn't helpful. Still, you use your wand to do what you can to at least numb the pain, enough to make it easier for the guard to be moved to someone who can actually treat him.

"Well at least I'll be able to walk myself to the nearest physician," the injured guard notes with all due sarcasm. Especially because he knows he won't. "Just don't tell my boss or he'll have my hide for not showing enough grit. So how long's this spell of yours last? And what are the odds it'll turn me into a frog?"

"Please, just stay still for a moment. I won't do anything dumb, and the magic should last at least a few minutes," you note. All three guards stare dubiously at you, until the wounded guard - with a shrug - says he didn't have any plans this week anyway and lies down again. This abject lack of even the vaguest shred of confidence is starting to get on your nerves, but sure. You'll just have to show them what you are capable of.

Admittedly the amount of first aid you can meaningfully give to an unknown internal injury is minor at best, but it'll be enough to carry this guy off. You'd do more, you want to do more, but...just not good enough to pull it off. Or dare attempt it, at least.

"Alright, that's done," you say after carefully weaving a few spells together. The fallen guard doesn't say anything, but his tense face does relax a little. Turning your attention to his buddies you say "Try carrying him again, slowly. I don't know what injury he has, so I'm not sure if carrying him could make it worse." The fallen guard's buddies stare at each other dubiously and suggest perhaps improvising some sort of stretcher to carry their fallen comrade, just in case. You nod at the suggestion and assist them with cobbling one together. Only assisting, mind, they seem to know what they're doing more than you do in this instance, but that's fine. You don't need to play hero, just helping out is good enough.

"That hurts a lot less than it does trying to walk, at least," the fallen guard says once he's on the makeshift stretcher. Wish you could have done more, but, well...you did what you could. "Actually, has someone gone to inform the Academagia about this mess yet?" the injured guard asks his buddies. They shake their heads. "Well get on top of it already. Someone's head I want to see roll for this."

Feeling like you've played your part you quietly exit the conversation and go back to the Academagia, where at the Great Gate you do see a pair of guards informing the gate guards about recent events. One of the latter of which goes off to inform Professor Badcrumble. Someone's head is going to roll, huh? Yikes...you really hope this will end well for Nadia...

-Concentration. Mimic Nadia's wings to calm down Laila.
--There's low murmurs to low shouting coming from the crowd, guards are starting to gather and shouting orders, and you know full well that pulling any fancy stunts isn't going to help those matters any. But Laila is in a real bad way right now, and you're going to have to calm her down if you're going to get her out of here. And you need to. If someone in the crowd - which is gathering about as quickly as the nearby guards are convincing it to keep moving - recognizes who Laila is or someone else points out what role she played in this mess you don't want to know what's going to happen. You can hear what people are saying and Laila can't take that kind of abuse right now. You need to get her out of here.

Ignoring the commotion behind you as best you can you take out your wand, carefully piece together your spell, and create a convincing illusion of Nadia's wings. It doesn't take long for the crowd to take notice and sling some pointed comments you way, some even ask the guards to cart you off, but you ignore the lot of them. Instead you sit down in front of Laila and gently try to shake her out of it, asking her to open her eyes.

Laila hesitantly opens her eyes, and you use a hand to gently lift her head so she can see what you need her to see. Laila resists, she clearly feels exposed, but when her eyes land on your "wings" they widen. "N-Nadia?" she asks, but you quickly point out that, no, you're not Nadia. Even so seeing her friend's wings has given you an opening, and (ab)using that you can see your magic is properly sinking in, starting to have an effect. Laila's scared, panicked eyes slowly start to glaze over, and her tense body relaxes. It's a bit weird to see Nadia's wings - or at least your convincing imitation thereof - still getting through to Laila, even though she should have grown out of feeling their actual soothing effect by now. Well, you can ponder that later. Right now you think it's time to get her out of here.

"What do you think you're doing, student?" a guard asks with harsh tones. You pay him no mind, you rest Laila's head on your shoulder and proceed to pick her up as best you can. Given she's got two years on you it doesn't work as well as you'd like. "Is she unwell?" the guard asks, ignoring his earlier question of your magic wings.

"I'm not sure. She collapsed when the shouting started, I don't think she's physically ill but she's definitely in bad shape. Could you please give me a hand carrying her back to the Academagia?"

The guard nods and picks up Laila while you use your wand to dispel your wings. Whatever is going on in the crowd behind you you're not even paying attention to at this point. Laila comes first. "Were those wings really necessary?" the guard asks, shouldering a conscious, but otherwise not all there Laila. You nod and say it's a long story, as you cast a quick charm on Laila to help dampen the noise. Very helpful spell to know when you're trying to concentrate, and one you suspect will help Laila freak out less. "Hmm...if you say so," the guard mutters. He seems ready to drop the subject, and frankly, so are you.

The two-actually three of you end up slowly marching all the way to the Great Gate, Laila's condition - whatever it is - not getting any worse but not seeming to get any better either. At the Great Gate you see another pair of guards talking to the gate guards, and one of the latter mentions going to inform Professor Badcrumble. Honestly, you're glad Laila won't be able to hear it. You're sure she'll be alright, given enough time to rest and maybe a good night's sleep. Nadia, though...you really hope this is going to end well...

--There's low murmurs to low shouting coming from the crowd, guards are starting to gather and shouting orders, and you know full well that pulling any fancy stunts isn't going to help those matters any. But Laila is in a real bad way right now, and you're going to have to calm her down if you're going to get her out of here. And you need to. If someone in the crowd - which is gathering about as quickly as the nearby guards are convincing it to keep moving - recognizes who Laila is or someone else points out what role she played in this mess you don't want to know what's going to happen. You can hear what people are saying and Laila can't take that kind of abuse right now. You need to get her out of here.

You pull out your wand and do your best to ignore the commotion behind you, as well as the potential consequences of pulling a stunt like this in a situation like this, but one or the other (or both) is causing your hand to shake and your Phemes to run into each other. Needless to say you're not casting any spells like this, let stand something good enough to work. Eh...plan B, plan B...

"What do you think you're doing, student?" a guard asks with harsh tones. You put away your wand, clearly useless as it is in this situation, and briefly explain that Laila collapsed shortly after the whole mess went down. Also that you wanted to try and do something to make it easier to get her back to the Academagia, but, well...not exactly how you remembered things in your classroom. The guard briefly looks at you like he's debating on whether to accuse you of having caused Laila to collapse yourself, but your resulting frown and glare apparently answers the guard's unspoken questions. "Is she unwell?" he asks, ignoring the silent conversation altogether.

"Something like that. I don't think she's physically ill, but she's definitely in bad shape. Could you please give me a hand carrying her back to the Academagia?"

The guard nods and picks up Laila. You help, though the pointed criticizing of "ambitionless students" going on in the crowd behind you does not help. The guard doesn't say anything, though of course he's not saying anything in your defence either. Whatever, let's just leave. Laila shouldn't be kept here any longer than is necessary anyhow.

The two-actually three of you end up slowly marching all the way to the Great Gate, Laila's condition - whatever it is - not getting any better. At the gate you see two guards talking to the gate guards, and one of the latter mentions going to inform Professor Badcrumble. Right, that whole ordeal with Nadia...you really hope this is going to end well...

Part of me feels like the Concentration exit is a bit too "adventure gimmick button"-y, but there is a reason why the option succeeds where an otherwise equal generic Glamour wouldn't...in theory. Not something this adventure is going to dive into, though, for better or worse.

Edited July 3, 2023 by Metis

[Metis]

Painting Rumors, Stage 14:

Spoiler

It's relatively early in the morning, and it's judgement day after the debacle that started in the Admiratio. It didn't end in the Admiratio, but it started there. You, along with a few other related parties, have been cordially invited to attend Nadia's trial in the Court of Grace in the Palace d'Ayle. The Council of Thirteen, plus Innocence, has been assembled, and the leading member is just about done droning on about the Court's founding and operation history. The only real familiar face among them is Professor Piaxenza - Innocence is wearing Hedi robes, but you don't recognize him at all. A first year, you assume. That said you're not sure what the regent's opinion is. You don't know how much he knows about Nadia's situation, either. As for the trial, it's Nadia against her slighted uncle. Unfortunately their confrontation in the Admiratio did not end without injury, albeit nothing major.

"We, the Council of Thirteen call to the Court the persons Nadia Qureshi and Faysal Qureshi," the head honcho goes as the proceedings begin in earnest. "As customary, each of you will be given one turn to explain your case to the Court. Following your opening statements, the Council will be allowed to ask more specific question of either of you. After that, both individuals will give closing statements and suggestions. Then the Council will deliberate the best solution and announce the majority’s decision. The Innocence, Karl Hanevold, will serve the same basic role with one additional responsibility – determining an individual’s truth of character, whether one is guilty or innocent. It is an enormous power for a child, but it is a judgment that is pure and untainted of the world’s corruption. It is how Aurelia Seta deemed fit, and so we, the Council, will uphold her precedent."

You're willing to bet fifty Pims being "pure and untainted of the world’s corruption" doesn't make you immune to rumors, although whether that's to Nadia's benefit or detriment remains to be seen.

"If all are ready, let us get started." The Justicar taps his wand against the table. "The Council calls upon Faysal Qureshi to present his case."

With all the flair and importance you know the man only wishes he really had Nadia's uncle graciously thanks the council for this "opportunity", and he presents a more refined, more practised version of the story he tried to sell you that day at the Admiratio - that Nadia fell under some kind of vague "bad influence" at the Academagia and needs to be "rescued" from it. The response from the council is neutral, including Professor Piaxenza who seems to be reserving judgement. The only one with a question mark on his face is the Innocence, but that's not surprising considering how much weight the poor kid got placed on his shoulders.

"Thank you, Faysal," the Justicar says once Faysal is done dressing up the entire room in woollen sheep costumes. Though you're actually less annoyed by that than you are thrown off by hearing him speak plain Renaglian. A translation spell was cast over the entire room, which admittedly is necessary, but you'd actually prefer to hear the man's native Bassan. "Nadia may now present her side of the story."

Nadia, as you were afraid of, doesn't end up presenting her case. She's too put off and frustrated at the situation, too convinced that the world has turned against her, to defend herself. It...really doesn't end up helping her case any. The council's reaction is mixed, with only Professor Piaxenza maintaining a neutral face. "I'm afraid this case will never be resolved if the defendant refuses to present her case," one of the council members points out. The rest quickly nod in agreement. "I suggest we conjure up a re-enactment to get to the truth of the matter, assuming there are no objections?"

"I have an objection," Professor Piaxenza, to the apparent surprise of a few councilman, suddenly announces. "The events and rashly spoken words that day are, simply put, deplorable. One student was so overwhelmed she even collapsed because of it." It takes you a second to realize, but the regent is talking about Laila. Pretty sure she didn't collapse because Nadia called her uncle really mean things, though. Heaven knows you'd have disintegrated into dust if she did. "To proceed with the grace and decorum expected of this Court, and that the audience present today certainly deserves, I suggest the Council call upon someone who can convince Nadia to present her case." A few of the other council members ask the regent if he has anyone in mind, and how long it'll take to summon them. When the regent affirms he has someone currently present in the audience in mind, however, his plan rapidly gains a sufficient majority approval to be put into action. "Thank you. Than I call on Matron Sumayya El-Amin to convince Nadia to present her case."

You're sure your confusion is second only to Nadia's own, as the orphanage matron you encountered before in the Tanner's District slips out of the audience. "Thank you, Council," the woman says before she turns her attention - and frown - to Nadia. "As for you, Nadia, did you forget what I told you?" Nadia, likely instinctively, tries to look away, but the matron isn't having any of that. "Look at me when I'm speaking to you, missy, and answer my question: What did I tell you never to forget?" Nadia quietly sputters out an answer you can't make out, but of course the matron isn't going to stand for that. "That's right, girl. I told you to keep smiling no matter what happened. And now I'm seeing you here, frowning and scowling like the entire world has turned against you! Do you have any idea how disappointed I am in you, Nadia?"

"W-wha? B-but, mom, just what do I even have to smile about right now?" Nadia sputters out. Did your ears deceive you, or did she just call the matron "mom"? It's not too surprising, but also not how she referred to the matron before if memory serves you right.

"What do you-did you forget the house you grew up in, girl!?" the matron shoots back as she points at the audience. If she's pointing at anyone specific you can't tell. "Do you know how many of your friends out there are worried sick about you? Do you remember how often a new orphan came to live under our roof, looking like they had nothing left to lose and nothing more to hope for, until the brightest smile in the Tanner's District welcomed them home and took them under her wings? No more 'buts' out of you, missy! If some gas-headed baboon shows up and tries to tell you where you belong you give them your brightest smile and show them where your home is. Doesn't matter if they're rich or I don't care what else, you - of all people! - should know that no matter how bad things get it's important to keep smiling. Now stop being stubborn and show that council the girl I'm so proud of. I know you can do it, Nadia. Show them who you truly are, and stretch those wings of yours for real."

Nadia glances at Faysal, who is as stunned speechless at this display as everyone else is, before turning back to the matron. "Mom...eh, m-matron, I...I'm sorry I keep having to rely on you."

The matron pointedly shakes her head. "We move forward not because we're confident we'll never fall, but because we know we can pick ourselves back up when we do. And speaking of which, Nadia, learn the difference between walking side by side and being carried on someone's back. You're going to push people away if you don't, and you know who doesn't deserve to have that happen to her."

You think that last bit cut deeper into Nadia's heart than Faysal could ever hope to reach. She silently nods, looking like she's had a terrible realization, and the matron turns back to address the still largely stunned silent Council, thanking them for their time before walking off back to her seat in the audience.

"Well, Nadia, are you willing to present your case?" Professor Piaxenza, the only person not paralysed by what just happened, asks. Nadia breaks out into nervous laughter, but after she recovers she turns to face the Council with a bright (and slightly crooked, maybe uncanny) smile.

Nadia presents her case - of which you already know the full story - and afterwards the Council starts asking specific questions. Again nothing you haven't heard before, though one part catches your attention regardless. "Hold on, you say you possessed physical evidence of Faysal's outstanding debts during your first confrontation? Where did you acquire these records?"

Oh-oh...

"A friend of mine gave them to me. I don't know where they came from," Nadia answers. You're flattered she calls you her friend and all, but eh, getting mighty hot under the collar right about now. And rightfully too, because the Council quickly convinces itself of the importance of these records, and subsequently ascertaining the veracity of it's source. Why "figuring out if it's bogus or not" isn't good enough for this crowd you'll never understand. Something to do with old age, you guess.

Of course that age evidently doesn't stop Professor Piaxenza from announcing that you were the one who acquired these records before you can blink, and the Council quickly agrees to call on you to step forward to explain yourself. Um...now what?

-Composure. Play it cool.
--"No need to be nervous", you tell yourself, as you get up from your seat and walk forward as the matron did earlier. The Council of Thirteen all staring you down intently is intimidating, yes, but you've got this.

You start at the beginning (as any good explanation does), and describe the day that rumors of Nadia's past started spreading around. The meeting in Rikildis' newspaper room, the stunt that was pulled in the guard house, the process of getting the records themselves, and later giving them to Nadia. You don't flinch or blink explaining any of it. It happened as it did, and that is all.

"Did you truly think it's ethical to investigate a man's private affairs under false pretences like that? And without even informing the man's niece who it truly concerns, at that?" one of the Council asks. You admit plainly that at the time it felt justified. Something that was long anticipated got sprung on you - and others - suddenly, before you felt ready. And so panic set in.

"I would like to call [PC FIRST NAME]'s sincerity into question," another member of the Council voices. And of course at least three others nod their head a second later. "This stunt at the guard house begs further explanation. Academagia students can be surprisingly resourceful, particularly when pressed, this is true. But such an elaborate scheme, which entirely relied on Faysal showing and being held up at the guard house, being executed as a matter of improvisation alone stretches credulity." Sounds like this Council has never met Rikildis. "Given the moment was 'long anticipated' one might suspect pre-planning, but the unreliable nature of Faysal's presence in the guard house at that time suggests otherwise. I surmise there was great motive behind this deed, something that pushed these news hounds to display this unusual resourcefulness. And I ask [PC FIRST NAME] to elaborate."

"Rikildis getting her next scoop is all the motivation she needs...although..." you say with confidence initially, until a thought crosses your mind. "Now that I think about it...Rikildis knew all about Nadia's adoption situation, which was supposed to be a secret, in far greater detail than she had any right to. She knew that calling, eh, Faysal's character or resources into question could end up pushing that plan forward. That's how she convinced me to get on board with investigating Faysal's possible plans and angles in the guard house, and later examining his financial records...but I have no explanation for how she learned about it in the first place."

The Council, understandably interested in Nadia's adoption situation you just blurted out, asks a large number of questions regarding every aspect of it. You end up giving them the entire story, and at the end the Council dismisses you to move on to "more important matters". Honestly? Good enough. If they're letting you off the hook, why complain about it?

--"No need to be nervous", you tell yourself, as you get up from your seat and walk toward the thirteen faces all staring you down. Only slightly intimidating, that. Only slightly...

In any case you start you explanation with the question you were asked, and that quickly turns into a scatterbrained mess of explanations and answered questions as you, yes, lose your cool in front of this crowd. It's not that you feel guilty about what you've done, even, you're just convinced that these thirteen are on the edge of their seats waiting to rain punishments down upon you for not doing things as they would have liked you to. And you're sure that's not even exaggerating that much, either.

"Did you truly think it's ethical to investigate a man's private affairs under false pretences like that? And without even informing the man's niece who it truly concerns, at that?" one of the Council asks. You nervously admit that you had some doubts at times, but you did what you thought was right ultimately.

"You had doubts, and yet continued on?" another councilman asks. Unfortunately you don't have a good explanation for that one, at least that you can recall off-hand. You must have had some sort of reason, something Rikildis talked you into most likely, but your mind is drawing a complete blank.

"Speaking as a regent at the Academagia I'll deliberate the matter of [PC FIRST NAME]'s conduct later, and determine whether disciplinary measures are required," Professor Piaxenza eventually says. If you had to guess he wants to move on from this subject, and you know what? You're more than fine with that. "Returning to the subject of Nadia's trial, assuming there are no objections to the proof of Faysal's financial status that [PC FIRST NAME] uncovered, I would like to ask how Nadia's family is intending to support her tuition as an Academagia student."

Without missing a beat Faysal launches into a prepared speech explaining that particular detail, unsurprisingly considering he was undoubtedly expecting it to come up, while you get a bit lost in thought as the regent's question sets off every gear your head has. The financial records, Nadia's tuition, Laila's family...that's why you went along with Rikildis! She talked you into trying to move that adoption plan forward! Well, rats. Now it feels too late for you to speak up, if it even would have helped. Faysal has the council eating out of his hands now, too...damn. Not your finest moment, not at all. You quietly slink back to your seat, hoping that your forgetfulness hasn't made things that much worse for Nadia.

Faysal's prepared speech goes through without issue, and you start to worry it's curtains for Nadia until Professor Piaxenza suddenly brings up Laila's family pledging to support her. You nearly missed it yourself, Faysal was talking(/lying, most likely) about contingencies his family has prepared in terms of Nadia's tuition, and it took you a second to remember that Laila's family most decidedly isn't that, even if it might seem that way on paper. Suddenly the tight grip that Faysal had on the proceedings slips through his fingers, and as the man starts to stumble over his words Professor Piaxenza starts to fill in the blanks. But not with answers, no, with questions. Before you even know what's happening the regent has Faysal twist his own lies into an admission as to what Laila's parents truly meant when they agreed to support Nadia, after which the man's pursuit of Laila in the Admiratio (and the truth behind her extreme response) is called into question. All without revealing the regent's (to you) plainly obvious greater knowledge of the subject. Just...yikes. Maybe you want to get send to detention with this guy. He seems to have a good few tricks you could stand to learn a lot from!

But that is not all. Only now, hidden behind thirteen larger faces with expression often shifting over the course of these proceedings, do you finally see the fourteenth face staring at you with a bizarrely...consistent look on his face. Innocence is not moved at all by Faysal being made to hang himself with his own words? And staring at you instead? Curious indeed...

-Manipulation. Throw the blame on Rikildis
--You put on your best winning smile and immediately tone it down before getting out of your seat, recalling what situation you're in. Learn from Rikildis' example, don't smile too much. That is not a good thing...even if the orphanage matron might disagree on that point.

You walk up to the thirteen council members staring you down with curious, confused and in some cases even judging faces, but no, this easygoing grin is not going to break. Not that easily. Starting at the beginning you explain how you ended up getting a hold of Faysal's financial records - the rumors that suddenly started to make the rounds at the Academagia, the meeting in Rikildis' newspaper room to discuss those, the plan in the guard house you helped pull off, tracking Faysal's location afterwards, and of course getting the records themselves. You can't really throw the blame on Rikildis for that last part, but hey, you'll own up to the parts you did...so long as it means you don't have to own up to the parts you "didn't" do...

The council seems unconvinced overall, but that's fine. You're not giving up that easily. "I would like to call Rikildis' - and [PC FIRST NAME]'s - motives into question," one of the least convinced council members eventually says. "This whole ordeal, happening seemingly apropos of nothing, stretches credulity beyond it's breaking point. Academagia students can be surprisingly resourceful, particularly when pressed, I'll not deny this. But such elaborate schemes, pulled off one after another, being executed as a matter of on the spot improvisation alone is too much." Sounds like this Council has never met Rikildis. "Simply, I ask [PC FIRST NAME] to explain this seemingly impossible drive."

"Rikildis getting her next scoop is the only driving force she needs...although..." you say with confidence initially, until a thought crosses your mind. "Now that I think about it...Rikildis knew all about Nadia's adoption situation, which was supposed to be a secret, in far greater detail than she had any right to as soon as we met in her newspaper room. She knew that calling, eh, Faysal's character or resources into question could end up pushing that plan forward. That's how she convinced me to get on board with investigating Faysal's possible plans and angles in the guard house, and later examining his financial records...but I have no explanation for how she learned about it in the first place."

In hindsight you're genuinely curious how Rikildis learned about that stuff, but however she did it you suspect that is how she managed to pull such stunts on such short notice - she knew the score, what the stakes were well ahead of time, and probably prepared accordingly. The council, however, aren't nearly as interested in that as they are in Nadia's adoption situation you just blurted out. Uh...oops? For better or worse the council asks a large number of questions regarding every aspect of it. You end up giving them the entire story, and at the end the Council dismisses you to move on to "more important matters". Honestly? You see no reason to complain. You're off the hook, if Rikildis is too than that just means she's not going to want to take revenge on your later, and for Faysal this situation is just a total loss all around. The one thing better than a win-win situation, the rare win-win-win situation. Which you'll happily take.

--You put on your best winning smile and walk up to the thirteen council members staring you down with curious, confused and in some cases even judging faces. You'll admit it's hard to keep on a confident smile in the face of that, but you're not giving up that easily.

You end up answering the council's questions as they are asked, eventually giving them a slightly scatterbrained version of events you feel like you have to go over at least three times to explain exactly how and why Rikildis was behind everything. Except for the parts that she wasn't, but, you know, no one is perfect...perfectly imperfect...? Whatever, you're not here to debate philosophy or poetry.

At the end it, eh...probably goes without saying there's thirteen very unconvinced faces glaring holes through you. You're not sure what to say to break this awkward silence, though...

"If that answers the matter of Faysal's financial records I believe the council can move on. There's no need to deliberate whether disciplinary measures are required in light of this poor - and even more poorly executed - behaviour," Professor Piaxenza eventually says. You'll admit you can't help but break out a frown in the face of that. Like seriously, what was that supposed to mean? Professor Piaxenza, with a composed face you could only wish you had right now, in response to your unspoken question answers, "I am well familiar with Rikildis' modus operandi, and raison d'etre, as a regent at the Academagia. Rest assured that short of intervention by the New Gods themselves this poor attempt at scapegoating will not escape the girl's ears, and I feel it only fair that she is given her own chance to respond to this open treachery rather than a professor's reprimand being handed down on her behalf. No disciplinary action I could assign would be worse than what Rikildis will undoubtedly cook up, anyway. She is quite infamous for her disproportionate retributions against those who personally cross her."

...Rough translation: You are completely, utterly, totally, irrevocably dead...

"Returning to the subject of Nadia's trial," Professor Piaxenza continues without missing a beat, "assuming there are no objections to the proof of Faysal's financial status that [PC FIRST NAME] uncovered, I would like to ask how Nadia's family is intending to support her tuition as an Academagia student."

Pausing only for a moment to stop himself from smiling at your defeated face of a person who's execution date just came up, Faysal launches into a prepared speech explaining that particular detail. Unsurprisingly, considering he was undoubtedly expecting it to come up, while you quietly shuffle back to your seat. You want to ask yourself how dead you are on a scale of one to dead, but thoughts of people telling you that there doesn't exist a state of more dead than dead throws a wrench in that scheme. Though, hey, that just means you're about to discover something new, right? Hopefully Rikildis will feel magnanimous enough to let you claim your share...

Faysal's prepared speech, which you're only half paying attention to, goes through without issue. You start to worry it's curtains for Nadia as well, until Professor Piaxenza suddenly brings up Laila's family pledging to support her. You completely missed that part yourself, Faysal was talking(/lying, most likely) about contingencies his family has prepared in terms of Nadia's tuition, and it took you a second to remember that Laila's family most decidedly isn't that. Suddenly the tight grip that Faysal had on the proceedings slips through his fingers, and as the man starts to stumble over his words Professor Piaxenza starts to fill in the blanks. But not with answers, no, with questions. Before you even know what's happening the regent has Faysal twist his own lies into an admission as to what Laila's parents truly meant when they agreed to support Nadia, after which the man's pursuit of Laila in the Admiratio (and the truth behind her extreme response) is called into question. All without revealing the regent's (to you) plainly obvious greater knowledge of the subject. Why could this guy not just have given you detention, again? Seems like there's a lot he could have taught you through that!

That's not the end, either. Only now, hidden behind thirteen larger faces with expression often shifting over the course of these proceedings, do you finally see the fourteenth face staring at you with a bizarrely...consistent look on his face. Innocence is not moved at all by Faysal being made to hang himself with his own words? And staring at you instead? Curious indeed...

-Memorization. Remember every key (for you) detail.
--No part of you has ever felt guilty about having done what you did to Faysal. Feeling like that is what you'll have to hold on to, as thirteen pairs of eyes stare you down while you walk forward, you remind yourself that you must have had a good reason to do what you did. No one can convince these thirteen of the same but you, so time to get to work.

You start at the beginning, as any good explanation does, slowly and carefully recalling the day that rumors of Nadia's past started spreading around. From there you continue with the meeting in Rikildis' newspaper room, the stunt that was pulled in the guard house, the process of getting the records themselves, and later giving them to Nadia. Every last detail, every last memory, as you remember it. And, of course, not one word of feelings of guilt over Faysal. For better or worse.

It is only after you finish your explanation that you notice the large number of perplexed faces among those on the council, and a moment later you realize why. Laila's adoption plan. That was how Rikildis convinced you to become party to the plot, you wanted to find a way to move that plan forward...though, how did she learn of it? There's no way that was anything but a closely guarded secret, even more so than Nadia growing up in the Tanner's District...huh. You don't have an explanation for that.

The Council, understandably interested in Laila's plans to adopt Nadia you just blurted out, asks a large number of questions regarding every aspect of it. You end up giving them as much of the story as you can recall, for what that's worth, and at the end the Council dismisses you to move on to "more important matters". As they wish, but your thoughts are still running circles in your head. How did Rikildis know? You know you shouldn't be surprised that the Academagia's most notorious news hound managed to dig up some dirt, but how was the whole deal with the Tanner's District even news to her if she knew about the adoption situation? Maybe that's what clued her in to look into where Nadia grew up? More and more curious, that girl...

...Oh, right. Being let off the hook for unethical investigations into Faysal's private affairs or whatever is nice and all, too. Nearly forgot about that.

--No part of you has ever felt guilty about having done what you did to Faysal. Feeling like that is what you'll have to hold on to, as thirteen pairs of eyes stare you down while you walk forward, you remind yourself that you must have had a good reason to do what you did. No one can convince these thirteen of the same but you, so time to get to work.

You start at the beginning, as any good explanation does, recalling what details you can and answering questions when they are asked. From when the rumors about Nadia growing up in the Tanner's District first started to what happened in the Admiratio. You get the sense that you don't remember events as well as you would have liked, but most of your attention was ultimately on Nadia, so that's what you remember most clearly.

Once you explanation is finally finished, having expressed zero regret or remorse for your actions, the council seems divided on whether you should be reprimanded for your actions. You've half a mind to tell them you are not the one on trial here, all you did was answer the questions you were asked, but you know full well that wouldn't do you any good.

"Speaking as a regent at the Academagia I'll deliberate the matter of [PC FIRST NAME]'s conduct later, and determine whether disciplinary measures are required," Professor Piaxenza eventually says. If you had to guess he wants to move on as well, though whether that's a good thing or not for you remains to be seen. "Returning to the subject of Nadia's trial, assuming there are no objections to the proof of Faysal's financial status that [PC FIRST NAME] uncovered, I would like to ask how Nadia's family is intending to support her tuition as an Academagia student."

Without missing a beat Faysal launches into a prepared speech explaining that particular detail, unsurprisingly considering he was undoubtedly expecting it to come up, while you get a bit lost in thought as the regent's question sets off every gear your head has. The financial records, Nadia's tuition, Laila's family...suddenly it all comes rushing back to you. Though by now it feels too late for you to speak up. Faysal has the council eating out of his hands, and your turn to speak feels over. You quietly slink back to your seat, hoping that your forgetfulness hasn't made things that much worse for Nadia.

Faysal's prepared speech goes through without issue, and you start to worry it's curtains for Nadia until Professor Piaxenza suddenly brings up Laila's family pledging to support her. You nearly missed it yourself, Faysal was talking(/lying, most likely) about contingencies his family has prepared in terms of Nadia's tuition, and it took you a second to remember that Laila's family most decidedly isn't that, even if it might seem that way on paper. Suddenly the tight grip that Faysal had on the proceedings slips through his fingers, and as the man starts to stumble over his words Professor Piaxenza starts to fill in the blanks. But not with answers, no, with questions. Before you even know what's happening the regent has Faysal twist his own lies into an admission as to what Laila's parents truly meant when they agreed to support Nadia, after which the man's pursuit of Laila in the Admiratio (and the truth behind her extreme response) is called into question. All without revealing the regent's (to you) plainly obvious greater knowledge of the subject. Just...he has to...right?

But that is not all. Only now, hidden behind thirteen larger faces with expression often shifting over the course of these proceedings, do you finally see the fourteenth face staring at you with a bizarrely...consistent look on his face. Innocence is not moved at all by Faysal being made to hang himself with his own words? And staring at you instead? Curious indeed...

This is a stage that, in planning, looked very differently than it turned out. Zero regrets insofar as to how it ended up, though.

Edited July 3, 2023 by Metis

[Metis]

And since it's (finally) done, Painting Rumors, Stage 15:

Spoiler

Approaching the end of the trial Nadia and Faysal are both asked how they each wish to proceed, and put the matter of Nadia's violent assault on Faysal - and the circumstances leading up to that outburst - to bed for good. Faysal merely repeats his earlier suggestion, while Nadia admits that she's feeling too many emotions to think straight. As such, after some deliberation, the Council turns to the Innocence, who actually seems to nod with determination despite being put on the spot. "At this point I've but one question left to ask of Faysal: Are you sure you are Nadia's relative at all?"

The entire audience is taken aback by that question, and even the members of the Council seem surprised. But of course Faysal is moreso than anyone else. "Wha-what? What kind of preposterous question is that!? If there was ever any doubt one need only examine our wings! The cursed things that run in our family since our distant ancestor, our founder, suffered the ire of a member of the Fay for reasons our family history has struggled to recall for generations. Even if Nadia refuses to stretch her wings a simple physical examination of the beating muscles on her back will prove their presence, and our blood relation in the process. One could not ask for stronger proof than that!"

"So you need to call upon a Fay's curse, to convince this Council that the girl standing next to you is your relative?" Innocence asks. Faysal has no response to that. "Considering the possibility, however remote, that a long forgotten exile - or descendant thereof - of your family has ended up in Mineta and is attending this Court right now I must say I find the argument lacking. I also find it extraordinary that you've gone so far as to bring your case before the Court of Grace, yet miss...eh, the orphanage matron who spoke before was the one scolding and raising Nadia like the mother she was mistakenly - instinctively, perhaps - identified as twice. Have you really never talked to her that way yourself?" Faysal frantically starts to make excuses about him only being Nadia's uncle and away on business often, but you can see on the faces of the Council that the damage has already been done. "Then, speaking as the Innocence, I can think of only one appropriate reprimand for Nadia's behaviour in the Admiratio: Spending her summer performing community service at the orphanage she grew up in, until the matron thereof is convinced that Nadia has earned the right to move in with the family who adopted her."

Faysal's jaw hits the floor as his family's dreams and plans are dismantled, piece by piece, in front of his eyes by a random thirteen year old no one saw coming. A well informed wildcard, huh? That phrase is going to be running circles in your head for at least a week.

The Council calls one more vote on the verdict, which is then delivered by Professor Piaxenza. "The Council, after examining the estranged and strained relationship between plaintiff and defendant, declares that both parties share their own part of the blame for the events that transpired in the Admiratio. Faysal, for his part, has demonstrated no ability to invoke the family connection required to keep encounters with Nadia cordial. As such continuing to press matters which Nadia would see as harmful to her well-being, as a 'complete stranger', would naturally force a defensive reaction. That said Nadia's actions can hardly be considered strictly defensive, particularly as miss El-Amin - who has demonstrated ample mastery over Nadia's sense of family - outlined an alternative and certainly more cordial response. Had such a response been tried and failed this would have been a completely different story, but failing to even make an attempt falls squarely upon Nadia's shoulders.

Since the sentences have already been decided upon I see no need to delay their hearing: Nadia, as was suggested by the Innocence, shall be sentenced to return to miss El-Amin's orphanage during the next summer, and perform community service there until such a time that the matron believes her wayward daughter is ready to move in into the house of the family who has adopted her. Faysal, and the Qureshi family as a whole, shall be sentenced to sever all ties with Nadia and start over as complete strangers. Any lost ground they wish to gain back on that front they will have to earn back one step after the other, until such a time that Nadia is able to forgive her blood relatives and accept that part of her heritage.

That all said, the Court of Grace is dismissed."

-Time to file out.
--The look on Faysal's face is so seething you're starting to worry he's going to melt the floor beneath his feet. You'd say he should have dragged Nadia in front of a regular court, but you suspect the outcome wouldn't have been significantly different. Perhaps he figured the same, and chose the Court of Grace for that very reason. The world will never know, you suppose.

In any case, that's that. Case, as they say, closed. You are wondering where all of these pieces are going to land now that the storm is over, though...

I believe I mentioned that a later stage would do the "lead into a quick infodump stage to not clog exit texts with copy/pasted information" trick before? Well, that time is now. Ironically this is probably a lot less text than what that stage's exits could have compressed into a single infodump stage, but this is a stage where the flow of text allowed for it in the first place, so here we are.

[Metis]

Painting Rumors, Stage 16:

Spoiler

One day you're walking through the Garden Gallery, taking in the pleasant smells and the sights (and the sounds of students gossiping, but that's more of a side-effect than anything...usually) when you spot a familiar, yet strangely unfamiliar sight at the same time. Nadia Qureshi-actually, Nadia Wasem now, sitting on the stone back of some creature, painting with her wings outstretched and bathing in the sun. It's been a while since you've seen her here, but that's not the particularly unusual part. No, that's related to Laila being curled up on the same stone back, taking a nap on Nadia's lap like the world's largest cat. Nadia is actually using her free hand to stroke Laila's hair, while using the other to apply strokes of her brush onto the canvas. Poetic. Curious, you decide to walk up and talk to her.

Of course you approach slowly, if not because you know how sensitive Nadia is about her wings than because you don't want to wake up Laila, and Nadia catches you sneaking up pretty quickly, as she usually does. But instead of saying anything she just smiles, and looks down at Laila's sleeping face. Laila, for her part, is far off in dreamland somewhere. You could swear you can hear her purr, but no, that's just the wind rustling through the leaves.

"Don't worry about her," Nadia says with a low voice as you sit down on the ground next to the stone statue - the statue itself is, eh...already fully occupied. "Laila is just recovering from...everything. Her collapse in the Admiratio, everything coming to a close, having to adjust to the new normal, making her peace with it, me being an idiot and pushing her away when she was worrying herself sick about me because I thought I shouldn't be relying on her...it's a lot for the poor girl to try and process all at once. Both of us, really."

You'd think both had plenty of time to prepare for all of that, but when things started moving they did spin out of control hard and fast. At least that whole mess is behind them, now. "Speaking of new normal, how do you feel? Back on your feet yet?"

"Heh, I'm not sure. It's not that I'm unhappy, but I feel like nothing will ever be the same again," Nadia answers with a broken smile. "I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, though. Not just between me and Laila, but myself too. You know, brighten the day as the fairy girl of Avila would do. I better or the matron will never let me hear the end of it. It's just, I've got some stuff on my mind as well. And a friend sleeping on my lap who's making it difficult to concentrate."

"Those are good problems to have," you half-jokingly point out. Nadia nods, though asks you to save your comments because she's expecting to get an earful about it from the matron when summer rolls around. "Fair. That said, if you need a listening ear, I'm right here."

Nadia nods, a genuine smile forming on her face this time. "I'd almost forgotten what that was like. Still, what's weighing on me isn't so cheerful." On cue the smile fades, but you're determined to hear Nadia out. She actually glances at Laila, like she's checking on whether or not she looks like she might wake up. Once Nadia is satisfied Laila won't she starts pouring her heart out. "I know you talked to my uncle-former uncle, excuse me. I need to get used to the fact we're not related anymore. Anyway, did he ever mention why he wanted me to come back, into the family?"

You slowly shake your head. You vaguely recall something about Nadia's former parents needing to announce Nadia as their unexpected next successor and them being just comically ill prepared due to past mistakes, but that's about it. Most of your effort went into figuring out how Faysal was going to try and convince Nadia to come back, hoping to expose his lies, not so much his reasons why.

"See, I've a theory they weren't just trying to drag me back so they could prop up their next heir apparent and say everything is fine. I'm suspecting they wanted to recruit me for an assassination plot." Okay, that came a bit out of nowhere. You ask Nadia what gave her that idea. "The lie my parents were living with me wasn't - isn't - the only problem they have. My younger brother spending money faster than they can earn is also threatening to escalate. So I figure my family was trying to call me back so they could kill two birds with one stone. If they succeeded in convincing me to come back and secretly kill my younger brother they'd get the blackmail required to ensure their control over me, while if I came back and got caught with bloody hands they could easily wash theirs of mine due to our actual history. Either way they solve the problem of their missing princess and their failure of a prince both." Staring at you with uncharacteristically cold eyes Nadia adds, "Did you never consider what my former uncle's financial records would have looked like if my younger brother's debts were simply...taken out of the equation? He wasn't lying when he said that I could have come back home to wealth. He just wasn't going to tell me right away what I needed to do if I wanted to spend it myself."

That's...heavy. And not what you expected. You ask Nadia if she's mentioned that theory to, you know, a professor or something. The cold look in her eyes remain.

"I haven't, actually. I'd say it's because I don't have any actual evidence or what have you, but honestly? I just don't care. About my old family, and I guess my younger brother more specifically. Try as I might I can't bring myself to sympathize. I've always had nothing, and now I feel like I have everything. He's always been freely given everything, and soon, he'll be left with nothing. Less than nothing, even. The two of us couldn't be more different if we tried." Nadia shakes her head, seemingly disturbed by her own words. "N-never mind, that's all in the past now. I'm done with that family. I'll be resting my wings in Laila's house from now on...or I will once the matron lets me live there, I guess."

Knowing the matron will get every opportunity to lecture Nadia about this sooner or later is comforting, but even so you recommend that she go and talk to her matron about it sooner. You can tell Nadia is in need of someone who can explain to her, convincingly, what is right and wrong about her feeling the way she does, she wants someone to lecture her and help show her the right path. And that's just not something you're able to do for her. Nadia nods, and promises she will. "So, eh, if it's alright, I was wondering if I could ask you about something...well, a bit personal."

Nadia nods, while starting at you confused. Maybe she's not sure whether you mean personal to her or personal to you, but you suppose she'll find out soon enough...

[PC USED Heraldry OPTION IN STAGE 8]-"Did you ever talk to Rainer again?"
--"A few times, yes, him or his Familiar. I don't exactly have anyone else I can ask questions about my wings," Nadia points out. "Why do you ask? Was there something about our wings you wanted to know?"

"No, I was curious about how Rainer managed to...well, keep his wings a secret," you quietly admit, subtly looking around in case there's anyone eavesdropping. None you can see, though. "I swear at least half the Academagia was throwing around spells to check people's backs for wings for at least a week after you revealed yours, even I got hit by more than my fair share of them. So...how did Rainer avoid getting found out entirely?"

"You can attribute that to a lack of experience," Nadia happily answers. "Spells to check people's backs for Fay wings isn't something that's taught in any class of magic, I'm pretty sure, so everyone had to take what they had learned up to that point and try to come up with something that worked themselves. Of course those that did manage to come up with something only had a single point of reference to compare their results with, namely me. And my wings have something that are far more noticeable than the wings themselves, which Rainer does not."

"Your beating muscles," you answer. Nadia nods, looking more pleased you got it right than you do.

"Muscles are something humans have and understand, making them far easier to detect than fay wings which I don't even know the exact composition of. And since those spells worked to detect my 'wings' no one considered, or at least discovered a solution to the problem of how to detect someone's wings when they didn't have those same muscles. Rainer definitely got his share of 'false' discoveries, mind you, but most who were confident enough to mention it to anyone ended up coming to me about it first. And I knew Rainer didn't want that kind of attention, so...I made sure people fell into the trap of checking for my beating muscles instead of my actual wings, if they didn't already."

You can't help but grin at the sickly sweet, pure and innocent look on Nadia's face as she happily mentions duping a bunch of students. Good thing her temple mentor and orphanage matron raised her well, because you don't want to know what kind of havoc that girl could have caused otherwise. Really don't want to know, if her theory about her former family holds any merit. "Actually, speaking of your wings, did you ever spread the story about them needing sunlight? I know you made a point of them being brittle, but did you ever explain to anyone why?" you curiously ask. Nadia slowly nods and admits plenty of students did ask her about that, and she did broadly explain her wings' need for sunlight in order to stay healthy. "So if anyone secretly did have wings they could have learned about their need for sunlight, and end up stretching them out in the open somewhere to tend to them. Wonder if anyone actually learned something from that...actually, how does Rainer keep his wings healthy? His need sunlight too, right?"

"They do, though I don't know where or how to tends to them. I'm fine just stretching them out in the open for all to see, so I never felt a need to ask Rainer about what secret location or trick he has to keep his wings fed without anyone seeing them. Mind you, I don't think he'd tell me if I did. He'll talk as freely as he can if you're asking him about commissions or forging, but anything else he seems really cagey." You ask Nadia if that perchance reminds her of a certain fairy girl's younger days, before she showed her wings to the world. Predictable she nods. "Very much so, though I know it's not a good idea to pry. I remember how it felt when people asked me about Strozzan culture I'd only ever heard stories of myself, let stand when someone got close to scratching even deeper feelings, and I don't want Rainer to feel the same way. If he needs a listening ear he knows where to find me, I made sure to tell him that, so I trust he'll talk to me if and when he needs to."

You have to admit to you Rainer doesn't seem the type to do that, but you're not going to go out of your way to check. You're definitely curious about Rainer, where he came from before he was courted as a gifted or otherwise interesting child, and how he ended up with a Familiar born to a family of wing physicians, of all things. There's some kind of story to be told in there, and you're curious to hear it...though you also know that Nadia isn't the one to tell it. At least not right now.

"Anything else?" Nadia asks. You nod and ask Nadia how she feels about Rainer having the same wings, the same heritage that she does. Nadia stares at you with a look that seems to say she realizes the underlying question this is leading to, but she isn't worried about it. "I'm not jealous of him," she answers directly, confirming your suspicions. "I'll admit that if Rainer decided to reveal his wings at the same time, take that spotlight-that personal moment away from me, I probably would have felt very differently about him. But he didn't. He helped heal my brittle wings, he silently watched as I enjoyed my big moment, he even taught me that the part of my wings I care about most - their soothing feeling - is something he could never take away from me. His wings don't do that, can't do that. So even if a day comes where he wants or needs to have his own personal moment out in the sun, and enjoy - or suffer, in his case - all of the attention, I'll always still have what I care about most."

This talk about the soothing effect makes you notice that their warmth has washed over you and settled in while you weren't paying attention. It also reminded you of something else you were curious about. "Speaking of, actually, Rainer mentioned that soothing effect is normally used in...child raising, was it?" Nadia slowly nods, and asks what about that you're not clear on. "Why is it still affecting me? I'm not-actually, better question, why is it affecting me at all? I do enjoy this feeling it gives off, don't get me wrong, but don't you think it's a bit strange that something that's used in raising your children works on complete strangers only two years younger than you are?"

Nadia looks, perhaps, a little flustered, but you can read on her face that this is something she has questioned herself and has gotten answers to. Answers she can share with you, now. "Ah, well, the short version is that this soothing effect isn't specifically used in child raising. It's it's own thing that ends up being used in different situations for different reasons, child raising being one of them, but the reason it's affecting you isn't a part of that."

"So why is it still affecting me?" you ask. Nadia definitely looks flustered, perhaps annoyed you called out her attempt to dodge the question, but you don't say anything more.

"Do you really want to know?" Nadia asks, and you nod. This soothing effect is, well, soothing, you don't mind the feeling at all. But not knowing why you feel it, bar one explanation that you simply cannot wrap your head around no matter how hard you try (and for good reason, as it turns out) bothers you more than the wings can push those thoughts into the back of your mind. You're also curious about other things, Rainer's story and all, but that's not Nadia's story to tell. "You really can't ask Rainer about this? When you're curious about his past, anyway?" Nadia tries, but you shake your head.

"Your wings are the ones making me feel this way, so I think you'd be the best person to explain. Besides, that they make me feel this way is why you care so much about them, right? Than, please, soothe my feelings. My wild imagination that won't leave these unanswered questions alone. Please..."

Nadia stares at Laila, who is still sleeping on her lap, either recalling something or checking to make sure she is indeed fast asleep. Or both. In any case, you're sure she won't refuse a request like the one you gave her. You just have to be patient, give her a moment.

And indeed, soon enough Nadia lets out a sigh. "Alright. I know what it feels like to be left with questions no one can answer. And for your imagination to run wild with it all," she says, though you can't help but wonder if Nadia is talking more about herself or Laila. Regardless, starting as far back as when a girl's wings first develop Nadia slowly, methodically, walks you through the soothing effect her wings have, and why you're able to feel it. You will admit that starting that far back wasn't quite what you had planned, but you made the mistake of not paying enough attention before when Rainer first explained this to Nadia. And knowing better this time you're determined not to repeat it.

In short, the reason you can feel the soothing effect is because Nadia's wings are trying to prove themselves. If they're strong and healthy they'll be that much better at making people feel this soothing haze, without being overpowering or otherwise having undesirable side effects. You are part test subject, part judge...or you would be if Nadia's wings weren't the result of a family curse, leading to her being the only girl with these wings you know about. But, in theory (and in practice among winged Fay), if Nadia's wings worked better on you than someone else's wings than Nadia would be favored in terms of courtship rituals.

Something interesting that Nadia also explains is exactly why you will grow out of feeling that effect in a year or two, which you initially wrote off as not being arbitrarily considered a child anymore as far as the wings are concerned. Instead it turns out that around that age is when Fay (and humans, as it turns out) start developing a resistance to the wing's soothing effects, with boys developing that resistance more quickly than girls do. This leads to courtship rituals ending up as this bizarre arms race where the girls do their best to attract guys, guys do their best to resist such attractions, which in turn reinforces the effort the girls make to get better at attracting guys, and so on. The idea is that guys who are naturally resistant to wing attraction will only end up attracted by the girls with the very best wings, while girls who have the very best wings can freely choose which guy they want as their husband. And the strength of a girl's wings matters even after these courtship rituals are long behind them because of the role they play in raising children - not to keep unruly kids in line through the soothing effect, as it turns out (though it certainly gets used in that way anyhow). Instead the stronger, and yet gentler, the soothing effect of a mother's wings the more inclined her children will be to stare at her wings to experience that feeling. This, over time, causes those children to recognize and memorize the intricate pattern of shapes and lines on their mother's wings, which they'll retain into adulthood. At that stage during their own courtship rituals they'll naturally resist attraction by any wings with patterns they recognize no matter how strong, as they'll interpret wings with a similar enough pattern as belonging to relatives.

"That's about the long and short of it," Nadia finishes, visibly looking relieved that she's made it to the end. "Any further questions? Still?"

You can't help but grin at the half proud of herself, half begging for mercy look on Nadia's face. "No, no further questions. Just...thanks. I can tell this wasn't a conversation you wanted to have, but believe me, it's a conversation I needed to have. Whatever wild thoughts sprung from the questions I had, rest assured, they've been put to rest." Nadia's bright smile is somehow greater than your own. You do feel better having gotten those lingering questions well and truly thrown out of your head, though, and you've even gotten an interesting perspective out of it. An arms race courtship, huh? Quite the different story than those you've heard coming from the Roses of Coventia.

You feel better now. About yourself, about what is yet to come. Knowing where you stand really helps in that regard, and you feel like you've gained something meaningful from that bit of explanation - as academic as a lot of it ultimately is. The matter of Rainer's story still remains, but you can address that another time. You've no intention of flaking out of the Academagia, after all. And you're confident Rainer, as well as Nadia and Laila both, don't either.
--- +FIT

-"Are you stuck with those wings forever?"
--You quickly add that of course you understand that Nadia doesn't object to her wings and would rather keep them, at least you assume, but it just seems so unlikely that for generations her family has failed to rid themselves of their curse. It also seems so far-fetched - although this might just be blissful ignorance speaking, you freely admit - that a single Fay caused this curse which, as far of an impression as you've got, has not degraded or been broken in the generations since. Nadia gets a bit overwhelmed with the sudden flood of questions, and asks you to please stop so she can give you ask much of a general explanation as she can to start with.

"First off, I don't really know too much about this stuff. You remember I was send away from my family to grow up elsewhere an at early age, and what little my parents told me in the short correspondence we had for a while afterwards I don't necessarily remember all too well. That said my mentor in the Imperial Temple did some research for me, and according to him my family records...um, they kind of don't agree on much of anything." Given the frame of time involved conflicting accounts are to be expected, but just how many are there? And how much do they differ? "Eh, o-one moment, slow down please. So...in answer to your question: A lot. And, um...a lot as well." You quirk an eyebrow, and Nadia explains that while there's not too many people with wings walking around (at least as far as she knows) they aren't really all part of the same family anymore. Not that they don't have a common ancestor - of course they do, that's where the curse is from in the first place - but various splits, schisms, intermarriages, and other things have spread the Qureshi family curse further distances than one might think. And each of these families, each of these branches, end up having their own version of the story. Nadia speculates that if you looked around hard enough you could probably find at least one person who is convinced that Nadia's common ancestor was never a man at all, either in the gender or species sense, though how much of a difference that makes to the rest of the story (let stand Nadia herself) she's not sure.

"So...if many people - relatively speaking - have these wings, than surely some must have tried to rid themselves of them. Do you know if any of those attempts succeeded?"

Nadia shivers, clearly uncomfortable with the subject (it probably doesn't help that her own wings are still brittle). But she does slowly explain that she has heard Strozzan-born stories of people with strange fay curses - wings or otherwise - trying to rid themselves of it through a variety of ways. But every last one of them ended poorly for the person making the attempt. At best they discovered too late that they had lost something they could never get back, and they resolved to teach their lesson to their next generation who would still bear the curse they no longer did. "The thing is I've no idea if those are actual historic accounts or twisted folklore carried over by traders and other sailors," Nadia admits at the end. "I will say that there is a...superstition, a fear in my family, of the Fay. That if we interact with them, go to them, attempt to bargain with them, name it, that it'll always end badly for us. I don't know if that's just my family being superstitious or whether they've had any relatives they never told me about die at the hands of a Fay, or worse, though."

"I'm assuming you've never met a Fay before?" you ask. But of course Nadia shakes her head. At least if she did she never realized, in which case she might as well not have as far as she's concerned. "I figured. But speaking of Fay, are you sure this curse was caused by a Fay? Or...well, I'll just be straight: Are you sure your family was cursed by a Fay, or are you secretly part Fay?"

Nadia gives you her most earnest, and truthful answer to that question she possibly could. Namely, a shrug. "I'd be lying if I said that same thought didn't cross my mind before, even make me worry on occasion about what strange encounters I might have at the Academagia or whether my children would be the generation that some strange and evil weirdness finally reared it's ugly head, but...well, honestly I'm not sure. How am I supposed to be able to tell if I'm part Fay? All I have are my wings. And my beating muscles, I guess, but those are just part of the wings as far as I'm concerned."

Part of you can't help but wonder whether Nadia's wings would really be the only weirdness she'd experience if she were, indeed, part Fay. But than given how isolated from her family - and other Fay, obviously - she grew up you couldn't rule out the possibility that she isn't. She may have never been told or learned about her more eccentric relatives, or maybe her part Fay eccentricities don't manifest in ways that would make her stand out among humans. Maybe there's some specific emotion Nadia feels when she's painting that no one else does, and she never realized how unusual it truly is despite attending a painting cram school. How could you ever conclusively confirm that, though? Too many possibilities...

"Why all of these questions, [PC FIRST NAME]?" Nadia asks while you're getting lost in thought. As to your answer, though, simple: Curiosity. "Some curiosity you've got. Well, anything else, I guess?"

"Actually, just one for now: Even if you did get offered to have those wings removed, I'm assuming you wouldn't take it?"

"Absolutely not," Nadia answers in a heartbeat. "There's no one in or outside of this world I'd be comfortable talking to who could convince me they could clip my wings, no questions asked. And considering this is something my children are going to be born with you better believe I'm letting that sleeping, winged doomhound lie. I can deal with having wings, [PC FIRST NAME]. Don't forget where I was raised, I've comforted many who wished they could have my problems...at least as far as the wings are concerned. The whole family situation, eh, maybe not that part as much. It's a mixed bag, I'm sure you know the feeling. Either way, I don't care to risk anything getting rid of these wings. I want these wings. What they do for me, and what I do with them, that is who I am. That is who I want to be."

Fair enough. Still, you cannot shake the feeling that there is more to these wings yet undiscovered...though whether that feeling is endless curiosity or something greater remains to be seen. One thing you are confident about is that you want to see Nadia's wings once they've fully recovered, even if you more than likely won't be able to feel their soothing effect by that point.
--- +INT

-"How does Laila...feel about you, exactly?"
--Nadia quirks an eyebrow, glances at Laila, and failing to find what she's looking for turns her confused face back to you. Apparently she's really going to make you say it. "I-I mean, you know, how does she feel about you? How does she want you to feel about her? And how do you feel about her, for that matter?" Another blank stare. Guess you will have to say it outright, than. "Are you sure Laila doesn't want to be lovers? I can tell you don't feel that way about her, but, I mean..."

You glance at Laila, still sleeping peacefully on Nadia's lap, while the latter's face gains a few shades of red. "Y-you weren't kidding when you said 'personal'," Nadia quips. You don't deny it, but also ask the question again. "[PC FIRST NAME], I-I mean..." Nadia trails off as her face lands on Laila's. She doesn't have a look on her that says she's realizing something she didn't before, though. She just looks plain embarrassed. Steeling her courage she collects herself and explains, "I-I don't feel about her that way. Don't get me wrong, I love this girl to death and I owe her more than I think I'd be comfortable owing anyone else in my life save my future husband...hopefully...but I don't want to share my life with her. Not...not all of it. Not like that."

And now the question where friendships are either forged in iron or melted into slag. "And Laila? Do you know how she feels?"

There's a brief moment where doubt starts to settle into Nadia's mind, and her face gains a(nother) few shades of color as she stares at Laila's uncannily peaceful face while her best friend is having the emotional crises of her life right now. But suddenly she shakes herself out of it. "A-actually, yes, I do know," Nadia says, sounding pretty confident of herself. Bummer, would have been fun if you ended up being the one pointing it out, but you'll settle for thoroughly teasing Nadia. "I-It was L-Laila's idea, t-the adoption I mean. S-she's the one who suggested it, a-and now that it's gone through...eh, now that it's gone through, w-we're sisters, legally. I-I...I'm sure that...th-that if she wanted to be something more...s-she wouldn't have agreed to that."

You can't help but chuckle. Nadia's nervous stuttering is simply adorable, perhaps moreso than Laila's catty nap. That said her argument is, for better or worse, solid in your ears. "Yeah, I guess that answers that. Though, speaking of which, how goes the search for a boyfriend? Found anyone yet who's made your wings match your heart's beat?"

And Nadia is right back to having her face set aflame. The poor girl has been through a lot, while having done a lot for those around her, but damn if she isn't delightfully easy to tease once her guard is down. And her guard is most certainly down. It takes three attempts for Nadia to start forming coherent sentences again. "I-I'm not, I mean, I'm not looking f-for a boyfriend right now. W-wouldn't mind if he showed up, of course, b-but-I mean, I-I'm...trying to find a guy for Laila, right now."

You raise a curious eyebrow. This is unexpected. "Really, a guy for Laila? Why?"

Nadia looks around and double-checks that Laila is really asleep before answering, which causes you to break out a catty grin, but undeterred by that Nadia quietly explains that if she doesn't make sure Laila gets hitched first than Nadia is afraid she's never going to get detached from Laila. "Don't get me wrong, love this girl to death and would gladly spend my life with her, like I said, but...t-there's limits, y-you know?"

The catty grin on your face grows. Nadia looks a bit guilty, but you're not going to tell on her. "So what kind of guy are you looking for, for Laila I mean? Anyone specific?" you ask, figuring that you should probably ease off on the teasing. Just a little bit.

"A-ah, well, d-definitely someone intelligent. Laila is really into geometry, astronomy specifically, so someone who can follow along when she talks about that stuff is a must. Obviously someone kind and attentive, too. I mean you can see what kind of attention Laila needs to get through a year if the goings get rough, and this year was just a bumpy ride in that regard. Beyond that I don't think I care too much. I mean I'd draw a line at some who looks like a complete ogre, but so long as he's at least somewhat presentable and doesn't make me worry about my wings shattering like every mirror in the house it's fine." You can see a bit of doubt start to settle on Nadia's face as she struggles to think of more to say, and you decide to address the elephant on her frown: All of that is her interpretation, rather than something that Laila has ever talked with Nadia about. As expected Nadia, if reluctantly, nods. "Hmm-hmm, got it in one. I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do if Laila falls for a pretty athlete who can't put two and two together and couldn't pick up an animal without crushing it into fine powder unless his arms were broken, but who makes her heart flutter so much my wings get jealous. Like, I want to support her, I want to...you know, maybe have other options when Laila needs a friend's lap to take a nap on. I'd love to help but I only have one, and I know from my time in the orphanage that one isn't enough sometimes. Won't be enough, hopefully. But how can I support her if she falls for a fast brick and I can't even begin to imagine what she sees in him?"

"Simple: The same way you want Laila to support you if you're the one who ends up falling face-first for a complete tool," you answer. Nadia sees the logic in your argument, but disapproves of that particular description of her future husband. Apparently she wants to hold herself to higher standards, which, fair enough. "I guess that begs the question: What are you looking for, in your future husband?"

Nadia suddenly falls strangely quiet, as she stares at Laila's sleeping face again. "I honestly have no idea. All I've ever thought about was how I want a guy to steal my heart, sweep me off my feet, all of that romantic stuff. I don't want to shop for guys like I shop for clothes, I want...m-my love to be m-more than that. S-something special, y-you know? So I've never actually thought about what makes a good husband for me. Didn't dare to. I don't want to fall in love with someone only to figure out we're not a good match later..."

"That's setting yourself up for regret, Nadia," you point out. Nadia gives you the kind of nod that says she knows you're right, but it's a bitter pill to swallow. "Nadia, listen. After Laila wakes up make plans with her to meet up somewhere quiet - and where three quarters of the Academagia doesn't know where to find you, preferably - and have yourself a good talk about what kind of guys she thinks would be a good match for you. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what she's able to tell you."

Nadia gives you a weary stare, giving you a glimpse of how vulnerable she really feels about her future, before turning to face Laila. Who, for her part, is still fast asleep. That or she's expertly pretending to be asleep, in which case she wins this round. In any case seeing Nadia's willingness to open up to someone she considers a friend, and give Laila a place to rest her head while she sorts everything out in it, you're confident these two girls will be alright.
--- +CHA

-"What are you painting?"
--Nadia looks confused. "What I'm...painting? You mean that painting?" she asks, pointing at the painting right next to her. You nod. "How is that a personal question? I thought for a moment you were asking if I'd ever painted actual nudes."

You snort and shake your head, actually having forgotten about that whole miscommunication by now. "No, Nadia, I'm referring to that painting. Have you never noticed the foliage behind the student?" Nadia looks at her painting, turns back to you, and shrugs. You pull out your wand so you can use a quick Glamour to show what you're talking about.

Line by line you point out differences in contrast, subtle changes in color, and finally the shapes of the flowers, the gaps in the foliage, and even a ray of light shining down in front of the unassuming student quietly reading a book inside the painting. Completing the picture that Nadia has been painting all along you finally show what lies hidden behind the shape, stretched out in the background behind the painted student innocently reading a book - a pair of very familiar looking wings.

Nadia looks baffled, but you should think it fairly obvious. Of course Nadia is going to see wings everywhere, how could she not? And in turn she would end up painting them whether she really intended to or not. You don't think it looks bad, either. Once you dispel your Glamour lines the "wings" fade back into the background beautifully, disappearing from sight as if the student inside folded them back up.

"I-I did not even...how did I...? Why did I...?" Nadia asks, though whether the question is directed at you or not is unclear. She ends up shaking her head. "Well, at least I finally know how to finish this painting. Thanks, [PC FIRST NAME]...I guess."

"You can clip a bird's wings, but you can't stop it from looking at the sky," you say. Nadia doesn't seem particularly impressed by the poetry. Or maybe she just takes offence to the comparison. Should have thought that one through a bit better, in hindsight. "I'm saying that you were you going to finish your paining like that one way or another. I mean just look at it - you've already painted in the wings, you just need to touch it up to make it more visible. Or leave it like it is, as a hidden mystery. Your call on that one."

Nadia stares questioningly at her painting for a moment before nodding to herself, having reached her decision. "I'll definitely make them more visible," Nadia answers. "This is who I was, who I am now. More than that, this is how I feel...and how I want others to see me. Especially the people who will be getting this painting when it's done. I'm sure you can guess who. [PC FIRST NAME], for everything you've done for me and Laila: Thank you. I can't say it was a smooth ride, but if you ever need a place to rest your wings, you know who to ask." Nadia isn't quite sure what to make of your smug grin at first, until she looks down at her already occupied lap. "Figuratively rest," Nadia amends. "You know what I mean."

Indeed, you do. And who knows. Obviously you'd prefer to aim for success in the first place, but if ever night falls within your world and sunrise seems far away you know where the brightest smile in the Tanner's District will be waiting.
--- +INS

-"Do you know when your wings will fully recover?"
--Nadia casts a sad glance at her wings. They almost look like they might have regained some of their lost shine, but you know it's just the difference in lighting compared to when you saw them last. You feel like they shine more brightly out in the open sun than they do indoors, no matter how clear the windows. "In short, not for a while," Nadia answers. It's not the answer that either of you two wanted to hear, but it's the truth. "They have been getting better, bit by bit. They don't itch that badly when I leave them out in the sun for a while, feels more like a slow massage these days. Actually quite pleasant. The fatigue is still a problem, but I've adjusted my sleeping schedule to compensate. I do want to do what I can to make these wings of mine get better as soon as possible, even if it means I'll be out cold a few hours earlier."

A shame, and yet a relief to hear. "I'm guessing I won't see them in their full, healthy glory before I'll grow out of the soothing feeling, huh?" you ask. Nadia nods sadly, and asks how it feels to be soothed by them, since she's never been able to experience it herself. You'd think that's an easy question to answer since you can feel the soothing effect right now, but...it really isn't. "It's...I mean obviously the easiest way to describe it is to say it's like a Glamour, but I swear that's not it. A Glamour hits you all at once, feels like it invades your senses on every level, but your wings...how do I put this, they feel gentle. Soothing-I mean, obviously they're soothing, but...you know what I mean. It feels like it washes over me, rather than...smother me, I guess."

"You're not the first to explain it like that," Nadia notes with a smile. "A lot of underclassman, and even the odd upperclassman have come by to see my wings. You know, feel it's effect, soak it in for a moment before continuing on with their day. I know a few came by repeatedly to try and replicate the feeling more accurately with their Glamours. I can't speak from experience not knowing what the soothing effect feels like, but I'm told it's easy enough to replicate the effect, yet relatively much harder to replicate the feel of it."

You can believe that. "Even a few upperclassman, huh...so it's not necessarily consistent, how old someone has to become before they'll stop feeling the effect of your wings?"

"Well, some grow out of it a bit sooner or later than others, but broadly speaking it's seemed consistent to me," Nadia notes. "Don't worry too much about it, [PC FIRST NAME]. You'll grow out of it when you grow out of it, there's nothing you can do about that. You'll be able to see my wings in their full, proper glory one day, soothing effect or not."

"It's the soothing effect that really makes them so enchanting, though," you admit. Nadia actually looks a bit put off, but she tries to hide it. "Nadia, do you think that when your wings are healed, when they'll shine as brightly as they're able to, that the soothing effect will change as well?"

"Truthfully, I kinda hope they don't," Nadia admits. You're surprised, why not embrace something like that? "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it and all, but I'm a little worried about it becoming...a problem. Not that I'm going to starve my wings to intentionally keep them weak, but if I'm being honest I do worry a bit about this soothing effect changing. Growing more pronounced, maybe even getting out of hand. I don't know what I'd do if it did."

Nadia does has a point, you have to admit. If the strength of the soothing effect did depend on the health of the wings, and it was powerful enough to wrap itself around you even as they were dying, than when the wings were at full strength...that could end up being a bit terrifying. Still, it's a shame knowing that this is a feeling you won't be able to experience again relatively soon.

"You're going to miss that feeling, aren't you?" Nadia asks. You nod. It feels a bit embarrassing to admit, but no point hiding it. "You're not the first to say that. And, I'll be honest as well: It makes me happy to hear that people appreciate it enough that they'll miss it. Even if it's not something I actively do - I'm not waving around a wand and casting a spell, after all, I never even studied Glamour - it is nice to hear that these wings are helping people. That...wasn't always the case, so it's a nice change of pace."

"What was it like for you, growing up with those wings?"

Nadia gets a sad smile on her face, recalling the memories, before starting to explain while her gaze gets lost somewhere in the far distance. "It wasn't all that bad at first. My wings weren't brittle, and they were much smaller besides, so I didn't have to worry about hurting them. The people at the temple I attended knew about them, didn't give me any grief over it, and my mentor arranged for me to be assigned duties that could be done under the sun. Heh, I remember those days. Me wearing overalls so my wings could stay out, watering and weeding the gardens while singing or humming the songs of the temple in such an awful way that only a child with no musical talent could...I know it feels weird to say, but I miss those days. Though thinking about it I have to assume those days weren't entirely free of worries. I must have been thinking about my parents at the time. Can't remember it, though."

Yeah, you can imagine Nadia not holding on to those memories very dearly. "So you used to keep your wings in the sun? Why did that change?"

"Simply? They grew," Nadia answers. "I don't know when or why it happened, but by the time I turned around all of a sudden they grew so big I couldn't really pass them off as a toy, or a Glamour someone cast on their kid so she could 'play fairy' out in the gardens. Hide them out in the open, you know. I was taught how to sew and modify clothes so I could cut holes in their backs for my wings, same that I did for this 'painting' uniform I'm wearing now, but I was worried about stretching them outside. I still stretched them out indoors, whenever I was near a window I wasn't worried about people looking through, but yeah. I think that's when my wings slowly getting starved of sunlight started." You ask Nadia exactly how big her wings were, and she says back when she used to 'play fairy' in the garden the tips only come up to her shoulders at most, somewhere closer to her neck than her arms. Basically, if she but faced your direction you wouldn't see her wings at all. But before she knew it they'd suddenly grown to reach her ears, and when she started attending the Academagia they really got out of control. You take another look at her wings as they are now, and yeah, the tip going from the bottom of her ears to, what, somewhere between her eyes and the top of her head? It's a bit hard to tell, but all the same, that's a hell of a growth spurt those things got.

"Actually, you said you used to hide your wings out in the open? Did they not have their soothing effect back then?"

Nadia shakes her head. "They shouldn't have, but than I can't feel it myself, so I can't really be sure either. For what it's worth if anyone noticed and told me about it that far back then I can't remember. The first time I was told about the soothing effect was during my second year at the Academagia, the orphans starting talking about how they started to feel it. And, well, like half a year or so later and you know what they're like now." It's actually a bit strange to think that something you so strongly remember about Nadia's wings is still so new to her. "I remember running to the matron in a panic because I was worried-no, scared even, but of course she couldn't feel the effect at all herself. So she initially dismissed it as me not coming to visit the orphanage enough. Of course two minutes later she checked on the orphans and saw the lot of them staring at my wings with glassy looks in their eyes, and the two of us tried to work together to figure it out. You know, thinking back, that wasn't such a bad time. Working with the matron, learning to enchant the orphans even more than I usually did...it's just a shame I learned about my wings being brittle around that time as well. The hard way, unfortunately."

Hearing Nadia reminisce about her (relatively) younger days and how precious that time was to her puts some things about your own life into perspective. Just two years difference between the two of you, but what a difference two years can make. Nadia's wings started developing their soothing effect when she was as old as you are now, after all. It's strange to think about. But seeing Nadia talk about both good times and bad with a smile on her face, and Laila (still) conked out on her best friend's lap getting some much needed rest, does fill you with a feeling of hope.

You spend a while longer talking to Nadia about her past, your past, and other things friends tend to talk about, while in the back of your mind you can't help but wonder if you'll still remember this day several years from now.
--- +LUC

I've no idea how relevant attribute increases will be in Y2, but here's my traditional list of options to choose which one to bump up anyhow. Totally not an excuse to cram even more text into this adventure. Totally .

Edited March 9 by Metis

[Legate of Mineta]

Attributes are much less effective in Y2 Skills, as we begin the transition from natural talent and into training. But they still have their impact.

[Metis]

I'm assuming stuff like Stress Max/Vitality Max, unless that mechanic also got changed, still keys off of attributes. Would be interesting if getting a more even spread of attributes ends up being better than focussing only specific ones in order to get roughly balanced abilities while still retaining decent skill learning speeds.

[Rhialto]

5 hours ago, Legate of Mineta said:

Attributes are much less effective in Y2 Skills, as we begin the transition from natural talent and into training. But they still have their impact.

May we learn about it more before the sun goes out - or at least only shortly afterwards. :)

 

More seriously, though, that is fascinating.

[Metis]

And here we go again, new adventure! Heart Matters, stage 0:

Spoiler

Walking through the Common Room one seemingly ordinary day - an idea which didn't end up lasting longer than after lunch - you can't help but notice an out of place looking adult among the seats. A woman of relatively young age, late twenties or so, is seemingly in the process of...sketching something? You can't see what she's looking at, but she's giving it her full attention. Wooden board and parchment in one hand, a small quill in the other, and a mischievous grin on her face that oozes a level of confidence which Professor von Rupprecht would be proud of.

You swear this woman looks familiar, like you've seen her walk around the Academagia before. But you can't recall seeing her anywhere specific, let stand somewhere like the Common Room where guests are scarce and usually temporary - couriers walking through to deliver something, that's mostly it. She's not wearing a professor's uniform either, so you don't think she's part of the Academagia staff. Very curious indeed. You're having a hard time imagining why she's here and allowed to stay here, yet at the same time she's also sitting in plain view of Tulia Faspalla. More and more curious...

Well, the answers don't appear to be coming to you right now, so maybe you should try and approach her? Or is the confident smirk just a bit too much like Professor von Rupprecht to make you feel comfortable with trying that?

-Eh, you don't really care that much.
--If Tulia doesn't object why should you? It's not like you own this Common Room any more (or less) than she does, after all.

So you shrug it off and move on with your day. Surely not the first time someone's stopped to stare at the woman, and she doesn't seem like cares if she even cares to notice anyhow.

-Surely a quick introduction can't hurt.
--You decide to walk up and ask the woman about why she seems so familiar. She might not want to be disturbed, admittedly, but you just know this mystery is going to end up bothering you if you don't clear it up while you have the chance.

Both this stage and the next one required some last minute adjustments, so if something seems off, that might be why. Speaking of, Heart Matters, stage 1:

Spoiler

Drawing closer you see that the woman's gaze - and quill - is directed at a student, a first year if you had to guess, who is taking a nap on the couch. Good to know, but you feel like you've ended up with more questions than answers. "Um, excuse me, miss...?" you quietly say. A bit meekly all told, but still loud enough to be heard.

The woman's eyes swiftly dart over in your direction, and she gives you a quick, though careful once-over. It feels like she's judging you, although you're not sure what she's looking for. "Petra Becker," she says, and again the name rings a familiar bell. Dialectic? Is that where you've heard it before? "Interested in discussing philosophy?"

Her tone makes you wonder whether that was a serious question or a joke. You're going to assume the latter. "Ah, n-no, just..." you stammer out as you're having a hard time finding your words. It's the woman's gaze, it feels like she's looking right through you. "W-well, you looked familiar and I, ah, was curious. A-about what you were doing, too."

That answer - and question - awkwardly hangs in the air for a moment, during which you can't think of anything to add. Nothing you dare add, at least. Becker, for her part, doesn't change her expression. If anything she only looks slightly more bemused. "You've heard of me before? Interesting. Though, don't worry about not remembering too well. I can imagine why that is," she answers, seemingly dismissing that last point with a wave of her hand. "And as for what I'm doing? Just observing a wild Monika in her natural habitat."

Perhaps in response to your confused stare Becker indicates the sleeping student. Who, for her part, is staying fast asleep. You can't say you know her, one of many first years you don't recognize, but than you also can't say she looks "wild" or like this Common Room is a "natural habitat". Really, the entire thing is just bizarre. It's so strange you can't help but ask Becker whether she's really observing a student like a Morvidus senior would an animal for their end term project.

Despite the question sounding a bit like an accusation Becker (unsurprisingly) remains fully confident. "Ah, to a point, I suppose? This examination has already ran it's course, really. It's just that someone is being a little bit stubborn," she answers like that excuses, let stand explains, this bizarre situation you find yourself in. "Feel free to give it a try, if you wish. Observation is one of the most fundamental ways of forming our understanding, and in turn, our knowledge. There is something to be observed here, if you haven't already. Perhaps you can be our tie breaker."

...Okay? You can't claim to fully understand what the woman, Becker, is talking about. But if you could be a "tie breaker" between this...eccentric observer and the "stubborn" student...is the student trying to hide something, maybe? And you noticing it would, thus, break the tie between her and Becker, who apparently already noticed it? That's the best guess you can come up with. And you have to admit that a student continuing to take a nap in the Common Room while someone is making a sketch of her (however these two are related, since you have to assume they're not complete strangers) does definitely qualify as "stubborn" in your eyes. Probably. This whole idea is so weird you're not sure how to feel about it.

In any case that's the most sense you can make of this, so what now? Try to tie break, or...?

-Observation. Try and see what you're looking for.
--Nothing about the girl herself seems to offer an answers at a glance, but you do notice a few textbooks piled up next to Becker, alongside some parchment and writing supplies. All the books also have a single bookmarker poking out of them. You highly doubt she was reading textbooks in a Common Room, so you assume they belong to Monika. If she was studying and fell asleep midway through, that can indicate a few things. Terminally boring subjects, a lack of sleep, and sickness being the most common ones. You're a student yourself, so you're pretty familiar with them.

Falling asleep from terminally boring subjects alone usually doesn't result in too long naps, let stand...whatever Becker is doing. So you're guessing Monika tried to study through her fatigue and/or sickness and collapsed, until Becker showed up, packed up and...started sketching her? Up until the very end that scenario seemed plausible. After that it just open up a floodgate of more questions. Still, the first part is sound, so nothing to do but actually test you theory you suppose. You carefully approach Monika, all too aware of who is staring holes through your back, and check her forehead. Sure enough, you were right. She's burning up.

"You knew about her condition?" you ask Becker. She nods. "Than why didn't you take her to the infirmary? Or at least her dorm room."

"'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink', I believe the saying goes," she replies. Is she seriously suggesting that Monika refused to budge? That seems like a level beyond just "stubborn" to your ears. "I asked her where the infirmary is, and her dorm room for that matter, but she kept insisting that she was fine." Becker puts down her parchment and quill, and although she can't see it turns to address Monika. "That all said, Monika, are you done with your little camping trip? If not I'll grab a pot of water and brew us some tea in the fireplace. Piping hot, of course."

You can't help but nervously eye the fireplace, because Becker actually sounds like she's being more serious than not. Thankfully, for everyone involved, Monika suddenly stirs and (presumably) tries to say something, although all you can make of it are fatigued moans. Regardless, you assume (and hope) that she's ready to go to the infirmary. Becker also seems to interpret it that way.

"Finally. Alright, take my hand, I'll help carry you." Monika indeed takes Becker's hand, who pulls the former up and off the couch. After that she turns to you. "Ah, student, could you please lead the way to the infirmary? Someone told me where it is, generally, but I'm not sure how to get there quickly. And the less Monika has to think right now the better."

You've no objection to that, so you nod and help lead the way.

--All you're seeing is a table with some student-related stuff on it, a student, and a student's...someone. Not sure how Becker is related but you presume she is. Sincerely hope she is, really. So, unfortunately, your tie breaker answer is a shrug.

"Unable to figure it out?" Becker asks with a bemused smirk. You can't help but meekly shake your head. "Hmm...too much focus on the individual clues, insufficient attention paid to how they piece together. A good foundation, but requires more training."

Evidently. In part because you can't tell whether Becker is serious or just mocking you.

"Try reading a few mystery novels, less so for the mystery they clearly present but the mysteries that don't take centre stage. Good mystery novels always contain some secrets for the clever reader, try to find them."

Yeah, right. You'll just throw that somewhere in the vague direction of your coursework and come back to it once an archaeological dig finds a random pristine condition mystery novel among the remains of your textbooks and a million discussions get launched about what it is and why it's there...

-Art Appreciation. Examine the woman's sketch.
--Becker's sketch is clearly the work of someone who is figuring out how to actually sketch stuff just as she goes. Nevertheless she's got a good eye for both shadows and scale. Her sketch of the table, the various items on the table, and the...vaguely Monika-shaped blob have (more or less) the right proportions. And although it's not where light is coming from in reality, the shadows drawn on the various items do imply a single source of light illuminating the sketch.

...Actually, the shadowing on Monika's face is off. It matches reality, not the implied light source of the rest of the sketch...or, no, maybe not even that. Shadowing like that is also used as an artistic indication the individual being portrayed is sick, and given the scenario in reality in front of you, that actually seems a distinct possibility.

Curious to test your theory, though being slightly worried Becker is going to start adding your own image to her sketch (which she thankfully doesn't, instead she's content to merely stare holes through your back - slight improvement), you cautiously approach Monika and very carefully try to feel her forehead. Indeed, the sketch had the right of it - she's burning up.

"You knew about her condition?" you ask Becker. She nods. "Than why didn't you take her to the infirmary? Or at least her dorm room."

"'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink', I believe the saying goes," she replies. Is she seriously suggesting that Monika refused to budge? That seems like a level beyond just "stubborn" to your ears. "I asked her where the infirmary is, and her dorm room for that matter, but she kept insisting that she was fine." Becker puts down her parchment and quill, and although she can't see it turns to address Monika. "That all said, Monika, are you done with your little camping trip? If not I'll grab a pot of water and brew us some tea in the fireplace. Piping hot, of course."

You can't help but nervously eye the fireplace, because Becker actually sounds like she's being more serious than not. Thankfully, for everyone involved, Monika suddenly stirs and (presumably) tries to say something, although all you can make of it are fatigued moans. Regardless, you assume (and hope) that she's ready to go to the infirmary. Becker also seems to interpret it that way.

"Finally. Alright, take my hand, I'll help carry you." Monika indeed takes Becker's hand, who pulls the former up and off the couch. After that she turns to you. "Ah, student, could you please lead the way to the infirmary? Someone told me where it is, generally, but I'm not sure how to get there quickly. And the less Monika has to think right now the better."

You've no objection to that, so you nod and help lead the way.

--You take a closer look at Becker's sketch, but frankly you're not sure what to make of any of it. There's parts that look like the work of an amateur, there's parts that look like the works of someone who does this frequently as a hobby, and no matter how much you look it over you cannot find any hint or answer as to the bizarre situation in front of you. It's no less clear in the sketch than it is in reality, at least to your eyes.

"Examining outside references to shed light on a situation? Very interesting that you would go with such an approach. You might have a bright future ahead of you indeed," Becker says. It would make you feel better if you could tell whether she was being serious or mocking you. "That said, I'm guessing you can't see the key part?" Evidently not. Assuming such a thing even exists. "Well, don't let that discourage you. Keep trying. You're on the path to learning a very valuable skill if you keep at it. Remember, practice makes perfect."

...Is she serious, or just seriously mocking you? You still can't tell, and that's really annoying! Another mystery to add to the ever growing pile, wonderful!

You swear you will get both answers and shove them in that woman's face one day. If that first year is stubborn enough to take a nap in the Common Room once surely she'll be stubborn enough to do so a second time, sooner or later...

-Field Medicine. Check the student's condition.
--Perhaps it's a stretch, but one situation where a student could fall asleep in the Common Room like this is if she's sick. You carefully approach the girl, all too aware of miss observation right behind you, and ask if she's feeling alright. Despite several attempts at such questions the only answers you get are indistinct moans, though, so instead you pull out the old wand and cast some spells. They tell you the girl has a fever, which you confirm by checking her forehead. She's burning up.

"You knew about her condition?" you ask Becker. She nods. "Than why didn't you take her to the infirmary? Or at least her dorm room."

"'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink', I believe the saying goes," she replies. Is she seriously suggesting that Monika refused to budge? That seems like a level beyond just "stubborn" to your ears. "I asked her where the infirmary is, and her dorm room for that matter, but she kept insisting that she was fine." Becker puts down her parchment and quill, and although she can't see it turns to address Monika. "That all said, Monika, are you done with your little camping trip? If not I'll grab a pot of water and brew us some tea in the fireplace. Piping hot, of course."

You can't help but nervously eye the fireplace, because Becker actually sounds like she's being more serious than not. Thankfully, for everyone involved, Monika suddenly stirs and makes a lot more noise than before. You still can't make it out, but you guess (and hope) that she's ready to go to the infirmary. Becker also seems to interpret it that way.

"Finally. Alright, take my hand, I'll help carry you." Monika indeed takes Becker's hand, who pulls the former up and off the couch. After that she turns to you. "Ah, student, could you please lead the way to the infirmary? Someone told me where it is, generally, but I'm not sure how to get there quickly. And the less Monika has to think right now the better."

You've no objection to that, so you nod and help lead the way.

--It seems fairly reasonable to assume the first year-Monika, that was her name. That she collapsed from fatigue or sickness, or both, so you pull out your wand and cast a few diagnostic spells. Only...they're saying everything is fine with her. That's a problem, because you don't believe that for one moment. Yet you don't have anything irrefutable that suggests otherwise either. She could be playing a very long prank on...whatever Becker is to her, as far as you know.

"Something wrong?" Becker curiously asks. For as supremely confident as she looks, sitting in one of the Academagia's Common Room, she doesn't seem too familiar with actual spells if you had to guess.

"Pretty much. I guessed Monika is sick, but my diagnostic spells don't agree. Sorry, but I need to go to the Venalicium and double-check how to cast these things immediately. If a mage can't trust [his/her] own magic than what is [s/he] but a magician with a less fancy stick?"

Becker shrugs. "That certainly sounds reasonable to me. Good luck with your studies."

You nod and quickly head off. It does not feel good to leave a potential patient behind like that, surely she must be sick or fatigued or something, but what are you supposed to do about it if you can't even tell whether or not she is?

...You get three quarters of the way to the Venalicium before you realize you could have just checked her forehead, like a normal person without magic training would do. What was it that one philosopher (in)famously arguing against the study of magic said, again? Something about spellcasters forgetting to do the most mundane of things, and that supposedly leading to a total collapse of society of some sort? Good thing you're going to a place you can study up on magic and Famous Dilemmas to refresh your memory on both subjects!

You might feel like a right klutz of a student at this moment, but at least you're an efficient klutz you suppose...

What you're actually seeing here is the (mostly) unchanged versions of the initial idea of this adventure, which didn't get further than stage 3 before it got completely revamped ages later starting around stage 2. By now I trust you guys have a vague idea of my Modus Operandi for these kinds of things, and in turn what you're in for, though .

[Metis]

Heart Matters, stage 2:

Spoiler

Over at the Infirmary the nurses seem unamused by Becker's explanation of Monika's condition, but don't further question or criticize her as they take Monika off her hands. As for Monika, you honestly can't say. There's something left unsaid in how she stares at Becker before she shuffles off with the nurses, but there's no way to know for sure whether that's the fever talking, so to speak.

"Glad that is finally over with," Becker mutters to herself as she turns to you and gives you a quick, polite bow. "Many thanks for the assistance, and that with me forgetting to ask for introductions. I'd apologize for that, but you get the idea." Most other people couldn't say that last part with a straight face, but Becker? She pulls it off, and gracefully.

"Right. I'm [PC FULL NAME], for the record," you say as you finally introduce yourself. Becker seems to take a mental note, aside from going right back to staring at you. Like, as it turns out, some kind of exotic animal. You're not sure what this woman's deal is. You're really not.

"And quite observant for someone so young. Tell me, would you be interested in lending me a hand, by chance?" Becker, out of nowhere, offers. And seeing as how you still have no idea what she actually does for a living you figure the first thing to do is ask about that. "Locals call me a philosopher, though that's because I recently arrived in Mineta to start making regular appearances in the Forum of Naxum. Back home I do my best to work as a counsellor and private teacher. I wouldn't object to teaching classes in an academy, mind, but it'll take a bit more work for me to find any open positions like that."

A philosopher, huh? Dialectic, is that what you remember Becker from? Something like that feels right, but...you're not sure. "So what field do you study? I'm guessing something Zoology related?"

You thought it was a fair guess given your earlier encounter, but Becker just chuckles. This is going to end poorly, isn't it? "I suppose my proposed field has some roots in Zoology, academically speaking, but I'm sure my clients wouldn't readily agree with that. No, I specialize in personal relationships. Courtship, dating rituals, engagement, marriage, as well as a bit of parental care. In addition to all the spaces in between."

You quirk an eyebrow. Studying human behaviour seems fair enough, but the idea of someone making a living off of being everyone's aunt you've never heard of before. And Mineta hears a lot from the myriad of tourists, pilgrims, and of course Academagia students from all over, so despite your age you feel like that's still saying something.

"As reluctant as many are to admit it, especially newcomers to the field of personal relationships do often benefit from a guiding hand. Having seen how they handle themselves and are handled by others - and too often mishandled, in both cases - lead me to question why these same mistakes are repeated so often. That lead me to realize how often mistakes are covered up and forgotten about instead of being addressed, which is what I try to offer my professional assistance with. What I've learned in the process I'm here in Mineta to present in the Forum of Naxum, to argue for how traditions could be changed to improve the current state of affairs." As a little joke, likely because of the steadily deepening shade of red on your cheeks, Becker adds, "That last one literally and figuratively, in too many cases."

"A-and you want my help to...to do what, exactly? I-I'm not a world leading expert on dating, of all things!" you awkwardly sputter out. Becker, naturally, just stares with that confident, bemused grin. Perhaps half the muscles in her face are paralysed and that's the only expression she can make. Would explain a few things.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm aware," Becker remarks. Not as an insult, but as what else you're not sure. Before continuing she casts a meaningful glance at the Infirmary doors, and her look of bemused superiority fades a bit. "Simply put, I need help with Monika. I expected that, with her attending the Academagia, I could focus my attention on my career. I've spend long enough on my research, it was time for me to make my own trip to Mineta and debate the merits of my profession in the Forum of Naxum. Hopefully convince old academia to see the value in turning uneducated informal ritual into formal curriculum. But one surprise visit, and this is the result. I don't have the time to tend to Monika even if I knew how to tend to her while she's attending the Academagia, but I can't very well ignore a situation like this either."

Those are all fair concerns for a...parent? Odd, she seems a touch young to be Monika's mother...? Eh, who knows. Maybe she's not Monika's birth mother, maybe Becker is just older than she looks, there's some explanation you're sure. You're not going to ask that question straight to her face, either way. Instead you point out that Becker's concerns are fair, but you're still not sure what you're supposed to do about it.

"Simply, I want to know why Monika is being so stubborn about going to the Infirmary. She's always been a handful whenever she's sick, but this is something special even for her. There must be a reason, but I'm sure she won't share it easily. She's quite reserved. Still, I want to know why. You've proven yourself to be a useful kind of observant, and curious, for your age. Perhaps you can figure it out."

Maybe you could, but you have to wonder whether there's anyone else more qualified than you are. You're a complete stranger to Monika. If she's cage-y with her mother - or mother figure, whichever - you're not sure what hope you have of getting answers. Than again, maybe that's exactly why you do. There are things easier to talk about with a fellow student than a parent, stranger or not. And you can think of a few people you could tip off and try to get answers from instead, too. Becker might not.

In any case you feel like leaving Becker out in the cold isn't useful. If you don't feel like playing investigator yourself than passing along a message to Monika's mentor, or some professor, isn't too much effort. So, what approach to take...

-Gossip. Ask around about Monika, and who you should talk to.
--Monika seems the type to attract more than her fair share of rumors, and while rumors are usually not very reliable as far as information is concerned, you're confident that you will be able to take the collective thoughts of the student body and turn it into something useful. As such you tell Becker you'll ask around and see what you can dig up - if you find answers to Monika's strange behaviour, great, but you're not holding out hope for that. More likely you'll figure out who you need to talk to about Monika's strange behaviour, but even if that turns into a chain of people you're confident you can follow it down to it's roots.

Becker nods, wishes you good luck and politely excuses herself. You nod as well and run off towards...let's start in the Great Hall, actually. That tends to be a good location to hit up for rumors.

Your feeling that Monika would attract rumors quickly proves to be correct. In the Great Hall you find a fair few students who - after connecting the common points of their various stories together - tell you that Monika is an anti-social first year in College Durand who doesn't interact with or listen to anyone, though she'll do whatever her professors tell her to without question. As expected that's given her a negative reputation as a teacher's pet, though you're not able to find any concrete examples of that (nor were you expecting any from students, to be fair - a teacher's pet you'd want to ask your professors for examples).

Less common, but still common enough to be tentatively trustworthy, are relatively vague stories you hear about Monika having some kind of brightly colored snake Familiar that chases away anyone who tries to bully her. Opinions vary on whether Monika (or the Familiar, for that matter) uses a dictionary definition or their own definition of "bully" in that regard, but most point out the distinction is probably academic - it's not like Monika is known for talking to people who don't talk to her first, and those that do aren't too likely to want to be her friend, after all.

A lot of good information. Unfortunately (though not unexpectedly) no one has any clue as to what could be up with Monika's strange behaviour in the Common Room. Frankly most people simply don't care about it either, Monika hasn't done anything to endear herself to these random students so the few that care at all just revel in the knowledge that someone they have reason not to like is having a bad time. Not very helpful. You do learn that Tulia Faspalla is Monika's mentor, and you recall seeing her in the Common Room earlier, so she seems like a reasonable person to talk to next.

On the way back to the Durand Common Room you actually, surprisingly, run into Becker again. She seems a touch lost, but maintains her confident grin all the same. "Oh, hello again [PC FIRST NAME]. I don't suppose you've made any progress already?" It's clear from Becker's voice she's not expecting miracles, of which you have none on offer so that checks out, but you do tell her about what you've gathered so far. She frowns at it. "I was very strict with raising Monika, so even at the Academagia I'm sure there are some students who's own discipline is so lacking they misinterpret her as a teacher's pet. She'll adapt, I'm sure. That said, a snake Familiar? Monika's Familiar is a cat, the same one she grew up with. He can be a snake figuratively, especially when Monika forgets to feed him, but I doubt that is what Monika's Classmates were referring to."

Huh. The stories you heard quite clearly mentioned an actual snake, as in a snake in the zoological sense. But whatever Becker is to Monika exactly she certainly sounds like she knows Monika's Familiar. And Monika binding with a different Familiar, without Becker's knowledge, seems incredibly unlikely. That's quite the mystery. All the same, however people managed to completely misinterpret Monika's Familiar, doesn't it stand to reason that if they're wrong about that they could be wrong about the rest as well? You definitely need to go talk to Tulia next. Being Monika's mentor surely she will have some genuine, bona-fide first hand accounts to give you. You mention as much to Becker, who takes a moment to compliment your keen insight before running off again. Whatever that woman does for a living, apparently it keeps her busy.

For your part you head back to the Durand Common Room, find Tulia, and sit down across from her. She quirks an eyebrow, and you quickly mention you need to talk to her about Monika. "Monika, as in my mentoree? Why do you need to talk to me about her?" she directly asks. You relay what Becker told you about Monika's supposedly out of line behaviour, which you remind Tulia she was in full view of the entire thing herself, and plainly ask what she knows about Monika. "What I know about her. Right. So I'm guessing you have no idea who that woman is?"

You quirk an eyebrow and mention Becker did introduce herself as a part time philosopher, or some such, and some other stuff you can't really make heads or tails of. But none of that seemed relevant insofar as explaining Monika's bizarre behaviour. Tulia shakes her head and asks if you could imagine growing up with a caretaker like that. You admit Becker mentioned her raising Monika "very strictly", and that you nevertheless felt like she looked a touch young to be Monika's mother, but all the same you're not sure how that explains Monika's strange behaviour. Or what you should make of Becker being Monika's "caretaker".

"All I know is that Monika's own parents can't take care of her, so Becker does instead," Tulia explains. Afterwards, with a more quiet voice, she adds that she has no idea what condition Monika's parents are actually in. If they're even still alive, although if not Tulia has no idea when or how they passed away, either. "Monika never talks about it, insofar that she talks to anyone about anything. I'm not sure if she knows or not..." Tulia concludes with a shrug. "As for Monika's caretaker, I'm honestly not sure what her deal is. I've only heard vague rumors about what she does for a living, but between that and her not being Monika's real mom...is it really any surprise that Monika is as reserved as she is?"

You frown. "I definitely heard about her being reserved, but those same people claimed she's got a snake Familiar when Becker told me her Familiar is actually a cat, so you tell me who to believe on that one. Regardless, don't you think Monika passing out in the Common Room when she's burning with a fever, rather than letting her caretaker help carry her to her dorm room or the Infirmary, is just a bit odd?" you pointedly say. Tulia doesn't respond, though you do see a slight nod. "I get that those two might have an awkward relationship or whatever, but what Monika did isn't normal. For Monika or in general. So...what's going on with her?"

A bit of awkward silence falls over the conversation as Tulia contemplates that question, despite the background noise of everyone else in the Common Room. "Honestly, I don't know," Tulia eventually admits. "I can't say this is unusual for Monika, since I first met her she's had a skull thick enough to put the Wall to shame. But, despite what people say about her, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried either. It's just, I've tried to ask her about her attitude. Why she refuses to talk to her peers, try to make friends, and all of that. She refuses to hear any of it. Maybe she'd listen to a professor, I haven't tried that before, but even there I'm doubtful."

Right, Monika's reputation as a "teacher's pet". You're still taking that with a grain of salt after people failed to properly identify Monika's Familiar, or...whatever happened there. "I can't help but wonder why Monika would - supposedly - do whatever a professor tells her to, but won't let her own caretaker carry her to the Infirmary even when she's half passed out in the Common Room," you point out. "That seems...I'unno. The more I hear about Monika the more I feel like something is very wrong. People think she's got a snake Familiar when her caretaker says her Familiar is a cat, they think she's a teacher's pet when she clearly won't even listen to said caretaker...something's off about all this."

"I have seen Monika's cat, so I can confirm that is - to my knowledge - her one and only Familiar," Tulia confirms. It's good to get confirmation from someone more trustworthy, but that still doesn't explain this mess of a situation. Let stand what is going on in Monika's head. "Honestly, it might be time for me to knock on a professor's door about this anyway. Monika passing out in the Common Room shouldn't go ignored, whatever her reasons are."

"I'll go as well," you confidently say. Tulia, having stood up, raises an eyebrow at you. "Curiosity. Not to mention I'm assuming Professor Briardi is going to want to ask me about what Becker said and all of that."

"True, I'm sure she will be curious," Tulia notes as the two of you start to walk off to see Professor Briardi.

--Monika seems the type to attract more than her fair share of rumors, and you're confident someone within the Academagia will know something useful. Reasonably. It can't be all that hard to find out something, right?

One round trip around the Great Hall, the Garden Gallery, the practice rooms and even Rikildis' newspaper lair, and you have learned what you feel is going to end up being very important life lesson - people, in fact, have no idea about the future hermit in training who doesn't talk to anyone about herself. It's not that they don't have ideas, it's that unless Monika is secretly part of a set of triplets and no one clued in on that you don't see how all of them can be right at the same time. And if they're not, well, who can say what is? You, unfortunately, cannot.

Alongside the usual shame at making a fool of yourself, you can't help but feel a sense of irony at what praise Becker had for you earlier. She's right, you are indeed the good kind of curious and observant. Unfortunately you don't appear to be the good kind of intelligent. Ah well, you can work on that. And no one's perfect anyway, right...?

...At least you're smart enough to know that isn't a compliment...

-Manner of a Champion. Ask who Monika's mentor is, see what they have to say about this.
--Perhaps Becker doesn't know, but you're well aware that Monika should have gotten a Classmate of yours assigned as a mentor. You ask her if she knows who Monika's mentor is.

"I'm afraid I don't know," she answers, again staring pointedly at the Infirmary doors. Perhaps pondering whether to ask Monika, but if so she ultimately decides against it. "I know she was assigned one, or at least that, traditionally, first years are assigned second years as a mentor. But she never talked about him-or her, I'm not sure. I don't suppose you know? Is it common knowledge among students who mentors which student?"

You shake your head, but also point out that it's easy enough to figure out by just asking. Becker nods, of course, and quickly excuses herself after wishing you good luck finding Monika's mentor. She doesn't point out you didn't really agree to help her with Monika, but you're sure she got the message implied by you suggesting to look for Monika's mentor. Finding said mentor shouldn't be too hard, anyway. You can spare a few minutes to help a sick first year.

Figuring that the Durand Common Room is as good a place as any to start you go back there, and ask the people you remember seeing here earlier if they happen to know who Monika's mentor is. Surprisingly the first person you ask points directly at Tulia Faspalla in response. Well than. That didn't even take as little effort as you were expecting. You'll take it.

Of course you do still need to talk to Tulia about her mentoree, so you sit down across from her. She, having overheard your earlier question, has a frown on her face. "Why are you looking for Monika's mentor?" she directly asks. You relay what Becker told you about Monika's supposedly out of line behaviour, which you see no reason to doubt given what you saw of it yourself, and plainly ask Tulia what she knows about it. "What I know about it. Right. So I'm guessing you have no idea who that woman is?"

You quirk an eyebrow and mention Becker did introduce herself as a part time philosopher, or some such, and some other stuff you can't really make heads or tails of. But none of that seemed relevant insofar as explaining Monika's bizarre behaviour. Tulia shakes her head and asks if you could imagine growing up with a caretaker like that. You have to admit that you can't, in part because you're not sure what to make of Tulia calling Becker Monika's "caretaker".

"All I know is that Monika's own parents can't take care of her, so Becker does instead," Tulia explains. Afterwards, with a more quiet voice, she adds that she has no idea what condition Monika's parents are actually in. If they're even still alive, although if not Tulia has no idea when or how they passed away, either. "Monika never talks about it, insofar that she talks to anyone about anything. I'm not sure if she knows or not..." Tulia concludes with a shrug. "As for Monika's caretaker, I'm also not sure what her deal is. I've only heard vague rumor about what she does for a living, but between that and her not being Monika's real mom...is it really any surprise that Monika is as reserved as she is?"

You frown. "I can imagine her being reserved. I can't imagine her passing out in the Common Room when she's burning with a fever rather than letting her caretaker, however awkward their relationship is, help carry her to her dorm room or the Infirmary," you pointedly say. Tulia doesn't respond, though you do see a slight nod. "And yet that's what Monika did. That's not normal, for Monika or in general. So what's going on with her?"

A bit of awkward silence falls over the conversation as Tulia contemplates that question, despite the background noise of everyone else in the Common Room. "Honestly, I'm not sure," Tulia eventually admits. "I can't say this is unusual for Monika, since I first met her she's had a skull thick enough to put the Wall to shame, but...I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried. It's just, I've tried to ask her about her attitude. Why she refuses to talk to her peers, try to make friends, and all of that. She refuses to hear any of it. Maybe she'd listen to a professor, I haven't tried that before, but even there I'm doubtful."

You ask Tulia what getting a professor involved would do, and she explains that Monika is - to not put a finer point on it - a teacher's pet. Any of her peers, even her mentor, Monika won't give the time of day unless she feels like it - and she rarely does. But the moment a professor asks her to jump her response, without fail, is "how high". Tulia's not sure why Monika is like that, but she is sure it doesn't help Monika at all with making friends...or it wouldn't if she were to actually try. "I can't help but wonder why Monika would do whatever a professor tells her to, but won't let her caretaker carry her to the Infirmary even when she's half passed out in the Common Room," you point out. "That seems...I'unno, something feels off there."

"I don't know either," Tulia says. You don't doubt her, you're just not sure what is going on in Monika's head. "Honestly, it might be time for me to knock on a professor's door about this anyway. Monika passing out in the Common Room shouldn't go ignored, whatever her reasons are."

"I'll go as well," you confidently say. Tulia, having stood up, raises an eyebrow at you. "Professor Briardi, I'm assuming, is going to want to ask me about what Becker said anyhow. And honestly, shrugging my shoulders while a first year is in a bad state like this doesn't feel right either. Monika doesn't want to talk to her peers, her mentor or her caretaker? Maybe a well meaning stranger is what you guys need to get through to her, I don't know. It's worth trying at least."

"Leading by example. I approve," Tulia notes as the two of you start to walk off to see Professor Briardi.

--You assume Becker doesn't know that Monika should have a mentor she could and probably should talk to instead, so you shrug and non-committally tell her you'll see what you can do. Becker nods, gives you a word of thanks, and politely excuses herself. She actually caught the part where you don't intend to-oh, whatever. Find mentor, tell mentor to do stuff, job done. No need to overcomplicate things, all you have to do is find one student and pass along a message.

At least that is the plan, but heading to the Great Hall to ask about Monika's mentor you quickly learn that Monika has a bad reputation (that people either refuse to talk about or refuse to be consistent about - you're not sure which of the two is worse to be honest) and people both generally don't know her at all, and broadly speaking, also don't care about her at all.

...Well this is a fine mess you talked yourself into, isn't it? Fine, fine. Arm successfully twisted, you suppose you'll give it a night and ask around somewhere else tomorrow or something. Monika doesn't look like she'll be leaving the Infirmary any time soon anyhow...

-Character Study. Bring the matter to a professor.
--This really feels like a situation that should be brought to a professor moreso than a student, and frankly you'd be surprised if Becker wasn't planning on bringing this matter to any professor in the first place. You're so confident of that, in fact, that you dare to tell Becker as much. She nods, though to you seemingly mostly to herself. "Curious, observant, and socially perceptive too. You have a bright future ahead of you, I'm sure. That said, yes, of course you're right, but I was hoping to get more eyes on Monika. Children - or teenagers, if you prefer - can often look where adults can't, notice things they miss. I'm not sure whether a professor or student would be better for figuring out what is causing Monika to behave this way, so I see no reason not to request the aid of both."

Funny how she didn't tell you that to begin with. Right. You ask Becker if she has any particular professor in mind.

"Well, truthfully the only professor I really know is Monika's regent. Professor Briardi, I believe? Though this seems like a matter that would be best brought to her office anyway, given that Monika is one of her students. Do you know of another professor who would be better to approach with this?"

It's a fair question to ask, actually. Professor Briardi would surely want to know, if only so she can personally scold Monika for her recklessness, but could she actually address the problem? Is she the best person for figuring out whatever causes Monika to behave so weirdly? You're thinking the answer is actually no. The regent is known for causing people to blurt out stuff they didn't intend to, but that doesn't seem likely to work on Monika. She needs someone who could convince her to talk, or who could get useful information despite her not talking. In that respect the first person who springs to mind is actually Professor Piaxenza. His skills at diplomacy is famed, and perhaps his study of dream magic could provide an opening for convincing an otherwise reserved Monika to open up a bit, in weird indirect way. You're not sure if that's how it actually works - that's the regent's field, not yours - but it seems worth a try nevertheless.

As such you suggest to Becker that she try talking to Professor Piaxenza instead. She seems doubtful. "Is that normal? To bring problems that students are having to regents of another College?" she asks. You nod and explain that when said issues are completely unrelated to a student's actual College, like Monika's is as far as you can guess, bringing the matter to a regent who's personal fields are more suited for addressing the student's issues is indeed common practice. Becker can only nod at that explanation. "True, it would be wasteful not to utilize the varied talents that are available here. Very well, than could you please lead the way again? My apologies, but as impressive as the Academagia's buildings are they can be a challenge to navigate."

Considering how even you can still get lost sometimes, you can't really say anything against that. You nod and lead Becker to Professor Piaxenza's office. It's not a long walk, and the offices of the regents tend to be pretty memorable anyway. Easy to remember how to get to them.

Becker, hiding the first signs of feeling nervous, politely knocks on the regent's door. He opens it a moment later. "Good day, miss. How can I help you?" The regent doesn't outright say it, but he doesn't recognize Becker as one of the parents(? Still wondering about Becker's apparent age) that he's used to seeing. Becker, for her part, puts on her most confident face, politely introduces herself, and curtly explains that she needs help figuring out why Monika has been unusually cagey lately. Professor Piaxenza actually shows a brief flash of recognition upon hearing the name. "Monika Becker, of College Durand?" the regent asks to confirm. Becker nods. "I see...yes, I might be able to help with that. Please take a seat inside my office, I'll join you momentarily."

Becker nods and happily steps inside the office. Professor Piaxenza subtly closes the door behind her and pointedly turns to stare at you. "Not the first time Monika's name came up?" you directly ask him. You know it's the right thing to do, no need to keep Becker waiting longer than needed.

"Indeed not. She was the victim in a bullying incident that - for better or worse - got resolved by one of my students. I can't say whether it's related to her current strange behaviour, I've not heard of further incidents since, but...all the same it seems a plausible theory, doesn't it?" Certainly does, yes. Bullies getting smarter about not getting caught, Monika refusing to ask for help when she needs it, the whole idea is far too easy to imagine. "I'll question miss Becker and see if she can think of another possible reason. In the meantime could you find Tulia Faspalla and ask her if she happens to know more about the bullying angle? As Monika's mentor I suspect she's keeping an eye on the girl. She may have noticed any signs."

You can do that, so you leave Professor Piaxenza to question Becker and head back to the Durand Common Room. You saw Tulia there earlier, chances are she's still there. Also, you are really getting in some exercise running around the Academagia like this, aren't you? Well, that's fine. If this was enough to tire you out you'd be really worried.

Tulia is indeed still in the Common Room, so you quietly sit down across from her. Of course she still notices you pretty quickly, and asks what you need to talk about. "Your mentoree, Monika. Haven't you noticed that she's been acting unusual lately?"

You're not sure how to interpret this, but Tulia actually shakes her head. "If you're referring to her taking a nap in the Common Room, no actually. I genuinely can't say that is unusual for her." Tulia takes the opportunity, while both your eyebrows are raised, to ask you why you're asking her about her mentoree anyway. You explain that first Becker asked you to look into it, and after you took her to Professor Piaxenza's office, he asked you to talk to her about it. Tulia actually raises an eyebrow of her own at that last part. "Really? Well, I guess first things first, can I assume you have no idea who that woman is?"

With a shrug you mention Becker did introduce herself as a part time philosopher and some other stuff you can't really make heads or tails of, but truthfully, you don't really care. None of that seems relevant insofar as explaining Monika's bizarre behaviour, not compared to what the regent mentioned, so you ask Tulia what she knows about the bullying incident the regent brought up. And, of course, whether she's noticed any signs they started picking up again.

Tulia, for better or worse, looks confused at the question. "Bullying? No, I definitely haven't noticed any signs like that. The three hotheads that once tried to bully her are in Durand, you know. Don't ask me why, but they thought it was a great idea to run to Professor Briardi after someone out-bullied them. Remember the regent's trick to make people blurt out stuff they didn't intend to blurt out? Yeah, she made short work of them. They've been uselessly plotting some kind of vague vengeance ever since, but I'm not holding my breath that they'll ever get a clue. Or won't end up in another hall session if they do, for that matter." Huh. Sounds like the bullies at least are motivated, but than if they were successful you'd expect their plotting to have changed. And Tulia to have noticed it. You ask Tulia if she can think of any other reason why Monika is behaving so oddly. "Oh I've got one alright. It's very simple: Can you imagine what it's like growing up with a caretaker like Becker?"

Her "caretaker"? You thought she looked a touch young to be Monika's mother, but even so, you ask Tulia what she knows about that.

"All I know is that Monika's own parents can't take care of her, so Becker does instead," Tulia explains. Afterwards, with a more quiet voice, she adds that she has no idea what condition Monika's parents are actually in. If they're even still alive, although if not Tulia has no idea when or how they passed away, either. "Monika never talks about it, insofar that she talks to anyone about anything. I'm not sure if she knows or not..." Tulia concludes with a shrug. "As for Monika's caretaker, I'm honestly not sure what her deal is. I've only heard vague rumor about what she does for a living, but between that and her not being Monika's real mom...is it really any surprise that Monika is as reserved as she is?"

You frown. "I can imagine her being reserved. I can't imagine her passing out in the Common Room when she's burning with a fever rather than letting her caretaker, however awkward their relationship is, help carry her to her dorm room or the Infirmary," you pointedly say. Tulia doesn't respond, though you do see a slight nod. "And yet that's what Monika did. That's not normal, for Monika or in general. So what's going on with her?"

A bit of awkward silence falls over the conversation as Tulia contemplates that question, despite the background noise of everyone else in the Common Room. "Honestly, I don't know," Tulia eventually admits. "I can't say this is unusual for Monika, since I first met her she's had a skull thick enough to put the Wall to shame. But, despite what people say about her, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried either." You ask Tulia what is it that people are saying about her, and she explains that Monika has a reputation as a teacher's pet - doing whatever the professors tell her to, while ignoring her classmates altogether. "I've tried to ask her about that attitude. Why she refuses to talk to her peers, try to make friends, and all of that. Nothing. She refuses to hear any of it. Maybe she'd listen to a professor, I haven't tried that before, but even there I'm doubtful."

You know this isn't the best thing to think, but you actually hope Tulia is wrong there. If Monika is indeed a teacher's pet than maybe, just maybe, Professor Piaxenza can get some answers from her. Than again, if you really think about it, that doesn't make even the slightest lick of sense, does it? No, it really doesn't. "I can't help but wonder how Monika - supposedly - does whatever a professor tells her to, but won't let her own caretaker carry her to the Infirmary even when she's half passed out in the Common Room," you point out. "Like, I am perfectly willing to believe that Becker isn't the easiest person to grow up with, but still. That seems a step too far even so."

"Honestly, I think you're right," Tulia, reluctantly, agrees. "Regardless of what her relationship with her caretaker is, if it leads to incidents like this it might be time to knock on a professor's door. Monika passing out in the Common Room shouldn't go ignored, whatever her reasons are. And since Becker is talking to Professor Piaxenza, I guess that means I'll inform Professor Briardi."

"I'll go as well," you confidently say. Tulia, having stood up, raises an eyebrow at you. "I'm assuming she is going to want to ask me about what Becker said, and maybe Professor Piaxenza's suspicions as well. Might as well come along and make sure she can ask whatever questions she has for me right there than making her look or summon me later."

"Very true, and I'll say it is good to see you being so responsible. Seconds years too often forget they need to put forth a good example even to students they're not directly mentoring," Tulia notes as the two of you start to walk off to see Professor Briardi.

--This seriously doesn't sound like something a student like yourself should be messing with, or at least not a student who doesn't know Monika at all. Since you figure Becker is probably going to complain to a professor about this you suppose you'll track down Monika's mentor and tell them to...do something. Becker probably doesn't know that Monika should have a mentor at all.

All told you shrug and non-committally tell Becker that you'll see what you can do. She nods, gives you a word of thanks, and politely excuses herself. She did actually catch the part where you don't intend to-oh, whatever. Find mentor, tell mentor to do stuff, job done. No need to overcomplicate things, all you have to do is find one student and pass along a message.

At least that is the plan, but heading to the Great Hall to ask about Monika's mentor you quickly learn that Monika has a bad reputation (that people either refuse to talk about or refuse to be consistent about - you're not sure which of the two is worse to be honest) and people both generally don't know her at all, and broadly speaking, also don't care about her at all.

...Well this is a fine mess you talked yourself into, isn't it? Fine, fine. Arm successfully twisted, you suppose you'll give it a night and ask around somewhere else tomorrow or something. Monika doesn't look like she'll be leaving the Infirmary any time soon anyhow...

This stage had to get details/descriptions adjusted multiple times, so if something looks off, that's probably why.

[Metis]

Heart Matters, stage 3:

Spoiler

Professor Briardi turns out to be in her office, going over some manner of paperwork no doubt intended to be looked at by the Legate instead, so it's no trouble for Tulia and yourself to knock on her door and get her attention. Whether the Legate will like it if this takes so long said paperwork is going to end up back into his hands, well, that's a separate question. "Ah, Tulia and [PC FIRST NAME]," the regent starts as she looks up from the Legate's paperwork. "What can I help you two with?"

"Monika," Tulia answers, and immediately Professor Briardi gets a pained expression on her face. This is going to go swimmingly, you can already tell. "I'm guessing you haven't heard yet, but-"

"Monika studied herself unconscious in the Common Room and was carried to the Infirmary by her caretaker," the regent fills in. You raise an eyebrow, surprised at how quickly she managed to do that. "I heard about that from her caretaker, miss Becker. You just missed her, in fact."

"And you didn't..." Tulia begins, but again the regent fills in that she was indeed planning on talking to Monika about it later. After she is done with her office work, and after Monika has had a chance to catch some much needed sleep. "R-right, o-obviously. That makes sense. Still..."

"Still...?" the regent asks, and this time Tulia awkwardly fills in that she doesn't think it'll help. Professor Briardi lets out a tired sigh. "Neither do I, truth be told. But I would be remiss not to scold and reprimand her for her antics regardless. If only to make sure she has a chance to rest up, and reflect. Hopefully it will convince her to take better care of herself...but I'd be lying if I said I'm holding my breath."

Now you're starting to frown. "So, wait, Monika doesn't even listen to you at all? I thought she was supposed to be a teacher's pet, doing whatever the professors told her to and all of that."

The frown that forms on the regent's face as she hears your question initially makes you nervous, but worst case you know who you can throw off of an airship...if you need to. "Monika is a 'teacher's pet' insofar that she does what she is asked so as to avoid disciplinary measures, same as most students who don't have a particularly rebellious streak. A reputation that claims otherwise would be the result of slander and rumors. Not her peers realizing the truth of the matter."

"What truth is that?" Tulia asks, and Professor Briardi explains that students who genuinely attempt to butter up the faculty - successfully or otherwise - always have a certain tone and feel to them. Professors do learn to recognize that, though how they respond to it changes from one professor to the next. Regardless Professor Briardi has never gotten that impression from Monika, nor has she noticed Monika being regarded favorably by those professors she knows responds well to it. Which leads her to conclude that Monika isn't a teacher's pet, merely that she's afraid of the faculty's authority.

Tulia and you silently share an awkward look, which the regent doesn't interrupt. "Now I'm really confused," Tulia eventually admits. "What is going on with that girl?"

"I'm gathering that you two are looking into Monika's strange behaviour?" Professor Briardi asks. Tulia nods, and you relay the request Becker made of you to look into it. The regent raises an eyebrow in response. "I don't know if that request was made in desperation, and ignorance, or not. Either way, it would be good for Monika to figure out how to better carry herself. And how to express to other people that she can, especially when it seems like she can't. As for you two..." The regent pauses, mentally thinking over something. Though what you have no idea. "Perhaps it would be for the best," she eventually concludes, shaking her head a bit. "I'll advise you two to visit the Forum of Naxum. Seeing miss Becker in action should prove a good first step to figuring out what makes Monika tick."

"You already know what Monika's deal is," Tulia accuses, but Professor Briardi shakes her head.

"I have suspicions," the regent corrects. "You two will need to confirm, for yourselves, whether those suspicions are true. Or, for that matter, relevant. If it turns out that Monika has never questioned her own behaviour even my Negation tricks could not drag that truth out of her. And if her Dialectic scores are any indication I would hazard a guess that she hasn't."

If the regent is worried about sending you two on a wild goose chase you suppose there's no point in asking for further detail, even if Tulia seems to want to. Instead you're thinking about the Forum of Naxum. Becker said she'd be making regular appearances there, so catching her doesn't seem likely to pose a problem. What is likely to pose a problem, given what Becker is debating and your apparent lack of age, is not being "politely" requested to leave. An actual age restriction, or censorship of the topic being discussed, is something unheard of in living memory. But children - particularly ones who seem like they might be disruptive - being asked, then forced to leave? More of a common occurrence than not.

It's not an insurmountable challenge by any means, but it is something that will require some thought. How to convince the people at the Forum of Naxum not to take issue with you-and Tulia, of course, being there?

-Debate. Defend your right, and ability, to attend.
--You're no stranger to debates, so despite your age you're confident you can talk your way into the Forum if you have to. You ask Tulia if she has any objection to that, and she merely shrugs her shoulders asking if you really need to be worried about it in the first place. Ultimately you suppose you're not, confident you can talk your way in if you need to and all, so...that answers that question.

Of course a short trip through Mineta later, and in front of the Forum of Naxum stands a guard who stops the two of you. "Business?" he curtly asks, sounding like this isn't the first (or last) time he'll ask the same question today.

"Same as everyone else, we're here to sit in on one of miss Becker's debates," you answer. The guard narrows his eyes and looks both you and Tulia up and down a few times.

"Figured. Unfortunately miss Becker requested that her audience be more carefully checked than usual, sensitive topics and all, so Academagia students or not I'm sure you two kids know what that means," the guard drones out. It's not that he isn't invested in his job, it's that he's tired of continuing to invest into it. Tulia, for her part, starts to question how and why Becker managed to get her wish in that regard, but you give her a not so subtle jab to the side.

"Most likely the other debaters agreed with Becker's idea and pushed it through. As for what happens next, yeah, I know. I'm no stranger to debates myself - Durand student, mandatory Dialectic courses, go figure - and that was indeed my backup plan in case I needed to talk my way in. Is it really necessary, though? We both know how this song and dance is going to go. And me yapping your ears off about some random bit of philosophical trivia, until you're convinced I've spend enough time studying debates that I'd have flung myself off of Elumia if I didn't respect them? That just seems like a really roundabout way of proving I can also not do that, which is probably what the debaters in the Forum want from me in the first place. So how about we just skip that nonsense, and you can accept my all important silence as confirmation that I can also keep it?"

"You are either the laziest student the Academagia has ever taken on, or you've got more brains than half the people standing on the podium in there," the guard jokes. "Alright, argument accepted. I trust your friend knows the score as well, if not you'll have some time to fill her in."

You nod, and before Tulia can do something stupid drag her along with you. She is, understandably, a bit put off at multiple things that just occurred, but it's no trouble to convince her to focus on what you two are actually here for: Figuring out what Becker's deal is, so that hopefully you can figure out what makes Monika tick.

It'll be a while before Becker's next appearance, but not too long. Time to see what her idea of a profession is all about...

--You've held your own in a debate once or twice, so despite your age you're confident you can talk your way into the Forum. You ask Tulia if she has any objection to that, and she merely shrugs her shoulders asking if you really need to be worried about it in the first place. You're not, ultimately, so...that answers that question.

Of course a short trip through Mineta later, and in front of the Forum of Naxum stands a guard who stops the two of you. "Business?" he curtly asks, sounding like this isn't the first (or last) time he'll ask the same question today.

"Same as everyone else, we're here to sit in on one of miss Becker's debates," you answer. The guard narrows his eyes and looks both you and Tulia up and down a few times.

"Figured. Unfortunately miss Becker requested that her audience be more carefully checked than usual, sensitive topics and all, so Academagia students or not I'm sure you two kids know what that means," the guard drones out. Not very invested into his job, this guy. Should be easy to convince, you think. Tulia, for her part, starts to question how and why Becker managed to get her wish in that regard, but you give her a not so subtle jab to the side.

"Most likely the other debaters agreed with Becker's idea and pushed it through. As for what happens next, allow me."

Your mock debate about the mathematical proofs of supposedly impossible geometry - something that was a recent subject in Dialectic, so yeah, kinda still fresh in your memory and all - goes off absolutely beautifully, so much so that you nearly cause the guard to fall asleep three times. How could anyone possibly argue that someone this boring could do something as vaguely exciting as disrupt a debate? No one! It's the perfect plan! But of course it is. This was your idea, after all.

Eventually the guard slaps himself awake, checks a nearby sun dial for what time is it, and regretfully informs you that Becker's debate has already started, so if you want to catch one from the start you'll need to come back later.

...How in the world did you lose that one!? How!? You plan was perfection itself! Unbelievable. Letting out a heavy sigh, figuring that you should catch the debate from the very start, you turn around to apologize to Tulia. Only to find her conked out on the ground, curled up like a cat, while a curious bird rummages through her pockets and suddenly flies off when it notices you staring at it.

You know what, fine. You also thought it was boring, that was the whole point. You'll just take Tulia's afternoon nap as a compliment and move on.

...Here's to hoping whatever Monika has isn't contagious. Boring as it was, you can't help but deny you're a little worried about Tulia falling asleep like this...

-Intrigue. Ask a more mature student to come along.
--You don't fully understand what Becker is arguing for, hence you needing to sit in on one of her debates in the first place, but you've got enough of an idea to guess that not just philosophers will be interested. Perhaps it's not what Becker intends, but the idea of a private tutor or family caretaker helping raise the family's children isn't too uncommon among the wealthy or nobility - in Pievre especially. If Becker is arguing for a profession such people could (and would) hire themselves, perhaps the city's upper crust is keeping an eye on those debates. Not coincidentally, as far as your situation is concerned, that same nobility would probably have a very easy time being allowed into the Forum. As such, ridiculously stupid as it sounds, you feel like you should try asking Catherine Chard about this. Though you do ask Tulia if she has any ideas insofar as not getting stopped and thrown out at the Forum of Naxum. You're confident you're on to something, but something easier would be better.

Tulia initially just seems to assume that no excuse or special reason is needed, until you mention your idea of asking Catherine Chard to come along with you two. "Wait-wait, hold up, I think I must have misheard you there: You want to ask Catherine Chard, as in...Catherine Chard, to come along with us to the Forum of Naxum?"

"Yes?" you ask a bit indignantly. You explained your reasoning, surely it isn't that absurd. "I would also like to ask her if she's heard anything useful about Becker, truthfully. Might as well make two trips at once, right?"

Tulia just shrugs and tells you to go for it, not hiding the grin on her face that says how much fun she'll have when you inevitably crash and burn. Well, fine. You'll just have to show her how wrong she is, won't you?

You drag Tulia along to the Vernin Common Room, where [RANDOM VERNIN STUDENT] informs you that Catherine should be in her room. You nod and walk towards the girl's dorms, Tulia following along nervously now that she's realized you are actually serious about this. She even flinches when you knock on Catherine's door, though you're better at hiding the fact you are still a touch nervous. Not that you've got long to contemplate that, as Catherine quickly opens her door and glares at you. "[PC FIRST NAME], and Tulia? What is this about?"

Not even a nervous peep from Tulia of course, whereas you merely mention Becker's name. Catherine raises a curious eyebrow at it, showing you a small measure of recognition. "The...Velocian philosopher, if memory serves me? I've heard a little bit about why she's come to Mineta, but how did you get involved with her?" You quickly summarize Monika's incident in the Durand Common Room, as well as how that lead to Becker asking you for help afterwards. "Really...I wasn't aware that woman's daughter was attending the Academagia. Or relative, rather, if she is indeed only the girl's caretaker. A curious sequence of events, but where do I come in?"

"Professor Briardi advised sitting in on one of Becker's debates at the Forum of Naxum to get a better idea of the work she does, and how it might relate to Monika's odd behaviour," you start. Catherine calmly nods, like she agrees with that plan. Now for the moment of truth. "Only problem is that between what she's likely to discuss and, well, our apparent age, it seems uncomfortably likely we'll be turned away at the door. Hence why I wanted to ask if you could come along with us. With Catherine Chard standing next to us I'm sure we won't be refused."

Tulia actually gets a panicked look on her face, surprised that you dared to ask the question and expecting Catherine to be...not amused by it. Instead Catherine...nods. "I'd certainly hope so, and truthfully I am curious about exactly what 'new ideas' this woman is supposedly bringing to the table. Not that I don't trust my family's caretaker, of course, but it's not something I can find good explanations about in the Academagia. So, very well. I would like to ask a few things about Becker along the way, as well."

You nod and assure Catherine you'll be happy to share what (admittedly little) knowledge you have, as well as help Tulia find her missing jaw. Catherine gets a good chuckle out of that seeing Tulia's perplexed expression.

The walk to the Forum of Naxum is surprisingly lively, with Catherine taking a curious interest in Becker's work and how it might shape future generations of family retainers and caretakers...or collapse in on itself in a giant blaze of failure. One or the other. Tulia doesn't say much, still dumbfounded as to how she ended up in this situation, while you're happy to answer Catherine's questions where you can. It's clear that neither of you really have a good grasp on how exactly Becker envisions this new occupation of hers, but even Catherine has to admit there's ways it could possibly work. If not exactly as Becker expected, or even necessarily wanted it.

At the Forum of Naxum, for better or worse a while before Becker is going to start one of her debates, the three of you end up stopped by a guard while trying to enter the building. "Business?" he curtly asks, clearly having done this more than once before. You simply look at Catherine Chard as she politely introduces herself and explains that she and her Classmates wish to sit in on Becker's debate. The guard takes stares curiously at Catherine for a second, likely trying to remember why her last name sounds so familiar. "Oh," he simply goes once he puts the pieces together. "Miss Becker's next debate isn't due to start for a little bit, so pardon me for insisting, but she has requested that her audience be more carefully checked. As such I'm required to confirm whether you three are aware of the, ah, potentially sensitive nature of her debates, and confident it will not be unduly interrupted."

"Miss Becker requested for that, and she got her wish? Interesting," Catherine notes, not really giving the guard's question much thought. She knows he's not going to call her out on it, and she's right about it too. Instead the guard nods and adds that it wasn't really Becker's idea alone, the regular debaters here wanted the exact same thing and all pushed for Becker's idea of their own accord, but she did initially suggest it. "It's a fair request to make, I will admit. That said I can confirm my Classmates here will not cause any problems, and I trust my family names speaks for itself. So, can we enter?"

The guard nods and steps aside, letting you three walk in. Good thing you came prepared after all, though you see no need to rub that in Tulia's face. You've gotten your victory, but that's not what you're here for. Instead Catherine turns to address the two of you. "Given that you two are here mainly for Monika's sake, am I right in guessing that you won't be sitting in on the full debate?" Tulia nods, and a moment later you do as well. It could prove interesting, but you'd rather have this situation with Monika sorted out first, and from the sounds of it Becker isn't going to be going anywhere else anytime soon anyway. "I figured. In that case I'll recommend the two of you find a seat closer to the halls so you'll be able to leave with minimal fuss, whereas I'll find a seat close to the platform and try to get a good read on miss Becker. I can't imagine it'll make a real difference, but if the front guard is obligated to warn me I'm sure paying attention to such details won't be wasted."

Indeed. Time to see what Becker's work is all really about...

--The idea is sound in your ears, but your brain hits a brick wall trying to think of who you could possibly ask to come along. The list of older students you think you could convince to have you and Tulia as tagalongs is extremely thin, and the potential excuses for why an older student would have two younger students tag along even more so. Similarly there's very few Classmates you'd consider mature enough to probably be able to talk their way into the Forum, and equally few classmates who would actually be interested in the kind of stuff Becker does for a living. Sad to say those last two lists don't overlap at any point, leaving you in an awkward position.

You ask Tulia if she has any ideas, but she is confident you two won't need one. Well, she thinks you won't need any plans and you don't have any plans, not to mention that Monika is her mentoree anyhow, so you suppose she can take take the lead heading to the Forum of Naxum.

As it turns out, however, no further than that. Because there is, in fact, a guard by the door who does not seem responsive to Tulia's "pretty please".

"Ah, well...any ideas, [PC FIRST NAME]?" Tulia asks. You'll just ignore the irony.

"No complete ones. Guess it's time for a brainstorming session."

Tulia tries the guard one more time, fails one more time, and resigns herself to her immediate future as being your assistant as you try to figure out a way to convince the guard to let you into the Forum.

...Might need to try a different approach if you can't think of any student who you could convince to go to the Forum with you, and can help you get past the doorman rather than the other way around...

-Study Habits. Make a project out of it, though it'll have to look good.
--The excuse is a classic for a reason, but you're blanking on exactly what project would have you listen to one of Becker's debates. Dialectic seems an obvious pick, but that could just as easily be about the delicate balance of academic curiosity versus learned caution dictating the speed of new advancements versus uncontrollable neighbourhood fires in the field of metallurgy. Let stand whatever Becker has to say.

Fortunately you are still within a professor's office, so you ask Professor Briardi what she thinks of your idea. "Playing to your strengths is always a good starting point, though I'm afraid the field beyond is a bit sparse. That said I could see myself, or the Legate, sending a student to one of miss Becker's lectures as a form of detention. Using magic to ensure such students wouldn't cause a disruption and be thrown out, of course."

"Wait, what?" Tulia asks with a thoroughly confused look. You have to admit, you also haven't heard of too many instances of students being reprimanded like that either. "Detention, at the Forum of Naxum? How? What for?"

"Negation, to an extent, can be used to 'negate' behaviour. Of course that's oversimplifying it quite a bit, but just think of it as a Gaeas like duellists often use," the regent explains. "Now, say that there was a student - third or maybe second year - who misinterpreted miss Becker's work as some sort of attempt to 'liberate' them from the Legate's restrictions on underclassmen dating. I could see myself, or the Legate, sending such a student to attend one of miss Becker's lectures as a means of showing what miss Becker's work really entails."

You ask Tulia if she has any ideas of her own insofar as making sure that the two of you wouldn't get stopped and thrown out at the Forum of Naxum. She seems confident that no excuse or special reason is needed, but you're still not convinced. Between what you imagine Becker might end up debating and your age you just cannot imagine the people at the Forum not shooing you away. "I think it's silly to assume that students troublesome enough to receive detention would be less suspicious than students there of their own accord," Tulia insists. You have to admit it's a fair point, but you suspect that, ultimately, a professor's word - and wand - would carry more weight than that of any student. "I mean...maybe? I'm honestly not-Professor Briardi, what do you think?"

"Truthfully? That the two of you could convince the people at the Forum to tolerate your respective presence. But also that, with a regent's Gaeas cast on you two, there'd be no room for argument."

You ask Tulia if she wants to give your idea a try, and she reluctantly admits she doesn't have a better idea. You also remind her it's for Monika's sake, not because you two are actually being reprimanded, and despite Tulia telling you she knows you can't help but see some weight lift from her shoulders all the same. As for Professor Briardi, she is also willing to assist you two for Monika's sake.

So Tulia and you end up walking to the Forum of Naxum, Gaeas cast on the both of you and a written note from Professor Briardi in your hand. You have to admit you're not proud of this, and given how silent Tulia is she clearly isn't either, but you both know it's for the greater good.

At the Forum of Naxum, for better or worse a good while before Becker is going to start one of her debates, the two of you end up stopped by a guard while trying to enter the building. "Business?" he curtly asks, clearly having done this more than once before. You hand him Professor Briardi's note. The guard takes it, reads it, and continues to ignore Tulia's questions even as he silently takes out a wand and casts a few spells on both Tulia and you. Afterwards, with a satisfied look, he gives back the note. "Fair enough. And to answer the impatient girl's question, miss Becker herself requested that her audience be checked more carefully than usual."

Becker requested for that, and she got her wish? Interesting. Than again, you can perfectly imagine the regular debaters here wanting the exact same thing and pushing for Becker's idea of their own accord, but still. Good thing you came prepared.

And indeed, the guard doesn't stop Tulia and you from going further. Time to see what Becker's work is truly all about.

--Your first thought is to check and see if the Venalicium has any good books you can reference. You doubt many are close to covering whatever Becker's debates are about, but surely you'll be able to find something...

You ask Tulia if she has any ideas, but she is confident you two won't need one. That unfortunately puts the two of you at odds, so while you head to the Venalicium she heads to the Forum of Naxum. You figure that worst case you'd just end up spreading the eventual load anyhow, you might need to research Becker's ideas more deeply before you're able to make sense of them.

A few hours later, and you have found confirmation that if the Venalicium has something useful for you, you're not finding it easily. Tulia also has confirmation that she was sadly mistaken about the Forum, and the person guarding the front door is not responsive to a "pretty please".

...Might need to try a different approach here. Either that or figure out some other way to make yourself look good...

Might have had a touch too much fun with the failure text there, but hey, better too much than none at all .