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npc contact.3
As the game progresses, different npc faculty and students will become available for threading. To request a thread, please comment below with the name of the npc and the ic date in the subject header. Threads may be cut short due to mod availability, so please have a reason in mind for the interaction.
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I don't...want to buy any rocks.
[ She's cornered herself now... Sara tilts her head to the side and sighs, rolling her eyes where npckun can't see. Oh well. If its to make them feel a bit better, she can spare some merit points. ]
But I guess I was late on my half of the answer! Pick me out a few, and I'll buy them. Just don't get used to it, okay? These points seem important, so I'm trying to save up as many as possible.
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They're all so amazing, it's hard to choose just a couple! There's smooth ones and rough ones, grey ones and ones that are grey AND white, perfectly round ones and ones cut into cool shapes!
[ Since they've gotten a hold on her already, they're going to redirect her to the gacha machine outside the shop. What else would she use merit points for anyways? ]
You should get a dozen or two! You'll love any one you get!
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If I wanted a smooth rock, or a rough rock, or a grey rock, or a white rock, or a rock of any kind of color in shape... [ She would go outside and pick some boring rock off the road ] ...I could just steal one from Sou.
[ And now we're in front of the gatcha machine. How did it always come to this? ]
Can I pay double for a rock to not play gatcha? [ At this point she's just being stubborn about not playing. ]
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I mean... I guess...
[ Double price for a rock that's going to be returned to them anyways still works out in their favor, but they're not just selling rocks; they're selling the rock gacha experience and it just feels like a shame to bypass all of that. ]
I was just thinking... it would be nice for you to have something to remember me by.
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[ If she goes home and tells Mom she gambled, she'd get in trouble. ]
That's a pretty ominous line. Are you going somewhere, Tenshu-kun?
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No.
[ Maybe that came out a little too quick ]
I mean, not anytime soon. But this is just a temporary gig: I'm only your shopkeep until the end of the semester. After that... I dunno.
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The end of the semester...April?
[ That's only four months. After that...will they get a new shopkeeper? That feels like a pressing thing to find out, if someone's already been selected, but there's something far more important to ask first. ]
Do you have anyone who can take care of you when you go? [ Parents...a teacher...an adult they trust. ]
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[ Not even April. Not even the very end of March, but graduation day and... they're not even sure what time of day.
They look away from Sara back to the rock gacha, because they need to lie and this sort of lie is different from their usual others. ]
I'll be living with my Aniki, and he'll take care of me. Dad wasn't around much when I was little, so Aniki was basically like dad to me too.
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[ She doesn't want to doubt others, she doesn't want to disprove anything. It's just...a little convenient, for a kid living alone to have a brother in the wings to save them. It's just a bit strange for them to not beam into Sara's face when they talk about someone they love.
It might be a nice truth, or a kind lie. npckun isn't looking Sara in the eye, so she can't see. She's reminded of the first main game again, how Gin acted. The kind of lie you tell to protect someone. ]
Tenshu...can you please look at me?
[ How to say her concern, in so many words? Sara tries to keep her voice firm, reaching out place a hand on npckun's shoulder. ]
I know a student like me doesn't have much power, but please...talk to me. Whatever's going on, you shouldn't have to deal with it all by yourself?
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I've been staying with Tarou-nii in the dorms, and I think I'm going to, until the end of the school year. I won't be alone. I get to see you every day, and Helena, and Subaru, and Sou... That's enough.
[ They're... fine. They're not alone, in the most physical sense of the word, but it does dig at them that the only person they've really told anything to was Subaru, and if it were their choice, they wouldn't have. ]
It'll be fine. The best way to support me is by supporting my store.
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Is it "my" store if you're being replaced?
[ What did this place want from them? Why hadn't she questioned it in the first place? There were so many oddities in this school, a child running a storefront had seemed the least relevant. A position with an extrodinary amount of power, but the shopkeeper changed year to year?
Who needed the million dollar prize? Was it npckun, or the store itself? ]
You don't want me to forget you, but how can I say it'll be fine if you're hiding your heart away? ...Tenshu, I can't ignore this. I want to help you, not buy from a shopkeeper.
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I'm not lying... I have until the end of the school year to raise as much money as I can.
[ putting it very simply, it is the reason why they're here. the why's are just a little more complicated ]
There's a wish I need granted, and I need to work hard to make it happen. Every last yen helps. I'm not in any danger, any more than you are.
[ Which maybe isn't as reassuring as they think. They can still die. It would be very easy for them to die, just as it would be easy for Sara to. They're both only human, after all. ]
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I know you're not lying... [ She squeezes them tighter. ] But...
[ Sara's in quite a lot of danger, but at least she can say there are people around to support her. Or, in her cruelest, most shuddering thoughts, at least having people around are people you can use.
Fighting alone to to protect something as precious as a wish. It's an admirable trait. She can't shame them for it, but she can't support it either. ]
You're a really brave kid, Tenshu. Like a knight, shouldering a burden all on your own. [ Running off into a coffin... ] Your wish must be very important...I don't want to step on those feelings of yours, but do you need to do it all on your own?
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I'm not alone... Subaru's helping, and... [ ... ] this helps me too, you being here for me. Unless you want to help me advertise? I've always admired your art.
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Subaru is helping? ...Why didn't you say so!! [ Reaching down to tug their cheek lightly! Don't make her worry when you actually are getting help!!! ]
Geez, well if he's involved, I guess I can back off and stop being so worried. He's a good person. [ If there was one person Sara could name at this school she would unconditionally trust, he'd make top of the list. ]
If this is all I can do...or all you want me to do...then of course I'll draw you whatever you want. I met someone who said you should do art with gasoline, do you think burning my art would be a good advertisement?
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You think real high of him, huh...?
[ Subaru's helping against their wishes, but they're not going to be ungrateful for somebody's help, especially since it's something they were wanting. ]
But, uh. [ what? ] How do you make art with gasoline? I guess if you burn something small, it'll draw people towards it? But not so much that people would be scared and run away.
[ It has to be a carefully measured burning ]
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Well...if he gives you advice on how to talk to girls, ignore it! Everything else...yeah...he's a good person. He's very perceptive, I'm not surprised he got involved.
[ She lets go of their cheek so she can gesture to accentuate her point. Free at last. ]
Trust me, I have this on good authority from a member of the art club! Burning art makes the emotion better! You just need to draw something with a lot of feeling, and then dump gas on it.
[ Scared and run away... OR impressed by their display of true artistic talent????? ]
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[ Maybe it's more of a little sibling energy, but talking? they're great at bsing their way though that sort of thing, and besides, they don't think they can do the star thing with their mouth like Subaru can.
... ]
Show me how to burn art?
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[ Actually, she's not going to explain. God forbid, anyone else learns to do the star thing with their mouths.
Sara steps back from npckun to clap her hands together with a grin.]
Ok! First, we need to do art with lots of emotion, like Chiaki-san said! We're going to burn our feelings to smithereens, for art!
[ If you can't talk to someone, just burn art. What else...what else. ]
Secondly! We need gasoline to set stuff on fire...do you have that in the store?
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[ The enthusiasm is contagious, npckun mirroring the gesture in bringing their hands together as well. ]
Well, not like entire tanks full of it, but I sell lighter fluid and for each can of lighter fluid you buy, you get a free lighter!
[ Sara might have to shell over some $$$ but it's for the sake of art ]
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I've got some markers in my bag...do you want some paper? [ She kneels to rumage around in her bag, holding up a mixture of those cheap blue pens everyone steals from meetings and a few highlighters. Not exactly high class art, but this is emotional art, or something. They'll figure it out. ]
I've only got paper with lines on it, though.
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Yeah, thanks!
[ They take a pen and a highlighter and a sheet of paper, tapping the pen to their chin as they try to think of something emotional.
...not that.
...
They return the highlighter, and grab another pen instead, just in case the first one runs out. Because what they do is start at one corner, and proceed to shade in the entire sheet of paper dark blue. ]
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No problem!
[ Sara sits and starts her own drawing. She can't call any specific image to mind that would be "emotional" Instead, she tries to focus on the specific things she'd like to burn, and her drawing becomes a strange jumble of disjointed objects and faces. Her art skills render most of them intelligible, but a few might stick out if you squint. Some human faces, with as highly detailed an eye as Sara can draw. A familiar gun, and an unfamiliar knife. A jumble of long coiled tubes and flowers. By the time she's filled the page, the earlier bubbling excitement feels muted. ]
Huh...I need less things to be upset about, Tenshu-kun. [ She waves the paper at them. ] Think I could convince my classmates to stop adding things to my worries? Ah...but how are you doing?
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Their own piece is pretty much autopilot, so they spare glances over at Sara's in the meanwhile, trying to make out the individual parts.
... ]
Who's making you upset? I'll yell at them for you.
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[ She looks up to gesture at npckun with a cheap pen. She doesn't go around hiding her feelings...as obviously as they do. ]
I get upset lots and lots but its no ones fault. This school is scary and hurts my friends...and I don't know if Sou or Ranger said anything to you, but we weren't anywhere nice before we came here. [ She taps the pen on one of the drawings. ]
Ah, but thats all in the past. I think it works better in the fire. Its like yours...I can't got yell at a big dark void for you, can I? [ If she can, please direct her to the correct void. ]
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