tippler 2022/02/15(Tue)16:56 No. 1023538 ID: eedbeb
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Elaine doesn't want Ginerva to be hurt more, and tries to insert herself between the hard muscle of the snake and the bishop. She can't make Luce budge, and Ginerva's breathing becomes more strained.

“I’m gonna shoot you if you don’t stop, snake! I’ll do it!” Naomi shrieks. The fox sounds more scared than fierce at the sight of the frantic brawl, but raises her hands anyway in preparation to fire.

Magic missiles flare to life and hone in on Luce. The spirit yelps in alarm as the powerful spells smash against his form, and he flings Ginerva aside so he can slither into the pink smog. Elaine hears the thud of footsteps on hard earth as Fiore and Bruto are freed and run away.

The bandits have been defeated, but also escaped unscathed. The relic is safe and Ginerva is injured.

The bishop shakily gets to her feet. When Elaine tries to offer a hand, Ginerva shoves her to the ground. The initiate lands hard on the gun in her pocket and it goes off with a deafening bang. Elaine's robe scatters in a cloud of cloth scraps as her armor spell redirects the momentum of the bullet into a harmless outward force.

Stunned, Elaine stays on the ground as Ginerva turns toward the cart and limps away. Niccolo spares a brief glance down and then nervously follows the badger. There's the beginning of a sob stuck in Elaine's throat and she's terribly exhausted.

Naomi crouches down by Elaine’s side. The fox is breathing hard, her eyes wide and full of uncertainty, like she doesn't know what to say.

Seems like working with the church is more trouble than it's worth. So Naomi, what is your party up to?
Keep the gun, it could at least be worth something if you don't learn how to use it.

Regardless of things.. We still have our duty afterall. We have to defend the cart, and well. It is something we need to do.

Don't feel bad Elaine, you did your job and ensured that the artifact was safe. Every choice you made in that fight, including the boob smother that pissed Ginerva off, was totally reasonable under the circumstances.

It's okay to be upset though. Don't try to deny your emotions, that's just not healthy. Stinks that the bandit's got away, and Ginerva was being a stupid unfair bitch, but just remember how sweet it's going to feel when she eventually has to apologize for being unreasonable. And ruining your robe, stripping people is kind of a big no-no for Censors I would imagine.

Speaking of which, you really need to get dressed. Since Naomi is the closest and seems concerned about you, why don't you ask to borrow something to cover your hips at least. You should also retrieve the underwear that mask dude untied, should still be wearable! Naomi is pretty short, but maybe Samantha has some spare clothes you can fit into. (She does kind of owe you for letting her sleep through things.)

>>1023538
You know what? We're not working with the church again after this. Of the two ranking members we know, one is a pervert openly abusive of their station, and the other is a unreasonable mule of a woman that refuses to act on what she views as injustices unless they are beneath her.

For now we keep quiet, but we remember this. We remember what we witnessed here and how we were treated for doing the job we were assigned.

You know what? This job sucks. Everything about this situation sucks. The only thing we have to feel happy about is that everyone's still alive and the relic is OK, but apart from that, everything sucks.

It's okay to cry.

You may tell Naomi to let the public know what she witnessed the church did to you here today, that should start getting some bad rumors about the censors started, and maybe one day it'll snowball into something bigger and they'll get what they deserve

We'll have to keep going on this mission though, it's still a job. But refuse to say anything to Ginerva for the rest of the trip. Niccola maybe, but you dont even want to look at her.

Tell Naomi after this is done, you want to spend an entire day to relax in a soothing lake. Maybe you'll Learn about Saiorse's secret swimming spot from Naomi. You deserve it.

You know what? You got to see Ginerva's fat titties and that's what's important.

tippler 2022/02/16(Wed)16:34 No. 1023639 ID: eedbeb
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Elaine could almost fall asleep here, on the warm, hard ground. Instead she gets to her knees and motions for Naomi to come closer. She protected the cart and her companions, but she still feels like she failed.

"Do you or Samantha have any spare clothes?" Elaine whispers.

"Um, yes, I have my old dress you can wear as a shirt and Sammy has a skirt that might work with a belt." Naomi scuttles to her pack and rifles through it while Elaine ties her loincloth back in place. Hot tears drip off her face and hit her hands as she cries in silence. Ginerva wasn't in her right mind, but the badger’s actions tonight were still hurtful.

Elaine commits Luce's words about the Church and the Goddess to memory. Outside of the Censors, she was the only one who heard.

tippler 2022/02/16(Wed)16:34 No. 1023640 ID: eedbeb
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Naomi returns with the clothes, which fit better than expected on Elaine's slim figure.

After the fox leaves to her straw mat at Samantha's side, Elaine takes a deep breath, lies down, and drifts to sleep. Maybe she won't feel so bad in the morning.

The party is scheduled to arrive in Tavarone tomorrow afternoon. There will not be any further danger or interruption. Elaine has four updates’ worth of time to resolve her questions and problems with the Censors before she's released from her duties.

What should she do first?
A. Talk to Niccolo
B. Talk to Ginerva
C. Talk to Naomi and/or Samantha

A. maybe you can use your position in the church to actually change it to be a bit less uptight?

>>1023640
Niccolo is definitely the lesser bastard from what we've seen, but I don't think he'd be the one to kickstart anything and he's of limited use due to his open vices.

I'm torn between A and C, but mostly leaning towards c.

C. Probably a good idea to give it some time before talking to Tweedledee and Tweedledum again.

>>1023640
C. Need some time to decompress.

C, Elaine deserves a break before she gets thrown right back into the fire of Censor babysitting

C. Get some time to relax, and ask their opinion on how to approach things going forward

C. Naoimi is cute.

tippler 2022/02/17(Thu)19:42 No. 1023767 ID: eedbeb
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The next morning brings bright, clear skies and a fresh breeze. It's a beautiful day, but Elaine's heart is heavy. She's a little sore, though she slept well outside of being awoken for her watch shift, and she's not quite ready to face the Censors.

She's grateful when Naomi and Samantha linger at the campsite until the cart is hitched to the donkey so they return to the road at the same time as Elaine. Having outside company gives her an excuse not to talk to her clients, and Elaine joins Naomi and Samantha a good distance in front of the cart.

"What brings you two adventurers from Busalla?" Elaine asks.

Naomi pulls out a map similar to Niccolo's, with large stars scribbled on it to mark points of interest. "We have a whole trip planned out. This morning we're going to see the Supreme Butter Cow in all its glory."

"Oh, that sounds very nice, is there some kind of trouble with the cow you're going to solve? Is there a thief in the area stealing butter and you have to stop them?"

Naomi squints at Elaine like she isn't sure what the initiate is trying to say. "We're just looking at the cow. It's big. It's made of butter."

"How charming! So you're just sightseeing and not–"

Elaine's words are abruptly cut off by a death glare from Samantha who adeptly mimes gutting the air and pulling out its entrails. Elaine gapes at her. Despite the human's full night of sleep, she still has the wild look in her eyes of a woman who has nothing to lose.

tippler 2022/02/17(Thu)19:47 No. 1023769 ID: eedbeb
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"Our quest is to observe the magical spells keeping the butter cow fresh and intact." Samantha grits out.

"Right, my apologies." Elaine laughs nervously. "That's very exciting, good for you."

The early morning passes with much more relaxed chatter. Naomi tells wondrous stories of magic and mischief growing up in Minga, while Samantha talks nostalgically about her childhood when she lived further south.

Naomi quite literally explodes when they see the first sign advertising the cow, only a few kilometers away. The fox tugs on Samantha's arm with excitement and scurries back and forth across the road, working herself into a panting frenzy.

Finally, from around a bend, a shining statue of grease comes into view. It's about twice the height of a normal dairy cow, about level with Elaine. An old couple is sitting at the base of the statue, with a hat out for donations.

"Wow!" Naomi looks at the cow for a solid five seconds before turning back to the road. "Okay, I saw it. Let's keep going."

Elaine glances behind to check that the Censors are still close by, and notices Niccolo beckoning to her. What should Elaine do next?

A. Talk to Niccolo
B. Ignore him and keep talking to Naomi and Samantha

Alright, let's talk to Niccolo. If he tries anything creepy though, do not hesitate to shut him down. You aren't in the mood.

He'll probably be creepy even if that isn't his intention though, so you'll probably have to tolerate some degree of it.

>>1023769
A

Any parting words? maybe Naomi can let us know about The Secret swimming spot. Elaine deserves it.

But yeah, A

A: The butter cow has been observed. Might as well see what Niccolo has to say.

A. You are NOT jealous of the butter cow.

A. Be prepared to dip on the conversation if he demonstrates an astounding lack of awareness.

B

tippler 2022/02/18(Fri)17:26 No. 1023859 ID: eedbeb
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>A
“Sorry, I should see what he wants.” Elaine tells Naomi and Samantha. “It was really nice talking to you both, I hope I can see you again soon.”

“We’re still walking to Tavarone together, don’t act like this is goodbye.” Samantha points out.

“Yeah! If those Censors give you more trouble, I'll yell at them and you can come hang with us.” Naomi says.

Elaine thanks them and takes the long way around the cart to where Niccolo is walking in the back.

“What?” she asks brusquely.

Niccolo looks taken aback at her tone. “Are you alright?”

“After last night? Of course not!” Elaine lets some of her frustration show in her voice. “Ginerva hates me and ruined my robe and you were being an annoying perv like always instead of taking things seriously.”

“Sorry, I know you’re not into that stuff, I just thought–sorry.” Niccolo says.

tippler 2022/02/18(Fri)17:26 No. 1023860 ID: eedbeb
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Tears blur Elaine’s vision. “What do you want? I’m not here to entertain you if you’re bored.”

“I kind of wanted to check on you and say thanks, if you hadn’t stopped Bruto I’d probably be a bandit right now.” Niccolo admits.

“I was doing my duty as a Wayfinder, that’s all.”

“Yeah, um, speaking of that, thanks for protecting the relic.” Niccolo lowers his voice. “It’s an extremely valuable purification artifact, we’re going to cleanse several towns’ wells that were poisoned so the residents can have safe water again.”

Elaine glares at him. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I just wanted to show the Church isn’t all arrests and rules. I know you don’t have a high opinion of us but we do a lot of good stuff too. I don’t know if what Luce said about the Goddess was true, and honestly it doesn’t matter to me either way, but the Church still cares about civil service.”

Luce was obviously a spirit of deception and strife, despite supposedly trying to change his ways. What he said could easily be interpreted as subjective opinion, despite the implication that it's truth.
What did he mean by "current" Goddess though? Was there a different one before?

Y'know, Niccolo is a lot more reasonable that he really seems. Granted, he was in fact almost more of a hindrance than help in that last encounter, but that was while he was under the effects of some kind of charm spell, almost tailored to hit him the hardest. Now that it's out of his system, he actually has the decency to properly thank you without even a hint of creepy perversion.

I think the more telling point though is that he's actually standing up for the Church. He really doesn't come off like the kind of guy who respects its teachings, but maybe there's a reason he stays beyond a fancy brush or his parents pushing him into it.

We've seen some of the worst of the Church on this journey, but I think we should keep in mind that there are a lot of reasons they're looked up to beyond just armor spells. That doesn't dispel the bad parts, but it's only fair to acknowledge the good alongside it.

As for Niccolo, while you're still not totally over last night, you should thank him. He made you feel a little better than you did before.

If he uses your improving mood as an opening to be creepy though, do not hesitate to trip him and walk away.

>>1023866
Seconding this because if he doubles back and ruins the mood he had it coming

I mean why would we believe a bunch of bandits who were out raiding and stealing from people in the first place on the first dialogue exactly? We saw that they stole from and broke down someone else's cart beforehand so they're screwing others livelihoods for their own gain, old spirit or not. Yes we had some issue going on with our group, but we aren't exactly joyriding here.

Immediately ask if you can be given a demonstration. You want to be sure that this is a purification artifact and not... something worse.

I think it's best to act so that what Luce said remains untrue. It's good to know our mission has a practical purpose.
In the event of dire circumstances, should we focus on the relic over you and Gi- well, obviously Ginerva, but you?

You're still a bit upset, buy you can at least forgive Niccola.

>>1023860
yeah we ain't got beef with nic, he seems to know things are screwy and this approach is appreciated.

Thanks Niccolo, he is being nice and looks sorry for the "reward for getting out of mind control" thing.

Elain might be still upset, but leting know that this mission is for something good is also a nice gesture.

tippler 2022/02/19(Sat)12:02 No. 1023990 ID: eedbeb
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Niccolo is actually speaking sense, without even a hint of his usual sleaze. At least the deacon seems honest about the Church and where he stands. Elaine dries her eyes and sighs. Time to give him one more chance.

“Thanks for helping tie up the bandits.” she mutters.

“You did most of the hard work.”

They walk in amicable silence. Elaine keeps an eye out for danger, but now that they’re approaching civilization, the road is smoother and there are enough other travelers that there isn’t a sign of magical creatures or bandits.

“If you’re feeling up to it, I’d like to ask you for a favor.” Niccolo says carefully. “Not for me! Ginerva’s been really quiet, she’s walking fine so I think she’s okay physically but maybe Luce has weird magic venom and it’s having other effects. What he said is probably also bothering her. She won’t talk to me about it, but she might talk to you.”

Final Choice:
A. Help Ginerva with her crisis (restore Ginerva’s faith, return to business as usual)
B. Naw (Ginerva will realize the falsehoods of the Church, which will have mixed consequences)

A. But only if Niccolo comes with you nearby for your support as she still might be irrationally angry at us.

Best to tell her that if the church is corrupt and doing those bad things, Ginerva should do something to make a change to stop the church from killing clients, change it from the inside to make it better with Niccolo's help and set a better example for others. It'll take awhile, but you know she is tough enough to do it.

She can start by apologizing to you.

A. Talk it out, don't leave her to figure it out on her own.

B. You've seen what faith has twisted her into. Still, make sure she isn't brainwashed into following blindly into the nudist bandits.

Here's the thing, Ginerva's not *bad* yeah she's a bit extreme, but not *evil* and she's feeling remorse for what she did. Getting her to swear off the church will likely have pretty bad consequences.

A because they're at least trying, and maybe talk about doing things in a less radical way sometimes, practicing some moderation in the extremeness of her attitude. It's a fools errand for sure, but I don't think you would want to upset the balance so heavily when someone even more depraved then these two could just as easily take their place. The enemy you know is better than an unknown foe.

A, Ginerva messed up last night, but it's clear that she's in a tumultuous place right now. Luce's words and venom must have really gotten into her head, because that wasn't how she was before.

You've made it clear to her already that you have problems with the Church, but the biggest issues aren't impossible to fix. It's not something that goes straight to the top like a fraudulent goddess or the nudity laws themselves, it's basic Compassion. Almost every single time you've seen somebody upset with the Church on this trip, it's been because they were getting punished for just trying to live their lives.

Like the sheep woman at journey's start who bought a permit to go out in her wool. She bought the permit! She genuinely believed she was living by the rules set by the church, and Ginerva was going to fine or arrest her! If anyone should have gotten in trouble, shouldn't it have been whoever was selling such a document? And if the permit was allowed, and someone in your religion had granted this permission, couldn't you have approved her permit for the district? If literally nothing else, if she needed to be dressed at that very moment and you had nothing to offer, could you not have escorted her to a tailor?

How about the adventurers stripped during the gnome attack? They barely had a chance to catch their breath before Niccolo hit them with a one minute warning 'til arrest. He didn't even ask if they had spares to change into, the mandate was "Be dressed or you will go to jail". If the Church cares so much about people being clothed, then wouldn't it be easier to just bring extra garments to give to indecent adventurers than it would be to make arrests out in the woods and have to drag them along for the rest of the journey? If Niccolo had offered them clothes and they refused, this wouldn't even be an example. The adventurers would be in the wrong, and the threat of arrest would have been deserved. They didn't leave angry because they were forced to wear clothes, but because she and Niccolo would have punished them for something outside of their control. And before the argument gets made that they should have had spares, would the Church have acted differently had their bags been lost in the skirmish.

Maybe there is something to what Luce was talking about, maybe not. But even if the Goddess is legit and the nudity laws a necessity, it doesn't matter. People are still going to hate the Church for punishing every offense without a shred of mercy. If she saved punishments like those for the real criminals, like the bandits from yesterday who were willfully breaking the rules and hurting innocent people, then the Church's reputation would be a lot better than it is now.

This is something Ginerva herself can change. Not for every priest ever of course, but at least for herself. She can be the better example.

...

...

Also, please ask why she has red gropey hands on her boobs, please, we're running out of opportunities to bring it up.

>>1023990
I want the action of A with the consequences of B. booooo.

tippler 2022/02/20(Sun)14:04 No. 1024129 ID: eedbeb
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>A
A bitter, hurt part of Elaine wants the badger to suffer alone. Honestly, it might be in Elaine’s interests for the bishop to lose faith in the Goddess if Ginerva decides to reject the Church’s stricter teachings.

It’s not in her nature to ignore suffering though, and Elaine raises her eyes to the badger’s broad back. “Fine, but I want you to step in if she gets mad at me.”

“Of course, thank you so much–”

Elaine lengthens her stride, leaving Niccolo in the dust. Up close, Ginerva indeed looks miserable. The badger doesn’t even acknowledge Elaine except for a short glance.

“Good afternoon.” Elaine begins. “I hope you’re not taking Luce’s words about the Goddess seriously, he was trying to rob us and I bet his powers have something to do with causing strife.”

The blunt words take a moment take a moment to penetrate Ginerva’s funk. She blinks and falters, and Elaine has to backpedal slightly.

“He was a bandit.” Ginerva says slowly, as if just realizing this fact.

“Right,” Elaine says patiently, “He even said something to me about the Wayfinders that was blatantly untrue.”

tippler 2022/02/20(Sun)14:04 No. 1024130 ID: eedbeb
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The shadow over Ginerva’s brow eases a fraction. “I–I’m still bothered by what the snake said about our nudity laws. There have been more complaints about them recently, despite the safety improvements brought by our armor spells I fear the Church is becoming unpopular.”

This is it, this is Elaine’s big opportunity to gently push reform. Careful now, don’t want to scare the big bad badger bishop away.

“The Church has done great things for the community.” Elaine says slowly. “Maybe deacons should try to enforce the laws with more compassion. From what I’ve seen on this trip, from the sheep to those three adventurers in the forest, it seems like people are trying to comply, but sometimes outside forces or misunderstandings get in the way.”

Ginerva seems like she’s listening, so Elaine continues.

“Church officials already carry spare clothes for themselves, but perhaps it would earn them goodwill if they had simple garments for the devoted.”

The badger exhales loudly through her nose and Elaine tenses instinctively. The bishop puts a clawed hand on Elaine’s elbow. “You speak wisdom beyond your age, initiate.”

Elaine really felt like it was common sense, but holds her tongue. “A simple Wayfinder’s opinion.”

“I will recommend your idea once I return to Busalla.” Ginerva pauses. “I do appreciate it.”

tippler 2022/02/20(Sun)14:04 No. 1024131 ID: eedbeb
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After a late lunch of biscuit crumbs thanks to Fiore’s stomping the previous night, Elaine walks alongside the cart with Ginerva and Niccolo until the barns turn to houses and pastures shrink into quaint personal gardens.

Tavarone is a bustling town, slightly larger than Busalla. Elaine spots a monk in traditional garb and asks directions to the local monastery where she’ll stay for the night before finding a job back to Busalla. He gives her new clothes a skeptical look, but seems to understand that she lost her robe without having to ask.

Naomi and Samantha split from the group to head downtown, waving goodbye to Elaine. Before the fox goes, she tugs on Elaine’s sleeve and whispers in her ear about Saoirse’s secret swimming spot.

Ginerva takes the donkey and cart to a gleaming white chapel, before unhitching the tired animal and and leaning against the cool stone wall.

“You did a wonderful job, Elaine.” the badger says, eyes closed. “I’ll be sure to send a message to the Wayfinders praising your ability.”

“See you around sometime. I’ll let you know if I need any more help with bandits.” Niccolo says.

Elaine gives a short bow. “It was my honor to help you on your journey.” she says formally.

A bright afternoon in a new town and the whispers of forbidden knowledge lingering in her mind. Elaine turns away from the Censors and heads for the monastery.

tippler 2022/02/20(Sun)14:08 No. 1024132 ID: eedbeb
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Thanks for reading!

Huzzah!

Such a nice quest, I liked it!