Berkeley's Phantasmagoria

[Seian Verian]

> Unfold paper
> Read

[Serela]

> Unfold paper
> Read

>Nevermind what you thought about there not being any blood. The note is written in blood.

"Dear Berkeley,
           You're in the way. For the good of everyone, drop dead!
                            Love, Estelle_<3^<3_<3"

[Seian Verian]

> "How rude, inviting guests and then telling them to drop dead."
> Secretly be thinking MUCH nastier thoughts than that about her... Or maybe not so secretly. Either works.

[Serela]

> "How rude, inviting guests and then telling them to drop dead."
> Secretly be thinking MUCH nastier thoughts than that about her... Or maybe not so secretly. Either works.

>Rinoa giggles a bit. "She probably expected you to do that yesterday, all by yourself! Maybe it's her idea of good manners~"
>Stella puts her hands on her hips and tries to look tough; it only makes her look cuter, though. "I wanna give her a piece of my mind! ...but Mommy says it's too dangerous for me to go."

[Seian Verian]

> "Don't worry Stella. I'll give her a piece of both our minds. Alright?"

[Serela]

> "Don't worry Stella. I'll give her a piece of both our minds. Alright?"

>She jumps up and down with joy, "Yaaaay~!"
>After a moment she stops jumping and looks around to make sure no one's looking, before talking in a whisper.  "Umm... before Azalea went missing, she gave me a key. I think you'll need it more then I do, so you should have it."
>She holds out a rather large and crude looking bronze object. It looks vaguely key-like.

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Thank you very much Stella. I'll do everything I can to stop her."

[Seian Verian]

> Take key.
> "Thank you. I'm sure I'll make good use of it... Whatever it's used for."
> "Hm... Did she tell you anything about what it's for?"
> Really hope that your assumption of its being useful because it was from someone else going after Estelle is not unfounded...

[Serela]

> Take key.
> "Thank you. I'm sure I'll make good use of it... Whatever it's used for."
> "Hm... Did she tell you anything about what it's for?"
> Really hope that your assumption of its being useful because it was from someone else going after Estelle is not unfounded...

>You take the key, and put it into your pocket. You've obtained AZALEA'S KEY!
>"She told me that she was worried something would happen to her, and she wanted me to keep the key safe for her. I dunno what exactly it does, though."
>Well... come to think of it, you really don't know anything about Azalea. She had the Goddess Orb and went after Estelle. And then she vanished, as you imagine would happen to anyone who got in Estelle's way.

[Hello Purvis]

>Take the key out and have a closer look at it. If it is vaguely key-like as opposed to specifically key-like, there may be other uses for it.

[Serela]

>Take the key out and have a closer look at it. If it is vaguely key-like as opposed to specifically key-like, there may be other uses for it.

>It looks like... maybe like a key you'd see in some cartoon. It's about as long as your hand and as thick as your thumb at the thinner points. There's a bit that sticks out at the end. It does look like a key, but a very weird one. You wouldn't be surprised if it's got a different use.

[Hello Purvis]

>Does it have the distinctive ring on the end of an old-timey key? Or is it just a rod?
>Survey the crowd for Veronica and <Old Lady>.

[Serela]

>Does it have the distinctive ring on the end of an old-timey key? Or is it just a rod?
>Survey the crowd for Veronica and <Old Lady>.

>It's got a lumpy ball thing at the side you hold it on.
>You can see Veronica and Stella's granny May over at one end of the crowd.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm going to see what I can do about this, alright Stella? You stay safe. And, um, tell people if you see anything weird."
>Presuming no particular reason to remain with Stella manifests, go join Veronica and Granny May.

[Serela]

>"I'm going to see what I can do about this, alright Stella? You stay safe. And, um, tell people if you see anything weird."
>Presuming no particular reason to remain with Stella manifests, go join Veronica and Granny May.

>"Okay, Berkeley. And if you ever want my help, I'm not some wimpy little kid! I've got spellcards just like everyone else does!" She holds out a few to prove it! Man, you might be the only person in the Village without spellcards; even the little kids got them! Veronica was going to help you with the blank one you received from May, though.
>You head over to Veronica and Granny May. They give you a hello as you reach them.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I guess we're going to have to get this done ASAP, since Estelle's not going to take things lying down... Any luck with, um, Masha, was it?"

[Serela]

>"Well, I guess we're going to have to get this done ASAP, since Estelle's not going to take things lying down... Any luck with, um, Masha, was it?"

>Grannie May shakes her head. "Mmm... I think I can cure it, but it'd be a few days."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Anything we could do to speed it along? Jigen really needs help."

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Aside from this town here, and Wintervale, are their any other communities? Or would their be anything past Estelle we could deal with around here that would be to much to handle for normal people?"

[Serela]

>"Anything we could do to speed it along? Jigen really needs help."

>"You should try to find a different way then; some kind of cure, or a person who knows how. I'm having to invent a way, so it'll take awhile; and I'm quite sure you wouldn't be of much help in that matter. You have more important things to do anyway, mmm?"

> "Aside from this town here, and Wintervale, are their any other communities? Or would their be anything past Estelle we could deal with around here that would be to much to handle for normal people?"

>Veronica speaks up this time. "There's the Faerie Forest. But only the fairies know where it is. As for other problems... you could ask around. I'm sure there's something you could help with."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Do we have any idea how Estelle actually did this? It'd be really great to know what she's capable of so we could avoid it..."

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "I was thinking something like that Spider thing we dealt with along the way to Wintervale, or something that would get people talking. My idea is this, deal with a big, or at least troublesome, problem using the Goddess Orb and say that it's thanks to Jigen that we managed to do that. Would that get people praying to her? I'm just assuming that honestly praying to her would be similar, or the same even, to giving her faith."

[Serela]

>"Do we have any idea how Estelle actually did this? It'd be really great to know what she's capable of so we could avoid it..."

>Veronica rests her chin on a fist and wonders for a moment. "Well, they're the family that took care of the crops... they're outside of the village a lot. It's not terribly close to the forest like the Village is, but it's still out in the open. There's all kinds of ways she could have done it."

> "I was thinking something like that Spider thing we dealt with along the way to Wintervale, or something that would get people talking. My idea is this, deal with a big, or at least troublesome, problem using the Goddess Orb and say that it's thanks to Jigen that we managed to do that. Would that get people praying to her? I'm just assuming that honestly praying to her would be similar, or the same even, to giving her faith."

>Granny May gives a cackle. "Now you're thinking! I'm not a Faith expert, but that sounds like it'd work! I meant a different way to cure Masha, though."

[Hello Purvis]

>Consider further.
>"The problem, though, is that Estelle already has it out forJigen. I'm kinda supposed to keep her help a secret. So I suppose we'll just have to credit dealing with Estelle herself to Jigen."
>Sigh in frustration.
>"This orb is a key, though. I have to figure out how to get better with it, and quick. Would anyone other than Masha have any ideas about it?"

[Serela]

>Consider further.
>"The problem, though, is that Estelle already has it out forJigen. I'm kinda supposed to keep her help a secret. So I suppose we'll just have to credit dealing with Estelle herself to Jigen."
>Sigh in frustration.
>"This orb is a key, though. I have to figure out how to get better with it, and quick. Would anyone other than Masha have any ideas about it?"

>That's rather true. Dammit. You sigh in frustration at the matter.
>"I don't know if even Masha knows more then the stories about it. Sounds like Azalea was the one who had it before, but... well, she's not exactly available, mmm?", says May.
>Veronica appears to have an idea, though; "Maybe you could check her house! It's outside of town, to the southeast. It feels bad to think of having people go through Azalea's things, but... I guess it might be necessary."

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "I'd hate to root through her things without her permission, even if she was available. But we may as well check, so that we can deal with Estelle qucikly."

[Hello Purvis]

>"She'd want it that way, from the sound of it. Wanna come and watch my back?"

[Serela]

> "I'd hate to root through her things without her permission, even if she was available. But we may as well check, so that we can deal with Estelle qucikly."

>"She'd want it that way, from the sound of it. Wanna come and watch my back?"

>Veronica shakes her head no. "I've got things to work on. Oh, that reminds me; want me to help you with that blank spellcard before you go?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Sure!"

[Serela]

>"Sure!"

>She grins. "Alrighty! Let's go to my house, then. See ya, Granny!"
>Veronica waves to Granny May and enters one of the Village houses.