OOS 75

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 Korrinoth 7, after traveling in the direction of the second ritual site, camping outside of town before attempting to approach it. It occurred between sessions 32 and 33.

## Transcript

Lei:

lei message cantrips teer—obscuring her mouth but not trying to hide the fact that she‘s mescaning: “how are you holding up?”

Teer:

*In his head, Teer responds.* "I've been keeping busy. Doing... better, I think. What about you?"

Lei:

*this is all just mescan, okay?* “okay. i’m glad to hear you’re doing better. thanks for letting me look at the tablet with you.”

Teer:

"My pleasure."

Lei:

“hey teer?”

Teer:

"Yes?"

Lei:

“i realized the other day... you’re....the first friend i’ve ever made completely by my own decision.”

Teer:

"What do you mean, by your own decision? Did someone else choose for you?"

Lei:

“um, no, just....the people i associated with until recently—like cecily—were all because my parents....wanted me to.”

Teer:

"Ah, I see. But you... still *chose* to be friends with her, didn't you?"

Lei:

“i enjoyed being friends with her, but i dont think i chose it for myself, no. it’s....weird i guess.”

Teer:

"...Lei, sometimes I'm not entirely sure I understand what friends are. I used to think I did."

Lei:

*lei shrugs*

“if my parents had told me to stop hanging out with cecily, i probably would have. or perhaps would have tried to do it secretly. but they encouraged me to be friends with her openly to strengthen our bond with their estate. the worthing house gets no such benefit from you, yet here i am, calling you a friend.”

“...i chose you over them.”

Teer:

*Teer silently wraps an arm around Lei's side, as if he could draw her closer. He doesn't say anything until the last moments before the cantrip times out.* "Why?"

Lei:

*lei contemplates quietly for a moment before eventually responding,* “i dont know.”

TEer:

"It's selfish to say, but I am glad that you did." *He pauses.* "Perhaps I just wish that you had a family you were better off choosing."

Lei:

“what do you mean?”

Teer:

"You expressed in the past that you were... trapped at home, as a child. Controlled. Most recently, led to do things without your consent. Maybe you wouldn't have chosen me if - no. That's not right. Maybe you wouldn't have had to choose." *Teer runs out of words for the response, but quietly whispers the rest.*

Lei:

“oh.” *another pause* “.......my mother and i spoke recently, and she told me i cannot reap any benefits of the worthing name any longer. essentially, she told me i am not renn worthing.”

Teer:

"Your mother is a word that I am prevented from saying out lou - wait. This is all telepathic. Am I allowed to curse? Do you think it would work?"

Lei:

“curse if you would like. as painful as it was, though, it was also very freeing.”

Teer:

"Your mother is a bitch. Oh my, it worked."

Lei:

“i think....it’s more my fault than you realize, teer. my mother is not as bad as she may seem.”

Teer:

"Perhaps, but I am disinclined to trust a woman who would neglect to help her own child, especially after everything she's done."

Lei:

“teer, it was my own choosing. i am not adrienne worthing’s daughter anymore, because of the choices i’ve made.”

Teer:

*Teer seems to contemplate that for a while.* "Do you... want to be?"

Lei:

“do i want to be her daughter? losing my parents, my home, everything—is painful, but it feels more....free. and it makes things ultimately easier.”

Teer:

"How?"

Lei:

“how is it more free? or easier?”

Teer:

"Either. They should be able to be your parents and still... still be able to grant you freedom, protect you, help you."

Lei:

“no longer being renn worthing means i am free to do whatever i want, teer. it’s rather amazing, really. i am absolutely nobody. i could go to a real school! i could eat commoner food whenever i want—with the wrong utensils, or even my *hands*! i could go live by the ocean! i could pick up a new skill or learn how to do a job, like becoming a post tortle or learning how to make cookies better! there is nothing holding me bound to wolis anymore.”

“and....realistically i will not survive long with the route i’ve chosen. it is easier if there is no one to miss me in wolis.”

Teer:

*Teer's grip tightens.*

"That's not - they could still - you don't think that they would miss you? Is family something that can just be turned off and on like a switch?"

Lei:

“no, the *changelings* are still my parents, that fact doesn’t change. and i have reason to believe my fath—um, tovaris worthing—doesn’t hold the same mindset as...as adrienne. but it is a comfort to me nonetheless.”

Teer:

*He relaxes only slightly.* "I am not sure that I'm capable of understanding."

Lei:

“i’m not sure i fully understand how i feel about it either, to be honest.”

“there’s sadness but there’s also.....relief.”

Teer:

"I understand that, maybe."

Lei:

“i violated the deal i made with mo—adrienne. i’m...no longer....useful... to her.” *her expression is pained*

“i dont know if she would expect me to return ho—to wolis in two years still or not. i intentionally didn’t ask.”

“ah, but i didn’t intend to unload all of this on you while you’re trying to browse this...wikipedia thing. sorry.”

Teer:

"Your mother treats you like a warforged."

Lei:

“what?”

Teer:

"From the way you talk, like you're something to be used, and not a child. She acts like you're something she can bargain with, or... or choose to no longer maintain once you stop being serviceable to her."

Lei:

“teer, *i* chose this. i also caused her *so* many problems. i got our family in trouble with the children of similus—and all of you as well. i backed out of the deal i made with mother. with—with adrienne. that caused all sorts of problems. i left wolis and did not inform them of anything i was doing and endangered myself constantly, despite the role im supposed to assume.”

“i rejected my role as renn worthing, teer. this happened because of me.”

Teer:

"Ah, of course, my mistake, you should have just done everything that they expected of you. The audacity, making mistakes, having free will to choose what you want?"

Lei:

“what? no, it’s not like that. i just......i stopped being an appropriate—“

Teer:

*The tablet screen has dimmed from disuse at this point, and Teer is looking at Lei.*

Lei:

“teer, i’ve....i’ve never been a good daughter to them. this was just—this was probably just the final straw. it’s better for everyone this way. perhaps my father would not agree, but.....”

“you should, um, probably get back to the wikipedia thing—“

Teer:

*Teer is quiet for a moment, studying Lei's face.* "My apologies, maybe I've overstepped." *He taps on the iPad screen, moving through the page seemingly at random.* "I've never been a part of a family. Perhaps I misinterpreted how they work."

Lei:

“it’s okay. sorry for, um, letting out so much. i guess....i needed to let it out. thanks.”

*lei looks troubled*

Teer:

"Don't be. I'm sorry that I got heated. I did not mean to distress you."

Lei:

*shakes her head* “dont worry about it.” *opens her mouth to speak, then closes it, then opens it again*

“um, this is...unrelated, but....since kiono was asking about the gorgon eye, um, i should probably inform you—well, maybe everyone—that i lost the mirror for noh.”

Teer:

"Oh."

Lei:

“oh, there’s also....i learned how to get ephemera’s body back i think. i believe the orb quest accomplishes that.”

Teer:

"Ah, yes, that would make sense. Her memories, her body... all of it split by the net."

Lei:

“and also....we may have another source aside from just the leylines to direct towards stopping the asteroid. apparently tapping into the elemental planes for power could work? i dont know what that means yet. does your tablet have anything on it about magic like that?”

Teer:

"Hm, not quite. Sir Andy's universe was not quite versed in magic, and especially not the planes as we know them."

Lei:

“ah, hm. i had a feeling i should have asked izora about it, but....im sure there will be other opportunities to learn about it.”

Teer:

"Right. We may even be able to ask Jinri when we go to help Squire with his passenger."

Lei:

“oh, good idea.”

“oh! giant apes!”

Teer:

"G-giant apes?"

Lei:

“the polymorph thing i figured out how to do recently! i read that apparently that’s an optimal thing to transform allies in to during fights. would you be open to being turned into a giant ape at some point?”

Teer:

"Er, I, ah - yes? I suppose, why not?"

Lei:

“haha, that could be fun.” *she smiles, but it’s still obvious she’s troubled*

Teer:

"Lei?"

Lei:

“hm?”

Teer:

"You know that I am not going to let anything happen to you, right?"

Lei:

*lei’s smile gets a bit wider* “teer, i know. that’s one thing that makes me love you. but....can you promise me something?”

Teer:

"What is it?"

Lei:

“if it comes down to me or someone else in the party, choose the party.”

Teer:

"Hm, no."

Lei:

“teer, if the children of similus endanger your lives but you have a chance to escape, even if it means leaving me behind, *do it.*”

“if kiono and i are in trouble, and only one can be saved, you obviously need to save kiono.”

“if you yourself are in danger trying to save me, you *need* to leave me behind.”

Teer:

"No, I'm just going to save everyone."

Lei:

“okay, save everyone. i hope it goes that way. but in a moment of grave danger, know that i’m aware what the stakes are, and i’m prepared to pay the price. i’m a child trailing along after seasoned fighters who are stopping an apocalypse and battling all sorts of great dangers. i know what that can mean for me, okay? if it comes down to it, please make the right decision.”

Teer:

*Teer is quiet.*

Lei:

“sor...sorry to put that on you.”

Teer:

"You want me to focus on protecting the others?"

Lei:

“i don’t....want to make you do anything. i just know that you and the others are much more....useful. teer, it’s for the sake of all of the group’s goals.”

Teer:

"Then make sure I don't have a reason to choose. You can be reckless, Lei. You go off on your own without telling anyone, you can make impulsive decisions."

"Make my job easy," *he whispers.*

Lei:

*lei’s smile comes back* “im staying in the dimension room tomorrow, aren’t i?”

Teer:

"I suppose you are. You don't have to, but it's a small comfort nonetheless."

"And I should point out, I think you underestimate your own power."

Lei:

“haha, well i *did* get some training from the best tortle teacher in the world. i know i’m not....completely worthless to the cause. why would i be tagging along otherwise?” *is she reassuring teer or trying to convince herself? who knows*

“um, anyway, i’m...sorry again. it’s not that i doubt your abilities to, um, protect us. i just know that....there are some crazy circumstances that can be outside of anyone’s control.”

Teer:

*Teer looks up at the stars.* "Yeah."

"It's... "

Lei:

*lei nuzzles against teer’s side*

Teer:

"I could do everything right, and still lose you all."

"I'm not even... as strong as I was *before* the Calamity."

Lei:

“......yeah. that could happen. but teer, it wouldnt be your fault.”

“and it’s...not always a matter of strength.”

Teer:

"It doesn't matter if it's my fault, it's my purpose. My directive."

Lei:

“i think you’ve been doing amazingly at it.”

“protecting us, i mean.”

“i think....you’re the main reason we’ve accomplished as much as we have.”

“you’re definitely one of the reasons i’m even sitting here alive right now.”

Teer:

"I'm... glad to be effective. I'm sure my creators didn't expect me to be working this long, or following my instructions in quite the way I've chosen to."

"Even after they're gone," *he adds quietly.*

Lei:

*lei gives teer a hug*

Teer:

*Teer leans into it.* "Sorry."

Lei:

“for what?” *whispering out loud*

Teer:

"I think that I am getting too far deep into my head."

Lei:

*still whispering* “haha, should we return to the wikipedia thing then?”

Teer:

"...Why not." *Teer looks back down at the screen, and scrolls slowly through.*

Lei:

*whispering* “do you think we could read more about the atmosphere? that sounds really interesting.”

“and what other cool things have you read about? i’m so curious.”

Teer:

"Here." *He taps into a page on the planet's inner and outer layers.* "Remind me tomorrow to show you anime."

Lei:

“thank you!” *her whisper is louder as her eyes greedily take in the new information*

*after a few minutes of reading with fascination, she mescans,* “um, if you do want to...talk about it—what you’re thinking about—i’m all ears anytime.”

“how did they find out about these layers anyway? did they telepo—er, travel—all the way down to the center of the planet somehow? this is crazy!”

Teer:

"Perhaps it will say somewhere in here how they gathered the information."

Lei:

*eagerly reads whatever teer clicks on or scrolls to, whispering questions and comments as they read*

Teer:

*Teer lets her continue for a while, before insisting that she get some rest, gently putting the iPad away to prepare for a night of guard duty.*

Lei:

*lei is hard to convince to pry away from the tablet, but rest she will. right before turning in, she mescans,* “thanks, teer.” *and gives him another hug*

Teer:

*Teer returns the hug.* "Of course. Good night, Lei."

*He settles in and spends the night in stillness, watching for any signs of danger. The party sleeps, and he watches them too.*

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