Paralogue 11: Fast Fingers and Freedom/Supports

* **Julius**: Oh, hey there future-daughter. What a weird sentence to say...

* **Danica**: Heheh, well I have something to ask of you mister father person.

* **Julius**: Go for it.

* **Danica**: Teach me to dance.

* **Julius**: What, really?

* **Danica**: Duh! Where I come from, your dancing is legendary! The New Shepherds—that's what we called ourselves—would spend all night talking about stories our parents told us about how great your dancing is...was. So I really wanna see and learn for myself.

* **Julius**: Well, I guess I can do that for you. Shall we?

* **Danica**: Hee hee, let's do it!

...

* **Julius**: Hey, you learn pretty fast.

* **Danica**: I have nimble fingers and moves, I guess. I'm so proud of myself.

* **Julius**: Well, if you're so proud, maybe we should move onto the really hard shit right away.

* **Danica**: There's hard shit? I wouldn't believe it. Dancing seems so easy now that you've shown me.

* **Julius**: ...Okay yeah no, you're definitely gonna see just how hard it can get.

* **Danica**: I...don't like your tone...

* **Julius**: You shouldn't.

## Danica and Kate

### C Support

* **Danica**: Oh! Mother! Hi there!

* **Kate**: …Are you referring to me?

* **Danica**: (Yep, definitely just like the her I knew. Let's see if this works.)

* **Kate**: Er, hello?

* **Danica**: Right, right! Yes, referring to you! Does the formalness throw you off?

* **Kate**: Not as much as someone calling me their mother does.

* **Danica**: So, first name basis then?

* **Kate**: Let's stick with what you feel comfortable with. And why are you dancing around me?

* **Danica**: No reason. Just having fun with my dearest mother, that's all.

* **Kate**: While dancing is fun, this isn't what I think I want to be doing with you. Can't we sit down and talk about things?

* **Danica**: Things…okay! You go find us somewhere nice to sit, and I'll catch up with you. I bet you're super interested in what future you is like.

* **Kate**: To have raised someone like you, yeah, I kind of am interested. I'll be waiting for you.

* **Danica**: Got it! (Heh, she didn't even NOTICE that I snatched some of her armor! I wonder how long it'll take for her to realize it's missing!)

## Knifez and Joos

### C Support

* **Knifez**: What're you doing, Joos?

* **Joos**: Studying maps.

* **Knifez**: You don't even remember what the continent looks like? Still?

* **Joos**: Dude, I don't think my memory's ever coming back, to be honest. But that's okay, because maps exist and I can figure out the layout of this place.

* **Knifez**: I see. Do you need any help? I've kind of been all over the place.

* **Joos**: I have too, so I should know. But there is something I'd like to know.

* **Knifez**: Go for it.

* **Joos**: The continent has this body of water in the middle. What's that all about?

* **Knifez**: Ah, yes. That's the sea of tranquility. Back when that huge war took place, my grandfather and the emissaries of the other nations gathered there to sign the peace treaty.

* **Joos**: In the middle of the sea? That's dumb.

* **Knifez**: Ha ha, nah. There's an island with a mountain on it in the middle of the sea. That mountain is famous for being the tallest mountain on the continent. It's called Mount Vrede.

* **Joos**: I see. You don't suppose Esh-Ban's there, do you?

* **Knifez**: Nah, he would never defile sacred ground like that.

* **Joos**: I hope you're right...

* **Knifez**: You okay?

* **Joos**: Oh, it's nothing. Something about it just gives me the creeps, is all.

* **Knifez**: I see. ...Joos?

* **Joos**: Yeah?

* **Knifez**: You forgot that today is your patrol day, didn't you?

* **Joos**: OH SHIT!

## Knifez and Dakota

### C Support

* **Knifez**: Hey.

* **Dakota**: What brings the prince to me? Checking to make sure your resident thieves aren't doing their thing?

* **Knifez**: How insightful of you. That's exactly why I'm here. You keeping your hands to yourself?

* **Dakota**: Absolutely. I swore I wouldn't steal from any of my fellow Shepherds and it's staying that way. It's easier than I thought it would be, too.

* **Knifez**: You thought it would be hard? That's not comforting...

* **Dakota**: Well, when you grow up a thief like I did, sometimes it's hard to keep your sticky fingers under control. Old habits die hard and all that.

* **Knifez**: I see your point.

* **Dakota**: So I find it easy to resist giving myself the five-finger discount when it comes to you guys.

* **Knifez**: Probably because we're armed to the teeth.

* **Dakota**: Yep, that about sums it up!

* **Knifez**: Ha ha, well you keep this up, alright? We still need you with all ten of your fingers.

* **Dakota**: You got it, boss.

## Josh and Signele

### B Support

* **Signele**: You going to give your question thing another shot?

* **Josh**: As you and I are not exactly friends, I would see no other reason for me to be in your presence.

* **Signele**: Good point.

* **Josh**: So now let me stay my curiosity and find out the answer to a most pressing question. How have you managed to be the last survivor of a continental atrocity?

* **Signele**: …Oh.

* **Josh**: I have read much on The Domain and how it once existed, and by all means, I cannot see how there was only one survivor.

* **Signele**: …..

* **Josh**: They had a powerful ruling class, and many members of nobility should have taken up arms against any invasion, yet everyone was murdered or assimilated into an enemy force. How was that possible, and how did you escape it?

* **Signele**: Listen, I…don’t think I want to answer this.

* **Josh**: Why, are you going to confess to some crime that you have committed?

* **Signele**: No.

* **Josh**: Are you going to admit you are not from the region at all, and are using a tragedy to make yourself sympathetic?

* **Signele**: Nope.

* **Josh**: Then what reason do you have to ignore my question?

* **Signele**: Because this is talking about my DEAD friends and family, and you’re accusing me of faking everything!

* **Josh**: There are no such accusations here.

* **Signele**: Think about how you speak to me next time you try asking something. I’m not going to answer anything about my past if it’s you asking it.

* **Josh**: But you are the only one who can quell this thirst of knowledge for me!

## Josh and Bella

### S Support

* **Bella**: Josh, listen, we need to talk.

* **Josh**: Likewise, I feel the same way.

* **Bella**: Is that so?

* **Josh**: It most certainly is. There is something weighing heavily on my mind, and I need to tell you of it before it gets worse.
* **Bella**: Hm, well, what I’ve got to say can wait. Go ahead.

* **Josh**: You have been running through my mind endlessly. Like a beautiful goddess this world has never known. When I close my eyes for the evening, you are there, beckoning me to come with you, to climb onto the back of your pegasus and fly away into the sunset.

* **Bella**: …..

* **Josh**: It is these thoughts that have inspired me to make my move, and rather than purchasing myself new novels or tomes to pour over, I have decided to save and spend my money on something not for myself, but instead for you.

* **Bella**: Yeah, er, this is exactly what I needed to talk to you about.

* **Josh**: You feel the same way too?

* **Bella**: No. I think you’re taking this too far.

* **Josh**: …What?

* **Bella**: We’re just two pieces on the battlefield, fighting on the same side. Once everything’s done, what happens? I go back to Tost and try to rule a population that doesn’t want ruling, and you go back to Waydrn and stay with the Shepherds.

* **Josh**: I would be willing to relocate my life and everything in it to Tost if it meant I would be able to spend forever with you.

* **Bella**: I appreciate that, but right now, I’ve got to think about what I go back to when we’re done with this fighting. I can’t think about romance.

* **Josh**: Not even a little bit?

* **Bella**: There’s no room in my life for it.

* **Josh**: I see…

* **Bella**: Huh? What are you fiddling around with?

* **Josh**: The ring I purchased for you. It seems I have to return it, as there is no need for me having it anymore.

* **Bella**: You bought me a ring? Even though all we’d ever done was fight at each other’s side?

* **Josh**: It was what my heart desired.

* **Bella**: That’s…really sweet. Just because I don’t have room in my life for a romance doesn’t mean I won’t have room someday, I guess.

* **Josh**: And that someday, do you think maybe I could fill that room?

* **Bella**: We’ll see.

## Green and Chloe

### S Support

* **Green**: Chloe! Hey there!

* **Chloe**: You’re greeting me? That’s a new one. What’s the occasion?

* **Green**: No occasion, just taking the initiative to say hey before you do.

* **Chlo**e: And you’re being cheerful without me saying anything? Goodness, are you ill? Do we need to get you looked at?

* **Green**: No, no, trust me! I’m perfectly fine!

* **Chloe**: Uh huh. See, I know how you tend to act around me, and unless something’s changed recently…

* **Green**: (Shit, does she know what’s going on?)

* **Chloe**: …Oh! I get it! Someone else finally showed you the respect I did, and you’re here to let me know that everyone’s beginning to see you as a rightful leader of Tost. Well, I must say, I’m a bit sad that that’s what’s got you so cheerful today.

* **Green**: Seriously, me being happy isn’t a weird thing.

* **Chloe**: It is around me.

* **Green**: Not because you’re the only one who shows me respect.

* **Chloe**: Is that so?

* **Green**: Yeah. I, er, probably should explain that respect has nothing to do with me being withdrawn. I’m perfectly fine around everyone else.

* **Chloe**: So there’s a problem with being around me, then?

* **Green**: Don’t take it that way! It’s not you that has the problem, it’s me. It’s always been me.

* **Chloe**: I’m afraid I don’t understand.

* Green: You’re friendly and you’re royalty, and at first I was a bit intimidated by that. How can a guy who rules bandits be in the presence of someone with so much class? But then you showed that you cared enough to get to know me, and I…

* **Chloe**: You…?

* **Green**: …..

* **Chloe**: Are you really going to leave that hanging?

* **Green**: …I realized that I cared about you. A lot. You’ve got poise and a good personality and everything I could have ever needed in a friend.

* **Chloe**: A friend. I see. With the way you started getting quieter as you spoke, I figured you were going to pr—

* **Green**: But you’re also everything I need in a companion for life.

* **Chloe**: —pose! Green! Is that a ring?

* **Green**: I wish I could say I had it specially made for you, but if I’m going to be honest, it was given to me as payment by a thief. He claimed it came from one of the royal families of Frar, so I figured that…

* **Chloe**: It’s perfect. Thank you. So much. I hoped that you’d take note of how much I learned about your region and think that maybe, just maybe, I meant something by it.

* **Green**: Yeah, knowing the history of Tost will help you when it comes time to the people learning about their new queen.

* **Chloe**: Looks like you should touch up on your Frar history, then!