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It’s not necessarily your fault you're so very, very broke. Basic economics aren’t exactly ingrained in people from birth. Sure you could spend less on food, maybe not waste it all on room and board, actually care about change and all that…
Or you know… stick with what you know…
Sure Vaugarde is a ‘welcoming’ country, but even they get tired of random nick-nacks and window pies going missing before someone tells you to stop.
They usually spot you for the Shadeless hat, cloak, and hair. You tried dyeing that last one, but it’s fading now (and didn’t really help much anyways…)
That’s… when they start to recognize you, is usually the time you make a very hasty exit.
It’s how you’ve explored, like, half of Vaugarde, parts of Poteria, that month or so in Ka Bue, then back to Vaugarde.
It’s… rough, knowing you’ll…never have a place to call home…
But! That’s okay! As long as there are unguarded crates of foodstuffs and they keep their front doors unlocked, you’ll never go hungry.
~~~
Well that didn’t last long. Who’d have thought this small coastal town would have a… ‘Defender’.
Honestly that's a silly name, You told them that, and they just rolled their eyes and tossed you haphazardly into some sort of makeshift cell.
…huh, it’s got a bed and everything. Better than the barn you were staying in, at least.
You were just snooping in someone’s completely unlocked shed, hoping to find, like, an unused blanket or secret gold, and the next you’re tied up by an uppity wannabe guard. Honestly the surprise that someone would confront you about this was the most jarring part. You didn’t even like, resist, or anything.
You’ve… never fought a person before. Only Sadnesses on the road. You don’t think you could draw steel on another person…
Somehow, they also didn’t bother with your knife, which makes it incredibly awkward when said guard comes back in a few hours with food, and you’re just hacking into some random wooden block with the totally not-for-prisoners knife.
They eye it, and slide the food onto the small table in the corner, and just walk out. No words, nothing. Huh.
You’ve seen alot of weird and/or stupid things. Especially in Vaugarde. But just walking up to a known criminal, and leaving perfectly good food in front of them?
Wild.
You’d have left this cage, if it wasn't for that constant supply of food. No one’s even said anything to you, but three times a day someone comes along, drops it off, and leaves. It’s…
It’s heaven???
Four days in and someone finally says something to you. Honestly the sudden dialogue causes you to choke on the muffin already halfway down your gullet.
“So… was it… just to eat?” says the…
Hold on, it’s not that ‘Defender’ or whatever, it’s the….
Baker? You think that's what she was. She had the gull to leave her shop door open at midnight, and you helped yourself to most of the expired pastries.
You shrug. What do you say? Why wouldn’t it be about food? Is there something more? Less??
“Huh.” she says, before 180-ing out of the room, only taking a second to look at you over her shoulder. You stare at her (with 2 sausages poking out of your overfilled mouth).
Weird.
Three days later there’s some ruckus outside. You stow the little wooden thing away, and jump up to reach the window. You… can’t see much, just alot of shadeless shifting and some distant shouts.
Then, you find yourself on your ass, staring at…
Huh. Guess that’s why they are called Defenders...
That person is fending off some Sadness, big squishy looking blob. Looks like someone glued chunks of coral to a potato sack…
…
Oh! Those are hands! Paper sign Hands!
You…
Hmmm… Well, it is threatening you, so… stab away~
One [Cut and caboodle] followed by a [Up for stabs] and the creature is subdued. Nothing too hard, sometimes the ones in the forests are more tenac-
“Thanks! I don’t know what I would…” The defender looks to the person who helped them.
The suspiciously criminal shaped person, who should be in jail.
Mouth open, mid sentence. They turn to the busted up jail, to the knife in your hands, back to the broken jail, and once more at you.
“Huh.”
welllll, you were probably going to run away once the food dried up, or they got wiser and stopped leaving it in your cell.
You make use of the remaining speed boost from [Cut and caboodle] and bolt out of town.
Several days of good food, and an actual bed have done wonders for your hasty escape.
~~~
Okay, maybe you should have asked that traveling merchant where the nearest settlement was. Probably before stealing (bread rolls) from him, but whatever.
You’ve seen less people and more Sadnesses recently, and it’s gotten colder over the past few weeks. Just having some actual food that isn't just cooked squirrel may have influenced your decision….
Plus the rolls were delicious…
Well, if you screw up with one person, you can find another!
You picked up tracking from that time you were around the southern border. Had to sniff out supplies somehow. People and carts carrying crates leave deeper tracks and all that.
…Hmm, you miss Poteria. It was more packed, and those ‘plays’ were pretty good distractions.
They were really a… cut above.
Ha
You’ll remember that one for later, that was funny.
Hmm? Three sets of footprints. One of them is much heavier than the other two. Your stomach grumbles in agreement. You have to follow these tracks.
~~
Sadness defeated, slithering off into the woods, you give a nice big ol’ “I want your food” smile to the three mer…ch..ants…
It’s just a big strong guy, an old lady with a hefty tome, and a similar-to-you aged lady. Small bags, sure, but no crates of food or large overflowing packs.
“-a-and thanks again for helping us!” the younger lady is saying, you were not paying alot of attention, as the smile drops from your face.
… might as well try your comedy then, and maybe ask for directions.
“You could say I’m… a cut above.” you say (voice rough from disuse), giving a jovial (fake) smile to her and flourishing your knife.
She.. grimaces? But there’s a good solid laughter from behind you. A thick hand hits your back, and you flinch away. Gripping your knife you stare at the big man.
“Hahah-a? OH! Sorry! Just, that’s a good one!” He tries to explain off, but you’ll have to keep an eye on him. He told you he was another one of those ‘Defenders’, and the last one tied you up!
“Tell you what, we don’t have much to offer our would be savior, so how about you join us for lunch?” He asks, and you know what, food sounds great.
He asked if you could join them on this quest or something. At first you were hesitant, but then he said they would feed you? Sure you ate 4 servings of his (mediocre) hash and brussels, but that’s a normal amount, right?
Anyways, guess you’re apart of the ‘Saviours of Vaugarde’ now or something…
~~~
Every now and then, when in a town on this trip, you’d find yourself in one you’ve apparently been in before. Once you found a poster with your… ‘likeness’ on it, which was wild. You took it down before the others could see it, and tried to remain in their shadow while going outside. Odile and Isabeau cast large shadows, and Mirabelle’s popularity casts a… uhhh… ‘metaphorical’ one.
It takes a moment to read it, you get alot of practice reading Vaugarde’s written language nowadays, and it reads:
“Wanted, theft of foodstuffs and bedding. Not Dangerous. If spotted, report to-”
Huh, the page is ripped right there.
Well, it doesn’t say ‘kill on sight’, nor ‘beat up with imp-impunity’, so you're probably fine.
Like half a week out of town you all find some sort of ‘orb’ thing. The others are happy about it, and you get another serving of dinner, so that’s good.
Don’t know why they are looking for these, they kinda look worthless…
Sometime later you find this kid, Bonnie. Great kid. Cooks a mean skillet. The way they smile at you after you ask for more food is precious. You’d die for this kid.
~~~
So those wanted posters showed up a few more times, the closer you all got to, uhhh, ‘Dormont’. Some of the bigger towns had a few, and while you do look different from them (Ha! Look, because of the eye) you can only hope no one else sees them.
Well, several drinks plastered Odile brings it up to the table.
“Ssoo” she pokes at you, and you flinch under your hat. Accusatorial gestures do that to you.
“What ssort of tomfoolery get’ss you on a Vaugardian wanted poster, young one?” She slurs out.
“M-M’dame, I-I thought we would ask them after…” Isabeau tries.
“N-no, Madame is r-right” Mira (plastured) adds, “T-this is like, the fifth town with these” and she pulls out one of your posters. Yiikes!
You… shift awkwardly in your seat. Half a mind to bolt for the door, the other, more dominant half telling you to wait for the chicken wings you ordered.
“W-well” shoot, how do you explain anything? Uhh, just, make something up!
“Sometimes you get hungry, you know?”
“So you stole food?” Isa asks. Oh stars he looks at you, and it’s that ‘don’t do anything wrong buddy’ look he gives you.
“Most of the time. Sometimes coins too. Some people actually lock up the good stuff, so you gots ta pay them for it. Stuffs too heavy to travel with though, so I usually just dump it to the first person who can offer me something to eat…” The words flow from you like how the booze is flowing into you. Stuffs good. Thank Odile, she keeps track of the money for good drinks.
“B-b-but what about this… bedding… part?” Mira chirps up, like she’s suddenly cracked the case with the biggest question of all.
“I mean, it gets cold at night sometimes.” It’s the honest answer. Nothing wrong with some blankets. Heck, you could have stolen more of them, but your arms are only so large.
“Sif, buddy” Oh no! He looks like he’s about to cry! Is he sad he has to throw you in ‘’’jail’’’ now??? You shift backwards reflexively, the chicken wings cooking in the background reminds you of why you’re here.
“That’s s-so SAD!” Mira cries out, flopping onto the countertop. Isa grimaces and Odile lets out a heavy sigh. The sort that says ‘gosh Mira’s conked out of her gourd right now’.
You sip on the mixed drink you had, and get ready to dive into the chicken heading your way.
Later that night, after Isa corrals everyone back into the inn room you all share, the others give you wayward glances every now and then.
Well, no one else ordered chicken from the bar, so who knows what the problem is…
~~~
Something stirs in your memory, when you finally get to Dormont. Nothing about the town or anything, but that big tree reminds you of… something. You probably had some family or something before being alone on the Vaugardian coast…
Despite only really having your next meal on your mind, you do like being with this group. Even if Odile stops you every night to frisk your pockets, Mira begs you to return the nick nacks or whatever you’ve snagged, Isa (physically) brings you back to their original owners, and Bonb-
And Bonnie gets angry when you eat food they didn’t make, you still… l-like(?) them all… alot…
How’d it go? There was something about a leaf, say it three times, fold it…
~~~
Okay so Bonnie is scowling at you, but BUT! You! Didn’t steal this whole entire-ass chocolate cake! The boulangerie gave it to you! Something about ‘Pay me back if you win’ or something.
You won’t, realistically. No one has ever actually gotten you to pay them back.
You… It’s the biggest thing you can do right now, walking into the House’s massive doors,
You offer Bonnie a slice of the cake. It hurts.
They look at it. You look at them. You look at it. You want to eat it soooo badly.
Mira and Isa are looking at you with sparkles in their eyes, and Odile is writing something.
Bonnie reaches for it… It’s a tense moment, static in the air, and
Slaps it onto the ground.
No
No!
Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!
“No Eating dessert before noon Frin! Aggghhhh! How many times have I told you!!!!”
~~~
You have to be reminded, again, that Bonnie holds the potions. You shake out your pockets after every room, handing them over to the kid. Sometimes in your haste, a memento or two slips out, and is quickly snatched up by Mira or Isa. Most of the time they give it back to you, either with a satisfied ‘Ding Ding’ or a ‘Cool Leaf!’.
They did not like the 3 dozen apples, 2 bottles of wine, plate of frozen cookies, or the miscellaneous pocket change you’ve been swiping from everyone’s drawers. No matter if you describe it as “a war fund” or “Charitable donations”, Odile always gets the money out of your grubby hands.
You’ve amassed quite a small horde of random objects though from the house. Sure after the rock thing you have to recollect it all, but that's the best part! Odile was shocked when the whole ass tome about fish came out of your pocket, just as impressed as you were when she swung it deftly at the next sadnesses head.
You still haven’t found out how to sneak the bottle of wine yet. Someone always catches you. Heck, with all these ‘loops’ and whatnot, they are getting better at finding your illicit goods. Can’t even steal broken glass without them finding out…
“Do you remember… Bright One..?” Hmmm, oh, is he…?
You reach into your bag and pull out that poem from the library. The King seems like a poem guy, so you hand it to him.
“... Right” and punches you in the face! WOW! RUDE!
You finally beat him. Took awhile, some sneaking, plotting, that shield thing, but he’s gone and you can see the head housemaiden now.
…Stars she tall. W-well, time to talk to her…
Then you can… figure out where to go next…
alone…
One of the many attempts to get past the head housemaiden and maybe escape the time loops, and heavily advised against doing it by Loop, was to throw the cake at her.
…It… didn’t work, and you got lectured for like an hour too…
Odile… noticed, once. That’s what you get, when you act obvious about it all. Asking about books, only taking the needed items… not eating.
If it took her that long to figure it out… what chance do you have to solving this mess…
Ha… You, tired of eating…
What a joke.
~~~
You're not that smart, but still, even you should have seen this twist coming. No one else would have that much knowledge on different foodstuffs if they don’t have a mouth. They just so happen to also be in the timeloop…
OH STARS, they named themselves ‘Loop’.
Maybe all that time ‘reading’ and whatnot made you smarter, because come on!
You pull out the bottle. Several hundred dozen loops and you just needed to mentally break to get it.
…ha, HA! It tastes terrible! You offer some to Loop, sitting next to you.
“What the fuck Stardust, how did you…”
“Shut up and drink, it’ll help with your ego.”
“How do you know what an ego even is, we’re like, the stupidest-”
You try to shut them up, by bringing the bottle to… their… mouth…
Right. You just sort of, spill some on the weird star on their chest, and both of you watch as it disappears.
“Huh” you both say.
~~~
You wake up the next day (it has been too long since this was true!) and feel…
Both terrible and great! Every bone hurts! But Bonbon’s making a skillet!
Plus! Mira and Isa hug you while you eat!
… okay they were going through your pockets too, which is fair at this point, as you filled one of them up with stolen hand towels, but this time it bites Mira on the… hand.
“Wha- EW! Agh Siffrin! What’s…” She reached into the Bonnie infinite snack dimension that inhabits your left pocket. You offer her a hand towel and a smirk.