Ashwood Cross

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Oo-er.

>Back inside back inside back inside

And mayyybe go back to the radio and ask what the hell is going on. We obviously can't do anything not migraine-inducing out here.

Go back inside?

Flaw: Overconfidence

No.

No, you're not giving in to fear here.

You've already made up your mind. You don't need anyone's help.
Even if the sky inexplicably looks like a bad Analogue TV.
And even if this is a headache-inducing and totally alien situation.
Or even if this is dangerous or difficult or... whatever else.

What you need are answers.

And you're going to find them on your own.

CLAX doesn't look so good right now :I

Give Clax a reassuring pat on the head.

You turn to Clax. Their display screen is completely full of static.
As you look, they turn to face you. They seem to be responsive, and still move like normal?

Still, there's no harm in asking if they're okay.

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Hey, Clax buddy?

Your screen's been all messed up since we got out here.
Are you doing okay?

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It's hard to tell through the static, but you think you saw a Thumbs Up in there.
You hope this... whatever's going on out here isn't going to hurt them.

let's go rock climbing to get a good view of this incomprehensible landscape!

If you want to get a good view, it'd help to have a high vantage point.
You decide to scale a nearby Rocky Outcropping, to get the lay of the land.

CLIMBING TEST: 1 Might + 2 Grace + 2 Athletics ☆☆☆☆☆ <VS> Difficulty ★Show

Success! ★☆☆☆☆

It's a pretty straightforward climb, made a bit tricky by carrying a Flashlight.
Still, you make it up onto a Higher Ledge. High enough to look around.

Okay, hopefully this can help us understand what that person meant when they said this place was a "shard".

Looks like migraine.

Feels a bit like migraine too... whoof.
You shield your eyes, and take a long look at the landscape.



Or maybe it's not so long after all. Seems the ground just... stops.
It's all floating masses of dirt and rock, drifting in a mess of light and static.
You wonder if this is what a "Shard" is? Shattered land, floating in a void?

The sky seems to be flickering with bright color, too.
As you look, the glare, or something else... for some reason?
It's getting hard to think clearly. Your thoughts are getting muddled.

Although... honestly?

The way it's sorta hard to think? The way your head feels funny?
It feels kinda good.

The light is a little harsh on the eyes, but the colors in the sky are nice.
Even just looking at them feels... really nice. Comfortable. Familiar.
The smell of a meal your Dad made. The feel of following your favorite bassline.



Was the sky always like that? That's how it was before, right?
Makes you want to lay down for a while, and...

AAAAGH WTCARP IS THAT WEIRD GLOWY STATIC THING?!

Ignore the "non-space" outside. Seriously, don't look at it.

Wait, what the heck?

You look away from the Sky. Something about staring into the colors was...
It felt almost like that brain static was leaking in. Through your eyes.

No. The sky is not normal right now. This is all very much not normal.
What the heck was that, though? Why did you just think...

WILL TEST: 4 Willpower -1 Enervation ☆☆☆ <VS> Difficulty ★Show

Critical Failure! ☆☆☆



HANA IS SOULFRAYED FOR 1 POINT OF ENERVATION!

From nowhere, your heart is stricken by a sharp and sudden hurt.
With it, shadowy half-memories of grief and hopelessness ache through you.
Feelings that have always been there. Lurking below the surface of your mind.

The fear you've felt since you woke up here. The feelings you keep ignoring.
Your constant confusion, your frustration, your mistakes, and your powerlessness...

They coil and twist together, blooming into a cold and despairing pain.

Eventually different thoughts and emotions should crawl into our mindset. Return to the toaster-radio to confirm we are still there.

We need all the exposition we can get! Just tell the radio-person that we don't want to be sitting around forever, waiting, and we want actual info.

Maybe apologize, too.

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So hey. I'm back. Are you still there?

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Hana? Is that you?
Lands I was so worried. And I'm...

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Look, I...

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...I'm sorry for...

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What, haha? I couldn't hear you.
We were talking at the same time. You go first.

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Oh, uh. Sure. Just...

Look. I'm sorry that I snapped at you.
I've been on edge. This has been pretty stressful.
Being stuck somewhere unfamiliar. No idea why. No clear purpose.
Heck, only remembering a few scraps of who I am? It's been hard, okay?

But I know I shouldn't have gone off on you and... you know.
You were trying to help me out. And I appreciate that.

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Oh, Hana. It's totally understandable.
I'm sorry I didn't just tell you what was going on, too.
I should've been more sensitive to why you were upset.

After forgetting... losing yourself like that.
Withholding information, when that's the one thing you needed?

Sure I was nervous... but I absolutely should've known better.

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Yeah.

I guess we both messed up here, huh?

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I guess so, haha. But hey, I'm glad you didn't leave.

Who knows what might have happened?

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I guess you know the anŝ̺̲͚͉̐̉̒w̠̖̘͕̉ͤer to that now, huh.

...what?

Oh. That conversation wasn't happening, was it?

Nice work alie̵ͨ̋̊͌͌̆͆n̟̙̤̹̤̦͕̏̽͐̋͜ȃ̞̯̜t͔̫̟̳͇͡ing a potential ally, and ge̮̗̻̯̙̖̬͋̑͑̅̀̏ͦt͍͋͊ͧting yourself hurt. Again.

That's right. You got angry, and left.

Never went back.
Never said you were...

Do something better!

You betrayed me. When I needed you...

> Panic

...and you won't get̮͖͓͚͙̗͔̿ͥ̂̇͜ away with this.

Might as well stop

Honestly, what are you even doing, right now?
You're wandering blindly again, but by choice this time!
All because you didn't want to ask for help.

Do you want to get yourself more lost, or hurt, or something?
Are you truly so afraid to count on a stranger, that you'd risk...

You need to keep movi̴̱͉̩̺͚̚n̰͖ͣ̿ͤ͞ͅg forward.

...Mom?



Ugh, that's right. You're Outside, with the colors and light.
And... something just happened.

It felt like something literally hit you in the feelings?
You wouldn't know how else to describe it.

It doesn't feel good at all.

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