Four.

>Hey Aubrey, since now is the perfect time for it, what's your favorite animal and why? Spare no detail, tell us everything.

Aubrey's too wrapped up in thought to consider your japery.

> Looks like your friend may have been sacrificed to create a new space in the In-Between. Such a shame. But you could still get revenge.

> At least the emo girl doesn't seem hostile. Ask for her name I'm tired of seeing question marks. Then make her tell you where to find this space she spoke of.

AUBREY
"Sacrificed...?"

Aubrey's expression remains controlled, but you sense her WILL growing with every heartbeat.
Reality ripples—almost imperceptibly, but ripples all the same. Outside, the static crackles.

**Aubrey's emotions continue rising.**



? ? ?
"Such cold eyes. How did a simple being like you wander into the In-Between all by its lonesome?"

AUBREY
"At least a̭̱s̯̲̼̮̳̠̙k̡ ̮̥͎̖m͞y̙̜̪͖̭̲̩ ̤n̘̠a͖̞̟m̧ͅḙ̪͙̲̮̖̞͟ before prying into my backstory."

? ? ?
"I beg your pardon. What is your name, little lost one?"

Aubrey glares at the patronizing tone.
Ada gives a concerned hum, trying to soothe her.

>take a breath Aubrey. no plan survives contact and all that. we'll find a way.

>Aubrey, it's going to be okay. Just leave the book, and let's go find em', okay? Don't listen to her, they feed of your anger. It's going to be okay.

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Spoiler An internal letter to Seyhial,
calm down. There is nothing to gain by fighting.

Seyhial, you cannot expect to throw her in a position where she cannot control herself. Fury will not aid her in the least.

If you wish to train her, that is a diffrent question. She should be trained, if we cannot aid her at all times. But anger is not the solution.

Signed,
wiltingMyosotis.

> Perhaps you should ask for more details, Aubrey. I've always found that useful, and on occasion quite intresting. Perhaps you would as well?

> You need to breathe. Do not get angry, for your sake.

Your combined efforts at consoling Aubrey give her the strength to hold back her temper.
Distress rolls off her in waves, but she won't act out unprovoked.

AUBREY
"...Aubrey."
"And you?"

The creature hesitates for a split-second.

? ? ?
"Rahasya; Master of the Colorless World."
"...Though, right now, I suppose the 'Colorless Isle' describes my territory better."

AUBREY
"Hm. So they're a 'boss monster', huh..."

RAHASYA
"What was that?"

AUBREY
"Don't mind me. I think aloud when I'm concentrating."

Deep breaths. Name of this master plz. Any other masters we should be aware of?

AUBREY
"So, this Master of the Blue World..."
"What's its name? What can you tell me about it?"

RAHASYA
"Very little—aside from that they're most unpleasant."
"The Colorless World was a grander thing before Biru grew sour towards me."

Aubrey considers this for a beat.

AUBREY
"Biru, huh? I'll keep that in mind. What about the Yellow World? And the Red World? Do those still exist?"

RAHASYA
"Not in the way as when you were last here, judging by your ignorance."

AUBREY
"But they're still around, and I can still visit them."

RAHASYA
"If you're so set on oblivion, yes."

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Spoiler( ＩＮＴＥＲＮＡＬ ＭＥＭＯ: Ｔｈｅ Ｔｅｃｈｍｉｎｄ ａｄｖｉｓｅｓ ｔｈａｔ ａｎｇｅｒ ｃａｎ ｂｅ ｕｓｅｄ ａｓ ａ ｍｅｔｈｏｄ ｔｏ ｒｅｌｉｅｖｅ ｓｔｒｅｓｓ, ａｓ ｗｏｕｌｄ ａｎｙ ｏｔｈｅｒ ｅｘｃｅｓｓｉｖｅ ｅｍｏｔｉｏｎ.

Ｈｏｗｅｖｅｒ, Ｔｈｅ Ｔｅｃｈｍｉｎｄ ａｄｖｉｓｅｓ ｔｈａｔ ｔｈｅ ｏｎｅ ａｄｄｒｅｓｓｉｎｇ Ｖｉｓｉｔｏｒ Ａｕｂｒｅｙ ｃｕｒｒｅｎｔｌｙ ｈａｓ ｓｕｐｅｒｉｏｒｉｔｙ ｉｎ ｒｅｇａｒｄｓ ｔｏ ｉｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎ, ｐｏｓｉｔｉｏｎｉｎｇ, ａｎｄ ｈａｖｉｎｇ ｇｏｔｔｅｎ ｔｈｅ ｄｒｏｐ ｏｎ Ｖｉｓｉｔｏｒ Ａｕｂｒｅｙ.

Ｔｈｅ Ｔｅｃｈｍｉｎｄ ｒｅｍｉｎｄｓ ｙｏｕ ｔｈａｔ Ｖｉｓｉｔｏｒ Ａｕｂｒｅｙ ｃａｎ ｏｎｌｙ ｇｅｔ ｓｔｒｏｎｇｅｒ ｉｆ ｓｈｅ ＳＵＲＶＩＶＥＳ ｈｅｒ ｅｎｃｏｕｎｔｅｒｓ. Ｓｕｒｅｌｙ Ｃｏｕｎｃｉｌｏｒ Ｓｅｙｈｉａｌ ｃａｎ ａｇｒｅｅ ｔｈａｔ ａｔｔａｃｋｉｎｇ ｗｉｔｈ ａｂｓｏｌｕｔｅｌｙ ｎｏ ｐｒｉｏｒ ｋｎｏｗｌｅｄｇｅ, ｅｓｐｅｃｉａｌｌｙ ｗｉｔｈｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｅｎｅｍｙ'ｓ ｏｗｎ ｔｅｒｒｉｔｏｒｙ, ｉｓ ａｓｋｉｎｇ ｔｏ ｒｏｕｔｅｄ ｗｉｔｈｏｕｔ ｇａｉｎ.

Ａｓ ａ ｇｒｅａｔ ｐｏｅｔ ｏｎｃｅ ｓａｉｄ: Ｏｎｌｙ ｆｏｏｌｓ ｒｕｓｈ ｉｎ.)

"Ｖｉｓｉｔｏｒ Ａｕｂｒｅｙ, ｉｔ ｉｓ ｏｕｒ ｏｐｉｎｉｏｎ ｔｈａｔ ｉｆ ｔｈｉｓ ｏｎｅ ｉｎｔｅｎｄｅｄ ｔｏ ｋｅｅｐ ｙｏｕ ｔｒａｐｐｅｄ, ｙｏｕ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｎｏｔ ｈａｖｅ ｇｏｔｔｅｎ ｏｕｔ ｓｏ ｅａｓｉｌｙ. Ａｄｖｉｓｉｎｇ ｙｏｕ ｔｏ ｅｎｔｅｒ ｔｈｅｉｒ ｈｏｕｓｅ ｗａｓ ｏｕｒ ｍｉｓｔａｋｅ, ａｎｄ ｔｒｅｓｐａｓｓｉｎｇ ｉｓ ｓｔｉｌｌ ｉｍｐｏｌｉｔｅ, ｅｖｅｎ ｉｆ ｙｏｕ ａｒｅ ｎｏｔ ａｗａｒｅ ｏｆ ｉｔ. Ｈｏｗｅｖｅｒ: Ｅｖｅｎ ｉｆ ｔｈｅ Ｂｌｕｅ Ｗｏｒｌｄ ｉｓ ｎｏｔ ａｓ ｙｏｕ ｒｅｍｅｍｂｅｒ ｉｔ, ｙｏｕ ｗｉｌｌ ｓｔｉｌｌ ｗａｎｔ ｔｏ ｓｅｅ ｉｔ ｙｏｕｒｓｅｌｆ, ｙｅｓ? Ｔｈｅ Ｔｅｃｈｍｉｎｄ ｓｕｇｇｅｓｔｓ ｙｏｕ ｍａｋｅ ｙｏｕｒ ｉｎｔｅｎｔｉｏｎ ｔｏ ｇｏ ｔｈｅｒｅ ｃｌｅａｒ, ｆｏｒ ｙｏｕ ｍｕｓｔ ｃｏｎｆｉｒｍ ｔｈｉｎｇｓ ｗｉｔｈ ｙｏｕｒ ｏｗｎ ｅｙｅｓ. "

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Spoiler
The Management Advises The Techmind to remember that The AUBREYOur Dear Patron is in possession of our Insignia and her own WILL. The Likelihood of any Denizen of the Inbetween being aware of this combination and being able to Counter it is incredibly unlikely.

The Management Seconds the recommendation to remain cautious, but polite. You may have our favour, and access to our resources, but this may be a battle you cannot win. It will be of no help to anyone, Jackie Least of All, if you Die here. Do what you need to do to de-escalate the situation. Have a Cup of tea. Offer your host a cup of tea. It may be tempting to lose your temper, but it rarely helps. Trust me on this Take the first opportunity you can get to flee. If only you had a Skateoard, Hrrm?. .


Internal Memo to Council Member Sayhial; In my experience, anger is satisfying but never leads to making smart decisions. Making dumb decisions in the Inbetween might get The AUBREY killed. And of course the AUBREY enjoys violence. I enjoy violence. Everyone Enjoys Violence, New Management nowithstanding. but you do not need to be Angry to engage in Violence. In fact, it is always better to do Violence when one is Calm and Collected. Berserk rages are only helpful if you are a Berserker and I do not think the AUBREY is one of those. Too Few Skulls in her choice of Nudity Obsurers. Also, Honestly, did you even think out your plan? Make the AUBREY angry, have her Unleash her WILL to its maximum and then..? You would have a Very Powerful Being who was Very Angry because of you. Quite probably very angry AT you. That doesn't end well

AUBREY
"Can you take me there? Or at least point me in the right direction...?"
"If I can do any favours in return, I'm willing."



Rahasya lifts a rubbery arm and strokes their jaw thoughtfully.

RAHASYA
"Perhaps, perhaps not."
"Your motives matter."

Aubrey feels this conversation is going nowhere, fast—

*THUMP*

A faint thud sounds from above. The In-Between shivers, just a little.