Four Painful Years

JULIE: “I think I know what I want to do.”

COTTONHELM: “Positively splendid! Do tell!”

GUDRUN: “Enough with the bouncing, Cottonhelm, I’m going to spill my drink.”

JULIE: “Okay, so, here’s my thought process…”
JULIE: “I want the mass gone as soon as I can get it out of me. As much as I try to convince myself of the opposite, I’m… not ready to go. I could make peace with it if I had more time, I think, but I just don’t have the luxury of ignoring it anymore. I wanna be free.”
JULIE: “But… The quickest way to a cure is through the Library, and I’m definitely too clumsy and impatient to be a secret agent or a scribe... And while I like the thought of being able to defend myself from all these nutbags coming to get me, Thorns sounds like another run-in with my axe-crazy neighbor but every day of my life, and… I’m sorry, but no. Once is enough.”
JULIE: “Had this kept being the boring, heartless world I was born into I might’ve chosen differently, but… I mean, teleportation, spaceships, mermaids, magic, and I’ve just been sitting here missing out on it? Everything looks so weird and colorful and different, I wanna take it in! It scares the hell outta me, no doubt, makes me wanna jump in bed and never leave… But I think I could maybe find some meaning out there? Something profound, I guess? You know what I mean?”

GUDRUN: “You’d like an answer for your head and also giant robots. You don’t have to be ashamed, sweetie.”

JULIE: “... Thanks.”
JULIE: “So, uh… I guess it’s off to the Magical School for me… Sorry.”

GUDRUN: “Oh, nonsense. The point was never to ‘win’ you like some sort of trophy, it was to find you a suitable home while we sort out this whole ‘mass’ debacle.”

VERMILLION: “... SNIFF.”

GUDRUN: “V-... Vermillion? Honey, what’s wrong?”

VERMILLION: “SUCH FIRE INSIDE HER… THE BODY COUNT WOULD HAVE BEEN… SNIFF… LEGENDARY!”

COTTONHELM: “Don’t you fret, old chum. Miss Mitchells could very well make the cover of Marauder Monthly some day! All depends on what she makes of her time up at the shop with us.”
COTTONHELM: “Besides, I’m sure if it were put to a vote, many would have chosen Thorns in Julie’s position!”
COTTONHELM: ”Vodka, Gudrun, give him th- Yes, there we go.”

JULIE: “Should I uh…?”

COTTONHELM: “It’s fine.”
COTTONHELM: “Regardless, welcome to the fold, Miss Mitchells! School begins in September, so you’ve got some preparation ahead of you.”

JULIE: “Uh, hold up.”
JULIE: “Are you saying I have to actually attend class and stuff? I thought this was gonna be some sorta ‘private mentor’ deal.”

COTTONHELM: “Oh, heavens no. One requires intensive training should one wish to survive in this world of ours. Well, should one have a bounty on their head worth more than the GDP of most small countries, at any rate.”
COTTONHELM: “Learning in a communal, goal-oriented environment incentivises the exchange of unique perspectives, the sharing of methodologies, the forging of friendships and rivalries. These tools are instrumental in our eternal search for wholeness, self-acceptance and above all, progress. Your survival is intrinsically tied to the well-being of your peers, and vice versa, such that if a large enough group of individuals bands together to protect one another, they become an impenetrable shield, interwoven like a mesh of fine steel, robust in its tenaci- “

GUDRUN: “Get used to this, Julie. Once he gets going he never shuts up.”

COTTONHELM: “... Ahem.”
COTTONHELM: “Yes, you will be enrolled in our standard, four-year curriculum. That won’t be a problem, will it?”

JULIE: “Honestly? I don’t think so.”
JULIE: “I never really got to go to regular school. I spent my childhood getting poked and prodded by med students and my teens getting hounded by paparazzi. Dad taught me everything he could at home and hired tutors for everything else.”
JULIE: “Could be nice to just go to… what, like, college? What’s it like there?”

COTTONHELM: “Somewhere between a college and a university, by way of a particularly well-to-do secondary school… Or so I’ve been told. Truthfully, MSTTE is very much its own beast.”
COTTONHELM: “You’ll have ample time to experience its many charms over the course of your stay. Speaking of which…”

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Cottonhelm hops off the sofa, produces a thick stack of papers and plops them onto your lap. They are held together with a bulldog clip, and probably number slightly more than hundred.

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JULIE: “What’s this?”

COTTONHELM: “Your application form!”
COTTONHELM: “Pages A1 through C27 detail the terms of your enrollment, as well as school policies, expectations and benefits.”
COTTONHELM: “D1 through D27 is all the disclaimers.”

JULIE: “It’s huge!”

COTTONHELM: “Indeed!”
COTTONHELM: “When you’re finished giving it a good skim, make sure to sign in the spaces provided and fill out the profile near the back. Then you’re all set!”

JULIE: “Phwoooo… Okay. Okay, I can do this.”
JULIE: “I’m gonna go be a late-teens fantasy novel… It’s gonna be great. This is actually happening.”
JULIE: “Cottonhelm, Gudrun, Vermillion… Thanks. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t literally come out of nowhere and decided to help me.”
JULIE: “I’m sorry if I got a little ragey back there… It’s been so bonkers lately and I don’t know who or what to trust anymore… Hell, I barely trust you guys, no offense. Seems like you could stand to get more out of this than just ‘protecting the galaxy.’ But, I’ll stash that reflex for now and just… see how it goes.”

VERMILLION: “WISE. TRUST IS VERY IMPORTANT THING, LITTLE GIRL. MAINTAIN IT, KEEP WIT SHARP. YOU TRUST WRONG PERSON, YOU DIE. END OF STORY.”

GUDRUN: “Your distrust isn’t unfounded. I’ve been in your position before… Born Mundane, fresh to the Flipside, lost and vulnerable and easy to take advantage of. It can be difficult to find someone worth confiding in, especially when you have something everyone else wants.”

COTTONHELM: “Luckily for you, if you’re in the market for someone worth putting faith into, the Magical School is the perfect place to start! Please, allow me to set the standard.”

JULIE: “Man.”
JULIE: “I’m sorry, but I still can’t get over how short you are.”

COTTONHELM: “Most people never do.”



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Incoming Mechanics!

This is Julie's Character Card. Here you can view her Statistics, as well as her Current Level and Attunement.

You can increase Julie's Level by suggesting to cash in 1000 points of Influence. You can gain Influence by unlocking Achievements. In case you were wondering, you currently have 775 Influence. Later on, Influence may be spent in other ways in exchange for different benefits. Leveling entitles Julie to a Perk. More on that later.

Julie's Statistics do not increase upon gaining a Level. They must be increased through constant study and training.

STR (Strength) - Measures physical might and attack power.
TNC (Tenacity) - Measures ability to withstand pain, physical trauma and the effects of toxins and disease.
FIN (Finesse) - Measures hand-eye coordination and reflexes.
ACU (Acuity) - Measures intellect, strength of thought, ability to learn and retention of knowledge.
INS (Insight) - Measures awareness of environment and ability to reason.
CHA (Charisma) - Measures awareness of self, strength of character and ability to influence others.
MNA (Mana) - Measures Mana capacity and conversion rate. Hidden until tested.
SPP (Spellpower) - Measures magical might. Hidden until tested.
WLP (Willpower) - Measures strength of spirit and ability to act beyond one’s parameters.

Once she learns how, Julie will be able to Attune herself to a fundamental aspect of her being - Soul, Mind, Body - in order to access certain abilities and temporarily boost certain Statistics.

Julie's Character Card, as well as your current Influence, can be found at the bottom of each update behind a spoiler.

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Achievement Unlocked: "Into The Blue" - Agreed to receive sanctuary at the Magical School for Things That Exist. (220In)

SpoilerShow

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995 Influence

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