ANNETTE — “Hi, ace detective.” The young girl stifles a yawn. “We’ll be closing up soon, I’m afraid. Is there anything I can help you find?”
EMPATHY — She’s hoping the answer is yes. Any excuse to take a break from the dreaded *math homework.*
“No thanks, I was just on my way out.” [Leave]
“It’s okay, I don’t want to distract you from your studies.”
“Yeah, actually. I’m looking for a book.”
ANNETTE — She tries and fails to hide her relief as she sets her textbook under her chair. “Of course! What are you looking for, sir?”
“A happy story.”
“A sad story.”
“Something that will make me a better detective.”
“Something that will make me a better person.”
“Something about how to mend a broken heart.”
ANNETTE — “Oh…” She frowns, staring up at the shelves as if hoping that the perfect book will miraculously catch her eye. “Umm… Let me think…”
EMPATHY — She’s genuinely trying to think of one. She wants to help you.
ANNETTE — After a long, long pause, Annette finally lets out a sigh of defeat. “…I’m not sure,” she admits sadly. “I’m sorry, sir.”
YOU — “You can’t think of anything at all?”
ANNETTE — “Well… We do carry some self help books, sir, but…” She casts a quick glance around the store.
REACTION SPEED — Making sure Plaisance is out of earshot.
ANNETTE — The girl leans in conspiratorially and whispers, “Mother says those books are all snake oil. ‘If all it took to change somebody’s life was a book, *we* would be sitting quite prettily.’”
DRAMA — Her Plaisance impression is uncanny! What talent!
YOU — “Why do you sell them, then?”
ANNETTE — “Well,” she coughs, “not everyone agrees with my mother.”
RHETORIC — Translation: because people buy them. It’s as simple as that.
ANNETTE — “But I don’t think that’s quite what you’re looking for, is it, sir…?” She looks up at you with that seemingly impossible mixture of innocence and knowing that is unique to children.
“Yeah, you’re right. It isn’t.”
“No, I think I’ll give the self help books a try.”
“I’m not really sure what I’m looking for, to be honest.”
ANNETTE — She nods slowly, looking down at her frayed nails. “Lots of people come into the shop not quite knowing what they’re looking for. But that’s what’s so nice about bookshops, don’t you think? No matter where you look, you can find *something* interesting.” She smiles bright enough to light up every dark corner of the bookstore and the doomed commercial area below it. “I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for, ace detective. Maybe you just have to let it find *you.*”
+1 MORALE
VOLITION — Here in this bookshop. In Martinaise. Revachol. The world. This seemingly wretched lifetime. In the midst of it all, there is always something for you. Uncurl your fist. Let it find your palms upturned.
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Self indulgent Mafuyu headcanon:
Mafuyu doesn’t really think of her name too often. After the whole mafumom incident, she kind of wonders about her identity. She had an identity as OWN, an identity as Mafuyu and an identity as Yuki. She goes along with Mafuyu because that’s her name but she doesn’t think it was a right fit for her. Like it was part of the identity that she didn’t see herself as. She’s now referred to by close friends as Yuki because while Yuki isn’t really a name that she fully identifies with, it’s the one that she can connect to the most. Yuki doesn’t know to handle her identity but little by little she’s forming a new self. She isn’t sure where it will take her or if it’s her true identity but she’ll make it work.
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So Kusuo often gets strong armed into hanging out with people by his mom. But what would she do if he really did ultimately decline? I mean, she seems genuinely threatening when she forces him to do things, and while there’s a chance he’s just such a mama’s boy and doesn’t want to see her disappointed and hear her thoughts, I feel like it’s equally likely she would do something drastic or impactful. I very much do not think that she would ever hit him, but ig she just reminds me of my mom a lot
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Even though I think it’s better for her character arc I’m still kind of offended that Hollyleaf didn’t get to be a part of the prophecy but Lionblaze did. Being an egomaniac and killing ppl is wrong unless it’s in battle and the egomaniac in question is male ig… esp if he is otherwise aggressively uninteresting and has proven time and time again that he can’t be trusted w any degree of power good choice Starclan (or… whoever?? Whatever?? Decides these things??)
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