Keep going until you have enough for a buffet. I want to see just how large an appetite an angel-cannibal can get.

>>901753
30 bucks for breakfast?
Ooof, city living. Damn.
What food does Sweat even like? It's breakfast time so like, ANYTHING is usually good for most people. Pancakes fill motherfuckers up, but bacon and eggs is a REALLY satisfying, protein filled combo to start your morning up with orange juice.

Personally speaking, I'd prefer steak and eggs, without the eggs, if I could get it. Cheap 10 dollar steak place with good reviews.

Doesn't matter, there's always something homely and comforting in your local greasy spoon for an affordable price. Did we do that the other day too?

wander around and also ask sweat what it wants! you drew it and made it happy but didn't call it cute ):

Sweat almost never eats, right? I can't imagine it has a lot of food opinions, so find a place that looks good to you and it'll be ecstatic just to be spending time with you

ask sweat where it would like to eat! or where it would like to play with a plateful of food as the case may be. if sweat doesnt Really Eat A Lot it might at least have fun mushing up some hash browns or something.

also call sweat cute because it is and thank it for being so patient while you made some breakfast money

$30 isn't bad at all. Go get something to eat while the sun's still out.

FRACTAL 2018/09/22(Sat)21:12 No. 902858 ID: 270774
File 153767595072.png - (236.00KB , 700x600 , 223.png )

“Alright, we’re good to go.” I get up from the bench, and Sweat hands me back the sketchbook. “Thanks for waiting.”

It makes a happy little hum at me, so I guess that’s its way of saying it didn’t mind. We start walking down the sidewalk at an easy pace. “Is there somewhere in particular you wanna go?”

It cocks its head to the side, humming a little louder as it considers. “Truthfully, truly, in truth, only for you to feed well! Well and well, Lowry. A body is precious, and needs to be nourished, and so often do you neglect it.”

Well… okay, yeah, that’s a fair criticism. “There’s a Blissbug Buffet around here, I think. Bit of a walk, but we’ve got time.”

FRACTAL 2018/09/22(Sat)21:12 No. 902859 ID: 270774
File 153767596438.png - (467.79KB , 700x600 , 224.png )

The day is hot, but there are plenty of awnings to pass under, little pockets of temporary relief where the sun’s rays haven’t managed to heat the air. Sweat looks fascinated by everything, the way it always does, and frequently stops to tug my hand and get me to look at something.

“Hey, Sweat.” It’s currently excitedly showing me some dumb shit in a storefront window, and it looks back at me, smiling. “You’re really cute, you know that?”

It blinks at me, still smiling, but apparently completely uncomprehending. “Cute?”

“Jeez. You don’t know what ‘cute’ means? It’s like, uh...” I rub the back of my neck with my free hand. “Endearing. Sweet.”

I’m immediately blinded by Sweat flipping its halo on like a floodlight. “Endearment? You feel endearment? You are endeared to me? Even to me? Even in this wretched form?”

“Oh, come on.” I hold my hand up in front of my face to block some of the light, squinting. “Don’t call yourself wretched and shit like that.”

“Oh, but-” It seems to notice and dims itself a little for me, and I put my hand back down. “Ah. It displeases you? For what reason?”

"because i like you, sweat! i think highly of you and i know it's hard to not be self deprecating, but it isn't the most happy-making thing." this is not a lowry tone but it's the Important things to say, also sweat is SO cute, tell it we love it's awful flesh body

Tell it that it just makes you sad it can't see how good it is. It's weird and gross and confusing and everything but it makes you sorta... Better. Even if you could have come this far on your own (and that's a big if), you don't know that you would have bothered.

And you just like being around it because it's cool. And weird and gross and sometimes annoying. But mostly cool. And you don't think it can do that stuff and be a wretched person. That's not how you see it at all.

Your form isn't disgusting, or wretched, or anything bad, it's just you! Calling yourself bad things will only make you feel bad about yourself, and if you feel bad about yourself it makes us unhappy because we want you to feel good.

“because you’re important to me, and... no matter what you did to get your body or to try and protect me, i don’t think of you as ‘wretched’ or only useful or anything like that. i dunno if your concept of personhood is different when it comes to yourself, but i see you as, as valuable as me. you matter to me the most out of everyone else i know, i think.”

"your form isn't any more wretched than anyone else's. you don't need to be so harsh on yourself. you're good."

we don't wanna overdo it either way, this poor sweet angel takes everything you say so seriously. actually you know what maybe we should just give it a really tight hug

I second the hug, please hug it

you're not wretched sweat, you're the best friend i've ever had. you've been there for me through everything. you're not wretched, you're the best.

"Because I've got enough pessimism for three of you. You can fix yourself, you just need patience. Me, I need my parts back or I'll be broken no matter what. So chin up, Sweat. Good things come to those that CAN wait."

"You wouldn't like it if I talked about myself that way, so I don't like it when you talk that way. Fair's fair. Besides, if I say I think you're cute, it's because i mean it."

>>902865

>>902886

>“Ah. It displeases you? For what reason?”
Because you matter to me, and I don't like seeing you degrade yourself. To make yourself less.

>>902859
because its really fucking cool and not wretched

FRACTAL 2018/10/10(Wed)21:05 No. 906385 ID: 270774
File 153923071293.png - (382.10KB , 700x600 , 225.png )

“Because you’re not wretched.” I start ambling away from the window again, and Sweat follows, watching me attentively as I try to get my thoughts together. “I mean, okay, listen, you’re weird. And kind of confusing sometimes. And I guess you can be a little gross. But…”

I reach to the side, and my claws find Sweat’s. I link our fingers. “You’re my best friend. You’re important to me. You wouldn’t like it if I said that kind of stuff about myself, so I don’t like it when you say it about yourself, y’know?”

“Ah…” Sweat swings our arms, its head darting side to side as it looks around, as if unsure what to do. “Ah! Ah… Well… I…”

“If you say anything self-deprecating you’re missing the point,” I warn it.

“Oh! Ah. Of course. Well. Well! I!” It seems to be trying to keep its halo under control, the glow flickering violently like a fluorescent light at a bus station. “You are my best friend as well,” it finally says. “Mine as well, mine as well. I feel the same, always and always.”

FRACTAL 2018/10/10(Wed)21:05 No. 906386 ID: 270774
File 153923073031.png - (377.43KB , 700x600 , 226.png )

There’s some part of me, half-buried, that feels like it can relate to what’s probably going through Sweat’s head right now. A frantic mantra of Don’t be weird, don’t be weird, the kind of thing that I don’t care about anymore, but I know I used to. I slow down and stop, turning to it. “Hey. C’mere.”

It gives me a quizzical look, free hand held loose up by its chest, and I drop its hand and hold out my arms. “Hug.”

It barrels into me so fast that I start laughing, out of nowhere, which feels … weird. I tip backwards, my arms tight around its waist, and stumble a few steps before catching myself. Sweat is damp and a little too warm to the touch and its cheek sticks to my temple, and I don’t mind much.

FRACTAL 2018/10/10(Wed)21:05 No. 906387 ID: 270774
File 153923074948.png - (316.83KB , 700x600 , 227.png )

“Okay, okay.” We part, and I have a sudden need to shove my hands in my pockets or something, but as usual, I’m not wearing pants. “Uh. Good talk.”

“Good talk!” Sweat echoes, excitedly. Blissbug’s is only a block away by now anyway, and there’s a kind of a hasty spring in my step as we close that tiny distance - probably just because I’m ready to eat.

When we get inside, Sweat just watches as I load up my first plate. I try to get it to participate - after all, they made me pay for it even though I tried to explain it probably wouldn’t have anything - but every time I handed it a plate it just cheerfully put it back on the stack at the end of the buffet line, like it was a game. Maybe later.

We sit down, me with a heaping plate of mid-tier buffet food and Sweat empty-handed, and it beams at me as I start to dig in.

I guess we should probably be talking, or something, but I’ve never been great at this part of it, even before my socialization cortex or whatever got gutted.

ok well since we bought food make sure ur eating, sweat does want u to so you don't have to worry abt not making convo.. PWEASE compliment it more if we can get away with that, it is so cute and trying so hard and i love it sm

let's not talk about what's going on, it's good meal time! so... how have you been lately, sweat? whatcha been up to?

earlier, sweat said "A language only for you. We spoke well." i wonder if that means it did some art!! or maybe it meant it liked to talk to lowry about her art? i wanna know if sweat has any creative inclinations

Well, since he's apparently too HAPPY to eat, let's talk about Rabies. And any other stuff he has neglected to remind you.

This is an expensive buffet you paid for him and he WILL use his mouth one way or another.

>>906395
ohhhh did sweat do art???
....do you feel hopeful, lowry? do you feel at ease? treasure it. talk about it.
i feel that serious plans can wait after food.


.....DUDE BRAID ITS HAIR

kome dude we just got reminded that sweat is our friend, not a magic askbox. it doesn't know much more than we do and it wants to help but we shouldnt take advantage of it??? everythign rn is going good bc we are finally being nice to it ;;

Lowry, do you realise that after all this is over, whether you get your memories back or not... this could be your life? Having breakfast with people you care about, being happy together, eating enough, smiling... it's a nice future

>>906387
Lowry, no matter what, make sure you remember to swallow your food so that you don’t talk with your mouth full!

>>906403
Have you forgotten that the reason Sweat doesn’t have much information to offer about the time Lowry was with Rabies is because Rabies killed it and it had to rebuild its own body from scratch.

Do NOT talk about Rabies. Tell Sweat you like seeing it happy and compliment its hair instead.

Oh, after youre done eating you should heap up a plate for Sweat and stealthily Take the contents - thats your lunch or dinner.

...Do you remember how you met Sweat?

>>906404
Omg yes hair braiding!!!! It's so darn cute and thrilled.

Tell it thank you for sticking with you through stuff, and that you appreciate that it can't have been easy all the time, and you're in more of a position to help it in return now, if it has anything you could help with.

>>906387
Ask it if it has any interests outside of you. Does it have any hobbies? Other friends? Stuff like that.

ask sweat if it wants any food just to like... play with?? mashed potato sculpting or something. i mean the buffet is its oyster

sweat is so sweet and radiant.... pls play with its hair!

and seconding the idea about Taking food for later, if there's a way to do that without trouble.... might be nice to aim for stuff that'd be decent cold.

>> 906430
yeah see if you can remember meeting sweat, and if not maybe ask about that story while braiding its hair?

places hand on my cheek gosh thats a precious bab

Ask Sweat why you get called "little throat."

>>909027
Sweat actually answered this forever ago - without finding the actual part, it's because it considers her "a sum of her parts, every one of them perfect"

Hey, I read this over the last few days, and its rather great.
Anyway, something occurred to me. How old is Lowry? I don't think anyone's ever said. It might've been specified somewhere outside of the quest, in which case never mind this. But whenever we look at what Lowry Has, there's always been "22 years and some change worth of memories". Except, she's lost what appears to be several years worth of memory.
So if we ask Bronstead or someone else who would know how old Lowry is, maybe we'll get a more clear indication of just how much she's lost? Just an idea.
Sweat might know, count this as a suggestion to ask it.

FRACTAL 2018/11/16(Fri)22:58 No. 910958 ID: 270774
File 154243790816.png - (102.45KB , 700x600 , 228.png )

“So, uh.” Man — trying to navigate this is just making it even more clear to me that I never really went out of my way to talk to Sweat before this, at least not since it came back, because there’s a lot of shit I could ask that I don’t know the answers to. I decide to just start with basics. “How’ve you been? What have you been up to, and … stuff?” And stuff. God. “Anything new?”

“Oh…” Sweat sways side to side, one finger to its mouth as it thinks. “Oh, Effe has begun to come to Mass with me! An intimacy, something shared. I was happy.”

I remember Effe, I think — the person who was in Sweat’s apartment the other day, when I came to talk to it. I realize that while I know Sweat has people over often, I’d never thought about whether or not it actually has … well, normal relationships with them. Friendships, or something more. I’d just kind of assumed …

That’s kind of crappy of me.

FRACTAL 2018/11/16(Fri)22:58 No. 910959 ID: 270774
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“Oh, uh, yeah, we met,” I say, lamely, as if Sweat doesn’t already know. “Real briefly. What are they like?”

“I love Effe!” Sweat bursts out, immediately. I blink a little. A piece of chicken falls off my fork. “Very much, very deeply! Effe comes to me often.” It pauses, tilting its head to the side, and its hair pools on the tabletop. “In their despair, often. To speak of things that others cannot comprehend, but that to me are little trinkets, in the absurd and meaningless enormity of former immortality.”

“Cool,” I say, in the face of not knowing how else to respond. I spear the chicken again. “Have you guys known each other for a while?”

“Forever and ever,” Sweat replies. “Since winter.”

FRACTAL 2018/11/16(Fri)22:59 No. 910960 ID: 270774
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“Those are two super different answers,” I point out. Sweat is kind of stretching across the table, and I kind of want to touch its hair, because it looks pretty and because it would probably like it — but I’m also fucking hungry, and I’m going to finish eating first. “Do you, uh — do you, like, have more friends? Like Effe.”

“Friends and lovers both. Sometimes together, sometimes apart. Some of them cherish me, and some do not — to some I am only a soft and wet mechanism.” Sweat is kind of starting to stick one of its fingers into my mashed potatoes. My first instinct is to yank my plate away, but instead I take my coffee cup off the saucer and scoop a dollop onto it, pushing it across the table to Sweat, who is immediately delighted. “But I am a mechanism of God,” it adds, as it pokes a grid of little dots into the surface of the potatoes. “To serve humans is my joy, in whatever way they ask of me. When they offer companionship in return, my heart overflows.”

god? isn't that guy a shithead? why's belial so uninterested in being a mechanism

sweat has our companionship now too, so hopefully that makes it happy? tell sweat that youre glad to be friends with it too, and that you want to hang out more often

Glad to know Sweat has relationships! I think? Sweat still seems very attached to Lowry, which Lowry probably needs right now, but it sounds like Sweat and Effe have something going on. Probably don't want to go for "homewrecker" right off the bat, unless it's just FWB... There doesn't seem to be a good way to ask that question.
Speaking of, how DID Lowry and Sweat first meet? Sweat mentioned God and serving humans... is that what drew it to Lowry in the first place? I mean, heck, Lowry has few memories, might not be a bad idea to try to ask for another one from Sweat that isn't a break up, or something traumatic.
(Hopefully.)
A mechanism of God... can Sweat still talk to God? I thought the eating angels would complicate matters, but maybe not. Can... Sweat ask for help from God?
Not that Lowry needs help from God (She has the Sukebun, after all), but hey. Might not be a bad idea to check in.
Oh, hey, can Lowry stuff any of the extra buffet food away for later? Maybe grab a plate of desserts and snacks and hide them? Probably don't want to spend all of the extra time sketching for money for more food if Lowry can help it.
(And at some point TV headed asshole should be contacted, but let's save that.)

tell sweat youre rly glad it has friends, and youd be happy to hear more aboiut them!

>That’s kind of crappy of me.
Don't get blame yourself for not knowing shit, That's not your fault.

>>910959
Well, good for Sweat. You didn't want him obsessing over you every single millisecond.

>>910960
Ask Sweat about the natural aspects of Fallen in relation to their former God. The whole "Amoeba" thing from Belial isn't something you'd expect to exist as a pre-programmed feature.

no sense blaming yourself- you're trying now, after all! tell sweat you're glad it has friends, and you're glad to be friends too

Sweat deserves friends. It's a good person.
Maybe if things go well, you and it can do this sort of thing more often. Just going out and having fun together.

FRACTAL 2019/01/04(Fri)16:55 No. 916234 ID: 270774
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“Well… I’m really happy that you have friends.” I push some under-salted mac and cheese around on my plate with the edge of my fork. “And I’m happy that I’m one of them. It would be, uh. It would be cool to do this more often, you know?” I gesture aimlessly with the fork, accidentally flinging a piece of pasta across the table. “Like, when everything calms down. Just hanging out like this.”

Every time I think Sweat couldn’t be happier, it proves me wrong. It has so many teeth. “Of course! Of course, if course! Whenever you call for me, sweetest and most beloved, I will be there.” It sways a little in its seat, talons clicking cheerfully against the tabletop. “And perhaps even there could be a collection, a mingling, a transference of knowing and having known.”

“Uh, yeah. Meeting your friends would be cool.” I tell it I’ll be right back and fill another plate of food, and when I sit down again I steer the subject a little. “Hey, you mentioned being, like… a mechanism of god. Don’t you hate that guy?”

“Endlessly.” Sweat is making confetti out of napkins. “Endlessly, boundlessly, ceaselessly, limitlessly. I hate Him in ways only a creature like I can hate.”

“Okay, see, that’s what I thought. So, like… why would you still want to call yourself that? Or associate with him in any way?”

FRACTAL 2019/01/04(Fri)16:56 No. 916235 ID: 270774
File 154664976214.png - (215.01KB , 700x600 , 232.png )

Sweat looks up at me, idly spreading its pile of napkin scraps out over the table. “Lowry, brightest, clearest. When bells at doors ring, and you run to them, whether you care to or not, you are utterly controlled by the bells — is it not so? They foretell your every movement.” It smiles a little, just at the corners of its mouth. “But if every time a bell tolls, you run from it, only to appear as one who doesn’t answer the call — even if beyond some doors lie your desires — is this not another kind of control? Like gentle sheep, who in their terror of a dog, become orderly in their panicked retreat. Like one end of a magnet pushed away by another, rejected.”

It scrapes the napkin scraps into a clumsy heart shape. “I hate my Father,” it says, softly. “To answer His calls disgusts me. To do his bidding I abhor.” It tilts its head slightly. “But I love humans. I love all humanity. I love that which has borne you, and what you live within, in all its filth and imperfection. Human suffering seems to me so vast, so vast, so vast. Angels are called to serve, to protect, to comfort — to ease the slings and arrows, levied so constantly against their tender flesh, unprotected organs, fragile skulls.”

I’m full for the first time in a long time. Sweat sighs. “To reject this calling, which I love, out of hatred for Him… this would be a loss, to me.”

“i think i get it, sweat. you’re a really kind person.”

>>916235
Sweat's a 'Hate the sinner, not the sin' kind of guy.

Ask Sweat when Heaven was divorced from direct supervision from God, and why. He racked up an impressive kill count, and Belial is an ass.

>>916235
Sweat's conversations seem more easily understandable for the last few times they've talked, is that weird or alarming in any way?

>>916241
yeah

>>916263
>Sweat widens its eyes at me slightly, nodding its head, and I sense a little frustration there, too - like its locked behind its own words, in the same way that i’m locked behind the holes in my brain.
earlier, sweat was frustrated by it’s inability to speak in an understandable way, and now that we’ve been talking for a while it seems like it’s having an easier time. iirc, belial once said sweat never learned to talk normally. it could be that it’s just gradually finally learning that skill. so we should congratulate it on that!

>>916235
That makes sense. It's better to be true to what you care about than to spite yourself for a grudge.

>>916235
Well, Sweat, you are what the layman calls a "good person."

I would not congratulate Sweat for something it can't control like its speech, or even bring it up really.

But yeah definitely seconding telling Sweat it is good and kind.

I think we should see if Sweat would come with us to visit Whisper at the Morgue after we finish eating! Sweat can make a new friend, and iirc it was able to recognize Lowry’s memory on sight when we got them from Ne, so perhaps it would be able to tell us at the very least IF any of the mortician’s memories for sale happen to be ours? I feel that the mortician probably wouldn’t be too thrilled to have an angel in his shop but it wouldn’t hurt to try.

(aaa sorry about the wrong pronouns for the mortician that’s my bad,)

FRACTAL 2019/01/08(Tue)19:35 No. 916835 ID: 270774
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“Yeah, well.” I stealthily Take the rest of the food on my plate, once I’m sure there are no waiters looking. It’ll be good to have later. “You’re what’s known as ‘a good person,’ and all. So that makes sense.” I glance up at it. “That makes a lot of sense, actually. Like, as in everything you just said was actually really clear. You feeling okay?”

Sweat wiggles a little in its seat. It almost seems a little bashful. “Well, little throat, clean bones — Sisyphus, ever upwards, an unending attempt. Easier with time.”

“Cool. Uh, good job.” I get up from my seat. “Y’know, I was thinking about heading over to the Morgue, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with. There’s somebody there I think you’ll get along with.”

“Ah! Ah! To extend my time with you, an ambling path, certainly.” Sweat follows me, flexing its wings a little after the period of inactivity, and we step back outside into the steadily building heat.

FRACTAL 2019/01/08(Tue)19:35 No. 916836 ID: 270774
File 154700495688.png - (108.21KB , 700x600 , 234.png )

The inside of the Morgue is a bastion of cool shadow after several blocks of sun-baked sidewalk. The Mortician is nowhere in sight, but another figure rises slowly from behind the counter, unfurling its limbs as it goes.

“SHOUT,” the homunculus bellows. “I’M SHOUT. MASTER IS. IS. BUSY. CAN I?” It presses its palm into the glass, leaning closer. “CAN I? HELP? YOU!”

uh, hey shout. is whisper around?

oh no. something happened to whisper, didn’t it. since it kept messing up.

mmm don’t like that.

ask shout where their master and whisper are, and if shout wants to know why you want to see the mortician maybe say you want to know more about homonculi.

hi shout! is whisper here? also how are you doing?

[honestly guys lets just free all the morticians familiars. i love them ok]

WHAT A CUTE FRIEND

hey shout. is whisper busy? anything interesting for sale?

See if you can SPEAK to him about memories and convince him into a bargain for your.s

Lowry, do you know Shout?

Ask if Whisper is there and if they are okay. We gotta save Whisper. Maybe ask Shout about Shout and Whisper's contracts with the Mortician, subtly.

I’m screaming I love shout?????? Thank u for this good one

Also be as pleasant to Shout as you are to Whisper!

Ask if you can pet shout (it looks soft) and introduce Sweat to it and it to See, but mention you were actually thinking it would get on with whisper who is a different thrall but that you think it will probably get on well with shout, too.

Ask if you can pet SHOUT.

must pet

FRACTAL 2019/01/19(Sat)21:13 No. 918381 ID: 270774
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“Uh. Hey, Shout.” I struggle to form my mouth around friendly words. “Howwww. Are you.”

“I’M SHOUT,” he says.

“Yyyyeah.” I rattle my claws on the glass, idly, and try for a smile again, since that seemed to put Whisper at ease last time I was here. “How’d you like a pet, buddy? Can I pet you?”

Shout recoils a little, the holes in his clay mask somehow narrowing suspiciously. “I D. I DON’T. I DON’T TRUST STRANGERS. YOU. YOU’RE A STRANGER. CAN’T. TOUCH ME!”

“Okay, okay, that’s fine.” I hold my hands up, placatingly. “Uh, is Whisper here? I was hoping to see it today.”

FRACTAL 2019/01/19(Sat)21:13 No. 918382 ID: 270774
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Shout looks at me for a moment, processing the request, and then turns around and bellows again. “WHISPER! WHISPER! C. COME OUT. A CUS. A CUSTOMER. WANTS YOU.”

There’s some scuttling, and then Whisper emerges from the back, slinking up to stand beside Shout. He brightens up the second he sees me. “AaaaAAAAaaa…. aaaAAAaaa… SHHHssshhhhout, aa, Sh-sshhout, thhh, aaaaa, thhhiiiIIs is m, m, mmMmmy BBBuuddy I told you a, a, aa, aaabout, my b-buddy!” It reaches across the glass counter for me, and I sort of awkwardly let it take my hand in its claws. “MmmMmMmy buddy! This is, aaaa, this, I’m Whhhisper and, and, and, and this is mmmmy BBBBbbBbbUDDY!”

Shout tilts his head at me, and eventually his attitude seems to shift to grudging acceptance. “MMM.... WHISPER’S BUDDY. A BUDDY FOR WHISPER. O. OKAY.”

FRACTAL 2019/01/19(Sat)21:14 No. 918383 ID: 270774
File 154796125097.png - (269.05KB , 700x600 , 237.png )

“I, uh. I brought another buddy for you guys.” I step to the side a little, and Sweat peels out over my shoulder. “This is Sweat. I thought you guys might get along.”

Sweat opens its mouth and scents the air, inquisitively. The homunculi shift their necks and fan their feathers in a way that makes me feel like they might be doing the same thing. There’s a little awkward shuffling.

“Nnnn, nnnn, nn-nnnot ssuPPOSed to, to, to, to let anGEls in hhhhhh, in hhhaaaa. In. In here,” Whisper mumbles uncertainly. “Thh. Thheey ccAn’t lie b-b-but, but, they, they c-cAn, cheat…”

“GONNA GET. IN TROULE,” says Shout.

“No cores,” comments Sweat, sounding unbothered. “Heart, liver, pancreas, intestines, stomach, kidney, lungs lungs lungs — none here! Like outlines. And no godly-ungodly will. Where, the will? Will the where will will it?”

“It’ll be fine,” I say slowly, kind of to all three of them. “When The Mortician gets back, if they ask me to leave, I will. Do you know where they are?”

“OuuUUuut,” says Whisper, and Shout nods. “Just, just, just, jUst, out… wh-when, aaaa, when, they g-g-go, they dON’t, nnn, they dddOn’t t-tell US, where… they just, just, hhh, they just goooOOooo…”

This might be one of the only chances I get. I don’t know why I’m even bothering, but I lean over the counter, dropping my voice conspiratorially. “I’m… uh, I’m kind of curious about thralls. Can you tell me about your contracts?”

FRACTAL 2019/01/19(Sat)21:14 No. 918384 ID: 270774
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They seem surprised at first, but after a moment, Whisper starts to speak, and Shout doesn’t try to stop him. “Thhree, aaaa, aaAAaaa, three t-t-tasks — you know thaaAAAaaaat. A thh, a th, a thrall has three, three tasks, yEs, that seal our mmmmm, our m- hhhaa. Our m-“

“MASKS,” yells Shout. Whisper nods appreciatively.

“The ffffffirst, aa, the first t-two, were eeaaAAsy… sso easy I d, I don’t, I don’t, aaaaa, I don’t r-remEMber…”

“I DON’T. REMEMBER. EITHER.”

“B, b, b, but my, my, my thiiIIrd, t-task, aaaa, my third, is…” Whisper wrings his hands fretfully. “To, to, to, to…. aaaa. AaaaaAAAAaaa. My third taaaAAask. Is to k. To k. K-kill… ShouUUuuT…”

Shout’s head drops a little. “MINE. IS TO KILL. W. WHISPER.” He reaches across, behind the counter, and his heavy paw finds Whisper’s. “CAN’T. CAN’T DO THAT.”

oh no. oh.

i’m so sorry, you two.

...wait, sweat. if those two killed each other (which, i’d never ask them to do that, this is a hypothetical) and lowry really wanted you to, could you bring them back with ichor?

question: is it possible to transfer the contract from person to person? if so maybe we can buy it off the mortician (or kill them and take it if it comes down to it, honestly,) and then we can just let them do whatever once we have the contract. Even if we can't change it or break it, we don't have to USE it. Just be like you're free now you funky little homunculi

>>918385

yeah, wait, how hard is it to bring back someone that doesn't even have internal organs?

u. uh. shout obvioisly does not want a hug or to be touched but ask them if it’s okay to hug whisper? or if we can help in any way.. and. let’s make sure to check in on sweat once we leave cause im sure the, thrall juxtaposition w angels is not.. bringing up gr8 memories

well, uh, shit. the mortician will probably not let us buy them, and i dunno what we would possibly have to offer anyway...

i don't wanna discuss killing them right in front of them, either, but i really would like to help them... more allies are always good...

well, does sweat have any ideas?

OH NO!!!!!!!!

dont, uh, dont discuss killing them right in front of them, or with them at all

Oh no, sweethearts.

Ask them a) what death means for a thrall, b) whether "Taking" whisper/shout's life and then giving it back could count as killing them? Can thralls Take things? There has to be a way around this, we want to help them so much but obviously them killing each other in the most straightforward way is absolutely not an option.

Ask for exact wording, if they can remember it.

Also ask about what they need to do as far as being contracted to the mortician goes. They have to do as they say? Or could they go on strike?

Explain to sweat that you want very much to help whisper and shout, and would appreciate its help if it would be able to give any. You already appreciate its insight into their nature, because you couldn't see that they have no organs, so hearing that was helpful.

Also also, mention to sweat that a reason you care so much is you've known what it's like to not be allowed a will or life of your own and you don't like seeing others in that position, and you think that sweat might share that view?

And ask shout and whisper whether they know why the mortician doesn't like angels, or possibly ask sweat why someone like the mortician wouldn't like it

(this is a looooooot of questions so also keep an eye out for any of the three of them getting stressed, and hold fire and let them speak or sort out their thoughts when needed)

NOOOOOO, PROTECT THEM!!!!

If you can ask Sweat without Shout and Whisper overhearing, could it have any advice? Is this maybe a situation where we could trick the contract by letting them "die" and then doing CPR or some other thing asap? Or some kind of metaphorical death, like have them both... play a video game? Fail at stand up comedy? How many loopholes are we allowed to do with this contract. Ooh it's so sad that their "impossible tasks" are based on love and morality, noo sweet babies that's so much harder than catching a falling star.

brainstorming and asking sweat if it has any idea of how to help them seems good, but also you should def offer a "that really sucks, i'm sorry" of sympathy or something, and tell them you want to help them if you can figure out a way how (and offer whisper a hug or a pet or something,) even if you can't come up with any way to immediately help them right now. i think it'd be good to at the very least let them know theyve got people who recognize their situation is wrong and who want to help if possible, yknow?

>>918386
i want to specify when i said said "kill them and take the contract" i meant kill the mortician not the thralls. i will never endorse harming them i love them

>Protocol 3: Kill accomplice
Effective means of disposing evidence. Or locking these shades in a conundrum that prevents them from completing the contracts and going home. Maybe both.

First up, can they kill each other metaphorically? Almost certainly not, or they would have played a round of smash against each other as a loophole. It's also possible that the first two protocols had an easy workaround to this situation so the contract would be acceptable, but the mortician erased their memories to prevent them from doing that.

To that end, since their current protocol is too complicated to fulfill immediately and interferes with their focus on other jobs, suggest they should look around the memory bin and see if they're being jipped. And totally steal your memories back while they're at it.

>>918384
You’d think that would be easy. One of them just has to kill the other and they’re free.

But since neither of them have done so, that means that they willingly don’t want to kill the other.

>He reaches across, behind the counter, and his heavy paw finds Whisper’s.
See? They’re even holding hands how lewd! They don’t want to kill each other because they’ve become friends! So being free without their friend would be a lonely freedom that they don’t want.

>>918402

oh wow yeah, i am totally willing to bet the mortician or someone took whisper and shout's memories of their other tasks. maybe we should sniff around for those.

I love Whisper and Shout dearly, and we should treat them nice and protect them as best we can!

>>918437
I thought the implication was that they'd already finished their first two tasks because they were easy? We should clarify with them

>>918507

but then why specifically say they don't remember what the tasks were? something seems fishy.

>>918532
When we first learned about thralls we were told that the first two tasks are usually normal/achievable things, and it's the third one which is the kicker.

Shout and whisper's exact phrasing was
>“The ffffffirst, aa, the first t-two, were eeaaAAsy… sso easy I d, I don’t, I don’t, aaaaa, I don’t r-remEMber…”

>“I DON’T. REMEMBER. EITHER.”
They were easy, not are easy. But you're totally right that there's some ambiguity so we should definitely clear that up so we're not trying to do the hard thing without getting the easy stuff out of the way.

ask if the mortician has any more thralls

Wbat if....the mortician was killed? Not saying we would, but if he was?