AUDIENCE: SOO-WON

[retellers]

Comments

[recrowns]

Then you were unwilling and unknowing.

[he says this with a remarkable amount of uncertainty - and he'll move to gently pull goat into another hug]

Even if the two are connected -

I don't blame you.

[retellers]

[ he accepts the hug, though he's still very distressed. ): ] ... I'm sorry.

[recrowns]

[sweet goat!!!!!! but soo-won is at least

so used to being around distressed people by now, so he doesn't mind giving goat a hug and also reaching up to gently stroke his hair to try to calm him back down]

It's alright.

It's just one more thing that we'll have to look into.

[retellers]

[ he seems to calm down after a while, at least. ] ... I apologize that I do not have more information to give you on that matter.

[recrowns]

[please save this poor sweet goat!!!!!!]

We'll just have to keep looking, right?

[retellers]

... Yes. You are right.

[recrowns]

[soo-won just sighs a little bit at that, patting the top of goat's head - he'll have to be the one to pull away first]

... it's fine. We'll keep working together.

Trust me.

[retellers]

[ well, goat likes this hug so he's not pulling away anytime soon. ] ... All right.

[recrowns]

[they're going to be hugging in the hallway and all the other leaders are going to know exactly soo-won's team

anyway]

It seems like we won't be able to know if what the other group experienced came from a different leader until we get them to unmask and regain some of their memories...

[retellers]

[ yea ] ... So it seems. If any of them remember anything, they haven't said so...

[recrowns]

Hm...

I feel as though it'll be hard to get them to admit it to anyone not on their team -

But at least I can get us started on searching for that.

[retellers]

[ he nods. ] You have many reliable allies, I think.

[recrowns]

... I think that I do too.

[and there, he sounds content]

I hope that will continue.

[retellers]

I imagine it will. You're good at pushing people in action, from what I've seen.

[recrowns]

[there's just a bit of a laugh]

I think that just comes from how I grew up - but I do hope that it brings my father some pride.

[retellers]

Perhaps this is why people keep suspecting you of being more than a merchant.

[recrowns]

Merchants can do everything that I do....

[retellers]

You have an air of authority about you. [ a beat. ] Though I suppose I wouldn't know much about merchants or kings.

[recrowns]

[there's just a noise of amusement]

Not yet anyway - perhaps you came across them in the other memories you don't have.

But if I do have any authority, I hope that it's wielded well. I'm not used to such a... chaotic group.

[he says this

as fondly as he can]

[retellers]

Everyone is very interesting. [ are they still hugging, are they ever getting up from the ground. ]

[recrowns]

[i told you that soo-won's not letting go first this is 100% on goat otherwise it's just a cuddle pile forever]

They are.

And for the most part, it does seem that everyone's intentions are good. So that's sweet.

[retellers]

[ please THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO GET TO THE NORTHERN AREA AT THIS RATE ] ... Yes. It is a relief to see, especially with all the suffering.

[recrowns]

[I GUESS GOAT DOESN'T NEED TO LEARN WHAT A PIRATE IS]

Mm. Though I'd like to end the suffering too...

[ . . . ]

But we need more information first, before we can determine how to act. Two weeks is not yet enough to determine whether anything is truly a pattern.

[retellers]

[ NO ] ... Mm. There are things that could be unfortunate coincidences...

[recrowns]

[GOAT NEEDS TO STOP HUGGING]

Precisely so - but at least if everyone I spoke to is willing to be honest, we'll be able to verify some truths for each team.

It's not a terrible position to be as a starting place... and my hope is that Sharon might still be able to act on her own wherever she is, so long as her soul exists.