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"Good job," you say offhandedly.
"Um. Thanks. I-I-It wasn't so... Richard did a lot of it." His tone is still faintly incredulous. "Most of it, really. I-I just..."
"It's open, isn't it?"
"I guess." He pauses. "I-I better go, I guess. Good luck with your guy. Please come back soon, and, um, safe. And sane."
You scoff. "It's <span class="mu-i">Ellery,</span> he can't— I am undefeatable by the lowly likes of him. Didn't you see the tournament? It'll be fine, and I'll be back in a jiff, so they say, so— go have fun with your <span class="mu-i">real body,</span> okay? Your body!"
He nods and breaks eye contact, stepping away rapidly. "Bye," you say, and stride over to the others. The light has dimmed, but you're still forced to squint.
"Ready?" Madrigal says. "Is <span class="mu-i">Richard</span> coming?"
"Um..." You look at him. "I mean, he... he comes with me everywhere. I'll tell him not to bother us."
«I won't intervene unless you're in danger, Charlie.»
"He says he won't bother us. What's in there?" You can't see very far inside the doorframe. It's awfully grey, besides the light. "Are you sure this is the right—?"
"Card had his name on it!" Earl says, and Madrigal nods. "Had the dumb ribbon on it. Let's go."
You go. Madrigal goes first, to your mild irritation, but you don't have good grounds to assert your dominance right now. Inside the door— which slams shut as soon as you're through it— is a grey wasteland. It looks for all the world like Annie's blast crater, a metaphor you immediately regret, but it <span class="mu-i">does</span>— the ground is covered in ash, and underneath that sandy earth, but here and there are crumbled planks or loose nails or shreds of fabric. Past the ash is the ocean, the water stained with soot and inky with nighttime. You are on a tiny island, and the place where the beach used to be is glassed.
You're able to make out all this detail not because of the moon or stars, which are clouded over, but because of the light of the beacon. It's impossible for you to snatch more than a glimpse of it, but it's radiant and yellow and crouched at the center of the island. Given how manses are, you'd rather not leap to conclusions, but—
"<span class="mu-i">Ellery,</span>" Madrigal hisses, and sets off— would set off, if Earl didn't stick a forcible arm in front of her.
"Hang on a titch, would you?" he says. "If that's Ellery, then—"
"Then?"
"I don't know." He doesn't drop his arm. "But maybe we should think about this one, huh?"
>[1] Greet Ellery. (What do you say? Write-in.)
>[2] Don't greet Ellery.
>>[A] No matter what he's like right now, he's going to recognize Madrigal. That's a given. Send her in alone to scope things out, while you and Earl hover back here.
>> There's no way he doesn't know you're here. Let him make the first move. (Hope that it's a good first move.)
>>[C] Draw The Sword.
>>[D] Write-in.
