soulping | Belt's Heart

"It is part of being an attorney. Presentation is everything."

I-Is that right? [ She had no idea. But then, it... kinda makes sense? ] Eheh. Then again, when... when sensei goes for something, she... does tend to really give it a hundred percent.

[ ... ] If... I bring her here and she... asks to be put somewhere else, would you take her there? I think she might be able to benefit from being able to move around and talk as she liked.

[She holds up her hands]

"I would... but... I cannot lift things."

[ ... ] You just adjusted your scarf a bit ago.

"That is an old habit."

"I cannot actually move it."

[You can see the bead of sweat forming on her brow. Whoops, how embarrassing..!]

Oh, so it's one of those things. [ She's an anime herself, so she knows the deal. ]

But you... could probably figure something out. Right? Maybe you and, uh... Macaron, together.

"...She has part of a hand, I suppose..."

[She seems to be thinking it over.]

Do you all not... usually talk to one another?

"Sometimes I speak with Macaron. I generally do not see the other half."

[ She thinks this over with a thoughtful hmm. ] I just want her to not be stuck...

Do... you happen to know why all of you are in pieces like this? [ Since you're the TRUTH-meister, you might know. ]

[She shakes her head dramatically.]

"I have an idea. We are all incomplete."

S-So I've seen. [ Igh, spider. ] But you're still able to... do things like talk and... have items that seem to be... k-kind of important. [ She's not 100% sure on that last bit, but Rubyquest taught her to never overlook items given to her. ]

Can you... elaborate on that?

"We are incomplete, but that does not mean our effects cannot be felt. Thus, our effects are... felt."

[She shrugs.] "It feels something like that."

[ Another small ] Hmm. [ of thought. ]

I'll... keep that in mind.

[ ... ] I'm sorry if it seems like I'm... uh... n-not trusting you or s-something, I just... that one... Zaniah... she says she doesn't deserve anything. So I don't want to leave her in a position where she can't... get out, if she asks.

M-Maybe... I should talk to Macaron for a bit.

"Of course." [She moves out of the way.]

"She is just down this hall."

Th-Thank you. It was... honestly nice getting to talk with you like this.

[ Ren bows before proceeding. As she makes her way down the hall, she thinks about the conversation she and Zaniah had some time ago, and how it left her feeling bitter towards the world she'd gone to after the Library. Now, she's starting to understand why her sensei likes it there.

'If that's an accurate representation of her, then... she's just so much more alive there.'

And if she's advocating for Zaniah's overall happiness, then she needs to accept that that place... is the one that might be best for her. ]

H-Hello? M... Macaron?

[As you pass further down the hall, you find half of a person in a teal-colored scarf standing on legs made of violet energy. She is looking through a crate with her one good hand, which appears to be full of more scarves. Her aura, despite her looks, is an oddly welcoming one.]

"Hello, Ren." [She smiles widely.]

H-Hello. [ Ren repeats as she... takes in Macaron for the first time. It's definitely not as bad as the little girl or Zaniah, but it's... still something. ]

What... are you doing?

"I am keeping track of the scarves, so there are enough for my friends."

"It is cold in here, after all."

That's what the, uh... little girl said. I gave her my scarf, though. [ ... ] I hope that was okay.

"...I think it is fine." [She gives a small nod.] "She is cold, is she not? Then it makes sense to give her something warm."

[ Well, if mom approves... ]

T-True...

[ ... ] Could I... would it bother you if I asked some questions?

"Not at all. It is natural to seek knowledge when you are in a strange place. Please, ask whatever you may wish."

Th-Thank you. It... might be a lot, so I... a-appreciate your patience.

[ She's noticed that Prosecutor Sakuma and Macaron are the most complete bodies in this place. Her curiosity is piqued, but she's on a quest of two things. She starts with this one: ]

There are, uh... m-messages on the walls. One of them said "Mother holds the key." I... think that you might be "mother," so... Do you... happen to have a key on you?

[And then the rest of this run happens offscreen, but contains the following:]

[-macaron provides key and scarf
-macaron infodumps on why they're incomplete, people are memories
-Ren moves corpse, because she can't move herself. Places her with Macaron.
-more infodumping from macaron re: areas.
-go to dere temple, oh look plushies everywhere
-goes into battlefield, touches corpse. remembers hacking someone to death while laughing crazily. As a little girl.
-moves game stuff and blindfold into temple room.
-cleans up, hits time limit while doing so and is ported out.]

Belt's Heart

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