An Unexpected Vacation
Ronan, one of the Society's senior members, orders Zeta and Vaseraga to partake in Halloween festivities. The two don costumes and are passing out sweets when they detect the presence of an enemy.
Zeta and Vaseraga receive a summons from Ronan, one of the Society's senior members.
Zeta: A vacation? With Vaseraga? Just the two of us?
Ronan: Correct. See to any remaining tasks, then depart. Immediately.
Ronan: Lately, you have been burdened with one grueling mission after another. You need rest.
Vaseraga: I did not expect to be told where to take my vacation. Or with whom.
Ronan: We mean to monitor your recuperation. Currently, we don't have enough personnel to assign one to each of you. So you go as a pair.
Zeta: Wait, so I'm stuck with Vaseraga, and you're keeping tabs on us? Great. Real relaxing, guys.
Ronan: Then take this as an opportunity to build rapport. Join the Halloween festivities together, if need be.
Zeta: ...
Vaseraga: ...
Vaseraga: Very well, but under protest.
Zeta: That goes double for me!
Ronan: I understand your concerns. However, it is your duty to rest. This is, in other words, a mission.
Zeta: A mission?
Ronan: Indeed. A mission.
Vaseraga: We're to be monitored, correct?
Ronan: Yes. For this is a mission.
Zeta & Vaseraga: ...
The two sense that Ronan is hinting at something. They fall silent.
Zeta: All right, fine. I'll go to the festival.
Vaseraga: Don't bore me, Zeta.
Zeta: Huh? Why am I the one looking after you?
Ronan: You two. This may be a vacation, but do not draw attention to yourselves.
Vaseraga: I, at least, can keep my emotions in check.
Zeta: You trying to say something? I've seen you lose it more than once, you know?
Vaseraga: I do not bare my fangs needlessly. Unlike a certain pupper.
Zeta: You!
Ronan: ...
Ronan: Once again. Do not draw any unnecessary attention. And at least act like you're enjoying yourselves.
Vaseraga: Understood. Let's head out, Zeta.
Ronan: Do not let down your guard. Remember, this is a mission.
Zeta: ...
Zeta: What now?
Zeta furrows her brow, at a loss.
Vaseraga: First, costumes.
Vaseraga inspects a map of the village. He seems determined to dive headlong into Halloween celebrations.
Zeta: Huh? Oh. Okay.
He is so different from his usual self that even Zeta is flummoxed.
Vaseraga: Hum-dee-dum...
Zeta: ...
As the two sort through racks of clothing, Vaseraga hums a happy little tune.
Zeta: Uh, what're you doing? Seriously.
Vaseraga: Deciding on an outfit.
Zeta: Okay...
Vaseraga: Will you be wearing that?
Zeta: I guess. Gonna go try it on.
Zeta: Not bad.
Zeta nods at her reflection in the mirror, a smile playing on her lips.
Zeta: Man, that took longer than expected.
Vaseraga: It took as long as I expected. I stocked up on treats as I was waiting.
Zeta: That was, um, nice of you.
Vaseraga: All in the spirit of Halloween.
Zeta: You say that, but all you did was go and stick a pumpkin on your head.
Vaseraga: According to legends, Lost Jack has the head of a pumpkin and wears a ragged cloak. I fit the description.
Zeta: Okay, but if you're gonna dress up, put some heart into it. Where's your sense of fun?
Vaseraga: I would not want to rob you of the spotlight.
Zeta: Much obliged, I'm sure.
The two turn their steps toward the heart of the village. Children have begun running from door to door, asking for sweets.
Vaseraga: Hum-dee-dum...
Zeta: ...
Zeta: Vaseraga, you eat something funny? Dark essence, or something?
Vaseraga: We're being monitored. And we will likely be judged on how much we enjoy ourselves. Or appear to.
Vaseraga: Besides, this is far easier than engaging in battle. It would be a shame if our pay were docked over such a trivial task.
Zeta: Fair enough. But you don't just. Start. Singing.
Vaseraga: Perhaps. Many years have passed since I last sung.
Zeta: ...
Zeta remembers that Vaseraga, too, once had a crew of his own. She imagines bygone nights at the tavern, where throats were wet with drink and the air full of song.
Zeta: The spirit of Halloween, huh?
Vaseraga: Care to join in?
Zeta: What?
Vaseraga: Don't be shy.
Vaseraga: Hum-dee-dum...
Zeta: Whoa, too close! Y-you're in my bubble!
Vaseraga draws nearer to Zeta, as if to intimidate her into singing. Then...
Vaseraga: You sense the overseer?
Zeta: !
Vaseraga speaks quietly, through a pause in the song. Zeta shakes her head in a near imperceptible no.
Vaseraga: Sing the chorus. Improvise if you need to.
Zeta: O-okay...
Zeta: Aa-aa-aah...
Vaseraga: Ronan said we were being monitored. But it was likely a cover.
Vaseraga's words are nearly drowned out by Zeta's humming
Zeta: I thought it was weird he kept going on and on about missions. So it wasn't just me?
Vaseraga: No.
The two take turns improvising small tunes, which hide their conversation from prying ears.
Inquisitive Boy: Hey, miss. What's that song you're singing?
Zeta: Huh? Uh... Ahaha. I dunno. Just felt like makin' up a song, I guess.
Vaseraga: Child. You came to ask something of us, did you not?
Inquisitive Boy: Yeah! Trick or treat!
Vaseraga: Take as much as you'd like. We have plenty.
The boy happily reaches into the giant basket Vaseraga holds out to him.
This catches the attention of all the children nearby. They crowd around the pair.
Zeta: Hey, come on! No pushing! Don't pull on my clothes!
The hubbub draws in a small crowd of curious villagers.
Zeta: Doo-doo-doo...
Zeta and Vaseraga scan their surroundings. There are adults, who stand a short distance away and smile at the clamoring children...
Vaseraga: Hum-dee-dum...
And the children themselves, clustered around the pair.
Vaseraga: The enemy is near. In this crowd, likely.
Zeta: You're not gonna fight a bunch of kids, right?
Suddenly, even the gleam of a toy blade seems sinister. The two continue to inspect the faces around them.
They're looking for a certain expression—vacant eyes, blank features. The mark of one who has been tortured, then brainwashed by the Foe.
Zeta: Is that all of them? Ahaha. Everyone's got a big smile on. I think we're good.
Vaseraga: Perhaps. But here come the reinforcements.
Zeta: Okay! Come and get it! Gotta make sure every last person leaves with a smile.
Vaseraga: Quite the lively festival, eh, Zeta?
Zeta: You can say that again. I'm gonna be sore by the time it's over.
Zeta & Vaseraga: Doo-doo-doo...
Hum-dee-dum...
The two are careful not to betray their suspicions to the Foe. They don't let their eyes wander too fast nor too far.
The tunes they hum grow dissonant and snake through streets filled with the deceptions of Halloween.
Shards of Glass
After Zeta and Vaseraga exhaust their supply of candy, they meet a woman who claims she is collecting glass. Zeta gives her an empty jar, which the woman eats. She tells the two that her body is custom-made before disappearing.
Vaseraga: All right. Who wants sweets!
Costumed Kids: Me!
Costumed Kid: Candy, please!
Zeta: All right, all right. All right, already! One at a time!
Zeta and Vaseraga are taking part in Halloween festivities on the orders of Ronan, a high-ranking member of the Society.
To the casual observer, they're passing out sweets and enjoying themselves...
Zeta: ...
Vaseraga: ...
But their eyes are sharp and alert, for the Foe has begun to move again in this bustling little village.
Costumed Kids: Bye-bye!
Zeta: Ahaha... Bye-bye...
Zeta watches as the children skip away, then heaves a sigh.
Zeta: Where do kids get their energy from? Startin' to think I'd rather take on primals...
Vaseraga: You're free to enjoy yourself. But save your strength.
Zeta: What was I supposed to do? Stand there like a big rock? I'm not you.
Vaseraga: I was unable to move. A small misstep could have proved disastrous for the children.
Vaseraga: They took everything. Time to restock.
Zeta: Roger that. I'm also clean out.
Zeta shakes her empty jar.
Woman: Oh...
Zeta: Hm?
A woman appears, her eyes fixed on Zeta.
Woman: Oh, I'm sorry. It's nothing, really. I was just admiring your jar.
Woman: You see, I'm collecting glass at the moment.
Zeta: Huh. You can have it, if you want.
Woman: Oh, really? Thank you so very much.
The woman takes the jar in hand and inspects it closely.
Woman: My. This is truly a wonderful jar.
Woman: And a lovely morsel.
Zeta: What?
Vaseraga: !
The two watch wordlessly as the woman sinks her teeth into the jar. The glass crunches like gravel, and she smiles.
Woman: Teehee. Dear, where are my manners? A lady such as myself, eating in front of others.
She raises a bashful hand to her mouth and giggles.
Zeta: A-are you a street performer?
Woman: Gulp... However did you know? So, did you like my Halloween trick?
The woman swallows the last of the jar. Then she looks at Zeta and Vaseraga, unruffled.
Zeta: What? No. I mean, um, are you okay?
Woman: Oh, yes. See for yourself. Ahhh...
The two peer into the woman's open mouth. The remains of the jar glint like ice and snow, unsullied by even a single drop of blood.
Zeta: How did you...
Woman: Hehe. Are you surprised? Actually...
Woman: My body's custom-made, you see.
Zeta & Vaseraga: !
Woman: My, but I've missed quite the opportunity. If only I'd played injured after eating what you gave me.
Woman: I mean, just think of all the sweets you handed out to those poor children... Teehee.
Zeta: ...
Vaseraga: ...
The woman gives a small wave to the silent pair, then, with a hop and skip, disappears into the crowd.
Shards of Glass: Scene 2
Zeta and Vaseraga tail the woman. They watch as she feeds an unknown object to a monster known as the familiar of Halloween. It warps into a throng of Otherworldly beings, which attack.
Costumed Kid: Oh, miss! Trick or treat!
Woman: Hehe. Here you are.
Zeta: She's just enjoying Halloween. Like a normal person.
The woman banters back and forth with the children, a basket of candy in her arms. On the surface there seems to be nothing amiss.
Vaseraga: There's more to her than meets the eye. To think she would seek us out...
Zeta: Every single time. I never know what it is they want...
Vaseraga: But now, we might learn something of their intentions. Of the Foe's intentions.
Zeta: You've got a point. That doesn't look like a puppet.
Vaseraga: True. There's no sign of brainwashing. She may be a key member.
Zeta: Agh, she's so close! I could just reach out and grab her!
Vaseraga: Wait. We must not be the aggressors. No doubt she put us on her trail hoping to incite conflict.
Zeta: I know, I know...
Zeta drops her gaze. She understands how the Foe works—how they can reach out and fan even the spark of a stray thought into the flames of war.
To strike first, and in a public space, would be a mistake. It doesn't take many words to sway public opinion and turn the defendant into the perpetrator.
Zeta: Screw up, and the Crew of Enforcers will be after us, right? So we stay quiet, and wait for her to make the first move.
The woman continues to hand out candy. She gives no sign of having noticed their watching eyes.
Costumed Kid: You're not from here, are you, miss?
Woman: No, I'm not. I came from far, far away, because I heard all about how marvelous your festivals are.
Woman: You see, I have a favor to ask of Lost Jack. I want to see a certain someone, and Jack's the one to help me.
Costumed Kid: Lost Jack? Why?
Woman: Why, indeed... You may understand in time, dear... How it feels to badly want to meet someone and to speak with them, if only once.
As the woman tells the children of her wishes, a gentle, wistful smile appears on her face.
Zeta: ...
Zeta: Something's off. I can't imagine her as evil. At all.
Vaseraga: Yes, and she doesn't seem to be acting. I almost feel that we were too hasty to judge, and yet... It's unsettling.
Soon afterward, the villagers start to prepare for the night's main event. All along the streets, bonfires flare to life.
The woman lights a candle and looks up at the sky.
Woman: Ah... We finally meet...
A monster, said to be the servant of Halloween, appears. It drifts toward the woman, as if drawn to her candle.
Woman: You're Jack's familiar, aren't you? Pleased to make your acquaintance.
Monster: ...
Woman: Won't you do me a small favor? In return, I've brought a special treat for you.
The woman tosses something like a cookie into the familiar's gaping mouth.
Monster: ...
Woman: Please, lead them to me. Those poor, lost souls...
Woman: Now, I know they don't reside in your domain, per se. But time has forged a connection between the worlds, and so...
Monster: !
Vaseraga: Zeta!
Zeta: I know!
The strange state of the familiar spurs the two Society members into action.
Costumed Kid: Huh? What's wrong with that pumpkin?
Woman: I wonder... Perhaps it wants to play with you.
The familiar continues to distend and warp. The body swells to bursting, and the mouth yawns wider.
Monster: !
Zeta & Vaseraga: Haah!
Graah!
With a flying kick, Zeta and Vaseraga send the familiar spiraling away from the child. It slams into a wall.
Zeta: We're done waiting, right!
Vaseraga: On your guard.
The clouds of dust clear, revealing the familiar.
???: Creak... Creeeak...
Zeta: What in the...
Zeta's breath hitches as she catches sight of the horrid ball of flesh.
Woman: You know, a little bird told me the most wonderful story. The story of a young prince from Wales, and how he yearned to see his departed mother...
Woman: Aah, what a marvelous show of love... Made me want to copy him myself, it did.
Vaseraga: Wales... She's talking about Aglovale! Zeta! We have to destroy that thing!
Zeta: Got it!
Zeta: Arvess!
Vaseraga: Graaaah!
The two turn their weapons on the ball of flesh, having guessed its purpose. They carve away large chunks. However...
Woman: For I wanted to meet them too—oh so very, very, very dearly. The prince of Wales got to meet them.
The ball bursts. Chunks of meat splatter onto the floor and walls, where they wriggle and swell.
???: ...
Woman: The inhabitants of the Otherworld...
Otherworldly Figure: ...
Zeta: Tsk!
The woman smiles at the aberrations as if they were no more than children. The creatures turn their eyes upon her.
Woman: How do you do? I'd like very much for us to form an alliance.
Otherworldly Figure: ...
Woman: When the silver of the moon touches these skies, shadows must also rise... See, we're quite similar, aren't we?
Otherworldly Figure: !
Woman: Oh dear.
Upon hearing her words, the Otherworldly beings bristle and rush at the woman.
Woman: Hello, little one. It seems they want to play together after all.
The woman raises a young boy in her arms.
Woman: Run along now.
She thrusts the child at the surging creatures, then darts into the night.
Vaseraga: !
Otherworldly Figure: !
But before the child can hit the ground, Zeta catches him. Behind her, Vaseraga slices through the onslaught.
Otherworldly Figure: !
Zeta: I thought they were busy making skydwellers attack each other. Why open a gate to the Otherworld, here and now...
Vaseraga: Think later. First, we fight.
Zeta: You got it!
Shards of Glass: Scene 3
Zeta and Vaseraga receive backup from Society troops. However, the Otherworldly beings take on the shape of Automagod Pyet-A, a powerful weapon the pair has faced before.
Zeta: Spear of Arvess!
Vaseraga: Raaaah!
Otherworldly Being: So you wield the seal weapons.
Zeta: You know about us?
Otherworldly Being: Enough to understand you are not to be trifled with. Stand aside—we have no business with you. We must capture the woman.
Vaseraga: Unfortunately, it's not in my nature to let dark creatures wander free.
Otherworldly Being: Then you shall fall.
Zeta: It's one thing after another!
Outnumbered, Zeta and Vaseraga move into defensive positions and look for an opportunity to turn the tide in their favor.
Then shots from countless guns ring out.
Otherworldly Fiend: !
Zeta: Wha-
Society Soldier: Zeta! Vaseraga! We've come to lend our assistance, under orders from Ronan!
Zeta: Where were you all even watching from?
Vaseraga: In any case, our numbers are now even. Commence counterattack, Zeta.
Woman: Oh... Yet another battle has broken out... How truly unfortunate...
Fingers to her mouth, the woman watches the fight rage between the Society and the Otherworld. It's as if she's forgotten that the flames were fanned by her own hands.
Woman: So much blood is being shed... What a cruel, tragic conflict...
Woman: However, this is all for the sake of the skies... So, my dears...
Woman: Please, emerge safe from this crucible...
She falls silent as she casts a mournful eye over the chaos. Then she turns on her heel and vanishes.
Zeta & Vaseraga: Hah!
Otherworldly Fiend: !
Society Soldier: They're organic! Save your armor-piercing shells and switch to soft-point!
Zeta, Vaseraga, and the soldiers of the Society renew their assault on the Otherworld's final ranks.
Otherworldly Being: I see. I should have expected no less from warriors even greater than the automagods.
Zeta: What! Just how much do you know!
Otherworldly Being: I know not the root of your suspicions, but it was the woman who provided us with information. We do not come wholly unprepared.
The forms of the Otherworldly beings grow distorted, gathering into and forming a great shadow.
Automagod Pyet-A?: ...
Society Soldier: T-That's... Anti-primal rounds, at the ready!
Automagod Pyet-A?: !
Society Soldier: Ahhhh!
Zeta: No!
The pair stands before the automagod Pyet-A, a weapon from the moon they've faced before. With a swing of its tail, the beast mows through the ranks of soldiers.
Automagod Pyet-A?: ...
It finishes the reinforcements, then bends its dark intent on Zeta and Vaseraga.
Vaseraga: How can a creature from the Otherworld harness the powers of an automagod?
Zeta: Doesn't seem to be an illusion either. Arvess is responding.
Vaseraga: Grynoth too.
Automagod Pyet-A?: ...
Vaseraga: Before, we felled this foe with the aid of (Captain) and the other contractors. Now, it's only the two of us.
Zeta: Ehh... The numbers don't matter. We beat it once, and we can beat it again.
Vaseraga: True. It may take time, but we've strength enough.
Zeta sheds her costume, and Vaseraga rips off his pumpkin head.
Vaseraga: Well then.
Zeta: Come and get it!
Shards of Glass: Scene 4
Having defeated the likeness of Pyet-A, Zeta and Vaseraga report to Ronan. They conclude at least one of the Society reinforcements must have been an enemy spy. Meanwhile, the jar cruncher, Grace, plants seeds of conflict between the Society and the Otherworld.
Automagod Pyet-A?: !
Zeta: Huff, puff... I think... We did it?
Vaseraga: Next time, it would be wiser to join forces like before.
Zeta: So, what the heck is this thing?
The two watch as the likeness of Pyet-A rapidly deteriorates.
Society Soldier: Zeta, Vaseraga. We'll take over the clean-up and analysis of this life-form.
Vaseraga: You're here on Ronan's orders, correct?
Society Soldier: Affirmative. We were sent here as backup. Please, rest assured. We will see the mission through to its completion.
Zeta & Vaseraga: ...
Zeta: All right then! Feel bad for piling on the work when you're so tuckered out though.
Vaseraga: Yes, but we leave the rest to you.
Society Soldier: Sir, yes, sir!
Zeta: So, basically, not my idea of an ideal vacation.
Ronan: I see.
Ronan: I do not remember dispatching anyone else to that village. Could this be a case of miscommunication? Or have I simply forgotten...
Vaseraga: Or another officer grew concerned and sent reinforcements.
Zeta: And tried to pass it off as Ronan's orders? They must've known it'd stir up trouble.
Ronan: However, it is true that currently there is disorder in our ranks. The occasional blunder is not unexpected.
Ronan: In any case, well done. You deserve a good rest. This time, you are free to go where you wish, free of overseers.
Zeta: Roger that.
With the tumult over and free time on their hands, Zeta and Vaseraga return to the Grandcypher.
Zeta: Think we can talk? About that conversation earlier.
Vaseraga: Yes. There should be no bugs here—though I cannot say the same for Society facilities.
Zeta: So, long story short, those soldiers that came to help us were enemy forces, right?
Vaseraga: So it would seem. But I could not tell whether it was all or only some of them.
Zeta: What was that automagod-thing?
Vaseraga: I don't know why it took on that form. But the soldiers insisted on retrieving the creature, so it must be of some importance to the enemy.
Zeta: Just what is that jar-cruncher planning...
Society Soldier: Lady Grace.
Grace: Yes?
Society Soldier: I would like to inquire about your next course of action. Why do you insist on establishing a connection with the Otherworld? Even your peers are beginning to have their doubts.
Grace: Why, because I thought we could all be great friends. But perhaps that isn't possible after all.
Society Soldier: If we were to draw the ire of the Otherworld, it might interfere with our plans to engulf the skies in war.
Grace: But I suppose we'll manage, regardless. Now, be a dear and tell me all about the automagod's dissection. Did anything come out of it? Like a sword?
Society Soldier: A sword? No, I noticed nothing of the kind.
Grace: Oh phooey. Or, perhaps this is a bit of good news?
Society Soldier: I'm not sure I understand.
Grace: Well, it means we can create automagods, even without a core. What a splendid revelation. We'll blot out that dastardly moon yet.
Otherworldly Fiend: Grrrr...
Society Soldier: Huh?
Grace: Aah! Watch out!
Something in Grace's right arm gleams. In the next moment, the creature and the soldier are split in two.
Grace: Who would've thought the Otherworlders would make themselves such a nuisance? I must be more careful. Hehe.
She takes a gun from the soldier's belt, turns it on the Otherworldly being, and fires.
As the shot rings through the village, Grace flings the weapon away from her.
Society Corporal: The shot came from over here! Keep your eyes peeled for the enemy!
Grace: ...
Society Corporal: Are you all right, ma'am? You must evacuate imme-
The soldier sees the two corpses behind Grace and freezes.
Grace: This young man tried to protect me. But the monster, with the last of its power... How... The bullet hit its mark...
Society Corporal: He simply didn't have the might to face a fiend from the Otherworld... The beasts can rend armor as if it were mere paper.
Grace: What a terrifying creature... And still, this man did battle with it to protect someone like me. What a brave and kind soul...
Society Corporal: We are all aware of the risks involved in our missions. He served well and died without regret. And I will not let his sacrifice be in vain.
Society Corporal: Once we gather up arms, we will take our revenge.
Grace: Oh, please do. If such a tragedy were to repeat itself, I couldn't bear it...
Having planted seeds of strife between the Society and the Otherworld, Grace departs from the village.
Grace: I suppose it's time for my daily report.
She touches an ancient device. It emits a beam of light, which passes through a gap in the canopy and reaches the underbelly of the sky.
???: Have you divided their forces?
Grace: Yes. I summoned beings from a plane known as the Otherworld. They wreaked havoc through the skies, drawing the skydwellers' attention away from the Central Axis.
Grace: The arrival of another foe has divided the skydwellers into smaller factions and strained their unity, as promised.
???: Understood.
The light from the device dies out, and the voice fades.
Grace: Everything will be fine... In the end, the people of the sky will surely join together...
Grace quietly reassures herself as she opens the door to a separate room.
Grace: Khobe, I'm home.
Embittered Man: You... What did you cut me for?
Bound at the center of a magic circle, a man glowers out at Grace.
Grace: My, my. So that's the form you're taking on today? How talented you are.
Embittered Man: You said you'd be with me always! But I'm just a pawn to you!
Grace: Hm... Which nerve shall I sever today?
Grace extracts a scalpel and puts a finger to her lips. She stares at the man with a quizzical air.
Grace: Perhaps here.
Embittered Man: Gasp! Sto-
Otherworldly Fiend: !
Grace: Shh... Hush now... Hush...
She slides the scalpel into the man's neck, and he morphs into an Otherworldly being.
Grace: I can't begin to express how grateful I am. Thanks to that delightful cookie we made with your flesh, I could forge a nice bond between Halloween and the Otherworld.
Grace: Well, I added a spoonful of automagod carcass too. Makes the medicine go down, you know.
Otherworldly Fiend: !
Grace whispers lovingly to the creature as she slices away strips of meat.
Grace: And look how this scalpel has darkened from cutting through you time and time again... How very interesting.
Grace: How many years has it been since we first met? What do you think has taken up residence in this scalpel, during the course of our long relationship?
Otherworldly Fiend: !
Grace: You don't know? I can't blame you, poor thing... Well then, why don't we find out together?
Grace: Oh, think of all we could learn, if we could only retrieve Pyet-A's core, now that it's been contaminated by the Otherworld.
Grace: Though on the whole, it's been quite the worthwhile Halloween. Why, I found that skydwellers and Otherworlders can get along splendidly! After all, we're very similar.
So Grace whiles the time away, speaking soothingly and digging her scalpel into flesh again and again.
Zeta: Ahh... Hello, Port Breeze! I can finally get some shopping done!
Vaseraga: Each time we come, you run here and there, searching for things. It must be rough.
Zeta: You need things to maintain your body, and I need things to maintain mine.
They arrive at the Knickknack Shack, still bickering lightly.
Zeta: Siero, got any standout clothes?
Vaseraga: ?
Isn't this...
Vaseraga takes something from shelves laden with ammunition.
Zeta: What? I've seen that bullet somewhere... Oh! This is...
Eager Merchant: One of the most powerful bullets money can buy. It's said the prototypes cost two million rupies a shot. Don't know if that's true, though.
Eager Merchant: But then it went into mass production, and now your average joe can get it for cheap.
Zeta: The soldiers at the Society use these bullets...
Vaseraga: Why make it available to the public?
Eager Merchant: Not sure myself, but I hear that at some kind of Halloween festival, this mechanical monster went on a rampage.
Eager Merchant: And it wasn't the first time folks had seen that creature. So I guess they wanted to give people something to protect themselves with, 'case it comes back.
Zeta: Hey, Vaseraga. You think that jar-cruncher planned all this?
Vaseraga: Who knows? I've no leads. She's almost as incomprehensible as a certain pupper.
Zeta: Very funny. Let me know if anything feels off, okay?
Vaseraga: Understood. You as well. Speak if you see any changes in me. I'll do the same for you.
The pair falls silent. They know how wily the enemy is, and understand that if they were to ever show any signs of unraveling, they would soon be torn apart.
Zeta: Well, we'll notice, all right. We've been together a long time.
Vaseraga: I only hope this does not imperil (Captain) and the others.
Zeta: You know, we should really stop trying to solve things by ourselves. Let's try talking to (Captain), okay?
With the appearance of Grace the jar-cruncher, the balance of the skies is once again starting to shift.
Zeta and Vaseraga, who have witnessed her insidious influence firsthand, turn toward the Grandcypher, dogged by a shapeless disquiet.
White Chocolate Cake
Tasty Macaroons
Plum Dumplings and Ring Cake