Scenario:Haaselia - Truth in Lies
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Truth in Lies
Months after the duel with The Moon, the crew gets to meet up with Haaselia. She repents for her past actions toward the crew and wishes for everyone's help in stopping the archduke's evil deeds. But in truth, she still yearns for revenge more than anything else.
Months after the crew's repeated bouts with The Moon, they pay another visit to the island where they first met Haaselia.
The decision to do so came when they received a letter—purportedly from the missing Haaselia—wishing to meet.
To determine the authenticity of the letter, the crew heads for the specified street corner and do, indeed, find Haaselia there.
Haaselia: Long time no see, everyone.
Lyria: Haase...
Haaselia: ...
Haaselia: To be honest I wasn't sure you'd come.
Haaselia: Especially after what a horrible thing I'd done to you...
Lyria: Please don't think of yourself that way! We had no idea what you'd been through...
Haaselia: No, I'm the one at fault! For manipulating you all!
Haaselia: But what I've done is unfor—
Vyrn: Heheh! You should know that we're all super nice guys in the crew!
Lyria: Teehee, I feel the same way too! We don't mind anymore what you did at the time!
Choose: Nice to know you have a conscience.
Haaselia: ...!
Haaselia: I suppose what I've done is unforgivable...
Lyria: Cheer up, Haase! It's never too late to start over! We'll be here for you!
Lyria: Everything turned out okay in the end. And we're not that angry either. Right, (Captain)?
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Lyria: Also Moon later told us what happened to you...
Lyria: After hearing that, I couldn't think of you as a bad person anymore!
Haaselia: ...
Haaselia: Hah, ahaha! You're such a curious bunch!
Haaselia: After losing to you all, I took some time alone to put things into perspective.
Haaselia: I was wrong. Getting revenge won't bring loved ones back to me...
Lyria: Haase...
Haaselia: But that doesn't mean I've forgiven my uncle and everyone else involved in his trade.
Haaselia: I want them to repent for the horrible things they've done, even if they have to spend the rest of their lives reflecting on their actions.
Haaselia: Yet I have neither the power nor the connections to make them do such a thing.
Haaselia: After traveling the world in search of people who might be able to help, I've come to the decision that there's no one I have more faith in than you lot.
Haaselia: Of course, I don't expect you to forget the trick I pulled on you.
Haaselia: But if you can place your trust in me, I ask that you please lend me your strength.
Vyrn: After hearing what you've been through, Braidy Girl, there's no way we'd leave you hanging!
Haaselia: Thank you.
After a respectful bow, Haaselia turns to (Captain) before calling out.
Haaselia: Moon. I take it you were listening?
The Moon: It has been a while, Haaselia. I trust you've been well.
Vyrn: Whoa, he came outta nowhere!
Haaselia: I cannot do this without you. And as someone directly involved in all this, nor can I afford to just sit on the sidelines.
Haaselia: Will you lend me your strength so that I may fight alongside (Captain)'s crew?
The Moon: Very well. I fully accept every shred of deceit and truth lying within your heart.
The Moon turns into particles of light before returning to the card.
Haaselia takes the card from (Captain) and carefully puts it inside her pocket.
Haaselia: It looks like I won't just be a burden after all.
Haaselia: Pleased to come on board, everyone.
And thus Haaselia's pact with The Moon is renewed.
With an imperial heir on the run in their ranks, the crew depart for their next adventure.
During her travels with the crew, Haaselia takes a little time for herself, drawing on a canvas while taking in the view of the distant skies.
Haaselia: You can come out. No one else is watching now.
The Moon responds to her lone mumbling by making himself visible.
The Moon: You called for me?
Haaselia: There's something you're hiding from me, isn't there?
The Moon: What leads you to believe that?
Haaselia: You went easy on that crew during the battle earlier, didn't you?
Haaselia: Or perhaps I should say, you fought earnestly but chose to cede victory to them since you were already certain of your liberation from The World's grasp?
The Moon: My true purpose is to defeat The World. As long as I have freedom for myself, victory or loss against the crew bears little meaning.
Haaselia: I'm aware of that. But surely you also had something else in mind.
Haaselia: Your other objective was to have me taste the bitterness of defeat so that I would reconsider my goal... Tell me I'm wrong.
The Moon: ...
Haaselia: Come now, Moon. Is it really necessary for us to be sounding each other out?
The Moon: ...
Ha, haha... Bwahahaha!
Ha, haha... Bwahahaha!
The Moon lets out a bombastic laugh before speaking his mind.
The Moon: You are most unfit for the role of empress. There has never existed a sovereign state that prospered under misrule. You would ultimately fall to the blades of dissidents.
The Moon: But there is more than one path for you to accomplish your goal. Help set your brother up as emperor so that he may serve as your puppet ruler.
The Moon: Your deepest desires would surely come to fruition then.
Haaselia was always out of touch with politics, and she lacked the charisma necessary to lead an empire well.
Even if she did manipulate her way into the seat of empress, and forcibly executed the archduke and those plying in his black market trade...
There would be too much ill will from the common people, leading to many who would want to assassinate her.
However, by helping her brother ascend the throne, she would be able to control the empire from the shadows.
All Haaselia would have to do is take advantage of her brother's unconditional love for her.
That is The Moon's plan for her.
The Moon: As you have a bit of a tendency to overestimate yourself, I strongly doubted you would lend an ear to any advice I might have.
The Moon: Thus I decided that thrusting the truth before your very eyes would be the best course of action.
The Moon: I'm rather fond of you, believe it or not.
Haaselia: ...
Haaselia: Hehe... Ahahahaha!
Haaselia breaks into laughter, after which her expression gently eases up.
Haaselia: So how about that? I hate to admit it, but things turned out just the way you wanted.
Haaselia: Truth be told... After losing you and wandering all over, I came to the same conclusion.
Haaselia: Katze will no doubt take every lie I tell him as truth.
Haaselia: That being the case, there is no need for me to take the role of empress myself.
Haaselia: (I just need to reveal Uncle and the black market fiends for who they are and get Katze to execute them.)
Haaselia: (If I can't find proof, I'll just make it up as I go along! Whatever it takes to send them to the guillotine!)
The Moon: Hahaha, indeed.
Haaselia: My, what a crafty fellow you are. Why does someone so ill-natured have to be my partner?
The Moon: Fate must have drawn our kindred spirits together.
Haaselia and The Moon continue trading quips with each other, grinning the entire time.
The Moon: By the way, Haaselia, what is it you've been drawing this entire time?
Haaselia: Can't you tell? It's the landscape back home.
The Moon: What... a bizarre portrayal it is...
Haaselia: You'd better not be the next person to mock my artistic talent.
The Moon: A touchy subject, I presume?
Haaselia: Well, thank you for not being direct.
Haaselia gently puts her brush down and then proceeds to rip her drawing to shreds.
Perhaps it is her way of declaring war on her targets who are still enjoying the leisure of their courtly lives in the empire.
Haaselia: I refuse to let a single failure deter me! Brand me a coward, despise me all you want—I care not!
Haaselia: But I will not stop until I've plunged every last one of those despicable vermin into the depths of utter despair!
Haaselia grins as if (Captain) stands before her.
Haaselia: You may not take kindly to what I must do, but know that I have no intentions of relenting.
Haaselia: I hope we get along well enough, (Captain)...