>>910959
Well, good for Sweat. You didn't want him obsessing over you every single millisecond.

>>910960
Ask Sweat about the natural aspects of Fallen in relation to their former God. The whole "Amoeba" thing from Belial isn't something you'd expect to exist as a pre-programmed feature.

no sense blaming yourself- you're trying now, after all! tell sweat you're glad it has friends, and you're glad to be friends too

Sweat deserves friends. It's a good person.
Maybe if things go well, you and it can do this sort of thing more often. Just going out and having fun together.

FRACTAL 2019/01/04(Fri)16:55 No. 916234 ID: 270774
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“Well… I’m really happy that you have friends.” I push some under-salted mac and cheese around on my plate with the edge of my fork. “And I’m happy that I’m one of them. It would be, uh. It would be cool to do this more often, you know?” I gesture aimlessly with the fork, accidentally flinging a piece of pasta across the table. “Like, when everything calms down. Just hanging out like this.”

Every time I think Sweat couldn’t be happier, it proves me wrong. It has so many teeth. “Of course! Of course, if course! Whenever you call for me, sweetest and most beloved, I will be there.” It sways a little in its seat, talons clicking cheerfully against the tabletop. “And perhaps even there could be a collection, a mingling, a transference of knowing and having known.”

“Uh, yeah. Meeting your friends would be cool.” I tell it I’ll be right back and fill another plate of food, and when I sit down again I steer the subject a little. “Hey, you mentioned being, like… a mechanism of god. Don’t you hate that guy?”

“Endlessly.” Sweat is making confetti out of napkins. “Endlessly, boundlessly, ceaselessly, limitlessly. I hate Him in ways only a creature like I can hate.”

“Okay, see, that’s what I thought. So, like… why would you still want to call yourself that? Or associate with him in any way?”

FRACTAL 2019/01/04(Fri)16:56 No. 916235 ID: 270774
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Sweat looks up at me, idly spreading its pile of napkin scraps out over the table. “Lowry, brightest, clearest. When bells at doors ring, and you run to them, whether you care to or not, you are utterly controlled by the bells — is it not so? They foretell your every movement.” It smiles a little, just at the corners of its mouth. “But if every time a bell tolls, you run from it, only to appear as one who doesn’t answer the call — even if beyond some doors lie your desires — is this not another kind of control? Like gentle sheep, who in their terror of a dog, become orderly in their panicked retreat. Like one end of a magnet pushed away by another, rejected.”

It scrapes the napkin scraps into a clumsy heart shape. “I hate my Father,” it says, softly. “To answer His calls disgusts me. To do his bidding I abhor.” It tilts its head slightly. “But I love humans. I love all humanity. I love that which has borne you, and what you live within, in all its filth and imperfection. Human suffering seems to me so vast, so vast, so vast. Angels are called to serve, to protect, to comfort — to ease the slings and arrows, levied so constantly against their tender flesh, unprotected organs, fragile skulls.”

I’m full for the first time in a long time. Sweat sighs. “To reject this calling, which I love, out of hatred for Him… this would be a loss, to me.”

“i think i get it, sweat. you’re a really kind person.”

>>916235
Sweat's a 'Hate the sinner, not the sin' kind of guy.

Ask Sweat when Heaven was divorced from direct supervision from God, and why. He racked up an impressive kill count, and Belial is an ass.

>>916235
Sweat's conversations seem more easily understandable for the last few times they've talked, is that weird or alarming in any way?

>>916241
yeah

>>916263
>Sweat widens its eyes at me slightly, nodding its head, and I sense a little frustration there, too - like its locked behind its own words, in the same way that i’m locked behind the holes in my brain.
earlier, sweat was frustrated by it’s inability to speak in an understandable way, and now that we’ve been talking for a while it seems like it’s having an easier time. iirc, belial once said sweat never learned to talk normally. it could be that it’s just gradually finally learning that skill. so we should congratulate it on that!

>>916235
That makes sense. It's better to be true to what you care about than to spite yourself for a grudge.

>>916235
Well, Sweat, you are what the layman calls a "good person."

I would not congratulate Sweat for something it can't control like its speech, or even bring it up really.

But yeah definitely seconding telling Sweat it is good and kind.

I think we should see if Sweat would come with us to visit Whisper at the Morgue after we finish eating! Sweat can make a new friend, and iirc it was able to recognize Lowry’s memory on sight when we got them from Ne, so perhaps it would be able to tell us at the very least IF any of the mortician’s memories for sale happen to be ours? I feel that the mortician probably wouldn’t be too thrilled to have an angel in his shop but it wouldn’t hurt to try.

(aaa sorry about the wrong pronouns for the mortician that’s my bad,)

FRACTAL 2019/01/08(Tue)19:35 No. 916835 ID: 270774
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“Yeah, well.” I stealthily Take the rest of the food on my plate, once I’m sure there are no waiters looking. It’ll be good to have later. “You’re what’s known as ‘a good person,’ and all. So that makes sense.” I glance up at it. “That makes a lot of sense, actually. Like, as in everything you just said was actually really clear. You feeling okay?”

Sweat wiggles a little in its seat. It almost seems a little bashful. “Well, little throat, clean bones — Sisyphus, ever upwards, an unending attempt. Easier with time.”

“Cool. Uh, good job.” I get up from my seat. “Y’know, I was thinking about heading over to the Morgue, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with. There’s somebody there I think you’ll get along with.”

“Ah! Ah! To extend my time with you, an ambling path, certainly.” Sweat follows me, flexing its wings a little after the period of inactivity, and we step back outside into the steadily building heat.

FRACTAL 2019/01/08(Tue)19:35 No. 916836 ID: 270774
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The inside of the Morgue is a bastion of cool shadow after several blocks of sun-baked sidewalk. The Mortician is nowhere in sight, but another figure rises slowly from behind the counter, unfurling its limbs as it goes.

“SHOUT,” the homunculus bellows. “I’M SHOUT. MASTER IS. IS. BUSY. CAN I?” It presses its palm into the glass, leaning closer. “CAN I? HELP? YOU!”

uh, hey shout. is whisper around?

oh no. something happened to whisper, didn’t it. since it kept messing up.

mmm don’t like that.

ask shout where their master and whisper are, and if shout wants to know why you want to see the mortician maybe say you want to know more about homonculi.

hi shout! is whisper here? also how are you doing?

[honestly guys lets just free all the morticians familiars. i love them ok]

WHAT A CUTE FRIEND

hey shout. is whisper busy? anything interesting for sale?

See if you can SPEAK to him about memories and convince him into a bargain for your.s

Lowry, do you know Shout?

Ask if Whisper is there and if they are okay. We gotta save Whisper. Maybe ask Shout about Shout and Whisper's contracts with the Mortician, subtly.

I’m screaming I love shout?????? Thank u for this good one

Also be as pleasant to Shout as you are to Whisper!

Ask if you can pet shout (it looks soft) and introduce Sweat to it and it to See, but mention you were actually thinking it would get on with whisper who is a different thrall but that you think it will probably get on well with shout, too.

Ask if you can pet SHOUT.

must pet

FRACTAL 2019/01/19(Sat)21:13 No. 918381 ID: 270774
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“Uh. Hey, Shout.” I struggle to form my mouth around friendly words. “Howwww. Are you.”

“I’M SHOUT,” he says.

“Yyyyeah.” I rattle my claws on the glass, idly, and try for a smile again, since that seemed to put Whisper at ease last time I was here. “How’d you like a pet, buddy? Can I pet you?”

Shout recoils a little, the holes in his clay mask somehow narrowing suspiciously. “I D. I DON’T. I DON’T TRUST STRANGERS. YOU. YOU’RE A STRANGER. CAN’T. TOUCH ME!”

“Okay, okay, that’s fine.” I hold my hands up, placatingly. “Uh, is Whisper here? I was hoping to see it today.”

FRACTAL 2019/01/19(Sat)21:13 No. 918382 ID: 270774
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Shout looks at me for a moment, processing the request, and then turns around and bellows again. “WHISPER! WHISPER! C. COME OUT. A CUS. A CUSTOMER. WANTS YOU.”

There’s some scuttling, and then Whisper emerges from the back, slinking up to stand beside Shout. He brightens up the second he sees me. “AaaaAAAAaaa…. aaaAAAaaa… SHHHssshhhhout, aa, Sh-sshhout, thhh, aaaaa, thhhiiiIIs is m, m, mmMmmy BBBuuddy I told you a, a, aa, aaabout, my b-buddy!” It reaches across the glass counter for me, and I sort of awkwardly let it take my hand in its claws. “MmmMmMmy buddy! This is, aaaa, this, I’m Whhhisper and, and, and, and this is mmmmy BBBBbbBbbUDDY!”

Shout tilts his head at me, and eventually his attitude seems to shift to grudging acceptance. “MMM.... WHISPER’S BUDDY. A BUDDY FOR WHISPER. O. OKAY.”

FRACTAL 2019/01/19(Sat)21:14 No. 918383 ID: 270774
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“I, uh. I brought another buddy for you guys.” I step to the side a little, and Sweat peels out over my shoulder. “This is Sweat. I thought you guys might get along.”

Sweat opens its mouth and scents the air, inquisitively. The homunculi shift their necks and fan their feathers in a way that makes me feel like they might be doing the same thing. There’s a little awkward shuffling.

“Nnnn, nnnn, nn-nnnot ssuPPOSed to, to, to, to let anGEls in hhhhhh, in hhhaaaa. In. In here,” Whisper mumbles uncertainly. “Thh. Thheey ccAn’t lie b-b-but, but, they, they c-cAn, cheat…”

“GONNA GET. IN TROULE,” says Shout.

“No cores,” comments Sweat, sounding unbothered. “Heart, liver, pancreas, intestines, stomach, kidney, lungs lungs lungs — none here! Like outlines. And no godly-ungodly will. Where, the will? Will the where will will it?”

“It’ll be fine,” I say slowly, kind of to all three of them. “When The Mortician gets back, if they ask me to leave, I will. Do you know where they are?”

“OuuUUuut,” says Whisper, and Shout nods. “Just, just, just, jUst, out… wh-when, aaaa, when, they g-g-go, they dON’t, nnn, they dddOn’t t-tell US, where… they just, just, hhh, they just goooOOooo…”

This might be one of the only chances I get. I don’t know why I’m even bothering, but I lean over the counter, dropping my voice conspiratorially. “I’m… uh, I’m kind of curious about thralls. Can you tell me about your contracts?”

FRACTAL 2019/01/19(Sat)21:14 No. 918384 ID: 270774
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They seem surprised at first, but after a moment, Whisper starts to speak, and Shout doesn’t try to stop him. “Thhree, aaaa, aaAAaaa, three t-t-tasks — you know thaaAAAaaaat. A thh, a th, a thrall has three, three tasks, yEs, that seal our mmmmm, our m- hhhaa. Our m-“

“MASKS,” yells Shout. Whisper nods appreciatively.

“The ffffffirst, aa, the first t-two, were eeaaAAsy… sso easy I d, I don’t, I don’t, aaaaa, I don’t r-remEMber…”

“I DON’T. REMEMBER. EITHER.”

“B, b, b, but my, my, my thiiIIrd, t-task, aaaa, my third, is…” Whisper wrings his hands fretfully. “To, to, to, to…. aaaa. AaaaaAAAAaaa. My third taaaAAask. Is to k. To k. K-kill… ShouUUuuT…”

Shout’s head drops a little. “MINE. IS TO KILL. W. WHISPER.” He reaches across, behind the counter, and his heavy paw finds Whisper’s. “CAN’T. CAN’T DO THAT.”

oh no. oh.

i’m so sorry, you two.

...wait, sweat. if those two killed each other (which, i’d never ask them to do that, this is a hypothetical) and lowry really wanted you to, could you bring them back with ichor?

question: is it possible to transfer the contract from person to person? if so maybe we can buy it off the mortician (or kill them and take it if it comes down to it, honestly,) and then we can just let them do whatever once we have the contract. Even if we can't change it or break it, we don't have to USE it. Just be like you're free now you funky little homunculi

>>918385

yeah, wait, how hard is it to bring back someone that doesn't even have internal organs?

u. uh. shout obvioisly does not want a hug or to be touched but ask them if it’s okay to hug whisper? or if we can help in any way.. and. let’s make sure to check in on sweat once we leave cause im sure the, thrall juxtaposition w angels is not.. bringing up gr8 memories

well, uh, shit. the mortician will probably not let us buy them, and i dunno what we would possibly have to offer anyway...

i don't wanna discuss killing them right in front of them, either, but i really would like to help them... more allies are always good...

well, does sweat have any ideas?

OH NO!!!!!!!!

dont, uh, dont discuss killing them right in front of them, or with them at all

Oh no, sweethearts.

Ask them a) what death means for a thrall, b) whether "Taking" whisper/shout's life and then giving it back could count as killing them? Can thralls Take things? There has to be a way around this, we want to help them so much but obviously them killing each other in the most straightforward way is absolutely not an option.

Ask for exact wording, if they can remember it.

Also ask about what they need to do as far as being contracted to the mortician goes. They have to do as they say? Or could they go on strike?

Explain to sweat that you want very much to help whisper and shout, and would appreciate its help if it would be able to give any. You already appreciate its insight into their nature, because you couldn't see that they have no organs, so hearing that was helpful.

Also also, mention to sweat that a reason you care so much is you've known what it's like to not be allowed a will or life of your own and you don't like seeing others in that position, and you think that sweat might share that view?

And ask shout and whisper whether they know why the mortician doesn't like angels, or possibly ask sweat why someone like the mortician wouldn't like it

(this is a looooooot of questions so also keep an eye out for any of the three of them getting stressed, and hold fire and let them speak or sort out their thoughts when needed)

NOOOOOO, PROTECT THEM!!!!

If you can ask Sweat without Shout and Whisper overhearing, could it have any advice? Is this maybe a situation where we could trick the contract by letting them "die" and then doing CPR or some other thing asap? Or some kind of metaphorical death, like have them both... play a video game? Fail at stand up comedy? How many loopholes are we allowed to do with this contract. Ooh it's so sad that their "impossible tasks" are based on love and morality, noo sweet babies that's so much harder than catching a falling star.

brainstorming and asking sweat if it has any idea of how to help them seems good, but also you should def offer a "that really sucks, i'm sorry" of sympathy or something, and tell them you want to help them if you can figure out a way how (and offer whisper a hug or a pet or something,) even if you can't come up with any way to immediately help them right now. i think it'd be good to at the very least let them know theyve got people who recognize their situation is wrong and who want to help if possible, yknow?

>>918386
i want to specify when i said said "kill them and take the contract" i meant kill the mortician not the thralls. i will never endorse harming them i love them

>Protocol 3: Kill accomplice
Effective means of disposing evidence. Or locking these shades in a conundrum that prevents them from completing the contracts and going home. Maybe both.

First up, can they kill each other metaphorically? Almost certainly not, or they would have played a round of smash against each other as a loophole. It's also possible that the first two protocols had an easy workaround to this situation so the contract would be acceptable, but the mortician erased their memories to prevent them from doing that.

To that end, since their current protocol is too complicated to fulfill immediately and interferes with their focus on other jobs, suggest they should look around the memory bin and see if they're being jipped. And totally steal your memories back while they're at it.

>>918384
You’d think that would be easy. One of them just has to kill the other and they’re free.

But since neither of them have done so, that means that they willingly don’t want to kill the other.

>He reaches across, behind the counter, and his heavy paw finds Whisper’s.
See? They’re even holding hands how lewd! They don’t want to kill each other because they’ve become friends! So being free without their friend would be a lonely freedom that they don’t want.

>>918402

oh wow yeah, i am totally willing to bet the mortician or someone took whisper and shout's memories of their other tasks. maybe we should sniff around for those.

I love Whisper and Shout dearly, and we should treat them nice and protect them as best we can!

>>918437
I thought the implication was that they'd already finished their first two tasks because they were easy? We should clarify with them

>>918507

but then why specifically say they don't remember what the tasks were? something seems fishy.

>>918532
When we first learned about thralls we were told that the first two tasks are usually normal/achievable things, and it's the third one which is the kicker.

Shout and whisper's exact phrasing was
>“The ffffffirst, aa, the first t-two, were eeaaAAsy… sso easy I d, I don’t, I don’t, aaaaa, I don’t r-remEMber…”

>“I DON’T. REMEMBER. EITHER.”
They were easy, not are easy. But you're totally right that there's some ambiguity so we should definitely clear that up so we're not trying to do the hard thing without getting the easy stuff out of the way.

ask if the mortician has any more thralls

Wbat if....the mortician was killed? Not saying we would, but if he was?