Stranger 2026/07/01(Wed)02:31 No. 1128790 ID: 330254
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Yasee I wasn’t much of a swimmer. At all. So I remained solely in the raft trying to reach it. I strained closer to the edge. The cold of the water hugged around my arm, as if it could grab and yank me right in. The raft rocked some more but the shiny artifact was at my fingertips.

My cheek was against the water, my snout nearly dunked past the surface. My small fingers finally curled around some threads--I think it was the cord--and I tugged! But the rope was caught on something deeper in the sediment!

Dang thing!! I could risk falling in and drown! Of course... I’m alive here talking to you. But the most unexpected thing happened as I tried to yank it free!

>Uh... gimmie a moment to remember exactly what that was...

>you can play along as villagers or have Yamelle banter

Are any villagers following the Mender around?

Yamelle: "Ooh I know this one! And when you pulled it free it was attached to... A Severed Hand!"

You were blown back as something burst out of the water, almost as if you'd pulled the world apart by yourself.

Stranger 2026/07/02(Thu)21:58 No. 1128881 ID: 330254
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Yamelle: I know this story! It was a severed hand!

Stranger: Eh, a whuh?

Yamelle: If it was a scary camp story it would be a missing hand. Or a rusty hand hook!

Stranger: It’s not a camp story. It was real!

Yamelle: Oh!

Yamelle: By the way--were there any villagers that followed the mender around?

Stranger: I... I’m not sure. Maybe.

Stranger: Th-That’s not important!

Stranger: I need to figure where I was, hold on...

--

Right.

>You were blown back as something burst out of the water, almost as if you'd pulled the world apart by yourself.
Whatever sprung free there came a huge burst of black ichor spewing forth from the pond! The blast pushed me backwards onto the raft--knocking my head and shifting the boat violently with sudden waves! Again I almost fell into the water. I watched as something clattered by my feet in a pool of some tarry substance. When the waves calmed, I was shocked to discover...

A hand!

Yamelle: So it was!!

No-no-no. Now you’re mixing my brain up! It wasn’t a hand. It was... like... some kind of spine! Maybe a curved tusk... It was bleeding inky blackness with carvings all along its side. Ropes were taut around it, woven in a strange pattern.

Stranger 2026/07/02(Thu)21:59 No. 1128882 ID: 330254
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Whatever it unplugged, the pond darkened with its vantablack bile. Spluttering out and frothing the water. I feared the world has been doomed to eternal darkness.
>a. I examined the splinter closely
→ and tried to plug it back in
→ I threw it back in the lake
>b. I examined the dark ink of the pond
→ only looked at it
→ I touched it
>c. I ran home
→ screaming
→ and took the splinter to the mender
→ I told the town I’ve found the splinter

C) You screamed of the splinter, not realizing that doing so doomed the town even more than poisoning the water supply.
The galactic corporations saw how much oil there was in this little zit of a town and they insisted on cleaning every last drop from the river... and cleaned out the townsfolk in the process.
The corps gave you enough money to live forever. Your town stole all the pride and respect in your heart with their venomous blame.

I’d like to choose C! Taking the splinter to the mender is probably the better decision. If A gains a lot of favor though, trying to plug the hole shut seems like the option a panicked child would do.

I think you would be impressed you actually found it. B) to look at the ink.

C) This must have been what the mender was looking for!

C
OH NO! THE WORLD IS BLEEDING TO DEATH! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!

B. You were curious and touched the strange new substance. Perhaps a bit too curious and splashed it around a bit.

Stranger 2026/07/07(Tue)21:19 No. 1129071 ID: 330254
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The minnows and tadpoles hurriedly swam away from the impending ink clouds. I imagined what it would be like to stand in my village and see black fog rolling in the distance swallowing mountains. In a panic I rowed back to shore and sprinted on home through scraping branches and bushes.

>This must have been what the mender was looking for
>Taking the splinter to the mender is probably the better decision
I held the splinter close; I hoped the mender would know what to do. He can cure the pond! He can save the village before the infection can spread! He must be in the pasture still!

‘Mender, mender!’ I cried, scuttling my little feet across the field. He stood alone by a hay pile, barely sifting through straws with a cane. But I had his attention.

Mender: Now what’s this calling about?

Mender: Oh. You’re just a girl. I’m busy, you know. A busy man! Go jump a rope or whatever.

I urgently tell him about my discovery; I explained what happened in the pond. I kept yelling. ‘I found the splinter! I found it! I took it from the pond and now the whole world is bleeding!!!’ I showed him the splinter in my hands, at least feeling a little proud to have found it. 'Yasee! I can help! I can be a mender like you!'

Stranger 2026/07/07(Tue)21:26 No. 1129072 ID: 330254
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He reeled in repulsion.

Mender: Great Amama! Look at you! You’re covered in filth! No doubt the result of a terrible mother who neglects her younglings!

Mender: Get yourself a bath! Little girls shouldn’t be rolling in the mud!

I admit I wasn’t in the best of presentation but... I told him that I wanted to help, that I wanted to be a mender like him when I grow up. He scoffed again.

Mender: Pah! Girls don’t grow to be menders!

Mender: It takes keen senses and a deep understanding of the unseen forces at work. Yeeeears of study. You’d probably find it boring in a week and move on to something simpler. Take up soapmolding! Or woodpulping.

Mender: Now enough of this make-believe nonsense.

He snatches the splinter from my hands.

Mender: And I’ll be taking that! This thing could be diseased! Tying up animal bones in string and beads is an unhealthy hobby.

Mender: Run home, little girl! Go practice some matronly chores.

>___

What the fuck mender? Rude as fuck.

Does Baby Stranger know anyone who would have access to bones and beads both? Or anyone known to hang around the pond?

>>1129072

Well, at least WE'RE trying, unlike whatever he thinks he's doing.

Is he even a real mender, or just playing pretend?

Tell him again that the pond is filling with black ink. If he doesn't listen, go tell someone else. Keep trying until someone listens.

This guy's gonna steal credit. A smart kid would stay close and keep an eye on him.

Insist! Insist! Do not relent!

This fool will doom the whole world with his disdain. You have to show him the lake right now!

...Yeah this might be the reason the mender tradition went extinct.
Warn the other villagers about the black goop. Ask around; maybe you accidentally opened an oil pipeline the Constellation secretly installed.

Fine, you're just gonna have to lure him over there yourself.

Snatch his walking stick, and run as fast as you can to the lake.

>>1129105
Oooh, I love this idea!

Stranger 2026/07/10(Fri)21:57 No. 1129187 ID: 330254
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>Tell him again that the pond is filling with black ink
>Well, at least WE'RE trying, unlike whatever he thinks he's doing.
>This fool will doom the whole world with his disdain. You have to show him the lake right now!
I tried to convince him to follow me! But of course no adult would listen to a child for long. He eventually straight up ignored me.

> This guy's gonna steal credit.
> Is he even a real mender, or just playing pretend?
> ...Yeah this might be the reason the mender tradition went extinct.
I was starting to suspect he wasn’t all that he seemed. Maybe he’ll take all the credit for hisself. We had charlatans come and go; some who get away and others who get kicked out on their behinds. But he was a known fella--so it would be harder to convince everyone he was a phony.

Regardless, I knew what I had to do.

>Snatch his walking stick, and run as fast as you can to the lake.
I swiped his walking stick and ran off!

Yamelle: No!

Yes! I grabbed it and hoped to reach the pond first! The mender was hollering and chasing after; he may have been old but still had some stride. I had to cut through town and weave around people. Definitely more than a few heads had turned to see the commotion.

Stranger 2026/07/10(Fri)21:57 No. 1129188 ID: 330254
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Once I reached the pond--I couldn’t believe what I saw.

All the water... had disappeared.

All that remains is a basin of sediment. As I’ve said earlier it fills and drains throughout the seasons--but I’d never thought it would change so suddenly.

I tried remembering where I found the splinter, or if there is any black goop left behind. My search didn’t last long as footsteps came trotting behind me. A handful of villagers.

Stranger 2026/07/10(Fri)21:58 No. 1129189 ID: 330254
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Mender: There you are, little brat!

Mother was there, and so were some neighbors. The mender stood aside with arms akimbo as mother’s voice made me cringe inside. I could hardly get a word out to defend myself.

Mother: VIKRA! What have you done?!

Mother: So THIS is what you’ve been up to? Sneaking out and harassing the poor mender.

Mother: And you’re a mess--tch, and we just washed this robe!

Mother: Take your wrinkled be-hind home right now and undress for a bath!

Yamelle 2026/07/10(Fri)21:59 No. 1129190 ID: 330254
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Yamelle: And then what happened?

Stranger: Exactly that. I went home.

Stranger: I’m sorry it couldn’t be wrapped in a bow, but I saw what I saw.

Stranger: I don’t think I was allowed out until the next day. The mender had since ‘cured’ the village and went on to the next one. I never saw the splinter again either--he probably took the credit as I feared he would.

Stranger: When I was able, I visited the pond. Still no trace of what I experienced. Did it open a hole and drain all the water? Have I saved and cured the village? Or did I unleash something terrible into this world?

Stranger: The other children have made fun of me for it. Perhaps I saw only what a child’s eyes could think up.

Stranger: Still, I kept the tradition going. But I don’t ask for lodging or anything. I typically keep silent about it.

Yamelle: Well that was a... fascinating story!

Yamelle: I think the kids will like that one! When they’re old enough to listen anyhow...

Yamelle: I’m sure you were probably right. It doesn’t sound like it kept you from trying all your life.

Yamelle 2026/07/10(Fri)22:00 No. 1129191 ID: 330254
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The stranger is silent, and stares out into space as the poolwater is undisturbed. Ma is getting sleepy, indicated by her stretch and light yawn.

Stranger: ...

Stranger: I think... I’m ready to move on.

Stranger: Thanks for keeping me company--I haven’t shared a story like that in a long while.

Stranger: I was... having a look around the village; it’s quite healthy. Healthiest I’ve seen in my years. I still did a bit of mending here and there.

Stranger: ...little things. Precautions.

Stranger: ...

Stranger: There’s something maybe you ought to have.

Stranger: In my basket is something like an ivory awl.

Stranger: At any point when you find a cyst in the ground, bury the awl somewhere nearby. Point facing down like a spike. But careful not to break it. Don’t worry, it aint another splinter--more like acupuncture. Just make sure it’s done before the cyst is lanced.

>>1129191
Alright. Well, might as well bring up the weird disk now.

Does a spooky figure that has been watching people from the rooftops all foreboding-like and giving an old man a scare count as a cyst?

Anyway, let's invite her to sleep in the house!

Invite her to the house!

Invite her to the house!

You won't take no for an answer!

>>1129198
Agreed.
Invite her to stay.
Whether we fully believe it or not.

She never asked for lodging like the other guy.
He was a walking splinter.
And this isnt her asking.
Its being offered, in gratitude for a tale told.
And, let her feel your belly.
Especially if the little kickboxer is waking up.

Invite her to stay, but if she wishes to head out, try not to press it. Respect her wishes.

Yamelle 2026/07/12(Sun)05:41 No. 1129218 ID: 330254
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Ma stretches her limbs.

Yamelle: I’ll keep that advice in mind!

Yamelle: You’ve been a wonderful guest as well. yeeeeeawrn If you need a place to stay I could make some room for you here.

The stranger chuckles.

Stranger: Oh, that won’t be necessary. But thank you kindly.

Yamelle: No, I insist! It’s dark out and you have no business shifting through the cold.

Yamelle: I’ll get you a warm towel and bring your things over. Okay? I'll wake my husband to push two small beds together in the kids room.

--

Ma steps over to the changing room again. Everything’s in the far back locker where she left them. The pack basket is looking quite old, frayed, and weathered; no doubt it has traveled many long miles to be in this condition.

She carries it out from the locker, but the tattered old thing starts falling apart. The weight of the stranger’s belongings tore a small hole and several items start pouring out onto the tiled floor!

Clackity clack clink CLUNK

Amongst the brittle twigs and crunchy gray leaves come clattering the ivory awl and the black stone disk. Unfortunately for the disk, it cracks in two.

Yamelle: GAAASP! Oh noooo. Shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot

She kneels as best as her gravid belly allows to collect the mess. Yamelle sighs. The thinly moth-nibbled blanket is used to cover the tear and all items are placed back inside. All but the awl, which Yamelle accepts the lady's gift and hooks it to her towel.

Yamelle 2026/07/12(Sun)05:42 No. 1129219 ID: 330254
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Glumly, she returns to her guest.

Yamelle: I’m so so sorry, ma’am.

Yamelle: Your basket ripped and your belongings fell out. I promise to help pay for some repairs--or even replace it. There’s a wonderful basketweaver in town, I promise he’ll make it pristine!

Yamelle: Something else broke too...

She looks up and the stranger is nowhere to be found.

Yamelle: Ma’am?

Ma double-checks the pool. No bodies. Good. There’s a puddle of water at the edge from where they sat. She scans the room left and right with ears flicking to and fro. No noise. No response.

Yamelle: Hello?

Her voice resonates.

Yamelle: Now where’d she gone off to? I said I’d bring her a towel.

>>1129219
You broke her phylactery. I'm guessing she'll be reborn from that cyst.
But eh, I guess call out to her in ignorance.

Search the house? Make sure her clothes are still here, she can’t have gone out naked, right? So if clothes are gone she left, otherwise she’s still here.

She went outside,
when you check outside, you see she is already far far away in the distance, you can only see her silhouette. You think you can hear her singing a sorrowful, yet familiar tune.
you call out to her to come back inside, but she is too far away from earshot. You can't reach her because you are too under-dressed to go outside in this weather.
the blizzard gets stronger and stronger as it obscures your sight of her until she vanishes


how mysterious and eerie. You hope she is okay.

The beherit broke?? This story about to take a turn.

But seriously are her clothes around? Did the front door find its way open again?

Yamelle 2026/07/12(Sun)20:33 No. 1129235 ID: 330254
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>Make sure her clothes are still here, she can’t have gone out naked, right?
>But seriously are her clothes around? Did the front door find its way open again?
Yamelle searches and double-checks the building. She recalls locking the front door after they first swung open, but there are no signs of anyone unlocking them to leave. There’s a pile of tatterdemalion rags where the stranger’s clothes once lay: dusty with old cobwebs strewn around.

Yamelle: What is...?

They easily fall apart. She wafts away the debris particles to not inhale them.

She looks out the front window, trying to find a naked old chupian hobbling around. It’s dark, with only a lamppost illuminating a distant spot. No blizzard, but windy with light flurries. Is that her--? No. No, it’s a snowy mound. No red eyes reflect back.

How mysterious and eerie. Without a response for several minutes Yamelle places the stranger’s belongings by the front counter, just in case.

Hopefully she’s okay.

Yamelle-Dama 2026/07/12(Sun)20:34 No. 1129236 ID: 330254
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Ma retreats upstairs after everything’s accounted for. A slow ascension on creaky floorboards. The nippy wind hums outside as she walks down the dark hall. She peeks in the children’s room to find Sashi and Deemus peacefully sound asleep--and continues on.

Yamelle enters the master bedroom where her husband rests under the warm sheets with only his fundoshi on. Wife undresses her sole towel and joins; she quietly places the ivory awl in her nightstand drawer. The mattress gently dips from her weight as she nestles in with a sigh.

Dama, stirring in her presence, utters.

Dama: Hrngh... speaking to somebody, dear?

Yamelle: Oh. Well... hmm.

Yamelle: Um...

And so, it is time for some closing responses before Da and Ma tuck in the night.

No sense waking Damas up with discussing the goings on. He worked hard today and would worry and wake up fully.

Easily enough to explain in the morning. Give him a hug from behind and go to sleep.

Ask if he believes in ghosts to answer his question

>>1129236
An old ghost, who told her story before moving on.

"I think i saw a ghost and i don't know how to feel about it."

Just a memory, it seems

Yamelle-Dama 2026/07/13(Mon)03:55 No. 1129258 ID: 330254
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Yamelle: Sigh...

Yamelle: Do you believe in ghosts?

Dama: No.

Yamelle: Ah, it’s just... I think I was talking to one. She was an old woman and told me a story about the olden days.

Yamelle: Uuuhh... I-I’ll just fill in the details tomorrow morning! <3 You need your sleep.

He rolls his shoulders as he sinks further into his pillow.

Dama: hrnngh... I was... hrmm... downstairs earlier. I forget what for. But I heard you muttering somethin’ in the tub before returning to bed.

Yamelle: Oh. Well I must’ve been deep in thought, I guess.

She scoots to rest comfortably on her side. She tries spooning, what with her pregnant belly in the way, but he reciprocates by running a palm around to itch her thigh.

Yamelle: I love you, Dama~

Dama: Hmm goodnight Wife ♥

Yamelle-Dama 2026/07/13(Mon)03:56 No. 1129259 ID: 330254
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And thus the village of Du-Gar peacefully slumbers throughout the night. The Yamelle-Damas will wake up bright and early to keep its towners clean and hygienic; an important role in chupian society. The unsettling vibe throughout the streets would appear to have subsided by then, although not without rumors left in its wake which shall turn into trivial tall tales at Daringh’s Bar & Tavern.

We close this chaptery glimpse on the lives of the Yamelle-Damas. Perhaps we’ll check in on them again, surely as homely as ever.

Dama: Oh, uh... and I love you, too.

Yamelle: I know~

THE END

Thanks for the wonderful look into the lives of these all-time favourite family, Sarco!

Merry Psychopomp Day to one and all!

A nice cozy time

Bonus scene: Yamelle is interrupted by water breaking

Love these two. Thank you for making a quest for them and for us!