Conversations

While resting on the outskirts of the lightning fields, within the Crystal-point Forest, Molly approaches Entropy before they both are to go to sleep for the night.

"I was just wanting to make sure, are you okay?" the goblin asks worriedly. "No weird voices in your head, or anything of that nature?"

Molly puts aside her gun, Ratbastard, and sits on it not unlike a pillow while she waits for Entropy’s response.

Entropy kind of squints at her for a moment, thinking in silence before she answers. "I'm… okay. No voices that are… unexpected."

"So just the usual ones then?" Molly quips.

"I mean, there’s my… internal voice?" Entropy replies a bit uncertainly.

Well alright then," Molly replies. "I suppose that’s normal. You don’t lose to it often, do you?"

This only adds to her uncertainty. Entropy looks confused at that question, staring at Molly, who stares owlishly back.

"Lose to it?" the tiefling repeats.

"You know, like an argument," Molly clarifies. "Do you ever argue with yourself and lose?" She mimes hand movements to mimic talking, to further push her point.

"Can you lose an argument if it’s with yourself?" Entropy says, slowly.

This answer seems to satisfy Molly enough. "So the answer is no then."

Molly then sighs softly to herself as she pulls out her crafting gear. She briefly stands in order to grab Ratbastard, sitting down again with the gun held on her lap as she begins to absentmindedly etch markings onto it.

"Anyways! As to my point of coming over and making sure you’re okay, I'm not meaning to pry more than what you’re comfortable with, but what is going on?" Molly pauses, throwing a concerned glance in Entropy's direction. "How much do you know? My understanding of it, is that you have a magic book that we found with a bunch of dead people. Or…" she stops and thinks for a moment, "…rather, there were a bunch of dead people. It spoke to you which, you know what," she grumbles a bit under her breath, "magic items can be weird. I would know. And you fed it. After which point it attacked your sister. Or, did… something fucky with your sister, at which point she’s been puking… black… goo. Did I miss anything?"

At that last bit, Molly sounds more cheerful than one would expect. Entropy blinks, scowls a bit, and then sighs.

"I… suppose you summed it up for the most part, yes," she says. "And as such, it… the other voices I’ve been hearing would be from the book, as you said. If I didn't feed it myself though, it seemed like the other option was not ideal. I chose the better of the options."

Molly tilts her head. "Sounds… that does make some sense." She continues carefully chipping away at the wood of her gun. "And while blowing it up, or destroying it… or shooting it… or burning it… are off the table for now, I am okay dealing with whatever consequences come if we do have to get to that point."

"And I'm not." She scowls darkly. "I don't know what it might do but… if it means you or anyone else in the party might get hurt, or killed, or worse, I'm not willing to take that chance."

"I understand," Molly says. "But the offer is there... even if you won’t take it. Disregarding the book, I have gathered the impression that there is some shit going on with your family and these books? Are you able to explain?"

Entropy stares at her hands on her lap and doesn't immediately go to answer. Seeing Entropy hesitate, Molly takes this moment to continue.

"I'm going to be honest, I might not understand any, or all, of it, as my interaction with magical bullshit is purely in its use in items. I don't understand how to work it like you, or Kai, or Glory can." She shrugs. "Nor do I care to."

Entropy finally responds, quietly. "I studied a lot growing up."

Molly interjects with a chuckle. "I did not."

Entropy gives a bit of a bitter, halfhearted smile, before continuing, "There's a lot that I know about my family. More than I'd like, in some cases. There's also a lot I don't know. I don't know almost anything in the book, the… one we found."

"I imagine if you did, you probably wouldn't have fed it."

"If i didn't feed it when it asked--"

"Or took it," Molly interrupts.

"That too," Entropy agrees. "But if I hadn't fed it when it asked, I got the strong impression it was going to feed on one of you."

"Given a rock and a hard place, as the saying goes, I don't blame you for it."

Entropy gives a small nod. "I don't want to let this hurt anyone. Not again. Especially not after what happened with Decay earlier." She casts a sideways glance in her sister's direction, frowning guiltily. "But I don’t think destroying it is going to help anything." She shakes her head and quickly adds, "That's not to say that using it will help either, but until I know more, appeasing it is the best I can do for the moment."

"So what do you know?" asks Molly.

Entropy glares down at her hands, fidgeting with her gloves. "It's evil."

Molly gestures around at nothing and everything in particular, then after thinking a moment, specifically in the general direction of where Decay is. "I'd say that's granted," she says bluntly.

"I don't think you understand how evil," she replies with another shake of her head. "Even I don't even know how far it goes. I was only able to read, maybe… a couple of pages or so. It was like a blur. It made me feel sick."

"That's all how you felt," Molly says, pausing her etching, "but what did it tell you?"

"The voice or the pages?"

"There’s a difference?" Molly sounds concerned again. "Both then?"

Entropy hesitates briefly, but continues, even quieter than she had been speaking before. "Well… on the pages, there was like… a poem of sorts? And a… a spell."

"Hey, at least it told you a story."

Molly sounds completely nonchalant, as if she doesn't understand the implications. Entropy just shakes her head before she continues to speak.

"That was all I could read before I… before all of you found me."

"When you were out?" Molly clarifies.

"Yes."

"And the spell?" she asks. "In goblin terms?"

"I don't want to describe it in any terms," Entropy says firmly. "It's not something that should ever be shared. It's not something that should ever be used."

"Well," Molly briefly pauses, then continues carving into the wood, "hopefully we never come up against something like it, in that case."

Entropy gives a slight nod, sighing, and learning her head against her palm. "As much as I hate it, at least I know what to look out for if it were to be used by someone else."

"Hopefully you are able to keep an eye out for it," Molly says with another shrug. "I know I won't."

Entropy nods, but says nothing further.

Gathering that Entropy was either unable or unwilling to continue down this thread of conversation, Molly decides to change course. "Well, in any case, I’ve pestered you quite a bit," she says lightly. "Is there anything you’re curious about me? One pester for another!"

Entropy stops and thinks for a moment, eventually looking up to fully stare at Molly, squinting a bit.

"Why do you keep food on you?" She grimaces, as if the mere thought of it was enough to make her feel ill. "Like, not in your bags, but… on you."

"On me’s the only clean place!" Molly grins widely. "Or at least, the only place that would have it still edible."

"You’re filthy though," Entropy says, aghast.

"And the bag has alchemical ingredients!" Molly counters, waving one of her tools at Entropy. "I don’t wanna find out what happens when you mix ham and bottled lightning ingredients, or black powder." She shivers at the thought of it.

"Why not just get another bag?"

"Only had the one! Didn't exactly have the ability to buy the other, until just recently," Molly replies.

Entropy frowns at that. "If you had mentioned needing one though…" she says, trailing off.

"I mean..." Molly gestures vaguely at Entropy, and then at Kai, "you’re noble folk. You’re not going to give out money just for free, nor would I expect one of my kind to have the money either. Didn't exactly get the bag legitimately," she adds nonchalantly.

"You make a lot of assumptions about the character of us 'noble folk'," Entropy frowns unhappily.

"Well… most noble folk I've known are, one: asses, or two: kiss-asses. And I tend to fall under the first one when it comes to their dealings with me."

"Do you get the impression that I'm an ass to you?"

"Not yet," Molly muses. "But I haven't known you that long. Perhaps you can convince me that there’s a third type. Good asses!"

Entropy blinks rapidly at hearing that, as if she is struggling to think of what to say, or even what to think for a moment.

"…If I were to ever fall under that third type, please don't say that to me," she finally says after recomposing herself.

"It's perfectly acceptable to be called a good ass!" Molly says with another wave of her tools. "A lot of my good friends are asses! They’re just not nobles."

"If you say that I'm a “good ass” to any normal person, they are going to draw a lot of their own conclusions as to what that means."

Molly takes a moment to think, but shrugs. "I mean I don't see the issue, but fair enough!"

Entropy shakes her head and looks completely exasperated, before shifting the subject back to something less… whatever any of that was.

"Well… when we go back into town, I can buy you a bag for food purposes. On the condition that it's only for food.

Molly takes another moment to think, and then with a shit-eating grin on her face, slowly replies, "...Yes."

Entropy squints at Molly suspiciously, but Molly interjects before Entropy can say anything more on the matter. "I mean, to be honest, if we are able to turn in this bounty for money, since I'm not a big fan of the honesty route…" she stops and grumbles, "even though I suggested it…" She continues with a shake of her head, "...you might not need to."

"Except I offered," the tiefling says firmly. "I'll do it regardless. I hold to my word."

Molly doesn't respond immediately. She takes a moment, seemingly focused on her etching, but finally replies, "I'll hold you to it then." Glancing back up at Entropy, she asks, "Any other pressing questions?

"Why were you traveling?"

Molly shrugs. "Assumed it was kind of obvious. Running."

"But why?" Entropy presses.

"Constable was an ass," she says nonchalantly. "Didn't wanna turn myself in."

Entropy frowns, and glances away. "...Fair enough." She sighs. "And I don't… mean to pry into things that you don't want to talk about."

Molly sighs as well, thinking for a long moment before responding. "I’m sure I've pried in more than enough to warrant answering this," she finally says. "Was involved with a thing, and just… didn't want to do it anymore. Too many good people. Dead. And not through their own choice."

Entropy is quiet for a moment, before hesitantly giving Molly a light pat on the shoulder.

"I’m… sure our situations aren't the same--"

Molly interjects with a snort, "I hope not!"

Entropy takes a moment, taking in a deep breath, before continuing, "I'm sure they aren't the same, but, on some level I… do kind of understand. Needing to leave. Too many people dying." She says the last part in almost a whisper, unable to look anywhere but firmly at the ground.

Molly is quiet for a moment, suddenly looking more sorrowfully at Entropy.

"I am sorry," she says. "About the mortar attack. I should've seen it sooner."

Entropy hesitates for only a moment before she suddenly casts prestidigitation on Molly, and then gives her a hug. There is some discomfort that is apparent on Entropy's part, but it is genuine in her attempt to convey what she couldn't bring herself to outright say in words.

"You couldn't have stopped that," she finally does manage to say.

"Could have at least warned you sooner."

"There was so much happening, I don't… It's not your fault."

Molly stays quiet for a moment, after which Entropy releases the hug and looks a bit awkward.

"Well…" The goblin finally breaks the silence. "I think I've pestered you enough for today, get some rest and perhaps next time I have some free time, I'm sure you have a dagger or something I can enchant. Perhaps the one you broke."

Entropy laughs quietly at that, trying to shake off the anxiety that was threatening to build up after that moment of vulnerability.

"I'm sure I have something in my bags," the tiefling says.

"Hell, I could even make you a hat if you want!" Molly continued right along as if only half listening to Entropy for the moment. "Might even disguise you if you need it. Can even make it a little brooch."

She frowns a bit. "Not sure a hat would be easy with my horns," she says.

"I could put holes in it!" Molly retorted. "It’d look cute!"

"If you could account for my horns, I'll take you up on that if you’re willing," Entropy agreed after a little more thought, especially after seeing how willing Molly appeared to be. "Would likely work well in addition to what I already have for disguising myself."

Molly mumbles a bit as she continues to talk to herself, "Yeah, I think I'll just need a… hmm, when we get back to town... I'll pick up some materials… probably need a scroll." She looks back up at Entropy, directly speaking to her once more. "And I'll just need you to power it. I can make it work!

Entropy smiles a bit. Molly certainly was a strange one, but nice. She was nice.

"Sounds like we have a deal?" she says, seeking confirmation. "A bag for a hat?"

Molly grins in return. "Sounds indeed."