B.C.A. [26/01/17: Where The Interview Is Not About Her Job]

>Vivian: "Well I am having a hard time talking to this very nice, orcish guard."

>What ails me? I'm a tiny lizard person is that not enough? No?

>Uh.. My younger brother is a tortured artist? That's pretty ailsome.

> "My... uh, Lady? Holy Lady? Holy Person? Priestess-y? I only want that our family be able to live together and in some measure of relative comfort as to not be perceived as just dinner-on-legs by other people."

>Ask how to be on a better term with your brother

Turns out that priestess Liu is better at talking about herself than listening to you. You try to shed light on your pitiable situation but she keeps interrupting you with long-winded anecdotes or pithy quotes from her holy book. Eventually you manage to get through to her that you have dependents at which point she hands you a token amount of coin, and promises to send someone to your place to help you with housework and share the good word with your little sisters while they’re at it.

She does bring up a good point about your brother though, one that you had not been willing to consider before - if you want him to act like an adult you should treat him like one at first.

As she turns to leave you surprise her by nudging her sleeve and whispering to her that the orc guard was very helpful and she should be nice to him. It is obvious to you that she had already written you off as a successfully completed task since it takes her a moment to come to grips with the realization that someone dared to interrupt her, but she manages to acknowledge you before being whisked away by the next item on her agenda. It is a small victory to destabilize her orbit around herself, but it does feel good nevertheless.



Your people worship their ancestors, and believe that the moon is the eye of Hobul the Sky Lizard. For you worship has always been just a thing you are supposed to do and have never questioned it further. You know that some beastfolk turn to Elsingist faith in order to fit in better, but you are not so sure about that...it seems to you that all the nice things in it are reserved only for those who are born human.

The way out is considerably less crowded and your stroll through the echoing halls of light is a pleasant affair. The high temple is carved into the mountainside and its high towers make the airflow inside a cool, refreshing breeze. Above you a gallery runs along the main room where a progression of monks chant a hymn from sunrise to sunset, their voices ethereal yet penetrating through the din. On every wall there are crudely made murals big and small, painted by pilgrims as acts of devotion, depicting teachings and scenes from the life of St. Elsingius. Their symbolism is lost on you, but at least the colors are pretty...



...Which gives you an idea. For some reason Thaddeus has decided to escort you back, and you feel a bit more comfortable with the big, silent guy now so you ask him if they happen to have any surplus paints you could borrow because you have a sudden urge to draw some, uh, “devotional mats”. He confirms that they have a ton of half-used pots which would just go to waste, so why not - he will make sure to send you some with the help. At the steps of the front door he stops you and asks if you have a message to your brother if he happens to see him in some jasm joint?

>Message: "Sorry for being an ass, don't be an ass, make some money off that sponsor."

> Apologize for your actions. You know see that your brother is doing well for himself and you should be glad that he's found a niche in this hard hard world of yours.

> Message: (other than apology) I hope that your relationship with Celeste goes well... however that works.

> Also, encourage Thaddeus in his acting endeavors! Or at least, give him a vote of confidence that he's gonna do great.

Yes, he stood there waiting for the entire time. Maybe he was just avoiding work?



You cannot say something like this to a near stranger, it would reflect poorly on him and by association you!



You settle for something that is both simple and true. “Tell him that I’m sorry, and that he and his friend are welcome to eat with us if they still want to” you say to Thaddeus, who nods and then bades you farewell cutting you short. You stand hesitating on the busy courtyard, the moment quickly fleeing your grasp, and without thinking you yell at him that you would like to see him perform one day before he disappears completely from your sight. You do not know if he heard you or not.

You sigh and start your way back home across the town to the slums just outside the city walls. You have some coin now and you do not like leaving the twins alone for a long time, partly for their safety but mainly because of Ina.

While they were born from the same egg their personalities turned out to be like day and night. Ada is a sweet girl who does her chores dutifully, and is liked by everyone she meets. Ina collapsed your previous hut trying to catch a mouse, and is great at getting into troubles you could not even imagine existing. She is a very angry child full of spit, vinegar, and resourcefulness but at least she gets along remarkably well with Ada who has a soothing effect on her - a small, very small blessing. There is no way to be certain but you think she will likely turn into a male once she grows up, the telltale signs of increased aggression and dominance assertion are already there. Oh well.



You are not good with religion, but you loved to listen to stories by the campfire when you were growing up! As the ancient tale is told, Jerky was once a lizard fond of all kinds of mischief and wickedness, his misadventures being recounted in such folk tales as Jerky Loans A Fiver But Never Pays It Back, Jerky Commits Double Adultery, Jerky Crashes The Subprime Mortgage Market, and Jerky Eats The Yellow Snow.

Then one day he grew too greedy and tried to become the king of the world, stealing all the stars on the sky to do so. This made him catch the ire of the Great Sky Lizard who promptly slapped him silly, and banished him to the far ends of the earth to sit in eternal boredom as his punishment. He is allowed to return only when Hobul needs the counsel of a crafty trickster, and even then it takes a great deal of effort to send him back afterwards. Arrival of the monsoon season is a sign of Jerky calling forth the rains to hide his footprints from his pursuers, and it is considered to be an ill omen - no great undertaking should be started nor any pact made during this time is binding.

It is a tale about the importance of humility, of course. No one is born humble but it is a virtue quickly taught by life and its harsh lessons. Humility is the basis of cooperation, a crucial survival skill for your people, and without it one grows greedy and selfish thus becoming the bane of everyone in the tribe. It is not nice to wish misfortunes on anyone and especially not on people you know, but imagining priestess Liu gaining some much needed life experience does not make you feel bad either. Oh well.




While taking a shortcut through a mostly deserted quarter you are surprised by the sound of footsteps running towards you, and a tall stranger rushes at you...

>Magic glowing thing given to you by a robed stranger? NOPE, NU-UH, GOT A FAMILY TO FEED, NO TIME FOR ADVENTURE.
>drop it and run

>It's the...It's a... actually what the fcuk even is this.

>Well no time to boggle about this now, you've got dependents who depend on you!

> Put it to safety the old-fashion way; i.e, eat it.