South Gate
-The two guards who interacted with Steiner, tall and short, are here. Discussing rumors of trouble.
-Short Guard wants to help. Tall Guard is more hesitant.
-lol they start to discuss whether the tall guy with a bag was suspicious.
-These guys are a delight.
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Train and Station
-Dagger is sleeping. They’re coming to Summit Station soon.
-Steiner still fully believes in Brahne, but has embraced his role as the princess’s protector above all else. I think we’re coming close to the time when Steiner will have to choose between Brahne and Dagger. I feel confident he’ll choose Dagger.
-They arrive at Summit Station. Next they’ll have to saty in a rest area and await a car to take them the rest of the way to Alexandria.
-They’re home.
Sort of. Not the castle, but Alexandria nonetheless.
-Berkmea Cable Cars were built 8 years ago, symbolizing friendship between Lindblum and Alexandria. Powered by Mist engines.
-There’s a moogle at the rest area here, Nazna. Gave her the letter from Grimo. A really sweet letter about watching love from afar, seeing that Mary’s love is difficult especially.
-Nazna asks us to bring a letter to Mochos.
-The car to Lindblum departed, and a voice outside that Dagger recognizes says they missed their ride. Maybe it’s Ruby.
-Nope – Cinna and Marcus. Yay! Happy to see they made it out.
-And of course Steiner starts something up. Not unreasonably because a part of him still believes they abducted Garnet against her will. But she puts him in his place.
-Marcus is heading to Treno, Cinna to Lindblum. Why the split? What are they up to? I like their friendship. Easy and casual and warm.
-Ah. Marcus’s goal is to “save his bro.” Perhaps the answer to Blank’s petrification lies in Treno.
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Cable Car
-Yup. He’s searching for an item called “Supersoft” to cure Blank. Cinna’s heading back to the Tantalus hideout to check in with them.
-Ow. Marcus has some harsh words for her.
She counters that he was treating her like a child (also fair), but it stings nonetheless.
-The cable car stops. “Engine trouble.” (My ass engine trouble. What horrifying thing is about to swoop down?)
-“A demon with a pointy hat.” One of the waltzes?
-Yeah. Black Waltz #3 survived, and is in pretty rough shape. No longer in KILL KILL KILL mode. Wants to retrieve the princess alive. Must’ve been reprogrammed. Fight time.
-Tried scanning it, but the scan didn’t go through.
-Dagger’s weapon attack is now pretty good. It’s like a wand attack.
-Steiner’s Minus Strike does damage based on how low his health is. I like it! It’s an incentive to not keep him always topped off without feelings as necessary to stay low as FFVIII’s limit breaks.
-We win.
-Steiner expresses uncertainty again about what is behind the black mages, and Marcus treats him like a fool. But Dagger knows what’s up. She must’ve seen something in her mother’s actions before she left that made her want to leave.
-She thinks that going to Alexandria and talking to Brahne will help. I doubt it.
-Back on the train. Dagger talks to Marcus, and it’s friendly.
-Marcus notes that she’s changed. Not just her language either.
-She insists on coming to Treno no matter what to help Marcus with Blank. Lol – he notes that that part of her hasn’t changed.
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Alexandria Station
-Disembarked. Right road to Treno, left to Dali.
-Marcus is in our party now, but I don’t think he’ll be a long-term member. He’s similar to Zidane, and most telling of all, he can’t learn abilities from any of the items in my inventory. I think this may be the game telling me not to load him up with good equipment.
-Yay! Part-Time Mary is working at the item shop in this station.
-There’s a marker at the crossroads celebrating friendship between Lindblum and Alexandria.
We’ll see if that lasts.
-Sign pointing left to Dali says not to vandalize the farm. Right to Treno says beware of night travel. Let’s try Dali first.
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Dali
-KITTY! Still in the inn.
-The innkeeper is gone. His son, Snot-Nosed Gudo, is working in his place.
-One of the kids, Pasty Yacha, is delighted at how rich they’re gonna be thanks to Queen Brahne.
-The mayor still won’t talk to us.
-Dagger reflects on how much she now sounds like the townspeople here, how much she’s changed.
-Got an elixir from the treasure chest in the garden.
-The old lady in the garden here is upset that Queen Brahne’s incentivized everyone to abandon their farming. Dagger promises to help.
-Checked in at the observatory, but not much going on here. Dagger sees the weathervane and now knows it’s used as a beacon for cargo ships.
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Road to Treno
-Beautiful scene on the bridge crossing to Treno.
-The overworld past the gate is the Bentini Heights.
-I LOVE the night sky here. It looks like something out of an impressionist painting.
-Mandragora monsters here are adorable!
Adorable, and really tough. I noticed that not every area of the Bentini Heights is covered in night. Maybe the sign meant that the night areas are tougher.
-Combat with a sad looking ghost-angel-thing. The music is ragtime mouse music. It asks for ore.
-We oblige. It thanks us, asks us to give our best regards to “Ladybug.” Uh. K.
-Ooh, got 10 AP! Sweet little bonus.
[Non-rhetorical question for y’all: is the only difference between a Phoenix Down and a Phoenix Pinion that a Phoenix Pinion can’t be used out of combat?]
-Ready to head into Treno. Saving.
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Next time: Treno.
