You’ve just arrived in a swampy, dim town. As you look around, your gaze is met with shacks and cabins. It smells of rotted wood and wet moss. You duck and step into a tattered tent, illuminated by a series of candles suspended in the air. At the back of the tent, an old hag raises her head, “What brings you to this dingy town? she begins, then pauses to study your face—”Ah, it’s you. I’ve been expecting you. Sit,” she gestures at a cushion, “Tell me your story.”
((How do you respond?))
"Oh! Hello lovey!", Xaaro says as they stride into the tent with an almost foolish confidence, "Can't think why yuh'd be expecting me, but if yer invitin' me in for free, I'm not gonna harp about it". They look around curiously, poking at the floating candles, before settling down on a knobbly stump-stool and fidgeting with an odd, rusted multi-tool strapped to their hip. Xaaro points to the floating candles and asks, "How you doin' all this then? Love the hoverin' and all, but are yeh usin' wires or tracks or somethin'?".
There's an awkward pause as Xaaro looks over at the hag, expecting an answer but being met with silence, before they pipe up with, "Oh! Story. My story, sure. Not much to say, really. Just a runt of my kit who can't get enough of good, greasy work on fancy-fangled machines. Went a while mucking about with some fellow gobbos until my lil-kin, Tebba, snitched that I tried to launch an Olog off a big cat-oh-pulty. Woulda worked if I just cranked the bompshaft a tad more, but Tebba said it wasn't 'structurally feasible enough for the Olog to survive'. Ugh. What does that Tebba even know anyway? She's a lil toothpick of a thing and I'm still sharper than her". Xaaro pauses their rambling and crosses their arms, zoning out on a candle for a moment and thinking back on their misfortune.
Xaaro breathes out a puffy-cheeked sigh and continues, "So anyway, they said I wasn't allowed to touch the machines anymore with all the 'dangerous devices' I was makin', so what's the point of stickin' around? I'm off to find some folks who needs a good gobbo to grease their wheels!"
Xaaro proudly puffs up their chest and pops of the stool to ask, "Well then? Why were yeh waiting for me? Have a job that needs doin'?"
To be continued...?
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