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[insinning]

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[tablescraps]

( SINCLAIR!!!!!!!!! )

Was it us? Did you get treatment?

[insinning]

it was before

it's ok

Hien healed me before i got to the shoreline

[tablescraps]

( He knows Sinclair isn't specifying very intentionally, which is why he keeps needling the point. )

What happened?

[insinning]

[slowly, but surely, the information comes spilling out]

Winter

No

Gorre stabbed me. He wanted to keep me from going to the battle.

[tablescraps]

( if sinclair listens closely, he can hear the sound of someone equipping a greatsword in the distance... )

Do you trust that? He's under Lily's influence right now.

[insinning]

[He needs his family to not want to murder each other for the rest of the month thanks]

I don't know. I think he was telling the truth. But 'Winter' wouldn't have done that.

[tablescraps]

( Maybe you can get that for Christmas, but it's not Christmas yet, is it?

A pause before the reply comes. )

Everything I did as Macha made sense to me. Everything felt fluidly logical, and everything I had to say or do to get the data I wanted felt a reasonable price.

Gorre collects data on cruelty. Whatever reason he gave you for why he did it, the truth of the matter is probably much simpler: it was an intentional betrayal. Like when I told you I couldn't love you after asking if you loved me. It's just routine data harvesting.

He needs to be killed before he can transform. Ideally, it will prevent a coming wave and allow him to return as himself, like Barrett and I did.

( Ideally. He's really not sure what allowed him and Barrett to come back; some part of him wonders if it's oversight, some part of him wonders if it's Lily leaving them be so he can "save" them, too. )

[insinning]

i thought it was strange, your behaviour as Macha.

[A pause, another message shortly after]

he'll hate himself if when he comes back to himself then.

but what what do you mean? Is there another stage to the transformation? you and barrett did transform

[tablescraps]

We should kill him now, is what I mean.

When we last saw him he still looked like himself, if I recall right.

( He has Macha's memories, even in his big boss form, but Macha only paid so much attention to irrelevant data. )

I still looked like myself when I was fishing for unrequited love, and Barrett was fishing for jealousy and anger. But eventually it escalated; me and Barrett began to change in appearance. When it was time for our Wave, our transformation completed.

The earlier we can stop Winter in the transformation process, the better. He'll be weaker and easier to deal with than a proper Phase. You were all lucky only Lum signed up for the possibility of death no one died, but that doesn't mean Winter, as Gorre, won't kill anyone if his transformation completes. Same with any other Phases we can find.

Lily knows the Phases are vulnerable at this stage, too. I knew them, but... my memory of their identities is murky now. There'd be no need to hide them if killing them early wouldn't hinder the Cursed Wave somehow.

[insinning]

i

i can't do that yet

it was bad enough when

anyway

do you remember?

Hien tried killing you.

He said he wasn't able to do much. And you threw him out of the area. It was the same with Oria. I don't think it will be that easy. he's locked himself away. we can't get to him.

[tablescraps]

Already? Then killing him would be difficult. Not unless he could be killed in one shot. But...

( He sees Sinclair's hesitation.

... )

I do remember, though. When I kept to the Shoreline that week. I read the book you gave me a lot, when no one was visiting me.

( And the note at the end... Well, he doesn't feel text is the place to address that. )

[insinning]

[...!]

you did?

[tablescraps]

Mm. I guess I felt like it was made with love. Whenever I got to the end, I'd go back to the beginning and read it again.

( Over and over and over...

... A pause... )

Are you well enough to meet?

[insinning]

[this time there is no pause]

yes. im at Moon tree right now

[tablescraps]

( grandpa doesn't even know u snuck out... )

All right. I'll be right there.

( As Sinclair might expect, it'll take Mithrun awhile, )