But For a Sword (A Matou Shinji Series AU)

[Daiki]

[x] Ask about her fellow Squibs and if she witnessed anything out of the ordinary, such as uncommon behavior or sudden mood changes. Inquire about her potential knowledge of recent people her comrades may have gotten acquainted with. Ask details about the order in which the squibs disappeared and if there were common factors, such as the time of the day before she last saw them or a place they intended to visit.

Tried to put together stuff mentioned above and going for the indirect course.

[alfheimwanderer]

[x] Ask about her fellow Squibs and if she witnessed anything out of the ordinary, such as uncommon behavior or sudden mood changes. Inquire about her potential knowledge of recent people her comrades may have gotten acquainted with. Ask details about the order in which the squibs disappeared and if there were common factors, such as the time of the day before she last saw them or a place they intended to visit.

---

Forewarned by, and presumably forearmed with, Fontaine's information, Talluah and her partner went to question Miss Schnee, though she seemed rather shy, preferring to work on her painting rather than look at the two of them directly.

"Miss Schnee, or would you prefer Sylvie?"

"Sylvie is fine," came the delicate response. The voice was soft, like a gentle breeze. "I expect you're here because of Miss Viola."

"Yes..." Talluah confirmed. "She mentioned that the Squibs she was teaching had all vanished, except you. So...we were wondering if you could help us find them."

"How can I help?"

"Did you see anything strange in the weeks before they vanished? Changes of behavior, unusual moods, things like that?"

"Hannah and Jack were acting differently," she said, confirming what Talluah had already suspected, as the former had met an odd suitor, and the latter, a teacher. "Jack used to talk to the rest of us more. He would tease me sometimes, saying I should stop painting and get my nose out of my books. But he stopped two weeks before he vanished. He started...there were scars on his arms."

"Scars?"

"Something about needing blood. Oh, but you don't want to hear about that. You want to know about Hannah's mysterious lover, yes?"

[ ] Move onto talking about Hannah
[ ] No, press on the topic of Jack

[Skull Leader]

[ ] No, press on the topic of Jack

[Daiki]

[x] No, press on the topic of Jack

[croixdefeu]

whoops, I got caught up in all my work and forgot to come change my vote to daiki's write in, since that was more comprehensive. it worked out fine anyway I guess.
[x] No, press on the topic of Jack

[alfheimwanderer]

[x] No, press on the topic of Jack

---

"Actually, Miss Schnee," Talluah interjected, noting the blatant attempt to change the topic, "I was more interested in Jack. He was the first to disappear, wasn't he?"

"The first one people noticed. Jonas left first, but he always left each weekend to visit his family." She paused. "Jack was hard to miss. He was funny, until..."

"Until...?"

"Jack would go out on walks at night, sometimes. He was...restless around the full moon, but then his pa was a werewolf..."

Talluah's mind screeched to a halt.

"A werewolf?"

"There are some few in America, though most have been hunted by the Aurors."

"Ah. But Jack...?"

"His pa attacked his mother when she was out on a walk. Killed her fiance, and..." Her expression turned strange, as she shook her head. "He didn't stay long after, leaving only Jack behind as a reminder he existed at all."

"...what does Jack think about his father?"

"He doesn't. At least not on a good day. If he does, it reminds him of why he was so angry he wasn't born a wizard."

"Oh?"

"He told me once that he wanted to strike down the old werewolf, to put an end to the evil of their race," Sylvie noted quietly. "He was...unpleasant when he was like that. Angry. Intense. Desperate."

Talluah blinked.

"...Jack left a journal behind," she said slowly. "In which he describes being able to use magic."

Sylvie's expression was blank at this - she didn't appear surprised.

"A potion?" the young girl asked.

"How did you...?"

"I was the last person to see him," she noted quietly. "After we thought he vanished."

"What happened?"

"He...he was...different," Sylvie said, frowning. "He had a wand and..." She trailed off.

[ ] Press further
[ ] Back off, she seems uncomfortable

[Daiki]

[x] Back off, she seems uncomfortable.

A smooth interview is more important, especially when you might be pushy for no real reason here.

Respecting boundaries etc,... Let her share what little she is willing to allow. We can inquire about the rest instead. If she is in a good disposition with us, maybe she will add a last hint before the end, as a gesture of good will.

[Skull Leader]

[X] Back off, she seems uncomfortable

Try not to annoy the girl that can give magical commands with her voice.

[alfheimwanderer]

[x] Back off, she seems uncomfortable.

---

Had Talluah not been warned about Sylvie's odd ability, she might well have pressed the girl for details, as the fact that Jack had appeared to her after he was thought to have vanished was interesting. The fact that he had a wand was even more so, but...

"...I made him go away," she whispered.

"You...made him go away?"

"He hit me with a spell, and was looming over me with a knife..."

Talluah said nothing, giving her the space she needed to say something.

"...he's gone now."

[ ] Ask for details - what did she say
[ ] Go back to Jack's house

[Dracueri]

[x]Ask for details-what did she say

[shanagan]

[x]Ask for details-what did she say

[alfheimwanderer]

[x]Ask for details-what did she say

---

"He's gone?" Talluah repeated. "Are you certain?"

"Yes," came the reply.

"How?"

"...because I told him to die. And then he did."

"Wh--"

"In the moonlight, it shone. A fine spray of crimson from the second smile carved onto his throat. The tang of iron, staining the night, making me...hungry. The knife dropped, blade gleaming in the dimness of the alley. I stood, like a windup doll, going through simple motions as I trembled, and watched him die, watched the rats feast. That's all."

"You just...watched?"

"I wanted to see if he would get up. He didn't."

"And no one...you never told anyone about this before?"

"Why would they?" she asked. "They all thought he ran away. He was never happy at...at the school. Thought there was more to life than simply learning numbers and manners. You won't tell, will you? You wouldn't want to make them unhappy."

"I won't," Talluah found herself promising. "...but I do want to make sure no one else is in danger. If Jack was doing this, there had to be a reason. He...in his journal, Jack said he had a teacher. Someone who had given him that potion. Given him that wand. Jack might not be the only one this teacher ensnared. There could be others. Or..."

A thought occurred to her.

"You might not have been the first one Jack went after."

"...oh. Oh dear. I...I hadn't thought of that."

Anything else you need from Sylvie?

[ ] Ask about Hannah's paramour
[ ] Go to Jack's house
[ ] Ask where this happened - maybe there are still clues
[ ] (write-in)

[Dracueri]

[x]Ask about Hannah's paramour

[Daiki]

[x] Ask where this happened - maybe there are still clues

[Skull Leader]

[X] Ask about Hannah's paramour

Either she knows something on this front or she doesn't. If not, then we can go off to either Jack's House (course we have to break into that place) or go investigate where Jack died. To me the scene of Jack's death would be cold at this point, and is unlikely to have many clues that survived a week. On the other hand, breaking into Jack's House might cause...issues.

[alfheimwanderer]

[x]Ask about Hannah's paramour

---

"I've never met him," Sylvie said after a moment. "So all I know comes from Hannah." She paused, closing her eyes. "He went by Simon Peter, but that wasn't his whole name, according to her. His full name was much longer and harder to pronounce in English."

"Oh?" Tallulah asked, raising an eyebrow. "He wasn't from New Orleans?"

"No. She told us once that he was from Europe. That he owned a castle in the mountains, and was only in America for business, until she caught his eye."

"Do you know what kind of business?"

"Oh, looking into obscure things, from what he said. Maybe he was some kind of detective prince."

"They met at a dance hall, I recall?"

"Yes. She was so excited, and went on and on about his charming golden gaze, and the many outings they went on. From what she says, it was like they were all alone in another world whenever they were together."

"Huh..."

Anything else to ask?

[ ] (write-in)

After that, where to?

[ ] Go to Jack's house
[ ] Visit Hannah's house
[ ] Go back to the 'school' for clues

[Daiki]

[x] No, she has helped us enough.

[x] Go back to the 'school' for clues.

Now that we have more info to work with, we might find something useful.

[Dracueri]

[x]No, she has helped us enough
[x]Go back to the 'school' for clues

[Skull Leader]

[X] Ask if she has any interest in helping them find the rest of the missing students
[X] Go back to the 'school' for clues

[alfheimwanderer]

[x] No, she has helped us enough.
[x] Go back to the 'school' for clues.

---

Thinking that this was all the information they were going to get out of Sylvie, the two thanked her and took her leave, heading back towards Viola's shop for more clues. The shopkeeper seems surprised to see them back so quickly.

"Fin' anythin'?" Viola asked.

What do they say? (choose up to two)

[ ] Examine the rooms again
[ ] Ask about Hannah in more detail
[ ] Mention what Sylvie said about Jack
[ ] Ask about Jack in more detail[ ] (write-in)