audio; un: a tentacute observation

[companionsgrasp]

I know a couple of us went to the bazaar to search for Cosette there, and I wanted to share what I found out about that mysterious puppet show that was the center of attention for quite a while. I talked to the puppeteer himself, a kindly old man by the name of Jasof, and he said that wasn't the original show he had been planning to put on that day. Instead, I found him coming out of a stupor and wondering what had happened--but he dismissed it as fortuitous since it earned him quite a crowd.

He mentioned that sometimes strong ghosts haunt his puppets to tell their stories... and I confirmed that he had been recently possessed by a ghost. Someone very much wanted to put on that show. I suspect it's exactly who one would think it to be: Cosette.

The story, for anyone who didn't catch it, was of a daughter arguing with her father about his absences and in the end she ran off into the wild where she ended up killed by animals. There seemed to be some sort of connection or compulsion over the crowd as well since every woman in the crowd started crying once it was over almost as if on cue.

Mathias was unhelpful in confirming or denying anything about the story. As I'm sure some of you are already aware, he has a...peculiar way of talking. He's not a very reliable narrator of information, is he?

[Press X to doubt with him.]

Comments

un: absterge

[downswing]

Children oft succumb to emotions. As spirits, turn to... tantrums.

Possession would align. But...

[companionsgrasp]

But what?

[downswing]

Few children have honed the power or skill for possession, upon death.

Unlikely exceptions exist.

[companionsgrasp]

Be that as it may, he was most definitely possessed by a ghost recently.

So either it was her, or another person with a story to tell of having grievances with their father.

[downswing]

Nor do young children quarrel with fathers.

( C o u g h. )

Lest they require sleep.


( Signed: a father, trying to add all the details up and failing. )

[companionsgrasp]

...I wouldn't know.

[But he bets you're wrong.]

Whatever the case may be, that's what I saw and that's what I know to be true.

I can only speculate that it was her, or some other ghost brought here against their will, or... that Mathias's information is inaccurate.

[downswing]

The latter two.

[companionsgrasp]

My bet is on Mathias being inaccurate considering the conversations we've had with him.

[downswing]

Strange, to lie to those you assign.

[companionsgrasp]

Is it so strange? I've had plenty of clients tell me lies even when they want to me find someone. Especially when they want me to find someone.

It's my job to figure out whether they're lying to me, and whether the lie hurts my investigation or not. Some people just can't handle telling the truth... or have reasons to keep it from someone. It's the latter that usually worry me and make me second guess working for that person.

But in the end, it just depends on the lie and why they tried to cover up the truth. [Essentially, whether it was dangerous or harmful to someone or not.]

un: song

[spoilers]

( River has plenty of doubts but even more questions. She isn't ready to jump to 'most obvious conclusion 1' just yet.

But she'd been in the crowd. She'd wept like every other woman, which had been unsettling for a number of reasons. )

Do you suppose the show was for our benefit?

[companionsgrasp]

I couldn't quite... well, I don't know for certain. It might have been. It might have been a warning to us or everyone.

Or it could have just been a girl that liked to play with dolls and had a story to get out no matter who was watching.

[spoilers]

( She does seem to consider that, at least. The trouble is, it seems...too simple an explanation. )

I'll grant it's interesting.

( And possibly part of the story. )

[companionsgrasp]

Yeah, honestly my first thought was it seemed too suspicious to be just a coincidence. If I go with my gut- [and stopped trying to rely on his eldritch abilities] I'd say it was Cosette's story.

[spoilers]

Maybe.

( She's still reserving her judgement. )

At least an indication of how she felt, maybe her perception of her death.

[companionsgrasp]

Sure. Memories and individual perceptions are strange sometimes.

[Especially through the filter of Limbo...or death.]