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Encounter Conditions
None
Initial Text
Between the cracks in the mirror, you can make out the reflection of a strangely-dressed young woman. Perhaps her ball gown and masquerade mask would be suitable for Halloween, but it seems rather out of place in this… forest, or whatever it is being reflected in your mirror.
As you approach her, you can see she's singing… or miming it, as it's hard to say why you can't hear her. She politely nods at your reflection.
Summary of Choices
- Watch her sing - Get 10/30/50 energy of Maiden's Perspective
- See if she needs something - Find out what she wants or 4 XP of Will
- Offer her an apple (if you have any - 60 turns of Maiden's Perspective)
- Offer her scales (after she asks for them and you have some) - 150 turns of Maiden's Perspective
- Ask her about her mask - various stats depending
- Leave her
Choice Text and Results
Watch her sing
You watch her sing and try to imagine what it might be that she's mouthing the words to. After a time you understand her perspective… or perhaps constructed a narrative to stand in for her life.
You've gained 10/30/50 energy of Maiden's Perspective.
/10 initially/30 after giving her a reflected apple/50 after giving her reflected scales
See if she needs something
Initially:
You approach her and offer to help, trying position your reflection so your can see her response. She turns to face your reflection, making that both harder and a little disconcerting.
You can't hear her speak, although she seems to realize this and pantomimes everything out. It seems that whatever she wants is on… that hill over there.
You see a solitary tree on top of the otherwise unremarkable hill. Huh. That's probably it, then.
After handing her an apple and after finishing the Survivors' Quest:
You approach her again and she waves at your reflection fondly. You manage to position things a bit better this time, keeping an eye on the mirror out of the corner of your eye so you can see her responses.
She tries to explain something, although it goes right over your head… something about the path of crushed trees through the forest.
Seeing your confusion, she gestures at the ruined trail then rubs a finger along her skin. Snake… skin, maybe?
After handing her all she asks for:
You approach her and she greets your reflection warmly. She talks to it some, although you're pretty sure she knows it can't understand her. It's pretty obvious she's grateful for your help, though, even if your reflection's getting all the credit.
You've earned 4 XP in Will
Offer her an apple
Initially:
You press the apple reflection up against the mirror and it eventually pops into your reflection's hand. She claps as though you've performed some sort of magic trick and accepts the apple with a smile.
There's a strange knowledge in that smile, though why you even recognize it eludes you, like a half-forgotten memory.
You've earned 10 XP in Perception
Subsequent times:
You press the reflected apple against the glass until it passes through to your reflection's hand. She applauds your trick and accepts the gift.
After delicately eating the apple, she returns to singing. You still can't hear her words, but there's more life to them than before.
You've gained 60 energy of Maiden's Perspective.
(After giving her reflected scales)
You've gained 100 energy of Maiden's Perspective.
Offer her scales
Initially:
You carefully twist the reflected scales into a crack in the mirror. Sure enough, they bleed out of open air, piling at the maiden's feet.
She opens her mouth in a silent 'o' of astonishment, then picks up the skin, hugging it to herself and shedding a tear. She whispers some choking words of explanation to your reflection.
She doesn't seem to have the heart to pantomime them, so perhaps she never really wanted it be known anyway.
You've earned 20 XP in Perception
Subsequent times:
You carefully twist the reflected scales into a crack in the mirror. Sure enough, they bleed out of open air, piling at the maiden's feet.
She takes the skin, cradling it like one would a dead child, and returns to her singing. Even without being able to hear the song, you see the sorrow in her face and feel it like a hammer against your mind.
You've gained 150 energy of Maiden's Perspective.
Ask her about her mask
You lean forward, along with your reflection, to examine the mask she carries. It looks like it's made out of porcelain, with half of it bone white and half of it blood red. On second thought, she might prefer a less morbid description. Lily white and apple red, then.
It's a beautiful piece of work, though. Along with her ball gown, it leaves a rather open question why she's wandering through this forest in the middle of nowhere.
Then again one could ask why she's reflected in your mirror when she's not standing next to you. Perhaps… perhaps that's actually the more important question after further thought.
You've earned 4 XP in Perception
With mislit mask in inventory and not equipped:
You lean forward, along with your reflection, to examine the mask she carries. It looks like it's made out of porcelain, with half of it bone white and half of it blood red. On second thought, she might prefer a less morbid description. Lily white and apple red, then.
It's definitely the same sort of mask you're carrying around, although it looks quite a bit newer. Figures. You would get the battered "antique" copy.
You've earned 4 XP in Perception
You've earned 4 XP in Will
With a mislit mask equipped:
You, and your reflection, lean forward to look at her mask. She responds by leaning forward to examine your reflection's, inconveniently putting herself between you and your reflection.
She clearly recognizes your mask and talks at great length about it, gesturing towards the… west… east… now that you think about it, you haven't noticed the sun move here. It's just been hanging dead overhead the whole time. If it lines up with things outside the mirror, that'd be west.
Regardless, she points excitedly west and tries to explain something about the mask, without much luck. Then she gives you slightly bewildered-looking reflection a hug and returns to her singing.
You've earned 5 XP in Perception
You've earned 5 XP in Will
Leave her
You turn your back on the mirror for a moment, ignoring the reflections.
See Walk Away