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[@Silver Carrot](RBC),[@PaulHaynek]

Magnus' curiosity was piqued once he heard Niel's question, scratching the back of his head, near the base of his horns as he thought on it. [color=FF5353][b]"No, but...I did meet a bard coming down from the North. He was really nice...had a scary looking elf with him, though. B-But the voice is completely different for sure!"[/b][/color] he said, humming as he thought on the fact that Niel seemed to be just...dodging the question. Maybe it was valuable, or some kind of family heirloom. Having felt like he'd overstepped his boundaries by asking in the first place, Magnus lowered his head a bit. [color=FF5353][b]"Y-You don't have to tell me about that stone if you don't want to, by the way...it must be important to you."[/b][/color]

Suddenly, a chill ran up Magnus' spine as he heard footsteps near the kitchen, feeling the eyes of someone he definitely had hoped would be...here sometime when he'd be more..."emotionally prepared" for a confrontation. Turning around once she noticed the scratches and tears, Magnus gulped, getting significantly paler in the face as he felt his stomach try and run to his feet. With Niel asking as well, there was no way out of this conversation...in retrospect, perhaps he should have taken the thing off once he had returned. But then, maybe Rebecca would ask where it was, and be even angrier that he tried to hide it. [color=FF5353][b]"I-I-I...i-i-it was j-j-ju..."[/b][/color] he started, desperately trying to blunder his way into saying some sort of magic phrase to make Rebecca calm...but really, after a moment and steadying himself with a hand on the counter, a lamenting expression overtook Magnus' face. [color=FF5353][b]"Ms. Rebecca...I-I'm really...really sorry...me and Arletta were on our way to the quest a-and some Varjan war hounds were attacking a caravan. I charged in and...didn't even think about what I was wearing. W-We killed them,but...one jumped at me and I didn't get out of the way in time..."[/b][/color] he said, dropping to his knees and putting his forehead to the ground. [color=FF5353][b]"I-if there's anything I can do to make it up to you, I will! I-I'll never ruin another shirt again!"[/b][/color] the Minotaur swore, hands clutched between his horns as he hoped and prayed for forgiveness.
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[@Eviledd1984], [@Rune_Alchemist]

Even in her haste, it was easy to see for the black dragoness that time had passed far too quickly...far too sharply had everything turned to darkness, the floorboards creaked where they should have been strong, and overall, the room seemed...faded somehow. As if it had aged a hundred years into disrepair. There in front of her was the culprit in her mind, the Phantom that Maria had warned them about, that had attacked her and cut the chandelier. Taking a step forward, Nephele seemed a bit taken aback by her words. Evil Lord...? Clenching her fist slightly, Nephele advanced upon the phantasmal foe before her, poison seeping from her mouth, though she couldn't be sure that would work. [color=A9A9A9][b]"So, who is this evil lord, then?"[/b][/color] she asked, unfurling her fist to suddenly lunge at the Phantom, a telegraphed sort of knife punch that wouldn't be hard to see coming. That was her intention...it would be hard to extract information from an exorcised ghost. [color=A9A9A9][b]"Speak! What is this place!? Why did you murder Gerald? Why-"[/b][/color] Nephele cut her rage, exasperation, and question short, suddenly relaxing her stance. 

[color=A9A9A9][b]"...You're the playwright."[/b][/color] Nephele said, looking up at the Phantom before her. [color=A9A9A9][b]"Tell me...what is your name?"[/b][/color] she questioned, glaring at the woman. It was just a hunch, but...Nephele had felt somewhat put off ever since they were rehearsing the play. Though she'd been enraptured by the role...there was nothing. No information on it, just...the motions of acting. Acting without knowing, and being pulled into the role. There was something peculiar stirring in her chest...what kind of spell had this Phantom placed on the house?