Undead Seamstress: Killing the Deathless

Marielle's final kill scene and aftermath, moved to its own document so as not to clutter up the already too long talk options.



>Bog Temple >Marielle >Talk > [Kill]
//Tooltip: "Move to kill her."

You rise up and take a step towards the young girl, trying to not let your violent thoughts show on your face. She almost imperceptibly tilts her head sideways, but her steel-blue eyes remain calm and unaware of your killing intent while you size her up.

The time to strike is now, but why do you want to end Marielle's life?

 [Undead] [Mercy] [Dislike] [Rob] [Bloodlust] [NoReason]     [Nevermind]
//These are mostly for roleplay purposes, though they have differing changes in corruption


> [Nevermind]
//Tooltip: "You actually don't want to do that."

On second thought, never mind that, you don't know what came over you. You take a step backwards and sit down again, Marielle still regarding you with questioning eyes, but offering no comment on your behavior.

//Brings up her talk menu


> [Undead]
//Tooltip: "Because she's undead, and all undead must be purged."
//If paladin: Corruption -3 else: Corruption +9

You've put up long enough with this undead monster. The scourge must be purged altogether, no matter what, and you don't know why you didn't do this sooner, but there is still time to amend that.

//Converges below

> [Mercy]
//Tooltip: "Because ending her life would be an act of mercy."
//Corruption +13

She's suffering, isn't she? The poor [if pc is child:(girl) else:(child)], robbed of true life and condemned to this undying existence. You can't just stand by any longer while her plight goes on. No, you will release her from this mortal coil, right now, no matter what, and set her free.

//Converges below

> [Dislike]
//Tooltip: "Because you just can't stand her any longer."
//Corruption +12

You've had enough of her. There are reasons aplenty for you to hate this undead girl, but all that matters right now is how you'll finally take out your detestation. And what better way to do that than to be rid of her once and for all?

//Converges below

> [Rob]
//Tooltip: "Because you'll easily be able to take anything you want, once she's dead."
//Corruption +14

Those dresses must be worth a lot, but there's no way she'll just let you have them for free. If you stole them, then surely she'd notice and suspect you first, being in the middle of this bog, all on her own with not another soul nearby. No, you'll have to get rid of her, first.

//Converges below

> [Bloodlust]
//Tooltip: "Because you live for the thrill of ending other's lives."
//Corruption +16

It doesn't matter who or what she is, the only things you want are adrenaline and blood. And surely, this girl can provide you with those while she screams and struggles for her dear life, undead or not.

//Converges below

> [NoReason]
//Tooltip: "Because you feel like it, that's all."
//Corruption +18

You don't need a reason to kill. No, you live by the whims of your own fickle mind, and if it tells you to snuff out a young girl's life, then you'll do just that. And right now, that's exactly what it wants.

//Options converge here

[if pc femininity >59:(Marielle's cheeks faintly redden) else:(Marielle evasively leans backwards)] as you step even closer and invade her private space.

"<i>[name]? [if pc femininity >59:(I-)]Is something the matter?</i>" she asks, eyeing the hand you put on her cold, bony shoulder as you slowly inch it upwards. "<i>You look... unwell, are you quite sure you—</i>" With the suddenness of a striking viper, you lunge forwards, grab the girl's throat, and slam her back against the table, making her cry out in pain as the wooden edge digs into her flesh.

"<i>[name]! What are you...?</i>" Her voice comes out as a strained rasp, struggling against your clutch. "<i>Let go of me!</i>" A quartet of hands tries to pry you away, grasping for your arms and chest, but there is [if strength >50:(nothing) else:(little)] she can do against you, and you push her down onto the desk, pinning the feather-light girl there.

"<i>Stop... please!</i>"

You tighten your cinch.

"<i>What has... gotten into you, [name]?!</i>" Her feeble arms flail around, desperately trying to resist you while her legs search for a foothold to push you off, but you'll have none of that. Putting both hands securely around her neck, you lift her head up, then slam her back down onto the table, eliciting a choked shriek. Her struggles falter as the impact knocks the wind out of her and leaves her dazed, feverishly trying to stay conscious.

"<i>Please...</i>"

You watch her blue, pleading eyes turn to miserable despair when she realizes she won't escape with her life. This is it. Marielle is visibly teetering at the edge of passing out—gurgling, convulsing, desperate for air, a few lone tears streaking down her pale, stitched face which is turning a sickly shade of blue as you press down on the frail girl's windpipe. This will all be over soon, only a few moments longer...

A sudden, dull pressure deep in your side makes you stop in your tracks and look down.

One of Marielle's lower hands is clasped around a pair of scissors buried just below your ribs[if armor type = heavy:(, threaded through your [armor])], the glinting metal quickly staining with blood.

//Break point for having either more than 50 current (not max) HP, or having exactly 50 or less than that

[if current HP >50:(Maybe you underestimated her. Maybe you should have locked up her arms. It doesn't matter, she's too weak to do anything further with it than shakily holding onto the elegant loops of the scissors' handle, and you once again bring her head down on the hard wood, ignoring the searing pain as the blade stirs inside you.

Her pulse hammers madly, her closing eyes glaze over, and choked, desperate gasps escape her as you batter her skull onto the table until finally, with a crack and a whimper, her body gives out and goes limp, four arms hitting the desk, devoid of life. Your hands don't leave her throat until you're absolutely sure she won't be getting up again. Only then do you let go and straighten yourself before pulling the scissors out of your side. It hurts [if toughness >75:(a little) else:(quite a bit)], but you'll be fine, you think, and press a thick piece of cloth you liberated against the wound. She must have missed anything vital.

That undead girl had more of a fight in her than you thought—that might have gotten ugly, had she taken hold of the blade sooner and stabbed you more than once. But in any case, she's dead now. You quickly check Marielle's pulse and breath, but both remain as still as the rest of her body.

She's splayed out on her desk, legs hanging from the edge, her golden hair in disarray, glasses cracked and fallen off, eyes closed forever. You switch the cloth out for a dry one and bind it tightly, then consider what to do.

//HP -50
//Marielle removed, [Marielle] option in Bog Temple replaced with [Tent] until it's [Burn]ed

 [Body] [Loot] [Burn] [Leave]
//Options and tooltips below
)

else:(You can't wrench your eyes away from the blade. That's your blood. A lot of it. It looks like it should hurt, but it doesn't. Was it always this cold? You're trembling, your hands falter. Marielle's wheezing gasp for air barely registers in your mind, then her feet press against your chest—suddenly, you're stumbling backwards, the world a blur as your feet catch on something and the ground comes racing towards you.

Your arms and legs feel like ice—heavy, numb, frozen—and your commands for them to move remain unheard as you try to stand up, but can't find the strength to. It feels like all your vigor and warmth is pouring out of your body, possibly quite literally, though you can hardly move your head enough to check. Perhaps you shouldn't have underestimated that little seamstress. Perhaps you should have bound those cursed arms of hers[if corruption >50(, or ripped them off)]. But it's too late for such insights, now. This is how you'll die, isn't it? Stabbed by a scrawny girl. Your tired eyes fall onto her as she approaches your shivering form carefully, shock still apparent on her face, besides something else. Sadness? Regret? It's so hazy, but that's a pretty heavy plank she's dragging behind her. With a cry you can only see, she brings it over her head.

As the hefty wood swings down upon you, you instinctively try to lift your arms to shield yourself from imminent harm, but all you manage is a pathetic groan before it connects with a ringing thud.

Then, it all cuts out.

//BAD END
)]



> Bog Temple >[Tent]
//Tooltip: "Approach Marielle's tent."
//Replaces [Marielle] until [Burn] option is chosen

You step into Marielle's large, cramped half-tent.

It's just as you left it: untouched and eerily quiet. Stacks of boxes and chests take up most of the ground that isn't covered in rolls of fabric, and her large table occupies what little remains. On it, the most prominent piece is the lifeless body of the former seamstress, splayed out on the surface and surrounded by various sewing implements—pincushions, needles, scissors, measuring tapes, yarn, thread, and a lone, unlit gas lamp.

There are many items here, though most, if not all, are related to dressmaking. As your eyes wander over the tools and cloths, you consider what to do.

 [Body] [Loot] [Burn] [Leave]
//Same options as directly after killing her


> [Body]
//tooltip: "Have a look at her body."

Marielle lies still on the table, her four arms splayed out and her legs hanging down from the edge. She's wearing her light-blue summer dress, like she usually did, which covers everything but her arms, shins, and feet. A small splatter of blood has spread out underneath her head, and the back of her skull is likely cracked. Her old-fashioned glasses have fallen off, their lenses broken, and her eyes are closed, making her seem almost peaceful if the rest of her features didn't betray the maddening distress she must have felt at the moment of her death.

[if less than 30 days have passed:(Overall, her body is in good condition and will likely remain like that for a while, here in the cool shade.
)
else if more than that, but less than 50:(Her body shows signs of decomposition: discolored skin, a slight, glossy sheen across it, and a heavy, rotten smell filling the air around her.
)
else:(It seems her body is almost mummified: her skin is leathery and sunken in, her bones more prominent than ever when she was still alive, and overall, it seems to have lost all of its moisture.
)]

 [Body] [Loot] [Burn] [Leave]
//[Body] greyed-out, tooltip: "You just checked that."


> [Loot]
//tooltip: "Search for clothes and anything else of value."

Marielle certainly had a lot of stuff crammed into her cart, though most of that seems of little value to you. She does have a decent assortment of finished clothes though, and perhaps you can find something else of value if you dig through her possessions.

 [Clothes] [Underwear] [Desk] [Boxes] [Back]

> [Back]
//Brings up the tent menu
//All [Back] options here do just that


> [Clothes]
//Only available if you haven't already taken everything

You find her crate of finished dresses at the side of the table and pull it out. Which ones do you want to take?

 [Long Dress] [Kimono] [MaidDress] [ButlerSuit] [BalletDress] [ChinaDress] [SummDress] [Turtleneck] [BlackCloak] [PCheerOut]     [Back]
//[Long Dress] and [Kimono] are only there in the first place if you haven't bought them already
//[BalletDress] is only there if you haven't insulted Marielle while trying it on, causing her to take it out of her inventory
//All of these items can only be taken once
//Choosing any item will bring up the menu again, minus any taken items
//No specific scenes, simply the regular "You place the *item* in your Xth pouch."


> [Underwear]

The box she used to stow away her finished pieces of underwear is tucked away underneath the table, so you bend down and pull it out of there. Which of these do you want to take?

 [LaceBra] [LacePanties] [Babydoll] [S.Babydoll] [Sh.Bra] [Sh.Panties] [Fri.Bra] [Fri.Panties] [BStr.Bra] [BStr.Pant] [PStr.Bra] [PStr.Pant] [Pantyhose] [N.Pantyhose]     [Back]
//All of these items can only be taken once
//Choosing any item will bring up the menu again, minus any taken items
//No specific scenes, simply the regular "You place the *item* in your Xth pouch."


> [Desk]

You sift through the items on her desk. Besides her corpse, they seem to be entirely the tools of her trade: scissors, needles, pincushions, measuring tapes, small knives, a hefty stack of notes and sketches, charcoal pencils, some fabric, ribbons, yarn, and thread, as well as an unlit gas lamp. There's still some fuel left in it, and as well-maintained as it seems, it's also fairly old and not of much note.

The table itself is quite large and heavy. Unless you reassembled it into a cart, it would be too difficult to move it out of here and through the miry bog back to your campsite, but you don't quite know how to do that. It doesn't seem worth the trouble, in any case.

[only the first time:(A slight discoloration to the edge catches your attention. You run your fingers over it, and sure enough, you can depress it just a little bit, then slide the plate out, revealing a hidden compartment under the thick desk. Inside, you find quite a heavy pouch of gems and pull it out. Raking your fingers through it, you estimate over a thousand—Marielle was quite well-off, though it's less than you perhaps imagined, considering what the materials and tools must cost. Well, you still gladly take it.

//1600 gems get!

[if rose has been given:(As you look up again, you notice the desert rose you gave her still sits in its water bowl, oblivious to its owner's demise. You're fairly certain it has neither use nor worth, but leaving it here might still be a waste. Since it's going to be quite small when withered, you take it out to dry, then pocket it.

//Desert rose get!
)])]

There is little else to the desk. A pair of wheels leaned against the side seems of no value, and the axle belonging to them is incorporated into the construction of the half-tent. Quite utilitarian, but uninteresting to you.

 [Clothes] [Underwear] [Desk] [Boxes] [Back]
//[Desk] greyed-out, tooltip: "You just checked that."


> [Boxes]
//tooltip: "Search the various boxes and chests."

Something in these boxes could be of interest. You step closer and look into the nearest one.

Fabric. Just full of fabric. The second and third one you check are much the same, as is the fourth, and you pull out a lidded chest next in hope of something different. This, you find filled with papers—numerous sketches of dresses. Some seem pretty old-fashioned to you, or even downright archaic, while others look to be what a noble might wear nowadays. Surrounding them are notes in what you assume is Marielle's neat handwriting, mostly names and words you don't recognize, comments on particular parts, or the materials used. Another dressmaker would be quite happy with these, but for you they're [if corruption <33:(sadly) else:(rather)] worthless.

More cloths fill the other boxes, and it seems like that's almost everything she ever spent her money on.

You eventually find her travelling supplies: a couple empty water canteens, a kettle with a few cups and cushioning inside, a length of rope, a pillow, and a handful of unlabelled potion flasks. You pop one open, but it turns out to be empty, much like the others. There's a faint smell of... black tea remaining, although nothing else. You wonder why she kept them around, perhaps for the vials themselves? No matter. Checking on the few remaining crates only reveals more fabrics, one containing a small mountain of thread rolls, wooden sticks, and short strips of lace, but nothing at all of apparent value.

You're somewhat disheartened to conclude your search empty-handed.

 [Clothes] [Underwear] [Desk] [Boxes] [Back]
//[Boxes] greyed-out, tooltip: "You just checked that."


> [Burn]
//tooltip: "You're done here, burn it all."

Having done all you wanted to do, it's now time to be rid of her possessions.

You tear down the tent, having to climb the outer wall of the temple to pry the upper pegs out, then haul all the boxes, chests, and the table into a large pile away from anything too flammable, then finally lay Marielle's body down on top of it all.

The remaining gas in her lamp proves to be a suitable firelighter, and the heap soon burns in a high, crackling bonfire, reducing the undead girl and all her belongings to ash. You watch the flames for a while, letting your eyes follow their ravenous tongues over wood, cloth, and flesh as they eagerly consume both her corpse and oeuvre.

Eventually though, the blaze begins to die down, and you turn around into the temple.

It seems quiet now without the seamstress. She never made much noise to begin with, but her presence still gave this old sanctuary a bit of liveliness, even if its only inhabitant was undead. Now, the large hole in the wall is gaping open again, giving an unobstructed view into the bog beyond, and you can hear your own calm breath in the still, crisp air of the sanctum.

You throw a last glance towards the smouldering mound of embers, then step outside again and make your way back towards your campsite, trying to avoid the reaving swarms of insects in your path.

//Back to camp
//One hour consumed
//Marielle completely removed, including the [Tent] option and the last blurb in the main temple description relating to that


> [Leave]
//tooltip: "Leave and get back to camp."

There is nothing else you want to do here, so you leave everything as is and step outside the temple. The humidity and hordes of insects of the bog are oppressive, both apparently sworn to bring you down, but you nevertheless soldier through and make it back to your campsite.

//Back to camp
//One hour consumed