#ch.0

F.: [after having previously said “Straud, you can’t keep doing this”] Not to yourself, and certainly not to others.

Vlad: Says who?

F.: Says me. Because I’m right, and you know it.

Vlad: What, you’re opposed to me choosing to hunt now? Hah. I knew about the restrictions you tried to impose, but I never took you for--

F.: Your hunting is only part of what worries me. Even if I am against it, it doesn’t fall to me to deny you your nature. I know that now. But you haven’t hunted in fifty years, and now--

F., echoing in Vlad’s memory: Forgotten Hollow is in RUINS, for Juno’s sake!

F.:

F.: ...[sigh.] 

F.: ...I thought you’d changed.

ZACH:

so! do you have any ideas?

___ knows i’ve got a few, but i’d rather run them by you first before drafting up any blueprints. ...if you don’t mind.

VLAD:

forgotten hollow has been, well-- forgotten, for a very long time.

i haven’t really had the occasion to... quiz the twins of all people whether they’d like to have new statues put up in my honor or--

ZACH:

“the straud family’s honor?”

VLAD:

--so... o-oh, yes, that is what i meant.

ZACH:

well, it’s true that it does look pretty bad. (i mean, it looks like the public lighting’s a hundred years old or something) but i’m sure it’s nothing a little community planning can’t fix, right?

...and you know, they told me forgotten hollow would be a challenge-- it’s not like i was expecting it to be a walk in the park. i took it as a compliment, really, to be the one they trusted with this.

it was sort of an urgent thing, anyway. nobody was planning on touching this town before, but someone convinced the higher-ups to move it to high-priority -- looks like forgotten hollow’s got a mysterious benefactor. maybe an ex-resident?

VLAD:

oh?

ZACH:

yeah, that’s why i’m here-- 

...why are you making that face?

[FLASHBACK STARTS]

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