=== Etie & Jade ===
--- C ---


[Etie]
Hyah!
[Etie]
Phew... That's enough for today.


[Jade]
Hmm...
[Etie]
Oh. Hey, Jade.
[Etie]
Doing some night training? Attagirl.
[Jade]
Oh, I'm not training.
[Etie]
No need to be so humble.
[Etie]
I mean, I see you here, like, every night.
[Jade]
No, I mean it. I'm not training.
[Etie]
Right, of course. You Brodians always gotta
play it off.
[Etie]
"You can hardly call a quick session like this
a workout," or whatever.
[Etie]
Someday I'll get on your level.
[Jade]
...
[Jade]
...
[Etie]
Sorry, what's that?
[Jade]
...
[Etie]
What are you mumbling about?
[Etie]
You've gotta speak up, Jade!
[Jade]
It's nothing.
[Etie]
Sure. If you say so...
--- B ---


[Etie]
Phew! Another great workout. I'm ready to take
on the world!


[Jade]
Mm-hmm.
[Etie]
Whoa!
[Etie]
Uh, you startled me there, Jade.
[Jade]
Sorry. I didn't mean to.
[Etie]
I've noticed you watching me since the
other day. What's all this about?
[Jade]
Uh...
[Etie]
If you don't fess up, I'm gonna take this to
Prince Diamant.
[Jade]
W-wait. I'll tell you.
[Jade]
I was watching you and taking some character
notes for my next novel. That's all.
[Etie]
Character notes? That's what you were
mumbling about?
[Etie]
I wanna see these character notes, and I wanna
see them now.
[Jade]
No.
[Etie]
Yes!
[Jade]
No.
[Etie]
Why can't I see?!
[Jade]
Because.
[Etie]
Oh. I get it.
[Etie]
I've heard rumors about this. How one of the
Brodia retainers writes these goofy stories.
[Etie]
That's you, isn't it?
[Jade]
I, uh...
[Etie]
And now I'm a character in them, which is why
you won't show me. Is that about right?
[Etie]
You're writing me as all stuck-up and shrewish,
I bet.
[Jade]
No. It's nothing like that.
[Etie]
Don't lie to me. I see right through you.
No making fun of me, got it?
[Jade]
I would never...
--- A ---


[Etie]
HYAH! Ha!
[Etie]
Phew... I call that a good day's workout.


[Jade]
That did look impressive, Etie.
[Jade]
Here. This is a first draft of the novel I was
talking about earlier. I'd like you to read it.
[Etie]
Are you sure?
[Jade]
Yes. Sorry for refusing earlier. I didn't want you
to read any of it until it was ready.
[Etie]
Makes sense. Let me see.
[Etie]
...
[Etie]
This all seems familiar.
[Etie]
It's about me, isn't it?
[Jade]
To a degree. The main character is confident,
independent, and doesn't like to burden others.
[Jade]
She's also athletic. Physically strong. She's put
in the work and she's proud of her body.
[Jade]
A chiseled core wrapped in striking features.
A daring figure that stands out on a battlefield.
[Jade]
I needed to observe someone with all of those
qualities. That's why I was watching you, Etie.
[Etie]
Wow. Jade...I don't know what to say.
[Jade]
I do often write "goofy stories," so I thought I
should challenge myself with something serious.
[Jade]
To set this book apart, I needed characters that
were believable yet charming.
[Jade]
I thought you'd be a perfect fit, so I started
taking notes.
[Jade]
Observing you helped me craft this character
and build a story around her. Thanks for that.
[Etie]
I didn't know you thought of me like that.
I'm sorry for giving you such a hard time.
[Etie]
Listen, I know it's not much, but...would you
like to go on a jog with me?
[Jade]
Huh?
[Etie]
We can talk things over as we go. Maybe you
can use some of it...in your story.
[Jade]
So I have your permission to polish this draft
and keep using you as inspiration?
[Etie]
You'd better! It's going to be a real page-turner.
[Jade]
Thanks, Etie. I'll do my best to do you justice.
[Jade]
I do have one last request, though...
[Etie]
What's that?
[Jade]
My regular readers have come to expect at
least one or two pratfalls in my work, so...
[Jade]
At some point, the main character will need to
flail and trip over herself. Are you OK with that?
[Etie]
Uh...sure. Only once though. And write in that
it doesn't hurt me...at all.
[Jade]
Heh, understood.
[Etie]
There you go. Something to look forward to.
Now, let's go for that run.
--- S ---