First time; ACT 5 plays only this line

(Someone frozen in time.)

Subsequent times; repeated interaction plays only this line

(Someone looking for their partner, frozen in time.)

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Mirabelle (anxious3) Oh! This is...

Mirabelle (anxious3) ...

Mirabelle (awkward2) I don't know. I've seen them around, sometimes. I think they're someone's partner...?

Isabeau (neutral1) Someone's bonded partner, even.

Isabeau (happy1) Look at their earrings. Aren't they bonding earrings?

(You look at them.)

(Their left ear has a beautiful dark dangling earring, and the right ear, a simple transparent one.)

---

If you don't know what bonding earrings are

(Are those bonding earrings? You're not familiar with what that is...)

---

Isabeau (brag1) The earrings have different, but complimentary designs... How romantic!

Mirabelle (happy4) I wonder which half is theirs! I feel like the clear one represents them better, so maybe that's the one their partner made...

Isabeau (neutral1) Do you think we'll see their partner somewhere in the House?

Mirabelle (anxious3) Yes... They might've been looking for each other when the King attacked.

Mirabelle (anxious2) If we manage to beat the King, they'd get back to normal, and look for their partner...

Isabeau (disappointed1) They'd start running, trying to find them...

Mirabelle (happy2) Flower petals in their wake...

Isabeau (fufufu1) And then, they'd see each other from across a hallway, eyes locking...

Mirabelle (excited1) They'd take one step forward, hesitantly, wondering if this is real...

Isabeau (sniff1) And then...!!!

Bonnie (lol2) And then they'd trip on a brick and BREAK THEIR NOSE!

Odile (lol4) And their partner, seeing the blood, would faint in horror...

Bonnie (proud1) And then they'd feel so bad they made their partner faint, they would exile themselves in shame!

Odile (lol3) Ah, yes... How romantic...

Mirabelle (angy1) IT'S NOT!!!

Isabeau (NO!1) STOP CRUSHING OUR DREAMS!!!

---

If you don't know what bonding earrings are

(...)

(What's a bonding earring? You suppose it's not very important, but...)

If you know what bonding earrings are, the conversation continues.

(The bookcase is filled with some books about many, many random things.)

(There's a book about something called "bonding earrings".)

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First time

(Bonding earrings... Isn't that what the frozen person on the way to the library was wearing?)

(You pick up the book and flip through it.)

(...It's pretty dry. You'd rather not read it, actually.)

Subsequent times

(You pick up the book and flip through it, waiting for Mirabelle to comment.)

---

Mirabelle (oh!1) Siffrin? Are you curious about bonding earrings?

(You nod.)

Isabeau (wonder2) Do you not have those, where you're from?

Odile (huh3) You don't? We have bonding earrings in Ka Bue as well.

Isabeau (fufufu1) Let me explain it for you, Sif.

Isabeau (brag1) You see, Sif, when people love each other very much...

Bonnie (stop!2) Oh, oh, I wanna know what happens when people love each other very much, no one's ever told me!

Mirabelle (anxious2) ISABEAU.

Isabeau (awkward1) ...Many things happen, and then maybe they'll decide to get bonded, and spend a very long time together.

Isabeau (brag1) When they do, they'll start making a pair of bonding earrings! They're supposed to symbolize the other person, so the design is very, very important.

Mirabelle (happy1) And if the bonding is between three or more people, you'd make as many earrings as there are people!

Isabeau (hahaha1) And then you exchange earrings! So they'd each carry one of the earrings!

Isabeau (neutral1) I know it's not practiced everywhere, but it definitely is in Vaugarde.

Odile (wonder1) Not everyone does in Ka Bue, but it's popular there as well.

Odile (reading2) Not my kind of thing, though.

First time

Siffrin (surprised3) (Oh! So...)

ACT 2

Siffrin (questions1) (Well.)

ACT 3 & 4

Siffrin (fake1) (...)

"Is that why you all wear earrings?"

Mirabelle (happy1) Huh? What do you mean?

(You point at Mirabelle, Isabeau and Bonnie's ears.)

Mirabelle (happy1) ...

Isabeau (hahaha2) ...

Bonnie (surprised1) ...

Mirabelle (uwah!1) NO?!?! THAT'S NOT WHY WE WEAR EARRINGS?!??! THOSE ARE JUST REGULAR EARRINGS!!!!

Isabeau (awkward1) Yeah, um, that's...

Bonnie (serious1) My sister said I had to wear them.

Isabeau (angry2) Well, it IS very common for people to wear earrings, but it's not... Related...

(Mirabelle, Isabeau and Bonnie all look at each other.)

Mirabelle (anxious2) ...

Mirabelle (sad1) Is it related? I'm suddenly worried.

Bonnie (surprised1) I haven't met a lot of people without earrings, even if they're not bonding earrings!

Isabeau (awkward1) It's true that I know very few Vaugardians without earrings...

Isabeau (wonder2) Is this why we wear them? As, like...

Mirabelle (serious4) A way to get us used to the idea at a young age?

Bonnie (happy2) A thing we gotta do because adults said so?

Mirabelle (angy1) EVIL MANIPULATION TO FORCE US TO GET BONDED AS WE AGE?!??!

Odile (lol1) Hah. I suppose every country has its weird antiquated traditions...

Isabeau (hahaha2) I guess so! It's kinda funny!

Mirabelle (angy1) EW EW EW EW EW EW!!!!!!!!!

---

First time only

(Mirabelle seems genuinely upset at the idea!)

(Maybe you shouldn't have brought it up...)

---

First time

Siffrin (awkward1) (Say something!)

ACT 2

Siffrin (um1) (Say it again.)

ACT 3 & 4

Siffrin (fake1) (Follow the script.)

"But your earrings all look nice, though."

Isabeau (blush1) Aw, you think so...?

(You nod.)

(Isabeau hides his face.)

Isabeau (hahaha1) A-Anyway, your earrings ARE nice, Mira! They make you look cute!!!

Bonnie (happy1) I like my earrings because I can hang things on them.

Mirabelle (anxious2) ...  Yes.

Mirabelle (serious2) My earrings do look nice.

Mirabelle (serious3) And they were expensive. I'll throw them away dramatically another time.

Odile (lol4) That's the spirit.

---

First time only

(Hm...)

(Maybe you could go see that frozen person again, in a future loop.)

The start of the conversation plays as it does usually.

First time after learning what bonding earrings are

(Ok, now you understand the context of this conversation.)

(...Hm?)

(Their fist is closed, as if they're holding something.)

(Could it be...?)

(You try to get it out...)

Isabeau (huh1) Sif? What are you...

(Their hand is frozen in time, but you manage to get the item out.)

(...It's a dark earring, same design as the one they're wearing on their left ear.)

Subsequent times

(You get the earring from their closed fist.)

---

(You got the BONDING EARRING!)

(You put the earring in your pocket along with your Souvenirs.)

Odile (up1) Oh my.

Isabeau (huhwah1) OH!!!

Bonnie (hmf2) OH CRAB!!! THAT'S THE OTHER HALF!!!

Mirabelle (awawa1) Th-They didn't give it to their partner yet?!

Isabeau (disappointed1) ...

Mirabelle (serious1) ...

Isabeau (really1) We have to find their partner.

Mirabelle (excited1) And give them the earring...!!!

---

ACT 2

(Time to find their partner!)

ACT 3

(Time to find their partner.)

ACT 4

(Sure, not like you have anything to do anyway.)

First time

(Someone frozen in time.)

Subsequent times; repeated interaction plays only this line

(The pottery teacher, frozen in time.)

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Mirabelle (anxious3) Oh! That's--

Isabeau (omgggg1) EARRINGS!!!!!!!!!

(Isabeau is pointing at a dark earring with the same design as the person from before.)

Isabeau (omgggg1) SAME!!!! EARRING!!!!!!

Mirabelle (uwah!1) THE PARTNER!!!!!

Mirabelle (uwah!1) AND THEY ONLY HAVE ONE EARRING!!!

Isabeau (NO!1) WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM THE EARRING!!!!

Mirabelle (awawa1) AND A NOTE SO THEY CAN FIND EACH OTHER!!!!

Isabeau (NO!1) AAAAAH!!!

Mirabelle (angy1) AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!

Odile (hm1) Calm down, you two.

Isabeau (huhwah1) SORRY!!! THIS IS JUST SO ROMANTIC!!!!

Mirabelle (stressed1) WE'RE DOING THIS!!! WE'RE HELPING!!!!!!!

Mirabelle (angy1) SIFFRIN, THE EARRING, PLEASE!!!!!

---

ACT 2

(Stunned, you give Mirabelle the earring.)

ACT 3

(Smiling, you give Mirabelle the earring.)

ACT 4

(You already had it ready.)

---

Mirabelle (awawa1) ISABEAU!!!! I HAVE IT!!!!

Mirabelle (serious1) Wait, where should we put the note.

Isabeau (boo1) Um...

Isabeau (hm2) Spear the note to their ear with the earring, maybe?

Mirabelle (happy1) Note earring?

Isabeau (really2) Note earring.

(They make a note earring, telling the frozen person where to meet their partner.)

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ACT 2

(...They look a little silly, with their nice earring and a piece of paper attached to their ear.)

---

Isabeau (sniff1) ...  I'm getting a little emotional over here.

Mirabelle (happy1) Me too... I hope they'll find the note... And get to meet...!!!

Odile (huh1) Considering how the note is attached to their ear, I think they'll notice.

Bonnie (serious1) They look stupid.

Isabeau (disappointed1) Looking stupid is nothing, in the face of true love.

Mirabelle (excited1) Isabeau, you're so right...!!!

---

First time

(Wow...)

(Love wins!)

ACT 2

(You hope you can beat the King, so they can meet again.)

ACT 3

(You wonder if they had time to meet each other, before everything around them looped back.)

ACT 4

(They probably never get to meet, do they?)

Light-Haired Housemaiden Do you know who I saw, earlier...?

Light-Haired Housemaiden The pottery teacher, giving a bonding earring to their partner!!!

Housemaiden with Overalls Oh!!! We should congratulate them!!! Where are they n--

Light-Haired Housemaiden Oh, they obviously immediately booked it to their bedroom.

Housemaiden with Overalls ...Ah...

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Repeated interaction

Light-Haired Housemaiden Isn't love beautiful?!?

Housemaiden with Overalls I guess...