curious[noticing] Valory: (Is that... Ivory? What is she doing? It looks like she's trying to hide something...)
[eyebrow raised] Valory: “Um...Ivory?”
[shocked] Ivory: “Ah!” [Screen shake]
[relieved] Ivory: “Oh, phew, it's just you, Valory.”
[CE smile] Ivory: “So, what's up?”
[eyebrow raised] Valory: “What are you doing here, looking so suspicious?”
[looking to the side] Ivory: “W—ell, I suppose it's alright if I tell you, Valory.”
[sound effect: clinking metal]
[Show: 'Bird necklace']
[smile] Ivory: “You see this? I was trying to hide this from Eric and Genevieve.”
[eyes wide] Ivory: “Especially Genevieve.”
[confused] Valory: “You were? Why would you need to hide something like that from the two of them?”
[eyebrow raised] Valory: “’Especially Genevieve’?”
[fade: 'Bird necklace']
[neutral] Ivory: “Do you know the superstition associated with birds within the circus?”
[surprised] Valory: “Can't say I have, actually. I know a few other superstitions, like how you're meant to step into the circus ring with your right foot, and that you're not meant to look behind you in a parade.”
[CE smile] Ivory: “I suppose I'm not really surprised. It's a pretty obscure superstition, after all.”
[serious] Ivory: “Even so, Genevieve is still big on superstitions, and the first time I wore this necklace she panicked and threw a fit!”
[CE serious] Ivory: “She just about picked me up and threw me out the nearest window.
And when that didn't work, she almost ripped the chain off of my neck.”
[surprised] Ivory: “That lady has some crazy strength when she's panicking.”
[shocked] Valory: “R-really? Is the association so bad that she'd freak out like that?”
Valory: (Wait, Ivory's really strong as it is, so what does that say about Genevieve?)
[sweatdrop] Valory: “...”
[worried] Valory: (I... don't want to think about that.)
[neutral] Ivory: “The thing is, I can't say I blame her for reacting like that.”
[shocked] Valory: (You don't blame her for almost throwing you out a window? I wonder just how serious this superstition thing is.) [Valory emotion change to neutral]
[CE sad smile] Ivory: “You see, having a bird fly into the circus tent supposedly symbolises a performer's imminent death.”
[worried] Valory: “Wow, really?”
[CE smile] Ivory: “Yep!”
[smile] Ivory: “It's especially worse since I'm a flyer, and we have the highest risk of serious injury if we get distracted.”
[nervous smile] Ivory: “Eric's family is very traditionalist, so I'm surprised Genevieve didn't kick me out then and there.”
[thinking] Valory: “...”
[CE smile] Valory: “Doesn't that just mean she was really worried for you? Since she... very animatedly tried to get rid of something she thought could hurt you.” [Valory emotion change smile]
[surprise] Ivory: “...”
[CE smile] Ivory: “Yeah, I guess you're right!”
[smile] Ivory: “That fact never occurred to me.”
[noticing] Valory: “I'm curious though, even though that happened while you were young, why do you still have it now?”
[sad smile] Ivory: “...”
[nervous smile] Ivory: “I'm just being sentimental and stubborn, I suppose.”
[surprised] Valory: “Sentimental and stubborn?”
[unsure smile] Ivory: “I...”
[sigh] [Ivory emotion change unsure smile] Ivory: “I suppose if it's you, Valory, I'm able to talk about it.”
[smile] Ivory: “You see, there was this incident that happened when I was a kid.”
[CE smile] Ivory: “It's what inspired me to become a flyer in the first place.”
[surprised] Valory: “Really? What did you want to do before this?”
[confused] Valory: “Wait, isn't your entire family made up of flyers?”
[CE smile] Ivory: “Yep! But thing was, when I was young...”
[nervous blush] Ivory: “I was afraid of heights.”
[shocked] Valory: “...”
[CE smile] Valory: “Ahahaha!”
[smile] Valory: “Wow, really? I would never have guessed.”
[embarrassed] Ivory: “Yeah, it's pretty embarrassing...”
[CE Smile] Ivory: “Of course, I'm way over that now.”
[smile] Ivory: “I was actually secretly aiming to be a contortionist behind my family's back. It seems crazy, but I was really gung-ho about it, even going as far as to follow Adelle - our contortionist at the time, around and watch her practise.”
[surprised] Valory: “A contortionist? Well, I guess that makes sense.”
[sweatdrop] Valory: (So that's why Ivory is crazy flexible...)
[noticing] Valory: “So what exactly happened that made you overcome your fear?”
[CE Smile] Ivory: “Genevieve threw me off a cliff.”
[Shocked] Valory: “What?”
[CE smile] Ivory: “Haha, not literally, but she did make me go bungee jumping to overcome my fear.”
[smile] Ivory: “I believe I was... twelve back then.”
[CE Smile] Ivory: “She told me later she was hard pressed trying to find a place that allowed bungee jumping for under fourteens.”
[shocked] Valory: “Oh my gosh, Genevieve is ruthless!”
[smile] Ivory: “She didn't really have a choice, since her husband, Eric's father, was rather flighty and forgetful.”
[shocked] Valory: “So what ended up happening at the bungee jump?”
[CE Smile] Ivory: “Of course I was scared out of my wits!”
[smile] Ivory: “A lot of people were there, cheering me on and trying to encourage me to jump, including Genevieve.”
[CE Smile] Ivory: “I was pretty surprised at how reassuring and supportive she could be, which is one of the reasons why I decided to jump.”
[smile] Ivory: “That and I was being optimistic, thinking that it was probably about time I faced my fears.”
[worried] Valory: “...”
[worried] Valory: (Is Genevieve ruthless or caring? I can't tell...)
[noticing] Valory: “Wait, what does all of this have to do with your bird necklace?”
[CE Smile] Ivory: “Hm? Oh whoops, got a bit off track there!”
[smile] Ivory: “You see, as I was falling, I saw a flock of birds flying and... I was enthralled by them and their grace while flying.”
[shocked] Valory: “Wait, just like that?”
[wondering] Ivory: “Well, I'm pretty sure it happened like that, though my senses may have been somewhat screwed at the time. I don't even remember what species of bird they were...”
[CE Smile] Ivory: “Either way, from that point on, I loved the thought of flying around and being in the air.”
[worried] Valory: “So you got over your fear just like that?”
[smile] Ivory: “Of course not, I was still scared of heights, only this time I was actively fighting against my fear, and here I am now.”
[neutral] Valory: “...I still don't quite understand your fixation with birds.”
[skeptical] Ivory: “Like I said, I'm sentimental and was probably not in the right frame of mind at the time.”
[smile] Ivory: “And anyway, I really don't believe in superstitions and the like. I only follow them to appease Eric and to avoid being slaughtered by Genevieve.”
[CE Smile] Ivory: “I love birds, and nothing will change that.”
[noticing] Valory: “Ah...”
a. But what if this superstition thing is right?
b. Well, let's hope you don't get caught with that on then.
c. But Genevieve is scary! Why risk getting caught?
a. “But what if this superstition thing is right?”
[worried] Valory: “But what if this superstition thing is right? I mean, we're dealing with death here...”
[sad smile] Ivory: “Oh come on Val, not you too.”
[smile] Ivory: “Honestly! Something like superstitions cannot possibly exist.”
[skeptical] Ivory: “I appreciate your concern, but there's really no need.”
[worried] Valory: (She seems confident enough, I suppose...)
[worried] Valory: “Alright, if you say so...”
[END] (+1)
b. “Well, let’s hope you don’t get caught with that on then.”
[skeptical] Valory: “Well, let's hope you don't get caught with that on then. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of Genevieve's fits.”
[CE Smile] Ivory: “Haha, don't worry about me.”
[wink] Ivory: “After all these years of getting caught, I've perfected my hiding technique.”
[nervous] Valory: (I feel very skeptical about that, considering I almost caught you before...)
[noticing] Valory: “I think you're still very lucky that Genevieve doesn't permanently travel with you anymore.”
[CE Smile] Ivory: “Haha, yeah.”
[smile] Ivory: “The one I need to look out for most often is Eric.”
[smile] Valory: “Eric doesn't seem like the type to pry.”
[CE Smile] Ivory: “He's fairly gullible too, so I get away with a lot.”
[CE Smile] Valory: “Haha, poor Eric.”
[smile] Valory: (She seems to have such confidence in herself)
[END] (+3)
c. “But Genevieve is scary! Why risk getting caught?”
[worried] Valory: “But Genevieve is scary! Why risk getting caught?”
[noticing] Ivory: “Hm? Oh, I'm not too worried about Genevieve; she doesn't even travel with us most of the time.”
[smile] Ivory: “I mostly have to look out for Eric, since his mother's been scaring him with stories ever since he was young.”
[CE Smile] Ivory: “Obviously I never bought any of it.”
[surprised] Valory: “You're seriously not scared of her at all?”
[CE Smile] Ivory: “Nah, after being forced off that cliff and almost thrown out a window, I've become pretty desensitised to supposed cruelness.” [Ivory emotion change to smile]
[surprised] Valory: “Okay, if you say so...”
[sweatdrop] Valory: (Ivory seems like such a headstrong person. It makes me wonder if she was very rebellious when she was a child...)
[END] (+2)