Interview with Falstaff
The following is a transcript of an interview conducted by Anatole Solal. The subject of the interview requested to be identified only as Falstaff. She is a young adult female Dekn, with short, ash blonde hair and violet-tinted eyes. Her temperament during this interview was at times irritable, at times highly cheerful, often forgetful of important details, and generally intent on making the interviewer's life miserable. The interviewer has attempted [Scribbled note in margins: Failed step one.] to preserve some impartiality, given his own personal biases concerning both the interviewee and the topics discussed herein.Â
[Transcription begins.]
FALSTAFF: Is this the part where you ask me what I saw come out of the door?
INTERVIEWER: Unfortunately, yes. I know the Imperial Guard have already asked for your statement, but if you wouldn't mind telling the story just one more timeâŠ
FALSTAFF: I don't know if I'm supposed to do that.Â
INTERVIEWER: Everything you tell me stays between us, okay? I know you're a little rattled from what you've seen today, but I promise, you're safe in this room.Â
FALSTAFF: [Sigh.] Fine. So me and a bunch of my siblings in faithâ
INTERVIEWER: Your what?Â
FALSTAFF: We went to check on the door. It's important to our God and Ruler that we do that. So we do it about once every few days.
[Interviewer's note: Either she didn't notice my questioning, or she was pretending not to. My money, personally, is on the latter.]
INTERVIEWER: To clarify, by "the door," you mean the large golden one outside of Taveril'domaine.Â
FALSTAFF: The very same.Â
INTERVIEWER: And this time it opened.Â
FALSTAFF: Yep.Â
INTERVIEWER: Has it ever opened before?Â
FALSTAFF: Nope.Â
INTERVIEWER: I want to confirm the story you told the Guard. What came out of the door?Â
FALSTAFF: Oh, it was⊠it was horrible, I can't even describe it! It was this ugly, pale little person-shaped thing with pulsing, glowing white veins and translucent skin. Its eyes were shut tight⊠or maybe it didn't have any, just hollow places where eyes should have been... and it kept making these ear-splitting screams. It moved so unnaturally, like a puppet or something.
[Interviewer's note: I was shocked by how vehement her response was. It seems that the trauma of witnessing the creature's escape broke through her brainwashing a bit. I decided to push further.]
INTERVIEWER: ...Alright. Alright. And, I'm sorry for making you rehash all of this, but what did the creature do?
FALSTAFF: Well, it had these⊠these weird sigils on its hands, right, and it⊠it was firing these bursts of energy at anything it thought was a threat to it. If you were hit, it dehydrated you completely. And it⊠oh, oh no, it killed Belmonte, I can'tâ
INTERVIEWER: Who is Belmonte, Falstaff?Â
FALSTAFF: [Seems to suddenly, abruptly change her mood and become far more cheerful than she was a moment earlier.] I don't know anyone who goes by Belmonte. I don't think there's ever been an initiate in the Society who's gone by that name.Â
INTERVIEWER: You⊠you just mentioned someone who went by that name.Â
FALSTAFF: [Giggles.] Did I? Silly me.Â
INTERVIEWER: Yes, the one who diedâ the one killed by the thing from the door?
FALSTAFF: Oh, well, then, it must have been a non-believer. None of us can die unless our Master wills it so.Â
INTERVIEWER: I'm⊠I'm sorry, come again?Â
FALSTAFF: Isn't that nice? To have eternal life so long as He looks upon you and finds you worthy?
INTERVIEWER: Nice isn't the word I'd use for what you believe, Falstaff.
[Interviewer's note: At this point, she lowered her head and adopted a very dejected attitude. Truth be told, I felt bad for making her upset. It's just⊠interviewing these people makes my skin crawl and I hate it.]
FALSTAFF: ...Oh. That's too bad, then.
INTERVIEWER: So, I wanted to ask you what you do in the Society.Â
FALSTAFF: You know, Belmonte could be your name if you initiated. It's a nice name. I think it suits you.Â
INTERVIEWER: Please, can we try to stay on topic?Â
FALSTAFF: I do a little of this and that. Mostly, I⊠well, I guess I just try to be worthy of His love.Â
[Interviewer's note: What in the name of the Hethe have I signed up for.]
INTERVIEWER: This and that?Â
FALSTAFF: Some of it's a secret. I'm so happy He trusts me that much.Â
INTERVIEWER: I see.Â
[Interviewer's note: I am getting absolutely nothing from this besides a growing sense of unease.]
FALSTAFF: Are there any more questions, or can I go now? I have stuff to do.
INTERVIEWER: One more question, I wanted to bring it back to the door⊠Did Marchosias Aversen know what would come out of that door, when he declared it a symbol of his power? Because it seems gravely irresponsible, for someone with such a large following toâ
FALSTAFF: He⊠[She trails off, a distant look in her eyes.]
INTERVIEWER: Are you alright, miss?Â
FALSTAFF: ...He didn't know, did He. He didn't have control, but that's impossible, our Master plans for all, knows all, Iâ I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I need to⊠[She looked like she was about to cry. It's at this point that I may have made things worse.]
INTERVIEWER: Falstaff, do you need a hug?Â
[Interviewer's note: Yeah, that was kind of unprofessional and not something I should have said, but she was so upset and in need of comfort. I know that underneath everything Marchosias did to her, she's still a person who deserves compassion, and I'm not going to let my opinions of Purple Rose prevent me from seeing that.]
FALSTAFF: Would that be okay?
INTERVIEWER: If you think it would help.
[Interviewer's note: At this point, she threw her arms around me, murmuring about how deeply forbidden it was for her to accept this kind of comfort. Someone please save this poor woman.]Â
FALSTAFF: This is bad, this is impure, I need to get it out of meâÂ
INTERVIEWER: You're alright. I promise, everything is alright, you're safe with me. I can help you get out if that's what you want.
FALSTAFF: No, I can't leave His Heart, I need to go back to the High Cathedral, I need to let someone know about these⊠these evil thoughts that keep coming into my mind, thoughts that are all your fault, get away from me! I don't want to answer any more of your questions!Â
[Interviewer's note: Everything happened pretty quickly after that. She pushed me away from herâ she's stronger than she looks, and it left me seeing stars for a bit. When I came to my senses, I could hear her running down the hall.]
INTERVIEWER: No, please, come back, I promise I canâ
[Transcription ends.]













