Casual Dialogue with Reth

Summary

Casual Chats

Gifting

Special

Table of Contents

This page consists of written daily dialogue lines for Reth.

Chat

This article or following section is likely to contain spoilers! Please proceed with caution.

Reth

So, the reason people don't like me around here is 'cause I strayed from my Path.

Uh... how do I explain this. Palian Majiri value honor, and above all the ability to honor our commitments.

So if someone commits to a career... a, uh, Path...

...and then they abandon it, most people assume they're so shameful that they can't possibly be trusted to commit to anything else.

Player

Why did you abandon yours then?

Reth

I committed to my parent's career in furniture making, 'cause I thought that's what they would want.

And then I realized I just wasn't very good at it.

Not very good is an understatement.

I was TERRIBLE. I mean, my chairs could be used as torture devices.

I know, I know. "It's better to walk your own Path poorly than another man’s well."

But I just couldn't bring myself to keep on doin' it.

Player

I’m sure you’re not like that.

Reth

Are you? Because I'm not.

I committed to my parent's career in furniture making, 'cause I thought that's what they would want.

And then I realized I just wasn't very good at it.

Not very good is an understatement.

I was TERRIBLE. I mean, my chairs could be used as torture devices.

I know, I know. "It's better to walk your own Path poorly than another man’s well."

But I just couldn't bring myself to keep on doin' it.

Player

That seems harsh.

Reth

I don't know. It makes sense to me.

I mean, I think I can be trusted, but I don't know if I would trust me if I weren't me... you know what I mean?

Reth

Tish has been whittling scrapwood into little chapaa figurines and leaving them all over the house.

I stepped on one, and I was limping the whole day. It's not easy to cook on a busted foot, you know?

But hey, seems like Kilima is doing her good. I’m glad to see she has her energy back.

Reth

When a tree grows near a source of Flow, it absorbs the magic and starts to release magical purple smoke.

The wood gets super strong, so people have to work together to cut it down.

It's pretty rare, so if I hear about one, I always try to get some for Tish. Totally worth it to see her smile.

Reth

Did you know I've kinda been a cook since I was a kid?

My parents were always busy running my family's furniture line.

And Tish was too little to reach a stove.

So it kind of always fell on me to take care of the whole "food" deal.

Reth

I never thought I'd end up leaving the big city.

But, uh, Tish, she started get[sic] really sick back in Bahari City.

Her healer said some fresh air would be good for her.

So, we moved out here where the air is... extra fresh.

Luckily, Kilima Valley life seems to be enough for her to have made a full recovery, believe it or not.

Reth

Me and my sister live in the little Tish's House across the river.

Not that I'm ever home anymore.

Reth

I'm not exactly the creative type. Visually, I mean. Nowadays, Tish has got Jel if she needs inspiration.

But there was one time when she was still an apprentice, I found a Jewelwing Dragonfly.

I know, I know, bug catching isn't an excuse to skip woodworking practice. But hear me out...

I brought it home to Tish, and overnight, she churned out like twenty sketches for a new living room set!

I felt like a pretty awesome big brother then.

Reth

Tish was talking about planning a family vacation to Inyrevn sometime. Not sure if she's, like, actually serious.

I tried to tell her I couldn't afford it but she just said she'd cover it all.

Not really sure how to feel about that. I know she's family, but I'm the older one. It’s a little embarrassing when you compare our bank accounts.

For one thing, Tish actually has one!

Reth

I miss my parents every day, but I'm especially feeling it today.

Over fifteen years ago, they built an armoire for an Inyrevn chief and wanted to deliver it themselves.

They left on a ship to sail out to the islands and it never came back.

I have to admit, I sorta lost any desire I had to sail after that.

Missing dialogue for possible unromanced paths.

Reth

Woke up missing my parents today. Usually I don't really think about it, but every once in a while it just... hits me.

You'd think it’s been long enough since they passed, but something like this doesn't ever really go away.

So I just kinda have to... sit with it, until I don’t feel so sad.

Player

You should spend some time with Tish!

Reth

Usually I try to keep this stuff from her... but you're right. Maybe she's feeling it too.

Wow, look at me. Making smart decisions about my emotional health. Thanks, (Player).

Player

I'm here if you need to talk.

Reth

Careful, babe. I might get used to this whole emotional intimacy thing.

...Thanks. Maybe we can just sit for a little bit and hang until I feel better.

Reth

Some days I think about trying carpentry again.

But ever since my parents passed through the veil....

...I feel like I’d just be dishonoring their memory with my shoddy work.

Tish is, and will always be, the only one in our family who can carry on their legacy.

Reth

To tell you the truth, I got really into cooking after my parents passed away.

It was just me and Tish then, and I felt I had to do my best to take care of her.

You shoulda seen the way she smiled when I made her a bowl of my trademark soup!

Honestly, working at the inn is pretty fun since everyone loves food, right?

But don’t tell Ashura, okay? The old man will take any excuse to give me more chores.

Reth

Do you like my tattoos?

A lot of people ask me if they “mean something,” which they totally don’t.

Funny story. I discovered after I got them that they bear a striking similarity to cartel tracking runes.

Which is just, like, a freakish coincidence. I’m totally NOT being tracked by the cartels.

I’m just a regular guy with no weird affiliations with anything... except soup.

You know, my next tattoo should totally be soup related.

Reth

Of course we can chat!

It’s nice to talk to someone who doesn’t know enough about Palian society to treat me like a pariah.

Reth

Ashura said I need to change up the menu. He accused me of cooking soup because it’s ‘easy.’

I mean, he’s right, but he’s not supposed to say it out loud!

Besides, there’s nothing wrong with easy. Lots of good things are easy!

Walks on the beach, cheese sandwiches, me.

Reth

Ashura will eat anything. I even saw him eat a gillyfin Auni caught.

Either that guy has a stomach made of palium, or he just didn't want to disappoint Auni.

It was the little dude's first catch and he was so proud of it.

You should have seen the look in that kid's eye when he gave that tiny fish to Ashura.

Heck, if he looked at me like that, I might have eaten the gillyfin too.

Reth

You can find cookbooks kind of all over. Some are in the library.

But most are just lying around for reasons I frankly can’t even start to comprehend.

Reth

I love a cookbook as much as the next chef, but recipes are more suggestions than rules. Some ingredients you just measure by heart.

Like garlic. Two cloves? Pfft. Six, minimum.

Reth

So I had to swing by the library to grab this cookbook I put on hold, and I swear...

I think Caleri might be a statue! I’ve never seen her leave the front desk.

Or is she a super, super realistic looking Galdur?

The world may never know...

Reth

Hmm? You wanna know what I’m drinking?

Fish soup is full of nutrients and tastes great any time of the day!

What? It’s important to stay hydrated!

Reth

While you can never go wrong with my vegetable soup, I might also suggest the fish stew.

It could give you the extra boost you need to reel in the perfect catch.

Reth

I just got a shipment of dari cloves! Have you ever tried them? They really round out the meaty flavor of chapaa stews.

But they’re so rare, buying a bundle costs more than the whole rest of the stew! Alas... I still haven’t found a great substitute.

Let me know if you get any ideas. I’ll reward you... handsomely.

Reth

Sernuk is a red meat, so you want to make sure to sear it on high heat to get a really good char.

Chapaa is way lighter, so dredge it in flour to keep it moist.

Both are really gamey though, so if you meet another cook who isn’t as talented as I am... stick to the ormuu steaks.

Reth

I know you technically appeared out of thin air, but I hope one day you’ll remember what Human society was like.

I’ve[sic] love to sit down and talk to you about Human food. What did it taste like? What spices did you have? Did you eat soup?

Plus, I’ll make you whatever you want in exchange, my treat.

Reth

Jina gave me an ancient recipe she found. It called for an egg to be buried in the sand for a few days...

But it made no mention of jotting down where said egg was buried. So yes, I lost a few eggs somewhere by the lake.

Reth

Whenever I see Auni out catching bugs, I can’t help but think what they would taste like.

I bet Firebreathing Dragonfly soup would be spicy, and Bahari Bee cake might be sweet. Mmm... maybe a stinkbug soup?

What? Insects are a great source of protein.

Reth

I learned cooking from my dad. He didn’t cook often on account of work, but when he came home with a basket full of groceries, we knew we were in for a treat.

Reth

I’ve been trying out knapweed recipes lately. Chayne insists it’s got medicinal properties when consumed.

The problem is, it’s super bitter. Even ormuu try to avoid it.

Sounds like a fun culinary challenge to me!

So what do you say? Wanna be my official knapweed soup taste tester?

Reth

A chat! How exciting! What shall we talk about in this little convo, this tete-a-tete, this meeting of minds...

If you’re low on topics, might I suggest soup?

Missing dialogue for Water, Fire.

Reth

So, don't freak out, but I've been trying to branch out from soups lately.

I know, I know. My image is crumbling right before your eyes. I'll give you a minute to mourn.

Anyways, these days I've been all about smoothies instead.

Player

What kind of smoothies?

Reth

(TBA)

Player

If you think about it, a smoothie is just a thick, cold soup.

Reth

...

Your brain is so big I'm surprised it fits inside your skull. You are SO right.

What else is secretly soup? Tea? Cereal?? Pasta with LOTS of sauce? I need to do some investigating.

Player

I LOVE smoothies!

Reth

(TBA)

Player

Why do you hate solid food so much?

Reth

It's not that I hate solids, I just think they've ruled the food world for too long.

It's high time someone knocked the sandwich off its throne. I'm just the only one brave enough to try.

It's hard, being a visionary.

Reth

You know what I’m looking for in a relationship...

...someone who looks past my sparkling personality and sees what’s really important.

...my outward appearance.

Reth asks The Player Questions

Reth

Tish has been doing really great lately.

Not sure what I would do if she got sick again.

You know, I just realized I never asked you if you have any siblings.

Player

I have siblings.

Reth

So then you know what it's like. They can be frustrating.

But at the end of the day, your siblings are the only people you got to share your childhood with.

They're the only ones who knew part of your parents who were "parents." Who knew the pure "kid" part of you that your parents never got.

... Look at me, ramblin' on about myself again when I asked YOU a question.

Player

I'm an only child.

Reth

You're lucky. I sometimes think things would be much easier if I only had to take care of myself.

Specific Time

In the Morning

Reth

Today for breakfast I'm serving a little delicacy I like to call "egg surprise."

The surprise is..

...it's just eggs!

At night

Reth

Ah, the full moon. A sacred time in the Palian cycle.

Unfortunately, I've got just enough time to wave at it as I try to get to where I'm going.

Ya know, you've seen one sacred moon, you've seen 'em all.

Specific Location

At the Tavern

Reth

Man, I'm really hankering for some food made by someone not me, at a place not here.

I get tired of smelling the same thing day in, day out.

My nose is always, like, "Come on, Reth. Give it a break from the soup already."

Wait, what am I saying?!

Reth

The menu's right behind you, if you want to give it a read.

Unless you like the sound of my voice, in which case, I don't mind reading it for you.

Reth

I'm really looking forward to the end of the shift, I have a recipe I want to try out but I left the ingredients at home.

At the Tailor

Reth

I usually bring dinner over for Tish and Jel after work.

It’s basically the only time I get to see them.

Friendship Level 3-4

Friendship Level 3 or Higher

Reth

I'm feeling super groggy today. Even the bags on my eyes are tired.

But you know what they say, the illicit Flow trade never sleeps.

And apparently neither do I.

Reth

I know Ashura gave me this job because he's trying to look out for me, but when he gets overprotective, it's so annoying.

Where have you been, Reth? What've you been doing, Reth? Why do you spend so much time in the basement, Reth?

I'm not a child!

But sometimes... I'm just grateful he cares and doesn't think I'm a lost cause like everyone else does.

I really do like cooking, you know? Way better than nailing wood blocks together. Can't eat wood!

Reth

Midnight Paddlefish only come out after the sun goes down. I don’t see them often because I’m not usually in the kitchen at that hour.

I've got... you know, other stuff to do.

But once, Auni caught me in the middle of a delivery. He'd snuck out and actually managed to fish one up! I couldn't blow my cover, so I had to grill it right there.

Wow, was it delicious! Once I work off my debt, I'll have time to catch my own. I'll make a whole set menu: appetizer, entrée, and dessert!

What? You don't think fish can make a good dessert? Just wait until you taste my salmon ice cream!

Reth

You know you might be the first person in the village I've actually considered a friend.

I mean, Ashura's my boss.

Tish is my sister.

So, that brings my previous friends total to let's see...carry the one...multiply by X.

Just what I thought...a whopping zero.

I guess...I've always had a hard time opening up to people.

I mean, trusting people with what I've trusted you with, it's kind of a big burden to put on anybody.

Reth

Just finished my last delivery for the night. It's safer if you don't know what it was.

It wasn't that interesting, anyway. Not as cool as the Fotomotomaton I delivered once.

It was this wild, Flow-powered device that let you take pictures... that moved! And had sound!

I think it would've been nice to have one growing up. Tish was so young and missed our parents so much after they passed.

Having some of those moving pictures might've helped her, like she could've remembered their voices.

Reth

You know, I'm going to assume you're spending all this time with me just because you like my company.

Not because you're angling for anything else.

Making the other assumption has gotten me in trouble in the past...

...but, you know, if you wanted to flirt with me or bring me some heartdrop lillies, I'd be open to it. Just sayin'.

Reth

Last night I had the WILDEST dream.

I was the Duke of Bahari, and I had a pet palcat, right? But the pet palcat was just Zeki head on a palcat's body.

He could still speak, too, and he kept causing international incidents in the middle of holding court.

Not sure I'll ever be able to look at him the same again.

Friendship Level 4

Reth

So, you see these tattoos on my arms? These are cartel tracking runes.

Wherever I go, they know. Which isn’t usually a problem, because I don’t go anywhere.

Reth

I don’t want you to do anything stupid, like trying to get me out of debt, okay?

The cartel may not seem like such a big deal, but they are bad news.

I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you because of me.

Reth

At least there’s one benefit to being a cartel errand-boy. I met a group of Inyrevn, and told me about their local street food: 'fish cake.'

I wonder if I could re-create it at the inn. I could put so many kinds of fish in it...

...salmon and bass, layered with sturgeon icing. Three tiers minimum...

... topped with oyster rosettes...

...Yes! And decorated with their own pearls! Delicious, right?

Reth

Working for Zeki means I’ve met a bunch of Grimalkin, probably the most out of anyone in the village.

The cartel members aren’t exactly nice people, but everyone else has been really great.

After a hard delivery, they never send me away without a good meal. I even got a magical music box once.

It played the best dance beats. Grimalkin sure know how to party!

It makes me wonder if Palian life would be more fun if we took things a little less seriously.

Reth

Working at the Inn is tough, given that I also have a night job. But it’s not like I can quit.

First off, the cartel holds Tish’s life in their little criminal paws.

Secondly, I think it would look suspicious if everyone thought I did nothing all day.

And finally, I kind of like going to work at the Inn.

Talking to Ashura and the regulars kind of makes me feel like... I don’t know... a normal person.

Reth

You’re my closest friend. I think you might be the only person I can tell this to. Don’t... don’t judge me too hard, okay.

Sometimes, I wonder if I’m subconsciously letting Tish run my life.

She was the successful one, and I’ve never had much direction. So it seemed obvious that I should do whatever I could to help her.

When she got sick, I felt my life losing its purpose. I’d do anything to save her.

And I did! I don’t regret it!

But what if I was a little smarter, a little more talented? Could both our lives be better?

Reth

A long day done, and a whole night still ahead... Sometimes I wonder how much easier life could've been.

What if my parents were cooks? No straying from my Path. What if Tish wasn't sick? No cartel debts.

So when you really think about it...

I'm the hardest worker in all of Kilima! Take that, Ashura!

Higher Friendship With Other Villagers

With  Subira

Reth

Not to toot my own horn, but it feels like Subira's really warmed up to me lately.

Last night she even complimented my lettuce soup! Says it tastes just like the Order rations!

...Well, come to think of it, she didn't actually say if that was a good thing or not.

Quest Related

After Friendship Level 3 Quest: Piece of Cake

Reth

Oh, so now that you know my whole deal, I guess I can let you know what was in that "cake."

That was a Flow device that turns whatever you put into it into carrots.

It's called a Carrotizer.

Now, of course, I'm a no-good untrustworthy scoundrel.

So, it's quite possible I'm lying.

During Friendship Level 5 Quest Super Snooper

Reth

Zeki's been acting real weird lately. He's usually shifty, but these days he's shiftier.

When I think you're being too suspicious, you know there's something wrong.

I don't know what he's scheming, but... keep an eye out, okay?

But not, like, too many eyes. One eye, maybe kinda half-squinting. Don't need you getting dragged deeper into this either.

After Friendship Level 5 Quest Super Snooper

Reth

Now that I don't have to worry about paying off my debt, it's like I've got all this mental real estate freed up.

And I have no idea what to do with all of it. I keep trying to find things to worry about just so I can feel normal again, but I can't think of anything.

Am I just supposed to feel... happy now? Is there something wrong with me because I don't?

Reth

Man, if you'd told me months ago that I'd end up working with the guy who held my leash...

I mean I'd probably believe it, since my life isn't exactly predictable, but it's still weird it happened.

Guess I always knew in the back of my mind that it wasn't really Zeki fault either... but it felt easier than admitting the truth.

That we were both stuck in the same mess... and I had no one else to blame but myself.

Well, myself, and the massive, institutionalized crime ring that is the cartels. Oh, and the fact that the Palian Republic outlawed life-saving medical treatments because they used Flow.

Reth

Still trying to wrap my head around the whole 'not-in-life-ruining debt' thing.

I sort of assumed I'd just... never pay it off, honestly, and I'd made my peace with that.

Just make the minimum payments, keep working until I passed out, and live to see Tish smile another day.

What am I supposed to do now? Plan for my future?? Start a savings account???

Yeah, right.

Pin Reactions

Jel's Pin

Reth

Oh, hey, you and Jel? Explains why he seems almost cheerful whenever we have dinner.

I thought maybe he got replaced with a body-snatcher or something. I was half ready to go to Elouisa.

Seriously, yesterday he even laughed, and it didn't turn into sobs midway through.

Whatever you're doing, keep it up. It's nice to see him happier.

Oh, hey, you and Jel, huh?

No, no, don't get me wrong. I'm not jealous, I know how to share. I'm just a little surprised.

I mean, not that surprised. I know how great you are, of course he'd figure it out too.

Maybe that's why he's been friendlier with me too lately? Lookit you, babe! Building bridges without even trying!

Villager Reactions to Reth's Pin

 «  Caleri  » 

That pin... You and the cook are seeing one another?

That explains the books he’s been checking out lately.

Player

What books?

Caleri

"Romance for Dummies", "Homemade Meals to Sweep Them Off Their Feet", titles like that.

...Oh. Was that supposed to be a secret?

 «  Eshe  » 

If I'm not mistaken, that pin belongs to the cook.

I would question your choice in partner, but it really isn't my business.

 «  Hodari  » 

Hodari

You and the soup guy, huh?

Good for you. Never get involved with a man who can't cook for himself.

 «  Kenli  » 

That pin! That's Reth's, isn't it?

Excellent! Many judge him for his choice of Path, but I always thought he was brave for that.

You two make a wonderful pair.

Ah, young love... It warms my heart!

 «  Zeki  » 

You've got Reth's pin on I see. You know... he shouldn't really be offerin' a life with anybody.

His life don't belong to him no more.

Ah... don't look at me like that. I don't make the rules. I just follow 'em.

Wearing Reth's Pin AND Romancing Tish

 «  Tish  » 

Wait, I recognize that pin! That belongs to my brother... are you and Reth... oh, I see.

Well... uh... I don't want to get in the way of you two doing whatever it is you're doing.

But I don't know if we should see each other anymore.

Going out with somebody who is also seeing my brother is just a little weird.