372 days after a wizard cursed the REALM…
Current Version:
“There have been a long string of women on these quests and some the guys have been saying—not me, of course, but some of the guys—that it’s been a while since one of us got to go on a quest too.”
“But you’re not one of those guys,” said Wordler 367, tapping her pen thoughtfully.
“What?”
“You’re not one of those guys who thinks they should be picked for a quest. Which seems odd to me, because you’re the one who filed a petition with the QUEEN’s Advisory Council.”
Todd sighed. “Eve? Can be be honest with you?”
“My name is Wordler 367 now. And in my role as Council Petition-Hearing Person, you must address me as Your Excellency.”
Todd frowned. “Since when is that a thing?”
“Since I just made it up right now,” said 367. “As Council Petition-Hearing Person, I’m allowed to do that.”
Todd groaned. “Eve—”
“Your Excellency,” 367 prompted.
“Your Excellency, I appreciate all that you and the other champions have done to protect our village from the curse, and I want a chance to do my part. Is there any way you could get me on the list?”
“You could ask me out on a date,” said 367.
“What?”
She sighed. “Ever since I got this Council gig, my love life has gone into hibernation. Some of the guys—not you, of course, but some of the guys—find me unapproachable. But if you’re brave enough and strong enough to proposition an Advisory Council member, that would go a long way toward proving your fitness to be a champion.”
Todd cleared his throat. “Your Excellency, there’s a new play in the theater this week and I’d love to see it with you. Are you free on Friday night?”
“Ew, ew, no!” 367 shuddered. “You did that all wrong.”
“I did?” asked Todd.
“First of all, you can’t address me as Your Excellency when you’re asking me out. That’s practically begging me to abuse my power and compromise my integrity. There’s no quid pro quo in Wordle Quest, Todd.”
“But you said—”
“However,” 367 continued. “You did earn some major points just for asking so yes, I will recommend you to the QUEEN as our next champion. And while I’d love to see that play with you, I’m an elite now. The power imbalance will make an ongoing relationship between us a bit awkward, don’t you think?”
Todd sat up straight in his chair. “If you give me a quest, I’ll impress the QUEEN so much that she’ll offer me a spot on the Council.”
“Todd, you haven't trained for this. You're out of practice. You're unfit. You're—”
“Ready to give it a try, and I have a strong incentive to succeed. I'll score a 2, join the Advisory Council, and pick you up at seven on Friday."
367 grinned. "If you insist, Your Future Excellency."
Web3 Draft:
Revision Notes:
To be added.
