The Weeping Squall
By @john1208
Qorina is a fiercely kind-hearted weather-sculptor who wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone her fragile junior colleague, Zutchi. So when Qorina frantically chases an escaped miniature typhoon through the workshop just to save Zutchi's desk, she is baffled when Zutchi throws herself to the floor, sobbing that Qorina maliciously summoned the storm to attack her when no one was looking. Zutchi expects Qorina’s stoic crafting partner, Vayun, to rush to her defense. Instead, the germ-averse artisan immediately recoils, physically stepping back and throwing up a sterilization barrier to avoid the weeping girl. As Zutchi doubles down on her victim act to steal Qorina’s prestigious Grand Monsoon Commission, Qorina cheerfully lets her have it, completely missing the malice. What the tearful junior doesn't realize is that Qorina was originally chosen because her excessive kindness made her the perfect clueless sacrifice for a cursed artifact. By successfully 'stealing' the reward, Zutchi has walked straight into a lethal trap. With Zutchi's wealthy aristocratic backers poised to publicly abandon her once the truth of the curse is revealed, can Qorina and Vayun survive the satirical fallout without blowing up the workshop?
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