I can't even remember what number I'm on for these summaries/blog

[everdistant]

But thankfully Chapter 8 is very short! There are just a ton of character quests thrown at you...

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[everdistant]

Alvin Episode 2!

Just another day destroying alternate worlds, and I got Alvin and Leia in tow for this mission. Wind up in alternate Dowall, and we try the good old "talk to NPCs to see what we can find" method to finding Time Factors. Alvin chuckles as we learn that the Alvin of this world is highly successful, and since that's a glaring difference already, we decide to dig deeper there. However neither alternate Jurgens, nor his fiancee Isla who was rendered comatose/bed-ridden in the last game yet is fine and even pregnant here and therefore a huge enough difference to be prime Time Factor material, give off any reactions. Alvin balks for a bit, wondering if it's really okay to destroy such happiness they can't have in the real world.

But he figures a clue, though: he and Jurgens aren't in the trade business here, but the mining business. So he figures to check out the deposit stores, cons Jurgens into giving him full access, but before we head over, Leia wonders about the Julius and Ludger of this world, so we tentatively head to the apartment to see, and meet alternate Julius, who asks Ludger what's he doing with Alfred, which shocks everyone. Same as in the real world, Alvin grew up in Elempios until he was six, but in this world he and Julius met and played together as kids. Alvin fudges his way through wonderfully, and Ludger notes how well they got along despite this. Alvin brushes it off, and we continue on our way.

Sure enough, the largest mineral deposit in the stores gives off a reaction. However, Jurgens was suspicious and followed us, and when he sees Ludger about to destroy the mineral, he leaps at Alvin and starts to fight with him, asking what he thinks he's doing; that's their future there. Alvin gets the upper hand and holds Jurgens back while telling Ludger to do it, so Ludger does so and breaks the deposit apart to reveal the Time Factor inside. Jurgens suddenly smokes Alvin in the face, stunning him, and right before the world crumbles he calls Alvin a liar and a traitor. Alvin can't manage any words to that, and it's clear that hurt loads more than the hit did.

He just can't get over his back-stabbing past >:

We're back in original Dowall, and Jurgens comes up and starts talking with Alvin, how he didn't see him there before. Alvin is still shaken, but recovers impressively, and starts shooting the shit with Jurgens like normal until the latter goes on his way. He's still rather down about it all, though, so everyone takes turns telling Alvin to cheer up, he's changed.