Misplaced Letter

 Talk to Zeppelin

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The Fuzzy Wrench's manager, Zeppelin, seems to have something on her mind. Ask if she needs any help!

Booastrum District

(Idle)

Zeppelin: I'm so worried...

(Talk to Zeppelin)

Zeppelin: I'm really worried about that kid...

What's going on?

Looks like you could use some help.

Zeppelin: Ah, my apologies, (‍sirsirText for Wise / missmissText for Belle‍). I was lost in thought for a moment. I'm sorry you overheard me muttering to myself...

Zeppelin: Do you have a friend you've never met in person, but you still share updates about your lives and tell each other about the things you've seen and experienced?

An online friend?

Zeppelin: Hmm... I guess you could say it's something like that!

A pen pal?

Zeppelin: Hmm... You could say that!

Zeppelin: I've been supporting a little Bangboo's dream of "traveling the world." Every so often, he sends me letters telling me about the new places he's visited and the interesting stories he's encountered...

Zeppelin: This morning, I received his letter as usual, but what was written inside was completely unexpected... The first half of the letter was perfectly normal, but then, at the very end, he wrote this—

Zeppelin: "This will be my last letter to you... I've decided to stop traveling the world and settle down to live a more grounded life. I won't need your support anymore. We may not stay in touch from now on, but I still hope you'll be happy. Thank you for all your help over the years..."

So it was a farewell letter...

Zeppelin: Yeah, but... this all feels so sudden. I can't help thinking he's hiding something from me. Even if he doesn't need my support anymore, he could still keep in touch with me, couldn't he?

Zeppelin: That kid might be dealing with some serious trouble. Just thinking about it, I...

Zeppelin: *sigh* But here's the problem. I have quite a few orders that were booked well in advance today, and if I leave The Fuzzy Wrench now, I might cause trouble for customers who've been waiting a long time. But if I just leave that kid to fend for himself and something happens...

How about I help you look for some clues?

Zeppelin: I hate to trouble you, (‍sirsirText for Wise / missmissText for Belle‍)... but if you're willing to lend a hand, I'd be incredibly grateful...!

Zeppelin: Hmm... This is a little embarrassing to admit, but now that I think about it, we talk about almost everything, yet I don't even know where in Booastrum he lives or what model of Bangboo he is. All I know is that he's a black Bangboo...

Maybe think about the things he's said and done...

Was there anything unusual?

Zeppelin: Hmm... Anything unusual...?
Ah, sometimes the stories he shares with me feel oddly familiar. Like I've... heard them somewhere before?

Zeppelin: Other than that... he seems to have this strange obsession with mailboxes. He always asks me to drop my letters into the red mailbox closest to here, and he insists that I personally pick up the letters he sends me...

Zeppelin: Beyond that... I don't think there's anything else worth mentioning.

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (Sounds like there's quite a lot that's strange about this Bangboo. But what could all those odd details Zeppelin noticed actually mean...? I should start by checking out the mailbox she (‍mentioned.mentioned.Text for Wise / mentioned!mentioned!Text for Belle‍))

I'll try to find some clues.

Zeppelin: Thank you so much! I'll get in touch with you as soon as I'm done with everything at the shop...
Until then, I'm counting on you to find that kid, (‍sirsirText for Wise / missmissText for Belle‍)!

 Find the mailbox Zeppelin mentioned

---

There may be clues about the Bangboo Zeppelin is searching for near the mailbox she often uses... Search the area and see what you can find.

Booastrum District

(Interact with the Mailbox)

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (So this is the mailbox Zeppelin was talking about...)

The mailbox in front of you looks just like any of the red mailboxes scattered around Booastrum.
But on closer inspection, you notice that its lock can actually be opened...

(Open the mailbox)

The mailbox is as empty as a wallet at the end of the month... Looks like it's been abandoned.

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (Huh? So Zeppelin and that Bangboo have been communicating through an empty mailbox...?)

Looking down, you spot a crumpled-up ball of paper lying beside the mailbox—

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (This is... Oh, it's a (‍letter.letter.Text for Wise / letter!letter!Text for Belle‍))

(Read the "Crumpled Letter")

Dear Zeppelin,

I'm sorry. I'm not Curitt. I never was. I've been lying to you this whole time.
If you can find it in your heart to forgive me for keeping the truth from you, come to Central Park late night.
There's a wishing well there. I'll be waiting for you. And then... I'll tell you everything.

A shameless liar

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (And it's addressed to... Zeppelin...)

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (Could this letter be another version of the one Zeppelin received earlier? Maybe an "original draft" that was never actually sent?)

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (If that's the case... I'll go check the Wishing Well in Central Park later tonight.)

 Head to the Wishing Well in Central Park

---

Wait until midnight, then head to the Wishing Well in Central Park and see if you can find any clues.

Booastrum District

(Idle)

Worried Mother: That was terrifying...

Eager Patrolboo: Ehn-ne! (It's the least I could do!)

(Approach the area)

Worried Mother: That was terrifying! If you hadn't been there, Sprig would've been pushed into the water by that creepy thing!

Eager Patrolboo: Ehn-ne! Ne! (Ma'am, it's what we do at the Airspace Patrol. after all! Keeping civilians safe is our duty!)

Creepy thing?

Pushed into the water?

Eager Patrolboo: Ehn-ne-ne! ((‍MisterMisterText for Wise / MissMissText for Belle‍), be careful out there! I'm pretty fearless by nature. I can watch horror movies about Bangboo being chased down without even flinching, but that creepy black thing scared me so badly my legs gave out and I couldn't even run!)

Eager Patrolboo: Ehn-ne, ehn-ehn! (It was pitch-black from head to toe, all long and lanky. I've never seen another Bangboo that looked like that! It was, it was just like... the Slenderboo from urban legends!)

Worried Mother: Oh, without a brave Bangboo like you, that nasty thing would've had us for sure tonight!

Sprig: But, Mom... when I was playing by the fountain earlier and almost fell in...

Sprig: I think, there was someone behind me. He pulled me back... N-No, he didn't push me...

Worried Mother: Are you saying that creepy, ghost-like thing was actually trying to save you?

Sprig: M-Maybe... I don't really know. I was so scared...

Eager Patrolboo: Ehn-ne, ne. Ehn, ehn-ehn-ne! (Kid, you're still young, so you're bound to trust people easily. But there are plenty of bad people out there!)

Eager Patrolboo: Ehn-ehn, ne? (Whatever that creepy thing was up to, you still need to be careful, okay?)

Sprig: But I could really feel it...

Worried Mother: Alright, just listen to what Uncle Bangboo says. Adults would never hurt you!

Sprig: ...

Sprig: (whispers) I was telling the truth... *sobs*

Eager Patrolboo: Ehn-ne, nu, ehn-ne! (It's getting late, miss. You two should head home!)

Eager Patrolboo: Ehn-ne-ne, ne, ehn-ehn! (That... that Slenderboo from earlier may have run up the steps, but it could still come back. I can't handle it on my own, so I'll need to call in some backup and catch it!)

Eager Patrolboo: You stay away from there too, (‍mistermisterText for Wise / missmissText for Belle‍). It's dangerous! [sic]

Yeah yeah.

Uh... Okay.

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (Looks like that Slenderboo they were talking about ran up the steps.)

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (Still, judging by what that little girl said, there might be more to what happened. I should head up the steps and take a look. I have a feeling the Bangboo they ran into might somehow be connected to the pen pal Zeppelin is looking for...)

 Search for traces of Slenderboo

---

Since the suspicious Slenderboo ran up the stairs, look around the area and search for clues.

Booastrum District

(Approach the area next to the Bus Station)

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (Did something just move in the bushes...)

Just as you're about to take a closer look, a blurry figure shoots out of the bushes...
You collide headfirst and fall flat on your back. In the confusion, a letter seems to slip out of your pocket and land on the ground...

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (Th-This... Even though I was prepared for it, is this thing really a (‍Bangboo?Bangboo?Text for Wise / Bangboo!?Bangboo!?Text for Belle‍))

Slenderboo: That letter!? Y-You...!

Slenderboo: You're Zeppelin!? (‍So... you're a man...So... you're a man...Text for Wise‍)

Huh?

Wait...

Slenderboo: Zeppelin... I-I never sent that letter, and yet you found it. Could this be fate...?

Slenderboo: Y-You know I'd never hurt anyone... Just now, they thought I was trying to hurt that little girl. But I wasn't. She almost fell into the water, and I... I pulled her back...

Slenderboo: Then another Bangboo came along and started throwing rocks at me. They hurt... so I-I ran.

Slenderboo: Zeppelin, you have to believe me. I... I didn't do anything wrong...

Wait...

There's been a misunderstanding.

???: Ehn-ne! Ehn, ne! (Don't let him get away! He's right there. Get him!)

Before you even have a chance to explain who you are, three uninvited guests interrupt you.
You turn around, only to find that the strange Slenderboo from earlier is nowhere to be seen...

Fierce Bangboo: Ehn-ne, ehn-ehn-ne! (Damn it, he got away again!)

Fierce Bangboo: Ehn-ehn? Ne-ehn! (Hey, are you okay? That nasty thing was trying to hurt you, wasn't it?!)

Fierce Bangboo: Ne, ehn-ne, ehn-ne! (Don't worry. We'll find him and deal with him!)

Dumb Sidekick: Ehn-ne! (Execute him on the spot!)

Fierce Bangboo: Ehn-ne! Ehn-ne-ne... (His lair is in the Retroflux Zone! You saw what he looks like. He can't exactly go wandering around outside, so he'll definitely return to the sewers. We'll wait for him to come back...)

Dumb Sidekick: Ehn-ne-ne! (We'll be waiting!)

Spineless Sidekick: Ehn, ehn-ne? Ne-ne... Ehn! Ne-ne... (But, boss... is he really a bad guy? He even helped me find my—Ouch! What was that for...?)

Fierce Bangboo: Ehn-ne-ne! Ne-ne, ehn. Ehn-ne, ehn-ne-ne? (That's what that was for! You get a little handout, and suddenly you're sticking up for him? Who's your boss here, him or me?)

Dumb Sidekick: Ehn-ne-ne! (That's what that was for!)

Spineless Sidekick: Ehn... Ehn, ehn-ne. (O-Okay... I'm sorry, boss. Let's go catch him.)

What exactly is he...?

How did he end up looking like that?

Fierce Bangboo: Ne-ehn? Ehn-ne-ne. (Him? I heard that when they were developing a new Bangboo, something went wrong with the blueprint data and they ended up printing out a weird one... When he overheard them saying they were going to scrap him, he quickly escaped.)

Dumb Sidekick: Ehn-ehn! Ehn-ne! (What a weird thing! And it can't even En-Nah—it only speaks human language. So weird!)

Fierce Bangboo: Ehn-ne! Ne! (They say you shouldn't judge a Bangboo by its looks, but that guy's done plenty of bad things! Like scaring other Bangboo unconscious and stealing their stuff... He's always stealing the old batteries that the waste sorters worked so hard to collect!)

Spineless Sidekick: Ehn-ne... Ne-ehn! (But, boss... he's actually been pretty friendly lately. Ow! Boss, why'd you hit me?!)

Fierce Bangboo: Ne, ne-nhe! (Don't interrupt when your boss is talking, understand?!)

Dumb Sidekick: Ne-ehn! (Understand?!)

Spineless Sidekick: ...Ehn, ehn-ne. (...Ugh, never mind.)

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (From what they said, that Bangboo lives in the Retroflux Zone. Sounds like it's in the En-Nah Gang's turf...)

(ProtagonistProtagonistWise / Belle): (Right! Prophetboo might know something about him. I should head to the Retroflux Zone and see what I can find!)

Fierce Bangboo: Ehn-ne, nu-ne! (Alright, we're off to catch him. You stay safe, (‍mistermisterText for Wise / missmissText for Belle‍)!)

Dumb Sidekick: Nu-ne! (Stay safe!)

Just as suddenly as they appeared, the three uninvited guests make a hasty exit...
With the thought that "Prophetboo might know something," you make your way to the En-Nah Gang's turf—

 Ask Prophetboo for information

---

Prophetboo might know something about Slenderboo. Go to the En-Nah Gang's hideout and see what you can find out.

(Restricted Area) Retroflux Zone

(Idle)

Prophetboo: Ehn-ne... (Things just turned out this way...)

Griff: Ehn-ne-nuh... (Ugh, this is all my fault...)

(Talk to Prophetboo)

Prophetboo: Ehn-ne, ehn-ne... (Sorry, I couldn't stop what just happened...)

Griff: Ehn-ne, ehn-nu-gah... (Great Prophet, I blame myself for not paying enough attention to what's been going on in the gang lately...)

Prophetboo: Ehn-ne... Ne... (It's just... the scars that kid carries inside may never fully heal...)

That kid?

What's going on?

Griff: Gah! Ehn-ne... (Ah, Proxy! I'm sorry you had to see the En-Nah Gang at our worst...)

Griff: Ehn-ne, gah-ehn. (It's all my fault as the gang leader. I failed that poor Bangboo and let it suffer for something it didn't do.)

Griff: Ehn-ne, ehn-ne, ehn-nu-gah! (I don't know who pulled this prank, but they made a bunch of wanted posters for him and put them up all over the place!)

Prophetboo: Ehn-ne... Ehn-ehn... (Maybe it was some Bangboo who were scared of how that kid looked... Even though it wasn't his choice, being an "outsider" means he's bound to face unfair treatment and be met with cold stares...)

Griff: Ehn-nu-gah, ehn-ehn... (Ugh, anyway, some Bangboo actually took these "wanted posters" seriously and started hunting him down. They beat him senseless, then dragged him before everyone and pinned everything that's happened lately on him...)

Griff: Gah-ne, gah, ehn-nu-gah... (I had just finished dealing with some gang business when I happened upon this scene, but by then, it was already too late... Even after we untied him, he didn't say a word. He just walked away...)

Prophetboo: Ehn-ne... Ehn-ne, ehn-ne... (*sigh*... Poor kid... The other Bangboo have already gone to take down the wanted posters, but what happened can't be undone...)

Are you talking about...?

A tall, slender black Bangboo?

Griff: Ehn-ne! Ehn-nu-gah? (That's right! Do you happen to know him, Proxy?)

I'm looking for him...

Can you tell me more about him?

Prophetboo: Ehn-ehn... Ehn, ehn-ne... (That kid... He's not quite like other Bangboo. Because he doesn't have any modification modules installed, his logic core can't be separated from his body. He can't even speak the En-Nah language that all Bangboo use...)

Prophetboo: Ehn, ehn-ne, ne-ehn, ehn... (In other words, he can't replace his body. He'll have to spend his entire life as a Bangboo like this...)

Griff: Ehn-ne, ehn-nu-gah... Gah-gah. (Yeah, I heard he used to live in some movie theater, where he somehow picked up human language... Then the theater closed down, and he eventually made his way to the Retroflux Zone.)

Griff: Ehn-ne, ehn-nu-gah... (Sure, he's done plenty of shady things up on the surface, but as long as he doesn't pull that stuff within the En-Nah Gang, I've been willing to turn a blind eye...)

Griff: Nu-gah, ehn-ne, ehn-nu-gah... (After all, his charging port is different from those of ordinary Bangboo, so he can't use the charging stations out on the street. He can only run on old batteries, and with the way he looks, there's no way he could find a job out there...)

Prophetboo: Ehn-ehn... ehn-ne. Ehn-ne, ehn-ne... (But... that kid... He seems to have changed a lot lately. Sometimes, he even goes out of his way to help the other kids...)

Griff: Ehn-ne, gah? (It must be because he met that "pen pal" he's been writing to, right?)

Pen pal?

Could this be...

Prophetboo: Ehn, ehn-ne... Ehn-ne-ne. (No one knows who that pen pal is, but everyone knows... that person means a lot to him.)

Prophetboo: Ehn... ehn-ne... (But... just when things were starting to get better, this had to happen...)

Griff: Ehn-ne... Gah? (Proxy... I have a favor to ask. Would you mind going to check on that poor Bangboo?)

Griff: Ehn-ne, ehn-nu-gah... (After all, it was members of the En-Nah Gang who hurt him. He probably doesn't want to see us again...)

No problem.

He's exactly who I'm looking for.

Prophetboo: Ehn... Ehn-ne. (*sigh* Poor kid... I hope time can heal all wounds.)

Following the information Griff shared, you arrive in the area where Slenderboo is often seen...

 Find Slenderboo

---

With the information from Prophetboo, you've found Slenderboo. But this strange Bangboo seems to be up to something big...

(Restricted Area) Retroflux Zone

From a distance, you spot the Bangboo you've been looking for... For some reason, you feel a strange mix of emotions.
But just as you're about to approach and speak to him, you notice one of his feet hanging over the edge of the platform, as if he's about to throw himself into that endless abyss—
Before he can take the plunge, you rush over and grab him.

Slenderboo: Zeppelin... What are you doing here...

Slenderboo: You even came all the way here after me... But please, just... let me go.

No way!

Slenderboo: I... when I see you, I just can't bear to let this end. Please, let me go, Zeppelin...

No!

Slenderboo: Y-You don't know anything! I haven't even told you about the things I've done wrong... Once you know everything, you'll hate me even more, Zeppelin.

Then tell me everything.

Slenderboo: I've been lying to you all this time! I... I never actually traveled the world. I'm just a wretched thief, shamefully... shamefully scraping by on the money you gave me.

Slenderboo: My name isn't even Curitt... That name belonged to another Bangboo. I stole his identity and your sponsorship... Th-This was all just... "identity theft."

Slenderboo: The stories I told you about traveling the world... they were all things I saw in movies or overheard from other people. Not one of them... not one of them was my own story.

Slenderboo: Writing to you, Zeppelin, made me so happy.
But the happier I got, the more I remembered that the one talking to you was a fake version of me.

Slenderboo: The real me can't even leave the sewers... I'm just a freak that everyone throws rocks at...

Slenderboo: So lonely... I'm so lonely...

At least... you have me, right?

Slenderboo: But you're the only one who believes in me, Zeppelin. Everyone else... everyone else thinks I'm a bad guy.

Slenderboo: I wanted to stop... to stop lying to you, and try to become a good Bangboo, someone who could be useful... Then, someday, I'd meet you again under a new identity—not as Curitt, the name I stole, but as myself.

Slenderboo: But... so much has happened today... I-I understand now. As long as I'm still like this, as long as I scare people... everyone will think I'm doing something wrong. They'll misunderstand me... all of them...

Slenderboo: Doing good doesn't matter. Looking like this means I'll always be a bad guy. I'm a fake... I can't be a good Bangboo...

Who says it doesn't matter?

Truth is, I'm a fake too.

You tell the black Bangboo standing before you everything Zeppelin asked you to do.

Slenderboo: Wh—What!?

Slenderboo: W-What does that mean? Zeppelin's a fake too...?

Slenderboo: But if you're not Zeppelin, how could you believe me, help that little girl... and even believe the wanted posters were fake...?

Actually... I'm not the only one...

Griff and Prophetboo believe in you too.

The Bangboo you've helped want to speak up for you!

Slenderboo: What...? Someone else believes in me... other than Zeppelin...?

All the good things you've done...

Don't mean any less because of how you look.

Slenderboo: I... I don't even know what to say after hearing all this...

Slenderboo: They say in the movies that talking things out can clear up misunderstandings... But no one would listen to me, so I stopped trying to explain.

Slenderboo: Being misunderstood made me so sad... so, so sad. But now I know some people still believe in me, even when they don't understand me...

Don't you want to meet the real Zeppelin?

Slenderboo: The real... Zeppelin...

Slenderboo: I want to! Even if I'm a fake... maybe the real Zeppelin will see me for who I really am... just like you do.

Slenderboo: But... I can't meet Zeppelin looking like this...

Don't worry!

I have an idea!

You contact Zeppelin and tell her you've found the Bangboo she's been looking for...
Then, together with Slenderboo dressed in a Mr. Roar costume, you arrive at the entrance to The Fuzzy Wrench.

 Explain everything to Zeppelin

---

Bring Slenderboo (in Mr. Roar's costume) to Zeppelin and explain everything that happened..

(Restricted Area) Retroflux Zone

(Idle)

Zeppelin: I'm so worried...

(Talk to Zeppelin)

Zeppelin: W-Wait... that's Mr. Roar?

Oh, it's actually a costume...

Slenderboo: Zeppelin... actually, I'm... I'm Curitt. No... I'm not Curitt...

Slenderboo: I am...

Zeppelin: Mm-hmm, I know. You're the little guy I've been writing to, right?

Slenderboo: No... I've been lying to you all this time, Zeppelin... I've told you so many lies.

Slenderboo: The mailbox was fake... The name was fake... I stole the money meant for another Bangboo. I lied to you...

To your surprise... a faint smile appears on Zeppelin's face.

Zeppelin: I know.

Zeppelin: There wasn't even a postmark on the letters. And using an abandoned mailbox to send them... clever, I'll give you that. But I'm a local shop owner. How could I not know which mailboxes around here are still in use?

Slenderboo: Huh?

Zeppelin: As for that so-called "funding agreement," impersonating Curitt was pointless anyway. I'd already signed a new one with the real Curitt!

Slenderboo: Wh-What...? Then... then why did you give me money, Zeppelin?

Zeppelin: At first, I was just curious what kind of Bangboo would come up with such a clumsy scam...

Zeppelin: But over time, I realized you really were going through a tough time, so I kept up the "investment."

Zeppelin: Maybe I was moved by all those "stories" of yours. Some of them were obviously made up, but the way you wrote them was so captivating. Even if they never happened...

Zeppelin: You made them come alive.

Slenderboo: But, Zeppelin, you don't understand! I've done so many bad things. I'm actually scary. I look like a freak... I-I'm an outcast no one could ever accept. If you saw me, you'd run away, too.

Slenderboo: I'm... that thing from the urban legend...

Zeppelin: The... "slender shadow" that supposedly comes out at night to snatch children?

Slenderboo: Huh? Uh... huh? You...

Zeppelin: You! You've still got a long way to go if you think you can hide something from me!

Slenderboo: How did you... know that?

Zeppelin: That? It's a secret.

Zeppelin: You must have been through so much... things that hurt you deeply, I'm sure. But... please don't let that sadness make you cut me out of your life, okay?

Slenderboo: Zeppelin...

Zeppelin: I want to hear more... so many more stories. Stories about the real you, about all the sadness you've been through... But before that—

Zeppelin: First, let me give you the deluxe treatment!
You've been wandering around for so long. I'm sure you've got plenty of worn-out parts that could use some repairs~