Norma Hollowell/Dialogue

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Open-World Dialogue

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(Talk to Council Receptionist, Thursday 12PM): Council Receptionist: The attendees of this council meeting are the Administrative Affairs Department and the External Strategy Department.; Council Receptionist: Would you like to enter and observe?; Yes.

(Starts dialogue, see below)

Not interested.

(Exits dialogue)

All council members are in place. Today's session officially begins.

Melisande: How unusual... The Administrative Affairs Department rarely shows up to the council as the one being questioned...

Melisande: Alright, it's about time. Let's officially kick off today's agenda — the External Strategy Department's inquiry into the Administrative Affairs Department.

Melisande: The External Strategy Department's rep is... Miss Norma? Am I seeing this right?

Norma: That's right! It's Norma!

Melisande: Uh... well then, the AAD's representative is me, Melisande.

Norma: Wait, hold up! How's the ref jumpin' into the game? I say that ain't fair!

Melisande: Oh, come on, the Speaker of the Council has always been held by a member of the Administrative Affairs Department. So questioning the AAD? Isn't that like playing a game with the referee on your team?

Melisande: Don't sweat it, little Norma. The Speaker of the Council doesn't play favorites — you can speak up and ask whatever's on your mind.

Norma: I thought so too! To avoid consuming too much of my energy budget, I'm gonna cut straight to the chase...

Norma: There's been so much going on down the surface lately, and the External Strategy Department is understaffed. Everyone's running themselves ragged! Meanwhile, the Administrative Affairs Department is drowning in employees with barely any work to do. It's totally unreasonable!

Norma: That's why I'm hoping the AAD can spare some staff to support the ESD's work!

Melisande: So it's what Norma wants, not the External Strategy Department?

Norma: What Norma says is what the ESD says!

Melisande: Hmm... alright, we'll take little Norma's input into consideration. Any other questions?

Norma: I knew you guys would never... Wait, what? You agreed!?

Melisande: Reasonable requests? Yeah, we'll consider them... Oh wait, I mean actively consider them.

Norma: ...Something's off — I smell deception in the air!
Time to bust out the "secret weapon" Veli gave me!

With all eyes on her, Norma pulls out a sticky note packed with writing.

Norma: Ta-da! This is the "AAD Jargon Translation Guide" that Veli gave me before the meeting! Let me see...

Norma: "We'll consider it" means "we'll reject it later," and "We'll actively consider it" means "we'll seriously think about how to reject it"... I see! So you never had any intention of actually adopting the ESD's suggestions in the first place!

Melisande: Nah, I mean exactly what I said. We'll seriously consider your request.

Norma: I don't buy it! I've got a question right now: If the ESD demanded the AAD downsize their staff and transfer those people over to support us, what would you guys do?

Melisande: Oh boy, this is tricky... Little Norma, the wording you use in the council is super important. If you stick with the "support" you mentioned earlier, the Administrative Affairs Department will definitely be on board...

Melisande: But if we're talking about the whole "downsizing" and "transferring" thing you mentioned, then the AAD ain't gonna sign off on that.

Norma: I ain't one to nitpick, but I can tell you're tryna back out!

Melisande: Let me put it in terms little Norma can understand: The Administrative Affairs Department is like a precision machine. As long as it's running smoothly, there's no need to modify it. Every employee has their purpose...

Melisande: If you think that's just lip service, we can organize an internal survey — evaluate job functions, check employee preferences, and give you a concrete answer you can actually see.

Norma: "Internal survey" is "cooked results"... I don't need an internal survey. Let's just skip straight to the downsizing part!

Melisande: That's not very realistic. The Administrative Affairs Department actually considered downsizing its divisions before, but it never happened. Do you know why?

Norma: That's outside my wheelhouse...

Melisande: Since downsizing affects almost every department, we need a fully independent and impartial task force to assess each role's workload and necessity.

Norma: Sounds legit, and even scientific...

Melisande: Alright, here's the real question — what if the staff all want to keep their jobs and start covering for each other?

Melisande: What if someone on the investigation team is tight with an AAD employee? Wouldn't that throw the whole thing off balance? Anyway, there's a ton of issues here.

Melisande: And to streamline the plan, the AAD's headcount is actually expected to increase rather than decrease — the extra bodies being investigation teams operating under the AAD's umbrella. After all, they need to get paid too.

Norma: It's just complicated at first! Even I have to experiment before I could nail down the theory!

Melisande: Now throw in cover-ups and cronyism — think your investigation is gonna make any headway now?

Norma: Um...

Melisande: The answer's obvious — damn near impossible. The end result? The investigation team hits a brick wall, and the AAD ends up with 200 new permanent employees who don't do jack.

Norma: Wait, what?! 200?! That many? So where are these 200 employees now? Can we pull them into the ESD?

Melisande: That's already the bare minimum we were expecting. As for what happens next with this downsizing...

Melisande: Lord Carinus eventually scrapped the downsizing initiative, and ironically, that decision made the Administrative Affairs Department even more squeaky-clean than before — total crowd-pleaser move.

Norma: I don't get it. How does giving up lead to a positive review?

Melisande: Because we disbanded the investigation team, publicly claiming we cut a whopping 200 headcount positions! Plus, since these employees never had a contract, we even saved 200 breach-of-contract penalties.

Norma: Wait a second! This is straight-up fraud!

Melisande: Nah, this is totally legit administrative publicity.

Norma: These AAD people are so roundabout with their words... I'm never gonna attend council meetings again! This kinda stuff is better left to Veli!

Melisande: Looks like we're just about ready to wrap this up... As for the ESD's request for "support," little Norma, no need to worry — the AAD will definitely give everyone an answer they can be satisfied with.

Melisande: Alright, today's council session is officially adjourned. Everyone please exit in an orderly fashion~

The council session wraps up, and the delegates start trickling out one by one.
Just sitting in as a spectator? Not gonna lie, that was actually pretty interesting...

Trust Events

Booastrum District

Location: Booastrum District
Sub-Location: Entrance to Gear Lane
Time of Day: 6AM - 6PM
Day of the Week: Monday, Wednesday

Agent: Norma Hollowell
Mentions: Eous

(Idle): Determined Bangboo: Na-ehn nu-na!; Confused Bangboo: Wuh-nhe na?; Norma: Nhe-nhu na!

(Talk to Norma)

Determined Bangboo: Ehn-nhu na, ehn-en nhu-nha! (Man oh man, I heard the Bangboo at the External Strategy Department get treated real good!)

Confused Bangboo: Wuh-ne, nhe wuh! (Boss, can we really trick Bangboo into the ESD by playing dumb like this?)

Norma: Ehn-na-ehn, ehn-na-na-na!

Confused Bangboo: Wuh-nhe nha, nhe na wuh... (Boss, when you just mumble like that, I can't understand you either...)

Determined Bangboo: Ehn-nhu, nha ehn! (Just do what she says! She always has her reasons!)

Norma: Nhu-nha nhe, ehn nhu na~

What's going on...?

Nha-na-nu nhe-nhe?!

Determined Bangboo: Ehn-na, nhu na! (Greetings, citizen! We're currently doing fieldwork for the External Strategy Department!)

Norma: I'm on the clock right now, (‍Wise / Belle‍), so I can't hang out with you just yet!

You're so hardworking!

Significant Trust increase with Norma Hollowell

What kind of work are we talking about?

Confused Bangboo: Wuh nhe, nha wuh... (She said it's part of the ESD's "public image campaign," but honestly, I don't really get it...)

Norma: What a sillyboo!

Norma: Isn't that because you've been throwing the ESD's name around to bully everyone? Now Bangboo get scared the moment they hear our name!

Norma: That's why we're trying to fix our reputation with the Bangboo... or they'll stop cooperating with us altogether!

Confused Bangboo: Wuh-ne, wuh-ne? (Me... a bully?)

Confused Bangboo: Wuh-ne-ne... (Pretty sure everyone's only scared of Boss Norma...)

Determined Bangboo: Ehn-nhu nhe, en-na! (At the end of the day, Boss's inventions and research are all for the sake of Bangboo and Roscaelifer! What's wrong with making a teensy little sacrifice!)

Confused Bangboo: Wuh na... Nhe wuh? (So... playing dumb at the entrance to Gear Lane is part of the sacrifice too?)

Norma: Hey, we're trying to blend in with the everyday Bangboo citizens here!

Confused Bangboo: Wuh-nhe na? (By playing dumb?)

Norma: But aren't Bangboo usually just standing around on the street grinning like idiots anyway?!

Determined Bangboo: Ehn-nhu na, ehn ne! (I told you already, the boss had her reasons!)

Confused Bangboo: Wuh ne ne... (Alright then...)

Norma: You seem pretty interested, (‍Wise / Belle‍)... wanna join me in playing dumb — I mean, help support our community outreach efforts?

I just remembered I've got something else going on...

Maybe we should get Eous to help out...

Norma: Sigh... Seems like you still don't understand the sacrifices we make as public servants!

Norma: Alright, we can't keep chatting with you, I have important work to get back to!

Norma: We can hang out some other time, (‍Wise / Belle‍)!

Norma and the Bangboo are looking pretty determined... maybe it's best not to interrupt their work for now?

(If "What kind of work are we talking about?" is selected)

Trust increase with Norma Hollowell

(Idle): Determined Bangboo: Na-ehn nu!; Confused Bangboo: Wuh-nhe na!; Norma: Ehn-nhu ehn!!!

(Talk to Norma again, optional): Norma: Na-en nhu!; Norma stays silent, and just continues acting earnestly as the ordinary Bangboo citizen she imagines.

Location: Booastrum District
Sub-Location: True Blues
Time of Day: 6AM
Day of the Week: Thursday, Friday

Agent: Norma Hollowell

(Idle): Norma: Today's Bangboo...; Serious Assistant Bangboo: Nhe-nha ehn ne...

(Talk to Norma)

Serious Assistant Bangboo: Nhu nha ehn-nu... (Beckford Street, Bangboo Serial No. C-II-0315, operating in good condition, signal response speed...)

Norma: The Bangboo are working methodically today, keeping all the shops and businesses running smoothly as usual...

Norma: No anomalous factors detected in behavior observations...

Norma: What a shame...

Are you working, Norma?

Out shopping, Norma?

Norma: I'm logging the Bangboo work reports.

Norma: Usually the Ultraboos handle this work, but when the lab's quiet, I sometimes come by and monitor how the Bangboo are working myself.

Norma: Watching these little ehn-ne creatures is fun in itself, and I often manage to recruit a few "volunteers" for my research projects~

Norma: Unfortunately, all the Bangboo on Beckford Street are running perfectly normal today. No abnormal Bangboo for me to drag back to the lab.

Norma: I mean, my job is to prevent Bangboo from malfunctioning in the first place...

Norma: (‍Wise / Belle‍), the place you live below the clouds... I think it was called Sixth Street, right? You've got quite a few Bangboo neighbors there too, don't you?

We've got lots of cute Bangboo neighbors.

Significant Trust increase with Norma Hollowell

Though not as many as here.

Norma: Even the Bangboo on the surface can malfunction sometimes, right?

Norma: It's hard to imagine what those poor little things go through... abandoned by their owners, forgotten by city administration, left in some unseen corner going "ehn-ne, ehn-ne" as they wait for their Logic Cores to shut down.

Norma: Sure, plenty of little ones panic so hard they short circuit just hearing my name, but my experiments are largely meant to save Bangboo from such a tragic fate.

Norma: Someday, lots of Bangboo from Beckford Street will have their memories of the city in the sky sealed away and be sent to New Eridu on the surface.

Norma: There must be plenty of Bangboo on Sixth Street where you live, who used to live in Roscaelifer too.

Norma: If an abnormality is detected here, the worst-case scenario is just having a few out-of-spec parts swapped out in my lab.

Norma: But if something goes wrong up on the surface... not every Bangboo's lucky enough to get sent back for repairs by the "after-sales department."

Serious Assistant Bangboo: Ehn-nhu, ehn-nhe na? (Chief, will there be a day when my memories get sealed too and I'm sent to the surface?)

Norma: Don't worry, little Bangboo. You're a model I designed specially for the ESD. You've got ex~tra~ powerful parts installed that other Bangboo could only dream of!

Norma: But if the clouds over Roscaelifer ever part one day, maybe you'll get a chance to head down to the surface and see a whole different world.

Serious Assistant Bangboo: Ehn-nhu ne na! (But all I want is to work for you!)

Norma: You can sweet-talk me all you want, but it's not going to reduce your workload!

Serious Assistant Bangboo: Nhe-nhu, ehn na! (I'll make sure the work gets done, Chief!)

Norma: A loyal and hardworking little thing like you would do just fine on the surface~

Norma: Before that, let's head to the next block and wrap up the documentation.

Serious Assistant Bangboo: Na-ehn nu-na!

(If "Though not as many as here." is selected)

Trust increase with Norma Hollowell

(Idle): Norma: Time to hit up the next block!; Serious Assistant Bangboo: Na-ehn nu-na!

(Talk to Norma again, optional): Norma: (‍Wise and hisWise and hisText for Wise / Belle and herBelle and herText for Belle‍) Bangboo share a pretty special bond too...; Serious Assistant Bangboo: Ehn-nhu na... (Man, I'm jealous...)

Location: Booastrum District
Sub-Location: Emerald Central Park
Time of Day: 6AM - 6PM
Day of the Week: Tuesday, Sunday

Agent: Norma Hollowell
Mentions: Velina Airgid

(Idle): Norma: The flowers and plants in Central Park...; Gardener: This one's blooming beautifully!; Weatherboo: Nhu-ehn en! (The weather's been nice lately too!)

(Talk to Norma): Gardener: Thanks to Miss Norma's upgraded weather Bangboo, the forecasts are getting more accurate by the day.; Weatherboo: Ehn-nhu nhe na! (It's all thanks to Miss Norma!); Gardener: With more accurate long-term weather data, we've been able to fine-tune our urban planting and maintenance plans...; Norma: If you wanna thank someone, thank Veli. Without her signing off on that budget, there's no way I could've gotten my hands on those high-precision weather module components.; Norma: But hey, all these plants of yours are blooming so nicely... Does that mean the weather's been...; Norma, you're into gardening too?; You're interested in the weather too, Norma?; Norma: Veli's favorite thing is picking a warm, sunny afternoon to enjoy afternoon tea in a perfectly trimmed flower garden. So yeah, she's probably pretty into gardening and good weather.; Norma: Actually, I'm waiting for a special day...; Norma: Little Bangboo, when's the next thunderstorm coming?; Weatherboo: Ehn-nhu nha... (Accessing weather data from the past 30 days...); Gardener: A thunderstorm? It makes maintaining the flower beds a real hassle, but it's exactly the kind of weather plants need to thrive.; More than sunny days...; You prefer rainy days, Norma?; Norma: Mm... because I'm working on something big...; Norma: Big plans feel a lot more grand when they happen under dark, stormy skies, don't they?; Weatherboo: Ehn-nhu na, ehn nhe na! (Search complete! The next thunderstorm is predicted to occur in one 132 hours!); Gardener: Seems like the weather's going to stay bright and beautiful for a while!; Norma: Guess I'll have to hang in there a bit longer...; What is your plan exactly...?; Sounds very mysterious...; Norma: Veli's been keeping a real close eye on me lately...; She's always pretty strict with you.; Norma: The research institute had another level 3 lab accident today. The containment lab doors gave out under the force of the explosion...; I'm guessing that was your work?; Norma: The lab's been sealed off, and Velina banned me from using any labs for the next three days... which is why I'm here.; Because you're in a bad mood?; Norma: To gather intel on the weather...; So what's this all about...?; Norma: On a stormy day... the thunder should cover up the sound of any explosions, right?; You mean to say...?; Norma: We haven't finished testing that new weapon yet...; You're really persistent, huh.; Norma: If I light the fuse when the lightning strikes...; Velina's mood is gonna blow up with it.; Norma: Being a researcher really means suffering for your work...; Trust increase with Norma Hollowell

(Idle): Norma: I can't wait to see the lightning...; Gardener: I think I heard something...; Weatherboo: Nhe-nhu... (This feels kinda scary...)

(Talk to Norma again, optional): Norma: I just can't wait for thunderstorm to roll around...; Gardener: Sounds like I just heard one hell of a plan.; Weatherboo: Nhe-nhu na... (Maybe I should stay away from the lab for a while...)

Rewards

Task	Rewards	Task	Rewards
Complete the Wish Event: New Eridu Beverage Legend	Inter-Knot Credit 150 Polychrome 10 Denny 10,000 Advanced Burn Chip 2	Complete a Norma Fun Event 1 time	Denny 7,500 Official Investigator Log 2 W-Engine Power Supply 1
Complete the Wish Event: Explosive Baking	Inter-Knot Credit 150 Polychrome 10 Denny 10,000 Advanced Burn Chip 2	Complete a Norma Fun Event 2 times	Denny 7,500 Official Investigator Log 2 W-Engine Power Supply 1
Complete the Wish Event: A Miraculous Everyday Moment	Inter-Knot Credit 150 Polychrome 10 Denny 10,000 Advanced Burn Chip 2	Complete a Norma Fun Event 3 times	Denny 7,500 Official Investigator Log 2 W-Engine Power Supply 1
Complete all of Norma's Wish Events	Inter-Knot Credit 300 Polychrome 20 Denny 20,000 Advanced Burn Chip 4

Hollow Zero: Withered Domain

Help from White Star Institute

The squad has arrived at a safe spot that can be used as a temporary camp. A group of members from the White Star Institute are preparing to leave Hollow Zero.

"Are you an Independent Investigation Team? Good work! We're heading back to the outpost. There are some leftover supplies in the camp, so you can have them," said a member of the Institute.

They left a lot of supplies behind! Seems like they are going to come in handy!

Accept the offer

After bidding farewell to the Institute staff, the squad took a short rest at the camp. Among the leftover supplies, you found something that could be of help to the Agent Norma.: Receive: (Affinity) En-Nah Laureate ×1
You have regrouped and rested. All wounded squad members get healed, and all squad members have restored 20% of their Max HP.

Hollow Zero: Lost Void

Friendly Talk

Norma: Take a breather. I've already sent the Bangboo scouts to patrol the surrounding area for enemies.

Norma: But the roads farther ahead? It'll be up to you to keep a sharp eye on them, Proxy!

(If Norma has defeated the previous Boss using a heavy attack and is not a trial Agent)

Norma: Come see me with any technical issues, or even if you don't have any~

Norma: If you ever get lost in a Hollow, keep an eye out for my Bangboo ears nearby.

Norma: Of course, don't go mistaking me for an actual Bangboo!

(If Norma is at Trust Rank: Close or higher)

Receive:

(Affinity) En-Nah Laureate ×1

(If Norma's Mindscape Level is at 1 or higher)

Receive:

(Affinity) Stun Tactical Exchange ×1

(Else)

Receive:

(Affinity) Stun Tactical Exchange ×1

Norma Hollowell/Dialogue

Open-World Dialogue

CCD Square

Trust Events

Booastrum District

Rewards

Hollow Zero: Withered Domain

Help from White Star Institute

Hollow Zero: Lost Void

Friendly Talk

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