[open]

[umurice]

WHO: Hiiro Amagi & You
WHAT: Exploring as a new arrival
WHEN: During the celebration period
WHERE: Alenroux
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary


[The celebration in the city was overwhelming, and he felt uneasy with both factions that were heavy-handed in their recruitment. Their leaders gave him an eerie vibe, and Hiiro hadn't been too certain about trusting either one. It was not that he wasn't tempted, especially when his interests leaned closer towards one over the other. However, he didn't want to make a mistake in his choice. Didn't want to be hasty, lest he regrets it.

After all, his choice is not for his own, but for his people.

It's been a few days, and although it had hurt to think of, he had carefully analyzed the information that was presented to him and pondered over it. To be told that the world he had known is completely gone was so much of a shock that he had blanked out on it at first, but when he had time to ponder it alone, he allowed the despair to sink in. It took him a few days, appetite lost and heart heavy, before the promises were whispered into his ears. No, it was always where, but it had only sunk then, that perhaps things were not as hopeless as they seemed.

So he had to become stronger, because lying in bed all day would only hinder him from completing his mission. Although he had no reason to believe that either faction was telling the truth, he had no other lead. However, the celebration is too loud, and he needed time to really decide on things. Since he did not have someone trusted to discuss it with, he decided to ponder on it on his own, far from the celebration.

That was how he ended up in Alenroux.]

I. ALENROUX (day)

[Not having a faction seems to help at least in keeping the people at ease. Hiiro finds himself wandering around the place, the greenery unfamiliar but much more soothing than anything else. He's wearing his hometown clothes, the same one he arrived in, but seems to have a better complexion now that his initial troubles at least had some sort of direction he can pursue solutions for.

At least, that was the goal. Instead, someone passing by the farms may notice the boy sleeping under a tree, seemingly without care, tired out from all the worries he's had. In fact, one might even think it's dangerous that he's so defenseless lying down there. Whether you approach him by choice, or if you did not notice him in the area and are about to trip over him though, the results are quite the same.

That is, anyone who approaches within grabbing distance might suddenly find their ankle yanked, with Hiiro jerking up from his restful sleep with stern eyes, as though he was ready to throw this person over his shoulder.

When he sees what he's done though, he lets go immediately, the intensity slacking into surprise.]

--- Mu? What are you doing?



II. ALENROUX (night)

[The night gives way to monsters, people having abandoned the outside now that it's dangerous. Someone a lot less foolish would heed the warnings and stay indoors, but Hiiro finds himself sneaking outside of the inn now that he's slept half the day away. It wasn't like he was going to easily shift from 12 hours to 24 hours so easily. He's unfortunately too awake to stay still, and there wasn't much he can learn in the inn while he waits.

So anyone out there at night, just as foolish as he is, might find him running away from a large monster, less out of fear and more like he was doing it intentionally. Training even, judging by the way he dodges its attacks and never attacks back. Or maybe, he's just an idiot with no weapon and really needs the help.

Or they can catch him when he's being more foolish, looking like a lost puppy following a dangerous shadow that whispers to him, walking towards the darkness. In any case, he might need some help snapping out of it.]



III. Wildcard

[For now, Hiiro is planning to stick around Alenroux, but feel free to ping me for other kinds of threads in PM or @ marchingon]

Comments

[umurice]

Ah! I see.

[And this time, he lets go. He definitely has been going way too long.]

Umu. I understand. Thank you for teaching me a new practice! Fufu, so there are customs like this... It seems like quite a simple idea, but it is such a useful act.

[wolfish]

It can come in handy when trying to build trust or rapport with others.

[ Which might be a bit of a mercenary way to look at it, but where Hiiro is new to handshakes, he may as well know there's that aspect to it as well. ]

So what do your people do instead, where you're from?

[umurice]

Hmm... Well, I never really met much new people back in the village, but it is customary for us to engage in combat when we greet each other.

[Yes, this is a thing. No, I did not make this up. He seems quite proud of this too.]

Well, in the city it seems different. Ah, but we should probably discuss this elsewhere. I sense something approaching with bloodlust.

[wolfish]

[ Oh, Balthus would just love this guy.

But Hiiro's got a point. Yuri spares a moment, bringing his hands to his mouth and imitating a bird call... Only it sounds as though it came from a thicket on the far side of the clearing. ]

Alright, that'll buy us some time to clear out. This way.

[ He gestures for Hiiro to follow and turns on his heel. ]

[umurice]

[Oh wow, he's surprised at the fact that the sound came from elsewhere, but he doesn't have time to ask that. Yuri's on the move, and Hiiro did not want to stay here even with a weapon now. He had a rough idea of the strength of that creature, and at his current stage, he would just barely be able to fight it. He wouldn't want to risk it bringing friends.

So he decides to follow Yuri's lead, keeping quiet until they find a safer place to talk.]

[wolfish]

[ Yuri is a walking grab-bag of talents... Throwing his voice, or in this case his bird calls, comes in handy out here. His strides are naturally quick as he picks his way through the forest, though he's mindful to ensure he doesn't lose Hiiro along the way.

Familiar as he is with the area, it doesn't take long for them to emerge on a field. It's quiet, save for the soft breeze shivering through the grass. ]

They seldom venture this far, so we should be safer here.

[umurice]

You sound used to this place. Do you come out here at night often?

[At night is the key term. He was here all day and nothing bad had happened, so it seems like this was something that happened when the sun sets. It wasn't unusual, normally predators hunt at night even back home, but the difference in aggression was noteworthy.

It was like they don't exist in the morning.]

[wolfish]

Often enough. One of the first things I did here was investigate the monster situation.

[ After hearing of the threat they posed to civilians, Yuri couldn't help but involve himself. It just so happened that he wasn't the only one, and they were all better off for it. ]

There had been less monsters before, but now... There've been changes in both of the cities, down below too. Guess it could be that way here as well.

[umurice]

Hm? So there were more monsters now...? Did something happen before?

[Is it just the season? Does this place have seasons? He isn't too sure, but that's a surprising tidbit to learn. He had thought this was just the regular populartion.]

[wolfish]

There have been changes in recent months... No one entirely knows why.

[ But if it keeps happening with more Oracles' challenges passing by, he doesn't think it would bode well. ]

[umurice]

What kind of changes are they? Is that related to the two leaders who had greeted us?

[He gets the idea that they're at least not in a normal situation, but it feels stranger to think that he had to pick a side instead of simply having one group that would help each other. Then again, with their different ideals, he supposed that it made sense that they could not unite.]

There seemed to be a lot of tension between their followers.

[wolfish]

The voice you spoke of is one... People have seen phantoms of those they knew who aren't here. At first, they'd just appear and run off. Now, they've turned malicious. Over in Highstorm, they've got pools of shadow that are something else entirely. It's like this world's just getting more hostile.

[ Which begs the question of what these Oracles really will bring about. None of these developments are good, and while he doesn't condone Aetós' methods nor trust him or Cyrus, both have stated these developments to be different. Concerning. ]

Then of course there's the locals' sentiments toward the lot of us. Couldn't say if it was those two or not, but someone managed to arrange to show our last Oracle's test to the population at large.

[umurice]

... That's dangerous. It was so hypnotic, I did not even realize something was wrong when it was occurring. In hindsight, it was foolish of me to have thought I was hearing my brother.

[Especially with a voice so young. He was really such a fool.]

I have much to learn. Though... what kind of test was it?

[wolfish]

Honestly? They should prepare you for these things.

[ The fact that primers don't exist for this remains bizarre to him. Shouldn't they prepare new recruits as best they can, in the interest of success? ]

Each Oracle throws some form of challenge our way, while pitting factions against each other. That's the sort of test I mean.

[umurice]

[To be fair, it might fly over his head even if they do that. This place has too much information and terminology he doesn't understand in the first place, and having a whole faction versus faction issue meant Hiiro had too much to absorb in a short amount of time.]

Hmmm, perhaps I may have missed it if they had someone who would explain. I got lost in the city many times and couldn't find my way, so I decided to look for a place that was much more open.

[Like you know, Alenroux.]

Is there a point to that? Should they not instead look for a solution together?

[wolfish]

The narrative's that their goals are mutually exclusive. Leaders here think these Oracles will grant their desires — but only for one faction or the other.

[ He shrugs, skepticism evident in his tone. Yuri has never bought it, but with hostilities rising, he may have no choice in the end. Even if he doesn't believe his world is gone, or that Zenites can't have themselves a fresh start when people like him go home, he has to protect his people.

They have to survive this. ]

Can't say I buy it, but participation's not exactly optional for us.

[umurice]

So in the end, I would have to choose. Does that mean everyone here has a faction they have joined? Since the relationship seems bad on both sides, I wonder if I will be told to leave once I join one.

[He... doesn't really want to stay in the city, not with that tension, especially when he doesn't know anyone.]

[wolfish]

...The locals treat us differently depending on which faction we're a part of and where we are at the time. So you could say they've chosen, though they're not the same as us.

[ And he gets it, to a degree. Some of those people are supposedly from past cycles of all this, though Yuri doesn't know how many or whether that's really true. ]

Alenroux here favors Meridian, I'd say. You accumulate discord if you're not staying in the associated city after harmonizing, but people can help you keep that under control.

[umurice]

I heard about that, but I hadn't been sure how it worked. It might be easier to understand if I harmonize, but...

[...]

What faction did you end up picking?

[wolfish]

In my case? Meridian. I've got people depending on me back home, and I'm not convinced that's all just vanished.

[ A better future isn't one if it's built on sacrificing them, besides. They're who he wants to make it for. ]

But that's a personal call, yeah?

[umurice]

A personal call is still valuable. I have the same thoughts, so I had considered it, but...

[Well, are they allowed to just bring back what is gone? And if so, both sides have problems in that case. Hiiro wasn't sure what to make of it.]

The tension in the city was worrying.

[wolfish]

Those hostilities have been mounting as time wears on, despite efforts to keep things peaceable around here.

[ He sighs, dragging a hand through his hair. ]

Guess that comes of leaders telling people that only one can prevail, not that I imagine they truly know.

[umurice]

Hmmm... If that is the case, what happens to the other group if one of them prevails?

[Like, the tension feels like they might be ready to duke it out, not in the way that Hiiro would like too. It just feels like something is about to snap, but they're managing a delicate balance. Who knows how long it would last?]

[wolfish]

Isn't that the million coin question...

[ And a fair one, but as with so many others, it comes with no answer. ]

They don't talk about that part. Frankly, I'd like to give Zenites their choice of some other place to be, since they don't want to go home. I've heard others suggest the same.

[ But there are those like Gen who really want their home worlds dead and gone. He doesn't quite have an answer to that, because for all its faults, Yuri still believes Fódlan is worth saving. That it can be made better is a driving motivation for him. ]

[umurice]

Ah, I do not have a million coins to give you. I'm sorry.

[Since he answered. He didn't realize he needed a million coins?]

Will I have to pay another million to ask another question?