Note: please be as cryptic as possible regarding any specific actions your character takes when discussing them in the game channel to avoid influencing everyone else!
[As soon as he says that, a flash of light that comes from the sheet music engulfs everything in sight-- when it recedes, Shu finds himself watching a different scene. It's night-time at the square--
“And now, outside of the original plan, we have a duel between Zink, our head man-at-arms, and the carver…er, the swordsman Eugeo! You are not to lower your opponent’s life through direct strikes. Is that understood?!”
Zink, a young man about Sol's age loudly draws his sword from his waist, and, a bit later, Sol reluctantly draws his. His sword is blue and beautiful, and it's easy to tell it's not a normal weapon. In fact, the villagers gasp.
Zink seems to be overwhelmed by the aura of the sword. His head tilts back briefly before he regains his posture. With an even more hateful glare than before, the young guard jabs a finger at Sol and says “Does that sword really belong to you, Eugeo?! If it’s borrowed, I have the right to force you to use a different—”
Sol interrupts with righteous fury. “I got this sword in the northern cave, so it belongs to me now!”
The crowd murmurs, and Zink seems to be at a loss for words. But he doesn't push the issue any further. He spits into his palms and holds his sword up high. Sol, meanwhile, holds his blade perfectly still at eye level, draws his left side back, and crouches.
The villagers watch in silence as the big man Shu saw overseeing the preparations raises his hand high, then brings it down as he commands, “Begin!”
“Raaaah!!”
Zink is the first to charge. He bellows and races forward to deliver a vertical slice from overhead.
But then, his sword changes directions in midair, and he goes from an overhead swing down to a sideways swipe from the right.
“Y-yaaaah!!”
The shout is rather inferior to Zink’s, but Sol expertly sets his sword at the right shoulder. The blade glows deep blue. He makes one earth-shaking stomp and slices at a sharp forty-five-degree arc. Sol’s attack, which comes out a single pulse later, shoots forward with lightning speed, striking Zink’s sideways swing from above. The guard's steel blade shatters miserably.
The villagers marvel and applaud the flashy and unexpected conclusion. Zink and a man who seems to be his father retreat in stunned disbelief, and the music starts up again.
There is another flash of light-- and now Shu will find himself back in the main square, where he was. Except now, the light of day is gone! The main square is extremely crowded, and everyone is chanting something-- it seems to be a prayer.
The fiddler is gesturing wildly at Shu to get up onstage, even as she prays.]
Imagination: When he looks down at the sheet music again, Shu will find that everything arranges itself in front of his eyes so that it makes sense for him, and he can hear the music in his head, as well as the lyrics, when he looks at the paper! It's an uptempo folk song about the Stacia, the Goddess of Life, with witty references to the Taboo Index. Every repetition ends with the same lyrics, something about the greatest blessing being that of rest days because then people can drink and dance all night "and that is Life for me!" It's that sort of song, it might belong in a tavern but even the witty parts are absolutely innocent in their intent.
Shu will be able to sing this song perfectly and even if he changes the words, everyone will love it (as long as he doesn't contradict the Taboo Index), because I once again botched the roll to make things hard for people. Nadeko is bad.
[ Hopefully those flowers aren't anything important, because Shu is utterly decimating them.
He doesn't shake his head to clear his mind of the vision, lest the fiddler think he is refusing the request to go on stage. He strides out to go to sing with a rush of nervous energy— despite his bravado— that he doesn't show. It spring-boards his determination that he should not fail, that he is able to shove aside his nerves and prove they are wrong and for nothing, and have no business existing here in his head. No matter how long it has been since he has stepped on stage.
It is not his sort of song, but he believes the fiddler that the people love it. Living constrained lives, how could they not value the only time not scripted out for them— though their rest is scripted too. Still, he will not trample their joy.
He does make one small alteration to the lyrics though— what a Life it can be! is substituted in. He can't bring himself to profess that it is life for him, even if he is only singing. But even so, because he is an idol and a performer, not just a singer, he does dance along. ]
[Couples had already started dancing when they heard the first few measures and recognized the song, but now even those who usually ignore the music to speak loudly over it are clapping to it. All eyes are on Shu, and watching him with enthusiasm and awe.
Has this become... a concert?! The audience is going wild, cheering and singing along after the first two verses. What a Life it can be! This is clearly the better version! The children who are there are even trying to copy Shu's steps! He's halfway through the song by now, and he can feel the weight of everyone's expectations...
Imagination: You can't make your nerves go away, but hopefully the enthusiastic reaction of his audience will help you get through this...
You feel extremely tired. Your reflexes are down. Your pitch is harder to control.
[ He will not fail here, regardless of the abuse his body suffers through. He is an idol— Tenshouin could not break him of that, and he will not allow a temporary lapse in activities to hold him down. Fear if fuel to propel him past his past— the thudding of his heart in his chest if excited, if afraid, is the same speeding of his heart. It is the same adrenaline, his voice is the same exalted voice it has always been— to walk on stage and to feel no stirring in his breast would be the true death of the artist.
The audience, after all, loves it. It's different than the awed silence of the audience he recalls with Valkyrie, intimidated and hushed until they broke out raucous at the end. They are responding to him now, children grinning and dancing while people cheer. It has been too long, "lives" and "games" paltry performances that impart only pain— this is a performance to drain venom from wounds, to instill them with energy. If he is tired, so be it. Afterwards, he can rest, pass out if need be, but he would not inflict this upon souls who love music and are yearning to be free— in this moment, he will use his voice to carry them what he can of heaven. If his steps falter near the end, if he must stop and hold a pose, he will accept necessity so long as his voice can ring out, solid and true. Sacrificing his own vitality is a small price to pay. ]
Imagination: You succeed! People don't seem to care if you're off-pitch for a couple of phrases-- you soon regain control, and people understand. This is real! You're an entertainer! And everyone is entertained, so that's fine. When you hold a pose, the cheers are deafening. You give your audience everything, and your audience responds in kind! Some of them are even crying. They are so thankful...
Your Life decreases by 1000.
[I hope you enjoy the applause once the song is over! 1d2 if you want to make it off the stage by regular means for once. Without Imagination, you are too tired to walk.]
[ It's a rush he hasn't felt in a while. He shouldn't keep standing up there, though, with his tired body wanting nothing more to collapse. The sovereign should make a proper exit, with his head held high.
time to walk off stage, hopefully without passing the hell out. if he can manage the first two steps, he can use Double Take to repeat the rest. ]
[Those steps were a little wobbly, but the rush still helps with that. No one thinks wobbly steps are weird, everyone is too impressed by you! The fiddler calls out to you, even as the others launch into the next song.]
Hey, that was great! If you want to come up again later, just give us a shout! Enjoy the party!
[There are chairs nearby, next to the table with the meat skewers. And newly converted fans, who don't seem to realize you're tired and are enthusiastically closing the distance. The crowd protects you but not for long. What do you do?]
[The fans surround him! They are mostly villagers-- many children, young girls and young men, women, some men. Behind them, you can also see someone wearing sensitIV clothing, someone wearing LiliS clothing, and someone wearing ☆zrael clothing between your fans, but no matter how hard you try to get a good look at them, they're always... out of focus.]
[ Holds up a hand, to indicate he is going to speak so they don't speak over him. Not unintentionally, at any rate. ]
I have been told the term for what I am is a Lost Child of Vecta. I am not certain I can perform again tonight— it appears my stamina is bad. But if I stay here, I would gladly do so another rest day, when it comes.
But I wish to know more of where of I come from, as well. Have none of you seen anyone in clothes like mine, or similarly displaced?
[A lost child of Vecta! the children are appeased with that, they look at each other with huge eyes, and then back at Shu, hanging on to every word he says as if doing that will make them part of some sort of secret.
The adults seem to be thinking about his question.]
"I've seen them around... I don't like them."
"I talked to one of them earlier today. They are Sacred Arts users, aren't they?"
"Ah-- now that you mention it, I poured wine for one of them before the music began. He said he liked harder drinks and did something to it to turn it transparent."
"One of them seemed to have wings. I thought I was seeing things!"
"Are you kidding?! Do you think they're demons from beyond the mountains?!"
"They seem dangerous..."
"No, it can't be. They helped my child when he scraped his knee. They healed him."
[ Listening-- so even if they're gone when he looks closer, they have a presence here. He hadn't been seeing things ]
It is only my egoism but I would want to think, that if I may be counted amongst their number, they are not all demons or dangerous. And, furthermore, that there might be a possibility for acceptance here.
"Thank you for tonight, I will never forget this."
"We'll drop by the Church tomorrow with some thank you gifts..."
"Dad, I don't want him to go!"
[Two of the men help him up and proudly escort him to the Church, where Selka is already waiting at the door. The men go in, and help Shu sit on a chair in the main corridor near the kitchen. After that, they leave with even more words of gratitude and praise.
Selka crosses her arms, sternly. Well. "Sternly." And then she extends her arm and murmurs something quietly. A small ball of warm white light appears in her hand, and then she brings that close to his chest. It disappears inside his body, and then:]
Shu feels a little better. His Life goes up by 850
"How did you get like this by singing and dancing...?"
[She leads him to a big room with many tables that may be vaguely reminiscent of a school cafeteria-- and there is also one big round table, which is where the children currently are. Most of them have already taken their seats, except for a couple of children who just can't sit still apparently-- Selka looks at the ceiling, pretending not to see them.]
Those who aren't already seated won't have dessert tonight!
[The children sit down immediately!
Selka smiles, and gestures towards the table. There are two empty seats! One surrounded by children, and the other one next to Sister Azalia's usual place, if the size of the chair is any indication.]
[ not quite reminiscent of what he remembers of school cafeterias, but that's because his school's cafeteria issss a rose garden inside a giant birdcage looking greenhouse. For some reason.
Anyway, he'll take a seat with the kids, without self-consciousness. ]
Anyway, the children's faces light up when they see that! But as soon as Shu takes a seat, his vision blurs slightly and... now he's watching different children sitting around this same table...
Child Sol is there, looking worried, with his hand on a black-haired boy's shoulder. This other boy seems to be arguing with a child version of Zink!-- the man who dueled Sol in that other memory Shu saw earlier.
A girl who looks kind of like Selka interrupts bossily, with a few curt words. Zink blushes and leaves with his empty plate. The black-haired boy grins mockingly, and murmurs something that's. probably mean... Sol starts saying something that seems to be a very half-hearted attempt to deny whatever he said, but then the girl once again interrupts with words that make both Sol and the black-haired boy turn to stare at her with surprise.
The black-haired boy belatedly complains at her, and he and the girl start to argue.
Sol lets go of the boy's shoulder, looking between the girl and the boy several times. Then he sighs to himself, and turns his attention back to his food.]
"Mister? Mister, your food..."
[Apparently, while Shu was watching this, food was served! It's fried whitefish doused with a fragrant herb sauce. The children get one bread roll, but he gets two. Sister Azalia and Selka are already seated-- it seems prayer time is already over.]
[ The time skips are distracting, but it must be the vision that made him miss this one. A phantom of Sol's childhood, hm. it doesn't seem to be a bad childhood, though it is a shame that this childhood antagonist grew up to continue to antagonize him, from what it seems like.
also. bread! he's going to ignore the fish in favor of bread, though since he's a guest he'll eat it he must ]
I am merely a little tired, it is making me absent-minded.
[ to the kids, since they were nice enough to worry about him ]
[The boy who said that to Shu smiles and continues to eat! Everyone seems to be trying to be quiet but it's obvious that playful kicks are happening under the table, and Shu gets many curious looks... If he doesn't eat the food, The Kids Will Know. You don't want to be a bad influence, do you?]
"Is it true that it was Vecta who took away your memories?"
[That was from the boy who'd talked to Shu before, but now all eyes are on Shu. Except for Sister Azalia's. She keeps eating in silence for now...]
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“And now, outside of the original plan, we have a duel between Zink, our head man-at-arms, and the carver…er, the swordsman Eugeo! You are not to lower your opponent’s life through direct strikes. Is that understood?!”
Zink, a young man about Sol's age loudly draws his sword from his waist, and, a bit later, Sol reluctantly draws his. His sword is blue and beautiful, and it's easy to tell it's not a normal weapon. In fact, the villagers gasp.
Zink seems to be overwhelmed by the aura of the sword. His head tilts back briefly before he regains his posture. With an even more hateful glare than before, the young guard jabs a finger at Sol and says “Does that sword really belong to you, Eugeo?! If it’s borrowed, I have the right to force you to use a different—”
Sol interrupts with righteous fury. “I got this sword in the northern cave, so it belongs to me now!”
The crowd murmurs, and Zink seems to be at a loss for words. But he doesn't push the issue any further. He spits into his palms and holds his sword up high. Sol, meanwhile, holds his blade perfectly still at eye level, draws his left side back, and crouches.
The villagers watch in silence as the big man Shu saw overseeing the preparations raises his hand high, then brings it down as he commands, “Begin!”
“Raaaah!!”
Zink is the first to charge. He bellows and races forward to deliver a vertical slice from overhead.
But then, his sword changes directions in midair, and he goes from an overhead swing down to a sideways swipe from the right.
“Y-yaaaah!!”
The shout is rather inferior to Zink’s, but Sol expertly sets his sword at the right shoulder. The blade glows deep blue. He makes one earth-shaking stomp and slices at a sharp forty-five-degree arc. Sol’s attack, which comes out a single pulse later, shoots forward with lightning speed, striking Zink’s sideways swing from above. The guard's steel blade shatters miserably.
The villagers marvel and applaud the flashy and unexpected conclusion. Zink and a man who seems to be his father retreat in stunned disbelief, and the music starts up again.
There is another flash of light-- and now Shu will find himself back in the main square, where he was. Except now, the light of day is gone! The main square is extremely crowded, and everyone is chanting something-- it seems to be a prayer.
The fiddler is gesturing wildly at Shu to get up onstage, even as she prays.]
Shu will be able to sing this song perfectly and even if he changes the words, everyone will love it (as long as he doesn't contradict the Taboo Index), because I once again botched the roll to make things hard for people. Nadeko is bad.
Every flower in the village disappears.
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Hopefully those flowers aren't anything important, because Shu is utterly decimating them.He doesn't shake his head to clear his mind of the vision, lest the fiddler think he is refusing the request to go on stage. He strides out to go to sing with a rush of nervous energy— despite his bravado— that he doesn't show. It spring-boards his determination that he should not fail, that he is able to shove aside his nerves and prove they are wrong and for nothing, and have no business existing here in his head. No matter how long it has been since he has stepped on stage.
It is not his sort of song, but he believes the fiddler that the people love it. Living constrained lives, how could they not value the only time not scripted out for them— though their rest is scripted too. Still, he will not trample their joy.
He does make one small alteration to the lyrics though— what a Life it can be! is substituted in. He can't bring himself to profess that it is life for him, even if he is only singing. But even so, because he is an idol and a performer, not just a singer, he does dance along. ]
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Has this become... a concert?! The audience is going wild, cheering and singing along after the first two verses. What a Life it can be! This is clearly the better version! The children who are there are even trying to copy Shu's steps! He's halfway through the song by now, and he can feel the weight of everyone's expectations...
You feel extremely tired.
Your reflexes are down.
Your pitch is harder to control.
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The audience, after all, loves it. It's different than the awed silence of the audience he recalls with Valkyrie, intimidated and hushed until they broke out raucous at the end. They are responding to him now, children grinning and dancing while people cheer. It has been too long, "lives" and "games" paltry performances that impart only pain— this is a performance to drain venom from wounds, to instill them with energy. If he is tired, so be it. Afterwards, he can rest, pass out if need be, but he would not inflict this upon souls who love music and are yearning to be free— in this moment, he will use his voice to carry them what he can of heaven. If his steps falter near the end, if he must stop and hold a pose, he will accept necessity so long as his voice can ring out, solid and true. Sacrificing his own vitality is a small price to pay. ]
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Your Life decreases by 1000.
[I hope you enjoy the applause once the song is over! 1d2 if you want to make it off the stage by regular means for once. Without Imagination, you are too tired to walk.]
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time to walk off stage, hopefully without passing the hell out. if he can manage the first two steps, he can use Double Take to repeat the rest. ]
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Hey, that was great! If you want to come up again later, just give us a shout! Enjoy the party!
[There are chairs nearby, next to the table with the meat skewers. And newly converted fans, who don't seem to realize you're tired and are enthusiastically closing the distance. The crowd protects you but not for long. What do you do?]
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and as much as he doesn't like crowds, he did want to get attention. He'll, for once, deal with his fans. ]
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"Where do you come from?"
"Will you perform again tonight?"
"This is my favorite Tree of Life celebration!"
"Mister, teach me how to dance like that!"
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I have been told the term for what I am is a Lost Child of Vecta. I am not certain I can perform again tonight— it appears my stamina is bad. But if I stay here, I would gladly do so another rest day, when it comes.
But I wish to know more of where of I come from, as well. Have none of you seen anyone in clothes like mine, or similarly displaced?
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The adults seem to be thinking about his question.]
"I've seen them around... I don't like them."
"I talked to one of them earlier today. They are Sacred Arts users, aren't they?"
"Ah-- now that you mention it, I poured wine for one of them before the music began. He said he liked harder drinks and did something to it to turn it transparent."
"One of them seemed to have wings. I thought I was seeing things!"
"Are you kidding?! Do you think they're demons from beyond the mountains?!"
"They seem dangerous..."
"No, it can't be. They helped my child when he scraped his knee. They healed him."
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It is only my egoism but I would want to think, that if I may be counted amongst their number, they are not all demons or dangerous. And, furthermore, that there might be a possibility for acceptance here.
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"So they can't be that bad..."
"If you're one of them, I want to get to know them!"
"Yeah, the only real monster's the tree carver."
"Ssssh! Don't bring him up, this is a time for celebration."
"Sorry, sorry..."
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He interrupts.]
— I believe I've lost track of time. I promised to return for dinner. Would anyone care to help me to return to the church?
[ He's too exhausted to trust himself to the task unless it can be helped. ]
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"Thank you for tonight, I will never forget this."
"We'll drop by the Church tomorrow with some thank you gifts..."
"Dad, I don't want him to go!"
[Two of the men help him up and proudly escort him to the Church, where Selka is already waiting at the door. The men go in, and help Shu sit on a chair in the main corridor near the kitchen. After that, they leave with even more words of gratitude and praise.
Selka crosses her arms, sternly. Well. "Sternly." And then she extends her arm and murmurs something quietly. A small ball of warm white light appears in her hand, and then she brings that close to his chest. It disappears inside his body, and then:]
"How did you get like this by singing and dancing...?"
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My stamina and my nerves were much worse than I thought they would be.
[ Then, with some wryness: ] Perhaps I ought to have finished the sandwich earlier.
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The children are setting the table. Will you be joining us, mister Itsuki?
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[ Less because of food and more because the children are adorable, but, you know. ]
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Selka nods at him like she was part of that exchange.]
Now you can make up for that sandwich. Can you walk?
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[ Now that she healed him, at any rate. ]
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[She leads him to a big room with many tables that may be vaguely reminiscent of a school cafeteria-- and there is also one big round table, which is where the children currently are. Most of them have already taken their seats, except for a couple of children who just can't sit still apparently-- Selka looks at the ceiling, pretending not to see them.]
Those who aren't already seated won't have dessert tonight!
[The children sit down immediately!
Selka smiles, and gestures towards the table. There are two empty seats! One surrounded by children, and the other one next to Sister Azalia's usual place, if the size of the chair is any indication.]
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Non, it would not do to keep them waiting.
[ not quite reminiscent of what he remembers of school cafeterias, but that's because his school's cafeteria issss a rose garden inside a giant birdcage looking greenhouse. For some reason.
Anyway, he'll take a seat with the kids, without self-consciousness. ]
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Anyway, the children's faces light up when they see that! But as soon as Shu takes a seat, his vision blurs slightly and... now he's watching different children sitting around this same table...
Child Sol is there, looking worried, with his hand on a black-haired boy's shoulder. This other boy seems to be arguing with a child version of Zink!-- the man who dueled Sol in that other memory Shu saw earlier.
A girl who looks kind of like Selka interrupts bossily, with a few curt words. Zink blushes and leaves with his empty plate. The black-haired boy grins mockingly, and murmurs something that's. probably mean... Sol starts saying something that seems to be a very half-hearted attempt to deny whatever he said, but then the girl once again interrupts with words that make both Sol and the black-haired boy turn to stare at her with surprise.
The black-haired boy belatedly complains at her, and he and the girl start to argue.
Sol lets go of the boy's shoulder, looking between the girl and the boy several times. Then he sighs to himself, and turns his attention back to his food.]
"Mister? Mister, your food..."
[Apparently, while Shu was watching this, food was served! It's fried whitefish doused with a fragrant herb sauce. The children get one bread roll, but he gets two. Sister Azalia and Selka are already seated-- it seems prayer time is already over.]
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also. bread! he's going to ignore the fish in favor of bread, though since he's a guest he'll eat it he must ]
I am merely a little tired, it is making me absent-minded.
[ to the kids, since they were nice enough to worry about him ]
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"Is it true that it was Vecta who took away your memories?"
[That was from the boy who'd talked to Shu before, but now all eyes are on Shu. Except for Sister Azalia's. She keeps eating in silence for now...]
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