Heart Game: Sol [#07]

[idolpro]

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!

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[bluerosestyle]

[a man who's walking next to a woman and three children turns around with an affable grin. He glances at his basket first, then at his axe.]

Oh, a lumberjack? You're out late with that, good work today!

[we_meet_again]

Ah... thanks!

Say, have you seen any, uh, law enforcement wandering around? I need some help with something.

[bluerosestyle]

[the woman tilts her head. the man frowns]

Law enforcement?

[we_meet_again]

[wow he's hecking this up right away]

Ah... Sorry, I'm not from around here. Who should I talk to about [fuck, what are they called] .... ah... oh my gosh, I forgot the word for them. Big green humanoid guys with big claws and teeth, who walk hunched over like this?

[bluerosestyle]

[they are even more confused by that, until one of the children pipes up]

"I know! That's a goblin!"

[and now the woman looks alarmed and the man is no longer affable. he speaks in a loud voice for his... wife's sake, actually, because the children don't seem scared]

"Are you trying to scare my children? Goblins only exist in fairy tales and in the Dark Territory. The human empire is protected by the symbol of order, the Northern White Dragon, and the glorious Integrity Knights!"

[we_meet_again]

Oh, no, sorry, I'm not trying to alarm anyone. I just wanted to talk to someone about a hypothetical goblin question that's on my mind.

Do you know if there are any Integrity Knights around who I could speak to?

[bluerosestyle]

[they both stare at him like he said something even crazier, and then the woman starts urging the children away. the man points at him menacingly]

If you want to see an Integrity Knight so badly, become a criminal and one will come to take you away! But do so away from my wife and children!

[he turns around and leaves!]

[we_meet_again]

[










well. That could have gone better.

But we did learn some things! 1) goblins and humans aren't on good terms, so the gambling is probably out. 2) this place ...possibly doesn't have guards or anything? Not great! 3) Maybe the dragon should be more alive. If only he'd brought pep!pep!'s revival power instead of Quick as a Wink, we would all be having a very different time right now.

He's going to walk back to the front gate and look at the surrounding area. Are people mostly coming back into town, or are people still working at night? Can he see anyone strolling around with swords or anything? ANY GOBLINS OUT THERE!?]

[bluerosestyle]

[No one's crossing the bridge this late, and you can't see too far away with all these trees blocking your vision.

Suddenly, you can hear voices chanting some sort of prayer together coming from the direction that family was headed! More and more voices join in. People are turning off the lights in their homes and hurrying to get there. It's like the whole village has gathered for... something. Also, everyone you see is a civilian.

If there are goblins anywhere near, they're not coming out to say hi. Maybe they're shy?!]

[we_meet_again]

[HE SURE HOPES EVERYONE HAS COME BACK IN OUT OF THE WOODS

PLEASE DON'T BE IN THE WOODS AT NIGHT, ANYBODY

Since he doesn't see anything, he'll go check out the chanting. He's going to try and stay as discreet as a 6-foot-tall, scarfaced, school-uniform-wearing axe man can be, in case that family wants to give him the hairy eyeball a second time.]

[bluerosestyle]

[The voices lead you to the main square! Musicians are up on a stage, waiting to start. There are tables set up with food --meat skewers-- and there’s apple ale and mulled wine for everyone.

And if you look, you'll see that you're not the only one who's dressed in strange clothing. There seem to be some people from Imeeji mingling in the crowd. You can't make out who they are, but they seem familiar.

The prayer ends-- something something Avi Admina something-- and the musicians start playing. Couples come together in front of the stage to dance to this upbeat folk song. Food is eaten! Drinks are drunk! Conversations are had!

No one seems to mind that Cobalt is there. That family must be busy.]

[we_meet_again]

[This is all very charming!

The meat skewers smell really good. He's going to watch other people take some first. Are they free or are people paying for them?]

[bluerosestyle]

[They seem to be 400% free! No one's looking after them, and there's A Lot Of Food.

(And yes, they do smell good)]

[we_meet_again]

[Well, if nobody minds, he's going to have a little food! Ittadakimasu!]

[bluerosestyle]

[You feel less worried after taking the first bite of this meat skewer!]

[we_meet_again]

[Cobalt feels like the universe is trying to tell him something. But this meat skewer IS pretty good, and he is willing to take it as a sign of... something. He lets himself relax a bit.

He wasn't going to try the mulled wine because he wanted to keep a clear head tonight, but he's not all that worried about it any more, so he might as well! Time for meat, wine, and a cheerful atmosphere!]

[bluerosestyle]

[I see you understand... The mulled wine is warm! You feel cheerful after drinking it. Your reflexes are also down.

Villagers laugh, people dance... There's even someone who's carrying a sword sitting on a bench, talking very excitedly with two other men while drinking some wine. Clearly, the celebratory mood isn't lost on anyone here!]

[we_meet_again]

[Ooh! A sword man! Time to go float over there and listen to what he's talking about while eating these good snacks!]

[bluerosestyle]

"Aaaaaaaaaand that's how he beat Zink."

"Bwahaha! Beaten by the Gigas Cedar carver!"

"Remember that time he came to the party and made everything gloomy?"

"Good thing he's actually doing his job full-time now, huh!"

[They all laugh rowdily]

[we_meet_again]

[...hang on! The goblins were also talking about a carver. Is it the same one? He must be important. Time to interrupt!]

Ah, excuse me! Did I overhear you talking about the carver?

[bluerosestyle]

[They turn to look at him, curious about the interruption but in a good-natured way.]

Yeah?

[we_meet_again]

I heard he beat Zink! Could you tell me about him?

[bluerosestyle]

"It's a good story, never fails to make Zink mad, hahaha."

"Take a seat, friend."

[we_meet_again]

[yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay ♥ he sits down]

I'm all ears!

[bluerosestyle]

It's a story from two years ago. I was here and I saw it all from up close. It was when the Gigas Cedar was finally cut down after 300 years. The carver got to choose his own Calling since his former one had reached an end, can you imagine that? Having a Calling that has an end! Well, he got lucky and...

[You find your vision blurring slightly again, and now you're watching a different scene! At least it's not the first time...

“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.]

...he broke his sword!

[The other men chuckle, shaking their heads.]