017 ✿ Audio

[occulthymns]

As much as I dislike the gods... the snow has been around for a while. Back home it only ever lasted a couple days. Usually the trees didn't even drop their leaves.

That's one thing I miss. This place is nowhere near as green in the winter. I think it might be because the trees are smaller - a lot smaller - and there isn't nearly as much moss. Not that the trees here aren't nice, but Fuggum has trees bigger than entire human houses, and they're absolutely covered in moss and lichen and mushrooms. Now that I think of it, even the ground and giant mushrooms were covered in moss, too.

So... when is winter supposed to end in a place like this, anyway? Is the snow supposed to start melting soon or is it supposed to stick around for another month?

- Oh, and everyone better come to the concert Luka is organizing! It's coming up in a couple days at Draupnir, and it'll be really fun so no one has an excuse to not show up!

((Concert details are over here!))

Comments

[occulthymns]

[She snorts lightly.] You can't really say otherwise, can you?

So what did you want to check out first?

[vigilanteup]

What do you consider the most fun?

[occulthymns]

... The plants, actually. Seeing what's growing and taking cuttings.

[vigilanteup]

Then lead the way, Euri.

[occulthymns]

Really...? That wouldn't be too boring for you?

[vigilanteup]

I did say this place would only be boring if I was by myself.

[occulthymns]

Okay, if you're sure... [She'll lead the way, towards a clump of trees. There isn't much else in the park thanks to the snow.]

[vigilanteup]

[ Innocently leaning down and packing a bit of snow with his hands... ]

[occulthymns]

[Euri isn't noticing because she's observant like that.]

It definitely isn't like home, but it's still pretty nice.

[vigilanteup]

[ That stops him from playfully throwing the snowball, quietly throwing it behind his back. It's not extremely polite to deck someone with snow when they're talking sincerely, after all. ]

And your home is like... ?

[occulthymns]

[She'll wave her hands animatedly!]

Huge trees and mushrooms, and it's green almost all the time! It's great!

[vigilanteup]

Well, that's one thing in common. Outside the cities, the only ways to travel are through field and forest.

[occulthymns]

We don't have a lot in the way of fields, though. And we build our towns around the forest - we don't try to separate the two.

[vigilanteup]

Does your world protect your towns by means of... [ he's rolling his hand for a general enough term; if he says 'blastia' he'll just be needlessly confusing ] -- magic? Would it even need to?

[occulthymns]

[Thaaat's a bit of an awkward question when it comes to Witch villages. Because they do protect their homeland, of course, but it's not the kind of thing a human would want to hear about.

So she pauses and glances over at him.]

How come you're asking?

[vigilanteup]

Because this is the first time I've seen a livable place without a Blastia's barrier covering the sky, keeping out monsters.

It feels so unsafe, even if that's the norm for everyone else.

[occulthymns]

Blastia's barrier...?

[She's a bit confused! But then, she's never heard of 'blastia' before.]

What was it made of?

[vigilanteup]

It used aer-- [ He pauses, opting for the simpler explanation again ] It was made by an ancient race for all sorts of purposes. Converted Aer into energy, and could protect towns against local monsters by repelling them.

[occulthymns]

[That doesn't help clear things up very much.

Man, it sucks coming from a world with unadvanced technology.]

It's like magic, then?

[vigilanteup]

It's like magic, yeah.

[occulthymns]

Ah, this would be a really big difference to you. Especially when we're in the middle of a war. [No magic barriers preventing ambushes.]

[vigilanteup]

I haven't lost any sleep over it. [ He's lying. He has, just not over his safety while he's sleeping. ] It just feels strange not to look in the sky and see it.

[occulthymns]

[That comment has her curious.] What did it look like?

[vigilanteup]

Rings... big, glowing rings that could surround an entire city.

[occulthymns]

You know, that sounds kind of pretty.