006 [Written]

[cakeblocked]

[Now that Luke can stay awake for more than an hour, he'd really like to get back to the people of Auldrant as well as the friends he made here in Luceti. He still can't hear anything, but... well, maybe no one has to know that. As long as they don't try talking to him, he'll be fine.

And being bedridden for these past few days has been

Comments

[Written]

[chiisaichou]

[It was cold now, very cold. Cold enough for snow to begin falling. It was painful having to leave Ammy's tree for long periods of time, since Miyabi promised to protect it, but even she had to go back home and gather up thicker clothes, her cloak, and boots to head back out there. It was nothing like Kamui, but still.

So Luke's going to get a reply from someone all bundled up, and with a large, red bird - a cardinal - hovering over her shoulder. Looks like she's sitting in its nest in one of the tree's branches, how nice.]

As-- It's Luke, right? I can tell you a story, if you want. I know a lot, and this one's my favorite.

[Written]

[cakeblocked]

[It's still kind of hard to imagine that there's someone who's actually like an inch or so tall. He blinks and leans his head back from the bird, who looks like it could eat Miyabi or something, before he writes back to her.]

Sure, tell me!

... But you do know there's a big bird behind you, right?

[Written]

[chiisaichou]

[Ah, you're not the first person to think along those lines, Luke, and probably not the last, either. Miyabi doesn't need to look over her shoulder, and the cardinal just huffs indignantly. Bird indeed! She was given a name, thank you very much!

Miyabi rubs the huge beak looming over her (that could indeed swallow her whole), and smiles as she writes.]

Yes. Akane is keeping me warm here until I can make a new house under Amaterasu's tree. Is it okay if she listens, too?

[Written]

[cakeblocked]

[He's not sure who this Amaterasu is, but maybe he'll ask later. Some girl's tree, he guesses.]

Yeah, sure, I don't mind. [Birds listening to stories and understanding them, ffff that is so cool.]

[Voice]

[chiisaichou]

[Some girl indeed. 8| Regardless, Miyabi switches on the audio - stories are best heard, after all. She has no idea about Luke's plight. Closing her eyes, the girl smiles and begins with the all too familiar words--]

Long, long ago...

[Voice]

[cakeblocked]

[... Oh fff, he sees her lips moving but doesn't hear anything AGAIN. He assumes she's starting, so he'll... gently try to interrupt.]

U-Um...

[Voice] /should be doing homework. <_<;

[chiisaichou]

[Luke, you are interrupting. Even so, he must have some reason, she she stops and blinks in confusion.]

Ah...is something wrong?

[Voice] /should be going back to work >_>;

[cakeblocked]

[By the questioning look on her face, he can pretty much figure out what she said, and he rubs the back of his neck and glances away as he speaks.]

Could you... Maybe you could write it down instead?

[Written | Voice] - We both suck so hard. |D;;

[chiisaichou]

[The poncle blinks again, even more confused than before. She opens her mouth to ask why, but shuts it again.

"I'm back". Those words--...right. That's all she needed to know to understand. Miyabi's look of confusion turned to a quiet understanding, and she nodded her head. Those idiot scientists really were starting to make her mad.]

Okay, but I'm going to speak so Akane can understand, okay?

[She smiles, then digs into the sleeves of her winter robe, pulling out a brush and some ink from a hidden pocket there. She'll make this story interesting for you in her own way, Luke, without talking. A picture's worth 1000 words, right? The poncle draws what appears to be a village on the paper, in long, quick strokes, writing under--]

Long, long ago... A tiny hamlet known as Kamiki lay nestled in a grove of proud and beautiful cherry blossoms. Each and every tree around the quiet burg was honored as a god.

However, the village was not without its dark secrets.

[Ah, this was nostalgic. Miyabi smiled and closed her eyes, remembering

[Voice] - YUP |D

[cakeblocked]

[Aaah, a story with pictures! The best kind! Luke sits up a little bit to watch the story unfold with interest. He's never seen or heard of a cherry blossom before, but if the village revered them as gods, then they must be really pretty.

He's almost afraid that his writing will ruin Miyabi's pictures, so he'll just stick with the voice option, though his voice is quiet.]

Dark secrets...

[Written | Voice] - BUT WE DO IT IN STYLE

[chiisaichou]

[No worries, Luke, if you have questions, she'll answer them after the story. Just be patient and wait until it was finished.

The next part of the storybook tale comes rather fast. Over the drawing of the little village, Miyabi draws eight thick, black, inky lines. She tops each with a head and rows of long, sharp teeth. The heads seem to be descending over the village, as if to engulf it.]

To satiate the appetite of Orochi, a fearsome, cave-dwelling beast, a young maiden was offered as a sacrifice at the annual festival. With a body like a mountain, and eight heads mounted on necks the size of tree trunks, its blood-red eyes alone were said to curse anyone who gazed into them. No one dared disobey the horrific beast.

[Voice] - COME ON ROXY IT'S TIME TO BROFIST

[cakeblocked]

[Luke stares with wide eyes at the pictures and the words, and a very soft "Whoa" can be heard from him. He's fought scary things before, but nothing the size of a mountain and with eight necks the size of tree trunks! But they had to end the suffering of the young maiden... right?]

[Voice | Written] - /BROFIST

[chiisaichou]

[Miyabi hears the little utterance, and a slow smile spreads on her lips. She does kind of feel bad that Luke can't recognize the dramatic variations in her voice when she speaks the words to the cardinal who she was snuggling against - which ruffled its feathers at the mention of Orochi - but she is glad he's getting something from it.

She turns the page of her journal, beginning a new picture. It's of the village again, but a different part.]

When the night of the sacrifice drew near... [She paused, and drew a picture of a wolf. If anyone else was paying attention, it'd be easy to tell it was Ammy, just without her markings and the divine mirror.] A mysterious white wolf appeared outside the village. This wolf, its coat as brilliant as snow, was dubbed Shiranui. The wolf kept a watchful eye on anyone who ventured outside the village, and made a habit of patrolling the streets at night.

People assumed the wolf to be a familiar of Orochi.

[Voice]

[cakeblocked]

[Seeing how Luke never met Ammy, he doesn't recognize her, so he just assumes it's just a wolf for now.

A familiar of Orochi, huh...? Luke can guess that the wolf really wasn't.]

[Voice | Written]

[chiisaichou]

[Again, Miyabi turns the page, and draws the wolf once more, but facing another. It was a shadowed man, holding a large and powerful sword. She had no idea what Nagi looked like, so details remained unseen. His sword, however, was pointed at the wolf.]

One villager took it upon himself to face the fearsome Shiranui. The warrior Nagi attempted many times to challenge the wolf. But his attempts were thwarted by Shiranui's swift movements.

[Again, the page is turned, as if the story were telling itself in Luke's journal. This time, a single house is drawn.] Before long, the night of the accursed festival had arrived. A white plumed arrow heralded the coming sacrifice. Piercing the sky, the arrow sunk its shaft squarely into-- [The next strokes of her brush come in the blink of an eye. An arrow is drawn, right in the middle of the house. Miyabi even smudges the ink with her thumb, to give the effect that it had been traveling at high speed.] --the home of Nami, the village's most beautiful maiden.

[Miyabi can't help but smile a

[Voice]

[cakeblocked]

[Man, Miyabi is good at this storytelling thing. All Guy did was read out loud to him. Stupid Guy.

Upon hearing that the maiden would be the next sacrifice, Luke sits up a little and can't help but interrupt-]

But Nagi's going to save her, right?