melodiesofeternity | [Open] Who wants to learn about rakugo?

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[Open] Who wants to learn about rakugo?

Who: Uendo, open
When: February 25
Where: Arito
What: It's Otherworlder Culture Day, a local festival where the scholars of Min'To gather to learn about the cultures of past otherworlders! Uendo is there to share his rakugo; anyone is free to come watch, and perhaps you can share something from your own world while you're there?
Warnings/Notes: Whatever people bring with them

Only two weeks left until Bahamut's summoning. Uendo knows he should be out there, doing something to prepare himself for the upcoming battle -- but even after this entire past year in Vaikuntha, he's still not a fighter. He's not the detective type either, no matter how much he likes his crime shows. What could he possibly do to find the summoner that someone hasn't already tried?

So, he's helping in the one way he knows how.

"Thank you for coming! My name is Uendo Toneido. I'd like to introduce everyone here to rakugo, an art of comedic storytelling from my homeworld!"

The scholars have helpfully provided him with a stage and a cushion to sit on. The venue is fairly small, just as he was hoping. Being able to make eye contact with every audience member makes a huge difference in creating a warm atmosphere.

"The easiest way to explain rakugo might be by comparing it to a one-man stage play... though I've heard it called sit-down comedy as well. A rakugo artist acts out a story without leaving his cushion, with only a fan..." He holds up a paper fan, as well as a small linen towel, "...and a towel, called a tenugui, to use as props. I'm going to ask you all to help me out by stretching your imagination to its limits, okay? This way, a simple fan can become anything: a pipe... a pair of chopsticks... a ladle... a sword..."

He rests the fan on his hip like a hilt of a sword, and swings. Some of the audience members in the front row instinctively jerk back.

"Perfect, you got it already! Now, the tales of the rakugo tradition go back hundreds of years, to the Edo period of Japan. We're not talking about myths or legendary heroes here; rakugo is about the everyday lives of ordinary people, the good and the bad. You could call it a window to the past... though, looking through it, you'll find people were just as easily amused by poop jokes and puns then as they are now, so that can take the shine off the nostalgia a bit."

There are a few good-natured chuckles around the room.

"Usually, I don't pick out a story until I'm already on the stage and see what the audience is looking for. Which can be a bit of a pickle when the audience has no expectations! For my demonstration today, I'll go with the easy answer and look to recent events for help, so... How about that Valentine's Day?"

Uendo shrugs his haori off, continuing to chat conversationally.

"It's easy to get caught up in the idea of a whirlwind romance and trying to impress your girl with pricy gifts. Once the honeymoon glow wears off though? Making a relationship last takes a lot of hard work. Today's story is about a fishmonger and his wife who live near a riverbank in Shibahama. The fishmonger, named Kuma, has a good eye for fish, but is sadly something of a lush. He skips out on work and drinks from dawn to dusk, much to his wife's chagrin. One day, she manages to pester him into leaving the house..."

He shifts a bit on the cushion and, with merely a change in body language, begins acting out the story. The scenery is painted by miming each movement, by directing the gaze, as though he's truly on a riverbank and not the stage. The fan becomes a smoking pipe, the towel becomes a purse. The way he switches effortlessly between the fishmonger and the wife... It's like he's a different person.

The story, despite its comedic moments, turns quite emotional. Uendo is in tears by the end, voice cracking with feeling. There are a few moist eyes in the audience, too.

"Actually, though... I'd better not." He places an imaginary sake cup back on the floor and smiles tenderly through his tears. "I wouldn't want this to become just another dream."

He bows, and the audience breaks into an applause. It may not be a standing ovation, but... It looks like everyone had fun.

[OOC: You can respond to Uendo's performance, but you can also use this log to write up something your character wants to share at the festival if you'd like!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

While it's true she's mostly here as an adventurer and Hero of Light, there is another role Corrin knows she has to play during her time in Vaikuntha; as the only member of the Nohrian royal family, she is also, in effect, an ambassador to this new world, even if there is little chance Nohr will ever have more permanent contact with other worlds, much less this one.

Still, it's a role she takes seriously, and this cultural festival was too good an opportunity to pass up. So for the last little while one of Corrin's many side-projects has been getting a Nohrian pavillion set up for the festival, with the scholars' help, which had been invaluable.

Inside the black and purple tent, visitors will find Corrin in her Nohr Noble regalia and a small exhibit that's been put together. Most of the "artifacts" are reproductions, though a large map of the country has been provided based on the one Corrin fished out of the Dream Width not too long ago; notable cities, such as the capital of Windmire, important military outposts like Fort Dragonfall, and other notable towns such as Dia, Nohr's primary port, and the town of Macarath, located in the most fertile region of the kingdom, and thus its agricultural center, have been marked out, with accompanying descriptions. Shadow Yato is prominently featured in a display case in the center of the room, along with recreations of Siegfried and Brynhildr, the two other Divine Weapons of Nohr, with descriptions of both. Other recreations include crown of iron laurels worn by her brother King Xander, a horned circlet favoured by the First Princess Camilla, the helmet of a Faceless and the mask of a Stoneborn golem, a pauldron favoured by Nohrian sellswords, as well as the heavy chestplate favoured by rank and file Nohrian knights, amongst others. Some of the display cards mention the two Divine Weapons of Hoshido, Raijinto and Fujin Yumi, but they are not represented physically. Some information about Hoshido is provided, but as Corrin still knows far too little about the culture and people of the kingdom of her birth, she does not feel confident in her ability to accurately represent it, and so mostly refrains from doing so.

There's a lot to read, too. All of it is based on conversations Corrin has had with the scholars of Min'To who have then...cleaned it up and made it more accessible to read. Many displays contain historical information about the country, as while Corrin may have grown up isolated, Xander ensured she was properly educated about the country she was to eventually have a hand in administering, its three main knightly orders (the rank and file infantry Knights of Nohr, the mounted Cavaliers, and the aerial Wyvern Knights), as well as biographies of the Royal Family; that is, King Xander, Princess Camilla, Prince Leo, Princess Elise, and Princess Azura (Corrin does her best to be impartial here, with varying degrees of success). Some information is also provided about King Garon; the real King Garon and not the creature that took his place and masqueraded as him, who was principally responsible for prosecuting the war with Hoshido.

On that note, there's also a lot of information about the Hoshidan War, and Corrin pulls no punches here; her descriptions of the war unambiguously paint Nohr as an unjust aggressor and Hoshido simply trying to defend itself. Corrin's own status as a member of both royal families is also discussed as well as a laying out of the reasons why she made the choice to remain with Nohr rather than her birth family in Hoshido. They do end on a hopeful note however, talking about how King Garon was discovered to be an imposter and his subsequent defeat on the last day of the war, and how Xander's taking of the crown has meant sweeping reforms for the kingdom, renouncing not only the Hoshidan conquests but all other vassal states formerly under Nohrian rule, and a true agreement of peace between Nohr and Hoshido, under its new ruler, Queen Hinoka. The mistakes of the past are acknowledged and that the road to build new relationships of trust and respect will be long, but the future promises to be one of peace and understanding, ending with a transcript of Xander's coronation speech (provided in full here):

Thank you, fellow Nohrians, for joining me in celebration today. The war is finally over, and we have formed a new alliance with Hoshido. Though once enemies, our kingdoms will now strive for peace together. Since the war began, and long before, both Nohr and Hoshido were in agony. Freedoms were oppressed, possessions were plundered, the land was ravaged. Rebellions and uprisings tore our great kingdom apart. Our world was in pain. I never wish to see that happen again…Not to anyone. I won’t allow it. As such, all tribes and other peoples of Nohr shall be granted autonomy. We will not seek to expand our borders by infringing upon Hoshidan land. Instead, we shall strive to build a foundation of trust. Both kingdoms will do all we can to plant a seed of mutual respect. In the years to come, I look forward to watching that seed grow. We have a long road ahead of us. It will not be easy, but it is worth treading. On this day, as I assume my father’s throne, I vow to steady our course. The night sky is dark, but that is what allows the stars to shine so brilliantly. As king, I hope to be the light that guides Nohr out of this long night. I swear I will not rest until our beloved home awakens to a brighter tomorrow. For the great people of Nohr…Here’s to a future of peace and prosperity!

Corrin will spend most of the day in the tent, happily answering any questions either native Vaikunthans or other Offworlders might have for her about her home. There's also, should anyone desire, free sheet music of a certain song Corrin is relatively fond of (and a slinky black dress with accompanying veil is displayed on a mannequin in a position of prominence next to where the sheet music can be collected).

Tressa's always had a sense of adventure, fueled by her boundless curiosity. She's been to almost every corner of the continent in her homeworld, and even when arriving here so long ago, she desired to learn more about this new world, scary as it might be. So a festival focusing on the cultures of the homes of the other otherworlders? It seemed right up her ally.

Upon entering the tent, the young merchants eyes had lit up as she let out a small gasp, standing there in shock for a moment to take everything in. There was so much to read and examine, it felt like it would take an eternity just to see it all!

Although, one thing in particular caught her eye, past all the displays of armor and other various items, which was the sheet music Corrin had set out. Sadly, she had no idea how to actually read it, but she could sense something from it.

"Huh, what's this?"

"It's a song from my world I'm rather fond of." Corrin says from behind Tressa. She's peeking over the young girl's shoulder, having watched her with some curiosity since she entered the tent. The armour pieces and weapon stands have been getting a lot of attention from people, but Tressa's the first person to actually find the sheet music the most interesting right off the bat. Mostly people don't tend to look at it until they're almost done with the rest of the exhibit. There's a look in her eye that suggests Tressa's signaling out of the music first has impressed her.

"It's called "Lost In Thoughts All Alone"." She explains. "Do you sing at all, Tressa? It's quite a lovely tune."

Tressa turned to face Corrin, the sheet music still in hand, offering a smile as per usual. Unfortunately she wasn’t much of a singer, nor was she actually capable of reading the music herself, so she shook her head in response to the question.

‘I’ve never learned how, but it does sound like a lovely song! It did seem rather... special, I suppose, compared to a lot of other things on display here, so it caught my interest.”

Her attention diverted to the dress stationed beside the music itself.

“What about this dress?”

From the music to the dress, Corrin thinks with approval. "You have an eye for special things." She says warmly. "This is a recreation of a dress worn by my sister Princess Azura-" She points to the nearby displays for the Royal Family; the sister she's referring to, Azura, has the smallest description by far. "-When she performed the song at the opera house in the city of Cyrkensia, in the Kingdom of Nestra. It was one of the most incredible performances I've ever seen." To this day Corrin regrets that she hadn't been paying more attention to it at the time, but she had still been too troubled by the events at Cheve to have been really paying attention. To the performer, at least (had Azura known that would be the case?), but the melody had helped soothe her troubled thoughts...at least until King Garon had started crying in pain.

"It's an easy enough song to learn. Can I see the sheet?" She asks.

“Of course!” Tressa replied, handing her the sheet. “...your highness.” She added, giggling just a bit. So this was a song performed by Corrin’s sister? No wonder the music seemed to special, it was clearly something she held close to her heart. Her own treasure among the collection. With the way Corrin described the performance, it made Tressa envious she couldnt be there to see it herself!

"My friends just call me Corrin, Tressa." Corrin replies with a smile. "Now then, let's see...I'll just do the first verse and then the third, that's my personal favourite; should be enough to help you get an ear for the song." A small crowd has gathered; other people have picked up that the exhibition's host is going to perform a song.

Corrin clears her throat, closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath. Then, opening them, she begins.

You are the ocean's grey waves,
destined to seek
life beyond the shore,
just out of reach

Yet the waters ever change,
flowing like time,
the path is your's to climb

There's a small smattering of applause; Corrin is obviously not a trained singer, but she can at least carry the tune, and her voice is pleasant enough to listen to. She then skips the second verse, entirely, as it's her least favourite and goes right to the third.

Embrace the dark
You call a home
Gaze upon an empty white throne
A legacy of lies
A familiar disguise

Sing with me a song
of conquest and fate
the black pillar cracks beneath its weight
Night breaks through the day
Hard as a stone
Lost in thoughts, all alone.

The lyrics hardly sound reassuring, but Corrin sings it well enough and with a bit more gusto than the first verse; this time there's more applause as she finishes up, and then hands the paper back to Tressa. "There. Think you can manage it?" She asks, noting out of the corner of her eye some of the other bystanders are now picking up their own copies. She can't help but smile a little at that; she thinks maybe Azura would have appreciated it.

Miss you, sister, wherever you are. She thinks sadly, though this isn't reflected in the pleasant expression she's giving Tressa.

Corrin wanted her to try performing it? That came as a bit of a surprise, made obvious by Tressa’s flustered expression. She had never actually tried something like this, the closest was the auction at the merchant’s fair, though at least then she felt confident enough in what she was trying to present. This was a totally foreign task for her.

“U-Ummm, Yeah, I suppose I can give it a go. Just don’t judge me too hard if I mess up, alright? This is my first time singing something, after all.”

Truthfully, she doibted Corrin would tease her about it, but you could never be too sure. She plucked the copy of sheet music from Corrins hand, and began to recite the first verse of the song. She hit a sour note near the end, but otherwise it wasn’t a terrible first try.

“So uh, was that any good?” She asked, laughing a little nervously.

Corrin leans up against a table of Nohrian recreations while she listens to Tressa sing. There's some applause once Tressa's finished from the crowd, though it sounds mostly polite.

Except in the case of Corrin, who is beaming as she claps. "Very good." She replies, nodding in approval. "You did a great job." Of course, it wasn't near on the level on which Azura had performed the song, but then again, neither was Corrin's attempt. But it's a good song and she's forgotten how much she enjoys hearing it sung by others. Before today it had really just been Corrin singing it to herself in the shower or humming it under her breath while she worked on some blueprints in her downtime.

She saw how nervous Tressa had been before her attempt, so Corrin gives her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "And you'll only get better the more you try. You should keep at it! Even if it's just to sing it to yourself." She says with a wink.

Edited 2019-02-28 06:20 (UTC)

The applause Tressa had recieved was unexpected, but very much welcomed by her, evident due to the beaming smile she had dawned breifly after the applause had stopped. It felt good knowing she did well with something she had no prior experience with, and Corrin’s reassurance had only made her feel better. Maybe she should try to practice this stuff more often...

“Hehehe, You’re right about that. The only way to grow is to gain experience, after all.”

"Exactly right." Corrin replies. "You know, you're the first person to go straight to the song sheets I've seen today." She gestures towards the other displays. "All this stuff, the armour and the weapons, I know that sort of thing is more exciting, but...that song is probably the most valuable thing here, at least to me. Well, besides my sword." She's not charging people for taking the music, though there is a small box for donations; Corrin has earmarked a few charities she wishes to donate the proceeds to, while all the replicas are being taken by the Min'To scholars (save the recreation of Camilla's crown; Corrin's always liked it and asked that she be allowed to take one with her when the festival is over). People are free to take as many copies of it as they want, and there have already been more than a few takers.

She moves around a table to where some chairs have been set up as Corrin can't be on her feet all day, and she motions for Tressa to join her. "Azura and I were very close, you see, and this was her song." She says softly. "So I can't think of a better tribute to her than to spread her music across the worlds. I'm really pleased you picked up on how important that was. You said it seemed special; can I ask how you knew that?"

Edited 2019-02-28 07:08 (UTC)

“How did I know? Hmm...”

Joining Corrin at the table, Tressa wondered how exactly she could answer a question like that. She thought back to when she first set off on her journey, and considered her reasoning for venturing out in the first place.

“Well, I have always had an eye for treasure, but that’s just for things with monetary value. I didnt learn the true worth of a treasure until later on my travels, after I met a wonderful man who taught me something very important.”

Tressa glanced back down at the sheet music, fondly recalling what Corrin had explained to her about their sisters performance.

“There’s only room in someones heart for a single most precious treasure, something that goes beyond gems or gold or anything like that; something you truly hold near and dear. This music sheet just... spoke to me like that. It seemed special in that way.”

"I still have no idea what kind of ocean has grey waves."

Richard sat down and just sort of kept his eyes on Corrin. He was smiling, although he seemed a little more stressed than usual. Understandable, given what's happening in a matter of weeks. He approaches her a little later, rubbing his head. "I'm not entirely sure if anything I got's worth saving. I mean, if I could recreate a proper East Point slop sandwich, that might be worth sharing."

He bobs his head a little. His smile goes a little more faint. "I appreciate that you took yourself out of the situation and told it without bullshitting. It's honestly refreshing for someone that works in the fields I do, and nobody has the time to sort fact from fiction."

"I always assumed it was metaphorical." Corrin is idly playing with one of the reproductions she had made for the festival; a plain bonnet that is labeled as a "simple kerchief" on the display that she took it from. "Or that it was like a sea just after a...storm?" She thinks to herself. "And like the water was still kind of choppy and foamy. That would make it grey...ish."

Corrin understands the stress; she's feeling it too, and involving herself in things like this festival helps keep her grounded and focused. And helps her believe that there will be a world after they defeat the dragon. Because they will defeat Bahamut. They will.

...They have to.

"I don't see why you couldn't. What's the recipe?" She asks. "I bet if there are any ingredients we can't find in Vaikuntha we can probably make substitutions."

She glances over at one of the displays that talks about the Hoshidan war; squinting, she can just make out that it appears to be talking about the Battle of Fort Jinya. "Thanks, Richard." She says gratefully. "Some of it was difficult to talk about, but it was important to me that the people here get the complete picture of Nohr, and that meant talking about the bad as well as the good. History has to be complete or it's just propaganda."

She sets the bonnet down and goes to sit down as well. "I don't know if I've ever asked you a lot about East Point." She says. "What's it like?"

The Performance

[It's difficult to tell with his constant stern expression and crossed arms, but Minimus is enjoying the performance. From an outsider's perspective, there appears to be an unspoken structure to this "Rakugo". He is concerned about the limited supplies (it puts him on edge, worrying that Uendo will not be able to convey the setting properly), but the story goes through a logical progression, even if the dream element makes it a bit of a non-sequitur.

Uendo's ability to act out the role of two different characters at the drop of a hat is certainly impressive.

When it ends, Minimus does not clap, but he attempts to leave the crowd before they all march out and knock him over.

Afterwards, he stays behind to speak with Uendo. He will also ask anyone who is (or appears to be) human.] I have several questions on this Earth tradition. Do you have time?

The PowerPoint of Despair

[Minimus Ambus is not a reliable resource of Cybertronian culture, for what existed of it. Stand-up comedy has been making a return, but he has been reminded multiple times of the lack of quality in his jokes.

So, he has the next best thing: an introduction to Cybertronian life and history. Now with a projector taller than an Elezen displaying slides behind the diminutive robot.]

One the left are the list of the most common compounds found on organic planets such as Vaikuntha and all versions of Earth, while on the right are the key elements to sustain mechanical life on Cybertron. The formal chemical names are...

[He talks about how Cybertronians are created with the ability to turn into another form, and while the cities are entirely made of metal, the planet scenery does have softer things like sand and rock. There's the moon, Luna-2, and ship-based colonies, the names that he lists before he moves onto the next slide.]

The various regions of the planet have their own names, of course. There is Iacon, Polyhex, Tetrahex, the Pious Pools, Simfur...Now, some of these were population centers before the Great War, but if we were to categorize the environments...

[These all have a connection to the center of the Planet, called Vector Sigma. It's lost in his droning and dull presentation, but it sounds as if it's some sort of life-giving force. It's a bit difficult to pay attention after 100 slides.]

It's time for the second half: legal history on Cybertron and other societies! [At least he sounds excited, even if he's losing people as more stop by to gawk. He hopes someone out there is paying attention...]

[The idea of a cultural festival was too amazing to pass up, and Marinette couldn't have been more pleased with Uendo's performance. She'd gone into it with few expectations, and had ended up enjoying it a lot more than she might have assumed.

After the performance, she lingered behind for a bit in order to commend the artist. Before she could manage to do so, the sound of an unfamiliar voice caught her attention and she turned to smile up at Minimus.]

I don't have anywhere to be immediately. And I don't know much about this particular tradition, but I'm glad to try and answer any questions you have.

Thank you. [For her willingness to talk and for her proper grammar, though she did being a sentence with a conjunction.] My first question regarded your familiarity with Rakugo, but you have already answered it with your introduction. Is this a cultural act specific to a few regions on Earth?

[Uendo refrains from geeking out over ROBOT. He's seen enough of these guys around that he's not surprised to see Minimus, but it's still so cool.]

But of course! That's what I'm here for.

[A small robot, shorter than Uendo, but his look and mustache give him the appearance of the strict older man who, if he had not expressed his curiosity beforehand, can be mistaken for not enjoying the performance.]

While I have some questions on the references to human culture, I am more curious as to why this story had to be acted out by a single person. Would it not be less tiring for two people to have the conversation?

[Minimus doesn't understand rapid-fire comedy.]

It certainly would, but then it wouldn't be rakugo.

[Given who's asking the question... Perhaps trying to explain it from a rational point a view would be effective.]

Two people on the stage would still be fun to watch, of course. However, the audience would have to divide its attention between two actors. They would essentially be observing the relationship between the actors passively, from an outsider's perspective.

With rakugo, the relationship between the artist and the audience is a more intimate one. All the focus stays on one person, and the artist is in an ideal position to observe the audience and take their reactions and feelings into consideration. The sense of intimacy is crucial in a rakugo show. You could have your story perfectly memorized and perform it with flawless technique, but if you can't connect with your audience, the entire performance will be merely adequate at best.

It feels odd that a dialogue have both parts be spoken by one person in addition to the third-person narration. Does that no run against the rules of writing? [He knows that in reports, tenses have to match lest the flow of the narrative weaken. Fiction requires that the audience remain engaged with the subject rather than distance themselves from the text, and disrupting the grammatical backbone was a severe misstep for both nonfiction and fiction, albeit for different reasons.]

For example, who is the narrator in this story? Are they omniscient? Is it the drunkard character?

Which rules would those be? Storytelling conventions vary between cultures and genres, you know. Naturally, they also change over time. And that's not even going to into the differences between spoken and written narrative.

As for the narrator? Why, it's me, of course. I'm the one who told this story to you, am I not?

Of course you are telling us the story in the metafictional sense, but stories require an in-universe point if view.

Ah, but do they really?

Let me put it this way. Imagine I'm chatting with my fellows in a pub, or around a campfire, or any other casual setting you can think of. I decide to share an amusing story I heard from someone else.

In a situation like that, no one's expecting me to frame the story the way I would a written work. I'm obviously not a character in the story, but simply reciting the entire narrative in third person would make it rather dry and impersonal, don't you think? By giving my voice to the characters, I can make my tale more relatable and fun to listen to. Does that make more sense?

...Does it?

[He's always used the "dry, impersonal, and neutral" method of describing past events. That's how he discussed work. Was making a fool of oneself the path to friendship?]

[Performance]

The Edo period. That was a time Kenichi hadn't heard in a while. While he did grow up during that time, he didn't develop an appreciation for it until much later. Kenichi may not be one of the Shinto god of the arts, but he knew an excellent performance when he saw one. In fact, he may have been one of the few people who did give a standing ovation. As the audience who stayed behind to speak with the artist thinned away, Kenichi approached Uedo.

"Amazing! I haven't seen a performance like that in ages."

[A Different Sort of Art]

Thankfully with the scholars' help, it didn't take much to pull off what Kenichi had thought in mind. On a raised platform before him was a paper as tall as an average human. In his hand was a brush but the handle was as long as his arm. The bristles as long as his hand, which tapered into a fine point. There was a small shallow metal bowl with black ink. Kenichi stood in front for a second before dipping the brush into the bowl.

The wet splat of brush hitting paper signaled the start. Onlookers watched as stroke by stroke, something was appearing on the paper. "This is the art of calligraphy in my homeworld. It is something that requires skill and concentration. It can portray serenity and grace or flair and vitality but most importantly it can inspire." With the final stroke done, he turns to the audience to display two characters.

"These two characters is how we write 'hope' where I am from. Ink is not only just used for words, but for art." He signaled Cecil the moogle to move the finished piece to the side to dry and prepare a new sheet. Kenichi placed the giant brush to the side for something more subtle. Curves of black ink and then washes of ink first appeared as slowly something quite familiar to locals began to appear. When Kenichi pulled away from his work and moved to side, there were oohs and ahs as the image of a chocobo in the middle of a dynamic leap was revealed.

At first glance, such an art would seem simple—all you needed was the brush, ink and paper, right? But having been surrounded by the arts of Myste Aura and Yun’Ashia in her childhood, Sylvarie could recognise that there was more to it than that as she watched on it quiet awe, following the practiced and flow of the bristles as they left their mark. There was of course calligraphy, and good penmanship had its advantages, but there was indeed something unique to this form she couldn’t turn away from.

More so when he displays his two projects side by side, the sight somehow pulling at an emotion in the back of her mind that she couldn’t name yet. “You brought our world’s together with only a painting...”

Kenichi turned around and smiled. "Art in a way is a kind of magic that transcends worlds. It taps into core emotions and bring upon viewpoints we may never consider. In my world, we don't have Chocobos but when I arrived here, I just found myself drawn to them. This is my way of saying thank you to this world for showing them to me." He glances back at the artwork and nods.

"I missed being able to do this sort of thing. Kinda of hard to have a quiet moment when you have five year old children running around the house after all." He had been so wrapped up with the loss of both his adoptive son and Bonnie as well as the need for an airship, that he lost his path. After completing the artwork, it felt like his mind cleared.

“That it does, or so my mother used to tell me.” Her own expression mirrored his smile when he looked toward her, allowing the memories of them to come forward in her mind. With Kenichi’s statement, she now recognised the emotions she was feeling to be pride. It was strange, how she had been mentally separated from the arts for so long that she had nearly forgotten what it felt like to witness it. “The chocobos are a such a popular creature in this world, it makes sense to me that outworlders would appreciate them as well.”

Yet the mention of his children is a splash of cold water to the face, even if she keeps it from showing. It wasn’t that she forgot these people had homes to return to, but more and more she wished to find a way sooner, if only to protect them from the oncoming danger.

With a sigh, she stepped closer to the paper, almost reaching out to touch the first one—the one that read ‘hope.’ “May I ask why this word in particular?”

"Why 'hope'? It just seems like the thing we need during these times. Not just for the locals but us outworlders as well." The date of reckoning was approaching after all.

He placed the brush down next to the ink bowl.

"And, if I'm honest, it's also a bit of a selfish reminder to myself. I had let myself to wallow in my own despair after Takeshi and Bonnie disappeared. I wouldn't be able to look at my family in the eye if they saw me like this."

Sylvarie nodded in agreement, feeling it had something to do with that. She was hardly the greatest source of it, even less so in the past several months, but she could recognise how desperately needed it was right now. Even this festival the reason she had asked about it was because she held on to a tiny wish she would find more hope here.

As they so often did, the otherworlders pulled through. "A little reminder, to all of us... And that every world, too, has its light that you don't want to forget."

Immediately her brow furrowed, caught off guard by her own words. Where had she heard them before...? Shaking her head, she focused instead on the names he mentioned. "Takeshi took the time to look after us, the Center workers after a few months. He did so much, and Bonnie... I didn't speak with her personally, but there is something special about her."

"My thoughts exactly," Kenichi said with a nod.

"That boy, no, my son had been through so much before he was adopted into my family. As one of the past Heroes of Light, he was determined to never have another world go through what happened ever again. As for Bonnie, she was actually assigned to another Hero of Light in her home world. That little moogle really looked up to her and wanted to answer the call of a hero. All I can do now is hope that they're safe, wherever they are."

Reminiscing over them, something sparked in Kenichi. "Well, I think it's only appropriate I should draw something for the bravest moogle I have ever met. Cecil, another paper please." The moogle with the glasses placed another blank paper. A quick dip into the ink dish and the brush was ready to bring ink to life. Soon the moogle wearing her signature hood was on the page and in mid-flight with a knife by her side.

His description of Takeshi aligned with what she had seen for herself, with the kindness that had been extended to her when she least expected it. For all the difficulty the first few months and wave of outworlders had been, she missed many of those gone more than she let on. There would be another time for remembrance though, because their focus had to be on the 'now.'

The 'now' involved watching on eagerly as Kenichi's art bloomed again, and her smile grew as she recognised it. As much as they could cause grief, she always appreciated the efforts of all moogles who were appointed as guardians.

"May I ask how you came to know them? Takeshi and Bonnie?"

Kenichi nodded. Perhaps talking about them would help him. "I met them through my wife, Saori, as she was also a Hero of Light. By chance, she and Takeshi were living under the same roof and over time, they bonded to the point she decided to adopt him. To be honest, I didn't think I'd see him again as he had decided to go back to the previous world he was in to see if he could save anyone else there." It had taken him several days after Saori had returned home to find out whatever happened to their adopted son.

While Kenichi went on, Cecil carefully removed the finished painting and placed a fresh paper just to be safe. "As for Bonnie, both she and her hero, Mary Read, decided to come home with Saori in the end. The two heroines became very close during their adventures and Bonnie wanted to learn more from Mary. They've been welcome in my family since then. My kids were especially fond of Bonnie for obvious reasons." He had yet to see a kid turn down the idea of cuddling a flying furry creature that could talk.

The reception had been warmer than he'd anticipated, and Uendo was more than a little pleased with himself. Of course, he hadn't actually done all that much in this particular show, but still…

His face turned a little pink at Kenichi's praise. There was no confidence boost like an excited audience member.

"You are too kind! I'm still only a futatsume, so any skill you saw here is thanks to my shisho." He smiled sheepishly. "Are you a fan of rakugo?"

"Even so, I can clearly see a future shin'uchi before me," Kenichi nodded in encouragement.

"I haven't been faithfully following every detail of the Rakugo scene, but I won't turn down a chance to see a show when I can. It's been a while since I heard the Shibahama Fishmonger." When his twins are older, he planned to share the joy of this traditional art of comedy to them.

Oh wow. As uncertain as his prospects of becoming a shin'uchi were right now, the compliment felt pretty good.

"Well, anytime you've got a hankering for another tale, you know who to call! Usually I just do shows in Myste Aura, but for the sake of my fans I'll always raku-go the extra mile."

Okuyasu had never seen this piece - he hadn't seen any rakugo shows as they cost more money than his brother was willing to part with, but he knew some stories. He thought they were funny, but...

He wiped a tear with the palm of his hand.

"I...I hope that wasn't a dream..." He felt so bad for the dude. And his wife. He hoped they'd actually get the money and live the good life, but what if it was all fake?

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The Nohrian Pavillion

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The Princess and the spying hobbler.

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A Different Sort of Art

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Watching the Show