Hao/Stories
While lost in the Garden of Sprites, the party meet a human boy named Hao. After sharing a meal, Alk invites their new friend to visit Starview.
Alk: Hmmm. It looks like we're lost.
Alk: I was using the Spirit Tree as a landmark, but the woods are too thick to se it...
Alk: If we keep going straight, we SHOULD make it out... right?
Light: I wouldn't be so certain. While that could work in an ordinary forest...
Light: There's far more at play here than-
Light: Did you see that?! Something just moved!
Light: I don't know what it is, but let's proceed with caution.
Boy: Be one with the wind... let it be your guide.
Boy: Who are you?
Stella: Greetings. My name is Stella.
Hao: Hello, Stella. I'm Hao.
Stella: It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.
Hao: That makes two of us.
Light: A human?! I wasn't aware this world had human inhabitants...
Alk: M-me either, but, uh... Hi! I'm Alk, and this is Light. If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing?
Hao: Speaking with the winds. They just took away my friend.
Alk: By "friend," you mean... that rabbit?
Hao: Yes. And now I will eat it.
Alk: What?!
Hao: Do you want to join?
Alk: J-join? I, uh...
Hao: What's wrong? Go ahead. Eat.
Light: Alk, you don't have to force yourself. Hao may have his own way of doing things, but the same goes for us.
Alk: I know, but...
Alk: Hey, Hao... Eating this rabbit is your way of saying goodbye to him, right?
Hao: Not exactly. This rabbit is not my friend. It was my friend's home, but now his spirit lives in the winds.
Alk: His... home?
Hao: Yes. So I don't want it to go to waste.
Alk: I see.
Hao: If we do not eat it, the forest will. It would help the trees grow strong enough to catch his spirit when the wind passes by.
Hao: Them, he will have a new home here when he returns. But if I eat the rabbit, he will also have a home with me.
Hao: ...I think.
Alk: I guess that makes sense. If that's the case-
Alk: I would be honored.
Alk: This is delicious! You're amazing, Hao!
Hao: Glad to hear that.
Regitare: Hoo... There WERE humans here, hiding right under me nose hole!
Light: From the sound of it, Hao is the only one. We're the first he's met.
Light: He's been tending a small graveyard with the occasional animal companion, but doesn't have any human family- at least that he knows of.
Regitare: I see... Then how do you know words, boy?
Hao: The wind taught me. Words are... interesting.
Regitare: Ah, must be the work of sprites then! Challua's got the whole lot of them chatting away.
Regitare: If only we'd noticed you soon... You must've been lonely out there.
Hao: It's fine. The wind have also taken away any loneliness I have.
Alk: Hey, Hao. How about tagging along with us?
Hao: Tag along? Where?
Alk: We live in a town called Starview Village. You're welcome to visit whenever you feel like it, so-
Alk: Let's be friends!
Hao: ...Would that be all right?
Stella: Of course. Welcome aboard, Hao.
Stella: Disclaimer: The furry friends in Starview are not edible.
Hao: ...Gotcha. We each have our own ways of doing things, right?
Alk: N-no one's dying anytime soon, okay?
Hao: Ideally, yes.
Hao: I will go, like the wind soars far from the forest.
Hao: I will be friends with Alk!
Hao hunts down a kidnapper in Palpebra, saving a girl around his age. Her mother mistakes HIM for the culprit, though, and he spends the rest of the day trying to understand why he feels so conflicted.
Nimbus: Aaand that should do it, Hao. Let's get goi- Wait, Hao?
Nimbus: ...The heck are you doing?
Hao: Hey, Meow-Meow! What are those? They look cold and stiff...
Nimbus: Stop callin' me "Meow-Meow!" I have a name, and it's NIMBUS.
Nimbus: Besides, isn't that what you call the toy cat on your belt? We can't both be Meow-Meow.
Hao: Sure you can. You look exactly alike!
Nimbus: Riiight...
Hao: Anyways. Let's get back to Alk and-
Girl's Voice: Ahhhhh!
Nimbus: Stella?! What happened?!
Stella: A little girl was... was... Ngh! I have to-
Nimbus: To get some rest, idiot. Someone else, what's going on?!
Woman: A man just kidnapped a child! The girl there tried to stop him, but-
Stella: I,I WILL stop him!
Nimbus: Stella... Damn it! There's too many people here for me to pick up a scent-
Hao: The man... hurt Stella?
Nimbus: Hao?! HAO!
Hao: The winds will lead the hunt. And when I find him...
Nimbus: That idiot!
Kidnapper: *panting* Tch... I ain't lettin' it end like this!
Girl: S-stop... stop!
Kidnapper: Shut up! Can it, or I'll-
Hao: Let go of the girl.
Hao: I won't let you get away with this. ...Your spirit must rejoin the winds.
Nimbus: Hao, NO!
Hao: Meow-Meow?
Hao: Why did stop me?! I finally caught my prey, and-
Nimbus: We're not in your forest!
???: G-get away from my daughter!
Hao: Me? But I wasn't... I was just-
Girl: Mom! It's not what it looks like...
Mother: Thank the Stars! You're safe!
Mother: Stay away from her!
Alk: Stella's doing all right now.
Alk: Thankfully, the wounds were pretty shallow, but we've got her bandaged up and resting just to be safe.
Alk: If anything, she was more worried about you, Hao. You doing okay?
Hao: No... No need to worry about me.
Alk: If you say so...
Hao: Just... Do you think the woman who helped the little girl was her mother?
Nimbus: Probably, yeah.
Hao: She was afraid of me, but... she was a strong human.
Nimbus: Forget about it. Today was one hell of a day, and we're all beat.
Nimbus: Hey. Look, I don't know HOW many times I have to tell you, but I'm not your stuffed cat.
Hao: I know. I know you're not Meow-Meow, and Starview isn't the forest.
Hao: But it all feels... familiar. Like something long ago- something I can't remember.
Hao: Like the person who gave me... Meow-Meow...
Nimbus: Wait, did he just fall asleep?
Alk: Yep, out cold.
Alk: C'mon, it won't hurt you to humor him a little. Okay, "Meow-Meow?"
Nimbus: All right, all right, but don't YOU get started with all that Meow-Meow stuff.
Hao returns to Palpebra to practice acting like a city-goer, only to be reunited with the girl he saved, who adores him just the way he is.
Alk: Hao was begging to visit Palpebra all morning, but now we're actually here, he's just, uh...
Alk: What ARE you doing, Hao?
Hao:
Nimbus: Great... Now, why are you "studying" people?
Hao: Humans are scared of me.
Hao: That's why I need to be...
Hao: Like them.
Nimbus: THAT'S what you've been moping around all week for?
Hao: I was thinking about what to do, and then it hit me-
Hao: I want to be like Alk.
Alk: NO! You don't have to... to...
Girl: Hey! You're the boy I met the other day, right?
Girl: I figured you were an adventurer, so I wasn't sure I'd be able to find you again. I'm so glad I did!
Nimbus: Is this the girl Hao saved?
Hao: It is. I remember her scent.
Girl: You remember me? O-oh wow, I uh... Heh...
Hao: You're not afraid of me?
Lisa: Of course not! I'm Lisa, by the way. I've been looking all over so I could apologize to you!
Lisa: I'm REALLY sorry my mom was so rude to you. I didn't even get to thank you, so... Thank you for saving me.
Hao: Y-you're welcome?
Lisa: *sigh* Mom's been suuuper strict since the kidnapping thing. She won't let me leave the house at all!
Alk: Wait, but then why are you- Did you sneak out?
Nimbus: Not bad. You've got guts, kid.
Lisa: Well, I had no choice! "Hao," right? I... I really want to be your friend! Is that okay?
Stella: You don't need to ask us, Hao.
Alk: Do what YOU feel is right.
Hao: Lisa. I, I would like to be your friend.
Lisa: REALLY?! Then let's go on a date! A date!
Hao: What's a "date?"
Lisa: You'll see! I'll take you around the best date spots in Palpebra!
Alk: Have fun! Just... he better be home by dinner, got it?
Nimbus: Oh, c'mon. You sound like Light.
Stella: That's not a bad thing.
Alk: I-I'm not THAT fussy... am I?
Light: Hao! Haooo! ...He has to be around somewhere.
Alk: Oh, I'm pretty sure he's out with Lisa.
Light: Again?! What time do they think it is? Did he say where they were going?
Alk: No, but they've gotta be in Palpebra somewhere... probably?
Lisa: This is sooooo cool!
Regitare: What in the blazes was that?!
Hao: Here we are.
Lisa: I feel kinda dizzy... haha. But that was AMAZING!
Hao: I'm glad you liked it.
Lisa: This is the place you were telling me about, right? Your favorite part of the forest?
Hao: Yes. I have a lot of memories with friends here. It's also where I met Alk and the others.
Hao: You remind me a lot of him.
Lisa: Who, Alk? But I'm your girlfri-
Lisa: Oh, never mind. He IS pretty cute, so I'll take that as a compliment. ...Y-you're way hotter than Alk though!
Hao: Hotter? I haven't learned that word yet, but if Alk is cute and "hotter," so are you.
Hao: I'll do my best to be "hotter" too.