Shywe/Stories
A winged girl appears before Alk from above, declaring him to be her destined husband, as designated by the sprites. Alk persuades her that he is unable to wed as he is underage, and she decides to join his party in the meantime.
Light: Ngh... Has it always been this windy in Palpebra?
Nimbus: Probably a storm coming in. I dunno about you guys, but I'd prefer to stay dry, so we'd best get movin'.
Stella: ...A bird?
???: Such handsome eyes... Such luxurious hair!
Girl From the Skies: Yes, yes, yes! Joyous day! It's you—the one destined to become my hazubando!
Alk: Your what now?
Girl From the Skies: Come, come! Let us announce our vows before the village and restore its glory!
Alk: Our what now?! Do I even know you?
Shywe: Where are my manners? My name is Shywe. I am the one destined to become your wyfu—as foretold by the sprites!
Light: Why... foo?
Shywe: Oh, so sorry! In your tongue it would mean, hmm... how to say this... Ah, yes! Holy matrimony!
Shywe: In other words, marriage!
Alk: Marriage? WHOMST?!
Alk: Er, I mean, I've never even met you—what are you trying to pull here?!
Shywe: Pull? There is no pulling here. Only the sacred guidance of the sprites!
Alk: You can't expect me to go along with this, can you?!
Shywe: Obviously! And I don't think I appreciate your tone, mister!
Alk: ...Are you seriously getting MAD at me?
Shywe: Hehe... Look at us—already having our first fight! This might hurt a teeeeensy-weensy bit, okay?
Light: Get down, Alk! We'll take care of this!
Alk: O-okay! Thanks!
Shywe: So my hazubando likes to play hard to get, I see!
Nimbus: Eyes over here, lady! You're dealin' with me now!
Nimbus: What the—you cowardly...
Alk: *pant* *wheeze* I think I lost her... for now, at least.
Shywe: Teehee... Just where do you think you're going?
Alk: I didn't lose her at all!
Alk: Can you... at least... tell me... why we have to get... married?!
Shywe: It's part of the prophecy! In order for our dwindling village to survive, the blood of outsiders would be necessary.
Alk: The prophecy? I don't know anything about that! And furthermore, why me? We've just met!
Shywe: Do you have a problem with our arrangement?
Alk: YES!
Shywe: There's nothing for you to be worried about, my dear! My father is the chief, after all. You'll be welcomed with open arms!
Shywe: I promise you'll love it—feast on our delicious fuudo, sleep on the fluffiest of beddo, and have every whim and fancy catered by our loyal meido!
Shywe: In other words, you'll live like a king! With me as your queen.
Alk: That sounds lovely and all, but... don't I get a say in all this?! What about MY rights?
Shywe: They told me outsiders would be quite spirited, but I didn't expect THIS much resistance!
Shywe: Are your rights and opinions really so important?
Alk: Huh?
Shywe: Rather than brave the winds and seas of life alone, wouldn't you rather be bound to a greater power to guide your way?
Shywe: Become one with the sprites, and you will feel no such pain any longer.
Alk: I... I can't move!
Shywe: How many kids do you want? I think five would be good, right?
Shywe: But if you want more, I'll try my hardest to give you up to ten, even!
Alk: You can't be serious!
Alk: Aren't YOU upset about having to marry someone you've only just met?
Shywe: Not at all!
Shywe: Let's get going now, shall we?
Alk: H-hey! Watch it! I, uh...
Alk: That's right! Just as you have your culture, I have my own! And where I'm from, we're not allowed to marry until we turn eighteen!
Alk: And there's, uh, no way around this law! Such a shame, right? Heh...
Shywe: Is that so? How unfortunate...
Shywe: Such a shame. Oh well! I'm sure the sprites will allow it!
Alk: No way!
Alk: You couldn't possibly go against the word of the sprites, right? Well, uh, the same goes for me!
Alk: Where I'm from, there is nothing more hallowed and sacred than the law! If you can't accept my values, how can you expect me to accept yours?
Shywe: That DOES make sense. It would be troublesome for us both if you weren't able to open yourself to the sprites...
Shywe: I suppose it can't be helped... Clearly there is a clash between your culture and the will of the sprites.
Shywe: But I'm sure there was a reason you were chosen. I suppose I'll just have to see this through for myself!
Alk: What are you getting at, exactly?
Shywe: Isn't it obvious? I'll be joining you instead!
Shywe: I'm sure there will be much for me to learn, but I'll do everything I can to become the wyfu of your dreams!
Alk: Hoo, boy... I've got a bad feeling about this.
Alk and Shywe take a trip to the mountains to find a medicinal herb to save a man's daughter. With Shywe's power of flight, they're able to procure the herb and fly back in record time.
Alk: All right. That should be enough meat and veggies to last us a couple days at least.
Shywe: Hehe... My dear hazubando to be is quite the chef! How delightful.
Shywe: And such a creative one, too! I've never seen such exotic dishes...
Alk: Exotic? S-sorry, did they not agree with your palate?
Shywe: No, not at all! Where I come from, such attention to flavor and presentation is often considered to be unnecessary.
Alk: Whoa, seriously?
Shywe: The people of Palpebra are always focused on their worldly pleasures.
Shywe: But lately, I feel like I'm starting to understand why...
Alk: It seems you've taken a liking to life outside your village, huh?
Shywe: It haaaaas been rather pleasant, yes, but...
Shywe: The presence of sprites is so faint here...
Shywe: The people here have such little respect for the sprites—so many nonbelievers, it's unbelievable!
Alk: Well, you know how it is here... The sprites don't really show up.
Shywe: I just know that if you come to my village, Alk, that you and the sprites would get along famously!
Alk: That reminds me—wanna swing by the Guild? I need to buy some sundries for the Kaleidoscope.
Pur Lilie: Thank ya kindly, Alk! I'll have your order delivered to Lelucia shortly.
Man: Somebody, anybody! Does anyone have Masurel's medicinal herbs?
Man: My child has a terrible fever... I need to get my hands on some soon!
Adventurer: Calm down, buddy. If you're lookin' for medicine, go find a doctor—
Man: I've already tried! But the apothecary and clinics were all cleaned out today! Please... At this rate...
Adventurer: Ah, that's unfortunate...
Man: Please, anybody! Damn... This was my last hope!
Shywe: Alk, do you know about this herb?
Alk: Hmm... It's a rare herb that can only be found on the highest of cliffsides. A three-day journey from here, I'd say.
Pur Lilie: Of course, if there were a way to fly there, it'd be a much shorter journey, but—
Shywe: This sounds like the perfect time to show them to the power of the sprites!
Alk: Wait... Yeah! With your power of flight, getting those herbs would be a cinch!
Shywe: Shall we, Alk?
Alk: Right. You'll need me to tell you which herb it is, huh?
Shywe: We're lifting off, so hold on to me reeeeeal nice and tight, okay?
Alk: O-okay.
Shywe: Give me a nice good squeeze... You wouldn't want to fall, would you?
Alk: L-like this?
Shywe: A bit harder...
Alk: Really? I thought you said the wind did most of the heavy lifting...
Shywe: Hehe. Okie-dokie! Let's go!
Alk: Whoooa! We're flying!
Shywe: Aren't you worried, Alk?
Shywe: If I wanted to, I could change course any second and take you to my village, you know?
Alk: Yeah, but you wouldn't... right?
Shywe: Of course not! This time, at least.
Shywe: We have a child to save, after all. Time is of the essence!
Alk: There it is! Masurel's herb!
Shywe: We'll surely be able to save that poor child with this.
Alk: Yeah! Thank goodness.
Shywe: The ones who should be thankful are that man and his child.
Alk: I mean, you did this because you wanted to save them, right?
Shywe: Not particularly. I was merely fulfilling the role bestowed upon me by the sprites.
Alk: Even though they weren't from your village?
Shywe: It was an opportunity to show the nonbelievers the power of the sprites.
Shywe: What's so funny?
Alk: N-nothing, sorry.
Shywe: Now all is left is a geeeentle glide all the way back to Palpebra.
Shywe: That being said, be careful not to... fall off!
Alk: Wh-what part of this is supposed to be gentle?
Shywe: Hehe... If you're going to be my hazubando one day, you'd better get used to at least THIS much turbulence!
Shywe: Here we goooo!
Alk: AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
Shywe confronts Alk about his past, grilling him about how he still knows his age and marriage laws despite having lost his memory. Before her rampage can inflict any real destruction, her anger is fortunately quelled when Mal Lelucia swings by.
Alk: Just the two I've been looking for. You guys hungry for some cookies? I think I baked too many...
Nimbus: I could definitely go for some. Was just getting hungry, actually.
Light: Hold on... Where's Shywe? Seems like you two have been joined at the hip recently.
Alk: Don't remind me. She's actually off on her own in Palpebra today.
Alk: It seems she's really serious about learning more about Palpebra's culture and people.
Nimbus: Heh. Shywe and Alk, sittin' in a tree...
Alk: Not you too, Nimbus!
Alk: And no... It's not like that. I just think it's, well, admirable You know?
Light: Uh-oh.
Alk: Shywe? I thought you went to Palpebra.
Shywe: Alk.
Alk: Y-yes? What is it?
Shywe: I was at the Guild today and heard something strange... Is it true that you lost your memories?
Alk: Oh yeah. Did I never mention that?
Shywe: Then explain... just how... you know what the marriage laws are for where you're "from", exactly?
Shywe: I didn't want to believe this, but... did you... LIE to me? You... You wouldn't right? Hehe...
Alk: Uh-oh... Well, about that, exactly. I wouldn't call it a LIE, exactly, but more of an, um....
Shywe: I was a such a fool to try to gain a mutual understanding of our cultures! I should've just done this in the first place!
Shywe: I'll make you my hazubando, and that's THAT!
Alk: Hear me out, Shywe! It was probably a deep, core memory that was unlocked when you brought up marriage! Yeah, that's it! So—
Shywe: That won't work on me this time, you big liar!
Alk: WHOOOOA!
Light: Alk, you'll need to subdue her if this conversation is gonna go anywhere!
Alk: Oof... I'd rather not, but...
Shywe: It seems that you'll fight back until the very end, I see! In that case, let's see you deal with...
Shywe: ...THIS! By the time you return to your senses, you'll already be in my village!
Alk: W-wait, wait! Let's all calm down and talk this through, okay?
Shywe: There's nothing to discuss. Good night, Al—
Mal Lelucia: Lelucia
Alk: Shywe? Shywe?! SHYWEEEEEEE!
Shywe: ...Hmm ...Huh?
Alk: Shywe! Thank goodness... You're finally awake.
Shywe: Alk... What happened?
Shywe: Oh, that's right! We were in the heat of battle, and I—
Shywe: Ouch...
Alk: You'd best not move too much for now.
Shywe: Did... Did I lose?
Alk: Not exactly. It was more of an accident of sorts, if anything...
Shywe: Alk... You're a strange one.
Shywe: You could've finished me off or taken me somewhere far away while I was asleep, but...
Alk: That's a little dramatic, don't you think?!
Shywe: Do you really hate the idea of becoming my hazubando that much?
Alk: I don't HATE the idea, necessarily, but... Hmm... How do I put this?
Alk: I don't think I could marry you. Sorry.
Alk: To you, the sprites and their guidance are something precious and irreplaceable.
Alk: But to me, that's simply not the case.
Alk: So... I'm sorry. For lying. And everything else.
Nimbus: Err... Sorry. Am I interrupting something? Should I go?
Shywe: Oh no, not at all!
Nimbus: Oho?
Shywe: So do you hate the sprites?
Alk: N-no! I just don't think my lifestyle really has much room for them, you know?
Shywe: N-no! I just don't think my lifestyle really has much room for them, you know?
Alk: Yeah, I think that sums it up pretty well.
Shywe: Understood. In that case, I have an idea of my own.
Shywe: So just... you... wait! ♪
Alk: Wait? F-for what?
Nimbus: She is a tenacious one, isn't she?