Walking back up the path to Jubilife Penny spirals with simultaneous curiosity and dread trying to make sense of the started as a slight concern had seemingly evolved into a whole side quest with ominous NPC dialogue to match
“you and Peonia were not the fist people to fall on that beach or in general and I fear you probably won’t be the last, dozens of fallers have landed in Hisui and so far three of them have been at that beach”
she quiets as they approach the south gate, guards letting the pair through without a word unlike their first pass but this time they were with Akari so no one questioned it. At first they thought it was just their own clouded judgment but the more time they spend in jubilife the more they realize how little people question her. even now they themself assumed that this bizarre exposition dump was some sort of survey corp protocol she had neglected to do earlier.
Rei did the basic employee training tutorial, Akari does ...whatever this is.
Coming up to the employee quarters she took their hand guiding them through the space between the aforementioned building and the Galaxy Hall.
It almost felt colder back here.
The area was mostly empty bar a lone tree and slight incline in the ground leading up to a small plateau.
releasing their hand, she hesitates for a moment before speaking
“those fallers I mentioned...”
she approaches the incline “well, … come look at this”
Penny steps up the incline looking over the flat area atop it they could now make out an odd patch of white ground. sparse snow had accumulated around the village already but even in the dark they could tell but this spot was too ...consistent crouching down to inspect it closer the realization hits them
“what exactly am I looking at here?”
“this is whats left of them not everyone whole falls lasts as long as we do…”
Ashes. They were right. A thousand thoughts rush through their head at once enough to throw them of balance. Akari kneels down beside them
“I was there they day this started and it never gets easier.”
“and when the time came I’d have to tell you has been waying on me since the day we met”
“…because there are three fallers left ...and I think something is trying to get rid of us.”
