Dream Seers and Dream Followers

Hey! It's a jester! Show me some tricks!

Sorry, kid. We're kinda busy right now. But we'll catch you next time, okay?

Awww!

Hoho! I see zere are jesters in zis world too.

Yep. Can't say for sure about this place, but Unigan has a pretty big theater.

Oh? Bigger zan ze one on Zelbess, I wonder?

On Zelbess? What's that?

A pleasure city zat floats on ze sea! Oui monsieur, such a place exists in my world.

Whoa, that place sounds amazing! But this theater is huge, you know. If we get nearby, I'll take you there to check it out.

Look, Harle! Right up ahead is the theater I was talking about.

Oh la la... It is quite ze sight to see.

Hey, jester! You don't belong here!

Hm...?

I'm gonna gather all the folks I can and make you show us who you really are!

Hold on now! We can't be having that! Let's just talk about this.

What's got you so up in arms here?

Huh? Me? Up in arms?

Wait wait wait! Am I crazy or did I just hear you get upset about a jester?

Ohhh! That! You heard me practicing my lines, huh? Sorry! It's only for a play.

Only a play? Mon Dieu. Just when I zought zings were getting exciting around here...

Oh boy! And right when a real live jester showed up! Hope I didn't startle you. By the way, your makeup is flawless! Which troupe are you with?

My troupe? I am sorry, monsieur, but zat iz a secret!

Too famous to let slip, huh? I get it. Must be nice...

You say as much, but your face doesn't look it. Is there something wrong?

Well, as you can see, I'm trying to break into acting. But I can't find a troupe that'll take me in.

Really? Why's that?

See, I come from a family of nobles, and I'm supposed to succeed my father someday. So anytime I try to audition for a troupe, my parents use their power to pressure others to keep me out. Now I get turned away no matter where I go.

Sorry. That sounds really tough.

Yeah, but sometimes I like to imagine being in a world where I'm not me. A world where I'm free from fates tied to my birth. Free to live how I want.

Oh? But everyone has a fate, non? No matter ze world zey are born into, zey cannot run from zis fate zey are born with. At least, zis is what I zink.

But what's the harm in just imagining it? I'm free to do that at least!

But I get what you're saying. I'd be better off throwing away a dream that just won't come true...

Wait. Don't lose heart just yet!

What do you think, Harle? If we go to the other world and find this guy? I don't know if he's an actor there, but maybe he has some helpful advice.

Really? Oh Aldo, you are as sweet as le sucre. I say we go, if only to kill ze time!

Come one, come all! Only a few seats remaining! Don't miss our final show!

Hey, I think that's our guy! The budding actor we saw back in Unigan.

Oh! Didn't expect see human townsfolk! Are you here to see the show?

No, sorry... We were just thinking that it's pretty rare to see a theater in this town.

Ha ha ha! I know, right? Our troupe travels all over the world, but it's our first time visiting this place!

You guys travel the world? You must be pretty famous then!

Now we are, but not when we got started. It was just me all by my lonesome.

Didn't your family give you a hard time about it?

They sure did! I come from a family of nobles. So to keep me out of the war, I was confined to a tiny island.

But I forced my way out by swimming across the ocean. Then I decided to start a theater troupe all on my own!

What a story! It takes some gust to do something like that.

All I could think about was making my dream come true. Even if it went against my birth and my fate.

......

I see. And so you worked hard and never gave up.

Say, we have a friend who's...let's just say he's very similar to you. But he's on the brink of giving up his dream of acting. Would you have any advice for him?

I see. He's ready to give up, huh? Then give him this script. I turned half of my life story into a play. And this show gets sold out every time, no matter where we go. It's a masterpiece!

Thanks a lot! We'll be sure to get it to him!

What? You have a script you want to give me?

Yep. Thinking that it'll help you out somehow.

Hm... I guess I could give it a read at least.

...Whoa!

Thank you so much! This has given me all the courage I need. There's no way I can lose with this! Come hell or high water, I'm going to make my dream come true!

Looks like he's all cheered up now.

Oui, but ze curtains have only closed for zis act, not ze show. He iz still tied to his fate, non? And yet you dare to give him zis hope.

There's always reason to have hope, no matter what life you're born into. Besides, I have a feeling that he'll realize his dream. It's just a hunch, but it's real.

Hmph. Iz zat so? Dreams... Oh lah lah.

Do you have a dream, Harle?

Moi? I suppose I have many dreams...

......

But for now, I will keep zem to myself!

Aw, come on!

Heheh! Zough I must admit, I may have misjudged you, monsieur. You are quite fascinating... Perhaps you would like to dream of moi tonight?

Uh, that's a whole other kind of dream!