Arknights story · Under Tides
SV-2 Singer
A strange group inhabits this city of ruin. They treat Skadi, a rare outsider, both coldly and warily. A clash ensues.
2 scenes, 341 lines
1. Before Operation
91 lines3:23 P.M. \ Overcast
Iberia, Sal Viento
A city, life long lost, lies half-buried under dust and whiff of sea breeze.
......
May I ask—
(He hangs his head low, and does not speak.)
Nobody responds. Nobody so much as turns a head. Their eyes are open, yet all of them are motionless.
Their only trait unlike a statue is that they breathe. Long and slow, they breathe.
They are all human in appearance. Aside from being far too slender, and clothed in near-rags, they are indistinguishable from the Iberians met along the way, a far cry from the monsters Old José described.
They're all humans.
(She utters Iberian.)
Is this not how they speak anymore?
(Iberian again, the accent somewhat changed.)
......
Still no one replies.
Skadi subconsciously grips her case's handle.
Outside, she has her ways of making those who will not talk, talk. But it requires that the target comprehend her speech.
Ninety-nine...
A small shadow flits across the street.
Someone's talking.
With a fast step, she chases after.
Ninety-nine.
A... child? He's mumbling a number.
I can't have misheard.
You—
My necklace just...
You will not escape!
The child slips free of her grasp. With a flick of his head, he scampers down an even deeper alleyway.
Ninety-nine, ninety-nine...
You can't run.
*Whimper*...
Skadi tramples directly onto a trap laid on the ground.
A hole, a few ropes. The ambushes outside were at least much more adequate than this.
Come out, all of you.
I needed to find you, anyway. Quickly, if you don't mind.
In the shadows, some few 'sculptures' come to life, slowly easing towards Skadi.
She's very peculiar.
Quite, Sheetmetal. Such a person, I've never before seen.
Nor I.
So you know how to speak after all.
Who are you?
A wandering singer.
I know not what a wandering singer is.
Sheetmetal, do not speak to her.
Your face, unfamiliar. Your attire, strange. You are not one from here. What is your business?
I want to ask a question.
Your clothes, very new.
Have you seen my fellow person?
You have much strength. You are able to eat your fill.
She came here before I did.
Your case, very heavy.
An instrument is not a light thing.
The thing in your grasp, very uncanny.
Ears, pained. It is a weapon.
It is able to not be.
Sheetmetal, this person, uncanny. Do not heed her. To speak, very tiring.
Bench. Let go of him.
Bench... Do you mean this child?
I didn't intend anything for him. He took something of mine. Things like that are significant.
You came to rob something.
......
I'm only taking back what's mine. And looking for someone who can understand me when I talk.
*Whimper*...
Our child, you may not touch.
Our things, you may not rob.
Hm?
Our rules, may not be broken.
Sheetmetal, you have gotten nearer. What are you doing?
She is going to harm our child, steal what is ours, break our rules.
Is she not our sister? If she is, she too has a share.
She is surely not.
You may not leave.
One moment, Sheetmetal...
Ouch!
There—There is a hole here.
Woodframe's hole. You forgot.
Oh, it comes in handy after all.
Those from outside, to our place, you should not have come!
2. After Operation
250 linesSkadi watches as the locals fall unconscious, and she picks up the suitcase she'd laid for a second on the floor.
...Gr—Greetings.
Hm? There's another one.
Don't—Don't hit me... I'm not very much like them. I know you're good.
You can understand what I mean.
You only came here following Bench.
*Whimper*... Woodframe, Woodframe...
He ran, I followed.
You bear no ill will towards us.
All I ask is he gives what's mine back.
Huh?
B—Bench... what did you take?
All shiny... all shiny... hard... it hurts... *whimper*...
That's not for you to eat! Pull it out of your mouth, quick!
I'm sorry, Bench tends to just grab at things he's never seen before. He doesn't understand these are things he shouldn't grab.
(Receives necklace)
Ugh, it's covered in spit... It's gotten your hand dirty.
It's fine, as long as I have it back.
We don't often see unfamiliar faces here. Did you come from the outside?
I came from a city elsewhere in Iberia.
It's very rare I see people from other places.
Your clothes... are very strange too. I've never seen material like this before. Does everyone from the outside dress that way?
Only wandering singers would.
Wandering... singers? I overheard you talking to Sheetmetal, but I don't know what that is.
Like me, they travel everywhere, occasionally stopping over, playing the harp, singing a song.
What about the case? What's inside it?
A saxophone.
What's a saxophone?
An instrument.
Are you really a wandering singer?
Mm.
(Quiet mutter)
So what did you come to do, then? Was it sing?
I came to find someone.
Who? Also a wandering singer?
Yes. She is a fellow of mine. We are colleagues.
Did she come to Sal Viento too?
Correct. Have you seen her?
You haven't told me what she looks like yet... oh, well! I said it just before, but you're the first time I've ever seen anyone like you.
I'll go and ask others. Can you guide me?
Guide? That trap... was my making. I thought you would've known.
I don't care.
You don't fault me? I thought you would at least have... reproached me some.
Let's go. I'm in a hurry.
Alright...
......
Agh!
Why—Why did you suddenly stop...? I knocked against your case. Ow...
I forgot to say. What's in my case is useless to you.
Apart from this, anything you might want, I can give you once you help me find her.
Er, I was only curious... Was I that apparent?
As plain to see as the trap you made.
Wow... singer, you not only have a pair of nimble hands, but a pair of formidable eyes too.
Ninety-eight...
Ninety-nine...
Huh? How do you usually ask them on the outside?
Um? The saxo... saxophone? You use instruments to ask questions?
The sounds this instrument makes are quite bizarre.
It's very effective. They all usually open up straight away.
If they still don't talk, I can change angle, and go for another round.
Then I have a feeling that won't get you anywhere here.
Sheetmetal? They shouldn't even know of musical instruments. The people here usually keep themselves to themselves, and don't pay attention to anyone.
And they, er, talk very infrequently. Even if they knew, they wouldn't understand how to reply.
You've paid attention to me.
Probably because I'm a little odd. I'm not too like everyone else.
You talk a lot better than they do too.
Do I really? I'm so happy. It's all what Grandma Petra taught me.
Oh, if you want to find someone else to ask, I can bring you to Grandma Petra. She's the oldest one of us all here, and knows about the most too.
Alright.
Come, singer, let us walk through here.
Here?
Ninety-nine, ninety-nine...
Ninety-nine.
Do you mean them? You can ignore them, they're just standing around. They make it a bit of a squeeze, but it'll be alright even if you bump into them. They won't react, really. Will you, Tableleg?
......
......
Wha? She jumped—clear over their heads? H—How did she manage that? She didn't so much as touch anyone beneath her.
Do all people from the outside walk about like this? How magical!
Made it!
Grandma Petra! Graaaandmaaaa Petraaaa!
Don't shout! Are you trying to shake my ears apart?
Hee-hee, grandma, you're so very lively today! You're still—er, are you basking in the sun?
The sun... keh, where do you see the sun? I've been waiting all these years and I still haven't seen the sun. Anita, what are you getting up to? You're always scrambling about, doing this and that.
Around here, could anything important even happen?
Grandma Petra, I'm fine as I am. Someone else wanted to find you.
—Huh, where'd she go?
Skadi stares fixed at the alley's other end.
There's no one to be seen there. At least, it seems so.
......
How did you get over here all of a sudden?
Someone's watching.
That so? Where? I can't see anyone around.
They're hiding very well. Not well enough, is all.
Why are you so grim? Aren't you a wandering singer? Shouldn't you be very used to people staring if you perform?
...You're right.
Then let's make our way over! Grandma Petra's in alright spirits. You might really be able to ask something or other.
At a street corner, an old lady rounds a pillar, turning circle after circle.
Her body trembles and shakes, yet her gait is no hobble.
Red sky at night, set aglow by my fiery clothes... beloved one, o, take me to fly o'er the deep blue ocean...
Grandma Petra, what are you doing now?
Anita, oh, curse you, Anita! Did you not see I was dancing?
When a young girl is dancing, nobody can disturb her. Are you going to dance along with me, Anita?
I... I don't know how.
Spin a little slower. Watch you don't make yourself dizzy again.
Nonsense! How would I go dizzy? I could round it ten and some times, and the whole city would clap for me!
I... *cough* *cough* *cough*...
Take a little break. Look, we have a wandering singer here. She has a question to ask you.
A wandering singer? I've never seen any wandering singer in my good long years.
This sunlight... this sunlight's carried on far too long. Why hasn't night come yet? Once the sun's turned in, there'll be people playing away in the bar... Will you be playing in there too?
We dance in the square, yes, right here we do... oh, I could spin more times than you could count. I have a red skirt, girlie, and I must say, it's much more beautiful than the one you're wearing.
So many youngsters want to dance with me. I like Manuel the most out of all of them. He was the most handsome when he was young.
Yes, Grandma Petra, you've told me this. You've told me plenty of times now.
Besides, who's looking for me?
Is it you? Your red dress is so pretty.
Red... no, I don't want... I don't want one red.
The seawater! The seawater is alive!
Oh, no, here it goes again...
...suddenly came washing up. Everyone dead! All so fine... so many fine people. The survivors had nothing either to eat.
Manuel... Manuel told me he'd take me with him. Then he went back on that. He said all those people who left had never come back. All of them had died on the outside.
You've told me this before as well.
And then he said he'd protect me. He promised me—he said he'd protect me! But he only wanted to make a fool of me—
He wanted to swindle me out of all the food I'd kept—*cough* *cough*, I pretended to agree, and I took the silver vase my mother left behind—*cough* *cough* *cough* *cough*—
Red... I like red... no, I don't want...
Grandma Petra, Grandma Petra! Just leave it, okay? You always get out of breath once you start going on about this.
The one I brought to see you today wanted to ask about something else.
Ask? Who's asking?
Her. A wandering singer from the outside.
Tell her who you're looking for, quickly! While Grandma Petra still has the strength to answer.
Hello—
Who're you?
A wandering singer. I'm searching for someone just like me, come from the outside as well.
An out—An outsider! You're pulling my leg!
No outsider would ever come around these parts, they stopped caring about us long ago...
You came to steal something, didn't you? You're going to steal my food, my clothes, you're going to sup on my flesh, drink my blood—
Monster! You're a monster!
(Frowns)
Grandma, there isn't a monster. She's just a wandering singer.
Red hem... red... I've found one, here... the singing has arisen... Manuel is waiting for me, I must go, I should go...
Beloved one, o, set aglow by my fiery clothes... fiery clothes...
*Sigh*.
I'm sorry, Grandma Petra's particularly worked up today. Maybe I shouldn't have brought you to see her.
I'll take her back inside, singer. Give me a moment.
Singer, are you still looking for the one watching you?
Across the opposite corner, a dark shadow stows away in an even deeper cloud's gloom.
Grandma Petra was...
She knows of playing instruments, and knows to dance. The way she spoke was akin to an outsider.
Really? No wonder. She speaks of so much, I can't make heads or tails of it.
She called me a monster.
She didn't mean to. Grandma often sees things that aren't real. It's like she's dreaming all the time.
Who isn't.
She's taken ill. She can't answer your question now.
A shame.
Don't be worried.
There are other brothers of mine where I live. I can take you to ask them in a while. I'm just not sure if they'll be willing to open up. Sometimes it really is so hard to speak with them.
Brothers?
Yes, brothers. You're an Iberian too. Don't you call them so?
My mother had no other children—but—I have very many brothers and sisters. In this town, we are all brothers and sisters. That's what the laws say.
What else would we do? When I was very young, Grandma Petra even told me that in those dark days past, we had made mistakes.
In those times, each one of us only looked after ourselves, hiding in each home, never speaking. Sometimes a can would be dug out, and we would, um, fight over it.
Then things gradually got better. Now we'll live together, and occasionally talk. Everyone's started to, erm—learn to share.
—'We want to survive, so we must love one another even more. For love is the inseparable bond between us. We may not steal, we may not fight.'
'Make oneself sturdy, but our whole self sturdier still. Only this way will bring a better life.'
This sounds familiar.
Really? The priest says everyone from the outside believes this too.
I forgot to say, the priest taught us this!
He'll tell us so much every time... most of it is lost on me. Apart from those few words just now, all I remember is we need to treat each other as brothers, and be a little kinder to each other. I suppose it is nice advice, isn't it?
Priest?
Yes. Just like you, he came from the outside too. Though that was very many years ago.
It was ever since he came that things improved. He's a brother among us.
Is he alone?
Most of the time he's alone. Oh, I heard from Sheetmetal's friends there was one more too, later on.
Who?
I've never seen her. She doesn't seem to show herself. Occasionally when the priest is speaking to us, she'll be standing behind him. I only ever see that one glimpse of her from far away.
Alright.
Why are you... in such a hurry suddenly? Do you need to go somewhere?
I'm going to the chapel.
Do you know how to get there?
Your chapel isn't that hard to recognize.
The way there's not so easy. You need to follow the coast from here. Come, let me show you.
The girl leads Skadi along a lengthy stretch of path.
The two gradually near the shore, the chapel roof always somehow in their sight, yet still far away as ever.
Why did you stop?
What do you mean? You've lost me again.
That clingy beastling.
That's strange. You keep saying beastling—that should be an animal, right? We've got no animals living here—they disappeared long ago!
It's fine. Let's keep going.
Very well, friend from the outside. You're in charge.
What did you see? It's right there.
But we don't usually go to the chapel at this time.
I have ways in.
You can enter, we all can. The chapel's entrance is forever open to the devout—the priest said so. But... you wanted to seek someone out, didn't you?
He isn't usually in the chapel at this time.
What times is he in?
Every so often, he'll appear before us of his own accord, and make friendly conversation with every one of us.
If you have any issues, those are also times you can go find him. No matter what it is that bothers you, he'll never reject you.
On such days, until the sun rises the next morning, he'll be in the chapel waiting.
That's right, he can also help you in your search! I'm sure the priest would know much more than any of us!
How long is 'every so often?'
Um, I haven't seen him in the recent while. I'm not like them—I don't really count the days. But it should be the next two days? All our food is about to run bare.
Alright.
Strange. Whenever you say alright, I always feel like it isn't a sincere reply.
No, that's wrong of me. The priest said, we shouldn't doubt others. Ugh, they all say I'm so fond of thinking of all these questions, and it won't help me lead a good life in any way.
Were those also his words?
Haha, he'd never tell me this. I'd slip off before he knew it.
It's Sheetmetal and his lot, they all hate me making a racket. And it's not like I'm always itching to say so much. The people here are all too quiet.
Whenever they won't talk, I get so bored, and the only thing I can do is talk to myself for hours on end.
It used to be that only Grandma Petra would talk with me. And now you too, thank goodness. Oh, no. Do you think I'm annoying as well?
It sounds like a wonderful place!
...It's okay enough.
Where you come from, do the people dance? Just like Grandma Petra was mentioning, dancing in the square?
Occasionally.
Then why haven't I seen you dancing? I've noticed your harp.
Grandma Petra's told me. Don't you all dance around while you sing?
My dance... none of you may see.
Why?
The time, the place, and those before me are all not right.
You're so strange, practically stranger than me. Just where is your home? Are all the people where you're from as strange as you?
(Plucks strings)
Where I'm from, there is no home.
And I do not know where my home is. My home is long gone.
Well, that's okay. My home was long gone as well, years ago in a gale, when the building collapsed. My mamá was inside when it happened, and she's gone too.
......
But that's okay. Everyone's in the same boat. If your house is gone, find another empty one and move in. Plenty of buildings fit the bill here.
That's right, if you're not happy dancing, then can you sing for me?
I've never heard anyone else sing before.
Maybe.
Wonderful!
Oh, visiting so many places has gotten me hungry.
You're hungry too, aren't you? If you're hungry, you can't sing, right?
Let's go find something to eat.
Um...
Am I running too fast? I forgot you wouldn't know the way.
Right, I'm Anita! You can just shout my name from now on, and that way you won't be left behind. Call for me, and I'll stop and wait for you.