IC-7 Way of Living

You know, Master Edge, I'm kind of intrigued. What was Stitch's mentor like?

I just knew you had an ulterior motive for coming with me, you runt.

You bother yourself with that Stitch boy an awful lot.

Hahah, you caught me red-handed.

That's just the kind of guy I am, hoping for everyone to hit it off and make friends.

Then you'd love his mentor.

Finch Canvas was his name. Most well-loved architectural designer in all of Zeruertza.

His style might've been leagues apart from the Durin vogue, but when he explained things, he always our hearts doing it.

In his words, he'd, er, what was it...? Right, 'throw off our ceaseless desires.'

His arguments were unique, relatively, but the Zeruertzans loved him.

So why would someone like him leave?

That's the mystery.

Huh?

He just up and went, and never told anyone.

That's... pretty weird for sure.

As for the apprentice he left behind... we all recognize his talent, but, well, you've seen how he acts.

Hahah. I bet it's to do with how his teacher suddenly left?

So we all reckon.

Oh? You got some results?

Hrmm, let's take a look...

*sigh*...

Verdict?

Ach. More or less how you predicted.

We've got just under a month's time left.

A month? Should be enough to enlarge the lifts, then.

Fancy meeting you here, Gavial.

Fancy me. Looks like you don't need me to pitch in anymore?

Mmm. This about does it for the survey.

Did you win over Avdotya?

Sure did. She said she'll help talk the Zeruertzans into it.

Good. All that's left should be putting out the official city-wide notice of the situation.

It's not just deciding how to head to the surface. We've got to settle the matter of the dome too.

Huh? What's up with the dome?

Oh, silly me. Nearly forgot you aren't Durins.

Right. Calamity doesn't come for Durin cities so often, but it's a decent bet a Durin has his city wrecked at least once in his life.

It doesn't haunt us to leave the homes we grew up in.

Contrarily, you see, we always make sure our cities are in the best condition before we leave them, so they greet destruction the finest they can be.

Wow, that kicks ass!

So you think? It's only natural for us.

And no matter why that hole's been sitting in the dome all this time, we've got to do something about it now.

Yeah, speaking of the dome, where's Stitch?

Eh? Wasn't he with you?

What? He said he was gonna find you guys.

Gavial, do you need Stitch?

You know where he went?

Mm-hm. I met him when we came in. He didn't say anything to me, he just went outside the cave.

Huh?

You solemnly swear to us you have a map, and now you tell us that map's likely in some book on a shelf somewhere?

(Clears throat) I can hardly do anything about that.

I've had no interest in returning to the surface, after all. You should be content with the fact I could remember once seeing a forebear's map recorded in a book.

If that cave network turns out to be as complex as you say, then I don't mind spending a little more of the time we do have.

So, do you still remember what exactly that book was called?

I've forgotten. I vaguely recall it should be a travel log, detailing the Durin author's variegated experiences on the surface.

What's the point of asking, anyway? It's not as if we can read Durish.

I can't, but don't forget. I've got my friends here.

Zumama. Zumama. Do you require help?

I want to find this travel log Avdotya's talking about, with a map recording the route through the cave network to the surface.

Library books: infrequently sorted. Difficulty of search: relatively high.

If you find it, I'll give you all an intense round of maintenance.

Zumama: friend. Assist Zumama.

Assist Zumama. Assist Zumama.

Fantastic. Take it away, then. I'll be waiting outside. Remember to shout for me if something gives you trouble.

Yep.

Also... High Priest.

Yes, I'm here.

Pitch in.

What in the...?!

A friend of mine.

Shouldn't you have asked me first if I knew any Durish, Zumama?

Is there any way you wouldn't?

Oh. Are you still miffed I never told you about all this business underground?

You see, Zumama, if I regaled you about every last thing I knew, you could figure out how to construct an entire nomadic city and build it too before I finished.

I personally believe the pursuit of knowledge has to rest at some point, though I'm not a person per se.

Will you help or not?

If you'll pardon me once I find it.

Deal.

Er, Inam, what are you standing at the library doors for?

I'm waiting for someone. And you?

Library caretaker called me over to discuss something about refurbishing the place.

He's been wanting to, but never got around to it. Now's a good chance.

I've been a little curious about that.

Plenty of time's passed since the broadcast, and, okay, none of the city's Durins are panicking, but...

Why are some even planning to refurbish their buildings?

Hm? Oh, right, you're a surface-dweller. I see, it would be lost on you.

You have built those roving cities to avoid disasters, haven't you?

Yes.

But we're different, see. Our cities can't move about.

Nomadicizing cities built underground would be much more of a challenge, yes.

Between you and me, I've heard of masters who've had thoughts of building cities just like that.

You see, if we fit rock-crushers and borer planes and the like onto the dome, and slipped a base plate under the whole city, it might just be within reach.

Er... I'm not great with construction, but that sounds even crazier than our nomadic cities are.

And I've never heard of anyone looking to actually pull it off, truth be told.

Anywho, our cities don't move. Unnomadic, if you will.

But. Every one of our cities does have Originium vein detector facilities, which send off an alert when one of them encroaches.

I wonder if those sensors could replace the jobs of Catastrophe Messengers...

I've heard of them. It's not quite apples to apples, see, because the spread of Originium veins is the only thing our sensors can pick up on.

True. Judging from what I've heard, there's also a stretch of time from vein discovery to vein activation, and outside of special circumstances like now, you'd plenty of time to evacuate.

But if hints of a Catastrophe were detected, getting so much time to react would be a miracle.

Circling back—you're used to abandoning your own cities, then?

Exactly the opposite, if I had to say.

Durins adore everything that ties to this land. We adore machinery, buildings, every city we build.

But should disaster insist on its way, then our cities are bound to be destroyed.

And if we're going to face up to that reality, then there's something we have to consider.

A city's inhabitants leave it because of calamity, but calamity doesn't last forever. There'll be other Durins, maybe even our own offspring and theirs, who'll come upon that same land once again.

They'll see the city's remains, they'll lament the disaster that befell it, but as the people who once lived and breathed in it, is that really all we want them to come and learn?

Is surrender our only choice, in the face of our inescapable fate?

We don't accept that. We choose—

We decide, before calamity strikes, what shape our city is going to greet its ruin in.

We set out to make our progeny marvel at the fruits of our technology, to make them gasp at the traces we've left behind, to make them toast with their finest tipple to all our achievements.

Just as we find other fallen cities, and do the very same.

Of course we're sad to have to leave where we grew, but it's a sadness we're accustomed to.

And in said times for us, upkeeping our city such that it's in best condition becomes more meaningful than ever, doesn't it?

It's the body. It's what we call dressing our doomed city.

It's such a... romantic notion.

Of course it is. The more straightforward reason is, we can build a brand new city in as quickly a few months, provided we bring the key industrial equipment and have our robots assisting.

We'd never have the resources to spare for this otherwise.

Haha. Yes, good point.

Er, is that... Stitch over there?

This one... no.

This one? Also no.

This one—er, what's this doing here? I'll take it with me later.

This book? It's a Kazimierzian knight novel... Is it yours?

Ah, right, you can at least tell what that one is. It slipped my mind...

I suppose it is. I brought it from the surface.

About that...

How exactly did a lone Ursus like you wander all the way from Ursus to a Durin city?

......

My family all died in a noble conflict that had absolutely no honor to speak of, and I was forced to flee from my home.

Assassins trailed me throughout my escape, until I eventually fled into a cavern.

Its structure was as complex as the one above the lift here, and I happened to find such a lift that led underground.

And that's how I had the fortune to survive. It was that simple.

Oh, that sure was pretty lucky.

Do you have no other thoughts?

Were you hoping for any?

...*sigh* No wonder you're a friend of Gavial's.

I've heard a lot of stories similar to yours aboard Rhodes Island.

You're already lucky enough just to have survived.

Zeruertza's a good place. It'd be pretty nice, living somewhere like this.

It is.

I thought, originally, I'd be a lot angrier about the circumstances I'd landed in.

But had my family really been so guiltless, my parents so benevolent in their day-to-day, simply befallen by wicked men's hate?

Of course not.

My father still cursed his antagonists more than he cared for his own family, right until his final moments.

As I fled out from the back of our home, I knew nothing of even the whereabouts of my mother.

And I—I was no more than an insignificant sacrifice in a sea of Ursus noble conspiracy.

You're right, I'm very lucky. That's why I have to cherish this hard-won luck as well as I can.

For sure.

......

You're cruising to pick a huge argument with Gavial, am I right?

What gives you that idea?

Because she might've talked you over, but thinking about it carefully, you never actually said what you really wanted to say.

And you tried to argue with her again, but then you lost the opportunity, so your only choice was to bite your tongue.

I've seen a lot of people pissed off by Gavial's whole personality—she gets me too, sometimes—and you're the most obvious kind about it.

Alright, I admit it.

I've never met anyone like Gavial. Whether I'm Ursus or Durin, getting a handle on her is... elusive.

If there's something you need to get off your mind, you can tell me. You've helped me out. I'll think about passing it onto her for you.

I'll refrain. I'm not in straits that desperate yet.

However, I do have a proposal.

I have no plans to formally make a return to surface life.

Once the danger is past, I'll be proposing the Durins return underground.

Of course, contact can never be easily severed once made, and so breaking off dealings will be nigh-impossible. I recognize that much.

And I admit that you, the Tiacauh of Acahualla, may be possible relational targets.

Thus, once the Durins rebuild their city underground, I'll invite you all to relocate from a rainforest void of anything, to the land beneath the surface.

At that point, I'm sure even one of Gavial's nature will understand just how wonderful Durin society is.

Hmm... yeah, we'll pass.

Why?

Let's get back to that once we find the map.

Attention all residents of Zeruertza. It's a fine day.

The results of Master Edge's survey have just been made available.

The active Originium vein is set to explode in approximately 25 days.

Zeruertza is officially entering the preparatory phase of evacuation, commencing now.

Following discussions between your representatives, a general meeting will be held at a suitable timeslot in the forum.

At that time, we will discuss the specifics of our evacuation program, as well as the dressing of our doomed city.

Residents of Zeruertza, stay tuned for further broadcasts.

Deculture. Wake up, Deculture.

...good boy, Robot Stitch.

...Deculture. Deculture.

You're so silly, Robot Catch.

Let's have the both of you fight.

What in all of love are you dreaming about?

DECULTURE! WAKE UP!

Hmnuh? Whazzwha?

You know... I'd like to ask why you're taking a nap in Stitch's garden again.

Because it's so peaceful here.

You must have missed the broadcast as well, seeing how cold you were out.

Did something happen?

Master Edge went to the other shore, did his survey, and found an Originium vein got shifted close to the tunnel entrance by the earthquake from before, and it's shockingly active too.

We're going to hold a general meeting, and decide on how we take refuge.

Oh.

You didn't come here just to tell me that, though, did you?

...Right.

I'm looking for Stitch.

If you want Stitch, I think he's ridden the boat I lent him to the other shore, to meet Master Edge and the others.

Really? I'll wait for him here, then.

Do you need him for something?

Yes. I'm hoping... he'll return to the design department and work with us in amending the dome plans.

Since Zeruertza's facing destruction, there's no sense in holding the landmark competition anymore, but we're lucky to still have some time.

So, we'll have to make a decision at the meeting regarding how to handle that hole the earthquake left in the dome.

I dunno, just leaving it sounds fine to me. Thoughts?

Even if we wanted to, we'd need the citizens to approve that first.

It's an extremely significant thing to any architectural designer, letting a city reach perfection during its final moments.

We're giving the city a final round of observation, and putting out a plan we can fulfil in the finite time we have.

So, you're hoping Stitch will return.

Right.

I don't know why Master Finch left, all of a sudden. Others might believe their tutor-apprentice relationship was fading, or their time was just up, but I know that can't be the case.

As a former assistant to Master Finch, I know more than anyone that despite his personal utter lack of inhibition, he cared very much for Stitch, from the bottom of his heart.

Stitch was like a son to him.

So his departure has to have some inextricable link to Stitch.

And as industrial representative, you've seen the state Stitch has fallen into since his teacher left.

His planning proposals kept getting overruled to the point he's slowly stopped showing up at the design department, and I've been seeing it happen and wanting to help him somehow, but I've never been able to find a way.

This dome was left to the city as the grandest work of Stitch's teacher, Master Finch.

But do you think, to Stitch, it might instead be a burden?

......

Even so, you don't want him left with any regrets, right?

Right.

This is our last chance, Deculture.

How very you.

Stitch, Stitch! Are you there?

Huh? What are you two doing here?

Catch! So you and Deculture got something going on, huh?

No we don't.

Wow, ice-cold.

Keep me out of your banter, Elysium.

Master Edge, Miss Gavial, good work.

I'm just napping here, and he's waiting for Stitch to come back.

You're saying Stitch hasn't?

Didn't he bring you and your friends the equipment? And he made kind of a whole scene about it.

But he vanished partway, and we don't know where he went, and here it turns out he's not home.

Tomimi ran into the runt, and said he looked pretty damned unhappy.

Any ideas?

I... don't know.

...I might.

Zumama. Zumama. Not in this row, either.

Okay, move onto the next.

Ugh, this is tiring me out, a little.

I can't believe we still haven't found it.

Go on, take a break.

About my earlier question—I'd still like to know why, Zumama.

I can't imagine you've been blind to how fine life is among the Durins.

There's no noble conspiracies, no scheming and jockeying—and even if there is, it's just plain adorable.

Even as we're on the verge of calamity, the Durins have sufficient contingency plans in place, and they even have the leisure at this moment to consider—

How Zeruertza can greet its destruction in the best condition they can imagine.

I'm not denying any of that, Avdotya.

I think you're pretty on point. Durin life's not bad.

I'm not refusing you because I think what you're saying is wrong, it's because... I don't like it.

If there was a Tiacauh who wanted to come live underground, then I wouldn't stop them, and neither would Inam.

But why? I'm not just rejecting surface life out of my own experiences.

I've thought over this countless times, spending my days in the Durin cities.

I believe, and results show, the Durins live an undoubtedly better life, one more in pursuit of culture.

But why would you, or Gavial, or anyone not want a better life?

......

My master isn't just wildly proficient with machines. She's really into movies, and dramas too.

She gets me watching all sorts of stuff, and she doesn't even care if I'm interested—she explains it all to me. I've ended up remembering a few things, over time.

For example, when she sees a character about to go on a long speech, she always says—

'Ugh, long-winded righteous guys like this either turn out as villains, or they just get in the protag's way. Can't they just make their characters a little cuter...?'

......

Why do you need to convince me, or Gavial?

I...

Oh, and might I add, young lady, your view of the Durins is actually quite wide of the mark.

In what way?

If you'd said life in the Durin city-states was more 'on-demand,' or 'cozier,' or 'safer' of a life, I wouldn't retort.

But you hold that the Durin lifestyle is a 'better' life, and dare I say, that alone may well be wrong.

You're a clever child. I'm sure the distinction there doesn't fly past you.

Good sir... I—I'm calling you that for now. I understand what you mean.

But can you really say it's wrong for me to wish for others to live a more materially, spiritually plentiful life?

That's a different question. You're simply looking to redeem a little of the prestige you lost in an argument that's long since ended, no?

......

So basically, you think the pressure to Stitch's mind, so he chose to run?

Exactly.

And if so, my bet is he's gone to a hut by the lakeside.

Before he moved into this building, that was where he and his teacher lived together.

Catch, you know what I want to say here, don't you?

If we end up deciding to amend the dome design, and Stitch is still unwilling, then it's down to me, right?

It's not just for the sake of dressing the city. From a realistic standpoint, reinforcing the dome'll buy us more time to evacuate.

Finch and I were good friends, and I couldn't make sense of him leaving without a word either, so I'd been wanting to look after his student as best I could.

There's a boundary to everything.

Miss Gavial... can we trouble you to go find Stitch?

You didn't need to ask—I was gonna. Tomimi volunteered to help the city people out with stuff, and having an empty plate bugged me.

I think him and I have a little debt to settle at this point, too.

Then I'll leave it to you.

Where's that hut?

Just on the lakeside, similar style to this building. Very unique. You'll see it the moment you get there.

You got it.

Catch, aren't you gonna go?

I... I don't know how I should face Stitch, under these circumstances.

But you're worried sick for him, aren't you?

Ever since Master Finch vanished, I've been wanting to help him, but I just don't know how.

C'mon. Do I diagnose you with 'too nice,' or 'way way way too nice?'

Nah, I guess you Durins do give me that kind of vibe, on the whole.

Eh?

For reasons I don't know either, Stitch actually has kind of an inferiority thing.

With his type of personality? You greet him with what you think is an equal approach, but to him, it actually comes off like a sort of pressure from on high.

Because for him, it takes everything he's got just to pretend he's on the same level as you guys.

You can't just invest some sincerity and expect results when it comes to communicating.

So, what should I do?

Well, alright. You treat me like a brother, in times like these, I'll teach you a thing or two, just how brothers should.

It's actually real simple. You don't say anything like 'I want a fair competition with you,' and you don't say to him, 'you've got a choice.'

You seal off his escape route, and you tell him, 'you've got no choice, but I'll be right there with you, and we'll do our best.'

A man who spends too long shut in his own self-made space tends to need a little prodding, from time to time.

Miss Deculture, what do you say?

Why ask me?

I'm just making some of my own guesses here, but you, you clearly know him better than anyone.

Stitch does have a sort of inferiority complex.

You might just be right. He doesn't need tender comfort, he needs someone to really yank him out.

Won't that... hurt him?

It will, and it's not guaranteed to turn out pretty.

But if this is his last chance, as you say—

Then you ask yourself too, do you just want to get along better with him, or do you want him to make his way out, even if it makes your relationship worse?

......

I'll give it a try.

Then I think you oughta speed it up.

Or we get Gavial's fists instead, and those sure don't settle for 'yank him out.'

Haha, I'll get going now, then!

......

......

Lively, extroverted, grasps social contact. They're all fine character traits, Catch.

You believe people should become that way, and you do work to see that happen.

But you can't always hope for everyone else to be like you.

Elysium's right too, and if I'm going to help Stitch, maybe that's what I need to do.

But I think distress and evasion are just as correct, too.

So...

Catch, seeing as you're going to do things your way, I'll do things my way.

If Stitch wants to run, I'll help him run.

Deculture. Deculture. Do you need us?

Go. Help Stitch out.

If Miss Deculture wasn't doing it on purpose, then she doesn't realize just how easy it actually is to read her face.

She doesn't agree with what I say at all, heheh.

Man—I haven't felt this youthful a vibe in forever. It makes me wanna join in on the fun a little.

......

Nah. If I did go, I might just get swept in by Gavial.

I don't want to be beaten for no good reason.

Okay, Stitch! You'd better shake up and wake up.

Turn a blind eye to all these guys who want to help you, and you don't know how it might come back to haunt you.

I don't understand. You people clearly aren't as unreasonable as Gavial.

Why do you insist so much on—

Indulging her?

I ask you, do you not look at Gavial and feel that we need someone like her?

Inam, weren't you waiting outside?

You spent so long in here, I thought you were up to something...

Avdotya, you and I happen to be similar in ways.

A huge part of why I came to serve as Acahualla's Messenger was that I wanted to escape the unending strife between the lords ameer.

Acahualla has nothing to speak of, but life here is extremely comfortable. I'm a big fan of this land.

And also, if we're raising worries, then I'm more worried than you about the Durins' showing up causing issues.

Then why are you still...

Gavial's been gone from Acahualla for so many years, and hasn't changed one bit.

As if nothing, anywhere, across all the four corners could make her surrender.

When I see Gavial, I think to myself, 'ah—so people like you still exist.'

I can't help but want to help her.

It's that simple.

......

Before I left Acahualla with Gavial, I was completely ignorant.

I've seen so many things with Rhodes Island, but I've slowly realized that what I'm really learning isn't just knowledge.

There's so much across the world that I've never thought of, that at the same time is exactly how you should expect.

I'm sure Gavial's seen plenty where she's just as powerless too.

My dream is to build the mightiest machine in any land.

But truth is, I still haven't figured out what I should use it for when I'm done.

Still, seeing Gavial, I've gradually gotten some sort of idea.

The machines I make will be used to help her.

There'll come a day when Gavial's fists meet a wall they can't break through.

But that's not a problem with her. She's flesh and blood too, after all.

And just like I've done here and now, I'll give her the greatest weapon.

If fists won't do it, then take an axe. If an axe won't do it, then take a hammer. If a hammer won't do it, then take a drill. If a drill won't do it, then I'll build her an entire Big, Ugly Thing.

And if a Big Ugly won't do it, then I'll build her a nomadic city, and whatever she wants to do with that, she will.

You really trust her that much?

I do. Because Gavial stands for Acahualla better than anyone or anything ever could.

She's the backbone of us, and in future, she'll be the backbone of even more.

And it's in our power, our own power, to make sure Gavial's fists are unhindered for eternity.

......

Of course, realistically, I'm just as worried what leaving Acahualla to her purview will result in.

With Gavial's temperament, giving her authority might discomfort the powers more than it will her.

So, if she really was going to serve as lord ameer, I was planning to thoroughly groom her for it for a stretch.

It probably wouldn't have done anything.

Haha, I think so too.

But even I never pictured I'd be willing to go so far for her.

......

Your experiences have taught you to doubt people like Gavial from the start.

I don't deny that.

So, maybe you can try to start by believing in her.

...I'll give it an attempt.

So. The map?

Ah... I forgot.

Oh, I see you left it to this old codger and all these bots to actually, conscientiously search, while you were all tied up arguing in Gavial's favor.

And I only just realized this shelf has absolutely nothing to do with travel records!

So I went to the other side and took a look, and I found it straight away.

I think it's this we want?

Yes.

......

......

Avdotya: dummy. Avdotya.

Fine... I know, I was wrong, I'm sorry!

Is that enough?!

Ah, Avdotya! Brilliant, you're still here.

Master Edge sent a message a moment ago. He's proposing we hold that general meeting in the forum now, and the other representatives are all in favor. Now we need your view.

......

Thank you, Zumama.

Though I still don't entirely accept it, perhaps—I can indeed give it an attempt.

Alright.

Croque, tell Master Edge—I have no objections, and moreover, I'll be there to persuade the residents of Zeruertza.