[Ever since the Hearts game, he's been coming to the Vale to visit his birds at least twice per week. Feeding them birdseed, singing to them, and seeing what shiny new things they've accumulated since last time. It's a lovely way to relax and pass the afternoon away.
Or at least it used to be. There's nothing "relaxing" about this, however: not only has the Vale been plunged into darkness (despite it being the middle of the day), but he's seeing all kinds of creepy-looking monster things roaming around! All these part-human, part-beast types! He's been mostly keeping to his room, in hopes of avoiding the "strange phenomena" his watch warned him about, but it looks like that stuff has spread to the Vale, and now every nerve in his body is telling him to run.
But he can't without calling attention to himself, so here he is stuck in a treehouse. He cradles his bird daughter close to his chest, telling her to shhh. Yet she starts squawking up a storm as someone—or something—approaches. Hiyori's blood turns cold when he sees the outline of horns, not to mention a huge tail swinging around. This is it! He's been found, and he's about to become monster chow!!
The tail makes contact. He bites down on his tongue to hold back a shriek. But then his voice comes out half-shrieked, anyway, when the monster suddenly talks and startles a response out of him.]
Nope! I'm good right where I am, thanks!!!
[He leans as far away from the monster as humanly possible. Meanwhile, his magpie proceeds to pick up a shiny clip-on earring and pelt Fuuta's head with it, before hiding behind a nearby tree branch. Perhaps she hoped to divert attention away from Hiyori and towards herself. What a heroic girl she grew up to be! He's so proud! Or he would be, if he wasn't scared out of his mind.
But with the monster pressed so close to him, Hiyori also gets a look at its face. And when he sees that, well, he freezes for a different reason.]
ii b
Or at least it used to be. There's nothing "relaxing" about this, however: not only has the Vale been plunged into darkness (despite it being the middle of the day), but he's seeing all kinds of creepy-looking monster things roaming around! All these part-human, part-beast types! He's been mostly keeping to his room, in hopes of avoiding the "strange phenomena" his watch warned him about, but it looks like that stuff has spread to the Vale, and now every nerve in his body is telling him to run.
But he can't without calling attention to himself, so here he is stuck in a treehouse. He cradles his bird daughter close to his chest, telling her to shhh. Yet she starts squawking up a storm as someone—or something—approaches. Hiyori's blood turns cold when he sees the outline of horns, not to mention a huge tail swinging around. This is it! He's been found, and he's about to become monster chow!!
The tail makes contact. He bites down on his tongue to hold back a shriek. But then his voice comes out half-shrieked, anyway, when the monster suddenly talks and startles a response out of him.]
Nope! I'm good right where I am, thanks!!!
[He leans as far away from the monster as humanly possible. Meanwhile, his magpie proceeds to pick up a shiny clip-on earring and pelt Fuuta's head with it, before hiding behind a nearby tree branch. Perhaps she hoped to divert attention away from Hiyori and towards herself. What a heroic girl she grew up to be! He's so proud! Or he would be, if he wasn't scared out of his mind.
But with the monster pressed so close to him, Hiyori also gets a look at its face. And when he sees that, well, he freezes for a different reason.]
............. wait. You're that guy?