CoR: New Year's Meanderings

The New Year had come and gome, but Norietaia City had yet to stop celebrating. Every storefront and home had a lantern burning, the combined light bright enough that midnight was hard to tell from midday, and the smell of fried festival food filled the streets. Justine Bitterroot had never cared for fried food -- rather too indulgent -- but it was hard to deny the happiness in the atmosphere, even if it hadn't been obvious from the brightly-dressed citizens. It was strange to be immersed in such happiness and yet feel so detached from it.

It wasn't that they didn't celebrate the New Year in Burnt Grove, of course. It was only that it was so different -- the rituals, the reading of grievances to be consigned to Trygve, the drums... the light-hearted festivities in Norietaia seemed to be like something from a distorted mirror, and Justine had to admit she didn't know what to do with them. Besides, even in her lighter, less ceremonial robes, she must have clearly looked like an outsider. Then again, the varieties of dress suggested that she was far from the only one -- hadn't she heard something about Norietaia being a crossroads city, some sort of neutral ground? Funny to have a neutral city at the far extremity of the world, but perhaps it was safer from Ormona's hungers that way. Was this a place that people fled to -- to rebuild, to forget? Was that a luxury they had here? Sometimes, as blasphemous as the concept was, Justine thought it might be nice to forget history a while. The people around here certainly weren't thinking. Justine, simultaneously a touch scornful and a touch envious, found a bench along the broad avenue on which she walked and sat down simply to watch, glancing down at her familiar -- or, rather, where her familiar should have been at her heel. And speaking of not thinking! Mathilde had disappeared and she hadn't even noticed. Stupid! A moment after she sat, she jumped to her feet again, scanning the skies for the brick-red shape of her partner. "Mathilde! Come back!" Her eyes flicked frantically up and down the street -- if she were missing, in a city this size, she might be gone for good.

"Oi! Red-robes! Over here!"

The unfamiliar voice came from an open shopfront a distance down the street, and as Justine jogged towards it, she could make out the red and orange of Mathilde. The fiery-colored Amaura was perched on a bench at a food-stall bar, happily eating from a bowl of dumplings, and seated next to her was the person who had summoned Amaura -- a dusky-skinned, blue-haired woman, the royal blue tentacles on her head marking her as some sort of Water-type or another. Seated on the other side of her was what had to be her familiar, a similarly tentacle-headed bipedal thing which it took Justine a moment to identify as a Hitmontop. (Probably.) The Hitmontop woman was dressed in simple traveling clothes, but of course, that wasn't much of a surprise; it was hardly likely that Justine would meet a luminary of the city at a dumpling stall, after all. (Possibly? In Norietaia, you never knew.) "Thought so," the Hitmontop said with a grin. "This little girl said you were her person. She run off on you?"

"I didn't even notice," Justine replied. "Mathilde does that sometimes. I'm terribly sorry about this -- did you buy her that food? I can reimburse you --"

"Eh, don't worry about it! She's been telling me stories when she can keep her head out of the trough. You two're from up Magma-side?"

For a moment, Justine wondered just how much Mathilde had told a stranger... but what harm could it do? It wasn't as if Burnt Grove Village was a secret, just insular. If Ormona wanted to come for them, they were welcome to try. "We are," she replied, "although I'm sure she told you we're traveling right now. Are you a native?"

"Me? Nah. I run the river route, from Ormona to the falls. This country's a little far west for me! Still, I had a job for a regular, and I figured I'd let off a little steam here for the holiday. Y'doin' the same?"

"Yes and no. I attended the ball --"

"Y'got into that?" The Hitmontop grinned. "I didn't even try. Don't have the clothes for it, didn't wanna make a fool of myself!" Justine was tempted to tell her she hadn't missed much, and that in fact from what she'd seen of the ball plenty of people had made fools of herself, but she was reluctant to contradict the Hitmontop's bluff surety. "For me and Kalyan here, it's just been the markets and the big open dances. You been havin' a posher time of it?"

"I wouldn't say that," replied Justine. "Really, I've mostly wandered. I've tried to get a feel for the city, but of course it's the festival, so that's been... unusual, to say the least."

"Eh, but it's nice though, isn't it? I always love the New Year Festival. Always nice to feel like things are starting... clean, fresh. Nothing to weigh you down anymore, all new hopes. You know, I've seen people burning debts? Just throwing contracts into a bonfire and forgiving it all. New starts. Cheered me to see."

Justine nodded. She'd seen a few things like that herself, but it was so -- well, wasteful. In Burnt Grove, the grievances of the old year were sealed into chambers within bricks and added to the Wall of Things Owed, each brick numbered so that it could be removed and broken if something needed to be verified. Coming from a city where a wall was built of old debts, she couldn't fathom the concept of burning them. Besides, wouldn't people remember? It was a rather crude gesture, really, but to each their own. "It's a strange custom, but we must all begin the year in the way we prefer. My people prefer to choose goals over hopes."

"And that's your right. Must get a little heavy to carry, though! I'll start the year with Kalyan, my purse, my boat and not a whole lot more, and I'll be happy to do it. What're your goals, then, that you want to carry?"

Justine could only answer honestly. "... I don't know. I'm figuring that out."

"Heh. Well, be careful. Someone told me once that the goals that don't have shapes are the greatest burdens on you. I'd buy you a drink and tell you to lighten that load, but I've got someone expecting me across town. You try and enjoy yourself, okay? You and your friend."

"Of course," replied Justine. "And you as well, Kalyan and... ah, what was your name?"

"Minali -- Minali Storm-Braver. You ever need passage up and down the Ormona River, you ask for me, all right?"

"I'll certainly remember that."

"Good! Be seein' you!" The Hitmontop woman stood up, leaving a few coins on the bartop, and her familiar hopped down to follow her as they disappeared down a side street and into the night. Justine glanced at the coins and then the stall's price board; Norietaian currency wasn't her strength, but she was fairly sure there was enough to pay for the dumplings and more besides, presumably for the Hitmontop pair's own food. Well, that covered that, then. Mathilde had finished her dumplings, and now it was time to go. She stood up and began to walk, slowly this time, and thankfully this time her familiar was keeping pace with her, looking up with an utter lack of remorse.

"Before you say anything, Justine, I swear I didn't cheat her! I told her stories, and she was happy. She said she had some money to spend and that I should have a good time. I don't think she thinks you're having a good enough time."

"Somehow I doubt anyone is having a good enough time for that woman, Mathilde," Justine replied. "And it's difficult, besides. I wonder, though... ah, have you thought about where we should go from here? I would appreciate your counsel."

"Well, we could follow your dad's map, if you wanted to... but I don't think that's going to be a very fun trip. Why don't we just wander? I love wandering!"

It wasn't a half-bad idea, Justine had to admit. Wandering around Norietaia had been interesting, if not always edifying, and perhaps the broad plains... well, it might be an idea. It was well past time for her to do Trygve's work, but meeting fellow travelers would hopefully give her opportunities. "I believe that's a good first step. Shall we go in two days' time?"

"Okay," said Mathilde. "But I want to go back to the South Bazaar. I want a collar! And you should get a scarf, too. Or a brooch. Or something to put up your hair..."

"Fine. Tomorrow." Justine couldn't afford to humor all of Mathilde's whims, but maybe she could find her a nice collar. She had doubts about what this year might hold, but at least they could sparkle a bit.