Nitpickies

The frozen tundra, interesting. Cold, I have never seen snow. …Maybe? I don’t remember, my memories still escape me. Born here, and yet…it wasn’t the snow. Flowers, so many…spring. A wonderful season. Already I want to see them bloom, those dandelions…I want the puffs to soar. Hm, I wonder, in this tundra, who are we going to meet? I was told to keep this journal by Laro…kind, but sad. Already, he’s gazing out, scouting…well, we’ll see how things end up.

You continued to stare out into the tundra as the snow danced before your eyes. How beautiful, the snow, it was so fluffy and yet so cold. You had no idea what to make of it as you reached out to touch it. “Mano…” (Cold…) your tongue slipped as you saw the snowflake melt.

“Mano maro na more na mo lola na, cara no more no malo mano?” (Cold indeed, do you want to be with me a little?) You turned your head to nod as he wrapped his arms around you. “Mala no maro namo. Mala nor malo namo or malo?" (Not too bad, no? Even now, you want to enjoy the scenery.)

“Mm…” You stared even more as you heard snuffling within the distance. "Maro no mano?" (What was that?) His eyes narrowed as he continued to wrap his arms around you and floated away, literally taking you away into the dark.

"Mano, more namo ano more namo malo mora noma malo more." (I don’t know, be careful, we’ll see how it goes.) You nodded as you floated further and further into the tundra until you came upon strange furry beings. You blinked as you studied them before lighting up at the babies.

"Ahhh, manooo!" (Aww, they’re so cute!) You could’ve sworn his eyes upturned into a smile.

"Mano mao, malo mora?" (Cute indeed, how about we talk to them?) You nodded again as you floated over to the group to speak.

"Mah!" (Hello!) They turned their heads at the noise you made, chittering in fright.

"Oh, mano mora malo. Oka." (Oh, they don’t speak our tongue. Hold on.) He cleared his throat before booming his words. “Hi. Are you all lost?” Some of them looked to each other in worry as they chittered. "Loma mora? Loma no?" (Not that one? Hm, this one?) They breathed a sigh of relief.

"Faah, mora no malo. Mah, malo, no mora mah, falam man. Pira no malo mora noma falo mora noma lamo oran noma loalan moran malo falon me ria." (Oh good, you do know our language. Um, yes, don’t worry, we’re fine. We were just passing through the area to head to warmer regions.)

"Pora fala mora no malo ora?" (You mean like the field of flowers?) They stared at you as he explained you meant the Faede Flats, where the flowers of the tundra usually bloomed.

"Fala, mano. Mora no malo falo more ano malo mao lo pora no mano ora see fama oral lona malo oran. ...Mano...mano...mano..." (Yes, that one. We travel there every turning of the season as it warms to um…to…) They stared uncomfortably at you as you blinked.

"...Ama nora malo?" (…Did I do something wrong?)

"Fala mora, no malo ora malo ro," (Oh don’t worry, they’re just having fun.) he chuckled before switching to the other language, "Fala mora. Fala mora no ma ga rey no malo roa mah. Maah, mora, namo cara malo mao norma no lola malo ralo mano, nora Manora falo mia no mora ni malo nima." (I get it. She doesn’t need to know. Anyway, yes, I can point you in that direction, we were actually heading to Nowhere to check it out.) His eyes seemed to darken as you cocked your head to the side. "Mora na mora. Malo namo, fala mora. Fila na sita no malo mora malo, mah?" (I want to investigate it. How interesting, their culture. Surely it would be fun to sightsee, no?) Their eyes widened as they glanced at each other.

"Igalyph, mora no malo na? Falo mora, isa no malo?" (Recordkeeper, is something going on? The turning of history, is it dying?) the leader seemed to ask, somewhat flighty as his eyes shifted to where they had come from. Laro just stared silently before making a small noise.

"Fara na mana. Ila, fila mora noa malo inva ni mara. Pala no mora no Igalyph mora na fara...ima fara ni ma, ifa nama ora namo li. Ma...namo. Ara na mora no malo mi no ma rila na. Mah, ila fara ita no mira no mala no~" (I know nothing. However, I do want to investigate it. Just the fact they aren’t spreading the teachings of our clan…even if we do hide it, I know there were some there. Just…looking. And none have appeared before me. Well, it’s a good thing I like to keep in touch~) You couldn’t help but mumble in frustration at not understanding what he was saying. "Ma, ara na, ti na mo. Roa, fila mora noam loa rila, sila namo rila na mora ni~" (Well, anyway, thank you. Also, do tell me more of your culture, so I can relay it to my little one~) They nodded and began to chitter about their nomadic lifestyle, him translating while you swallowed the words eagerly. Already, them going each spring to dance and revel? And then come summer they raise children? What a wonderful life it seemed! Autumn they seemed to hush though, you didn’t know why. …In comparison, winter wasn’t bad to them, they seemed to prefer that season to autumn. Was there something wrong with the falling leaves? You couldn’t help but blurt it out in your language as they quieted once more.

"...Fila na mora ni malo shi ro mola, fila ora mila tifa no malo ni mo namo," (…Tell her it is not of her jurisdiction, we must keep our words to ourselves.) the leader explained. Laro nodded as he relayed what the leader said, you just sighing at the lost information.

"Fala no maro na. ...Malo nora malo malo rala?" (I won’t pry then. …What is wrong with autumn?)

"Mah, lola, aula mora no maloaramo, falara no malorana! A roma na dancese, tima no rona maloraniamora, la risana, liora nowrawa. Dancese pora noam lola arone maloe, bit itri mi salo rao na mia no ria." (Well, anyway, that tradition of the autumn dance, I do like that idea! A somber dance, those instruments playing, that waltz, how wonderful. I do like a bit of horror, but it is a somber time for a reason.) The leader couldn’t help but laugh as several babies squeaked, unknowing of what was transpiring.

"Ina, mora no malo nima nano, thelaso moraso na, toran malo dina, maorn fira mila no mi-" (Indeed, a somber time, those souls leaving, already, their talk-) You didn’t get to hear more as glitches danced before your eyes.

“A-Ah-“

“Fala?” The glitches danced as you let out an autotune scream, otherworldly and faint while your body flickered. Again, that scream, again-

The warm bodies of the new species you encountered flickered in and out in a collapsed tunnel as they squirmed for air, breathing, gasping, praying to their gods for comfort as the tunnel began to flood with the blood of their damned. Them, screaming, you couldn’t take it, you couldn’t take it, you-!

A smack to the head and you were brought back to reality. "...Ama no mora no, ita na, fira no malo mora fira fala fiano," (…Not a good one, it seems, you flickered very badly.) he observed as you hissed.

"Fara..." (Sorry…)

"Oran, moa nor mao namo lia fora ni malo." (Don’t be, though the clan before us is a bit scared.) You shrunk a little at their trembling forms before noticing all the babies rolling to you.

“Hmmmmm?” (Huh?)

"Ara, nama lol fora namo lila fara na," (Oh, they want to comfort you.) the leader noted as you just giggled at them rolling around and squeaking.

"Lil, lil, lil! Lil na, lil fa, fa, fa, fa!" (Cute, cute, cute! How cute, little bird, chirp, chirp, chirp!) They squeaked as they tried to imitate your noises and both parties began to giggle.

"Fara na! Nora malo fora na. Fora, fia na malo nor malora, sia fana!" (There we go! Nothing wrong now. Alright, we’ll be off, safe travels!)

"Sia fana!" (Indeed, safe travels!) You bid each other farewell as they traveled on, their tails flicking as they ran with all their might and the babies rolled behind them.

"...Na, aran malo ora malo afaora no ma..." (…Well, that area they are going to…)

"Malo no." (Don’t worry, nope.)

"Na- "(But-)

"Malooooo!" (Nooope!) You shrieked as he began to tickle you before shaking his head. "Ni ramo no malo, inna aro malo simma, Nowhere!" (In any case, onward to Nowhere!) Your eyes lit up as you chirped and began to move on, all the while he never let you go.