Scenario:Elmott - A Firebrand Meets His Match

A Firebrand Meets His Match

Elmott and the crew visit the forest where Elmott once lived and where the man he owes his life to, Bosco, rests in peace. There he opens up to the crew about his past and recalls his time with Bosco. As a child, Elmott is shunned by his village, so he runs away into the forest where he meets the woodsman Bosco. Bosco isn't afraid of Elmott, and his kindness makes an impression on the boy. Seeing how clumsy Bosco is, Elmott decides to help the woodsman with his work.

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In a certain skydom on a certain island, there grows a forest like any other.

But this forest has a little known past—it was once Elmott's home and turf, which he doggedly defended.

No version of Elmott in crew

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Elmott is a naturally gifted young man with a penchant for fire that no one else can match.

In their very first meeting, the crew and Elmott were mistaken for arsonists by angry locals. Left with little recourse, he tagged along the crew on their journey.

Lyria: Heehee, being in this forest again brings back memories! We haven't been here since the incident when it caught on fire.

Vyrn: Yep! Sorry for suspectin' ya of bein' an arsonist back then.

Elmott: Heh. The moral of the story is don't judge someone based solely on how they look.

Elmott, who's been leading the way, suddenly stops in front of a tree bearing bloodred fruit.

Elmott: Hehehe... Seems the villagers have been improving their craft. These babies look great.

Vyrn: Aren't those collegare? They're so sweet and tasty!

Vyrn: Didn't know they grew in this forest.

Elmott: It's not like they're super rare or anything.

Having said that, Elmott smugly breaks into a huge grin. He gathers a few of the fruits before walking off.

Soon the group arrives at a simple gravestone among the trees. Elmott lays the fruit he'd just collected at the foot of the memorial.

Elmott: ...

Elmott: Here lies the old-timer who gave me perspective.

Elmott: He was a big fan of collegare. Wait, no. That's selling his love short. He essentially gave his life for 'em.

Lyria: He must've been really important to you, Elmott.

Elmott: Feh... Wouldn't say that...

Vyrn: No use tryin' to hide it! Your glare melts away when you talk about him.

Annoyed by Vyrn's teasing, Elmott quickly turns away from the crew.

Elmott: Keep yapping, and we'll have a roasted lizard on our hands.

Vyrn: Ack!

Lyria: Would it be okay if we heard more about this person?

Elmott: Fine by me... Gotta warn you though, it's a snoozefest of a story.

Vyrn: Not a problem—we're all ears! I wanna know what your life was like in this forest!

The young man sighs at his failure to deter the crew.

He quietly opens up about his adolescence and about the time he met his benefactor, Bosco.

Elmott: It all began in a remote mountain village—and I mean cut-off-from-civilization remote. I was born into this world with a fire.

Elmott: I'm not joking. I could ignite a fire with the snap of my fingers.

Frontiersman: Aaargh, I don't care where you toss the kid, just make sure it's far, far away! Or better yet, just kill him!

Elmott: You should've heard their bellyaching. Imagine a pissed-off customer flippin' over a table, except it's an entire village getting in on the action.

Elmott: Maybe you couldn't blame my parents too much, but they sure took the side of the villagers pretty damn quickly.

Frontiersman: Come on, Chief! How long do we gotta let this demon stay here!

Elmott: Y'know, it's not like I didn't know where the villagers were coming from either.

Elmott: But you can't expose a kid to that kinda environment and expect him to turn out normal.

Elmott: Heh-heh-heh...

Elmott: The fact is...

Elmott: I developed a love for torchin' stuff. Loved playing with fire. My personality became twisted.

Village Girl: Hey, why did you burn down the flower garden!

Elmott: Huh? What's with the attitude? You wanna join those flowers?

Village Girl: Eeek!

Elmott: (No one gives two spits about me in this village... Wish I could run off to somewhere new.)

Elmott: (Ugh, it's too claustrophobic here! I need to breathe!)

Elmott: I knew I had to escape that backwater burg. So I did.

Elmott: Vowed to never go back.

Several days have passed since Elmott ran away from home.

He's exhausted and starving. The incessant hooting of owls seems to mock him as he wanders aimlessly through the foggy forest.

Elmott: This freaking sucks! I can't even see my own hands in front of me! How the hell do I get outta here?

Elmott: What the...

Elmott: Aaaah!

Caught in a snare, Elmott dangles upside down by his feet.

Several bells attached to the rope ring out loudly into the darkness.

Elmott: (Tch, gotta get outta this fast. Don't wanna know what whoever set this trap has in mind!)

Elmott: Gaaah! Damn it! I can't get loose!

???: Huff... Huff...

Elmott: ...

???: Whoever you are, wh-why did you come here? L-leave this forest right n-now!

A man clinging to a farm tool steps into the moonlight. The sight of his trembling body offers no weight behind his demands.

Elmott: Heh-heh-heh... Hyahaha! I wasn't expecting this!

???: Huh? What's a kid doing out here in the middle of the night!

The instant the timid man realizes his trap has ensnared a child, he immediately unhooks the line.

???: Sorry about that. Must've been unpleasant... Anyway, you're safe now.

Elmott: Hey. Old-timer.

???: Old... timer?

Elmott: Thanks for letting me down, but did you ever stop to think I might be a murderer?

A ball of fire erupts from Elmott's palm, illuminating the big smirk on his face.

???: Ah... Aaah...

Elmott: Heh, and you call yourself an adult. Next time think twice before—

???: Fire! That's fire!

Elmott: Huh?

???: Say, can I borrow your flames for a bit? Pretty please?

Elmott: Burn!

The young Erune isn't thrilled that he's been asked to light firewood.

???: Haha, hooray! Thanks, kid! Now I can finally cook up a proper meal!

Elmott: Yeah, sure...

???: Wanna stay for dinner? That's the least I can offer for your help.

The stranger happily rummages around for cooking utensils. Elmott watches him work with mild curiosity.

Elmott: So... No one's ever begged me to use my flames to light a fire for them before.

???: Yeah... Haha... Sorry. See, I injured my hand this morning, and I was having trouble gripping the flint.

???: But lucky for me, you came along, so I don't have to eat my food raw. Thanks for saving me from a stomachache.

Elmott: My flames don't freak you out?

???: Well, it was a bit jarring at first, but I wouldn't say it was scary.

???: Anyway, the important thing is, fire is good! All I was thinking about was being able to eat a hot meal.

Elmott: Huh...

???: Basically appetite outweighs fear any day! Ahaha!

Bosco: Oh, I'm a woodsman, by the way. Name's Bosco. What's yours?

Elmott: Elmott...

Bosco: Elmott, huh? That's a cool name!

Elmott: It is?

Bosco: Hehe, are you blushing?

Elmott: Whatever, Old-timer. Shouldn't you be makin' dinner instead of talking?

Bosco: Oh, I'll make it all right. Never doubt the power of a growling stomach, especially mine.

Bosco: And one more thing. Enough with the "old-timer" thing, okay? I'm only thirty-two. Call me Bosco.

Elmott: Hyahaha! I'm just talking facts, man! Ain't nothing wrong with that.

Bosco: ...

Bosco seems to want to say more, but he turns his focus to appeasing his stomach instead of arguing.

After wolfing down a hearty meal, the woodsman and his guest sit back in their chairs with satisfied bellies.

Elmott: Whew... Thanks for the grub. You're not half bad with a spatula, Old-timer.

Bosco: "Not half bad"? Wrong!

Bosco: You're supposed to smile and say, "That was delicious!"

Elmott: Yeah, yeah.

Bosco: Oh, I probably should've brought this up again earlier, but my brain was so preoccupied with food that it slipped my mind...

Bosco: What were you doing in the forest this late at night? Aren't your parents worried?

Elmott: Man, no kidding it slipped your mind. So much for bein' a responsible adult...

Bosco: Aw, don't say that. Words can hurt... But! That doesn't mean you're wrong. Sorry for not being better!

Elmott: Seriously? Folding to a kid like a house of cards?

Bosco: It's not about being a kid or an adult. If you think you've made a mistake, you should apologize, plain and simple.

Elmott can't decide if Bosco is senseless or philosophical. Either way, the man is nothing like the villagers, and that alone is enough to pique Elmott's interest.

Elmott: Anyone ever tell you how different you are, Old-timer?

Bosco: I'd be honored. I take being different as a compliment.

Elmott: Really? You think being different is a good thing?

Bosco: Sure. I'm jealous of your flames. Wish I could do that. Would make doing chores a whole lot easier.

Bosco's eyes light up at the possibilities. The boy, however, disagrees. He averts his gaze, his mouth pressed together to form a thin line.

Elmott: There's nothing better than being normal, in my opinion.

Bosco: Darn, there I go again, not watching what I say. Anyway, back to the main subject.

Bosco: So? Are you going to tell me what you were doing in the forest?

Elmott: Gee, I wonder why a kid would be wanderin' the forest alone at night? Think, man. I ran away from home.

Bosco: What? You can't do that! How does running away solve anything? Is it because of your parents? Your friends?

Bosco: Well, the why can wait. It's too late to go back to the village today, so you can spend the night here, but tomorrow you need to talk it out with—

Elmott: I could talk till I'm blue in the face. Wouldn't change the fact that the whole village thinks I'm demonspawn.

Bosco: ...

Elmott explains how he's an unwanted child and has been shunned ever since his birth.

Elmott: It's not just my parents. No one in the village can stand me. I don't belong there.

Bosco: Sniff... Sob... I can't believe I said I was jealous of your fire without knowing the whole story...

Bosco: Waaah! I'm so insensitive! Waaaah!

Elmott: Geez, what're you bawling for?

The tragic details of Elmott's upbringing hits Bosco hard, and he practically cries himself to sleep.

When Elmott awakes the next morning, Bosco is nowhere to be seen.

Elmott: Huh? Where'd he go? What am I gonna do about breakfast?

Bosco's Voice: Aaaaah!

Elmott: What was that?

Following the scream coming from outside, Elmott rushes out of the hut and is shocked by what he sees.

Bosco's legs flail wildly against the ground as he tries to pull his head out of the mud.

Bosco: H-hwelp bweee!

Elmott: Unbelievable... How'd you end up like that!

Despite his befuddlement at the situation, Elmott manages to free a squirming Bosco from the quagmire.

Bosco: Gasp... Huff... Haha, got my legs tangled up and tripped. That was a close call. Thanks for pulling me out!

Elmott: You're lucky you didn't suffocate before I got here. Why are you laughing when you almost died?

Bosco: It worked out in the end, didn't it? Whatever doesn't kill you makes for a funny story!

The laughing woodsman heads down a row between the crop fields, already set on getting back to work.

In a matter of a few steps, his foot becomes lodged in a bucket, which sends him cartwheeling into the air.

Bosco: Whoaaa!

Elmott: That's weak, man... It hurts watching you make a fool of yourself...

Bosco: Ah... Haha...

Elmott: Well, you did give me a square meal and a place to stay... Least I can do is help out a bit.

That's how Elmott justifies lending Bosco a hand with his work.

Vyrn: Glad to hear you were a kind and caring guy even as a kid, Elmott!

Elmott: Kind nothing. I only did it 'cause the guy was hopeless.

Elmott: But as uncool as he was, I owe him more than he knows.

A look of loneliness falls over Elmott's face, and his fingers close tightly around the pendant hanging from his neck.