Traveling Writer/Poet in training! [Open!This a penpal thread!Everyone still welcome]

[Enzo]

*This is a flier that can be received by anyone who asks for a penpal or someone to talk to at any of the adventurers guilds in Eorzea*

Dear Stranger,

   This is the first letter I give to you and hopefully not the last. My name is Hideki Okamoto and I have taken up writing and poetry as my trade. Although admittedly many agree with me that my writing is quite terrible. But I have begun traveling in hopes that I can learn more about the world around me and I can slowly improve my writing. My homeland is not the most peaceful place to explore and write about so I have begun a move to Eorzea to make a new home. It will take a long while for me to arrive but I am impatient and want to know more about this new land I am migrating to. So I have started this system of letters to talk and get to know anyone who is looking for a penpal that resides in Eorzea! I can try to write poetry or stories for you if you so desire! But more importantly I just want someone to talk to while I brave this agonizingly long ride to Eorzea. If you are interested please reply! If you give your letter to the adventurers guild they will get it to me no problem. I will try to reply as soon as I can!

                                                                               Sincerely, Hideki Okamoto

[Hyakki]

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[Enzo]

Salutations Snake Girl,

 

You have a exotic name I must say. And I am sure it has an interesting story behind it as well. My name Okamoto means Hill Origin but it is no more special than that.

  

It is exciting to hear that you make your living in an adventurers camp outside of Ul'dah. I hear Eorzea is a land with many adventurers and I ponder of what Eorzea defines as Adventure. I like to think I am adventuring to Eorzea! Although it is probably a drop in the ocean of an adventure compared to what you have experienced. What is Ul'dah like? My ship is headed to a port town called Limsa Lominsa, But I hear Ul'dah is big too. Sadly my ship cannot sail on sand so it may be some time before I can visit the place. What is the countryside like in Ul'dah? Where I hail from there are many trees and the land is fertile for peach growing.

  

Your skill in poetry cannot possibly be worse than mine. So relax and I shall share with you some of my thoughts of the sea I travel.

 

Sitting on a bench

I ponder the morning sky

There are many clouds

 

A peach rolls along

Traveling the oak floorboards

Eaten soon after

 

The cook is very big

His cooking knife even bigger

What a scary man

 

I have little work to do. But I have writers block, so I will end here. Feel free to ask any questions. Please treat me kindly.

 

Sincerely

-Hideki Okamoto

[Hyakki]

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[Enzo]

Good mornings, Snake Girl!

 

This boat has a large shipment of peaches aboard. Maybe if you visit me in Limsa Lominsa I can supply you with some peaches! Peaches are always a good excuse for travel as I am using them even now to get to Eorzea!

 

You may call me Hideki alone if you so desire, or you can call me Okamoto. I do hail from the Far East but I am making my new home here in Eorzea. The Far East is not currently in the best situation as of late and I figured I could produce more peaceful writings in Eorzea. I will add that I am not a Lalafell just for future reference.

 

While your name is not the most common of one I would normally hear. It does have its own appeal and the story makes it well worth using. Hopefully I can develop a story for why my name will be special someday. I can always dream at least.

 

Ul'dah sounds interesting to say the least. I can understand how things that appear beautiful can also be some of the most deadly things there can be. But I suppose I would have to visit there on my own to know what you truly mean. Although I cannot see myself making the journey alone as the idea of this strange Cactuar raining needles upon me along the way does not sound desirable, I will definitely add it to my places to visit. Is there any other places in Eorzea you find particularly interesting? I know how the deserts of Ul'dah and port town of Limsa but I am fairly uneducated on the rest of the Eorzean geography. My list of places to visit is still rather short.

 

Your poetry is very beautiful and I desire to hear more of it. Outside of Haiku I do not know how to make many other forms of Poetry and it was exciting to hear a poem unlike that of what I am accustomed to. Eorzea is truly very interesting.

Please forgive me as the only way I can repay you is with more Haiku which is all I know.

 

The cool breeze is felt

Giving goosebumps as it goes

I wish to follow

 

I wish to see more

Yellow feathers in the sun

Tis interesting

 

Tis an endless wait

Gazing over the ocean

For the arrival

 

For my arrival

I will give many peaches

Please treat me kindly

 

Take care and may the wind whistle you sweet encouragement upon your travels.

Hopefully we may write again soon.

 

Sincerely

-Hideki Okamoto

[Hyakki]

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[Enzo]

Good evening Snake Girl,

 

It is nothing to worry about. It is good to take care of yourself, Sadly I am not going anywhere fast hah...

 

The Scholar does not sound like a very friendly type. I personally think that if you strive to learn something new, You should understand the will to learn and not reject others learning but help it grow. But I am just a naturally curious person who does not yet know much about the world. Although I do not see the point in learning if you do not have what you have learned to share with anyone else. That is one of the reasons that I write poetry. To share the wonders of life with others. Still I would not hold much against him. I am sure the scholar will learn their lesson in their own time. 

 

So the ruins you visited was once a city called Sil'dih? That is amazing. But it is a shame that they fell. Were they a evil or greedy people? Keeping the water all to themselves? Or was Ul'dah simply on a conquest? Is Ul'dah a kingdom that conquers others?... I personally feel a little bad for Sil'dih even if they were ruled by evil people. As a result of their fall I am sure many innocent lives were lost. I do not believe in the killing of any living being that is not an absolute necessity. And I can't think of an argument that would justify killing to be a necessity... But there is nothing that can be done about the past. Simply educating ourselves and others to keep them from making the same mistake in the future is what we must do.

I thank you for the newly attained knowledge.

 

I also thank you for the suggestion of place to travel. I will definitely try to make my way there because I trust your suggestion is a good one!

 

I am not a merchant. Simply a poet. I am traveling on a merchant vessel because at the time it was my only option for getting to Eorzea. My ship mates are a bit strange. There are some people from my land and some from yours. But overall the atmosphere feels far more relaxed than what is normal. But apparently it is normal in your land. Politeness is not as big of an issue at the high seas. And while I do worry about how sanitary or healthy some of their actions are. They are for the most part quite friendly.

 

Let me tell you a Poem about another Kingdom which I fear is heading down a dangerous path much like the one you spoke of. Though I wish it were not so.

 

I depart beauty

I almost wish I could stay

Illusions seduce and weary I am

Eorzea holds new hope

Escape from the damned

The world is like ice

and Doma like fire

melted the world and snuffed itself

Violence is saddening

Doma is violent

Only choice to save myself

I wish it were not

I will miss Doma

But will not regret journeying away

I dream of Orange

 

You sent me a poem not long ago that was more than 3 sentences. And it's syllables were odd. But it was very beautiful to read. I am not sure the rule of syllables for that kind of poetry so I did not want to risk embarrassing myself in trying to write a poem of its kind. But I did try something new in extending my Haiku. Although I do not know if this can even be considered poetry anymore. It was fun to write.

 

Thank you for your poem and I look forward to our next chat! Tell me, just out of curiosity, do you happen to be a Miqo'te as well?

 

Sincerely

-Hideki Okamoto

[Hyakki]

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[Enzo]

Dearest Snake Girl,

 

I am very surprised I did not notice it before and my greatest apologizes. Looking back upon previous letters I noticed you said "might you also be from Doma-?" but I passed over it without giving it a second thought. I was caught totally off guard to the most recent letter of response as I was unaware that you hailed from Doma. You see, I also hail from Doma, it is a beautiful place. But with recent event's I took my leave. I... Lived in a temple with another monk and am a strong pacifist which is why you may come to understand that what I meant by violent was the talks of a violent break off from Garlemald. At the time as word passed through our temple we questioned as to what we as pacifists would do in the case that a rebellion would break out and there really was nothing that we could do. Our temple would inevitably be destroyed.

 

Really there is only one other monk in my Temple and he is very old. He is the one who took me in and took care of me when I had nothing else. Knowing that his time was soon to come he sold everything he had to make sure I could make it to Eorzea... No amount of thanks could ever repay the deed he had done for me. The poem was one I wrote upon the first morning of my departure from Doma. I was stirred by restlessness and a small amount of anger that the idea of a Rebellion was so certain I was forced to leave. There are other alternatives to war and killing... Or so I would so very strongly like to believe.

 

It pains me to hear the rumors are true. That Doma did rebel. I left Doma before it happened but this news does not surprise me too terribly. Pardon me if I am insensitive for bringing this up. I have no one else I can talk to about it. I do not doubt the people of Doma are good people. And despite their means being questionable the people of Doma did fight for a good cause. I wonder what the present state of Doma is as of right now... 

 

You are very skilled at gathering knowledge and teaching it Snake Girl. I thank you for the new knowledge you have passed on to me of Ul'dah... I am still somewhat at a loss for words so I apologize. This boat ride has been feeling longer and longer with every sun. I will finally be arriving in Limsa in a few bells, but I do not know what I will do there, what I will see, how things will be. Despite working so hard to finally arrive in Eorzea. For some reason I feel so empty. As though something is missing... I simply hope I can find my way around and make a living on this new continent...

 

It may become difficult to send or recieve letters after I arrive. So should this be my last I thank you very much for the wonderful time you have given me reading your poems and letters. I hope we can meet in Eorzea sometime... I think you may find me a little more shy than I am in writing. I wish you well Snake Girl.

 

The ocean is calm

I just watch it soundlessly

Under an empty sky

 

Sincerely

-Hideki Okamoto