Story Reader / Affection / Hanying: Solacetune / Story
In the hush of midnight, a gentle mist rises among the mountain trees.
The fever medicine works quickly, and Yalin's temperature drops almost immediately.
At the moment, a gentle knocking sound comes from outside the door.
Cautiously, Hanying stands up and opens the cabin door.
A mechanoid gives a slight bow outside.
Excuse me.
Do you need any more assistance at the camp?
Hanying's hand already grips the cloak hanging by the doorway.
Two sheds are affected by the flood and need reconstruction materials and relocation.
We still need to inventory the items, but there are no casualties for now.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Hanying's grip loosens.
Boccioni takes a small package from his hand, clearly having tried his best to keep it dry on the way here.
Is Yalin okay? I saw you two were very worried, holding her tightly just now.
I feel like I'm at least partly responsible for what happened to her.
My negligence has caused harm to my hobby partner.
My coding system suggests that this doesn't count as a work mistake, but I still feel responsible.
Boccioni sets several boxes of medicine on the table, alongside paper-wrapped packets bearing Kowloong's distinctive markings.
Let me take care of Yalin as well.
To handle certain precise tasks, I developed a new pair of replacement hands. Before that, I also worked alongside medical mechanoids.
Boccioni showcases his arms, and the next moment, it looks like he's about to hand over a resume.
Some people have come here because of my invitation.
Can you join me to check out the camp, Commandant?
[player name]! Hanying!
From a higher vantage point, Dazhu waves to you, then turns to direct the mechanoids to haul away the unusable supplies.
Has Boccioni come looking for you?
Man, I've never seen a mechanoid that beats itself up like this before. This is seriously blowing my mind.
Is there anything else we can help with?
Hanying and you follow Dazhu's gaze toward the camp at this moment.
Wow, I almost thought I was short-circuiting in a dream.
You overhear a mechanoid muttering as you walk by.
Two men are carrying a mechanoid out of a somewhat deformed wooden shelter.
Meanwhile, two mechanoids hurry over to help a child bundle up in a blanket.
Some people are reinforcing the fence stakes again.
While others have started a fire and are handing out hot water and food.
On this post-storm night, a fresh sprout pierces the soil, digging its resilient roots into the earth.
We've all got our own stuff to handle.
Let the rest of us jump in so we can actually do our part.
By the way, if you walk from here to the dock, you might just catch the sunrise.
Dazhu speaks loudly, then chuckles and pats your shoulder.
Before you realize it, it's nearly dawn.
The sky parts the clouds and mist, offering a fleeting moment of freedom.
Hanying nods.
The two of you follow the fresh trail back to the dock where you first arrived.
After being washed by the rain, the path carries the fresh scent of grass from the moist earth.
These signs signal the changing of the seasons.
You walk in silence as the sky gradually brightens to dawn.
In the distance, you spot two silhouettes climbing onto the roof of the small signal station, carrying out emergency repairs.
The lighthouse far away is no longer operational; perhaps soon it will light up again, serving as a beacon for travelers.
At some point, Hanying slips her arm through yours.
Just like that, you walk along the embankment, as early-morning seabirds wheel overhead in the pale dawn light.
The morning wind feels bone-chilling, cutting right through you. Before you even realize it, this icy breeze pulls you closer to Hanying.
It also keeps you completely sober.
"Home"...
Hanying whispers the word, familiar as ever.
A place where someone is waiting for you to come back can be called "home."
She repeats her old internal dialogue, gazing up toward the horizon.
A single, modest storm can unite the entire community.
The "home" once built on mutual watchfulness and waiting now contrasts with the "home" that has been rebuilt and reborn.
Maybe I'm just overthinking it...
This place is bound to thrive, and our "family" will only continue to grow.
But as it grows, its future becomes even more uncertain... Sometimes, the ones we call family end up feeling like strangers instead.
Whether mechanoids or humans, the journey to find a home is fraught with difficulties.
All I really wanted was to make everything... just a little simpler.
How can I provide them with a true "home"?
The starting point...
It sounds a lot like what the Kowloong people call "seeking roots."
In these surrounding mountains and forests, before Hanying arrived, it was just an abandoned Kowloong complex.
Yet centuries—perhaps even millennia—ago, people tilled the land, built homes, and raised families here.
They've also survived natural disasters, wars, and long separations.
Centuries later, their descendants return, restoring or rebuilding it, and wrestling with the same choices their ancestors once faced.
They use this place as their new starting point.
Sunlight pierces the horizon with an unstoppable brilliance.
Without a starting point, there can be no journey to the end.
Home isn't a destination, but the start of something new.
I don't need to lead the lost to a new home.
Instead, I should help them find their own "home."
The first light of dawn finally breaks.
It brings a touch of warmth, and yet you two draw closer together.
