With River finally being admitted into the Hunters, came the reality that I would be seeing a lot less of her. Aside from the fact that Hunters were away on hunts 50% of the time, she now only had half as much free time to take care of anything else she needed to do. I found myself missing our Forest Guardian hunts. Guess it's true, you don't appreciate what you got until it's gone.

Still, the last conversation I had with my father before he offered River an apprenticeship got me reflecting on my place in the tribe. I had taken proactive measures to avoid making contact with most of the villagers. But after he explained how we were all a family and all look out for and care for each other, I felt like a derelict. I had help out in a few instances and I may have felt some concern, but it never extended beyond the direct recipient. I never really thought about the welfare of the tribe in its entirety. And how could I, when I had been actively avoiding acquainting myself with them? But no longer!

However, people I didn't know still made me uncomfortable, and therefore awkward. Now you might be thinking that I have conversed with a number of people I didn't know, and was only mildly graceless. That might be true, but in those cases, there was a "context for interaction." Cold calling on people was a totally different matter.

"I'm glad you want to start meeting your fellow tribesmen." Mother was visibly relieved when I decided to consult her on this topic, sitting in the dining area with just a sliver of sunlight coming in through the window. "I was starting to get worried with you always gallivanting around and never staying around the village." Is that what she thought I was doing? Not exactly wrong, but I think she was putting it in a bad light.

"I was being productive! Just ask the Harvesters or the Hunters!"

"Yes, I'm well aware. That **** was delicious. I was just concerned that you seemed so distant from everyone in the village."

"Yeah well... it's awkward talking to people you don't know."

"Awkward? You just talk to them." She clearly didn't understand what it was like for the socially handicapped.

"You say that like it's easy."

"Hmm? Is it hard for you?" She touched her index finger to the side of her head.

"YES!"

She was silent for a moment, "I'm sorry Indigo, I'm afraid I don't quite understand your apprehension."

"Imagine you had to go and wake a giant man-eating dragon from its slumber and then just have a random conversation with it." A good analogy I thought.

"...?" If it was possible, Mother looked more puzzled. "But the tribe isn't a giant man-eating dragon, and there is no possibility that they would do you any harm either." Facts and logic, how dare you betray me!

"Fine, my fears are irrational, but that is how I feel!" Crossing my arms, I turned my head away in a pout.

Well, Mother was of no help, and how could she be? She was a social butterfly and socialized just as easily as breathing and seemed compelled to do so just as often. Who else could I turn to in my time of need?

"You are scared to talk to the tribe?" Dawn was a bit startled when I brought this to her attention.

"I didn't say I was scared! Just... uneasy."

"I don't think we would be having this discussion if you were just uneasy." How perceptive of her... I could only shrink down into myself in response. "I'm honestly shocked that you would have a hard time with this."

"Why would you think that?"

"You are so talented; it would make more sense for people to be nervous talking to you."

"I don't know about that... I don't really think I'm talented." I fidgeted my fingers as I looked off the side of the third platform on the North tree. Before I could fly, such an action would cause no small degree of apprehension, but even that was negligible compared to the subject of our present conversation.

She made it known that she felt that was a ridiculous thought. "You were the youngest person to ever get a mask." Placing a hand on her hip, she continued, "I could say more, but I think that alone proves my point."

"Look, I don't like it okay!?" Why did everyone find this so baffling!?

"Sorry Indigo." She brought her palms up in front of her to try and calm me down. "I didn't mean to upset you." It was then that I realized that my outburst was very childish. Luckily, the mask hid my embarrassment. I crossed my arms in protection.

"I know, what if I introduce you to everybody?" She dropped her fist into her open palm. "I know everybody and am well acquainted with most of them." She would be... I was still sulking apparently. "How does that sound?"

How did it sound? It sounded pathetic, but this would ultimately be less painful, and I should probably learn how to acknowledge my weaknesses and accept help. "...Okay."

Over the next several days, I got acquainted with Dawn's preoccupations. It would turn out my previous speculation that Dawn liked to make herself useful was in fact correct. She had many fixed appointments with people with tasks ranging from supply drop-offs to cooking for some of the older residences. People would also flag her down as she went about, with requests for this or that, basically just low-level beginner quests in video game parlance. All the while, she would introduce me to all these people. That wasn't so bad, usually, I just gave my name and otherwise stayed mum. What was rough though, was when she would just stop someone at random for the sole purpose of introducing me. In such a situation, I had no choice but to engage in awkward banter. I'm not sure if the fact that everyone had already heard of me made it better or worse.

"So your Indigo, the youngest to get their mask."

"I hear you are already flying. Should have given it more of a try back in my day..."

"Tree-Sap let it slip that we have you to thank for the ****!" This guy couldn't stop from slapping my shoulder, with a heavy hand I might add.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Is it true you can see underground? Would you mind helping me find a **** (Peace of sweet and fairly rare fruit) I buried a few cycles ago?" Poor guy… doesn't understand how decomposition works.

Eventually, we crossed paths with the enigmatic "Bucket Head". "Let's keep walking," Dawn said while giving my sleeve a tug. I had been prepared to stop, as she would jump at every opportunity to introduce me to someone new.

"Aren't you going to stop and introduce him?" Through exposure therapy, I had gotten more tolerant of random introductions, but I still didn't like them. However, "Bucket Head" was an urban legend as far as I was concerned, and my curiosity was greater than my anxiety.

"Hmm... rather not." She kept her gaze forward.

"Why not?"

"Indigo," she paused for dramatic effect. "He is wearing a bucket on his head."

"Well, maybe the poor guy isn't good at making masks." I could be wrong, but it seemed like she might have taken some offense to that remark.

"Indigo! Do you think everyone would just leave him maskless if he couldn't provision one himself!?" Yep, she was definitely offended.

"They wouldn't...?" I shrank back, remembering my father's short speech from the hunt.

"Of course we wouldn't! We all help each other the best we can! You know that, Indigo." I suppose I did…

"But then why is he wearing a bucket on his head?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I shook my head. "Because he chooses to!"

"Why would someone choose to wear a bucket??" I blurted out, only to realize my mistake a moment later.

"THE REAL QUESTION IS, WHY ARE YOU WEARING A MASK!?" Bucket Head had heard me when I accidentally in my incredulity slipped out of using the Whisper. Dawn for her part, let out a pang of distress.

"Well, doesn't everyone who isn't a child?" I returned. He stammered, not seeming prepared for such an obvious answer.

"Y-Yes, but WHY DOES EVERYONE WERE A MASK??"

"Oh! I know this one! It's in homage to Sparrow Hero!" Yep, I always paid attention to Lilac Governess’s stories.

"HOMAGE?? PLEASE! WHO ARE WE TO USURP THE GLORY OF SPARROW HERO??" He was putting on a grand display. This guy seemed a little crazy like a homeless guy with a “world is nigh” sign.

"See Indigo?" She tugged at my sleeve again more forcefully. "We should just go." I could tell that she was clearly uncomfortable. However, this crazy guy's rantings had awakened in me a character flaw from my previous life, the love of dumb pointless arguments.

"Usurp? It is high accolades to be the origin of a tradition that has persisted from time immemorial." I pulled back on my sleeve as I took my battle stance. Bucket Head clearly took this as a challenge and turned his proselytizing on me

"Yes, a tradition of appropriating the glory and sacrifice of the chosen one!" He stood straight with his chest puffed out, clearly thinking he had landed a wounding blow.

"You know, it's pretty hard to look regal while wearing a bucket on your head." A personal attack to throw him off balance. "It looks like you had a serious washing accident." He reeled back.

"How dare you! I wear this with the humility of one who knows he can never aspire to the glory of Sparrow Hero!"

"Well then, why are you even wearing a head covering at all?" He created the opening, time to sink his battleship.

"B-Because..." Obviously, he couldn't answer because this guy was clearly an idiot who had not thought through his lunacy.

"Because covering one's face is a tradition started by Sparrow Hero," I finished his statement. "This is usually done by honoring him and wearing a mask. However, you mock him by wearing a bucket on your head! Demonstrating your contempt for not only the tradition but Sparrow Hero himself!" All men to the lifeboat, abandon ship!

"What?? NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NOOOO!" He grabbed the top edges of the bucket with both hands, shaking his head violently, before running off full till, shouting, "WE ARE NOT WORTH!" repeatedly.

"Indigo... How could you do that?" Dawn disapproved and I could feel her disappointment in me.

"Do what? I merely answer his question."

"You can see he is clearly unwell, why would you torment him like that?" Was she lecturing me?

"...Aren't you the one who wanted to ignore him completely?"

"Yes, and he would still be fine if we had!"

"Doesn't anyone try to help him with his... issues?"

"I don't think there is any helping him, I know several that have tried... but as long as you leave him alone, there are no problems." I guess I will remember that next time.

"What's his name by the way? I think it's rude to just call him 'Bucket Head.'"

"Midsummer Maskcrafter."

"..." Did I hear that right? "Maskcrafter???"

"Yes."

"As in, he makes masks?"

"Yep, he is the only one with that role."

"...I can't be the only one who finds that a little... ironic?"

"He is very dedicated to the craft, his masks are quite superb, or so I hear."

"But isn't he against wearing masks? And also, I thought everyone made their own mask." Now I was confused.

"He is crazy, Indigo. There is no making sense of crazy." She held a finger up as she made her point. "As for making masks, yes, most people will make their own masks, but some people are terrible at it, and sometimes you want a mask of superior quality."

"Sometimes? But doesn't everyone just have one mask?" That had been my experience.

"Hmm... I think most people stick to one mask, but some like to switch between several masks. Also, masks wear out or break, so there is a demand."

"You learn something new every day." Dawn was still looking at me with her hands on her hips. "Sorry, I was just curious about him. I didn't mean to give him a psychotic episode. Will he be okay?"

She loosened up. "Well, he gets distracted easily, so he has probably already forgotten about it." Well, that was good to hear. The last thing I wanted was to end up on a crazy guy's list.