"Not many would vouch for... someone in my position."
Aeric is one of five Romance option characters in Grow: Song of the Evertree. He is a Faceless Veiled who accompanies Flora (NPC) on her pilgrimage. A man of few words, he is atoning for a crime he committed by accident when he was very young. As a child, his family was poor, his father was gone and his mother was sick, so he was scavenging for food scraps when he unknowingly entered the property of Flora's family. She was playing alone without her mask on and he happened to see her face, which is considered a terrible crime in the Veiled society. Her family took pity on him, however, and indentured him to their daughter as a guard rather than leave him in jail. Unfortunately, his mother died while he was in jail, a fact he feels terrible about. He has traveled with Flora ever since then, but his mind is always on atonement.
Aeric will not appear until the first Temple has been built, at which time, both he and Flora will appear and ask for housing and a job at the Temple. Most of their initial dialogue is together, until the Apprentice chooses one or the other to romance.
"Kazumi! Not on the-- Awww, you're gonna break it again..."
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Romancing Aeric
Romancing Aeric is one of the more difficult things to do in Grow, as the dialogue options always seem to push the Apprentice towards Flora. Being protective of Aeric and speaking to him first and asking about him will brighten him up enough to consider a way to be freed from his atonement. Eventually, however, he convinces Flora to review the contract he is under, and they both realize that all he has to do is find his purpose. Aeric thanks the Apprentice after being freed from his contract. If the Apprentice has been kind and protective of Aeric, he will say that the Apprentice is his purpose, and Flora will free him from his contract and restore the gems to his mask. Aeric will thank the Apprentice, then a few days later, ask the Apprentice to meet him by the lake in Meadow Quarters, where he will confess his deep feelings and ask the Apprentice to share his most treasured gift - to look upon, and touch, his face. The seen immediately cuts to black, and the time is advanced another day, after which, Aeric no longer expresses anything more than thanks to the Apprentice.
