Comrade Duck

Shake-Up "That's not possible...she looks the same everyday," St. Peter replied. "I quite happen to like the aged look, myself." Olivia could only chuckle softly to herself. Before St. Peter could get the meeting underway, a late Tatsuo burst through the doors and made himself the center of attention. "Uh-oh," Sharp said softly. "Sera's gonna yell again." Sharp prepared herself for the ensuing eruption from Sera as she sat back in her seat. "HEY HEY! What's happenin' party people! You're all way too early to this meeting!" Sharp desperately tried to hold in her laugh as she waved to Tatsuo, who was shooting them all with finger guns. She did like his flair. And then, as quickly as Sharp regained her composure, Sera blew Tatsuo away. "Late!" she boomed. Despite having been ready for Sera, Sharp was still pushed back into her seat, her heart racing. "Gets me every time," she said as massaged her ears. Finally, St. Peter was able to begin. "As I'm sure you're all aware, S.Y.S. has been losing countless amounts of Lost Souls to Hell these days, and our number of Class 2 Soulders hasn't been this low since the foundation. Class 1 Soulders. They're mainly pencil pushers, but they can handle Lost Souls well enough to escort them to the afterlife. Class 2 Soulders are the ones capable of recruiting stronger lost souls to S.Y.S.. This has been your main goal since you were contracted. Class 3 Soulders are used to fight off Hell itself." Right. She still needed to figure out what class she was in. Definitely at least two but had she ever graduated? Sharp silently shrugged and continued to listen in. "You Class 2's haven't been pulling your weight, and I'm getting pressure from the higher ups to run you ragged. But I don't want to do that. I know you all work hard in your own ways, but S.Y.S. needs to step it up. From here on out, Class 2 Soulders shall be assigned a team of 5, and are to meet a quota of recruiting 1 Lost Soul per week." That sounded plenty doable in Sharp's head. But, a team? She hadn't really been apart of a team bigger than herself in... forever. It would push her abilities to the limit. "Now, before I have to do it myself, I suggest you find some people you like and make a team yourself. After reporting to me, I'll assign you your first mission by the end of the day. DISMISSED!" Sharp sighed as she remained seated in her chair. There were plenty of Soulders she liked, but she wasn't about to whore herself out and beg to be a part of a team. If anyone was interested in having her, she would rather be approached. Other avenues weren't her forte. The thought of trying to form a team on her own gave her shivers. She groaned softly to herself as she sank in her chair. She folded her arms as she lowered her head. "Well, shit."

Those Damn Eyes For a brief moment, Olivander had forgotten about the truths that had so quickly unfolded before him. The party was quite festive and it lured him in. The food, the atmosphere, the alcohol, the very attractive people. Olivander was essentially shopping with his eyes. Had it not been for Joy's voice cutting through his lust-filled excitement, he probably would've been distracted until dawn. “There is a small ceremony later, but for now, let’s dull those daggers you’ve both had in your eyes. You have questions, and I’ve put them off long enough. Speak!” Joy insisted. Olivander sighed as he turned to face her. Her eyes sparkled and it both turned him on and made him upset. "Why did you have to be the one to rescue me, and be so cute, and have something to do with whatever the hell is going on?" he thought to himself. Olivander held the loupe up to his face to make sure the Joy he was witnessing was indeed real and not a fabrication. Surely, it was much harder to create a watchdog than the illusion of a well-standing temple. Lowering the loupe from his face and sticking it back in his pocket, he looked Joy in her eyes. "We've come to find the integrity of the temple is not as it seems," Olivander began. "Newer structures are either ragged beneath their appearance, or they don't exist at all." Olivander gently stroked William's head as he continued. "Furthermore, it would seem that my comrade has learned that a word of power is being used rather freely and abundantly about the island. So, I guess what I would really like to know is, what role do you play in all of this? And why do the people of this island recite a word of power so nonchalantly?" He did his best to not come across as hostile or aggressive, because he was beginning to understand his own temperament in these sorts of situations.

As Sharp as Ever Olivia's head propped up right as footsteps approached the conference room. She lazily put her head back against her hand when she realized it was Virgil. With a smile on his face, he greeted Olivia. "Mornin' Sharp. Reckon you heard the ol' saint's message too?" She smiled back at him. "Morning to you too, gunslinger. Couldn't help but hear the old man ringin' away for us. I'm starting to think he likes us a little too much, y'know," she joked. Her eyes always rested upon Virgil's iron. She admired his weapons. Having been a former sharpshooter and hired gun, she knew good weapons when she saw them. "So, when are you gonna let me take those beautiful weapons of yours to the range for myself? It's been, what, ten or so odd years and I can't imagine you've gone through any more than ten thousand rounds. I'd like to show those ladies a good time," she said with an eager grin. Moments later, another Soulder entered the room, only seconds left to spare before St. Peter would grace them with his presence. This particular Soulder was Letty. No one had better eyes than she did, even if their vision was perfect. "Good morning, my fellow Soulders," she greeted them. "It's not every day we have an emergency meeting. What could Saint Peter be so worked up about, I wonder?" Olivia perked up at Letty's entrance. "Good morning, my dear Letty," she said with a bit of gusto. "You're as adorable as ever. I'm willing to bet that's what St. Peter is all huffy about. He knows you get cuter every day," Olivia said with a chuckle. As Olivia scanned the room now, she couldn't help but notice that some of the staff was still missing. "Hmm. Where's what's-her-face? Petey's gonna be pissed if she's late. And I'm not fishin' her out of hell."

Those Damned Eyes "I've been meaning to get in touch with you as well...two things..." Kitt's voice was hushed. He flipped through a notebook and pointed to two words that Olivander hadn't seen or recognized. However, as his eyes lay upon those words, he realized they could only be words of power. "I heard this one about the time we came here in my dream...within a whisper. As for the second one...I've heard it twice now here on this island..." Olivander frowned. "That's the opposite of what I was hoping you were going to say. You say you heard the first in a dream. I'm sure I have to, but I believe my mind suppressed it. So much so, that it caused me to black out from pain. When I awoke I was in the care of another watchdog. Joy. I don't supposed you've run into her yet if you've been in the temple all this time. But the second," Olivander said before a brief pause. "If it's being spoken so casually, especially without those people using it knowing its power, then there's no telling what effects it could be having on the island. That being said, it leads me to my next point." Chicken still in hand, Olivander drew the loupe from his trousers. "Captain Helmsley sent someone to give me this with great urgency. Before I left him, he told me something was off about the island. That it was too... new. And he was right. I'll show you what I mean if you'll follow me outside," Olivander explained. He held open the door and waited for Kitt. "Take the loupe and peer through it. Examine for yourself the lies that this very island appears to be built upon. Whatever damage is being done by those words needs to be ceased immediately." With his back to the door, holding it open, Olivander waited for Kitt to see things for himself.

Elongated Distractions "Ki--! Oh. Oh, hello," Olivander said with a smile. He was stopped in his tracks by a young woman who eagerly needed to get his attention. “Sorry to interrupt,” she said. "No worries, mate. Who might you be?" he asked. "Captain Helmsley sent me after you, said something about realizing he could help more than just sailor intuition," she replied. "Oh, you're a member of the Swallowtail. Sorry, sorry. I should recognize you but I've been quite preoccupied. So, what did the Captain need of me?" She handed Olivander a shiny blue tube with emerald lenses. He held it up to the light and examined its shine. He loved the way it sparkled. “I don’t know how he got this, he had it before I even joined his crew. Some of us even joke he’s had it longer than we’ve been alive. But I’m going to guess it was a gift from some passenger or other, and we’ve seen him use it occasionally, but mostly he’s just kept it around." Olivander balanced the tube in his hands as he observed it with wonder, only mutterring, "I see," to the woman before him. And he told me to tell you this: He said it’s useful for taking a clearer look at things. And he also said to apologize for threatening to throw your chicken overboard." Then, without another word, she sprinted away, likely back toward the Swallowtail. "Hmm. This is an interesting piece. Wouldn't you say, William?" Olivander mused. "Buck, buck," William nodded. "I wonder exactly what he had in mind when he sent me this. What should I be looking for through this... looking glass?" Olivander said as he held it up to his eye. He first took a look around the sky and could only see an emerald tinted cloud. He lowered the glass from his eye and thought nothing of it. He took a look around the immediate area and his eyes landed on the temple in the distance. Raising the tube to his eye, Olivander took a closer look at the temple. "Wha--" he found himself suddenly short of breath. Lowering the loupe from his face, Olivander rubbed his eyes. He blinked several times before raising the loupe to his eye again. "I don't-- what is this?" he thought aloud. Olivander shifted his gaze from the temple and down to the immediate structures around him. "There's no way. There's no fucking way this is real," Olivander said in total disbelief. "Why? Why is everything in ruins? What the hell is going on!?" he belted out. "Caw?" William asked nervously. "I'm sorry, my friend. I didn't mean to alarm you. I can't really express to you what I'm seeing. But I can tell you that Helmsley was right. Something is very wrong with this island. And I think I'll need more than Kitt's help. I need to go to the temple. I need to pray to Hinder. We'll need a blessing." Olivander sprinted inside the temple and began searching for Hinder's altar. First, however his eyes landed on the back of Kitt's head. "Oh, good," he said as he entered into the temple. "You're here. We need to talk. Now."

Blood on the Floor Sharp sipped her coffee slowly this morning. She liked it with a bit of cream and sugar, but carefully determined portions. Too much and her coffee became weak. Too little, and it reminded her of swallowing molten metal. When the proportions were just right, it was perfect. After the first long, satisfying sip, she nodded and sat the porcelain mug down gently on the table in front of her. She sighed and quickly slid a coaster underneath the mug; she wasn't a barbarian after all. Headphones blared in her ears, and a simple but funky bass tab made her tap her foot on the floor as she softly sang along to the words of the song. "... sitting here, knowing this ain't real," she recited. Despite the volume in her headphones, a piercing shriek rang out of the intercoms throughout Soulder HQ and disturbed what little peace she was able to observe. She paused her music right away and disconnected her headphones as a familiar voice came over the speakers. "Attention all available S.Y.S. Soulders of Class 2 and higher! Please assemble in the main conference room on floor 99. We will be having a mandatory emergency meeting in the next 30 minutes." Another sigh escaped her. Sharp didn't keep track of her Class ranking, but she remembered being at least a class 2 the last time she checked some four thousand days ago. That was the last time she had been interested in it at least. She made a mental note to inquire about her ranking and how to move up as soon as she had the opportunity. She wondered if there were available perks to climbing the ranks. She shrugged away the irritation as the sounds of ringing phones filled her ears now. "Fuck's sake," she groaned. "What is going on down there?" She left the break-room as silently as she entered it and shut the door behind her. As she reached the service elevator and pressed the "up" indicator, she wondered if hell was literally breaking loose. A gentle ding was almost unnoticeable next to the buzzing of the phones of HQ. Two metallic doors separated and let Sharp inside, closing behind her. She directed the elevator to floor 99 where the conference room was located. Thankfully, any understanding of the passage of time she had while in HQ was skewed, because she arrived in what seemed like an instant. Sharp stepped out of the elevator and headed directly to the conference room. She took a seat toward the end of the conference table, but not quite at its foot. Leaning against the table and propping her head up with one arm, Sharp waited dutifully for the others. "What've you got for me today, Saint Peter?" she asked aloud to no-one.

Flown the Coop Olivander barely made out the odds and ends of Joy and Timothy's words as he vanished. He was keeping his invitation list to two people, since Joy had requested that the party be small. The most important guest on his list was of course, Willie. Though, as Olivander raced toward the Swallowtail he had begun to think of new names for Willie. "I wonder if he thinks his name to be too casual? Perhaps, he is deserving of something more formal," he thought aloud as he ran. "Of course! It's only fitting that, for a fancy party, my guest of honor be given a fancy name. And I've got just the name!" Landing at the docks minutes later, Olivander was surprised to be greeted by Captain Helmsley. He was holding Willie snugly in his arms; the latter of whom was quite fussy. “Think he was calling for you,” Captain Helmsley said with a bit of gruff in his voice. “Was making quite a ruckus. I need you to understand, pets of any kind -- and I've seen all kinds -- are alright on board, but ruckuses are not. Forgive me if I'm speaking out of place, but it is my ship.” Olivander accepted Willie's hand off gracefully. "Thank you, Captain. I apologize for any trouble Willie -- er, Sir William the First as of now -- may have caused you. You are absolutely right. That is your ship, and it deserves respect and dignity. I'll give him a stern talking to before we board again. You've been good to us. I mean you no disrespect or harm, of course." Captain Helmsley seemed to take kindly to Olivander's words, which made the watchdog happy. Of the few people Olivander tolerated, Helmsley was one of them. Though he may not have outwardly expressed it, Olivander had a deep appreciation and admiration for Helmsley. He was a man that Olivander would gladly brag about to Hinder. After a moment, however, Helmsley stopped and turned around. “I suppose I’m frustrated too. That’s part of it. This island is…” Helmsley shook his head as he spoke. “Maybe this is just misguided intuition, but I feel I’ve heard things I should not have heard, and even besides that, there’s a weird energy about the place. It’s too new, that’s the thing, I think. I recognize there are all the old, dilapidated buildings, of course, but the ones people are using, that they’re living in, they shouldn’t be here. They shouldn’t be like this.” Olivander hadn't been paying much attention at all, had he? He was so caught up in his own frantic behavior that he neglected to notice anything off about the island at all. Now that Helmsley brought it to his attention, Olivander recalled he ruins he and Joy went through to get to Timothy. What had happened here? His face scrunched and his mood soured a bit. He had to focus. For now, he elected to maintain a party-ready facade so that others wouldn't catch onto his misgivings. Helmsley shrugged. “Again, that’s just my opinion, one that very easily could be wrong. But I would still advise you to be careful. Bad things inevitably happen at the end of the world.” Olivander nodded. "I'll keep that in mind, Captain. Thank you for keeping me on my toes. I'll keep an eye out." He turned back towards the town and began his conversation with Willie. "And as for you, Sir William the First, the grandest cock there is," he said wagging a finger. "What's all the trouble, mate?" "Caw caw caw caw caw caw," William replied. "Well yes, but there is a time and place for that," Olivander answered. "Caw caw caw!" William snapped. "Hey! I would never let anything happen to you. I've come to love you, my friend. You've a special place in my heart," Olivander said with a smile. "I think I'll even introduce you to Hinder." "Buck-caw!?" William asked excitedly. "The very same," Olivander answered. "He's a funny god, actually. I'll have to regale you with some of our shared stories sometime. But right now, I need to find my dear companion. When's the last time you saw Kitt?" "Caw caw caw," William said with a feathery shrug. "Mm, I see. I guess we'll just have to being calling for him at the top of our lungs until he eventually stumbles drunkenly out of some parlor wondering what the devil is going on," Olivander joked. "Kidding," he said as he saw William's face scrunch up. "About the drinking part. Kitt's a straight-arrow, you know. The occasional glass of wine or mug of beer, sure I'd believe it. But a drunkard? Never. I may not see eye to eye with him but I recognize the quality of person he is. He's a much more patient man than I." "Caw caw caw," William said sassily. "Hey! Who's side are you on!?" Olivander snapped back. William turned his head to the sky, hiding a cheeky laugh. "I'll deal with you later. Let's find Kitt," Olivander said. "Kitt, ol' boy!" he began yelling into the streets. "Where are you!?" Olivander had not idea where to even begin looking for the boy.

Party Up “No fireworks,” Olivander heard Timothy say. That had almost dampened his mood. Fortunately, Olivander was still looking forward to the party itself so his spirits didn't sink right away. "Well, shoot," Olivander said with a shrug. "That's unfortunate, but we'll have to make do without them I suppose." “Now, I suppose we should probably go off to the temple, start inviting people, and, well, see what the rest of the day has in store for us," Joy spoke up. Olivander perked up once more and approached the door and held it open with a grin. "Then let us do the do. We'll throw the fanciest party this island has ever seen. I'm already creating a list of necessities in my head. We'll need beer and wine. Those are a pivotal part of any good party," he said as he nodded to himself. "Then, we'll need the best food from the best cooks. Pheasant, goat, bass-- oh! Oh, I almost forgot! I'll have to invite an important guest. My dear Willie! If I find the cooks on the Swallow Tail have turned him into lunch, I'll unleash my wrath on that kitchen," he suddenly said with a scowl. After Joy had passed the doorway, Olivander stepped ahead of her. "I'll meet you back at the temple. I've got to check on Willie. See you soon, Lady Joy!" Olivander said as he turned into a blur and raced away to the Swallow Tail.

You can't do shit. We're living in a world where conspiracy theories are accepted over the words of scientists and desperate times headbutt with complacency and greed. We're going to be living with COVID for the foreseeable future. You may as well get comfy.

I did a little bit of shopping for myself and picked up a nice Michael Kors watch for myself for special occasions. I also got a slightly less expensive Guess watch for those other occasions where I just kinda wanna flex a lil bit. Got some sexy cologne for myself and some perfume for my lady. I also took her shopping and got her a new bag and some threads.. My folks gave me 400 in cash, a beautiful card, and a dope ass emergency lantern. It's like 300 lumens. Fuckin thing is brighter than my future.

Is that a Packer's jersey? Bad dog >:/

Unnecessary Olivander enjoyed the way Joy pulled him around. The way she took control was not usual for him, but he liked it. Though it was gentle and only served to bring them to another destination, something about having his wrist held and being led by this woman's will made his loins tingle. He smirked silently but quickly perished the thoughts that tried to creep up on him as they passed through the ruins of what was old Andalou. When they had finished their brief journey, Kelly, Joy, and Olivander arrived at a building that appeared quite similar to Joy's. Inside, someone was observing a sketch but was not oblivious to their new company. This must have been Timothy that Kelly spoke of earlier. “Hullo Joy and… similarly honored guest, I’m sure," he said. As the presume owner of the home turned around, Olivander offered a wave as a greeting before he spoke. "It is an honor, yes. Thank you," he said, trying to be courteous. Then, it was right down to business. “The damages to the shelter roof were minimal this time, so that part’s not going to be a problem. They’re not ideal, but it’s not a problem. My bigger problem is, to be blunt, I’m not sure it’s working. Parts of it, sure, and those parts we can keep, but, for example, fireworks? The spectacle is running a little thin, especially when there isn’t anything being celebrated most of the time." "Fireworks? Oh, yeah. There were fireworks when we arrived. Almost killed us all. Would've been quite a way to go," Olivander thought silently to himself. He smirked again. "... out with a bang," he went on thinking, stifling a laugh at his own ridiculous joke. “We’re celebrating life. And in any case, now we have visitors -- more watchdogs, even -- to celebrate the arrival of tonight. If any party is worth putting in the extra effort for, it should be this one," Joy replied. "A party, huh?" Olivander perked up. "There's nothing like a good party. It would surely raise my pitiful spirits," he expressed. “I think we almost hit their boat last night. Could have been celebrating death then," Timothy added. Olivander immediately covered his mouth as he choked back another laugh. He was taking to Timothy quite quickly. He had a great sense of wit. "I respect you and I respect your station, so it’s your choice of course, but I did want to get that out there. At the very least, can’t I suggest something smaller, more communal?” Timothy went on. "A more private party? That sounds more intimate. I like the idea, personally," Olivander contributed. "Well, I can certainly take that into consideration," Joy began. She then looked to Olivander. "I suppose I should ask you as well. It’s a tradition we’ve had recently, so how would you like to be celebrated?” Olivander's smirk turned into a big smile. "Personally? I love the idea of a small, intimate party with the 'who's who' of Andalou. It would give me a chance to see where Andalou stands as a whole. To intermingle with the leaders of Andalou would also give me a sense of direction as to why I'm here. And of course, I'd like for you to be there as well. I already assumed you would be, but I want to make sure," he said with a cheeky grin. "And if necessary, I can find something interesting to offer to Hinder," he thought silently.

A cold heart; a burning passion. Feel free to d'm me or tag me directly if you'd like me to make any changes.

Blanks Olivander wiped his face as Joy approached. He took a deep breath and took a moment to collect himself. Her touch was gentle and warm. “I believe you when you say you don’t remember,” she said. “You don’t have to force it -- I won’t even remind you. You don’t even have to say anything if you do remember." Olivander only nodded as his tears dried up. "But there must be something. That’s something I believe very strongly, you understand. And if you truly have led a miserable existence, well, we’ll just have to make some. Hold onto them when they come.” Joy seemed very sure of her own words. It was no wonder she was a watchdog. Olivander smiled finally as Joy's words hit his ears. Even if he had truly been miserable, there was something or someone in his life that made him happy. He would have to figure out who or what that was. Right now, no one memory or person came to mind. He could think only of growing up an abandoned child, living as a squatter, rummaging through trash until he learned the life of a thief. Even then, things didn't come easily. He made it on his own until the guild found him. It wasn't long after that that he became a watchdog to Hinder. But what happiness had he really experienced? He sighed and came back to reality. “Oh, but that was a longer speech than it needed to be. My apologies. In any case, should we just start with your name and why you’ve chosen to come to Andalou?” Joy asked patiently. Olivander finally began to stand to his feet. "My name is Olivander but my friends just call me Olive. Like yourself, I'm a watchdog. As far as why I'm here," he said with a shrug. "I couldn't really tell you. I can only tell you that Hinder is fond of me and wants me to entertain him. I hope to find something here worth his ti--" Before Olivander could finish, someone had barged into Joy's home. “Joy! Hey, sorry to bother you, I was going to catch you on your walk but, um, well, anyway, Timothy had a question about the stuff going on tonight so I just came to fetch you. Are you busy?” An unknown woman had what sounded like pertinent questions for Joy. “That depends,” Joy said before turning to Olivander. “Are you willing to up and come along, or do you need to stay here? I’m not going to leave you behind, you understand.” Olivander nodded. "I'll be fine. I'm happy to come along. I'm sure it will give me an opportunity to clear my head." Internally, Olivander felt like a nice breeze would help him feel better. Then, the thought of going outside reminded him of what thoughts plagued his mind before he passed out in pain the previous evening. "What was that word? I'll have to discuss it with Kitt. It's likely a word of power." Olivander forced a smile and approached the door. "Shall we?" he asked, trying his best to shake himself off and lose the awful thoughts that had tormented him. "Get yourself together man. You can't break down like this. You're far too vulnerable."

I'm game.

Going Through Changes Olivander felt his body stir unwillingly in the early morning. He hadn't had the strength to even raise his head. He could only crack open his eyes and see the world beneath him moving. He quickly fell back to sleep as his head began to pound once more. When he finally awoke fully, Olivander found himself inside someone else's dwelling. His first instinct was to reach for his blade and protect himself. His guard high, he sat upright and searched the immediate room. There was no one there, but Olivander kept his guard up regardless. He slowly stood to his feet, slightly dizzy but managing to get his bearings. The room swayed just a bit which caused Olivander to lurch forward and lean against the bed he had been in. "Who am I kidding? With the way I feel, if someone wanted me dead, I would be dead already." His subconscious thoughts caused him to sheathe his dagger and try to get a grip on where he was. He could hear footsteps in another room. Hopefully, whomever was waiting on him hadn't suffered too much due to his own inability to get his shit together. Olivander quietly left the room he'd been provided and achingly made his way across the residence to see who exactly had rescued him. The journey was long and arduous for him, but Olivander had finally made it. Before he could say a word, a young woman with short, bright orange hair turned around to greet him. She looked to have a compress in her hand. She must've been his caretaker. She seemed harmless, so Olivander made himself calm down. “Oh! Good morning,” she had said. Olivander could only nod at first. “I’m Joy, a watchdog of Laeta -- and yes I know, but if you want to hear an even more on-the-nose name, you should hear what my dad tried to name me," the young woman explained. So, she was a watchdog? Of Laeta, the god of joy. And her name was also Joy. This made Olivander smile. It was a weak, strained smile, but it made him smile all the same. "It's a pleasure," he managed to reply with a groan. His head was still aching. "This is my house, you’re safe here, and, um, I know this sounds a bit silly but I suppose it behooves me to ask, when you get your bearings enough to introduce yourself in return, if you can remember, what’s the happiest you’ve ever been?” Olivander kept smiling. She was quite sweet. "I.. urgh," Olivander groaned as he fell to a knee. He could feel the room spinning again. "Apologies, Joy," he said quickly. He struggled back to his feet. With a pained smile, Olivander looked Joy in the eyes. He tried to maintain his composure, but slowly he began to weep as he replied to her question. "I honestly don't remember." His voice cracked as he pressed his back against the wall. He slowly slid to the floor as his head pounded and his heart boomed. His emotions ran high as he thought about the question thoroughly. And that was when Olivander realized he had never truly been happy. He had brief moments of excitement and joy. He had short spurts of arousal, wonder, and passion. However, Olivander had not experienced happiness to its fullest extent. And through the pain in his head, this hurt much, much more. He placed his head in between his knees and wept.

Listen. My knowledge of the arts has not changed. It is little to none. But I know a beautiful, good dog when I see one.

Silent Nightmares Olivander absorbed the sights and smells around him silently. The thunderous boom of the fireworks drew his attention at first, even causing him to grin. He'd never seen fireworks before. He wondered how they worked and why they sounded like small volcanic eruptions. Some of them exploded in vibrant colors, lighting up the night sky in a brilliant display that captured his eye. For a moment, Olivander felt at peace. A child-like wonder entered his mind as he continued to repress all of the things that hurt so much. Unfortunately for Olivander, however, he couldn't repress them forever. He was suddenly overcome with a raging headache that caused him to wince and grasp at his temples. Olivander stumbled, falling to the ground as he was taken by surprise by this headache. He managed to stand again, but his head was being wracked with pain, sharp, pinching sensations ran across his temples while the rest of his head thumped like some of the beds of his past lovers. Some stopped and stared at him, but Olivander could only focus on the pain in his head. The sounds of the fireworks around him made things much worse, and Olivander suddenly longed for silence. He tried to focus his abilities to create a field of silence around himself, but the suffering he endured made it impossible to control his powers. Though it caused no physical damage, what should've been a concentrated, five meter wide bubble of silence instead erupted into a massive fifty meter bubble around him. Olivander continued to writhe on the ground as he tried to get a grip. Then, in the midst of the silence, a whisper came to Olivander's mind. "... ca͢n̷t҉icųm̕ad ͝ ̷ ." Olivander should not have been able to hear the word, but he did. The bubble retracted and disappeared as Olivander finally managed to crawl to his feet. His head still pounding, he moved toward a dark alley. He slumped beside an empty barrel and curled into a ball before passing out.

That... is something I kinda wanna try. How does the texture of the peanut butter and jelly hold with the pulled pork? And is it just pulled pork or is there a bbq sauce?

Such a good dog

Business as Usual The night of the party, Olivander had waited until most everyone was asleep and casually utilized his god-given abilities to raid the kitchen. He had been so busy brooding in his room that the only reason he knew he was hungry was because of the obnoxious grumbling that came from his torso. With an agitated groan and an uninterested, "fine", he got up and waded through walls until he reached the kitchen. He took small portions of whatever he could fine and loaded a single plate with a smorgasbord of dishes before slinking back to his room. There, he stuffed his face, still sitting miserably on his bed. He finished the meal with a slice of cake which finally made him feel something other than the cloud over his head. "... that's pretty good." Despite how long ago the party had ended, the cake retained its moisture and fluffiness. It spoke to the talent of the baker. At last, Olivander fell asleep with the tiniest amount of satisfaction. The time seemed to fly by rapidly, and before Olivander knew it, David and Pfeifer were departing the Swallow Tail. The length he spent in his room seemed to swallow any sense of time he had, as the sun would rise and set without him ever noticing it. He hadn't taken note of the island they landed on, but it was time for him to say his goodbyes to the two young lads he had come to care for, and even love like his own siblings. “I have to go unpack now, but I suppose if I ever need you again I still have that coin you gave me, right? So now you’ll have to visit again!” Olivander nodded, finally smiling after who only knows how long. "I look forward to seeing you again, David." Then, there was Pfeifer. Of the two boys, Olivander felt he personally grew closer to Pfeifer than David, despite his love for them both. “He better keep me company. I’ve still got a lot to think about, and though he probably won’t understand any of it, I mean, neither do I, right? Anyway, don’t worry. I still remember what you told me.” Olivander stopped Pfeifer before he turned his back, and shook the young man's hand. "Pfeifer. I trust you. It's been a pleasure to get to know you. I truly look forward to seeing how you grow." As the boys departed, the slightest of tears escaped Olivander, stinging his scarred face. He didn't wince, but his smile grew bigger still. They were good kids, and he was thinking only the best for them. Still lingering in the back of his mind was the promise he made to Pfeifer. He wouldn't forget it. He only hoped he never had to act on it. Even later still as time traveled like a rushing river, Olivander lost track of things once more. His mind still lingered on Corpus and what happened to it. It would be some time before he actually knew what became of it. The thing that got him to shake himself awake was the sudden lurching of the ship as it took a hard turn in the sky. Then, a thunderous boom not far off. His body immediately reacted and he was out of his room faster than even he could perceive. He made his way to the deck outside with his mind racing, thinking only the worst. "Are we under attack!?" Olivander belted out loud. Fortunately, this time, Olivander was wrong. A brilliant display of color in the night sky gave him a sigh of relief. "... fireworks. Hell on highwater, that is not what I thought it was," he exclaimed to himself. "Must've dodged one. Helmsley is probably pissed." Finally showing his face to the Captain again, Olivander found the Captain... swearing? If you could call it that. It was clear however that Helmsley was irate. As Olivander listened to the older man rant and rave at the "blithering bombadier" as he called them, he couldn't help but stifle a laugh. He was right to be angry, but seeing the Captain in this state only made Olivander want to roll over, clutching his stomach with joy as he laughed. “You hear me, you cushion-footed quadrupeds? Just wait ‘til I get down there and give you a real piece of my mind!” Olivander wiped a tear from his face as he cried this time from joy. Things were returning to "normal" and this was to be expected. Upon landing, Captain Helmsley stormed off immediately to find the responsible parties for nearly destroying his ship. Kitt and Olivander were instead greeted by the gentleman who pointed Helmsley in the right direction. “Hey, watchdogs, over here! Hey, welcome to Andalou! What’s your business?” Olivander sighed. He didn't like to think he could go nowhere and only be on a mission. He was overwhelmed and stressed almost immediately. Though, that came with the territory and he knew it. He quickly regained his composure and addressed the person before him. "Thank you for the welcome. I can't say I quite know just yet why the gods have led us here, but I'm sure in a matter of hours we will indeed be made aware. For now, I'm going to explore Andalou. Alone." He didn't wait for a response. Instead, he just walked away and into the heart of the island to see what awaited him. His intent was to be a silent observer for now.

What's your favorite non-Marvel Disney film?