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Götterdämmerung [IC/PG-16/COMPLETED]

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Almond Joy

“Oh my,” Joy said, initially unsure of how to otherwise respond to the situation. Not that she didn’t anticipate this as an answer -- this was just one of the many reactions she’d seen in her three-ish years as a watchdog -- but in its spontaneity and its emotionality, it just went to show she still had a lot to learn. She had enough experience to realize what to do next, though, now that she’d had more time.

Joy closed the distance between her and the still unintroduced traveller and knelt down to their level, putting a hand on their shoulder and giving them a light touch of positive energy to keep them from wallowing all day. “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. 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.”

She stood back up. “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?”

Though the traveller answered, they were interrupted from any further conversation by a younger woman named Kelly who had just appeared in her doorway. “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?”

“That depends,” Joy said, and looked at her new companion, “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.”


Jawbreaker

“It’s not - okay, so the tools are just like normal tools,” Ricky said, already walking towards the shack where Sparky and the Swallow Tail’s captain were. “But they’re mine and that’s the important thing. The tools, anyway.” He eyed Kitt’s sword out of the corner of his eye, still walking forward, and added, “It’d be like if someone swiped that blade of yours. You ever had to deal with something like that?”

Then he turned around and started walking backwards to better keep his eyes on his conversation. “The book, I mean, yeah, that’s more important because I borrowed it from Joy so it wasn’t even mine to lose -- that’s why I said she’d probably be more bothered about it -- but it’s also like the only book on the island, so it’s not like it got lost in a stack somewhere. Honestly, someone has it who shouldn’t with that one, probably.”

He checked over his shoulder and did a quick course correction. “Anyway, to answer your question, no, things don’t get lost all the time on Andalou, or even ‘get lost’ -- nobody’s really stealing stuff. On another day, I might not even have approached you with the problem I got; things find a way to work themselves out here. But you’re here, you know? I’m sure you’ll run into something more worth your while but in the meantime-”

Any further rambling was cut short by Ricky running right into the captain, who looked significantly less stern than he had getting off his ship. “It was no harm no foul,” the captain said, preempting Ricky’s apology before it could even leave his lips. Then the captain turned his attention to Kitt. “And that goes for the ship as well. Ah, well, at least that was all sorted, then. Make sure you’re looking where you’re going.”

And he was gone. “Yessir captain, sir, sorry, sir,” Ricky still said as the captain walked off, then he sheepishly looked back to Kitt and started walking again, forwards this time. They were almost there.

The phrase “the dockmaster’s shack” was both an apt descriptor for the building and also gave it too much credit. It was a room with a desk more suited for a scribe than any real dockmaster, said dockmaster, Sparky, himself, and a doorway, and that was basically it. Still, Sparky didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he looked to be just in the middle of contentedly pulling out a logbook and only put it back away when he saw the two come in, whereupon he quickly shoved it back under his deck. “What do you two need?” he said.

“Was wondering if you knew where my tools got to last night,” Ricky said, “Stake hammer especially since, you know, a ship arrived. And that book I got from Joy too.”

“Doesn’t really sound like a problem,” Sparky said.

Ricky frowned. “I mean, it’s not a big problem, but it is a-”

“No,” Sparky interrupted. “Like, it’s not a problem. t͠at҉ib͠us̨.”

All of a sudden, a wave of calm, something almost but not quite like inner peace, washed over Ricky, and all he could really say was, “Oh yeah, I forgot.”


OOC

Spoiler

Sparky // Kelly // Subtitles this week are candies

Kitt's is a bit longer only because Ricky likes to ramble (Joy likes to pontificate too, but she stopped herself that time) React to any of that as you please, though I imagine parts of that are going to catch your eye more than other parts lol. Meanwhile Joy has demonstrated a little bit of her own abilities with Olive, the intention was to at least get Olive back on his feet, though you don't have to if you don't want to.

In any case, if this is all less self-explanatory than I felt like it was when I wrote it, I'm always free. Let me know, and stay safe.

-r

 

Edited by radio414

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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."

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Word Up

“It’s not - okay, so the tools are just like normal tools. But they’re mine and that’s the important thing. The tools, anyway. It’d be like if someone swiped that blade of yours. You ever had to deal with something like that?”

"No one has really swiped my blade from me before..." Kitt responded, shaking his head. "However, as one who deals with quite a handful of tools myself given my initial trade, I understand the need for your tools. After all, as you said, they're yours and you've put blood, sweat and tears into things with those tools."

“The book, I mean, yeah, that’s more important because I borrowed it from Joy so it wasn’t even mine to lose -- that’s why I said she’d probably be more bothered about it -- but it’s also like the only book on the island, so it’s not like it got lost in a stack somewhere. Honestly, someone has it who shouldn’t with that one, probably. Anyway, to answer your question, no, things don’t get lost all the time on Andalou, or even ‘get lost’ -- nobody’s really stealing stuff. On another day, I might not even have approached you with the problem I got; things find a way to work themselves out here. But you’re here, you know? I’m sure you’ll run into something more worth your while but in the meantime-”

That's when Ricky bumped into Hemsley, who seemed to say that things were ship shape...despite their bumpy reception into the port of Andalou. However, he couldn't help but ponder what Ricky spoke of. Things don't normally go missing and things find a way to work themselves out...this was becoming one of those scenarios that he was curious why the gods sent him and Olivander this direction...but then again, if it had something to do with the word he heard when he arrived...then it had to be something important. Still, what could it truly be...

Before long, Ricky delivered him in the direction of Sparky's...which seemed to be the dockmaster's shack...but at the same time, it was obvious it really wasn't. And that's when things took an interesting turn...

“Was wondering if you knew where my tools got to last night. Stake hammer especially since, you know, a ship arrived. And that book I got from Joy too.”
“Doesn’t really sound like a problem”
“I mean, it’s not a big problem, but it is a-”
“No. Like, it’s not a problem. t͠at҉ib͠us̨.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot.”

For a moment, Kitt tensed up hearing that word that Sparky spoke: t͠at҉ib͠us̨. He didn't know what it meant, not like the one he heard on arrival to Andalou...but his ever watchful eyes noticed something...the moment it was spoken, Ricky seemed to start relaxing and no longer seemed as jittery as he was before...what was more, he dropped his questioning. The Forge Dog looked at Sparky before, moving forward slightly. "Excuse me...but I'm curious...where did you hear that word...Sparky, is it?" he asked casually and calmly.

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Earworm

Sparky’s face did not change at all in response to Kitt’s question; there was no surprise or worry or fear at all in his eyes as he replied, “What word, ‘Sparky?’ I’m not sure. I guess if you want to get really technical, it was probably my grandpa deciding I should be called that instead of ‘Charly.’ I dunno, I kind of like it, and everyone else seems to otherwise they wouldn’t call me that. You can call me what you like, though.”

He smirked though and leaned forward in his chair, putting both arms on his desk. “Nah, I’m just teasing. I knew what you meant. t͠at҉ib͠us̨.” The way he said the word of power was just like his reaction to the question about it: casual. “And like my name, I’m not actually sure of the first time I heard it. I might have even gotten it from Ricky. And here, I’ll give you this for free, too: I bet you’ll get the same answer from most everyone on the island. This certainly isn’t the first time Ricky’s heard it, that’s for sure.”

“Mm,” Ricky said, still in a daze. He jolted straight up. “Oh, what? Uh, yeah.”

“But if it bothers you, I mean, hey, I won’t use it in front of you then. It’s all right. Bigger problem would be getting everyone else, especially during Joy’s parties. Oh, speaking of, Ricky, you’re coming tonight, right?”

“Of course I am,” Ricky said. “Isn’t everyone?”


Trouble

It was easy to tell, even to a newcomer, where the old ruins of Andalou, the capital of Naviim, and the new paths of Andalou, the western boundary of the world, resided. The new pathways often sliced clean through the old rubble, the rocks pushed out of the way but only as far as some designated “side.” The aesthetic of the buildings, as much as could be gleaned regarding the old ones, was the same; the functional houses stood out.

Joy led Olive through Andalou by the wrist, having taken it when the two left her house and refusing to let go. She herself was following Kelly, though of course she could have navigated her way to Timothy alone if she needed to. Every so often, she would look back and make sure that Olive was okay but other than that, the trip was made in relative silence, the noise mostly focused on the rush -- the pounding of feet in the dirt and heavy breaths.

The place Kelly was taking them to was Timothy’s house, a building that looked similar to Joy’s, though his was a slight bit newer and contained a room that was not present in Joy’s: a workshop just off of the bedroom. It was there that Kelly took the two, and Timothy was there poring over a sketch of some sort. His concentration was not so deep, though, that he did not notice them when they came in. “Oh good,” he said. “Hullo Joy and… similarly honored guest, I’m sure.” Only then did he turn around and face the three directly. “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. I think -”

“We’re celebrating life,” Joy said matter-of-factly. “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.”

“I think we almost hit their boat last night,” Timothy said. “Could have been celebrating death then. 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?”

Joy opened her mouth and then closed it without saying anything. She managed to make sound on the second try, “Well, I can certainly take that into consideration.” She turned to Olive. “I suppose I should ask you as well. It’s a tradition we’ve had recently, so how would you like to be celebrated?”


OOC

Spoiler

Timothy // Subtitles are single-word generic titles yes but I took them from a Hen Ogledd album.

I wanted to end Olive's segment with "What would make you happy?" but that felt too on the nose. You can imagine it's implicitly there if you like. Other than that, I feel like things are a little self-explanatory, so respond how you like. Let me know if you need anything else specific.

In Kitt's case, I admit one of the reasons for moving Olive to wherever is to not have him immediately accessible to relay the news to. That being said, I am sorry for what I feel like is lack of direct guidance at the end of the section like I normally try to do. That being said, there is a little direction from a few posts ago where Ricky listed points of interest, specifically the temple or Joy's house if you feel like snooping around. You could even go back to talk to Captain Helmsley if you wanted. If you're looking for something else, though, I'm sure this island, through me, can provide.

As always, stay safe and happy posting!

-r

 

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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.

 

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Lot of Words

“What word, ‘Sparky?’ I’m not sure. I guess if you want to get really technical, it was probably my grandpa deciding I should be called that instead of ‘Charly.’ I dunno, I kind of like it, and everyone else seems to otherwise they wouldn’t call me that. You can call me what you like, though.”

This initial explanation Kitt was given by Sparky or Charly or whatever his name is wasn't exactly what he was expecting at first, but then the young man moved and smirked before giving him something to work with.

“Nah, I’m just teasing. I knew what you meant. t͠at҉ib͠us̨. And like my name, I’m not actually sure of the first time I heard it. I might have even gotten it from Ricky. And here, I’ll give you this for free, too: I bet you’ll get the same answer from most everyone on the island. This certainly isn’t the first time Ricky’s heard it, that’s for sure.”

They've heard it multiple times then? Hmmm...this is a strange thing. Same time, it doesn't feel like the law of cycles nor the stone curse...perhaps it's different in general than others we've heard and dealt with. Kitt thought, moving to write down this new word in his notebook, only to notice the other word once more: Ca͢n̷t҉icųm̕ad ͝ ̷ . Immediately he closed the book and put it back in his bag.

“But if it bothers you, I mean, hey, I won’t use it in front of you then. It’s all right. Bigger problem would be getting everyone else, especially during Joy’s parties. Oh, speaking of, Ricky, you’re coming tonight, right?”
“Of course I am. Isn’t everyone?”

"This word gets spread around during these parties of Joy's?" Kitt asked, before trying to think of what the next option was going to be. "In any case, I may take my leave now and head to that temple. Perhaps if anything we'll meet up again at this party...who knows." He turned and left Sparky and Ricky alone now in this shack, before he began to make his way to the temple. Check the temple first...then, perhaps invite myself to one of these parties...provided it's an open invitation to these things. he thought, shaking his head slightly. All this seemed to not make a whole lot of sense, but he knew he'd get to the bottom of it sooner or later...though he hoped it would be sooner rather than later.

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Funeral Pyre

“The leaders? Hm,” Joy said, tacitly avoiding Olive’s attempts at flirting with her. “I’m not sure entirely how successful we can be at that.” She brought a hand to her chin and thought some more, occasionally glancing over at Timothy like he was going to include some insight he clearly was not. “I mean, I’m not going to fake modesty and say I haven’t fallen into that position. I know us watchdogs are supposed to keep moving, to spread our canon far and wide -- I’m sure that’s what you’re doing now, why you came this far out of the way of, well, everything -- but surely you’ve encountered a place that needs a little extra work. Ah, no offense, of course, Timothy, to you or the island.”

Timothy, for his part, found it most prudent to stay silent, acting like he wasn’t paying attention to the point that such an obvious facade of ignorance was part of the act as well.

Joy, though, either didn’t notice or such motions had no effect on her as she continued, “Even if there was a leader here, we -- that is, you, me, your friend, or any other watchdog on the island -- would make decisions in their stead. But there wasn’t a leader when I arrived, or not one as such. Sure, Laura handles all the temple administration and Sparky’s got control of the docks, so I suppose you could refer to them, but no headman.”

Her eyes widened a bit as she realized a possible implication of what she had just said, “Oh, but that’s not to say that’s why I stayed. Anyway, all this to say, we could probably manage a who’s who, but don’t expect much. And,” Joy turned back towards Timothy, who was still feigning ignorance. “So we will still have the pyre, so the roof should probably get repaired, but no fireworks, you were right.”

“No fireworks,” Timothy repeated. “And I will.”

“Well, thank you for bringing that to my attention,” Joy said. “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.”


Don’t make me Go Out on My Own

There was only one temple on Andalou, but, like Ricky said, it was the biggest thing on the island; there was no way to miss it once someone pointed you in the right direction. This was not its only noticeable quality, however. In fact, of all the buildings on the island with the aesthetic of the “old island” -- that was to say, the ruined areas -- the temple was the most complete, with the only damage more attributable to the incessant march of time than whatever had happened to even the buildings around them.

This was the environment Laura inhabited for most of the day. She didn’t overwork herself, and she took breaks when she needed to, but where else was she to be? This was what she enjoyed doing, anyway, presiding over the temple’s many altars, offering prayers to each one as she passed it by, even to the gods who had long since disappeared from the world. Maybe it was meaningless, but it was worth it to her, and that ranked higher on her list of needs than almost anything else.

She was just tending to the small ember perpetually maintained in front of Lar’s altar when someone came in, a newcomer and, going by the way he carried himself, a watchdog as well. “Hello, and welcome,” she said. “What can I do for you? Which altar is yours?”


OOC

Spoiler

Laura // Subtitles are Mogwai songs

Pretty simple stuff all around. Finished up Olive's scene and directed him towards the temple because it's time to have them meet back up, so you are welcome to start talking with Kitt in your post unless you're too busy talking with Joy some more (and, as always, let me know if you need dialog from me for that). Kitt, meanwhile, is just a scene change but it does have at least one nice callback and definitely one new character to meet, so have at it (same parenthetical note goes for you, of course).

Happy new year. I'll be back in my normal time zone and normal wi-fi soon so I'm for sure starting the deadlines again. You've been pretty good about them so far in this median time, though, so you have my extra appreciations for that.

Make this year a good one, by force if necessary,

-r

 

Edited by radio414

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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.

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Sit Beside the Fire

The temple was quite one Kitt was surprised with. While the buildings around it seemed ruined, for lack of a better word, this one seemed...in a sense...complete. The only thing touching seemed to be time and time alone. Given how most the other buildings on the island were, he figured this would be the same, but instead...it wasn't. There might've been a slight relief to the Watchdog about this being the case...it could've been a whole lot worse.

Regardless, Kitt entered the temple that resided here on Andalou and saw a young brunette woman at an altar that was most familiar to him...the god of the Hearth...Lar.

“Hello, and welcome. What can I do for you? Which altar is yours?”

The young man simply smiled and pointed in the direction of an altar with a  lone blacksmith anvil with tools laid in front of it. "That one specifically, ma'am, as I'm a Watchdog of the Forge Master." he said, before moving slightly in the direction of Lar's altar. "At the same time, I do have some attachment to this one as well..." Kitt watched the small ember that lit the altar of Lar before smiling. A slight sigh escaped his lips as he had his hands shuffling into his pockets now, just seeming to be lost in watching the flickering embers.

I wonder...how are you both doing on Galatea right now...Aiden...Emily... Kitt thought, becoming lost in the thoughts of the beginning of this little journey before ultimately returning back to the present moment. "Apologies...memories were arriving to me." he said clearing his throat. "My name is Kitt Axton, as stated before, I am the Watchdog to Lord Taros. I simply was arriving here to see the state of Andalou's temple...truthfully, I see it's quite in a pristine condition...which is truly impressive."

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She’s Lost Control

If Olivander was listening as he dashed out of Timothy’s house and back down towards the ship where his precious cock William awaited him, he might have heard Joy say something in protest, something to the effect of, “Now wait, I thought we just agreed this was to be a more private, low-key affair. We don’t need to be doing something particularly fancy when not everyone gets to-” He might have heard how she shopped herself before finishing that sentence, instead capping things off with a sigh and giving Timothy a look that combined both exasperation and acceptance.

If his hearing was especially good, or if he was moving slower than one might have expected given the circumstances, he might have heard Timothy walk up behind and say something in response, something like, “You really are all the same, huh?”

And to that, Joy responded, “We’re all motivated in service of our patrons. We’re all doing what we think is best.”

But what she made sure Olivander did not hear, however, was what came after, another sigh and this: “Well, at least he will have something to burn.”


New Dawn Fades

Laura smiled. “More goes into this place than you know, so I am glad to hear you say that,” she said. She bowed. “Welcome, Kitt Axton of Taros. I am also glad, of course, that you found your altar satisfactory. With gods and goddesses dying out, it’s important to hold onto the ones still watching over us, and, well, knowing that Taros is still appreciative of any just work is meaningful to me. Perhaps later you might bless our altar so that it might remain here just a bit longer.”

She took a moment to break from the conversation to kneel down and blow on the ember of Lar’s hearthflame, and the spark glimmered for a brief moment. “This one, for example, continues to wane. I think I know why, and yet…” Her eyes flickered with mourning, but it was just that, a flicker. “For now, though, it is still alight. Joy will need this tonight, I think,” she said. “Especially with your arrival, I’m sure she wants to make the best impression she can.”

“She does.” As if on cue, Joy appeared at the temple entrance. “Hello, Laura, how are you? I know I’m a bit later than expected, but I was waylaid by greeting some new guests, and discussions with Timothy went a bit long. This wasn’t the only watchdog on the Swallow Tail, you know.” She gestured at Kitt. “But where are my manners? My name is Joy and I’m privileged to be Laeta’s watchdog. Would you mind telling me what your happiest memory is?”

“Ah, yes, of course,” Laura said, rolling her eyes. “Before you go through these motions again, I will be there at your behest with whatever else you desire. I look forward to it. In the meantime, I suppose I will continue my work.” To Kitt, she said, “You have questions, I can tell now. When you’re done with this, you know where to find me.” And, with another bow, she walked away to tend to another altar, another prayer to another god.


Insight

Captain Helmsley was standing at the top of the gangplank holding Olive’s Willie when the latter arrived at the Swallow Tail, though, given his expression, that was the only good news about him. “Think he was calling for you,” he said as he made his way down to hand the chicken off. “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.”

He turned away, moving to head back up to the deck but seemed to think better of it and turned back around. “I suppose I’m frustrated too. That’s part of it. This island is…” He shook his head. “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.”

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.”


OOC

Spoiler

Subtitles are Joy Division songs

I struggled a bit with this post, mostly because I felt like it needed to do a lot. The italics are back because, now that we're on the third island, I'm permitting myself a bit more of a break from "things the player characters would know" as part of posts -- I know there was some of that before, especially on Galatea when I was still figuring out the style I wanted to go for, but even those eventually linked up with the player character narrative. Even the last italics section -- the one where Kitt and Olive received their word -- did this. This doesn't, and to give a hint to help the fair-play of the mystery, something is breaking free.

Another struggle was fleshing out Laura's character. She was always going to be principally an exposition source, but the exact specifics and why still needed to be sorted, which is one of the reasons Joy shows up here, just to let me commit to probably her most important relationship. But that's sorted now, and it's not like she didn't say things that weren't relevant in the meantime to present another string to pull, even if Kitt has other things to deal with first.

The Helmsley section was the least difficult because Helmsley would always have spouted vague sailor's intuition hints when asked, and I assumed Olive already knew where he was going once he grabbed hold of his Willie, so that seemed like it was enough. It also confirms something that I vaguely hinted at beforehand (I think) but didn't outright confirm, so there it is.

Anway, sorry if the post is bad, hope this explains everything I wanted explaining that the post didn't, and, as always, let me know if you need any help.

Good luck out there,

-r

 

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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.

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Make a Joyful Noise

“More goes into this place than you know, so I am glad to hear you say that. Welcome, Kitt Axton of Taros. I am also glad, of course, that you found your altar satisfactory. With gods and goddesses dying out, it’s important to hold onto the ones still watching over us, and, well, knowing that Taros is still appreciative of any just work is meaningful to me. Perhaps later you might bless our altar so that it might remain here just a bit longer.”

"I am the hands and feet of my patron and my will is his will..." Kitt said simply bowing slightly. "I would be honored and delighted to bless the Forge-Maker's altar to insure it's continued stay." He gave a small smile, but he wasn't too fond of hearing that one line she said: with the gods and goddesses dying out. If they ended up dying out...what would this mean for the Watchdogs...all Watchdogs here in Naviim...or worse...what would this mean for the creation that Taros had a specific hand in creating and meddled in: he himself? Questions for another time...

“This one, for example, continues to wane. I think I know why, and yet…For now, though, it is still alight. Joy will need this tonight, I think. Especially with your arrival, I’m sure she wants to make the best impression she can.”

Her eyes flickered with mourning, but it was just that, a flicker...but even just that flicker, Kitt could notice something was off there. Regardless, enter Joy herself...the Watchdog of Laeta, the goddess of...well Joy...truly a match made in the heavens.

“But where are my manners? My name is Joy and I’m privileged to be Laeta’s watchdog. Would you mind telling me what your happiest memory is?”
“Ah, yes, of course. Before you go through these motions again, I will be there at your behest with whatever else you desire. I look forward to it. In the meantime, I suppose I will continue my work. You have questions, I can tell now. When you’re done with this, you know where to find me.”

Kitt nodded in the direction of Laura, before turning his attention to Joy, bowing slightly. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Watchdog of Laeta. I'm Kitt Axton, Watchdog of Taros." he introduced himself, before ruminating on the question she presented him. "My happiest memory...I believe it was the day I became a Watchdog in full. Truly a joyous day for myself and those who were able to see my progress up to that point."

"Kitt, ol' boy! Where are you!?"

For a moment, he thought he heard a faint sound of someone calling for him...from the sounds of it...Olive. Kitt gave a slight smirk, shaking his head. I suppose he could wait a few...after all, he's kept me waiting quite a bit before. Only right to return the favor. he thought, now beginning to turn towards Laura and approached the young woman. "You spoke earlier, that you know why the altars are continually waning...and you used Lar's hearth flame as an example. Pray tell, what is the reason? Is it because people are finding it easier to pray and worship Lar from the comfort of their own homes? Another island I visited, Galatea, had the same issue with the temple of Lar...his acolyte Aiden told me this much."

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Free

Despite all the calling of Kitt’s name, the first to respond wasn’t Kitt, but a young woman Olive probably recognized in passing as being part of the crew of the Swallow Tail. Her name was Ashleigh. “Sorry to interrupt,” she said, not even stopping to catch her breath as she caught up to the watchdog, “but Captain Helmsley sent me after you, said something about realizing he could help more than just sailor intuition.”

From her pocket, she produced a loupe, a gleaming blue tube with an emerald lens, and offered it to Olive. “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.

“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.” And with that, she dashed back off towards the docks.


Scary Times

Joy smiled. “That seems to be the case for many of us watchdogs. Affirmation is always powerful, and what could be more powerful an affirmation than being chosen by a god? I wonder…” She looked off, back towards the temple entrance, but returned her attention to Kitt before continuing to speak. “Thank you for sharing, Kitt Axton of Taros. I hope we will see more of each other tonight at the party, to which you are, of course, invited. Now, I apologize for running off so soon, but there are other things I must take care of, and if I don’t do them now, I fear the night will catch up on me and the party will be less effective. So, if you will excuse me…” She gave Kitt another bow and left.

Laura watched her go, and might have been about to make some remark as to her coming and going so quickly had Kitt not grabbed her attention with another question. Not that she minded, of course. It was an important question to ask. “Oh, was there a change in doctrine?” she said. “News does not always travel as fast as some might like out here. It’s not as though one of Lar’s watchdogs has shown up to let us know. That would be a reason. But I cannot believe all these waning altars are simply because of some misguided worship. That’s certainly not what happened to Medeis, for example.

“Medeis, goddess of magic, goddess of the earth… Her altar is barren now because of how much was lost when Naviim was torn apart. She died because of how much of the earth fell into the abyss -- no domain to take charge over, no god. And maybe something similar is happening to Lar. After all, if what I presume was the doctrinal change is correct, wouldn’t that reduce the number of eligible hearths?”

Laura quickly realized what she had just said and tried to backtrack. “Not that I mean to question Lar’s judgment there. He must have had his reasons, and, in any case, I could be wrong. It could simply be belief.” She motioned to the nearest altar -- Dia’s. “To make another example, I do not think many are worshipping springs and lakes in Dia’s name, and so she dwindles as well even if the number of those sites remains more or less the same. What changed is the number of people. Though I will say, my offerings these last few days have had a healthier color to them. It’s not much, but it is something.

“There are more examples,” Laura said. “Dies has seemed exhausted. Codex is all but forgotten. Even Nuumu has started to dwindle a little. I suppose the fear, then, is what will happen to us? Or maybe that won’t matter. After all, t͠at҉ib͠us̨, no?”


OOC

Spoiler

Subtitles are SAULT songs. No image for Ashleigh because I don't expect her to stick around past this post, but I can find one if requested.

Speaking of requests, the post probably seems a little Kitt-heavy but that's just because his alloted exposition is happening externally, from another character. When Olive uses the loupe, that's when his comes into play, so, you know, let me know when that's going to happen and I can provide. That's really the only instruction I can think to put here, though. Kitt's side is one I feel is pretty straightforward with a few glaring jumping-off points... I hope. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help, and hopefully we can all weather the weather in the meantime.

Stay warm, stay safe,

-r

 

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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."

 

Edited by Comrade Duck

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Time for Some StraightTalk

“Thank you for sharing, Kitt Axton of Taros. I hope we will see more of each other tonight at the party, to which you are, of course, invited. Now, I apologize for running off so soon, but there are other things I must take care of, and if I don’t do them now, I fear the night will catch up on me and the party will be less effective. So, if you will excuse me…”

Kitt only nodded, giving Joy a bit of a smile before returning towards Laura...

“Oh, was there a change in doctrine? News does not always travel as fast as some might like out here. It’s not as though one of Lar’s watchdogs has shown up to let us know. That would be a reason. But I cannot believe all these waning altars are simply because of some misguided worship. That’s certainly not what happened to Medeis, for example. Medeis, goddess of magic, goddess of the earth… Her altar is barren now because of how much was lost when Naviim was torn apart. She died because of how much of the earth fell into the abyss -- no domain to take charge over, no god. And maybe something similar is happening to Lar. After all, if what I presume was the doctrinal change is correct, wouldn’t that reduce the number of eligible hearths?”

"No, not a change in doctrine...more like people found it simpler to do it that way...perhaps it's more out of necessity and...maybe laziness than a change in doctrine." Kitt said in regards to the question about Lar. He kept listening, to Laura's explanation of Medeis, simply nodding at this. A goddess that died due to how Naviim was torn apart...to where the islands were simply in being now. It did make his heart hurt at hearing this...it sounded awful. He simply listened to Laura continue...

“Not that I mean to question Lar’s judgment there. He must have had his reasons, and, in any case, I could be wrong. It could simply be belief. To make another example, I do not think many are worshipping springs and lakes in Dia’s name, and so she dwindles as well even if the number of those sites remains more or less the same. What changed is the number of people. Though I will say, my offerings these last few days have had a healthier color to them. It’s not much, but it is something.

"That showed heavily on Galatea as well. It took Dia's Watchdog to tell them there was no water and for Hinder's Dog to bring back the pearl that allowed Dia to restore the water to their island." he reminisced on this. "But it is true, it does seem to be that the worshipers are dwindling for an odd reason...but you have done quite a job in making sure that the gods and goddesses are appeased with your offerings."

“There are more examples. Dies has seemed exhausted. Codex is all but forgotten. Even Nuumu has started to dwindle a little. I suppose the fear, then, is what will happen to us? Or maybe that won’t matter. After all, t͠at҉ib͠us̨, no?”

Kitt seemed to be saddened at hearing of Nuumu's influence starting to dwindle...but wait...what did she say at the end? No, Kitt's ears weren't playing a trick...he heard that word again: t͠at҉ib͠us̨. This marked the second time he heard it...and it was just today. "...you said that word at the end...I heard it already once today...what does that me-..." However, before he could finish his thought, who should walk in but...

"Oh, good. You're here. We need to talk. Now."

Quickly turning around at hearing this voice, Kitt saw Olivander walk in...with his...rooster in his arms. Strange day indeed. "Y-Yeah..." he said, bowing slightly to Laura. "Please excuse me." Turning on his heel, the Forge Watchdog made his way towards Olivander and pulled out his notebook. "I've been meaning to get in touch with you as well...two things..." He spoke in a hushed tone and flipped through the notebook right to the page with the Words of Power were and he pointed at two: Ca͢n̷t҉icųm̕ad ͝ ̷  and t͠at҉ib͠us̨. "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..."

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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.

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Looking Glass

"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, 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."

"Joy? Yeah, she just left before you got here..." Kitt nodded, closing his notebook again. "You look like you've seen a ghost, Olive, what's wr-..." But the Dog of Hinder continued without much as a hesitation.

"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. 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."

Taking the loupe that his comrade tossed in his direction as he examined the device first. "Helmsley gave this to you? And lies...? What do you mean?" he asked, seeing Olivander opening the door to the temple. With a sigh, he started walking out the door with loupe in hand before bringing it up to his eye. However...what he saw...he wasn't expecting, in the slightest.

Ruins...nothing but ruins...

"...what...?" Kitt lowered the loupe, seeing everything normal, before looking through it again and seeing the ruins once more. The temples were the worst for ware on this, as were the old castle ruins even though it seemed like it was unchanged. But the other buildings, the one that looked newer anyway, seemed to be dilapidated or just plain not there. "...what the actual fuck...?"

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We Drift Like Worried Fire

Joy had indeed been drifting about the island, making sure every last preparation was completed on schedule, whether that was stopping by the shelter she’d planned to have it under, making sure that Timothy was indeed making the needed repairs, to relaying the guest list to those who were invited, to making sure those who weren’t knew that they could take the night off. She did note a sort of relief in the faces of those of the latter category, but didn’t worry about it beyond that. Relief was its own form of happiness.

The shelter itself was located in a rather large courtyard in the middle of the old castle ruins. Unlike many parts of the island, the pathway to it was not obvious, and so, when the time came, Joy returned to collect the two watchdogs -- the two strangers to the island’s ways -- and, with a knowing smile that deflected any questions they threw at her, led them to the designated area. At best, she merely said, “Let us get to the party first, hm?”

The attendants of the party were largely those that the watchdogs had already met. Timothy was there, as was Kelly. Sparky had shown up, still with that cocksure attitude of problems quickly becoming non-problems by his presence. There were a two that they had not met yet, though, a couple Joy introduced as the island’s headwoman and her husband, named Lucy and Henry. A few more, Joy assured Kitt and Olive, would be coming later once their own personal business was done.

There was food, mostly having been prepared by Kelly and Henry, laid off to one side and they had also rolled in a barrel of water and a barrel of some sort of alcohol alongside a stack of mugs. In the center of it all was a fire, tended to by Laura, though she did not completely divest herself from the activity of the party around her, occasionally getting up completely to walk around and make idle chatter with those nearby or participate in some sort of lighthearted word game someone had started to pass the time.

Occasionally, someone would stop and glance over at Ser William, First of His Name, but nobody made any comments to Olive, especially while Joy was still near them and still showing them around the place. “No fireworks, as assured,” she said, finally wrapping up. “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!”


OOC

Spoiler

The subtitle is a Godspeed You! Black Emperor song. No images for Kelly or Henry yet though they'll probably get one in a future post depending on how things go.

As promised in Discord, it's a change of scenery and direct access to Joy. My reasoning for this was because Joy was going to be unavailable until now anyway so if your characters' next steps were going to be confronting her about the mysteries of Andalou, this would keep the energy and the pace up. Otherwise, it's a pretty bog-standard post, I think. If you want answers to multiple things from Joy at once, feel free to send me a DM and we can work something out. If you need anything else from me, same deal.

Do your best out there,

-r

 

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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.

 

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I'm Off My Joy

“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!”

There was a slew of questions and retorts Kitt had in his mind, so much so that they were simply bubbling and brewing up to the point where he couldn't think straight. Luckily, Hinder's Dog spoke first...least that would assist.

"We've come to find the integrity of the temple is not as it seems. Newer structures are either ragged beneath their appearance, or they don't exist at all. 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?"

"Take it a step further..." Kitt finally spoke, his mind being somewhat clear at this point, the various questions finally starting to subside. "Why lie? Before you think me accusatory for this, as my comrade here spoke, the integrity of the temple...as well as the structures here on this island are either simply ragged or they don't exist...a facade." His eyes had a type of fire in them right now, one could even say the fires of a forge's flames.

"Hearing and seeing this, it seems as if you or whoever is in charge of the island is trying to hide your mistakes away...hence the word of power." he said, glancing at Olivander. "While I know not the meaning of this word of power, this word of the gods...I can make an assumption that it placates and pacifies one. I saw something along those lines with the dockmaster. He spoke the word and the young man Ricky seemed...relaxed. Originally I thought this was simply a word to initiate a state of relaxation...but perhaps that's too...simple. What we saw, and with I've witnessed on this word of power...it's all too coincidental. The answers we seek, either you have them or you know who does."

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Fire at Static Valley

“I don’t think I’ve been lying to you,” Joy said, her smile unwavering. “To either of you. If I have done more than simply not mention the specifics of the state of Andalou, if I have even intentionally lied by omission as opposed to not broaching the topic, then I apologize profusely. It was never my intention to mislead either of you. This, after all, is why I wanted to answer your questions. We are all of the same spirit, are we not? You were left to your own devices on an island that you have never visited before. I was sure you would find something questionable- that is, something question-worthy.”

One of the other guests tapped her on the shoulder, briefly stealing her attention away to thank her again for the invitations, and to chide her for being late to her own party, but Joy managed to nod them away and return to Olive and Kitt. “Unless I have misheard you,” she continued, “you have found two such things: the nature of the island’s restoration and the existence and use of the word of power, t͠at҉ib͠us̨, and I see the worries on both of your faces already, so I shall get right to the point: These questions you are asking are actually about the same thing.

“This island is in ruins. I don’t know how you observed the specific extent of the ruin, but you have. And yet, here we all are, still desperately trying to live in the face of not one, but two apocalypses. t͠at҉ib͠us̨ is our solution to that problem -- and yes, I said ‘our,’ we all know it. It is a word to weather the storm, to have hope for the future, no matter how terrible the present circumstances may be. When combined with the ceremony I mentioned before, that is what allows us to rebuild our island- to rebuild Andalou.

“Now, to preempt a thought I am sure you are having, no, perhaps these structures we have built for ourselves are not ‘real’ in the truest sense of the word, but aren’t they real enough? Olive, you’ve been in both mine and Timothy’s houses and were none the wiser. Kitt, you’ve visited our temple and, if what Lauren has told me is true, commented favorably on its upkeep. Has this situation truly changed in this new light? Come, eat our food, enjoy our company, feel the warmth of the fire. Are you saying these things are not real as well?”


OOC

Spoiler

Pretty standard post, all things considered, from the Godspeed You! Black Emperor subtitle continuing the fire theming to the post simply having Joy answer questions and ask one of her own. There's some other stuff if you look for it, I'm sure, but yeah, I saw no reason to deviate from the conversation just yet. Eventually, sure, it'll be time for the ceremony, but until then, keep on keeping on.

-r

 

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“Now, to preempt a thought I am sure you are having, no, perhaps these structures we have built for ourselves are not ‘real’ in the truest sense of the word, but aren’t they real enough? Olive, you’ve been in both mine and Timothy’s houses and were none the wiser. Kitt, you’ve visited our temple and, if what Lauren has told me is true, commented favorably on its upkeep. Has this situation truly changed in this new light? Come, eat our food, enjoy our company, feel the warmth of the fire. Are you saying these things are not real as well?”

Olivander folded his arms. She wasn't wrong. No one was suffering. People were being housed and fed. They were happy, all the while remaining willfully ignorant. He sighed as he took a step back. "So, what you're essentially saying is..."

No Harm, No Foul

"... the cost of rebuilding the island is the use of a word of power. What you're not telling me are the repercussions. There are always repercussions. After learning what we've learned and having the curtains peeled back, I have no reason to believe you're not still hiding something." He loosened his arms at a choking caw from Sir William. "Sorry, pal."

His thoughts lingered back to the last island. The boys. Never knowing if he was right or wrong.

"I need to know everything, Joy. I'm not interested in this half-arsed apologi-planation you're giving me. There is a cost. And your god clearly has a strong hold on this place. So, I need to know exactly what that cost is. Is it greater than using the word of power? And if so, then why haven't you addressed it head on?" Olivander placed Sir William on the ground but held a hand on his head for a lingering moment. "Go and return to my room aboard the Captain's ship. Take this with you," he said as he removed the loupe from his pocket and placed it in Sir William's beak. "You're to do your best to either destroy or swallow that before anyone other than the Captain, myself, or Kitt gets their hands on it. And don't cause a ruckus, understand?"

Sir William gave a silent nod before scurrying away with the loupe in his beak.

"Joy. I'm going to need a lot more from you. We can either talk over drinks or continue forthwith. But I'm not nearly satisfied with what you've told me."

He did his best to hide the anger behind his eyes. He took slow, calm breaths as he placed his hands in his pockets, rather than on his sides like he felt he should've.

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Drinks For Three

“Unless I have misheard you...you have found two such things: the nature of the island’s restoration and the existence and use of the word of power, t͠at҉ib͠us̨, and I see the worries on both of your faces already, so I shall get right to the point: These questions you are asking are actually about the same thing. This island is in ruins. I don’t know how you observed the specific extent of the ruin, but you have. And yet, here we all are, still desperately trying to live in the face of not one, but two apocalypses. t͠at҉ib͠us̨ is our solution to that problem -- and yes, I said ‘our,’ we all know it. It is a word to weather the storm, to have hope for the future, no matter how terrible the present circumstances may be. When combined with the ceremony I mentioned before, that is what allows us to rebuild our island- to rebuild Andalou."

Kitt wasn't enjoying this explanation, or at least this part of the explanation of what was and is happening on Andalou. The Word of Power was their solution to the problem? It honestly seemed like it was for Flynt when he was using the Law of Cycles...it was his solution...but like it was with that...was it THE solution that was needed?

"Joy. I'm going to need a lot more from you. We can either talk over drinks or continue forthwith. But I'm not nearly satisfied with what you've told me."

Joy nodded. "Of course we can get drinks," she said, and walked over to the cups to procure them, leaving Olive and Kitt alone for a brief moment.

The Forge Dog was silent, his mind and thoughts racing as he too tried his best to calm down...though it wasn't currently helping in the slightest. In his mind, he had so many questions but they seemed as if they all rambled and generally all stemmed from the same solitary question: Why? Of course, it was a good question to be had here. The talk about two apocalypses that this island and it's people face...this Word of Power being a solution to them...and they believed it would rebuild their island?

"...none of this makes any sense..." Kitt muttered, before seeing Joy return.

When she returned, she handed each watchdog a cup and said, "Again, I want to stress, that all of this is something you would have found out. Nothing has been hidden from you. But I will explain anyway, of course. The cost is twofold. The first is time. This party, or, more specifically, the ceremony, must be held every night, even after Andalou's restoration is complete. That, incidentally, is why I have not been traveling all around Naviim as you have; my duty is here for a good long while yet. The second cost, and I confess that this is the one I imagine you will take issue with, is material. The ceremony is a sacrifice, not to any particular god, but to the island itself- of the island itself. Piece by piece, we cast these things into the fire, and thus, then, we are rewarded."

Kitt took the cup and immediately soaked in this information like a sponge, but he spoke up first. "So you party every night in hopes that you will have Andalou be restored with this Word of Power? Do you even hear yourself? It's almost absurd..." he shot out quickly. Same time, you were unaware of these Words of Power until Flynt showed you what they were...even then on Galatea, you thought it a simple curse.

Then the Dog continued his thoughts. "And a sacrifice? What are you even sacrificing? And not to any god in particular but just the island...that's...that's almost heresy." Kitt stammered out, seeming pretty frazzled about this. "The gods of Naviim put us Watchdogs in place to serve as their hands and feet...an extension of their will. Their will is our will and vice versa...and yet, you seem to be tossing it away as if it were a simple job. This is a duty that we were given...it isn't something you can flippantly turn on and off like a lantern!" He looked at Olivander, more serious than he had ever possibly been in the time that Hinder's Dog had the pleasure of seeing. "You agree, right Olive? This all sounds insane."

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Sober Stupor

When Joy returned with drinks, Olivander could only sigh. He was at least grateful that she was being direct with them.

"Again, I want to stress, that all of this is something you would have found out. Nothing has been hidden from you. But I will explain anyway, of cours," Joy said.

Olivander didn't necessarily agree but he didn't interrupt either.

"The cost is twofold. The first is time. This party, or, more specifically, the ceremony, must be held every night, even after Andalou's restoration is complete. That, incidentally, is why I have not been traveling all around Naviim as you have; my duty is here for a good long while yet," she went on to explain.

Olivander raised an eyebrow. A nightly party? That certainly killed the festivity of it in his own opinion. It was, as she said, a ceremony now. It was mandatory simply to manage the upkeep of Andalou. It seemed like one of the least stressful things one could do to save their home: throw a party. Though, when celebrations were thrown for gods for their favor, wasn't it the same thing? Again, he didn't interrupt.

"The second cost, and I confess that this is the one I imagine you will take issue with, is material. The ceremony is a sacrifice, not to any particular god, but to the island itself- of the island itself. Piece by piece, we cast these things into the fire, and thus, then, we are rewarded."

Joy's words rang in Olivander's ears for a moment. Something about the word 'sacrifice' made him cringe with anger. His body shivered as he almost instinctively reached for his dagger. He forced himself to jam his right hand into his pockets to keep himself composed. The last line made his stomach turn violently, flopping about like a fish out of water. It wasn't until Kitt called his name that he snapped back to reality.

"... right Olive? This all sounds insane."

Olivander nodded. "We're most definitely going to discuss this part about sacrifice. In great detail. Because if you're sacrificing anything beyond inanimate objects or goats and chickens, we will have a problem."

Olivander thought rapidly about his next move. He wasn't ready to resort to violence. Not with another watchdog if he could avoid it. "Kitt. We should observe the rest of the party. Let it happen so we can see exactly what this sacrifice entails."

"... if anything happens, we're immediately stepping in to stop it," Kitt nodded, thoroughly surprised at Olivander's levelheadedness "I suppose you're taking the lead this time."

Olivander also nodded. "You have my word." He sniffed his drink and decided it was best to remain totally clear-minded for the rest of the evening. Never taking a sip, he placed the cup down and ushered Joy and Kitt forward, closer to the center of the room. "Let's observe where we cannot miss a thing."

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Portrait of a Lady on Fire

For the first time, and for only the briefest of moments, Joy looked furious. Her smile didn't waver -- no, it wasn't that sort of fury -- but there was something in her eyes, like a spark just before it erupted into a flame. “Do not speak to me of the natures of my station,” she said. “Remember, I have just as much claim to deciding heresy as you.”

She might have said more. She certainly opened her mouth again like she wanted to say more, perhaps to come to the defense of her precious ceremony, but she was interrupted. Instead, she said, “Oh, it's starting!” and hustled off, leaving the two other watchdogs to observe from wherever they liked.

What had interrupted her was a low, droning hum, first started by Laura kneeling by the bonfire then slowly picking up in volume and intensity as each other party attendee joined in. Each of them too, approached the fire, encircling it one by one. Eventually, their hum drowned out even the roar of the bonfire.

And then, once they had, they began to sing.

It was more a chant than a song, really, though it was still definitely musical in nature. Strangely for a chant, though, each person seemed to have their own, clearly distinct from the rest if you listened hard enough. Some, like Sparky, had a low percussive tone, while Joy's voice took the highest of the sopranos. Each of them still harmonized with each other perfectly. And even still, amidst it all, even more voices came into existence, voices that could not be matched to any one person. This was Joy's doing; she added those who had not been invited to the evening's festivities to complete the song.

It went on for a little while, and though the crowd swayed this way and that, they only moved their upper body; they never left their place in the circle. Despite the gradual build-up, the song stopped quite suddenly. Not only did the voices cease, but the swaying did as well, and for that one pause, everything, almost including the fire, it seemed, was frozen in time. That was when you could see that each member of the circle had taken out a small item. Henry, for example, had taken off his cloak. Sparky had an old stone from some of the ruins. Joy was still holding her cup.

“t͠at҉ib͠us̨!” Joy cried.

The crowd experienced the same reaction Ricky had earlier that day, relaxing almost instantly from their stiffened state and letting their objects fall into the fire. Each item, no matter how flammable it appeared, was consumed by the fire. “t͠at҉ib͠us̨,” they all echoed, and that was that.

If the watchdogs were paying really close attention, they'd notice that, while almost all of the chorus was staring at the fire, there was one outlier: Joy was staring at Olive and Kitt, almost daring them to come forward.


OOC

Spoiler

The subtitle is a movie, which is also where the linked song comes from. Despite using song titles, I don't frequently link to music for posts, but given that a magical version of this one is happening in the diegesis of the scene, I figured I'd make an exception.

Anyway, that's the ceremony, those are the sacrifices. I know I didn't let you interrupt during it -- call that host fiat, I guess -- but you are welcome to rush in or do whatever else you might want. Let me know if you have any questions, especially if you have any regarding the ceremony since I typed this out on a doc on my phone while work was slow.

Happy posting,

-r


 

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