Wayfinder SMP Archive

[Jadis stands in front of the Ferryman's shrine, relighting some of the candles that had gone out.

Cyrus appears in front of the cemetery waystone, a smile still on their face and sand in their hair from their last stop.]

[14:06:01] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh! A swamp cemetery!

[Cyrus walks from where the waystone is nestled in the roots of a tall tree, following a rundown path. The place is overgrown in general but the large amounts of flowers catch their eye.]

[14:06:46] <[RP] Cyrus> That's... a lot of poppies

[Cyrus notices Jadis at the shrine, and starts heading over before noticing the Shrine Behaviors and hesitating, not wanting to interrupt.]

[14:07:19] <[RP] Jadis> I would almost think... you put these out... on purpose to... mess with me

[Jadis lights the last candle and walks backwards to look up at the shrine. Cyrus shuffles their feet as they walk, to make noise as they approach. They stop a little away, not wanting to get close to someone that doesn't seem to have noticed them.]

[14:09:55] <[RP] Jadis> Nothing else... out of place

[Jadis turns to look exactly at Cyrus behind it.]

[14:10:47] <[RP] Jadis> Except you

[14:10:49] <[RP] Cyrus> Hello

[Cyrus huffs a laugh.]

[14:11:12] <[RP] Cyrus> Sorry to interrupt?

[14:11:19] <[RP] Jadis> It is... fine

[14:11:45] <[RP] Jadis> I was just... doing an unpleasant... chore

[Cyrus nods.]

[14:12:10] <[RP] Cyrus> The have-to's

[14:12:22] <[RP] Jadis> Yes....

[14:12:34] <[RP] Jadis> If I do not... he will only pester me more

[14:13:18] <[RP] Cyrus> He? I'd guessed by the poppy on your head you were in charge here, but

[14:13:42] <[RP] Jadis> I merely live here.... though if anyone was in charge... it would be Dian

[14:13:50] <[RP] Jadis> Not him

[14:14:28] <[RP] Cyrus> Dian?

[14:14:43] <[RP] Jadis> The spirit... of the cemetery

[14:15:23] <[RP] Cyrus> Hm

[14:15:38] <[RP] Cyrus> Spirit as in metaphorical? Or ghosts?

[14:15:56] <[RP] Jadis> As in spirits... ghosts are different

[14:17:00] <[RP] Cyrus> I'm new around here, must just be used to a different vocabulary for things

[Jadis nods.]

[14:17:29] <[RP] Jadis> Doctor Krayn was... the same

[Cyrus furrows their brow at another name mentioned and unexplained. Who was Dr. Krayn??]

[14:17:16] <[RP] Cyrus> What do spirits do here?

[14:17:40] <[RP] Jadis> It depends on... the spirits

[14:18:50] <[RP] Jadis> For Dian... she guards the cemetery

[14:20:43] <[RP] Cyrus> And these are real beings, not players and not? Admins? Or ghosts, or myths, or

[14:21:03] <[RP] Jadis> They... are real beings... yes

[Jadis’ side eyes the shrine behind them.]

[14:21:38] <[RP] Jadis> Unfortunately.... in some cases

[Cyrus laughs at the obvious dislike.]

[14:21:59] <[RP] Cyrus> Yeah? This 'he' in charge of that tree?

[14:22:04] <[RP] Jadis> Yes

[14:23:48] <[RP] Cyrus> Does he? Do anything besides blow out his own candles?

[14:24:28] <[RP] Jadis> Oh yes... when not doing his job... he delights... in tormenting me

[14:25:14] <[RP] Cyrus> Yeah?

[14:25:19] <[RP] Jadis> Yes

[14:25:23] <[RP] Cyrus> What is his job?

[14:25:43] <[RP] Jadis> It is... a psychopomp

[14:26:00] <[RP] Jadis> He ferries the souls

[14:26:06] <[RP] Cyrus> Ahhhh

[14:26:51] <[RP] Cyrus> Are there? Many souls to ferry here???? The wayships didn't seem too populated

[14:27:10] <[RP] Jadis> Not so much... anymore... according to him

[14:27:24] <[RP] Jadis> So it has.... much time to.... bother me

[14:27:34] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh, joyous

[14:27:38] <[RP] Jadis> Hm

[14:28:09] <[RP] Cyrus> Well! I've been rude, apologies. My name is Cyrus.

[14:28:24] <[RP] Cyrus> Quizzing you on the workings of the world without offering my name

[They offer a hand for shaking. Jadis takes their hand in its gloved one and stiffly shakes Cyrus’ hand.]

[14:28:38] <[RP] Jadis> I am Jadis Degaré

[14:29:18] <[RP] Jadis> Pleasure... to meet you

[14:29:27] <[RP] Cyrus> It's lovely to meet you, as well!

[14:29:46] <[RP] Cyrus> Do you live here, at the cemetery? Being its spirit-keeper?

[14:30:31] <[RP] Jadis> I'm not truely... a spirit keeper... but I live here

[14:30:46] <[RP] Jadis> I am a witch.... so I help out

[14:31:13] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh? Witchcraft? What form?

[14:31:23] <[RP] Jadis> Divination... mainly

[14:31:53] <[RP] Jadis> Cartomancy

[14:32:20] <[RP] Cyrus> I'm not as familiar with the names of crafts, that's not maps, is it?

[14:32:31] <[RP] Jadis> Cards

[14:32:42] <[RP] Cyrus> Ahhhh

[14:33:17] <[RP] Cyrus> Neat!

[14:34:04] <[RP] Jadis> Did you... come here... with a purpose?

[14:34:18] <[RP] Cyrus> Not really!

[14:34:28] <[RP] Jadis> I see

[14:34:33] <[RP] Cyrus> I'm new to the world, like I said, so I was just visiting spots on the waystones

[14:34:48] <[RP] Cyrus> A cemetery's a good way to learn more about a world, so

[14:35:00] <[RP] Jadis> I wouldnt... know

[14:35:08] <[RP] Jadis> I have not... traveled much

[Cyrus smiles warmly.]

[14:36:00] <[RP] Cyrus> Most folks haven't travelled like I have, but I've noticed cemeteries or other memorial sites are wonderful places to look

[14:36:23] <[RP] Cyrus> See how far back the dates go, what the causes of death have been, what relations and big families there may be, what the lifespans tend to be,

[14:36:25] <[RP] Cyrus> So much!

[14:37:08] <[RP] Jadis> Mmm... I suppose you could... look through the cemetery....

[14:37:18] <[RP] Jadis> But I would... need to accompany...you

[14:38:06] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh, I'd hate to intrude. If it's a private area, I can simply go other places to learn about this world's history. I've already stopped by the Wayship library

[14:38:46] <[RP] Jadis> I do not mind... necessarily...

[14:38:59] <[RP] Jadis> But Dian... can be much

[14:39:09] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh?

[14:39:12] <[RP] Cyrus> How so?

[14:39:38] <[RP] Jadis> Dian... would almost certainly... set you alight... without me there

[14:39:53] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh!

[14:39:56] <[RP] Cyrus> Well then!

[14:40:30] <[RP] Jadis> I would not mind... you looking at grave years

[14:40:45] <[RP] Jadis> Thought most... are worn away... unfortunately

[14:40:51] <[RP] Cyrus> Ah

[14:40:54] <[RP] Cyrus> An older area, then?

[14:41:00] <[RP] Jadis> Yes

[14:41:33] <[RP] Jadis> I know one... of the oldest ones there... is from 30 years ago

[14:41:40] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh, wow

[14:41:52] <[RP] Cyrus> ,,,,, Not too old, but

[14:42:03] <[RP] Jadis> Not new... either

[14:42:20] <[RP] Jadis> It is... a mostly forgotten... place

[14:42:36] <[RP] Cyrus> In some worlds, that'd be older than society's introduction. And in others it's quite young. Interesting!

[14:42:40] <[RP] Cyrus> Forgotten?

[14:42:59] <[RP] Cyrus> All of the people here have been forgotten in less than three decades?

[14:43:13] <[RP] Jadis> Mostly

[14:43:25] <[RP] Cyrus> Well that's a shame

[14:43:29] <[RP] Jadis> I was told... by Doctor Krayn... that there was a plague

[14:43:36] <[RP] Jadis> It caused people... to forget

[14:43:52] <[RP] Cyrus> Ah, I've been told about a plague as well. Also by a doctor?

[14:44:26] <[RP] Cyrus> Does this Doctor Krayn have two antlers and a facial scar?

[Cyrus huffs a bit of a laugh, what were chances of this Doctor Krayn being-]

[14:44:43] <[RP] Jadis> Yes

[Cyrus blinks.]

[14:44:46] <[RP] Cyrus> Ah

[14:44:55] <[RP] Cyrus> I was joking, but. Of course

[14:45:28] <[RP] Cyrus> Of course, Doc goes to the cemetery

[14:45:40] <[RP] Jadis> Of course...?

[14:46:01] <[RP] Cyrus> Ah, he simply... hm. How do I explain this without sounding insane

[14:46:47] <[RP] Cyrus> I knew another version of him in my last world, and he was... morbid isn't quite the right word. He has the vibes of a guy who'd go to a cemetery to hang out.

[14:47:44] <[RP] Jadis> Well we were in... my home... I do not know... if he went to the cemetery yet

[14:48:02] <[RP] Jadis> I know... he wanted to meet... the spirits here

[14:48:09] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh! Nice

[14:48:32] <[RP] Jadis> Speaking of... perhaps we should step... away from here

[Jadis vaguely gestures to the shrine.]

[14:48:41] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh?

[14:48:42] <[RP] Jadis> Before... he decides to... join us

[14:48:56] <[RP] Cyrus> Well then!

[14:49:14] <[RP] Cyrus> Would you? Like to show me around the cemetery? Or should I be off?

[Before Jadis can respond Cyrus notices movement behind it. The bark on the tree of the shrine seems to shift. Four hands form out of the bark of the tree, looking as if someone stood behind the tree and wrapped their arms around it. The brim of a black hat rotates from being hidden by the trunk to sticking out behind it.]

[14:53:14] <[RP] Cyrus> Uh?

[Jadis sighs, knowing without looking what has happened.]

[14:53:11] <[RP] Jadis> Unfortunate

[The figure begins to move from behind the tree. It is incredibly tall and covered by dark fabric. Coins, crystals, and other valuables decorate him.

His face has a thick, scraggly beard made of roots. A sharp smile with a few gold teeth. If it has eyes they are somehow shaded by the hat, unable to be seen despite his height.]

[14:55:42] <[RP] The Ferryman> Well well well

[14:55:54] <[RP] The Ferryman> If it ain't Sir Degaré

[14:55:49] <[RP] Cyrus> [Whispered to Jadis:] Is eye contact good or bad here?

[14:56:20] <[RP] Jadis> He already knows... you are here

[14:56:26] <[RP] Jadis> Eye contact... would not matter

[14:56:38] <[RP] Cyrus> Okay !

[14:56:51] <[RP] Jadis> Hello... Ferryman

[14:58:29] <[RP] The Ferryman> Got yourself a new pet cat there?

[14:58:46] <[RP] Cyrus> Me?

[14:58:48] <[RP] Cyrus> Hello??

[14:59:02] <[RP] The Ferryman> Aw and it speaks too. How clever

[Cyrus looks incredulous. Jadis responds to the spirit curtly.]

[15:00:02] <[RP] Jadis> No… not a pet

[15:00:07] <[RP] Jadis> A visitor

[15:01:03] <[RP] Cyrus> I, uh, haven't ever met or even heard of a spirit such as yourself before, sir??

[The Ferryman barks out a laugh.]

[15:01:19] <[RP] The Ferryman> Yeah I bet’chu ain't

[15:01:41] <[RP] The Ferryman> You’re an off worlder aint'cha?

[15:01:48] <[RP] Cyrus> Yessir

[15:02:43] <[RP] Cyrus> Just got in a couple weeks ago

[15:02:56] <[RP] The Ferryman> Well, usually meetin’ such'a grand spirit like moi means giving a little offering

[The Ferryman rubs his fingers together.]

[15:03:17] <[RP] Cyrus> All I have is a half stack of fried eggs

[15:03:21] <[RP] Cyrus> Sir

[Jadis sighs again.]

[15:03:44] <[RP] Jadis> I will… pay for them

[15:04:07] <[RP] Cyrus> Maybe I ought to go mining before doing more exploring...

[Jadis brings out a resin coin and holds it up for the Ferryman without looking at him. He takes it with an upper hand and begins to roll it across his knuckles, grinning at Cyrus all the while.]

[15:06:13] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh! Is that the currency around here? Actual money?

[15:06:21] <[RP] Jadis> It is

[15:06:34] <[RP] Jadis> Coins... made of resin

[15:06:41] <[RP] Cyrus> Ahhhh

[15:06:53] <[RP] Cyrus> Interesting!

[Cyrus turns back to address the Ferryman.]

[15:07:10] <[RP] Cyrus> And you use the same currency as the players?

[15:07:51] <[RP] The Ferryman> Riches is riches, and I like shiny things

[Cyrus nods, taking mental notes.]

[15:08:18] <[RP] The Ferryman> Ya can't bring wealth to the afterlife but ya can give it to me

[15:08:37] <[RP] The Ferryman> ‘Specially if ya want an afterlife

[Cyrus laughs.]

[15:08:55] <[RP] Cyrus> Isn't the afterlife simply being reincorporated into the workings of the universe?

[15:09:28] <[RP] Cyrus> Or is that different here

[The Ferryman shakes his head in condescending amusement.]

[15:09:38] <[RP] The Ferryman> Living things an’ their beliefs.  How cute

[15:10:04] <[RP] The Ferryman> I ain't been there besides docking and I don't care to

[15:10:56] <[RP] Cyrus> Hm

[Cyrus doesn't know how exactly to respond to that, and disrespecting a spirit when they know so little about it doesn’t seem like the best idea. Shrines were for things with a decent amount of power right?]

[15:10:57] <[RP] Cyrus> Well!

[15:11:05] <[RP] Cyrus> That's interesting

[15:11:30] <[RP] Cyrus> Does this system rely on you? Would it function without your work?

[15:12:02] <[RP] The Ferryman> Well I ain’t the only one guiding souls if thats what’chu are getting at

[15:12:19] <[RP] The Ferryman> But this world would be jam packed with ghosts without us

[The Ferryman pats the top of Jadis’ hat.]

[15:12:43] <[RP] The Ferryman> Or you could end up like Degaré here

[15:12:53] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh?

[15:13:35] <[RP] Jadis> Why do you.... always find a way... to needle me

[Cyrus looks curiously at Jadis.]

[15:14:06] <[RP] Jadis> Do not... mind him...

[15:14:13] <[RP] Jadis> He torments... me so

[15:14:17] <[RP] Cyrus> Yeah?

[15:14:19] <[RP] Jadis> Yes

[15:14:40] <[RP] The Ferryman> Aw come on there cher you love me really

[15:15:01] <[RP] Jadis> I do not

[15:15:42] <[RP] Cyrus> Hm

[15:16:02] <[RP] The Ferryman> Anyways, kitty cat what’chu hanging ‘round for?

[15:16:28] <[RP] Cyrus> Well, I'm learning a lot about this world right now, and I'm always a fan of making friends

[15:16:32] <[RP] Cyrus> So

[The Ferryman laughs.]

[15:17:32] <[RP] The Ferryman> Aww hear that Degaré you gonna get some more livin' things hanging ‘round you

[15:18:22] <[RP] Jadis> We can... ignore him

[15:18:41] <[RP] Cyrus> Ain't that rude?

[15:18:47] <[RP] Jadis> He... is rude

[15:19:07] <[RP] The Ferryman> Oh! Breaking my heart here cher!

[The Ferryman dramatically holds a set of hands to his chest in mock injury. However, it quickly drops the act to loom over Jadis with a menacing grin.]

[15:19:26] <[RP] The Ferryman> I know when I ain’t wanted though

[15:19:57] <[RP] The Ferryman> See ya ‘round kitty cat. If ya die get rich first

[The Ferryman gives Cyrus a little wave of one of its lower hands as it goes behind the tree of the shrine and disappears.

Cyrus looks at the tree, then Jadis, then the tree, then Jadis.]

[15:20:37] <[RP] Jadis> I... apologize

[15:20:44] <[RP] Cyrus> They're not all like that?

[15:20:51] <[RP] Jadis> No... he is simply...

[15:20:59] <[RP] Jadis> Terrible

[Cyrus laughs.]

[15:21:26] <[RP] Cyrus> He's certainly an interesting character!

[15:21:41] <[RP] Jadis> What a... polite way... to put it

[15:21:59] <[RP] Cyrus> I do try

[15:21:38] <[RP] Cyrus> I can understand keeping up on chores here, though

[15:22:02] <[RP] Jadis> Yes... he nags me... if I do not... which is worse

[15:22:12] <[RP] Cyrus> Yes, of course

[15:22:23] <[RP] Jadis> I try my best... to avoid him

[15:23:45] <[RP] Cyrus> Well! If I get any coins, I'll be sure to pop by and pay you back for... that

[15:24:10] <[RP] Jadis> Do not... worry yourself

[15:24:21] <[RP] Jadis> I am... reluctantly... used to him

[15:24:47] <[RP] Cyrus> Joyous

[15:24:52] <[RP] Jadis> Hm

[It’s pretty clear that Jadis doesn’t want to talk about the spirit. Cyrus looks around themself once again.]

[15:25:26] <[RP] Cyrus> Did you? Plant the poppies?

[15:25:46] <[RP] Jadis> Some yes... but they grow in... places like this

[15:25:51] <[RP] Jadis> I enjoy... poppies

[15:26:59] <[RP] Cyrus> They're lovely, I've never seen this many flowers except in flower forests and meadows!

[15:27:13] <[RP] Jadis> This place is... quite wild

[15:27:50] <[RP] Cyrus> And what a wonderful thing to be!

[15:28:00] <[RP] Jadis> Yes... I think so too

[15:29:15] <[RP] Cyrus> Did you want? To show me around? Or would you rather be left to your chores?

[15:29:41] <[RP] Jadis> Ah yes... forgive my distraction... I can show you around... where ever you like

[15:30:22] <[RP] Jadis> Did you still want... to see the graves?

[15:30:47] <[RP] Cyrus> Yes, if nothing else I'm curious how the watertable being so high has been handled

[15:31:02] <[RP] Jadis> Tombs... mostly

[Jadis leads the way to the cemetery gate, opening it even as an excited black dog headbutts into their leg for pets. Cyrus spares it a small pat.

The two begin walking between the rows of tombs. Cyrus stops in front of one that catches their eye, it features a statue of someone holding a shovel.]

[15:31:40] <[RP] Jadis> As you can see... all very... worn

[15:31:42] <[RP] Cyrus> Do you know if this statue holds significance?

[15:32:36] <[RP] Jadis> A prominent... architect... I believe

[15:33:28] <[RP] Cyrus> Ahhhh

[Cyrus follows the path between tombs and notices an almost hidden path leading further into the cemetery. Jadis rushes forward and catches Cyrus by the arm before they go very far down it.]

[15:33:48] <[RP] Jadis> Ah, do not

[15:33:58] <[RP] Jadis> Not that way... please

[15:34:01] <[RP] Cyrus> Ah

[Cyrus glances towards where they had been headed, the view of what lay beyond obscured by the leaves of willows. They glance back at Jadis, its body is tense as its eyes flick towards whatever is back there. Cyrus heads back to the main path.]

[15:34:11] <[RP] Cyrus> Alright!

[15:34:38] <[RP] Jadis> There is... a lake there... it goes quite deep

[15:34:46] <[RP] Jadis> Dangerous... of course

[A serval ear twitches as Cyrus looks at Jadis appraisingly. It doesn't seem like they are lying per se, but it doesn't seem like the real reason either.]

[15:35:45] <[RP] Cyrus> Ah, yes, of course

[Cyrus looks up at what appears to be a giant weeping willow.]

[15:36:12] <[RP] Cyrus> The trees here are remarkable specimens, don't usually see them grow so large!

[15:36:29] <[RP] Jadis> Yes... I think they are... some kind of willow?

[15:36:37] <[RP] Jadis> I do not... know much on trees

[15:36:46] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh, trees are hard to truly know

[15:36:58] <[RP] Cyrus> Same species can be so different, world to world

[Cyrus looks down a new path.]

[15:37:06] <[RP] Cyrus> Is this a good path to take?

[15:37:29] <[RP] Jadis> Oh, yes... the other paths are... all less dangerous

[15:37:44] <[RP] Cyrus> Good to know!

[They spend some time walking between more rows of tombs. Cyrus stops mid-step at one point, double-taking at a flowering plant.]

[15:37:56] <[RP] Cyrus> Is that a wild potato

[15:38:15] <[RP] Jadis> I believe... so?

[15:38:30] <[RP] Cyrus> How wonderful a world this is

[Cyrus looks at one of the smaller willows, melted candles and urns are nestled in and on the roots of it.]

[15:38:55] <[RP] Cyrus> Are the pots? Urns? By the trees?

[15:39:16] <[RP] Jadis> There are some... in the larger tombs... as well

[Cyrus stops in front of a pair of tombstones that look less worn down than some of the others. The sunflowers and dandelions that decorate them look fresh.]

[15:40:03] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh! Is this one you tend to?

[15:40:28] <[RP] Jadis> Ah... yes... they are newer graves

[15:40:41] <[RP] Jadis> So I tended.... them in case... a relative visited

[15:40:56] <[RP] Jadis> Which... he did

[15:41:05] <[RP] Cyrus> How lovely!

[15:41:22] <[RP] Jadis> Yes... we are friends... now

[15:41:43] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh? I'll have to meet him sometime!

[15:42:02] <[RP] Jadis> He runs... an inn... near Nightingale Hill

[15:42:19] <[RP] Jadis> There is... a wonderful... farm

[15:42:19] <[RP] Cyrus> Oho

[15:43:23] <[RP] Jadis> Mr. Candlewick... and Mr. Copperboot... are very kind... if you want to meet... new people

[15:43:33] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh those are delightful names

[15:44:05] <[RP] Jadis> They are... quite fitting... for them... I think

[15:44:24] <[RP] Cyrus> Surely Mr. Candlewick isn't a bee

[15:44:59] <[RP] Jadis> No... he is... a cat

[15:45:09] <[RP] Jadis> ....I think

[15:45:26] <[RP] Cyrus> Ohoho

[15:45:57] <[RP] Jadis> Not like you are... a different type of cat

[15:46:11] <[RP] Jadis> Or... are you not... a cat...

[15:46:23] <[RP] Cyrus> We're pretty sure I'm catfolk

[Jadis nods.]

[15:46:38] <[RP] Cyrus> Didn't used to be, but you've gotta roll with the punches!

[15:47:19] <[RP] Jadis> Life is... like that

[15:47:27] <[RP] Cyrus> Truly

[15:47:33] <[RP] Jadis> Things.... simply happen to me.... often

[15:47:38] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh?

[15:48:03] <[RP] Jadis> I do not... know how I end up... in the situations... I sometimes do

[15:48:13] <[RP] Cyrus> Life is like that!

[15:48:37] <[RP] Jadis> Yes

[15:51:04] <[RP] Jadis> Do you... have many... friends?

[15:51:19] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh?

[15:51:29] <[RP] Jadis> I am... simply curious

[15:51:30] <[RP] Cyrus> I mean... here? I've got maybe 3

[15:51:41] <[RP] Cyrus> I had a few more back in my previous worlds, but. Lost contact and whatnot

[15:51:50] <[RP] Jadis> Oh... how unfortunate

[15:52:34] <[RP] Cyrus> Starting from nothing just means I've got! A lot of friends to meet!

[15:53:06] <[RP] Jadis> Yes... I understand that

[15:53:17] <[RP] Cyrus> Do you? Have many friends?

[15:54:01] <[RP] Jadis> Oh... well I am friends with misters Candlewick and Copperboot.... I may be friends... with Doctor Krayn?

[15:54:05] <[RP] Jadis> That is... unclear

[15:54:12] <[RP] Cyrus> I think most things with Doc are unclear

[15:54:30] <[RP] Jadis> He has been... trying to help me... which is kind

[15:54:38] <[RP] Cyrus> He does love helping people!

[15:54:42] <[RP] Jadis> I do not know... if it makes us... friends however

[15:55:25] <[RP] Cyrus> I'm pretty sure he doesn't do friends in the conventional sense

[15:55:45] <[RP] Cyrus> But he's got good tea and good intentions usually, so

[15:56:07] <[RP] Cyrus> Patient-slash-friend-slash-acquaintance

[15:56:27] <[RP] Jadis> Yes... that seems an... apt way to put it

[15:57:19] <[RP] Cyrus> What a guy

[15:57:45] <[RP] Jadis> I had never... met a doctor before

[15:57:58] <[RP] Jadis> It was... strange

[15:58:02] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh?

[15:58:37] <[RP] Jadis> He explained things... of course

[15:59:07] <[RP] Jadis> But it was still... odd having to... be in a state... of undress

[15:59:12] <[RP] Cyrus> ????

[Cyrus looks incredulous.]

[15:59:28] <[RP] Cyrus> Did you?? Have wounds to tend to??

[15:59:45] <[RP] Jadis> No...? Not new ones... at least

[16:00:02] <[RP] Cyrus> Hm

[16:00:33] <[RP] Cyrus> You knew you were allowed to say no, correct? If you didn't want to? Undress?????

[16:01:15] <[RP] Jadis> Yes... but it seemed easier... than having to answer... all the questions

[16:01:42] <[RP] Cyrus> Hm

[16:01:52] <[RP] Cyrus> Well, I hope his checkup was? Helpful??

[16:02:17] <[RP] Jadis> I was left... with more questions... than answers

[16:02:50] <[RP] Cyrus> Ah

[That sounded like Doc.]

[16:03:42] <[RP] Cyrus> Could I? Help at all???

[16:03:52] <[RP] Cyrus> I've been to a number of doctors that are not him

[16:04:15] <[RP] Jadis> Oh well... not unless... you can help... with memory issues?

[16:04:21] <[RP] Cyrus> Ahhh

[16:04:45] <[RP] Jadis> Anything else… well I would rather not... take off my shirt... Again

[16:05:06] <[RP] Cyrus> Not really, all I know that can help with that is reminders of things forgotten, or the injury causing it healing up.

[16:05:17] <[RP] Cyrus> I'm not going to ask you to take your shirt off when we just met

[16:05:22] <[RP] Cyrus> That'd be. Odd

[16:05:51] <[RP] Jadis> ....It wasn't a… normal thing...?

[16:06:14] <[RP] Cyrus> I mean? As a doctor visit, yes. But I'm not a doctor

[16:06:54] <[RP] Jadis> I had offered... because he had wanted... to know... I didn't realize... the situation was... odd

[16:07:03] <[RP] Cyrus> Doctors can be more... invasive? In questions and requests? To find the issue. Usually you aren't friends with your doctor, for privacy and whatnot

[16:07:14] <[RP] Cyrus> Doc's an odd guy

[16:07:21] <[RP] Jadis> I see…

[16:08:04] <[RP] Cyrus> The uh, version of him I knew in my last world? He was helping me with an illness I had, as both friend and doctor, so. Messy lines

[Jadis tilts their head slightly in acknowledgement.]

[16:07:36] <[RP] Jadis> I will remember... what you said on reminders...

[16:07:50] <[RP] Jadis> Though I am... unsure how I will... find them

[16:08:09] <[RP] Cyrus> Hmmmm

[16:08:20] <[RP] Cyrus> Do you live in the same place as you did before? Do you know?

[16:08:27] <[RP] Jadis> I do not...

[16:09:14] <[RP] Jadis> I have... little... to go off of

[16:09:17] <[RP] Cyrus> Hm

[16:09:29] <[RP] Jadis> And I do not... think I am injured…?

[16:09:41] <[RP] Cyrus> How much was lost? Like, a few days? Or

[16:10:05] <[RP] Jadis> I cannot remember... anything before a few months... ago

[16:10:13] <[RP] Cyrus> Ah

[16:10:18] <[RP] Cyrus> Yeah that's. A lot to forget

[16:10:41] <[RP] Jadis> I only... know my name... because it was... written down

[16:11:01] <[RP] Cyrus> And where it was written didn't tell you where to head?

[16:11:15] <[RP] Jadis> ....No

[16:11:19] <[RP] Cyrus> No diaries or journals or letters with return addresses?

[16:11:56] <[RP] Jadis> No... there were some notes... but they are quite... disorganized... might be the best word

[16:12:11] <[RP] Jadis> ....frantic

[16:12:21] <[RP] Cyrus> Ah

[16:12:30] <[RP] Cyrus> Well

[16:12:46] <[RP] Cyrus> That's not great for information

[16:13:10] <[RP] Jadis> No... I think... they are important... though

[16:13:15] <[RP] Cyrus> You could brute-force it, looking at every flower type, every tree, every biome to see if there's anything

[16:13:21] <[RP] Cyrus> Might do something

[16:13:33] <[RP] Jadis> Thats sounds.... slightly overwhelming

[16:13:39] <[RP] Jadis> But... I could... try

[16:14:03] <[RP] Cyrus> Not all at once! Just, going on a trip around the world

[16:14:17] <[RP] Jadis> Ah... how intimidating

[16:14:19] <[RP] Cyrus> With waystones, it's easier to get home fast from a trip as well

[16:14:28] <[RP] Cyrus> If you get overwhelmed or bored or injured

[Jadis fidgets with its mask.]

[16:15:42] <[RP] Jadis> Do you think... if I looked at names... it could help

[16:15:50] <[RP] Jadis> Help... remember someone?

[16:15:55] <[RP] Cyrus> Maybe!

[16:16:08] <[RP] Cyrus> If there's a baby or death registry, or other cemeteries, or

[16:16:28] <[RP] Cyrus> Mailboxes?

[16:16:33] <[RP] Jadis> I will... make that apart.. of my attempts... then

[16:16:34] <[RP] Cyrus> Like in the post office?

[16:17:10] <[RP] Jadis> It would be... a good thing to try

[16:17:32] <[RP] Jadis> I have... not been.. to the Wayships... much

[16:17:43] <[RP] Jadis> The amount... of people...

[16:17:47] <[RP] Cyrus> I've been a couple of times, usually when not many folks are around

[16:18:09] <[RP] Jadis> Oh?

[16:18:32] <[RP] Cyrus> Night time has a market, but between 2 and 4am, bakers aren't awake and night-owls start to wind down

[16:18:46] <[RP] Jadis> I see...

[16:18:55] <[RP] Jadis> Thank you... for telling me this

[16:19:05] <[RP] Cyrus> Happy to help!

[16:19:24] <[RP] Cyrus> Too many people can be fairly overwhelming, especially when you're used to being alone

[16:19:29] <[RP] Cyrus> I've been there a few times

[16:19:40] <[RP] Cyrus> It should get easier if you want it to

[16:19:58] <[RP] Jadis> It... does?

[16:20:36] <[RP] Cyrus> With enough exposure, most things can feel normal

[16:20:49] <[RP] Cyrus> ^_^

[16:20:51] <[RP] Jadis> I see...

[16:21:48] <[RP] Jadis> Thank you... for answering questions... I did not mean... to talk about myself... so much

[16:22:22] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh, it's no bother! I offered to help, didn't I?

[16:22:38] <[RP] Jadis> It is... most kind

[16:22:43] <[RP] Cyrus> And talking about yourself is just a way for me to learn about you! Think of it that way

[Jadis blinks.]

[16:23:05] <[RP] Jadis> Oh... you want to know... about me?

[16:23:14] <[RP] Cyrus> Yes? That's how friendships start, isn't it?

[16:23:15] <[RP] Jadis> Not just.... my witchcraft?

[16:23:20] <[RP] Cyrus> Am I being too forward about friendship

[16:23:26] <[RP] Jadis> No.. no

[16:23:52] <[RP] Cyrus> Well, your witchcraft is interesting, but why would I be more interested in your ability to? Use cards to look at the future? Than you as a person?

[16:24:26] <[RP] Jadis> I am simply used to...

[16:24:53] <[RP] Jadis> Everyone that has requested my time... has wanted to learn about the.... cards

[16:24:59] <[RP] Cyrus> Hm

[16:25:05] <[RP] Jadis> Or my... other magicks

[16:25:21] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh?

[16:25:25] <[RP] Cyrus> More than cards?

[16:25:35] <[RP] Jadis> Speaking with... ghosts

[16:25:47] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh!

[16:26:13] <[RP] Cyrus> ,,,, not like the spirits?

[16:26:18] <[RP] Cyrus> Different concepts?

[16:26:50] <[RP] Jadis> Ghosts are those that have died... spirits are... their own beings

[16:27:12] <[RP] Jadis> I am... not the best... at explaining things.... I do not... know much of... anything

[16:27:29] <[RP] Cyrus> That's alright! I just wanted to make sure I understood

[16:28:03] <[RP] Jadis> I think... there is a book in... the library on spirits

[16:28:18] <[RP] Jadis> If you wanted... to know more...

[16:28:24] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh? I'll have to check it out! Thanks!

[16:28:36] <[RP] Jadis> Of course

[16:30:27] <[RP] Cyrus> Well! 

[They clap, once, lightly.]

[16:30:27] <[RP] Cyrus> I've kept you for long enough, and I should probably be getting back home.

[16:30:37] <[RP] Jadis> Oh, yes... of course

[16:30:43] <[RP] Cyrus> I've got a pair of roommates that might bite each others' arms off.

[16:30:54] <[RP] Jadis> .... I see

[16:31:12] <[RP] Cyrus> I've got a mailbox in the post office, and we're linked to the waystones, if you ever want to come visit!

[16:31:25] <[RP] Jadis> Ah... I hope to do so

[16:31:41] <[RP] Cyrus> :D

[16:32:03] <[RP] Cyrus> Could you show me out? I'd hate to accidentally go down the wrong path and end up... in that lake?

[16:32:13] <[RP] Jadis> Yes... of course

[Jadis leads the way back to the gates. The same black dog as before rubs against Jadis’ legs, getting her wanted pets from it.]

[16:32:46] <[RP] Cyrus> Thank you so much for showing me around!

[16:32:57] <[RP] Jadis> It was... my pleasure

[16:33:11] <[RP] Jadis> You may... visit me anytime... as well

[16:33:27] <[RP] Cyrus> Delightful!

[16:33:53] <[RP] Cyrus> [wryly:] I'll remember to bring something, next time, in case a spirit shows up needing offering

[16:34:14] <[RP] Jadis> [in a matching tone:] Yes... it would perhaps... be wise

[16:34:55] <[RP] Cyrus> Well, have a lovely rest of your day!!

[16:35:06] <[RP] Jadis> You... as well

[Cyrus walks to the waystone with a cheerful wave before disappearing into purple smoke as they teleport.]

[Cyrus stands in the Wayship mail room, reaching up to apply a coat of glow ink to a sign labelling a box as theirs.]

[18:42:49] <[RP] Cyrus> Hmmm

[18:42:59] <[RP] Cyrus> Color choices....

[In the library, Doc stood in a corner, taking a read of the plague wardens journal.]

[Cyrus slaps some light blue on over the glow ink, covering the cyan base they'd put down, and gives a satisfied nod at the color. Standing back and rubbing their side like a grandpa, they looked to the South, toward the library. They'd had plans to check it out at some point, and their hands were barely covered in dye. They start walking over.]

[18:47:19] <[RP] Doc> Hmn,

[Copying certain things down from the book into his notebook, Doc mutteres to the skull sitting next to him.]

[18:48:10] <[RP] Doc> Jeffery what do you think. This doesn't line up with dementia the way they said

[Cyrus enters the library, looking around before noticing and approaching the one person inside.]

[18:48:50] <[RP] Cyrus> Hi! I'm new to town and-

[Not noticing the newcomer:]

[18:48:56] <[RP] Doc> More psychosis. Very reminiscent of psychosis…

[They recognize that fuckass accent.] 

[18:49:01] <[RP] Cyrus> Hello?

[He turns around.]

[18:49:02] <[RP] Doc> -HM

[What the heck.]

[18:49:06] <[RP] Cyrus> DOC?

[18:49:12] <[RP] Doc> WHat? What do you want

[18:49:28] <[RP] Cyrus> Your face isn't scarred

[18:49:30] <[RP] Cyrus> What

[18:49:32] <[RP] Cyrus> How

[18:49:33] <[RP] Cyrus> Why??

[18:49:40] <[RP] Doc> Who are you? What are you talking about.

[18:50:17] <[RP] Cyrus> I'm- it's me? Joco? I go by Cyrus now, it's a mess? You and I were in a server together?

[18:50:22] <[RP] Cyrus> Not even a month ago

[18:50:52] <[RP] Doc> What the hell is a server? Who told you I was here?

[18:51:04] <[RP] Cyrus> ????

[18:51:10] <[RP] Cyrus> Server, world, whathaveyou

[18:51:35] <[RP] Doc> The what?

[18:51:35] <[RP] Cyrus> With? Flick?? And Wiz?

[18:51:47] <[RP] Doc> The what???

[18:51:56] <[RP] Cyrus> Hm

[18:51:59] <[RP] Doc> How long ago was this.

[18:52:06] <[RP] Cyrus> A couple weeks

[18:52:17] <[RP] Cyrus> You had a massive scar on your face.

[18:52:17] <[RP] Doc> For you? Certainly not for me

[18:52:23] <[RP] Doc> Oh, yes

[18:52:29] <[RP] Doc> That's from the land mine

[18:52:35] <[RP] Cyrus> No, no, it was. Bigger

[18:52:38] <[RP] Cyrus> From sculk?

[18:52:45] <[RP] Doc> Is that the plague?

[18:52:46] <[RP] Cyrus> Hm

[18:53:02] <[RP] Cyrus> 'the plague'

[18:53:13] <[RP] Cyrus> Which plague

[18:53:26] <[RP] Doc> Yes, I am researching the plague of this world. It is why I am here

[18:53:35] <[RP] Cyrus> This world has a plague??

[18:53:45] <[RP] Doc> It seems to have died out

[18:54:02] <[RP] Doc> Died off, killed too fast... happens.

[18:54:13] <[RP] Cyrus> Hm

[18:54:21] <[RP] Cyrus> How??? Long have you been here?

[18:54:41] <[RP] Doc> Eh, a few months? Not that long

[18:54:59] <[RP] Cyrus> And you've never had a scar bigger than the one on your face from anything besides a landmine

[18:55:02] <[RP] Doc> I will not be held responsible for that approximation. I have no idea if that is right

[18:55:05] <[RP] Cyrus> You've never lost your arm to an infection?

[18:55:17] <[RP] Doc> Infection? Not that I am aware of

[18:55:29] <[RP] Cyrus> Hmm

[18:55:47] <[RP] Cyrus> And you don't recall Flick, our avian friend, or Wiz, our dragon friend?

[18:55:48] <[RP] Doc> DO you hail from the future

[18:55:56] <[RP] Doc> Do I end up getting the plague

[Cyrus stares at Doc, really gives him a good lookin’.]

[18:56:20] <[RP] Cyrus> Well, no, 'cause you didn't know me before I knew you

[18:56:29] <[RP] Doc> What?

[18:56:42] <[RP] Cyrus> You got to our world through a portal mishap and spent MONTHS trying to get home

[18:57:00] <[RP] Cyrus> Said gravity was wrong and such, things should fall like sand and gravel

[18:57:03] <[RP] Cyrus> Right?

[18:57:06] <[RP] Doc> Well, the portal is down right now, but I can go home whenever

[18:57:15] <[RP] Cyrus> "The portal"

[18:57:17] <[RP] Doc> And yes, those things should do those things

[18:57:35] <[RP] Doc> But every place is different, and time is not as linear as you seem to believe it is

[18:57:50] <[RP] Cyrus> I know time is fucky between servers, dude

[18:57:53] <[RP] Cyrus> I've been around

[18:58:07] <[RP] Doc> I still don't know what servers is

[18:58:14] <[RP] Cyrus> I'm just saying, if you're from the past and I knew you in your future, that version of you would have known me

[18:58:38] <[RP] Cyrus> Servers, like. A world and group of people managed by an admin? That might move between worlds but still same guy in charge?

[18:58:44] <[RP] Doc> Perhaps, but I am not known for my fantastic memory

[Cyrus huffs a laugh.]

[18:58:59] <[RP] Doc> Eugh, that sounds gross. I hate it when people are in charge

[18:59:09] <[RP] Cyrus> ????

[... Wait-]

[18:59:14] <[RP] Cyrus> Is there?? An admin here?

[18:59:19] <[RP] Doc> A what?

[18:59:28] <[RP] Cyrus> Archie was going to- what. Surely?

[18:59:43] <[RP] Cyrus> Is there someone in charge that can modify the rules of this world to some degree?

[18:59:45] <[RP] Doc> The who? Archie?

[18:59:59] <[RP] Cyrus> Archie, also known as the Wizard, also known as Wiz?

[19:00:06] <[RP] Cyrus> Purple dragon guy? Missing an arm?

[19:00:10] <[RP] Cyrus> Lotta missing arms happening

[19:00:29] <[RP] Doc> I know a purple dragon but the name is not matching. Neither is the lack of arms

[19:01:05] <[RP] Cyrus> Hm

[19:01:19] <[RP] Cyrus> Hm

[They scratch their chin as they think.]

[19:01:38] <[RP] Cyrus> Vampire boyfriend?

[19:02:08] <[RP] Doc> Well, yes

[19:02:20] <[RP] Cyrus> Snake child?

[19:02:27] <[RP] Doc> His name is Conjin

[19:02:33] <[RP] Cyrus> Wild

[19:02:45] <[RP] Cyrus> Happy you? Remember him??

[19:02:54] <[RP] Cyrus> You remember your home fully? As full as you’re capable of?

[19:03:09] <[RP] Doc> Which one. You will need to be more specific

[19:03:20] <[RP] Cyrus> Where everything falls like sand

[19:03:36] <[RP] Doc> You will need to be more specific again.

[19:03:48] <[RP] Cyrus> The world you're from

[19:03:53] <[RP] Cyrus> Where things have gravity weird

[19:04:02] <[RP] Doc> Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I am not- hm, I see

[19:04:19] <[RP] Doc> You speak of the world I was on

[19:04:30] <[RP] Cyrus> Yes

[19:04:36] <[RP] Doc> It is not- where I am from, per se.

[19:04:38] <[RP] Cyrus> The one I watched you try to get back to for. Years

[19:04:42] <[RP] Cyrus> Wh

[19:04:44] <[RP] Cyrus> Okay. Sure

[19:04:47] <[RP] Cyrus> Why not

[19:05:00] <[RP] Cyrus> You're just another Doc in the multiverse or some shit, aren't you

[19:05:05] <[RP] Doc> How confident are you that they were the same world?

[19:05:14] <[RP] Cyrus> What

[19:05:23] <[RP] Doc> I don't think I should answer that. Your soul does look familiar.

[19:05:35] <[RP] Cyrus> My what

[19:05:43] <[RP] Doc> Your soul

[19:05:48] <[RP] Cyrus> My code?

[19:05:54] <[RP] Doc> No, your soul

[19:06:00] <[RP] Doc> It has a color, and a shape

[19:06:16] <[RP] Doc> To me, at least

[19:06:22] <[RP] Cyrus> Hm

[Smirking wryly.]

[19:06:53] <[RP] Cyrus> And you don't recall at all getting almost married

[19:07:11] <[RP] Doc> No

[19:07:30] <[RP] Cyrus> Wild

[19:07:38] <[RP] Doc> I've never gotten almost married. Or fully married

[19:07:54] <[RP] Cyrus> I watched you get dragged, feverish and infected with a slime mold, up to an alter

[19:08:03] <[RP] Cyrus> Then get blown up

[19:08:10] <[RP] Cyrus> We all blew up, really. Fun times

[19:08:17] <[RP] Doc> That does sound like something that would happen

[19:08:24] <[RP] Doc> Perhaps I just do not remember it.

[19:08:29] <[RP] Doc> Yet.

[19:08:44] <[RP] Cyrus> Hm

[19:08:46] <[RP] Doc> That one isn't dead, is it?

[They blink.]

[19:08:50] <[RP] Cyrus> 'that one'

[19:08:53] <[RP] Doc> Yes

[19:08:58] <[RP] Cyrus> What do you mean by that

[19:09:05] <[RP] Doc> The one you knew

[19:09:08] <[RP] Doc> Is it dead

[They blink???]

[19:09:29] <[RP] Cyrus> ,,, the other you???

[19:09:38] <[RP] Doc> Other is a strong word. But yes

[Distaste shows on their face. The implications.]

[19:09:54] <[RP] Cyrus> God. You're like the asshole aren't you. Ok.

[Unfurrowing their brow and shaking their head:]

[19:09:59] <[RP] Cyrus> No, he wasn't dead

[19:10:16] <[RP] Doc> That would be why I don't remember it then

[19:10:21] <[RP] Doc> Because it's still happening

[19:10:21] <[RP] Cyrus> Last I saw him, he was heading home to check on something after helping me with some accessibility needs during an illness

[19:10:36] <[RP] Doc> And we are back to the plague

[19:10:42] <[RP] Cyrus> I'm not enjoying the Doc Hivemind implications

[19:11:10] <[RP] Doc> I do not know what you'd like me to say in response to that

[Cyrus looks him up and down.]

[19:11:48] <[RP] Cyrus> Hm

[19:11:55] <[RP] Doc> What

[19:12:15] <[RP] Cyrus> Well. Alright. If you don't get to 'have the other Doc's memories' until he's dead, then introductions are in order

[19:12:20] <[RP] Cyrus> Hello, my name is Cyrus

[19:12:32] <[RP] Doc> Or until he's not injured anymore

[19:12:35] <[RP] Cyrus> I just arrived in this world a while ago

[19:12:47] <[RP] Doc> Hello Cyrus, how long is a while ago?

[19:12:54] <[RP] Cyrus> Less than a month!

[19:13:05] <[RP] Cyrus> I've been underground for much of it so. Not entirely sure on days

[19:13:27] <[RP] Cyrus> Just picked out a mailbox and everything

[19:13:54] <[RP] Doc> Why were you underground?

[19:14:50] <[RP] Cyrus> Scintilla, I don't think you ever met aer, Scintilla brought myself, Wiz, and Wiz's sister here when I was leading us through a ritual to try and cure me

[19:15:19] <[RP] Doc> Cure you of what?

[19:15:34] <[RP] Cyrus> A botched lycanthropy

[19:16:07] <[RP] Doc> Ahhhhhhh, I see

[19:16:10] <[RP] Cyrus> Had severe effects outside of the full moon, making it terminal in the 'this will kill me' way

[19:16:32] <[RP] Doc> Yes, that is generally what terminal means when referring to an illness

[19:16:39] <[RP] Doc> DId it work?

[19:16:43] <[RP] Doc> Or, do you know?

[19:16:48] <[RP] Cyrus> Well

[Cyrus swishes their tail and flicks their ears.]

[Doc steps closer, inspecting them. Smiling, this-is-familiar, they lean their head forward so Doc could see better.]

[19:16:59] <[RP] Cyrus> These aren't wolf ears

[19:17:20] <[RP] Doc> No, they most certainly are not

[19:17:24] <[RP] Cyrus> They used to be more of a red-orange instead of tan, and larger

[19:17:31] <[RP] Cyrus> And the tail far more stiff

[19:17:42] <[RP] Doc> You are a... cat. Now? Instead of a dog

[19:17:51] <[RP] Doc> That is what I gather from this

[19:18:05] <[RP] Cyrus> I was a cat hybrid for some time before being werewolfed, and after the teleportation and ritual, I seem to be some sort of big-cat hybrid

[19:18:54] <[RP] Doc> How interesting. Was this the intended outcome?

[19:19:22] <[RP] Cyrus> The intended outcome was making me no longer full of anxiety every day of the rest of my life, and that aspect of the lycanthropy certainly seems to be gone

[Sassy:]

[19:19:32] <[RP] Cyrus> Considering I've just learned there are more of you and I'm not panicked about it

[They chuckle.]

[19:19:55] <[RP] Doc> Well if it makes you feel any better, there are not technically more of me

[19:20:15] <[RP] Cyrus> There's literally another you that I knew for a good few years

[19:20:19] <[RP] Doc> Yes.

[They stare at each other.]

[19:20:31] <[RP] Doc> I am glad your outcome seems to have been a beneficial one

[19:20:49] <[RP] Cyrus> I'm glad as well

[19:21:02] <[RP] Cyrus> Do you? Have a home here, if you've been here some months?

[19:21:30] <[RP] Doc> I do, would you like the location so you can visit? I assume you will likely have more questions for me soon.

[He begins patting his coat pockets, looking for something.]

[19:22:04] <[RP] Cyrus> That would be lovely

[19:22:10] <[RP] Cyrus> Would you be open to my bringing Wiz around?

[19:22:16] <[RP] Cyrus> I'm sure he'll want to meet you

[19:22:23] <[RP] Doc> I do not know who that is. So sure

[19:22:31] <[RP] Cyrus> He's the purple dragon I mentioned

[19:22:42] <[RP] Doc> I do not remember him, then

[19:22:54] <[RP] Cyrus> About my height, missing an arm, an accent that sounds like sweet tea on a hot day,

[Doc scribbles down some numbers on a scrap paper, handing it to Cyrus.]

[19:23:29] <[RP] Doc> I do not know what sweet tea is. Is it- just sweetened tea?

[19:23:35] <[RP] Doc> Is that all?

[19:23:51] <[RP] Cyrus> Yes? It's iced, with far too much sugar

[19:23:54] <[RP] Cyrus> Usually a green tea

[19:23:56] <[RP] Doc> ICED?

[19:24:00] <[RP] Cyrus> Iced!

[19:24:01] <[RP] Doc> Horrible

[19:24:04] <[RP] Cyrus> That's why you drink it on a hot day

[19:24:11] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh I'll make sure to bring a pitcher

[19:24:25] <[RP] Doc> I never want to hear of this again

[19:24:35] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh buckaroo, you're gonna be hearing about it for a while yet

[19:24:43] <[RP] Doc> Wishful thinking,

[19:25:36] <[RP] Doc> I can tell you knew me, from the way you act

[Snapping their fingers:]

[19:25:43] <[RP] Cyrus> OH! I RECALL ANOTHER. You? Still hate? I think you called it Germish? It's Deutsch

[19:26:08] <[RP] Doc> Germish is the funniest thing I've heard all day, thank you.

[19:26:16] <[RP] Cyrus> Happy to help

[19:26:58] <[RP] Cyrus> I was giving you examples of something and spoke some Deutsch and you had a terrible reaction

[19:27:05] <[RP] Cyrus> A few years ago

[19:27:18] <[RP] Doc> That language does not hold good memories

[19:27:26] <[RP] Doc> So that would make sense

[19:27:34] <[RP] Cyrus> Fun!

[19:27:41] <[RP] Cyrus> You have fewer memory issues than the other Doc

[19:27:44] <[RP] Cyrus> Which is awesome

[19:28:12] <[RP] Doc> Perhaps they just manifest differently

[19:28:26] <[RP] Cyrus> Other guy couldn't remember his kids' names

[19:28:39] <[RP] Doc> Oh, that IS upsetting.

[19:28:43] <[RP] Cyrus> Yeah!!

[19:29:13] <[RP] Cyrus> Also poor working memory, it seemed

[19:29:23] <[RP] Cyrus> Such is life with repeated head damage

[19:29:46] <[RP] Doc> Yes, definitely injured. That is why I cannot remember

[19:30:03] <[RP] Cyrus> There was a slime mold that was invading his brain for a while

[19:30:14] <[RP] Doc> Ah, that will certainly do it

[19:30:26] <[RP] Cyrus> Yeup

[19:31:06] <[RP] Doc> Perhaps I can retrieve those memories someday

[19:31:12] <[RP] Cyrus> Perhaps!

[19:31:35] <[RP] Cyrus> If he manages to get back to the world he got exploded in, would that do it?

[19:31:38] <[RP] Cyrus> Or does he Have to die

[19:31:53] <[RP] Doc> Dying is an option but not the only one

[19:32:02] <[RP] Doc> The first option will not work, no

[19:32:28] <[RP] Cyrus> Dang

[19:32:38] <[RP] Doc> Needs to heal

[19:32:46] <[RP] Doc> That is our other option

[Cyrus grimaces.]

[19:33:27] <[RP] Doc> Yes, from what you've said it does not seem to be a very viable option.

[19:33:57] <[RP] Cyrus> poor guy

[19:34:16] <[RP] Doc> This is not the first time something like this has occurred.

[19:34:30] <[RP] Cyrus> Baffling

[19:34:46] <[RP] Doc> Most do not end well.

[19:35:51] <[RP] Doc> I say most, but 3/4 is most, technically

[19:36:02] <[RP] Doc> But the sample size is not large.

[19:36:09] <[RP] Cyrus> Yeesh

[They stand awkwardly for a moment, Cyrus contemplating their friend’s mortality and Doc simply watching the stranger, before he decides:]

[19:36:46] <[RP] Doc> It was nice meeting you, Cyrus

[19:37:05] <[RP] Cyrus> Yes, it was lovely meeting you in more sound a mind, Doc

[19:37:16] <[RP] Cyrus> I'll be sure to stop by with Wiz and some tea some time soon

[19:37:40] <[RP] Doc> Yes, perhaps I will have come up with a better solution by then

[19:37:57] <[RP] Cyrus> I'm going. To go shake Wiz by the shoulders about the lack of Admin here

[19:38:03] <[RP] Cyrus> Thank you for letting me know

[19:38:15] <[RP] Doc> You are.... welcome? I think?

[19:38:19] <[RP] Cyrus> Have a lovely day!

[He watches them leave swiftly.]

[19:38:24] <[RP] Doc> Right.....

[Cyrus leaves the library and walks straight forward to shove their head in the water and scream.]

[Then, they go home]

Pekoe takes it upon himself to deliver an unsent letter that Hobart had requested someone bring back to the sender. He meets Err, a young wasp, and Caine, a mysterious vampire. The three set out onto the tracks after some conversation, following the rail line until they find the other end, where a grove lies. After exploring, they meet Honey, the current bellwether of the local church. The group talks plenty, learning about her and asking questions until both Pekoe and Err decide to leave. Caine and Honey continue talking in his home for a while before Caine takes their leave.

[It is around noon when a waystone located upon the foot of Nightingale Hill’s old station sparkles, mounting into a shape until Pekoe appears in a poof of particles next to the stone. He looks around excitedly before his attention is taken aside.]

[10:40:03] <[RP] Err> the fuck!

[10:40:17] <[RP] Pekoe> ?

[10:40:24] <[RP] Pekoe> What's the fuck

[10:40:38] <[RP] Err> you. how are you-

[10:40:41] <[RP] Err> what

[10:40:47] <[RP] Err> whatever

[10:41:14] <[RP] Pekoe> [Under his breath:] fuck.....

[Nearby… a figure leers from around the station, covered in a heavy, luxurious coat and a large, veiled hat with an ankh tucked into it. They watch, and then move over to the nearby river to listen in on the conversation.]

[10:41:41] <[RP] Err> dont repeat that shit

[10:41:44] <[RP] Err> fuck

[10:41:46] <[RP] Err> wait

[10:41:48] <[RP] Pekoe> Shit?

[10:41:59] <[RP] Pekoe> Wait! I know wait

[10:42:05] <[RP] Err> what are you

[10:42:09] <[RP] Err> who

[10:42:10] <[RP] Pekoe> Pekoe!

[10:42:14] <[RP] Pekoe> Ima wolf!

[10:42:31] <[RP] Pekoe> Bart said go here! For letter!

[10:42:35] <[RP] Pekoe> :D

[10:42:55] <[RP] Err> ...hm. whatever

[The figure gets closer to the two, before heading into the station as they continue to listen in.]

[10:43:17] <[RP] Pekoe> 're you one'a the helps? For the letter?

[10:43:48] <[RP] Err> i guess? mostly just messing with these weird pillar things

[10:44:03] <[RP] Err> found one and uh. got here a bit ago

[10:44:12] <[RP] Pekoe> Waystone?

[10:44:30] <[RP] Err> i guess

[10:44:47] <[RP] Pekoe> I like em

[The figure looks through the station, looking behind the counter where tickets would have been bought. There are a few notes and letters left around, among aged debris. They read them, intrigued.]

[10:45:33] <[RP] Err> i guess i can see how theyd be useful...

[10:45:55] <[RP] Err> whats uh. the letter thing you said

[10:45:58] <[RP] Err> whats with it

[Pekoe looks at the old station as he talks.]

[10:46:08] <[RP] Pekoe> Never 'livered

[10:46:16] <[RP] Pekoe> Needs 'livered

[10:46:21] <[RP] Err> damn that place is run down

[10:46:51] <[RP] Err> who’re you delivering to

[Pekoe checks the book Hobart had handed him.]

[10:47:03] <[RP] Pekoe> 'Honey'

[10:47:06] <[RP] Pekoe> YOU'RE A BEE

[10:47:11] <[RP] Pekoe> ARE YOU HONEY?

[10:47:15] <[RP] Err> wasp, thank you very much

[10:47:20] <[RP] Err> and no

[10:47:28] <[RP] Err> my name is Heir

[10:47:40] <[RP] Pekoe> air....

[10:47:46] <[RP] Pekoe> not Honey

[Pekoe nods very firmly. The figure inside the station leaves the ticket counter to eavesdrop more properly, wandering around casually.]

[10:47:54] <[RP] Err> and thats the dog

[Err gestures to a dog sitting politely next to her.]

[10:49:22] <[RP] Pekoe> The dog?

[10:49:32] <[RP] Err> Yeah. the dog

[10:49:37] <[RP] Pekoe> No name?

[10:49:44] <[RP] Err> thats their name. the dog

[10:49:57] <[RP] Pekoe> Thas like.... calling my Mama the wolf

[10:50:09] <[RP] Pekoe> Tha's silly

[Pekoe chuffs at Dog. It wanders over to Pekoe before sniffing him, then rolling onto its back to beg for pets. Pekoe sniffs at back. It wiggles its legs about.]

[10:52:12] <[RP] Pekoe> Hm

[He turns back to Err.]

[10:52:23] <[RP] Pekoe> Dog isn't smart

[10:52:30] <[RP] Err> needy little thing

[10:52:35] <[RP] Err> no. they are Not

[10:52:38] <[RP] Pekoe> Hm

[10:53:17] <[RP] Pekoe> OK!

[10:53:19] <[RP] Pekoe> Task!

[Pekoe marches up the stairs into the station, with Err confusedly jogging behind.]

[10:53:40] <[RP] Err> wh

[10:54:00] <[RP] Pekoe> HONEY?

[The figure is staring out at the tracks. They slowly turn around to look at the two.]

[10:54:34] <[RP] Stranger> I'm afraid not.

[10:54:39] <[RP] Err> WHO are YOU

[10:54:47] <[RP] Err> whats with the stupid hat

[Pekoe goes sniffing around the station as Err talks to them.]

[10:55:20] <[RP] Stranger> It's more fun to sit with the feeling of wonder, isn't it?

[10:55:34] <[RP] Err> well thats dumb as hell

[10:55:58] <[RP] Stranger> Maybe to an adolescent.

[10:56:32] <[RP] Err> fine. keep your secrets

[10:56:38] <[RP] Stranger> Secrets! How enticing

[10:56:36] <[RP] Err> why are you here

[10:56:51] <[RP] Stranger> Oh... Same reason as the puppy.

[Said puppy wanders back over, having sniffed through the pile of crates and bins and found… nothing.]

[10:56:57] <[RP] Err> you helping the little thing

[10:57:04] <[RP] Pekoe> YOU'RE FOR LETTER?

[10:57:10] <[RP] Stranger> You could say that.

[10:57:12] <[RP] Pekoe> :D

[10:57:19] <[RP] Stranger> These rail lines... do either of you know how old they are?

[10:57:27] <[RP] Stranger> Pop quiz?

[10:57:32] <[RP] Pekoe> Cart rail?

[10:57:35] <[RP] Err> they look old as hell

[10:57:49] <[RP] Stranger> Train, not cart. Much bigger.

[Pekoe squints…]

[10:58:19] <[RP] Pekoe> Bart said train too....

[10:58:53] <[RP] Stranger> Are you unaware?

[10:59:45] <[RP] Pekoe> I'm 10

[10:59:51] <[RP] Pekoe> 's it 10?

[10:59:51] <[RP] Err> clearly

[11:00:03] <[RP] Stranger> Mmmm. I wouldn't know

[11:00:08] <[RP] Stranger> This line is new to me.

[11:00:18] <[RP] Pekoe> Then why'd you quiz???

[11:00:35] <[RP] Stranger> It's a more fun way of asking a question.

[11:00:38] <[RP] Pekoe> Hm

[He goes back to sniffing around, heading to the ticket counter.]

[11:00:59] <[RP] Err> no attention span

[11:01:20] <[RP] Pekoe> BOOKS

[11:01:25] <[RP] Stranger> Quite candid literature, isn't it?

[11:01:29] <[RP] Pekoe> Old. Can read?

[11:01:32] <[RP] Stranger> Yes.

[11:01:39] <[RP] Pekoe> 'm slow

[Pekoe hands them one of the books and the figure takes it, reading aloud in their svelte tone.]

[11:02:26] <[RP] Stranger> “Notice. With the rail line closure all mail should be re-directed to the Wayships to be delivered.

[11:03:05] <[RP] Stranger> "If someone complains all we can really do is apologize. Do not give refunds on postage or tickets.

[Pekoe reads some of their own:]

[11:03:33] <[RP] Pekoe> "The train has broken down"

[11:03:54] <[RP] Stranger> "(Who wants to go all the way to the wayships for their mail? The rail was so much more convenient.) In parentheses.

[11:04:06] <[RP] Stranger> "(I know right? Not like we get a choice though, no one can fix the train so unless you want to walk the rail... Wayships it is.)"

[11:04:17] <[RP] Stranger> And that's all they wrote in this frail novel.

[11:04:08] <[RP] Pekoe> Parenthese....

[11:04:28] <[RP] Pekoe> You talk weird like Doc

[11:04:36] <[RP] Stranger> Parentheses are the fun little lines hugging sentences, occasionally.

[11:04:51] <[RP] Pekoe> I! Know parenthese

[11:04:58] <[RP] Pekoe> I know em

[11:05:11] <[RP] Pekoe> 're in my books

[11:05:14] <[RP] Stranger> I don't know that name, mm. Doc. Short for Doctor?

[11:05:20] <[RP] Pekoe> Yah!

[11:05:28] <[RP] Stranger> Interesting.

[11:05:38] <[RP] Pekoe> Doc 'n my Unc'a Nettle 're teachin' me reading

[11:05:50] <[RP] Stranger> How fun.

[11:05:55] <[RP] Err> good for you

[11:06:17] <[RP] Pekoe> Letter says "rail line down" is bad. We're at?? Rail????

[11:06:28] <[RP] Stranger> It means there won't be any more trains here.

[11:06:34] <[RP] Pekoe> Hm

[11:06:46] <[RP] Stranger> We're rather doomed to walk along the boards, rather than hitch a ride on a locomotive.

[11:06:51] <[RP] Err> damn. wouldve been great if we could just catch a ride

[11:07:01] <[RP] Err> easier at least

[11:07:24] <[RP] Stranger> Mm.

[11:07:28] <[RP] Pekoe> Walk time?

[11:07:37] <[RP] Stranger> Sounds like a little plan.

[11:07:38] <[RP] Err> couldnt have even slapped down some shitty minecart system huh

[11:07:58] <[RP] Pekoe> Wha's that WORD

[11:08:05] <[RP] Pekoe> Y'keep sayin'

[11:08:10] <[RP] Pekoe> Shit

[11:08:12] <[RP] Err> dont worry about it

[11:08:22] <[RP] Pekoe> Shit an' fuck 

[11:08:25] <[RP] Stranger> Infrastructure built upon by kine is typically no more complicated than they'd like it to be. So I am not surprised

[11:08:51] <[RP] Err> old person words dont worry about it

[Err casts a mildly nervous look at the figure. Their expression is unreadable. Pekoe starts to scribble the words down on a scrap piece of paper he’s uncrumpled. He shoves it back in his backpack.]

[11:09:47] <[RP] Pekoe> Hm

[11:10:06] <[RP] Stranger> Shall we walk?

[11:10:14] <[RP] Err> i guess...

[Pekoe looks at the others and starts walking. They follow behind, not caring to waste energy when they don’t know how long the tracks will be.]

[11:11:07] <[RP] Pekoe> LONG

[11:11:13] <[RP] Stranger> They tend to be.

[Pekoe gets on all fours and starts to sprint like a true dog. Every once in a while he stops, looks back, and starts again when the others catch up. Dog is running behind him joyfully. Err starts to flutter her wings to catch up. The older figure with them casually walks behind, able to keep close behind the other three without needing to jog or run.

Eventually, they all get to the other end of the tracks. The sun is lower in the sky. Err groans out.]

[11:15:15] <[RP] Err> godddd

[11:15:25] <[RP] Stranger> Looks to loop here.

[11:15:36] <[RP] Err> end of the line then

[11:16:16] <[RP] Stranger> Mhmmm.

[11:16:30] <[RP] Err> so. Where

[Pekoe runs around the whole loop before coming back around to the other three. The stranger goes down the platform stairs to a little path that heads up a nearby snowy mountain. The others follow.]

[11:16:34] <[RP] Stranger> There's a quaint little path this way.

[11:17:19] <[RP] Stranger> Unmanicured florals..

[11:17:26] <[RP] Pekoe> Wild???

[11:17:30] <[RP] Err> i like them

[11:17:38] <[RP] Stranger> They're a bit wild, yes.

[11:17:58] <[RP] Pekoe> SNOW

[11:18:16] <[RP] Err> god its fucking freezing up here

[11:18:28] <[RP] Stranger> You get used to the cold in time.

[Pekoe jumps into the snow and starts rolling around.]

[11:18:50] <[RP] Err> i am. an insect

[11:19:02] <[RP] Stranger> So it goes.

[Pekoe suddenly remembers the task at hand... Paw.]

[11:19:36] <[RP] Pekoe> LETTER. TASK

[He tries to shake himself off, though not succeeding, and starts sprinting up the mountain towards a tunnel at the top.]

[11:20:09] <[RP] Pekoe> TUNNEL

[Pekoe points from the Stranger to the tunnel.]

[11:20:15] <[RP] Pekoe> NOT-DOC. TUNNEL

[11:20:19] <[RP] Stranger> Reminds me of old coal mines…

[11:20:29] <[RP] Stranger> Tunnel means people, yes.

[11:20:34] <[RP] Err> youre gonna smell like wet dog in a bit, arent you…

[He’s already run ahead. The rest follow through the tunnel to the other side. After being blinded by the setting sun as they exit, a valley is visible, with a grove in the lowest point. To the left, a large church in browns and whites. Cherry blossoms sprinkle the mountain and grove, unfettered by the snow. To the center-right, a small cottage, in the same palette as the church. Many small hovels dug into the sides of the mountain, facing the center grove, pepper the snow. A herd of sheep and goats chew on grass or idle around, with two pink sheep towards the center.]

[11:20:59] <[RP] Stranger> Mmmm…

[11:21:00] <[RP] Pekoe> CHERRY!!!!!

[11:21:18] <[RP] Stranger> A grove...

[Err starts smelling the cherry leaves, and Pekoe climbs onto the nearest tree to get a vantage point.]

[11:22:15] <[RP] Err> huh. surprised these can survive up here

[Pekoe pounces on a goat walking under the tree. While Err isn’t watching, Dog dives into the snow and gets absolutely coated in it. They both venture down into a small tunnel which leads into a communal-looking area with a few fireplaces and a storage room. It feels too empty. Pekoe runs around the area in a lap before sitting down to stare at the fireplace near the front.]

[11:24:28] <[RP] Err> (muttered) what the HELL is this place now…

[11:25:56] <[RP] Err> oh! they have that glow berry liquid back here

[11:26:22] <[RP] Err> hey kid. im gonna go look at that house

[11:26:29] <[RP] Pekoe> House?

[11:26:30] <[RP] Pekoe> HONEY?

[11:26:31] <[RP] Err> dont toss yourself in the fire i guess

[11:26:55] <[RP] Pekoe> HONEY?

[Err leaves to look at the little cottage nearby, with Pekoe running up behind him. They step inside, and Err pops open a red jar, smelling it.]

[11:27:04] <[RP] Err> huh

[11:27:06] <[RP] Pekoe> HONEYYYYYYYYYY

[11:27:40] <[RP] Err> hey what the hell

[11:27:44] <[RP] Pekoe> ?

[11:27:49] <[RP] Err> thats weird

[Pekoe runs over and sniffs the jar as well.]

[11:28:13] <[RP] Pekoe> Blood?

[Dog lays down on one of the sofas, getting it absolutely sopping wet. No one notices this.]

[11:28:32] <[RP] Err> yeah

[11:28:39] <[RP] Pekoe> Yum

[11:28:46] <[RP] Err> yum???

[Pekoe looks around again, then runs outside to look for ‘grandpa’. The stranger.]

[11:28:53] <[RP] Err> what are you an infant?

[11:29:31] <[RP] Err> well, one more place there i guess

[Meanwhile, as this occurred, the figure had ventured down the grove as the other two watched the goats. They’re unphased by the animals milling around, and approach the same cottage, opening the door without knocking.]

[11:23:18] <[RP] Stranger> Cute little cottage....

[They spot a jar, filled with crimson. The same one. It takes a moment for them to understand it as human blood and lighting up in interest.]

[11:25:05] <[RP] Stranger> Not kine?

[11:25:57] <[RP] Stranger> Definitely blood...

[They search the house, most details clear to them. The bookshelves contain fiction. Mostly trashy romance novels. After a quick trip upstairs, they leave the house and approach the church near the first tunnel, slowly. They open the doors without knocking (again) and step onto the center running carpet, before the pews ahead. A new figure is kneeling before the pulpit in prayer, unaware of the new presence behind them. The stranger smirks. Shadows flicker along the walls from the fire in the hearth, and the sun sets through the stained glass, painting the walls further.

The silence is broken:]

[11:29:18] <[RP] Pekoe> NOT DOC??

[Pekoe slap-knocks on the church doors. He can’t get a proper grip on the handle.]

[11:30:38] <[RP] Pekoe> NOT-DOC

[Err walks up and just yanks the door open. As both approach, the stranger looks to them with a finger to their lips. Quiet. But the yelling has already interrupted the other stranger, and they turn around to look at the group.]

[11:31:16] <[RP] Honey> ...Oh?

[She has a gentle, soft-spoken voice. The group approaches him at his spot as he stands fully.]

[11:31:45] <[RP] Stranger> Quite the service you've got, my dear.

[11:31:50] <[RP] Stranger> Is Honey your name?

[11:31:51] <[RP] Err> ey, whats your name

[11:32:01] <[RP] Honey> It is my name yes

[11:32:04] <[RP] Pekoe> OHO

[Pekoe runs forward and pulls the letter out.]

[11:32:18] <[RP] Pekoe> YOURS!!

[11:32:19] <[RP] Honey> Hello?

[11:32:26] <[RP] Honey> Oh…

[11:32:30] <[RP] Pekoe> Didn't 'livered!!

[11:32:43] <[RP] Honey> It wasn't?

[11:32:48] <[RP] Pekoe> Nuh uh!

[11:32:59] <[RP] Honey> Oh... how disappointing

[Pekoe hands her the book from Hobart as well.]

[11:33:11] <[RP] Honey> He's probably dead then

[11:33:21] <[RP] Err> ?!

[11:33:27] <[RP] Stranger> How disappointing, yes.

[11:33:37] <[RP] Stranger> Was he human?

[11:33:45] <[RP] Honey> No

[11:33:59] <[RP] Stranger> I see.

[11:34:04] <[RP] Honey> I forget what its called but something fantasy like

[11:34:14] <[RP] Honey> She was old already last I saw him

[11:34:20] <[RP] Stranger> Something out of a novel?

[Pekoe blinks, confused.]

[11:34:35] <[RP] Honey> Yes I think so

[11:34:40] <[RP] Stranger> Fascinating.

[11:35:07] <[RP] Err> what

[11:35:10] <[RP] Stranger> Did you have your mail delivered by train?

[11:35:15] <[RP] Stranger> Or... is it older?

[11:35:25] <[RP] Honey> I used to yes

[11:35:39] <[RP] Honey> Niko made sure the train came to the church for our letters

[11:35:51] <[RP] Stranger> The rail line is down…

[11:36:03] <[RP] Honey> Yes... cause of that sickness going around

[11:36:06] <[RP] Stranger> Poor little thing, too new to be shut down like that.

[11:36:08] <[RP] Pekoe> How big're trains?

[11:36:09] <[RP] Stranger> That sickness…

[11:36:15] <[RP] Honey> Trains are very large

[The stranger taps their chin.]

[11:36:22] <[RP] Err> is that why so many people vanished?

[11:36:29] <[RP] Honey> Vanished?

[11:36:37] <[RP] Err> well. died i guess

[11:36:47] <[RP] Honey> I haven't left the mountain since it started

[11:36:48] <[RP] Stranger> I keep to my corner... It did feel like the well was drying

[11:37:07] <[RP] Honey> I suppose that's why no one came back

[11:37:12] <[RP] Err> apparently, we used to have quite a few visitors come by

[11:37:22] <[RP] Err> but it stopped around when i was born

[11:37:46] <[RP] Honey> Oh? How old are you?

[11:37:50] <[RP] Err> 16

[11:37:57] <[RP] Stranger> How miniscule...

[11:38:13] <[RP] Honey> Hm... Definitely dead then

[11:38:25] <[RP] Honey> A shame

[11:38:30] <[RP] Stranger> You're unphased by her death.

[Pekoe goes sniffing around the church while they talk.]

[11:38:55] <[RP] Honey> Oh I loved him dearly. But death comes for most things

[11:39:01] <[RP] Stranger> It does.

[11:39:38] <[RP] Pekoe> D'you like pudding?

[11:39:58] <[RP] Err> ?

[11:39:59] <[RP] Honey> I'm not sure I've had that

[Presumptuously:]

[11:40:10] <[RP] Stranger> You wouldn't like it.

[11:40:11] <[RP] Pekoe> But! You have!! Blood jar!!

[11:40:14] <[RP] Pekoe> Blood pudding!!!

[11:40:28] <[RP] Pekoe> 's yummy!

[11:40:41] <[RP] Err> isnt that more like a sausage?

[11:40:48] <[RP] Honey> Maybe I'll try it sometime, if it has blood in it

[11:40:50] <[RP] Pekoe> 's pudding

[11:41:07] <[RP] Stranger> A bit open about it, aren't you?

[11:41:08] <[RP] Pekoe> :D

[Pekoe goes back to sniffing about.]

[11:41:28] <[RP] Honey> Well life gets dull if you dont try new things sometimes

[11:41:42] <[RP] Stranger> Even at the expense of your cloak?

[11:41:56] <[RP] Honey> Would it get on my cloak?

[11:42:01] <[RP] Stranger> Hm....

[11:42:08] <[RP] Pekoe> Not if you're good at forks!

[11:42:13] <[RP] Stranger> Figurative.

[11:42:30] <[RP] Stranger> You're not kine, but you don't seem to be kindred, exactly.

[11:42:51] <[RP] Err> you a vampire or something? whyre you specifying blood in your food

[11:43:06] <[RP] Honey> Kindred... oh! You're one of those

[11:43:20] <[RP] Honey> Last time I met one of you they tried to kill me

[11:43:32] <[RP] Stranger> Mmmm. They tend to.

[11:44:12] <[RP] Stranger> Your kind seems to be unbothered by the vast windows you've got here.

[11:44:36] <[RP] Honey> It makes me a little weak feeling but that's all

[11:44:48] <[RP] Stranger> How fortunate…

[11:45:00] <[RP] Honey> Mhm

[11:45:18] <[RP] Honey> Are you just here about the letter?

[11:45:27] <[RP] Pekoe> Yah!

[Pekoe perks up as he yips, nose covered in dust.]

[11:45:33] <[RP] Honey> I see

[11:45:44] <[RP] Pekoe> Train! Died!

[11:46:04] <[RP] Honey> I heard

[11:46:08] <[RP] Pekoe> Go t' the Wayships for letters now!

[11:46:09] <[RP] Pekoe> :D

[Honey looks disappointed, distantly.]

[11:46:21] <[RP] Honey> Oh... but thats so far

[11:46:26] <[RP] Pekoe> Hm

[11:46:37] <[RP] Err> theyve got these funky new teleporters now

[11:46:41] <[RP] Pekoe> Waystones!

[11:46:49] <[RP] Err> maybe you can dig one up somewhere

[11:46:51] <[RP] Pekoe> Teleport rocks!!

[Pekoe takes his backpack out and starts rifling through various pockets.]

[11:47:08] <[RP] Honey> Oh that would make travel easier

[11:47:25] <[RP] Honey> I havent been able to go anywhere with the rail down

[11:47:29] <[RP] Pekoe> Unc'a Net gave me extras to get home easy!

[He hands Honey a waystone.]

[11:47:39] <[RP] Honey> Oh! How nice of you

[11:47:49] <[RP] Honey> I'll have to use it then

[11:47:50] <[RP] Stranger> No longer homebound, it seems.

[11:48:05] <[RP] Honey> More like churchbound

[Honey laughs airily at his own joke for a second.]

[11:48:47] <[RP] Stranger> That faithful?

[11:48:59] <[RP] Pekoe> Church?

[11:49:20] <[RP] Err> thats this place

[11:49:29] <[RP] Stranger> Yes.

[11:49:33] <[RP] Stranger> It's a place of worship.

[11:49:36] <[RP] Honey> Of course. Our Lady of Eternal Comfort has been kind to me

[11:49:43] <[RP] Err> its for showing respect to like. gods and spirits

[Pekoe blinks bigly.]

[11:50:10] <[RP] Pekoe> I know those words but not. Together

[11:50:29] <[RP] Err> then put em together

[Honey smiles.]

[11:50:49] <[RP] Honey> You are welcome to attend service if you wish to learn

[11:51:06] <[RP] Honey> We used to have it often but…

[11:51:12] <[RP] Pekoe> Service??

[11:51:13] <[RP] Honey> Then everyone left

[11:51:17] <[RP] Honey> Church service

[11:51:58] <[RP] Pekoe> What's it for

[11:52:27] <[RP] Honey> To talk about Our Lady of Eternal Comfort and her teachings

[11:53:22] <[RP] Honey> She's a god of comfort, home, and dreams

[11:53:50] <[RP] Honey> Sort of like a god of coziness

[Honey winks.]

[11:52:41] <[RP] Stranger> Like a little book club.

[11:53:53] <[RP] Pekoe> ....hm

[11:54:02] <[RP] Pekoe> an' what's a god again?

[11:54:05] <[RP] Stranger> You still value comfort?

[11:54:11] <[RP] Stranger> I can't blame you…

[11:54:26] <[RP] Honey> Why live an uncomfortable life when you live as long as we?

[11:55:28] <[RP] Honey> To answer your question, a god is a creature that listened to the Song

[11:55:52] <[RP] Stranger> My unlife is quite comfortable as it is... Well-fed on pedigrees, and lost lovers grieving my absence. Campfires are not where my comfort lies.

[11:56:06] <[RP] Pekoe> hm

[11:56:17] <[RP] Honey> To each their own

[11:56:18] <[RP] Err> ok so youre totally like. Undead

[11:56:25] <[RP] Err> both of you maybe

[11:56:35] <[RP] Stranger> I never denied it.

[11:56:39] <[RP] Err> or like. to the side of that

[Honey shrugs. Pekoe points at the stranger.]

[11:56:55] <[RP] Pekoe> Smells bad

[Pekoe points at Honey.]

[11:57:02] <[RP] Pekoe> Smells nice

[11:57:08] <[RP] Honey> Oh thank you

[11:57:15] <[RP] Stranger> Is my perfume not good enough for your little nose?

[11:57:27] <[RP] Pekoe> You smell like... Doc's lab

[11:57:47] <[RP] Pekoe> An' you [honey] smell like Doc's tea

[11:57:58] <[RP] Stranger> You talk a lot about this Doctor.

[11:58:06] <[RP] Pekoe> He's funny

[11:58:38] <[RP] Stranger> Mmm.

[11:59:13] <[RP] Honey> Does your doctor know how to treat animals?

[Err leans forward towards Honey to start waving their antenna at him.]

[11:59:27] <[RP] Pekoe> Uhhhh

[11:59:36] <[RP] Pekoe> He's nice? To 'em?

[11:59:52] <[RP] Honey> Oh well

[12:00:23] <[RP] Pekoe> Treat like? Snack? Or act?

[12:00:32] <[RP] Stranger> Is one of your sheep ill?

[12:00:34] <[RP] Honey> Like treating an illness

[12:00:37] <[RP] Pekoe> OH

[12:00:44] <[RP] Honey> Yes unfortunately

[12:01:10] <[RP] Pekoe> Maybe! He doctors me! An' Rize got sick once an' Doc helped!

[12:01:49] <[RP] Stranger> Maybe you're in luck, then...

[12:02:15] <[RP] Honey> Marcelinne used to take care of them but she left because of the sickness of course

[12:02:35] <[RP] Honey> It would be nice if your doctor could help

[12:02:43] <[RP] Pekoe> Okay!

[12:03:18] <[RP] Stranger> How long have you been here?

[12:03:29] <[RP] Stranger> I don't remember a church being in this area.

[12:03:59] <[RP] Honey> Oh... I don't remember

[12:04:19] <[RP] Honey> I came to this world around the time that war was starting

[12:04:46] <[RP] Stranger> Mmmm... Young

[12:05:46] <[RP] Stranger> Unless you had an unlife before moving this way?

[12:05:48] <[RP] Honey> Those in the church were exempt from being drafted. Or perhaps that was just Bellwether Grey being stubborn

[12:05:58] <[RP] Honey> Oh yes I have been to many worlds before this one

[Pekoe pulls out the crumpled paper again and writes ‘church’, ‘church service.’]

[12:06:08] <[RP] Stranger> I see…

[12:06:39] <[RP] Honey> I lost track of my age years ago

[12:07:01] <[RP] Stranger> Time does that, doesn't it?

[12:07:05] <[RP] Honey> It does

[12:08:20] <[RP] Stranger> Well, sweet neonate, if you'll be acquainted with me, I'd prefer it that way.

[12:08:26] <[RP] Stranger> You'll be knowing me either way.

[Honey flushes a little.]

[12:08:55] <[RP] Honey> Oh um. Okay. Nice to meet you

[12:09:08] <[RP] Stranger> My name is Caine.

[Pekoe looks between them and scrunches their face. Err plays with Dog while she wanders around the church.]

[12:09:28] <[RP] Honey> I'm Honey

[12:09:37] <[RP] Honey> Though you knew that

[12:09:55] <[RP] Caine> I did. It rings of sweetness, but that's just a surface-level dissection of the language.

[Honey fiddles with her bell earring.]

[12:12:01] <[RP] Honey> Yes it was a joke by Bellwether Grey. That I was sweet as Honey for putting up with the younger Lambs

[12:12:33] <[RP] Honey> It stuck

[12:12:33] <[RP] Pekoe> Bahhh?

[12:12:48] <[RP] Caine> I see... so you have a heart for little ones, or is there a tolerance?

[12:12:59] <[RP] Honey> Oh. A Lamb is a follower of Our Lady of Eternal Comfort

[12:13:09] <[RP] Pekoe> Hm

[Pekoe starts to draw a picture of the church.]

[12:13:36] <[RP] Honey> Hm, I don't know. They are young they don't know better

[12:13:59] <[RP] Caine> Mhm....

[12:14:28] <[RP] Caine> Your lambs have gone out to pasture, though, haven't they?

[12:14:37] <[RP] Honey> They have…

[12:14:56] <[RP] Caine> [Sardonic:] How sad... 

[12:15:10] <[RP] Honey> I'm the Bellwether now but everyone left to take care of their families

[12:15:23] <[RP] Honey> I stayed

[12:15:23] <[RP] Caine> No room for faith in their hearts?

[12:16:05] <[RP] Honey> They wanted to comfort their families in the trying times. Whether they died or chose not to come back I dont know

[12:16:31] <[RP] Caine> Hmm.

[12:17:02] <[RP] Caine> Yet you still lead an empty congregation?

[12:17:11] <[RP] Caine> Is there a reason?

[12:17:30] <[RP] Honey> Only so many other things to do

[12:17:31] <[RP] Err> [whispered to pekoe:] want some honeycomb?

[12:17:41] <[RP] Honey> And gods need worship

[12:17:59] <[RP] Caine> I suppose so…

[12:18:08] <[RP] Caine> I haven't seen this amount of dedication since...

[12:18:19] <[RP] Caine> The kingdom was at its peak, I suppose

[Pekoe looks at the comb in his hand, then at his drawings, then quickly moves the book from his lap to avoid spilling honey on it.]

[12:19:11] <[RP] Honey> My Lady has been very kind. It feels fitting to stay. I have no reason to leave after all

[12:19:35] <[RP] Caine> How loyal.

[12:19:41] <[RP] Caine> [?:] She must be very lucky to have you.

[12:20:05] <[RP] Honey> Oh well, I try my best

[Honey’s cheeks are a little pink again. Pekoe eats his honeycomb in messy bites, swallowing the wax because he’s stupid.]

[12:22:25] <[RP] Caine> Hmmm... About that rail line

[12:22:28] <[RP] Caine> You used the train?

[12:22:41] <[RP] Honey> A few times, to visit Niko

[12:22:46] <[RP] Caine> I see…

[12:23:01] <[RP] Caine> Well, there were notes left behind at the station at the other end…

[12:23:14] <[RP] Caine> It seems the line shut down due to the loss of an inventor

[12:23:26] <[RP] Caine> Whether they're alive or not, now? I wouldn't know…

[12:23:32] <[RP] Caine> But would you know this person?

[12:23:37] <[RP] Honey> That would be Niko yes

[12:23:52] <[RP] Honey> She was ingenious

[12:24:04] <[RP] Caine> I see.

[12:24:22] <[RP] Caine> No inventor, no line, no mail delivered to the inventor. That makes sense…

[12:24:35] <[RP] Honey> It's clear to see yes

[12:25:20] <[RP] Honey> If Niko had been alive CH-13 would have gotten the letter for her

[12:25:34] <[RP] Caine> Oh? Another?

[12:25:52] <[RP] Honey> His little robot helper

[12:26:05] <[RP] Honey> A funny little thing

[12:27:18] <[RP] Caine> How queer. Are robots commonplace, now?

[12:27:37] <[RP] Caine> Unshackled from science fiction?

[12:27:38] <[RP] Honey> I don't think so... I only ever saw the ones Niko made

[Pekoe wipes his paws covered in honey onto his shirt before writing ‘queer’ in his word list.]

[12:28:07] <[RP] Caine> I see... Well, technology moves as it does. Without an inventor, it may take much longer for such a thing to happen.

[12:28:29] <[RP] Honey> Niko came from a world with magic I think. Helped make the gears run easier

[12:28:34] <[RP] Honey> I can't remember

[12:28:37] <[RP] Pekoe> !!

[12:28:43] <[RP] Pekoe> Ion has magic gears!

[12:28:51] <[RP] Err> Ion?

[12:28:54] <[RP] Honey> Oh?

[12:29:13] <[RP] Caine> Plenty of new faces…

[12:29:23] <[RP] Pekoe> Ion's from a 'nother world, 'n uses magic, 'n has tech stuff!

[12:29:41] <[RP] Pekoe> :D

[12:29:52] <[RP] Honey> Oh maybe from the same world then?

[12:30:02] <[RP] Honey> I can't remember where Niko was from…

[12:30:28] <[RP] Pekoe> Core? I think?

[12:30:36] <[RP] Pekoe> Ion's Core

[12:30:42] <[RP] Caine> One of the core worlds?

[12:30:52] <[RP] Honey> Oh no... not one of those

[12:31:16] <[RP] Pekoe> Dang

[12:31:59] <[RP] Honey> You could find out if you went to Niko's workshop... Though it's quite hidden

[12:32:37] <[RP] Pekoe> Find?

[12:32:39] <[RP] Pekoe> Find?

[12:32:51] <[RP] Honey> Yes...?

[12:32:58] <[RP] Pekoe> I love find

[Honey shrugs.]

[12:33:33] <[RP] Honey> You could do that then

[12:33:35] <[RP] Caine> Hmm... Yes, if you'd like, we can find that information for you.

[12:34:08] <[RP] Caine> The world has changed so much, but I doubt it's gone entirely.

[12:34:15] <[RP] Honey> Oh? Well it would be nice I suppose

[12:34:39] <[RP] Honey> CH-13 might still be working for all I know

[12:34:50] <[RP] Caine> How enticing…

[12:35:12] <[RP] Caine> Even if that's not the case, I do love a good adventure…

[12:35:30] <[RP] Honey> Do you adventure often?

[12:36:05] <[RP] Caine> Hmmm... Not as much, these nights.

[12:36:26] <[RP] Caine> But I used to.

[12:36:45] <[RP] Honey> How daring

[12:37:33] <[RP] Honey> My adventures tend to be enclosed in the binding of a novel

[12:37:45] <[RP] Pekoe> Reading?

[12:37:56] <[RP] Honey> Yes

[12:37:58] <[RP] Pekoe> :O

[12:38:09] <[RP] Caine> Oh.... How lovely

[12:38:17] <[RP] Pekoe> Library! At Wayships! Has nice books!

[12:38:22] <[RP] Honey> I have had a lot of time to do so

[12:38:49] <[RP] Honey> Another reason to see the Wayships again I suppose

[Pekoe nods aggressively.]

[12:39:38] <[RP] Caine> Mmmm.. I haven't seen the wayships since they were first founded.

[Pekoe blinks.]

[12:39:54] <[RP] Honey> ...You know I don't think I have either

[12:39:55] <[RP] Caine> Are they still reaching the coast?

[12:39:55] <[RP] Pekoe> Found?

[12:39:58] <[RP] Honey> When was that…

[12:40:01] <[RP] Caine> Created…

[12:40:05] <[RP] Pekoe> Oh

[12:40:18] <[RP] Caine> About.... Ah

[12:40:33] <[RP] Caine> Less than half a century? About a quarter, maybe?

[12:40:48] <[RP] Honey> Oh that's not so long

[12:40:57] <[RP] Caine> Not at all, they're still quite new

[12:41:19] <[RP] Pekoe> 25?

[12:41:25] <[RP] Pekoe> 100 in 4 is 25?

[12:41:53] <[RP] Caine> Yes, about that time.

[12:41:56] <[RP] Pekoe> Tha's older than me

[12:42:07] <[RP] Honey> True

[12:42:07] <[RP] Pekoe> Not new!

[12:42:49] <[RP] Caine> I've been alive much longer than you have, little one.

[12:42:55] <[RP] Honey> It's less than a hundred that's new

[12:43:05] <[RP] Err> yeah, when youre old as balls, 25 isnt too big

[12:43:30] <[RP] Pekoe> Hm

[12:44:06] <[RP] Pekoe> Bart's in charge of mail now. Trains're gone. Letter d'livered.

[12:44:24] <[RP] Caine> Bart?

[12:44:34] <[RP] Pekoe> Hobart!

[12:44:39] <[RP] Pekoe> Frog has teeth

[12:44:41] <[RP] Pekoe> An' hair

[12:44:55] <[RP] Pekoe> He's nice

[12:45:53] <[RP] Pekoe> You should talk to 'Bart.

[12:46:02] <[RP] Honey> Why?

[12:46:06] <[RP] Pekoe> Letter 'livered report!

[12:46:13] <[RP] Honey> Oh I see

[12:46:18] <[RP] Pekoe> An' you can send! More mail!

[12:46:26] <[RP] Honey> To whom?

[12:46:41] <[RP] Pekoe> Uh

[12:47:03] <[RP] Caine> I don't have a mailbox near the wayships, so I can't offer.

[12:47:23] <[RP] Pekoe> There's! ! ! Mail room! In wayships!

[12:47:26] <[RP] Pekoe> Get a box!!

[12:47:31] <[RP] Caine> Must I?

[12:47:41] <[RP] Pekoe> Uh

[12:47:58] <[RP] Err> few people have a mailbox. can maybe ask around and idk. make friends. or chat with someone who may be helpful

[12:48:08] <[RP] Pekoe> Yeah!!!

[12:48:11] <[RP] Pekoe> Friends!!!

[12:48:13] <[RP] Err> didnt you wanna chat with doc or something?

[12:48:17] <[RP] Pekoe> YEAH!!!

[12:48:22] <[RP] Honey> Oh I did…

[12:48:57] <[RP] Pekoe> He! Has a box!

[12:48:59] <[RP] Honey> Perhaps people would be interested in My Lady as well

[12:49:01] <[RP] Caine> I may also have a chat with this doctor if you continue comparing me to him.

[12:49:04] <[RP] Err> toss em' a letter when you get the chance then

[12:49:41] <[RP] Pekoe> :D

[12:49:44] <[RP] Caine> [Fruity ass sigh.] Hmmm. I suppose I'll just have to take up a humble box at the wayships.

[12:50:00] <[RP] Pekoe> YAYYYYY

[12:50:13] <[RP] Pekoe> An' then!!! If!! More old mail!!

[12:50:19] <[RP] Pekoe> Can be 'livered faster!

[12:50:34] <[RP] Honey> That's true

[12:50:45] <[RP] Caine> I can only imagine how popular you may be, with stacks of old mail waiting for you.

[12:50:47] <[RP] Honey> Though Niko never got this letter so I have doubts

[12:51:20] <[RP] Honey> Oh well... not that popular I think

[12:51:31] <[RP] Caine> Not even within your herd?

[12:51:58] <[RP] Honey> Well they stopped responding to my letters after a while

[12:52:02] <[RP] Err> not exactly much a herd left

[12:52:17] <[RP] Honey> And besides them I only really interacted with those soldiers when they were nearby

[12:52:50] <[RP] Caine> Mmmm.

[12:52:57] <[RP] Pekoe> Dang

[12:53:14] <[RP] Caine> If it makes you feel any better, I haven't sent or received a letter since before the war.

[12:53:25] <[RP] Caine> I haven't needed to, hm.

[Restrained:]

[12:53:42] <[RP] Honey> Oh? But you seem like you would be... popular

[12:54:04] <[RP] Caine> Do I? Is my image that polished, to you?

[12:55:15] <[RP] Honey> Well... you seem friendly

[12:55:45] <[RP] Caine> I like to keep good relations with those I see similarities in…

[12:55:58] <[RP] Caine> We may not be of the same kind, but we do hold the same tastes on our tongue.

[12:56:29] <[RP] Honey> Mhm!

[Honey’s cheeks are blooming pink again. He clutches the letter and book she received tightly. Pekoe looks outside. It’s dark, with the last of the sun disappearing under the horizon. The stars twinkle above as the moon starts to shine onto the glimmering snow below. He then looks to the two vampires, then to Err. He shoves his things into his bag.]

[13:00:22] <[RP] Pekoe> 's night

[13:00:37] <[RP] Honey> It is, yes

[Caine looks to the window themself, taking off their hat and stashing it away. Honey has to force his eyes towards the windows.]

[13:00:52] <[RP] Err> oh damn

[13:00:54] <[RP] Caine> Lovely!

[13:00:54] <[RP] Pekoe> 's night an' Unc'a Net said home 'fore night, uh-huh <lie>

[13:00:58] <[RP] Err> its like youre naked

[13:01:06] <[RP] Pekoe> Bald

[13:01:37] <[RP] Caine> Didn't you say the hat was 'stupid,' Wasp-ling?

[13:01:54] <[RP] Err> oh uh, yeah i guess

[13:02:19] <[RP] Caine> Then it's not so bad, is it?

[13:02:24] <[RP] Err> just cause' its stupid doesnt mean you cant look naked without it

[13:02:40] <[RP] Caine> I wear it less than I don't.

[13:03:05] <[RP] Caine> It's freeing, this way. You wouldn't understand.

[Pekoe looks at the now-hatless old fart Caine, the already-hatless old fart Honey, and the bug.]

[13:03:33] <[RP] Pekoe> I'ma. Go home now <half lie>

[13:03:40] <[RP] Caine> Be safe, little puppy.

[Caine takes the opportunity to sit in one of the pews, draping their arm over the wooden side.]

[13:03:49] <[RP] Pekoe> Good luck with hat! An' mail! An' Doc!

[13:04:00] <[RP] Honey> Oh. Off it goes

[13:04:38] <[RP] Honey> If you two would like we can speak more in my house?

[13:04:19] <[RP] Err> yeah same. if you two are gonna keep flirting i'm gonna go out too. dog keeps trying to chew on me and chew marks are annoying to buff out between molts

[13:04:31] <[RP] Err> specially if they need to go to the bathroom

[13:04:42] <[RP] Err> see ya round

[13:04:45] <[RP] Honey> Oh

[13:05:13] <[RP] Caine> It seems they've both left.

[13:07:22] <[RP] Caine> Well? We could continue here or talk in your home.

[13:07:28] <[RP] Caine> Unless you're still 'churchbound.'

[Honey titters.]

[13:07:47] <[RP] Honey> Well my home might be more comfortable for casual conversation

[13:08:20] <[RP] Caine> It is up to you. I could talk all night.

[13:09:00] <[RP] Honey> My house has smaller windows at least if we do

[13:09:21] <[RP] Caine> I would take your offer, then. Less chance of ashes and an empty manor that way.

[Caine stands right back up to follow Honey as she starts down the aisle to the exit.]

[13:11:49] <[RP] Honey> Wouldn't want you to be ashes of course

[13:11:59] <[RP] Caine> Of course.

[The church doors are left open from the kids leaving. Honey leads Caine to her cottage, before the door is shut behind them both.]

[13:13:11] <[RP] Caine> Cute little home you've got.

[13:13:22] <[RP] Honey> Oh thank you

[13:13:37] <[RP] Honey> It's humble but it's nice that way

[13:13:51] <[RP] Caine> I could understand that...

[13:13:59] <[RP] Caine> Fits with your cosy Lady, hm?

[13:14:12] <[RP] Honey> It does

[13:14:43] <[RP] Caine> Did you build this yourself? Or with help?

[13:15:04] <[RP] Honey> Ah it was the old Bellwether's house. I got it with the title

[13:15:11] <[RP] Honey> Made it my own

[13:15:14] <[RP] Caine> I see.

[Caine sits on the sofa closer to the door near the kitchenette, setting their coat over the back of it. Honey goes to sit across from them, giving a look of confusion when the cushions are damp. He shrugs it off.]

[13:17:53] <[RP] Caine> In honesty, I could tell the letter the little one was entrusted had something of our kind written over it.

[13:17:57] <[RP] Caine> Call it intuition…

[13:18:05] <[RP] Caine> I had to see the related party myself.

[13:18:09] <[RP] Honey> Oh?

[13:18:30] <[RP] Caine> Our kind... Or, mine, in the least, has become rather endangered.

[13:19:16] <[RP] Honey> Yes... It's been a while since I've seen someone of a similar kind

[13:19:37] <[RP] Honey> You're the first I've seen in this world for certain

[13:20:14] <[RP] Caine> Mmm.. How.. Interesting

[13:20:52] <[RP] Caine> Yes, we used to take up plenty of space, since before…

[13:21:06] <[RP] Caine> Anyways. The presence of another intrigued me.

[13:21:35] <[RP] Caine> You're quite the novelty, though I hope you last longer than a mere century.

[13:21:58] <[RP] Honey> I've lasted a long time yet

[13:22:18] <[RP] Honey> Despite my softness I'm not easy to get rid of

[Honey gives a jokey, sharp toothed grin. Caine almost laughs, as if watching a puppy roll over.]

[13:23:32] <[RP] Caine> Ooh! Frisky, hm?

[Honey flushes.]

[13:23:50] <[RP] Honey> Oh um!

[13:24:54] <[RP] Caine> You can protect yourself then?

[13:25:17] <[RP] Honey> You have to learn to after so long of course

[13:25:40] <[RP] Caine> Mhmmm.

[13:25:51] <[RP] Caine> It comes naturally, almost, in my case.

[13:26:18] <[RP] Caine> But I tend not to meet much resistance aside from the stray ne'er-do-well.

[13:26:55] <[RP] Honey> Some people do take insult just from our existence

[13:27:05] <[RP] Caine> That is true.

[13:27:16] <[RP] Honey> I'm not sure why

[13:27:32] <[RP] Caine> It's why my kind tends to keep hidden.

[13:27:39] <[RP] Caine> Oh... kine don't like being prey.

[13:28:24] <[RP] Honey> They keep things like pigs as pets and still eat them. I don't see the difference

[13:28:50] <[RP] Caine> Hypocrisy, the need to be on top of the food chain...

[13:29:30] <[RP] Honey> How silly

[13:29:34] <[RP] Caine> Rather so

[13:29:53] <[RP] Caine> I don't usually see our kind in such a religious position. Is there a reason for it?

[13:31:03] <[RP] Honey> It appealed to me. Our Lady practically took me in herself when I came to this world

[13:31:17] <[RP] Caine> [Skeptical:] Appeared to you, did she?

[13:31:36] <[RP] Honey> Personally, yes

[13:32:05] <[RP] Caine> I see…

[13:32:12] <[RP] Honey> Something about how my nature drew her to me

[13:32:13] <[RP] Caine> How intriguing…

[13:32:26] <[RP] Honey> I still don't know what she meant by it

[13:33:11] <[RP] Caine> Hmmm... Well, I can't tell you

[13:33:31] <[RP] Honey> Only she could really

[13:33:56] <[RP] Caine> I used to live close-by to a settlement that themed itself around its god, but I never attempted to learn much.

[13:34:05] <[RP] Caine> Is she still around, in the same way?

[13:34:34] <[RP] Honey> Yes, but far less with so few that think of her

[13:35:02] <[RP] Caine> [Wistfully:] Unfortunate, to fade away.

[13:35:26] <[RP] Honey> Maybe now I can bring in new Lambs though

[13:35:31] <[RP] Honey> These 'waystones'

[13:36:36] <[RP] Caine> Yes... If what the child said is true, then perhaps you can travel on your own.

[13:37:16] <[RP] Honey> Unfortunate that my friend's legacy no longer has a use

[13:37:24] <[RP] Honey> But to travel again would be nice

[13:38:10] <[RP] Caine> Mhm. If anything, I could see a third party refurbishing the rails in some way.

[13:38:31] <[RP] Honey> That could be nice

[13:38:39] <[RP] Honey> It was pleasant to ride the train

[13:38:49] <[RP] Honey> See the ocean pass you by

[13:38:56] <[RP] Caine> I can imagine…

[13:39:09] <[RP] Caine> I never got to see this rail, personally.

[13:39:24] <[RP] Honey> A shame

[13:39:40] <[RP] Honey> Perhaps if Niko's blueprints are found you will have a chance

[13:39:49] <[RP] Caine> Perhaps.

[13:40:51] <[RP] Caine> It will be rather enriching to go on a hound's quest for a mysterious inventor's workshop..

[13:41:23] <[RP] Caine> My estate can get rather lonely, so I tend to get very bored.

[13:41:48] <[RP] Honey> I can understand that. I've had nothing but sheep and goats for company

[13:42:04] <[RP] Honey> You are a much better conversationalist

[13:42:38] <[RP] Caine> Oh, I can see that... I am much different, aren't I?

[13:43:15] <[RP] Honey> Not a sheep at all no

[13:44:07] <[RP] Caine> :}

[13:46:32] <[RP] Honey> You have a much sharper energy than the things around here

[13:46:41] <[RP] Caine> Oh?

[13:46:54] <[RP] Caine> Do I exhibit an aura, to you?

[13:49:01] <[RP] Honey> Oh well. Probably not like you are thinking. It's just like, a whisper in the back of my head.

[13:49:20] <[RP] Caine> I see....

[Restrained:]

[13:49:23] <[RP] Honey> You rest in finer things than a place like this

[13:49:54] <[RP] Caine> Hard to deny that…

[13:50:10] <[RP] Caine> I like my space…

[13:50:28] <[RP] Caine> My elysium... It is a place of wonder.

[13:50:36] <[RP] Honey> Oh?

[13:50:59] <[RP] Caine> It's rather large, with rooms upon rooms…

[13:51:20] <[RP] Caine> Corridors, chambers, a ballroom…

[13:53:23] <[RP] Honey> What do you do with so much space?

[13:53:47] <[RP] Caine> I dance, and I dance the night away... Until the night begins again!

[13:53:52] <[RP] Caine> Or I read, or I feast...

[13:54:22] <[RP] Caine> I used to bring lovers home, as well, but it has become rather dry.

[13:54:32] <[RP] Caine> No morsels to feast on much, either…

[13:54:37] <[RP] Honey> Oh...?

[13:55:07] <[RP] Caine> It's much harder to find a doctor with a pedigree. The kind of blood that makes you feel alive again.

[13:55:31] <[RP] Honey> I can understand that

[13:55:48] <[RP] Caine> I make due…

[13:55:56] <[RP] Honey> I saw a jinxblood once but never got to ask if I could have a drink

[Honey gives a forlorn sigh.]

[13:56:09] <[RP] Caine> Oh?

[13:56:40] <[RP] Honey> I wanted to know what a blood called 'unlucky' would taste like

[13:57:13] <[RP] Caine> The blood you taste is given a name?

[13:57:32] <[RP] Honey> Oh just that one. It's special here, a rare witch blood

[13:57:59] <[RP] Caine> I see... I've never heard of such a thing.

[13:59:28] <[RP] Caine> I've only suckled on the finest blood and vitae... of no particular name.

[14:00:28] <[RP] Honey> That makes sense, you seem refined

[14:01:17] <[RP] Caine> It comes with age, or so I've heard.

[14:02:21] <[RP] Honey> Oh is that so?

[14:02:52] <[RP] Caine> It could be myth... Not something I care too far about

[14:03:45] <[RP] Honey> You wear it well. Refinement

[Caine leans over themself in intrigue.]

[14:03:54] <[RP] Caine> Ohhh...?

[14:06:07] <[RP] Caine> Quite the flatterer, you are.

[14:06:40] <[RP] Honey> Well! You just seem very comfortable in yourself. I think that admirable

[14:08:41] <[RP] Caine> I've had the time to get used to this body that I call home.

[14:09:09] <[RP] Caine> In turn, you do-so fit your comfortable preferences.

[14:10:11] <[RP] Honey> Ah, thank you

[Caine hums…]

[14:11:18] <[RP] Caine> Well... I'd hate to leave so soon, especially away from your company, but I should make my way back before the sun rises once again.

[14:11:26] <[RP] Caine> Unless you had more to endear me with?

[Honey flushes.]

[14:12:23] <[RP] Honey> Oh no I won't hold you up

[14:12:33] <[RP] Honey> It was a nice visit

[14:12:49] <[RP] Caine> Of course... It is good to meet an alike mind such as yours!

[They stand up from their spot, turning towards the door and taking their coat back on.]

[14:13:15] <[RP] Caine> May we meet again, on another dark night.

[14:13:22] <[RP] Honey> Yes, I hope so

[14:13:35] <[RP] Caine> Good evening.

[14:13:40] <[RP] Honey> Good evening

[Caine takes the time to leave at a leisurely pace. They shut the door behind them firmly before heading back down to the entry tunnel. Honey falls over onto the couch cushions and kicks her feet, holding his flushed face.]

Viola, Doc, Nettle, and Pekoe head to Ion’s abode to use her library to research how they could possibly turn off the massive device found under the ocean. After not finding much information in Ion’s main library, the group convinces Ion to let them see some of her experiments.

Doc and Ion talk about the use of souls in their respective work, while Viola notices another library and goes to investigate. While inside, Viola stumbles on a few works she may not have been meant to read, which causes her to panic. Ion requests that she speak to Viola in private, and while Doc insists he stay to monitor Viola (and make sure she’s safe), Viola says she’ll be alright. Doc and Nettle leave with Pekoe, and Ion and Viola have a conversation about what she found. 

Ion reveals why she arrived in this world, and how it’s slowly begun to charm her into wanting to stay. Viola promises to help Ion find a way to hide from the people who are coming after her, in the hopes that she can also turn the portal back on to the outside world. 

Viola heads home to find Doc and Nettle, who she introduces to her father to get away with not telling Doc what actually happened at Ion’s. Doc asks Viola’s father, Jameson, some questions about the Fading and gets some interesting, if vague, answers. 

Doc finishes up his conversation with Jameson, and invites Viola to speak outside to ask her questions about what really happened. Nettle bids them goodbye as they head outside. Doc asks Viola what’s really going on, and Viola convinces him, for now, that she has it under control. But just how in control of this will she be?

+ ★ +

[Viola, along with Doc, Nettle, and Pekoe, arrive at Ion's castle home. They stand together inside of a glass gazebo, the gates standing in the water in the distance.]

[18:50:30] <[RP] Viola> Alright, so Ion knows we're coming to see the library

[18:50:40] <[RP] Viola> Everyone will be on their best behavior, right?

[18:50:44] <[RP] Viola> Please...?

[18:50:44] <[RP] Doc> And you know how to get to this library?

[18:50:54] <[RP] Viola> I do! I've been a few time now

[18:51:13] <[RP] Pekoe> For reading?

[18:51:33] <[RP] Doc> Yes, a reading library

[18:51:46] <[RP] Viola> Reading, research, information, you name it, she's got it

[18:51:51] <[RP] Viola> It's very, very extensive

[18:51:54] <[RP] Pekoe> :D

[18:52:21] <[RP] Viola> Any questions?

[18:52:38] <[RP] Doc> I have none.

[18:52:45] <[RP] Nettle> I'm all good.

[Pekoe shakes his head.]

[18:53:01] <[RP] Viola> Awesome, awesome, let's go then, follow me!

[The group settles into boats, which they row to the docks. Ion watches from the castle as the group passes beneath the gatehouse, and into the grounds proper.

The researchers disembark, and Viola leads them along the path, passing under the shadow of the castle.]

[18:54:22] <[RP] Viola> This place is incredible, isn't it?

[18:54:28] <[RP] Nettle> The trees are fascinating

[Pekoe pulls a tiny pair of binoculars from his bag and stares at the moss growing on the towers quietly.]

[18:54:37] <[RP] Doc> It seems quite.... elaborate.

[Ion flies down to the library, watching the small group intently.]

[18:55:23] <[RP] Viola> Oh Ion, hello!

[18:55:35] <[RP] Ion> Welcome Miss Viola

[18:55:45] <[RP] Ion> It's a pleasure to see you again

[Viola grins.]

[18:55:55] <[RP] Ion> I wasn't expecting the entourage though

[18:56:09] <[RP] Viola> Yes, oh sorry, I hope you don't mind!! I brought a few fellow researchers with me

[18:56:17] <[RP] Ion> I see

[18:56:18] <[RP] Pekoe> Your plants're weird

[18:56:23] <[RP] Viola> I think you've maybe met them before?

[18:56:38] <[RP] Ion> I have, we met a few times at the wayships i believe

[18:56:50] <[RP] Viola> Right, right right, of course!!

[18:56:51] <[RP] Doc> I have seen you one time prior to this.

[18:57:11] <[RP] Ion> I am sure we have many more pleasant meetings in our future

[18:58:02] <[RP] Doc> Yes..... of course.

[18:58:02] <[RP] Viola> (phantoms </3)

[18:58:20] <[RP] Ion> well, I suppose you need to get on with your research

[18:58:29] <[RP] Viola> Yes, that would be awesome

[18:58:30] <[RP] Ion> let me know if can help in any way

[18:58:36] <[RP] Viola> Absolutely!!

[18:58:37] <[RP] Doc> Very well

[Pekoe pats Nettle’s head with excitement. The group heads inside, fanning out to look at the rows of books. 

In a “I’m in a library” child whisper:]

[18:59:38] <[RP] Pekoe> BOOKS

[18:59:59] <[RP] Nettle> Lots of books, wow

[Viola idles near the entrance as she notices Ion staying outside.]

[18:59:11] <[RP] Viola> Uhh...you guys go on ahead

[18:59:16] <[RP] Viola> I'm gonna go chat with Ion quick

[Viola walks out to join Ion at the shoreline sheepishly.]

[18:59:34] <[RP] Viola> Sorry about the short notice

[18:59:53] <[RP] Ion> Don't worry, you always have a free pass here

[Viola smiles.]

[19:00:04] <[RP] Viola> Thanks again, it's really, really kind of you

[19:00:11] <[RP] Viola> I should probably fill you in on why we're here

[19:00:17] <[RP] Viola> I actually do want to get your expertise!

[19:00:21] <[RP] Ion> Oh?

[19:00:39] <[RP] Viola> Did you hear about the whole portal thing? I can't remember if we talked about it when I was here

[19:01:03] <[RP] Ion> We discussed it briefly. I was under the impression it was a system malfunction

[19:01:21] <[RP] Ion> Has there been news on that front?

[19:01:32] <[RP] Viola> Yeah, we thought so at first, that it was a malfunction that is

[19:01:41] <[RP] Viola> We managed to decode the the error itself

[19:01:54] <[RP] Viola> Surprisingly enough, we found coordinates, actually

[Hesitantely:]

[19:02:00] <[RP] Ion> oh nice

[19:02:16] <[RP] Viola> It brought us to this really fascinating underwater cave, that appeared to be player-made

[19:02:33] <[RP] Ion> So the theory is sabotage now I suppose?

[19:02:41] <[RP] Viola> Yeah...we think it might be

[19:02:46] <[RP] Viola> Which would really suck, I don't-

[19:02:51] <[RP] Viola> I can't be sure why someone would do it

[19:03:03] <[RP] Viola> Here, I drew a few diagrams of what it looks like

[19:03:09] <[RP] Viola> Have you ever seen anything like this before?

[Viola hands Ion a few pages of hand-drawn images of the location.]

[19:03:45] <[RP] Ion> I spent most of my time on core worlds. The interworld portals are carefully kept there

[Viola nods thoughtfully, Ion scans over the pages.]

[19:04:23] <[RP] Ion> What were the coordinates of this sabotage?

[19:04:39] <[RP] Viola> They were really specific, actually, -2000, 36, -2000

[19:04:48] <[RP] Viola> Do you think the location is important?

[19:05:07] <[RP] Ion> Coordinates are always important when travel magics are observed

[19:05:25] <[RP] Viola> Hmm, that's really good to know

[19:05:36] <[RP] Ion> I'm no expert on portals, but that confirms that what you found was used for disruption at least

[19:05:59] <[RP] Ion> So who knows about this so far?

[19:06:19] <[RP] Viola> A few people, those who came with me on the journey, and Hobart

[19:06:37] <[RP] Viola> We'll probably tell more people soon, but I wanted an actual answer...or ideally a solution...

[19:07:18] <[RP] Ion> I mean, I have my section on circuitry, but as I said before, it's really not a subject I know well. I specialise in potions I'm afraid

[Viola nods, a little disappointed.]

[19:07:37] <[RP] Viola> It's okay, it was worth a shot!

[19:07:53] <[RP] Ion> It was, and I'm grateful you thought to consult me

[19:08:25] <[RP] Viola> Yeah, yeah, cool!

[19:08:33] <[RP] Viola> I'll uh, come let you know if I have anything else

[19:08:41] <[RP] Viola> Thanks again, for letting us use your library

[19:08:57] <[RP] Ion> of course! It's an honour to be able to provide knowledge

[Viola nods, giving an awkward little wave, and heads back inside. Jadis’s words echo in her ears, but she pushes them away. For now.

Inside the library, Doc pages through a few books in the circuitry section of the library, trying to see if there are any descriptions that relate to what they saw. 

Pekoe finds a book about a doctor, and wiggles to have Nettle put him down. He sprints over to Doc and whisper-yells.]

[19:07:47] <[RP] Pekoe> LOOK WHAT I FOUND

[19:07:52] <[RP] Doc> Mnm, nothing here is too-

[19:08:10] <[RP] Doc> Oh, what's this?

[19:08:21] <[RP] Pekoe> Doctor book! Book about a doctor!!

[19:08:24] <[RP] Pekoe> :D

[19:08:39] <[RP] Doc> Ah, yes, this is the type of work that I do, very observant

[Doc flips the book open. It has absolutely nothing to do with what Doc does, but it does reference doctors, and other medical terminology.]

[19:09:27] <[RP] Doc> You recognized the word medicine, yes?

[19:10:05] <[RP] Doc> Oh, this is a fiction book, I see.

[Pekoe’s tail challenges lightspeed. Viola returns from her conversation with Ion. Nettle stands in one of the doorways, reading a book with a dragon on the cover.]

[19:09:51] <[RP] Viola> Oh! Nettle

[19:09:59] <[RP] Nettle> Hello, Viola

[19:09:55] <[RP] Viola> Did you guys find anything?

[Pekoe patters over.]

[19:10:26] <[RP] Pekoe> 's loud here!

[19:10:36] <[RP] Pekoe> Smells loud

[19:10:43] <[RP] Viola> Haha, I was gonna ask

[19:10:46] <[RP] Viola> It's super quiet

[Nettle leans over, speaking quietly to Viola.]

[19:10:46] <[RP] Nettle> I did find a book about portal manipulation?

[19:10:52] <[RP] Viola> Oh seriously!

[19:10:55] <[RP] Viola> Where?

[Viola follows Nettle over to a section at the back, where a sign denotes it as “A History of Magicians”. Viola picks up the book and flips through it.] 

[19:11:35] <[RP] Viola> Ah, a history of portal manipulation

[19:11:39] <[RP] Viola> Still helpful though

[19:11:49] <[RP] Viola> This section is probably where we'll find what we're looking for

[Pekoe pokes the spine of a book in the section.]

[19:12:26] <[RP] Pekoe> Safe-y indents

[19:12:39] <[RP] Doc> I think the area we are looking for, doesn't quite exist in this library

[Pekoe nods wisely.]

[19:12:47] <[RP] Viola> You don't think so?

[19:12:54] <[RP] Viola> As far as I know this is the only library...

[19:13:03] <[RP] Viola> Maybe Ion keeps more books in the castle?

[19:13:23] <[RP] Doc> Yes, perhaps a personal collection.

[Pekoe sprints out of the room, running laps around the upstairs.]

[19:13:42] <[RP] Viola> Right. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if we asked

[19:14:01] <[RP] Doc> I suppose we will find out, won't we.

[19:14:26] <[RP] Viola> Yeah, I'm sure

[The two walk back to the main hallway together.]

[19:14:32] <[RP] Doc> Where did Ion get off to?

[19:14:33] <[RP] Viola> Did you happen to look in the circuitry section?

[19:14:38] <[RP] Viola> Oh-

[As Viola says ‘circuitry’, Pekoe begins poking at the section.]

[19:14:40] <[RP] Doc> I did, yes

[19:14:49] <[RP] Pekoe> q u a s i

[19:14:53] <[RP] Pekoe> who's that?

[19:14:59] <[RP] Doc> That is a prefix, dear.

[19:15:05] <[RP] Viola> It might refer to quasi-connectivity

[19:15:09] <[RP] Viola> It's a principle of redstone

[19:15:15] <[RP] Pekoe> :O

[19:15:32] <[RP] Doc> It does indeed

[19:15:35] <[RP] Pekoe> Unca Netty said not much re'stone for me 'cause I'll eat it

[19:15:41] <[RP] Doc> Quasi means related-to

[19:15:41] <[RP] Nettle> quasi means. "sort of but not really". which is cool

[19:15:48] <[RP] Pekoe> woah....

[19:15:59] <[RP] Viola> You'd eat redstone...?

[19:16:05] <[RP] Pekoe> 's crunchy!

[19:16:11] <[RP] Pekoe> 'n spicy!

[19:16:11] <[RP] Viola> Huh

[19:16:16] <[RP] Viola> Alrighty

[19:16:16] <[RP] Doc> He is right

[19:16:19] <[RP] Pekoe> :D

[19:16:21] <[RP] Viola> Hmm

[19:16:24] <[RP] Viola> Okay then!

[19:16:34] <[RP] Nettle> Why do you Also know that

[19:16:46] <[RP] Viola> Okay if you're also concerned then I should also be concerned

[19:16:47] <[RP] Doc> Would you like to guess.

[19:16:59] <[RP] Viola> You've eaten redstone. Okay. Okay...

[19:17:10] <[RP] Viola> Isn't it like??? Radioactive???

[19:17:18] <[RP] Doc> In theory

[19:17:21] <[RP] Viola> Hmm

[19:17:22] <[RP] Nettle> I'd say you ate it but why did you. Actually y'know what I don't know if i want to know 

[19:17:27] <[RP] Pekoe> Doc shared his with me!

[19:17:39] <[RP] Doc> ..Not on purpose.

[Viola narrows her eyes slightly, looking from Doc to Nettle. Nettle is slowly losing the battle of staying on task, and not staying with “how or why the hell did Doc eat redstone”. Doc stands there, staring back at Viola.]

[19:18:35] <[RP] Pekoe> Mama said I'm s'posed to [various barks and growls]

[19:18:54] <[RP] Doc> Pekoe, unfortunately we do not understand that language

[Pekoe frowns. 

Ion returns from shearing sheep, small bits of wool cling to her cloak.]

[19:18:51] <[RP] Viola> Oh, Ion!

[19:18:54] <[RP] Ion> hey did you folks find what you needed to?

[19:19:07] <[RP] Viola> We're hitting a bit of a wall, actually

[Pekoe punches the wall questioningly. Ion smiles a little at Pekoe’s actions.]

[19:19:35] <[RP] Viola> Oop, sorry Pekoe, meant that figuratively

[19:19:46] <[RP] Pekoe> Ohhhhh

[Pekoe turns his head to the side, looking at Ion.]

[19:19:51] <[RP] Pekoe> More books?

[19:20:16] <[RP] Viola> Oh yeah, you wouldn't happen to have, like, another collection in the castle, would you?

[19:20:34] <[RP] Ion> These are all the ones I'm happy to share I'm afraid. I can't imagine my personal stuff being of any use

[19:20:55] <[RP] Viola> Oh of course, I figured that would be the case

[Pekoe looks at her with big puppy eyes.]

[19:20:57] <[RP] Pekoe> More? Books? Secret books?

[19:21:04] <[RP] Ion> I hoped the circuitry section would help, but it's only the basic knowledge that I need

[19:21:26] <[RP] Ion> I'm sorry. If it's not here, I can't help you

[19:22:01] <[RP] Doc> Do you have any contacts that could be able to provide additional information? Perhaps on battery storage.

[19:22:33] <[RP] Ion> I don't tend to deal with batteries in my line of work. Amethyst clusters are much better power sources

[19:22:57] <[RP] Viola> ...Amethyst...you work with that material regularly, right?

[19:23:06] <[RP] Ion> Its my lifeblood

[19:23:06] <[RP] Pekoe> BOOK ON THAT

[Pekoe runs and grabs it to show. He holds it up to Ion.]

[19:23:23] <[RP] Pekoe> YEAH?

[Ion takes it, holding it and nodding.]

[19:23:46] <[RP] Ion> its a good book, this one

[She hands it back to Pekoe, who runs with it to put it away.]

[19:23:37] <[RP] Doc> Have you found any other material that conducts or stores electricity?

[19:23:55] <[RP] Ion> other than copper?

[19:24:07] <[RP] Doc> Yes

[19:24:30] <[RP] Ion> Not to my knowledge, though we have been doing research with sculk

[19:24:46] <[RP] Viola> Ooh that stuff is pretty cool

[19:24:56] <[RP] Viola> Is that one of the experiments you've been working on?

[19:25:21] <[RP] Ion> Yes, one of many. It's tricky to contain though, so I'm limited on resources currently

[Whispered:]

[19:25:54] <[RP] Viola> So cool!

[19:25:31] <[RP] Doc> Do you have any current experiments that have to do with electricity?

[19:25:55] <[RP] Ion> Electricity no, just a few copper circuits for convenience

[Pekoe has appeared back from putting the book away, standing beside Nettle.]

[19:26:18] <[RP] Pekoe> Can I see?

[19:26:32] <[RP] Ion> I suppose there's no harm

[19:26:35] <[RP] Pekoe> :D

[Viola claps her hands together with excitement. Ion nods to them, and heads towards the castle. The group follows her through winding stairwells and long corridors. Pekoe stops beside a long hall filled with strange items placed on pedestals, but Nettle makes sure to pull him along. Heat radiates off of a strange machine dripping hot magma.]

[19:27:26] <[RP] Pekoe> LAVA?

[Doc catches Pekoe before he can run at it.]

[19:27:32] <[RP] Doc> Careful, don't touch

[19:27:40] <[RP] Viola> Keep up now, guys!

[Ion ascends a stairwell quickly, pressing a button that causes two heavy stone doors to shut before the group can reach the top. There’s a sound of something mechanical and chemical behind the door.]

[19:27:38] <[RP] Ion> sorry the lab is off limits

[19:27:48] <[RP] Ion> i don't want to put people in danger

[Ion leads the group down the hall to a small contraption. Rows of copper cogs churn in tune, fine redstone dust glimmers within.]

[19:28:38] <[RP] Ion> here you go

[19:28:56] <[RP] Ion> simple enough but nice to look at

[19:29:04] <[RP] Viola> Oooh

[19:29:05] <[RP] Doc> And what does this little contraption do?

[19:29:07] <[RP] Viola> Yes!

[Pekoe pokes at the glowing redstone.]

[19:29:15] <[RP] Viola> Oh, be careful there Pekoe

[19:29:23] <[RP] Doc> Careful- do not get caught in those

[19:29:32] <[RP] Ion> Its a function in my research on soul sand, but I can't show you that at present I'm afraid

[19:29:47] <[RP] Doc> Oh, what are you doing with soul sand?

[19:30:14] <[RP] Ion> Identifying characteristics and trying artificial recreation

[19:30:31] <[RP] Ion> Are you familiar with it?

[19:30:41] <[RP] Doc> Soul sand? Very

[19:30:56] <[RP] Doc> What guidelines are you using to define artificial in this case?

[19:31:53] <[RP] Ion> Non-nether beginnings. It seems that most soul related artifacts are transformed there. I want to see what the limits are

[As she listens to them talk, Viola notices a few bookshelves down the hall. Viola wanders inside, noticing a book open on a lectern. It’s the book of poetry she gave Ion when she first visited. 

Viola smiles to herself.]

[19:32:16] <[RP] Viola> Aww she's been reading it

[There's a set of stairs leading up, with more bookshelves on the sides. Viola looks down the hall, she can hear Doc's voice talking to Ion. She looks at the stairwell up.

Viola shakes her head and starts to return to the group. As she walks back, a set of books catch her eye as she passes. One has the word ‘portal’ on the spine.

Back in the hallway, Pekoe pokes at the cogs on the side that’s been turned off, seeing if he can wiggle them. Nettle watches Pekoe as Ion and Doc become engrossed in a conversation. Pekoe makes eye contact with Nettle, poking the spinning cogs without looking at them.

Quietly:]

[19:33:54] <[RP] Nettle> Please get your fingers away from there

[Pekoe giggles. Ion continues to speak to Doc about his experimentation.]

[19:32:12] <[RP] Ion> Can you tell me about your research on it?

[19:32:58] <[RP] Doc> Of course, do you have any more specific requests? Or just generally?

[19:33:14] <[RP] Ion> What got you started with it?

[19:34:00] <[RP] Doc> Ah, that- I have always had a draw to things that encompass souls

[Ion sharpens slightly.]

[19:34:12] <[RP] Doc> I've done work with souls ever since I was little, in fact

[19:35:00] <[RP] Ion> That's fascinating.

[19:35:15] <[RP] Ion> I haven't met many people interested in this discipline

[19:35:37] <[RP] Doc> Yes, it's one of my primary topics, I would say

[Nettle chides Pekoe softly as he pokes further at the machine.]

[19:34:20] <[RP] Nettle> Pekoe it will hurt if you get your fingers caught in there

[Pekoe giggles harder as he pokes the red glow, swapping between poking the spots.]

[19:35:52] <[RP] Nettle> Pekoe please be careful with it. People lose fingers in machines sometimes when they aren't careful.

[19:36:14] <[RP] Pekoe> 's ok, I'm all toes!

[19:36:33] <[RP] Doc> Pekoe, if you get caught in there, the only thing I will be able to salvage will be your shirt

[19:36:43] <[RP] Pekoe> :O

[Pekoe looks up at Ion for confirmation. Ion glances at Pekoe, not too bothered. She shrugs.]

[19:37:03] <[RP] Ion> I have healing potions

[19:37:26] <[RP] Doc> As long as he doesn't get his whole self caught in there.

[Ion turns back to Doc.]

[19:37:47] <[RP] Ion> Tell me doctor, what do you know of soul extraction?

[19:37:56] <[RP] Doc> From the sand specifically?

[Pekoe sprints over to sit on the balcony ledge and look through his binoculars at the towering trees of shining purple crystal.]

[19:38:03] <[RP] Ion> Generally

[19:38:52] <[RP] Doc> Ah, much. It's an intrinsic part of what I do, transferring souls around

[19:39:15] <[RP] Doc> Though I do not find sand a suitable substrate for them....

[19:39:23] <[RP] Ion> And what techniques do you employ then?

[Pekoe runs back over to Doc and Ion.]

[19:40:15] <[RP] Pekoe> Rock? Trees?

[19:40:18] <[RP] Pekoe> Rock trees?

[Ion frowns in confusion.]

[19:40:30] <[RP] Doc> Oh- the ones we saw on the way in?

[19:40:32] <[RP] Pekoe> Ametyst?

[19:40:38] <[RP] Pekoe> In the. Out

[Pekoe points to the windows, where the trees stand tall through the rippling purple glass.]

[19:40:40] <[RP] Ion> oh, the shards

[19:40:43] <[RP] Doc> Yes, outside the castle

[19:40:58] <[RP] Pekoe> Trees?

[19:40:59] <[RP] Doc> Shards, you said?

[19:41:06] <[RP] Ion> I've saturated these lands, so they grow

[19:41:15] <[RP] Pekoe> ???

[19:41:17] <[RP] Pekoe> Plants?

[19:41:19] <[RP] Pekoe> Rock plants?

[19:41:29] <[RP] Ion> amethyst in the ground helps my magic

[19:41:37] <[RP] Doc> How do they emerge, exactly?

[19:41:37] <[RP] Ion> some things are a side product

[19:41:48] <[RP] Pekoe> Rock plants?

[19:41:50] <[RP] Pekoe> Alive?

[19:41:55] <[RP] Pekoe> Tha's not

[19:42:12] <[RP] Ion> magic, not living, its more like fungus i suppose

[19:42:22] <[RP] Pekoe> Fungus!! Alive!

[19:42:52] <[RP] Doc> I haven't seen a magical fungus of this size in quite some time

[Ion crouches to get in Pekoe’s face.]

[19:43:11] <[RP] Ion> if you stay here too long, your eyes will turn my colour

[Ion grins. Pekoe sniffs Ion’s face invasively. Her eyes glow a deep shade of purple.]

[19:43:50] <[RP] Pekoe> 're you dying?

[19:44:02] <[RP] Ion> Its just amethyst

[19:44:08] <[RP] Doc> Why.. did you ask that Pekoe?

[19:44:13] <[RP] Pekoe> 'picious

[Inside, Viola pulls the books off of the shelf. She mouths to herself, not wanting to draw attention from the group around the corner.]

[19:37:24] <[RP] Viola> Duped portal incident...?

[The book is written in a language she doesn’t understand, but the diagrams look eerily familiar. As she goes to return it, she moves her hand to keep a thick magazine from falling out. She lifts it out of its place. The front has a photo of three people on it, shielding their faces from flashes of light. Viola recognizes a younger Ion as one of the figures. 

The magazine cover reads “WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Issue 129”.

Viola murmurs to herself quietly.]

[19:38:57] <[RP] Viola> A tabloid page...? Spectra family, incident...?

[Where Are They Now: Issue 1129:

In this issue of Where Are They Now, we look at the surviving members of the controversial Spectra Family.

The eldest, Quarok Spectra, primed to take over the Spectra business, did a U-turn after the trial and is now assistant manager to the Faradyn Bank in Chessiwin. He is a private individual, recently marrying his long-term girlfriend, and rumor has it they are expecting their first child. We wish all the best for the happy couple, who have done well to distance themselves from the catastrophe of 4 years ago.

Rhayona Spectra is harder to track down since she joined the travelling music group “Jazz and Jarafruins”. She was last seen strumming along in the Deagon Festival and avoided reporters at the event. We wish her luck in her musical journey, though it seems a shame to let those potioneering skills get rusty.

Talking of which, Ion Spectra, the youngest of the three and most famous for her skills in childhood, is sticking with potions.

After a tumultuous university career with the Spectra disaster and her parent’s deaths right in the middle. 

Despite graduating top of the year group, Ion’s fame lead to her having trouble finding a career in potions, with her settling for lab technician in the Virung Health facilities. She has been working there for two years now, and we hope to see her flourishing in her field, hopefully making a new name for Spectra potions.

Join us next week for Where Are They Now: Hyror Bejulfus’s divorcees. You’ll never guess which one poisoned a politician.]

[As Viola flips through to the end, she notices that several pieces of paper have been shoved inside the magazine. She begins to read.]

[Hi

Hi?

I’m Bhudia! Looks like we’re partnered on this (o⚈ᴗᴗ⚈o) 

Hi Bhudia, I’m Ion, but I think you could probably tell

They’re all losers. I don’t think you’re like your parents. I will fight them (ง •̀_•́)ง

:)

Oh hey i found this note again, the start of a beautiful friendship :)

I knew that moment i saw you we had to be friends ( ✌︎'ω')✌︎

Will you go to the Lab Summer Social with me

☑ Yes

☐ No

Go as in together? like a you-know-what

A date??? Yessss. We’ve beaten around the bush long enough. Let’s do this 

Gah this old notepad again. What a treasure. I’m so glad you asked me. I would never have had the courage.

♡ᴗᴗ♡ Here’s to 3 more years like the last 3!!!]

[Viola covers her mouth. Quietly:]

[19:39:42] <[RP] Viola> Oh I don't think I was supposed to read these.

[Viola goes to quickly put the tabloid back, tucking the lab notes inside. A newspaper article catches her eyes.]

[19:40:55] <[RP] Viola> Oh my Gods.

[Shakily, she pulls the article out, and begins to read.]

[BREAKING NEWS: 

Ion Spectra, renowned child prodigy of the Spectra family, is accused of multiple counts of murder.

The latest victim, a man in his early twenties, was found this morning at the Carmendil Nursing Home with clear signs of soul extraction.

Kienan Hymnak was a geriatrician known to Miss Spectra through his sister, Bhudia Hymnak, who we approached for comments on the case.

“I’m having trouble processing what happened.” She told us, “I never believed Ion capable of this, and it seems she was doing it the whole time.”

As we understand, evidence has come forward to suggest Ion Spectra was using the nursing home as a base for soul extraction, a highly illegal practice coincidentally also discovered after the Spectra catastrophe fire years ago. 

There has been anger from the Spectra worker’s families that Ion and her two siblings escaped any legal repercussions following their parents posthumous trial, a decision that now feels naive. 

Ion Spectra was not available for questioning and appears to have fled Luincaw. 

A manhunt is underway, but police remind civilians to be on guard. Ion Spectra’s skill in all magics, and particularly potions, is well documented. It is clear that she is a dangerous individual.]

[19:40:58] <[RP] Viola> Oh my Gods

[19:41:00] <[RP] Viola> Oh my Gods

[19:41:17] <[RP] Viola> ...Murder…

[Viola stands alone in the library, her hands shaking as she pushes the news article back onto the shelf.]

[19:42:48] <[RP] Viola> Okay. Okay okay okay

[19:42:58] <[RP] Viola> Jadis was right, wasn't it...Jadis must've been-

[19:43:03] <[RP] Viola> Oh I've put them in danger

[Viola walks quickly back to the other room, where the group has gathered on the balcony. Ion notices her return. Pekoe points excitedly at the trees.]

[19:44:25] <[RP] Pekoe> Rock trees!

[19:44:13] <[RP] Ion> oh where did you go?

[19:44:21] <[RP] Viola> I books

[19:44:24] <[RP] Viola> There were

[19:44:26] <[RP] Viola> Books

[19:44:29] <[RP] Viola> And I looked at them

[19:44:30] <[RP] Ion> books

[19:44:32] <[RP] Pekoe> MORE BOOKS?

[19:44:35] <[RP] Viola> You read my poetry that was very- NO

[19:44:37] <[RP] Viola> NO MORE BOOKS

[19:44:37] <[RP] Doc> You went back to the library?

[19:44:42] <[RP] Pekoe> D:

[19:44:48] <[RP] Viola> WE SHOULD. Sorry, sorry.

[19:44:49] <[RP] Viola> So sorry

[19:44:57] <[RP] Viola> I've had a crazy epiphany and we need to go

[Nettle’s voice goes tense with authority.]

[19:44:57] <[RP] Nettle> Pekoe, stay here 

[19:45:00] <[RP] Viola> Uh now, sorry

[19:45:01] <[RP] Viola> Right now

[19:45:02] <[RP] Ion> did you go in my private library?

[19:45:26] <[RP] Viola> Yes…

[19:45:06] <[RP] Doc> Are you alright? Are you feeling okay?

[Viola stares at Doc, widening her eyes.]

[19:45:31] <[RP] Viola> But only because I was curious-

[19:45:44] <[RP] Viola> And I found that you were ready my poetry book, very, very nice of you to read that, yes, yes

[Pekoe looks from Nettle’s “stay here” to Viola’s “we need to go” and starts jogging in place.]

[19:46:22] <[RP] Ion> What did you see?

[19:46:26] <[RP] Doc> You look a touch green.... I wouldn't want you to throw up in the castle. Ion, do you have anywhere a touch less enclosed?

[Doc recognizes the stare of the burden of knowledge, and knows the need to evacuate a structure.]

[19:46:47] <[RP] Ion> we can go downstairs

[19:46:56] <[RP] Pekoe> I LOVE STAIRS

[19:46:57] <[RP] Viola> That's, um, yeah we should do that

[19:47:05] <[RP] Doc> Yes, let's sit you down

[Doc offers Viola his arm. She takes it.]

[19:47:18] <[RP] Viola> Thank you Doc

[19:47:29] <[RP] Pekoe> BOOKS?

[Pekoe sprints towards a bookshelf. Doc looks for Pekoe as he helps Viola settle onto the couch.]

[19:48:18] <[RP] Doc> Oh dear we've lost the child-

[Pekoe looks up from sniffing the books.]

[19:48:26] <[RP] Pekoe> Nuh-uh

[19:48:31] <[RP] Pekoe> Not lost

[19:47:50] <[RP] Viola> Open room...yes yes much better

[Ion watches Viola closely.]

[19:48:23] <[RP] Ion> I think its time you all left

[19:48:28] <[RP] Viola> Yes, yeah I agree

[19:48:33] <[RP] Viola> We need to go

[19:48:34] <[RP] Pekoe> Home?

[19:48:39] <[RP] Viola> Yep, Pekoe you should go

[19:48:40] <[RP] Viola> Um

[19:48:44] <[RP] Doc> Yes Pekoe, let's go home

[19:48:47] <[RP] Viola> Nettle, Doc, you should take Pekoe home

[19:48:50] <[RP] Nettle> I can take him home, it's alright

[19:48:54] <[RP] Ion> Viola, I would talk to you in private?

[Viola looks at Doc.]

[19:49:05] * [RP] Viola looks at Doc

[19:49:23] <[RP] Viola> My dad lives in the desert, you wanted to talk with him

[19:49:31] <[RP] Viola> Just thought you should know that

[19:49:41] <[RP] Doc> I don't think Viola should travel all that way if they aren't feeling well, especially. I'll stay behind to escort

[19:50:07] <[RP] Viola> That would be nice, if it's okay, Ion

[19:50:10] <[RP] Ion> I can always escort her, and I have plenty of healing potions on hand

[Ion hands Viola a healing potion.]

[19:50:31] <[RP] Doc> Oh I wouldn't want to trouble you, plus I wanted to visit with her father anyway

[Viola holds the healing potion in both hands, staring down into it.]

[19:50:43] <[RP] Ion> oh no, i insist

[19:50:53] <[RP] Ion> Just a few minutes

[19:51:44] <[RP] Viola> ...

[19:51:51] <[RP] Viola> I should…

[Viola looks up at Doc.]

[19:52:10] <[RP] Viola> I should be okay, Doc

[19:52:15] <[RP] Viola> You can go on ahead without me

[Pekoe pats Viola’s leg.]

[19:52:26] <[RP] Doc> I am a touch concerned still about you

[19:52:40] <[RP] Viola> If I'm not at my dad's when you come by, then you'll know something's wrong

[19:52:44] <[RP] Doc> And I am unsure how much medial training you have, Ion

[19:53:07] <[RP] Ion> I know my way around healing

[19:53:15] <[RP] Pekoe> Potions're ucky

[19:53:25] <[RP] Doc> I'm- not sure we are referring to the same things…

[Pekoe sniffs Viola.]

[19:54:02] <[RP] Ion> You can trust me to help Viola back in one pice

[19:54:16] <[RP] Doc> If you both insist.

[19:54:55] <[RP] Doc> Though Viola, I will be over to visit in just a few hours, as I would like you there when I speak to your father

[19:55:16] <[RP] Viola> Oh! Good. Good, yes, I'll be there

[Pekoe smells only stress on Viola. He hugs her leg and pats it comfortingly.]

[19:55:31] <[RP] Doc> I had planned to simply accompany you home following this, but I suppose it could wait just a bit.....

[19:55:51] <[RP] Viola> I hope that's okay, I don't want to inconvenience you

[19:55:59] <[RP] Viola> I really...I do need to clear some things up with Ion

[19:56:10] <[RP] Doc> Alright then, I'll see you soon.

[Viola nods.]

[19:56:31] <[RP] Doc> Pekoe, say bye to Viola for now

[Pekoe hugs her leg harder for a few seconds, then gives her some more pats. Viola smiles tightly, and pats Pekoe on the head.]

[19:57:01] <[RP] Pekoe> Feel? Okay soon?

[19:57:05] <[RP] Pekoe> Come visit?

[19:57:07] <[RP] Viola> I will, don't worry

[19:57:11] <[RP] Pekoe> I readed more

[19:57:26] <[RP] Viola> That's great, I'm so proud of you kiddo!

[Pekoe wags his tail and then wanders out.]

[19:58:19] <[RP] Nettle> Here, Pekoe, come on

[Nettle waves at Ion and Viola as they follow Pekoe out.]

[19:58:35] <[RP] Doc> I'll see you later, Viola. Ion, it was nice to see you.

[Viola nods at Doc.]

[19:58:48] <[RP] Ion> Pleasure doctor

[Doc nods, and follows after Nettle. Nettle stops Doc at the bottom of the stairs.]

[19:59:51] <[RP] Nettle> The vibes are off, right.

[20:00:03] <[RP] Nettle> Like we both agree something feels Off here, right

[20:00:09] <[RP] Doc> Something is.... askew, yes.

[20:01:02] <[RP] Nettle> ... I'm torn between wanting to get Pekoe home, or trying to stick around in case anything. Goes wrong, if Viola needs help. If something happens.

[Pekoe has already gone downstairs to sit and stare at the water. Adults are being weird.]

[20:01:38] <[RP] Doc> I was not actually going to visit Viola's father today. It was more a message to let Ion know if something happened, it would be noticed quickly.

[Nettle nods.]

[20:02:05] <[RP] Nettle> Clever. Quick with it

[20:02:37] <[RP] Doc> And Viola seemed insistent on staying behind, which means she likely doesn't believe she's in any danger she couldn't get out of herself

[20:03:04] <[RP] Doc> Otherwise I believe she would have gone along with my story

[20:03:20] <[RP] Nettle> Right. They're probably? fine up there maybe?

[20:03:50] <[RP] Doc> My thought is to go back to Violas and wait for her return.

[20:04:00] <[RP] Doc> Or, just slightly outside this area.

[20:04:49] <[RP] Nettle> That's a good plan. That's- yeah. I'm still tempted to get Pekoe home, his mom worries if he's gone too long.

[20:05:08] <[RP] Doc> Yes, I don't want him hurt if things turn ugly

[20:05:24] <[RP] Nettle> So. You'll head to Viola's, and I'll meet you there after I drop Pekoe off?

[20:05:30] <[RP] Nettle> Good plan?

[Doc nods.]

[20:05:33] <[RP] Doc> Yes.

[20:05:39] <[RP] Nettle> Okay.

[Nettle and Doc go to join Pekoe outside.]

[20:06:12] <[RP] Nettle> Hi, Pekoe :)

[20:06:21] <[RP] Pekoe> Threat?

[20:06:46] <[RP] Nettle> Maybe, I could just be worried about nothing though. We're going to get you home anyways, just in case.

[20:06:50] <[RP] Doc> I would like to think not, but we must always be prepared.

[20:06:58] <[RP] Pekoe> 'iola's okay?

[20:07:05] <[RP] Nettle> Yeah, she's fine.

[They don’t smell like they’re telling the truth.]

[20:07:14] <[RP] Pekoe> Hm

[20:07:16] <[RP] Doc> I'm going to wait for her at her house, just in case

[20:07:21] <[RP] Pekoe> Okay!

[20:08:07] <[RP] Doc> Most of what I said was.... I will not say a lie.

[20:08:14] <[RP] Doc> But I will say.... strategic.

[Pekoe nods. He raises “upies” hands at Nettle.]

[20:08:52] * [RP] Pekoe raises "upies" hands at Nettle

[Nettle picks up Pekoe and settles it on their shoulders.]

[20:10:10] <[RP] Nettle> Do we all remember how to get out of here

[20:10:15] <[RP] Doc> Absolutely not.

[20:10:29] <[RP] Doc> I have no idea how we got in here

[20:10:18] <[RP] Nettle> There's a lot of turns.

[Pekoe points.]

[20:10:22] <[RP] Pekoe> South

[20:10:27] <[RP] Nettle> Alrighty (< Follows Pekoe's point)

[Nettle follows Pekoe’s pointing. The three leave Ion’s castle. Upstairs, Viola waits for the sounds of their footsteps to disappear.]

[19:59:15] <[RP] Viola> ...

[19:59:31] <[RP] Viola> So which are you, the magician, or the brave apprentice?

[19:59:48] <[RP] Ion> The apprentice always has to grow up

[20:00:02] <[RP] Viola> Is it all true?

[20:00:13] <[RP] Ion> Did you read all of it?

[20:00:22] <[RP] Viola> ...Yes.

[20:00:31] <[RP] Ion> I'm such an idiot. I should never have brought those with me

[20:00:57] <[RP] Ion> I just didn't have anything else with my siblings left.

[20:01:01] <[RP] Ion> or her

[20:01:09] <[RP] Viola> She's gone then?

[20:01:15] <[RP] Viola> You killed her brother?

[20:01:28] <[RP] Ion> I didn't mean to if that helps?

[20:01:39] <[RP] Ion> But she'll never forgive me

[20:01:46] <[RP] Viola> I mean, still not great. But better that you're not a cold blooded killer

[20:02:20] <[RP] Ion> Depends who you hear it from

[Viola opens her mouth in surprise.]

[20:02:53] <[RP] Ion> last transmission i heard before i closed the line, they were deciding how long the decrepit patients would have lasted without my intervention

[20:03:05] <[RP] Ion> I can't go back you know

[20:03:12] <[RP] Viola> So it was you, Jadis was right

[20:03:20] <[RP] Viola> You closed the portal?

[20:03:27] <[RP] Ion> I thought I'd be able to stay here undetected

[20:03:42] <[RP] Ion> do we really need outsiders coming and going?

[20:03:48] <[RP] Ion> Is it so bad?

[20:03:58] <[RP] Viola> Yes, we need medicine, food, travel, trade

[20:04:02] <[RP] Viola> It's very important

[20:04:24] <[RP] Viola> A place like this might be small, but we still rely on the outside world for our livelihoods

[20:04:24] <[RP] Ion> Folks here can manage just fine. I've seen farmers plenty and doctors

[20:04:51] <[RP] Ion> I can't risk being caught

[20:05:05] <[RP] Ion> But I was really starting to feel at home here

[20:05:23] <[RP] Ion> I don't want to be on the run

[20:05:27] <[RP] Viola> Your safety can't be more important than everyone else here

[20:05:35] <[RP] Viola> There could've been another way

[20:05:40] <[RP] Viola> There can be another way

[20:05:43] <[RP] Ion> What other way?

[20:05:52] <[RP] Viola> Can't we- use your magic or something to make you untrackable?

[20:06:06] <[RP] Ion> Not against Luincaw

[20:07:08] <[RP] Viola> Even through a closed portal?

[20:07:09] <[RP] Ion> I was raised by magicians on the most magical world. I make a massive spike in scans for magic. There's no hiding that

[A smile twitches at Ion’s lips.]

[20:07:41] <[RP] Ion> God I could silence you and burn the books. It would be easy

[Real fear appears in Viola’s eyes. Her voice shakes.]

[20:08:10] <[RP] Viola> Please don't

[The smile grows, now pained.]

[20:08:33] <[RP] Ion> the thing is even now i dont want to

[20:08:44] <[RP] Ion> you're just so similar to her

[20:08:47] <[RP] Ion> faults and all

[20:08:53] <[RP] Ion> I couldn't

[Viola murmurs.]

[20:09:05] <[RP] Viola> To the person from your lab notes...?

[Ion pauses.]

[20:09:22] <[RP] Ion> yes

[20:09:47] <[RP] Viola> Sorry.

[20:09:52] <[RP] Viola> That I read them

[20:09:55] <[RP] Viola> That was personal

[20:10:02] <[RP] Ion> It was

[20:10:16] <[RP] Ion> and now you know everything

[20:10:38] <[RP] Viola> I won't tell anyone. You know I won't, I didn't tell Doc or Nettle just now

[Ion sits on the sofa in relief.]

[20:11:19] <[RP] Ion> how the hell can i fix this? what do I even do?

[20:11:29] <[RP] Ion> I like it here. I want to stay

[20:11:37] <[RP] Viola> It's a really nice place

[20:12:24] <[RP] Ion> Its incredible, and fascinating. I always thought these worlds underdeveloped, but the response to the portal was immediate

[20:11:49] <[RP] Viola> We can't leave the portal closed

[20:11:59] <[RP] Viola> ...but we could for a little bit longer

[20:12:10] <[RP] Viola> We can find an alternative

[20:12:18] <[RP] Viola> Something that could block you

[20:12:51] <[RP] Ion> It's certainly an idea. To block me.

[Ion frowns.]

[20:13:16] <[RP] Ion> the simplest is to remove all traces of magic. and that i can't stomach

[20:13:28] <[RP] Viola> No, I think that would hurt the Spirits of this world too

[20:13:40] <[RP] Ion> You really will help me?

[Viola nods.]

[20:13:58] <[RP] Viola> Absolutely

[Ion puts her head in her hands.]

[20:14:13] <[RP] Viola> You're one of this world's citizens now, I'm honor bound by my librarian code to help you

[20:14:16] <[RP] Viola> ....Or something like that

[20:14:39] <[RP] Ion> I really don't deserve you

[Viola flushes with warmth in her cheeks, looking away.]

[20:15:17] <[RP] Viola> I would do the same for anyone, it's really not that big a deal or anything

[20:15:32] <[RP] Ion> I should let you go. I'll bet the doctor is still suspicious

[20:15:44] <[RP] Viola> Yes, yeah. Sorry. I freaked out a bit

[20:15:51] <[RP] Viola> I saw ‘murderer!’

[20:15:59] <[RP] Viola> And I uh. I reacted

[20:16:06] <[RP] Ion> You could have freaked out a lot more. I'm grateful you didn't

[Ion pulls a few more potion bottles out from her side. She hands them to Viola.]

[20:16:19] <[RP] Ion> some strength for you here

[20:16:26] <[RP] Viola> Oh, thank you!

[20:16:39] <[RP] Viola> I figured...you don't seem murder-y

[20:16:47] <[RP] Viola> I think I can trust you

[20:16:49] <[RP] Viola> I hope I can

[20:17:06] <[RP] Ion> You may be the only one I can

[Viola smiles slightly, nodding.]

[20:17:41] <[RP] Viola> We'll figure this out, and then oh- I spoke with Asha

[20:17:47] <[RP] Viola> They want to help you with the God

[20:17:59] <[RP] Ion> Oh that

[20:18:22] <[RP] Ion> What did they say with regards to it?

[20:18:51] <[RP] Viola> They'd help you find it, and figure out if it lives, or if it was killed

[20:18:56] <[RP] Viola> Apparently there are some rituals

[20:19:23] <[RP] Ion> This is what I mean about this world. It truly is fascinating

[Viola smiles, almost pridefully.]

[20:19:53] <[RP] Viola> It is, isn't it!

[20:20:12] <[RP] Ion> I would love to learn more. Maybe after my heart stops going so fast

[20:20:33] <[RP] Viola> Oh, yeah, yeah!!! I'll go now, I should make sure Doc doesn't think I got stabbed

[20:20:38] <[RP] Viola> Thanks for not stabbing me

[20:20:47] <[RP] Ion> its not my style

[20:21:04] <[RP] Viola> Oh, no...?

[Ion grins cautiously.]

[20:21:15] <[RP] Viola> You have a style?

[20:21:36] <[RP] Ion> Well I'm no sword afficionado

[Ion pulls a potion vial filled with a thick, churning liquid from her side. The glass neck is thin, made for being broken on the ground. She handles it with the careless mastery of someone used to handling things like this.]

[20:21:57] <[RP] Viola> Ah. You, you do have a specialty, don't you?

[20:22:33] <[RP] Ion> you could say that

[Viola nods vehemently.]

[20:23:18] <[RP] Viola> Okay. Okay...I've learned a lot. That I will keep to myself

[20:23:36] <[RP] Viola> I'm going to look into this. I'll send you a letter

[20:23:40] <[RP] Ion> I can't thank you enough, Miss Viola

[20:24:03] <[RP] Ion> Oh, did you manage to get the library waystone set up for your father?

[20:24:33] <[RP] Viola> I have, actually! I'll need to bring him by

[20:24:45] <[RP] Viola> He may actually be helpful here, if we can catch him on a good day

[20:24:59] <[RP] Viola> He knows of some of the more ancient libraries, lost to the great conflict

[20:24:48] <[RP] Ion> Whatever I can do to help, I will

[20:25:08] <[RP] Viola> Thanks, I may need that

[20:25:14] <[RP] Viola> We might have some exploring to do

[20:25:19] <[RP] Ion> I hope so

[20:25:29] <[RP] Viola> Bye, Ion

[20:25:50] <[RP] Ion> Goodbye Viola. I hope we have better times soon

[Viola nods, and leaves towards the Waystone to get home. 

Ion ascends the stairs, pulling the private books off of the shelves to hide them elsewhere.

Viola finally breathes deeply as the dry heat of the desert hits her skin.

Immediately she notices Doc pacing in front of her house. Nettle stands off to the side.] 

[20:26:50] <[RP] Viola> Woah!

[20:26:54] <[RP] Viola> Oh you weren't kidding

[20:26:54] <[RP] Doc> Viola!

[20:26:59] <[RP] Viola> Hi Doc, and Nettle, hey!

[20:27:21] <[RP] Nettle> Hey, glad you're okay!

[20:27:35] <[RP] Doc> What happened? Are you alright?

[20:27:45] <[RP] Viola> Yes, sorry I scared you

[Doc approaches Viola, looking her over for suspicious wounds.]

[20:28:02] <[RP] Viola> Everything was alright, I just, uh got surprised by something

[20:28:08] <[RP] Viola> Had a heart palpitation or something

[20:28:11] <[RP] Viola> I'm okay now

[20:28:19] <[RP] Doc> I've seen less panicked looks in hostage situations.

[Doc crosses his arms.]

[20:28:24] <[RP] Viola> Hmm???

[20:28:59] <[RP] Viola> Not a, haha, no, hahah not a hostage situation

[20:29:09] <[RP] Doc> You said you had a realization. What happened back there?

[20:29:19] <[RP] Viola> Um, it's a secret project thing

[20:29:27] <[RP] Viola> That uh, Asha and I are working on!

[20:29:28] <[RP] Viola> With Ion!

[20:29:33] <[RP] Viola> About the Nameless God!

[20:29:39] <[RP] Viola> Had a weird uh, Spirit premonition

[Doc squints at her.]

[20:29:43] <[RP] Viola> Those exist, actually

[He is very, clearly, not buying it.]

[20:30:29] <[RP] Viola> Um, uh, you wanted to talk with my dad?

[20:30:33] <[RP] Viola> We can go see him!

[20:30:35] <[RP] Viola> He's inside!

[20:30:38] <[RP] Viola> The house!

[20:30:40] <[RP] Viola> Where he lives!

[20:30:50] <[RP] Doc> Right.........

[20:30:55] <[RP] Viola> Let's go!

[20:31:02] <[RP] Doc> Mhmmm....

[Viola moves past Doc, speedwalking up the path to the house.]

[20:31:15] <[RP] Viola> Dad! I'm home!

[20:31:18] <[RP] Viola> I brought company!

[A deeper voice comes from inside.]

[20:33:48] <[RP] Jameson> Eh? Viola is that you?

[20:34:06] <[RP] Viola> Yep, it's me! Friends! I've got em! They're here! We've got company!

[Viola rushes into the room on the right. A few seconds later, Viola wheels out an older man in a wheelchair.]

[20:34:51] <[RP] Viola> Tah-dah, my father, Jameson Clearsky, here he is

[20:35:09] <[RP] Jameson> Uh, oh, hello

[20:35:18] <[RP] Doc> Ah, it's nice to meet you

[20:35:31] <[RP] Nettle> Nice to meet you :)

[20:35:36] <[RP] Jameson> You as well, who are the two of you?

[20:35:49] <[RP] Viola> That's Doc, I told you about him, and that's Nettle

[20:36:19] <[RP] Doc> Oh? You've told him about me?

[Nettle offers their hand to shake. Jameson smiles and reaches forward to shake Nettle’s hand. His grip is pretty weak.]

[20:37:06] <[RP] Viola> Yes! He's the one who suggested I lend you the copy of the Plague Warden's Journal

[20:37:18] <[RP] Jameson> Oh did I? Is this the one interested in the Fading?

[20:37:35] <[RP] Doc> Yes, that's correct.

[20:38:29] <[RP] Viola> Doc has some questions for you dad, would you be okay answering some of them?

[20:38:44] <[RP] Jameson> Oh, sure, I'd love to

[20:38:56] <[RP] Viola> Here let's get you sat down in the living room

[Viola wheels Jameson to sit beside one of the couches. Doc and Nettle go to sit across from him.]

[20:39:36] <[RP] Viola> I'm gonna go change. Everything. I'm gonna go change.

[Viola does look sweaty. She heads to the smaller room on the left side. Doc glances at Viola as she leaves, redirecting his attention to Jameson. Nettle sits politely and listens to the two of them talk.]

[20:39:09] <[RP] Doc> I should give a bit of context before we start, though.

[20:39:24] <[RP] Jameson> Sure, fire off

[20:41:10] <[RP] Doc> Well, I am a doctor, as you may have figured, and I have treated some pretty nasty illnesses. I heard about this one and took a particular interest in it due to the traits it has. That's why I've decided to settle here temporarily

[Jameson nods.]

[20:42:29] <[RP] Doc> So to start off, is there any information that you could give me that I wouldn't be able to get from other sources on the subject?

[20:43:06] <[RP] Jameson> Hmm. Probably the Plague Warden's Journal, that has some historical information you couldn't get anywhere else

[20:43:52] <[RP] Jameson> The unfortunate thing about the Fading was that it had to be burned out. A lot of historical information was burned with it

[20:44:22] <[RP] Jameson> We spent a long time trying to recover many historical texts from the period, but sadly, failed

[20:44:30] <[RP] Doc> Yes, that's a common issue with illnesses like those. Did it have any name other than the fading?

[20:44:49] <[RP] Jameson> Hmm.

[Jameson makes a face, trying to remember.]

[20:45:27] <[RP] Jameson> They did. I feel like they did. Viola, honey, do you remember if they called it anything else?

[Shouted from the other room:]

[20:45:51] <[RP] Viola> I don't remember either

[20:47:27] <[RP] Doc> Mnm, if it ever crosses your mind, please reach out. What has your personal experience been with it?

[20:47:43] <[RP] Jameson> Sure, of course.

[Jameson smiles sadly]

[20:48:16] <[RP] Jameson> I'm sure Viola's told you, I contracted the disease just after the peak of its spread

[20:48:28] <[RP] Jameson> I was ill for several weeks, but recovered

[20:48:38] <[RP] Jameson> However, my mind hasn't been the same

[20:48:50] <[RP] Jameson> Today, luckily, is a good day

[20:48:58] <[RP] Jameson> I'm less foggy than I normally am

[20:49:31] <[RP] Doc> I see. Do you recall how long it took you to recover?

[Jameson furrows his brow.]

[20:50:16] <[RP] Jameson> It was...after the summer festival

[20:50:24] <[RP] Jameson> Maybe…

[Doc nods, listening.]

[20:50:51] <[RP] Jameson> Viola might remember better than me

[The door to Viola's room opens, and she steps out, having changed clothes. Her demeanor is much calmer, but her face is flushed.]

[20:51:23] <[RP] Viola> Hmm? Remember what?

[20:51:33] <[RP] Jameson> My recovery, do you remember how long that took?

[20:52:10] <[RP] Viola> Uhhh, you were sick for a few weeks, but you came to the Froglight Festival, which is when you weren't in the fog anymore

[20:52:24] <[RP] Viola> Maybe two months? Maybe three, actually

[20:52:32] <[RP] Viola> It was like ten years ago

[20:52:39] <[RP] Doc> Did you know anyone else who recovered?

[20:53:13] <[RP] Jameson> Let's see, there was Ms. O'Neil

[20:53:17] <[RP] Viola> She died last year

[20:53:43] <[RP] Doc> Did it take about the same amount of time for her to recover?

[20:54:02] <[RP] Jameson> Uh...

[20:54:14] <[RP] Jameson> I think so, but she was pretty well gone

[20:54:22] <[RP] Viola> Oh yeah, she was with the Spirits by the end of it

[20:54:32] <[RP] Jameson> There was Chase Norwin too, he ran the plays for a while

[20:54:35] <[RP] Doc> Mnm, I see....

[20:54:47] <[RP] Viola> He left about three years ago, but yeah, he was about the same recovery as well

[20:55:05] <[RP] Jameson> Have there been no plays at the Wayships in three years?

[20:55:17] <[RP] Viola> Five, maybe, he stopped after the fatigue got too bad

[20:55:14] <[RP] Doc> Plays?

[20:55:27] <[RP] Viola> Yeah, they used to put on plays at the stage on the Wayships

[20:55:49] <[RP] Jameson> Viola, you used to love that one about the Skyfish Riders

[20:56:04] <[RP] Doc> The- what?

[20:56:27] <[RP] Viola> Oh yeah...I haven't thought about that in ages- its they do a lot of puppet work for it

[20:57:38] <[RP] Viola> It was a story about this group of people on an island, and they had these massive skyfish that lived in the mountains, and someone went up and tamed one, and then they all rode the skyfish together

[20:57:19] <[RP] Doc> I see, how interesting. Did all these people live in a town together?

[20:57:49] <[RP] Viola> Oh yeah, the Wayships used to be three times the size it is now

[20:58:01] <[RP] Jameson> You could walk from here to the Wayships at one point

[20:58:00] <[RP] Doc> What happened to the rest of it?

[20:58:18] <[RP] Jameson> A lot of people left. The boats were scrapped

[20:58:24] <[RP] Viola> Some sank too, or were burned

[20:58:27] <[RP] Jameson> Sank...

[20:58:32] <[RP] Jameson> Something sank

[20:58:37] <[RP] Viola> Dad?

[20:58:42] <[RP] Doc> Hm?

[20:58:44] <[RP] Jameson> There was something with the Fading, it sank

[20:59:02] <[RP] Jameson> The barge, it's there, under the ocean, it sank

[20:59:19] <[RP] Doc> Do you remember what direction it was?

[20:59:32] <[RP] Jameson> Hmm-

[20:59:42] <[RP] Jameson> What direction

[20:59:52] <[RP] Jameson> What was it?

[20:59:52] <[RP] Doc> Yes, from the portal

[Jameson closes his eyes. His gaze falls to one of the windows. His vision seems to soften.]

[21:00:36] <[RP] Jameson> Hmm.

[Jameson looks back at Doc.]

[21:00:48] <[RP] Jameson> Oh, hello

[21:01:13] <[RP] Doc> Hello there.

[21:01:19] <[RP] Jameson> Did you...?

[Doc’s voice changes in tone, becoming gentler.]

[21:01:35] <[RP] Doc> Did I hm?

[21:01:47] <[RP] Jameson> Did you ask me a question?

[21:02:06] <[RP] Doc> Oh, you were talking about a barge of some sort that sank

[21:02:15] <[RP] Jameson> A barge...

[21:02:27] <[RP] Jameson> Used to have a lot more of those out in the Wayships, back in the day

[21:03:09] <[RP] Doc> Yes, did they ever have a medical ship out there?

[21:03:19] <[RP] Jameson> A medical ship...

[21:03:25] <[RP] Jameson> That does sound familiar

[21:03:40] <[RP] Jameson> I think they commandeered a ship back in the day, to transport people

[21:03:46] <[RP] Jameson> A barge, probably

[21:03:51] <[RP] Jameson> There were a lot of people back then

[21:04:20] <[RP] Jameson> I wonder what happened to it, Viola do you remember?

[21:04:34] <[RP] Viola> I was pretty inland by then, so not really, sorry

[21:04:37] <[RP] Doc> Do you remember... where it was going to? Where it was coming from?

[21:05:13] <[RP] Jameson> Going to and from? I would do that a lot, I've seen every inch of this world, if you can believe it

[21:05:21] <[RP] Viola> Oh, dad, he was asking about the ship

[21:05:29] <[RP] Jameson> Oh, the ship! The ship

[21:05:32] <[RP] Doc> That's alright

[21:05:55] <[RP] Doc> And if you're that well traveled, I might have some other things to ask a bit later

[21:06:07] <[RP] Jameson> Sure, of course, I'd be happy to answer

[21:06:19] <[RP] Jameson> The ship...

[21:06:45] <[RP] Doc> Yes, it would be greatly helpful if you had any information about its charted course

[21:07:04] <[RP] Jameson> I don't think it had one. I think it went were people needed it

[21:07:10] <[RP] Jameson> Why did it stop...?

[21:07:22] <[RP] Doc> It sank. Do you know where it was going when it sank?

[21:07:38] <[RP] Jameson> Did it sink? Norma was on that ship, I don't think she would've let it sink

[21:08:03] <[RP] Doc> Norma? Was she the captain?

[21:08:15] <[RP] Jameson> No, she was a doctor

[21:08:26] <[RP] Jameson> She told me to be careful, but I didn't listen to her

[21:08:32] <[RP] Jameson> Whatever happened to her?

[21:09:10] <[RP] Doc> Did she travel with anyone?

[21:09:31] <[RP] Jameson> Yes, the medics

[21:09:47] <[RP] Doc> How many of them were there?

[21:09:47] <[RP] Jameson> Though not all of them made it either

[21:09:55] <[RP] Jameson> I think eight

[21:09:58] <[RP] Jameson> Or was it five?

[21:10:37] <[RP] Doc> Were they all on the ship?

[21:10:57] <[RP] Jameson> I-

[21:11:13] <[RP] Jameson> Marie, do you remember?

[Almost too quickly.]

[21:11:21] <[RP] Viola> She's not here, dad

[21:11:28] <[RP] Viola> She won't know

[21:11:37] <[RP] Jameson> Oh, I thought she was here

[21:12:16] <[RP] Viola> I don't know either, sorry Doc

[21:12:37] <[RP] Doc> That's alright, and I think we may have reached our question quota for the day, hm?

[21:12:49] <[RP] Viola> Yeah, I think that's probably best

[21:13:01] <[RP] Viola> Dad, do you want some coffee?

[21:13:09] <[RP] Jameson> Sure, I'd love some

[21:13:06] <[RP] Doc> For him, at the very least...

[Doc’s eyes wander back over to Viola. She goes stock still as he says this, but continue to go retrieve coffee. Viola whips around, speaking through a gritted grin.]

[21:13:50] <[RP] Viola> Does anyone else want coffee???

[He blinks slowly, staring at her.]

[21:14:02] <[RP] Doc> No thank you.

[Viola pours two cups, and brings them over. She hands one to Jameson and takes one for herself, sitting down onto the couch.

Through her gritted teeth.]

[21:15:05] <[RP] Viola and Jameson> Questions...?

[21:15:37] <[RP] Doc> Many. Though I would understand if you didn't want to answer with company.

[21:16:05] <[RP] Viola> That might be best. Should we go chat outside?

[21:16:14] <[RP] Doc> That sounds lovely.

[Doc stands up, following Viola as she walks towards the door.]

[21:16:26] <[RP] Viola> Dad, do you want me to wheel you back to your room?

[21:16:33] <[RP] Jameson> No, I think I'll read in here

[Viola nods, and leads Doc and Nettle outside.]

[21:17:45] <[RP] Doc> You're a horrible liar, you know.

[Viola crosses her arms and sighs.]

[21:17:58] <[RP] Viola> I know

[21:18:05] <[RP] Viola> I'm used to lying to him

[21:19:08] <[RP] Doc> Right, his reality is... different, from ours

[21:19:22] <[RP] Viola> Yeah, it is. Easier to get away with stuff

[21:19:45] <[RP] Doc> Unfortunately for you, I do need to know what's going on

[21:19:54] <[RP] Viola> You do, it's true

[21:20:06] <[RP] Viola> I really am working on something with Ion, but I need to keep it under wraps for now

[21:20:13] <[RP] Viola> I promise it's fine, and I'm safe

[21:20:25] <[RP] Viola> It does have to do with the portal, but I have it under control

[21:21:06] <[RP] Doc> I can believe the project part, but that mess earlier wasn't something you already knew about

[Viola looks at the ground.]

[21:21:24] <[RP] Viola> I learned some new information tonight, and it scared me

[21:20:26] <[RP] Nettle> I don't mind not knowing, so I may just- leave you two to discuss? I enjoyed listening to your dad talk.

[21:20:38] <[RP] Viola> Oh, sure Nettle, I don't mind either way

[21:20:41] <[RP] Doc> Ah, right

[21:20:43] <[RP] Viola> I'm sure you want to get back to Pekoe, anyway

[21:21:24] <[RP] Nettle> I dropped him off with his mom, I'd probably just be heading home. I trust that you're safe and alright. I mostly just came to make sure you got back from Ion's in one piece.

[21:21:36] <[RP] Viola> Thanks Nettle, that's really kind of you

[21:21:44] <[RP] Doc> Right, Pekoe might actually be wondering about that too, now that I think about it

[21:21:45] <[RP] Viola> I'll need to have the three of you over for dinner some night soon

[21:21:59] <[RP] Viola> Oh yeah tell him I'm okay!!

[21:22:00] <[RP] Doc> You might want to report back to him so he doesn't try to check on Viola on his own

[Nettle leans into Viola, speaking quietly.]

[21:22:07] <[RP] Nettle> Good luck, Doc's- pushy, sometimes. Well within your rights to tell him to back off if you need to.

[21:22:18] <[RP] Viola> Oh, thanks Nettle

[Nettle leaves through the waystone. Doc sighs.]

[21:26:33] <[RP] Doc> Ion asked about a personal library, was your reaction about that?

[Viola nods.]

[21:27:20] <[RP] Doc> And you found something out you likely were not supposed to, am I correct?

[Viola looks out towards the ocean.]

[21:28:13] <[RP] Viola> Yeah.

[21:28:45] <[RP] Doc> If it's that serious, you won't be able to keep it to yourself forever

[21:29:04] <[RP] Doc> It'll eat you from the inside, you know.

[21:29:22] <[RP] Viola> What it is, is not my business, it's Ions

[21:29:39] <[RP] Viola> If she wants to tell people about it, she can

[21:29:51] <[RP] Viola> For now, I'm just helping her out, so I can fix what's happened

[21:30:19] <[RP] Doc> Judging from your reaction when you found out, you thought you might be in danger

[21:30:59] <[RP] Doc> And that's the part I'm concerned about.

[21:31:09] <[RP] Viola> Anyone can be dangerous

[21:31:17] <[RP] Viola> I trust Ion

[21:31:27] <[RP] Viola> I wouldn't have stayed alone with her if I didn't

[21:31:43] <[RP] Viola> I was just...surprised

[21:32:17] <[RP] Doc> What kind of suprised? Bad suprised?

[21:32:49] <[RP] Viola> Not bad, just unsure

[21:33:21] <[RP] Doc> You wavered because of what you found out?

[21:34:16] <[RP] Viola> I-

[21:34:26] <[RP] Viola> I wanted to hear it from her

[21:34:27] <[RP] Viola> And I did

[21:34:35] <[RP] Viola> That's all that matters

[21:34:48] <[RP] Doc> I see. It was something you didn't think you could believe if it was just in writing

[21:34:57] <[RP] Viola> Yeah, exactly

[21:35:37] <[RP] Doc> What did you think it was, at first, if you didn't believe it?

[21:36:37] <[RP] Viola> I thought it was made up

[21:37:31] <[RP] Doc> Was that your first instinct? That it was made up?

[21:38:14] <[RP] Viola> It seemed crazy enough, I just wanted to hear what she had to say about it

[21:38:36] <[RP] Viola> I didn't want to confront her in front of everyone

[21:38:42] <[RP] Viola> But I needed to know

[21:39:02] <[RP] Viola> I'm dealing with it, that's all that matters, I promise

[21:39:05] <[RP] Doc> Of course. You can't trust everything.

[21:39:19] <[RP] Viola> I'll let you know if anything comes up with it

[She nods, almost more to herself.]

[21:39:24] <[RP] Viola> You probably want to get back home

[21:39:30] <[RP] Viola> I've kept you for a long time

[21:39:44] <[RP] Doc> You're a very trusting person. I know you'll be careful, but I hope you're putting your trust in the right place. Truly, I am

[Viola nods.]

[21:40:46] <[RP] Doc> Yes, let me know if there's anything I can do to help with... whatever exactly that is.

[21:41:16] <[RP] Viola> Of course, I might need your help with some logistics

[21:41:21] <[RP] Viola> I'll let you know

[21:41:33] <[RP] Viola> Thanks for being worried enough about me to come here, Doc

[21:41:58] <[RP] Doc> I've been on every side of that situation, none of them are fun.

[Viola nods, smiling sadly.]

[21:42:22] <[RP] Viola> Seems you've lived a very interesting life

[21:42:39] <[RP] Doc> Unfortunately.

[21:42:59] <[RP] Viola> Well I hope your stay here is a little less interesting

[21:43:08] <[RP] Viola> Or at least a little restful

[21:43:12] <[RP] Viola> Maybe not with Pekoe around though

[21:43:15] <[RP] Viola> He has so much energy

[21:43:29] <[RP] Doc> We'll see about that, certainly.

[21:43:38] <[RP] Doc> I'll see you soon. Be safe, okay?

[21:43:49] <[RP] Viola> Yeah, sounds good. I will. You too

[Doc nods, walking off to the waystone. Viola watches him go, waiting for him to disappear.

She smacks her hands onto her face and sighs.]

[21:44:35] <[RP] Viola> What have I gotten myself into

[21:44:47] <[RP] Viola> Why am I always attracted to people who end up being dangerous

[Viola heads back inside.]

In another world entirely, Joco and Scintilla prepare themselves for a ritual to attempt to remove Joco’s curse. The ritual works a little too well, and transports Joco and Scintilla, along with the Wizard and Ivy and a Verde Drug remembered in memories of someone long gone.

Joco begins to spiral, questioning how they could possibly have done this, trekking through the unfamiliar world with Scintilla on his heels. They discover a strange location with the letters “GH” on the front, which resembles a slightly wrong Verde Drug. The small group convenes as Joco and Scintilla discover the Wizard and Ivy inside.

The Wizard confesses that he and Ivy were once Unknowns, but not anymore (though Ivy argues that she still has immense power). Joco and the Wizard come to the sudden understanding that Joco has aged, which means that not only was the werewolf curse removed, but also the flaw in their Code that caused them to stop aging. When going to introduce themself to the boisterous robot Ivy, Joco remembers the name that their parents gave them, Cyrus. They remark that Scintilla has done something incredible, seemingly without realizing. 

The Wizard brings up that without the previous world’s protections, they might be in danger of alerting the Unknowns to their presence, and should work quickly to figure out how to create protections of their own. Scintilla asks which of them it should stay with, and Cyrus responds that they should all stick together and stay in whatever this new “Verde Drug” is, while they figure out what’s happening.

+ ★ +

[Somewhere, in another universe entirely…Joco grabs a handful of bluets from a barrel. They stare at them, and then hastily shove them back in, shaking their head as they grab a handful of daisies instead. A scrawled list sits beside them, covered in chicken scratch and diagrams, cross-referencing a book in their inventory.]

[17:55:44] <[RP] ✦Joco> No, no, it's gotta be more round

[Scintilla, above in the attic, moves atop the haybales they’ve settled on. They knock a bale of tightly bound hay to the ground with a thump. Joco’s ears twitch, and they glance towards the noise. Their body goes very still.]

[17:56:45] <[RP] ✦Joco> Candles. I need white candles, the wax and the bonemeal are in the basement.

[They tread lightly towards the guest house entrance, poking their head in to look around. Scintilla sighs and hops down off of the hay pile, quiet except for the sound of their pointed feet hitting the wooden floor. Better clean up after itself.

Joco calls out:]

[17:58:44] <[RP] ✦Joco> Hello? [17:58:54] <[RP] ✦Joco> Is someone... Is someone here? [17:58:55] <[RP] ✦Joco> Doc?

[Scintilla is focused on trying to put the hay bale back into place. They’re not really listening for anything, and don’t respond. Quietly, to themself:]

[18:00:00] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Why keep so much hay up here?

[Joco hears the sound, muffled through the wall but clearer coming through the window. Joco murmurs:]

[18:01:06] <[RP] ✦Joco> The attic?

[18:01:40] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Okay, there. Better!

[Joco considers the ladder option, climbing to the treetops to see into the attic, but shake their head and pull out their axe instead. They hesitate before opening up the door to Cinder’s room.]

[18:02:52] <[RP] ✦Joco> Wolf???

[Scintilla hears Joco below, and pops their head down from the trap door, hanging upside down.]

[18:03:11] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Joco! Hello!

[Joco screams. Scintilla screams too, but mostly out of confusion.]

[18:03:50] <[RP] ✦Joco> WHY [18:03:52] <[RP] ✦Joco> HI [18:03:56] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Hi! [18:04:00] <[RP] ✦Joco> Why are you up there

[18:04:07] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I did it right this time! I was not right in your face!

[The attic’s allay flies down happily towards Joco. They flinch away from it.]

[18:04:17] <[RP] ✦Joco> You! You did [18:04:23] <[RP] ✦Joco> Good job!

[18:04:28] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Well you told me where your house was! And this attic had an easy entry [18:04:42] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> And lots of hay, very comfortable to lie down on. So I've been doing that! [18:04:52] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> You know, since it's empty besides that strange little creature [18:04:59] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> And they didn't seem to mind the company

[18:05:05] <[RP] ✦Joco> That- yeah. [18:05:11] <[RP] ✦Joco> Yeah that's. That's an Allay [18:05:17] <[RP] ✦Joco> They retrieve things

[18:05:31] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Well how is it meant to do that when trapped up there?

[18:05:29] <[RP] ✦Joco> You've been. Hanging out up there??

[18:05:41] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Yes! You were not in your house so I waited [18:05:49] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> And then I left, then I came back and waited again!

[18:05:55] <[RP] ✦Joco> Ah. I've been, sorry I. Yeah

[18:05:58] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I thought that was the best place to do so.

[18:06:04] <[RP] ✦Joco> Okay, sure. Yeah.

[18:06:07] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> No one's using it, right?

[18:06:16] <[RP] ✦Joco> No- no, they're not [18:06:47] <[RP] ✦Joco> It's supposed to be- but, no, it won't get used ever

[18:06:53] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> What was it meant for?

[18:07:01] <[RP] ✦Joco> My friend [18:07:20] <[RP] ✦Joco> A guest area, for them to- fly, in. Learn to fly.

[18:07:20] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Which one? Why won't they use it, don't they like it?

[18:07:29] <[RP] ✦Joco> This is the friend that died

[18:08:03] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Ah, the one who returned to Void, I remember.

[18:08:05] <[RP] ✦Joco> Yes [18:08:10] <[RP] ✦Joco> They had wings [18:08:21] <[RP] ✦Joco> But, the wings were. Bad [18:08:32] <[RP] ✦Joco> So, no learning to fly

[18:08:42] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> And also they are dead

[18:08:51] <[RP] ✦Joco> - [18:08:52] <[RP] ✦Joco> Yes

[18:08:53] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> That makes it hard to learn to fly too

[18:08:59] <[RP] ✦Joco> Yes, that's why it won't be used

[18:09:27] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> So is it a problem that I was up there? [18:09:33] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> You're making a strange face

[18:09:47] <[RP] ✦Joco> Mmm [18:09:52] <[RP] ✦Joco> I just [18:10:11] <[RP] ✦Joco> You don't knOW 

[The allay flies near Joco’s face, startling them.]

[18:10:25] <[RP] ✦Joco> gaghu [18:10:35] <[RP] ✦Joco> The uh. Mourning thing I told you? It's like that [18:10:45] <[RP] ✦Joco> I designed this before ae died.

[18:10:59] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Right. Lots of emotions that turn bad

[18:11:17] <[RP] ✦Joco> And it hurt to not build it. And it hurt to have it built with no aer to stay here [18:11:33] <[RP] ✦Joco> And having someone else here. Feels wrong

[18:12:19] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Right. I should not be there then.

[18:12:35] <[RP] ✦Joco> The uh- the allay. It stays up there because the wings frighten me sometimes. And if I let it loose, it'll get lost, and I can't lose it that's- yeah.

[18:12:59] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Wings frighten you? Oh, that's- 

[Scintilla considers itself for a moment.]

[18:13:02] <[RP] ✦Joco> Maybe? You can- I don't. I'm not sure. It's not hurting anything, right? [18:13:19] <[RP] ✦Joco> The werewolf thing, yeah. Wings aren't. Awesome on my brain [18:13:32] <[RP] ✦Joco> You don't smell like wing dust, though. You just smell like space

[18:13:51] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> So should I... Go?

[Joco ducks under the allay as it zips past them again. It considers the lily in the pot, and then disappears back up into the attic.]

[18:14:10] <[RP] ✦Joco> I- that feels rude

[18:14:39] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Princebot says being rude is effective communication

[18:14:58] <[RP] ✦Joco> Your wings aren't really wings like. It's bird wings that my brain hates. Yours is a cape, like moths [18:15:04] <[RP] ✦Joco> Princebot isn't an effective communicator

[18:15:16] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I do not have much other point of reference!

[18:15:32] <[RP] ✦Joco> I- Hm. [18:15:37] <[RP] ✦Joco> No one here is normal enough

[18:16:01] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> That's what The Wizard said when I first met him. You two are a bit similar

[18:16:09] <[RP] ✦Joco> Don't base on Doc he's Doc. I'm... dealing. Wiz is? Gone?

[18:16:18] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Yep, gone.

[Processing what Scintilla’d said:] [18:16:20] <[RP] ✦Joco> That's. Touching

[There’s a brief moment where a remarkable sadness overtakes Joco. It leaves quickly.]

[18:16:33] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I have never met Doc. What is he like?

[18:16:58] <[RP] ✦Joco> Abnormal [18:17:13] <[RP] ✦Joco> He's. God, what is he like?

[Joco moves out of the doorway to lean against the desk with the flower planter.]

[18:18:00] <[RP] ✦Joco> He isn't from here, hit his head on the way. So he's got bad memory. And Prince hurt him terribly

[18:18:05] <[RP] ✦Joco> Which made his brain Worse, somehow

[18:18:20] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I'm not from here either. Maybe he could be interesting

[18:18:26] <[RP] ✦Joco> Maybe!

[18:18:59] <[RP] ✦Joco> Flick is the most normal local

[18:19:03] <[RP] ✦Joco> I think

[18:19:05] <[RP] ✦Joco> Nearby

[18:19:14] <[RP] ✦Joco> He's bird

[18:19:17] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I've never met anyone else. Wasn't sure if I should

[18:19:22] <[RP] ✦Joco> You can bond over-

[Joco flinches.]

[18:19:30] <[RP] ✦Joco> Meeting people is good

[18:20:02] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> You were fun. It's a good sign

[18:20:12] <[RP] ✦Joco> Yes!

[18:20:14] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Why weren't you in your house for a long time?

[Joco flexes their ears back. The allay soars down from above, Joco bats it away lightly.]

[18:20:49] <[RP] ✦Joco> I have a place I feel- less afraid? In?

[18:20:59] <[RP] ✦Joco> The werewolf thing makes me afraid so I made a safe place.

[18:21:11] <[RP] ✦Joco> But! I have ideas to try, so I'm here to. Try it. The idea.

[18:21:31] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> And the idea will stop you being afraid?

[18:21:40] <[RP] ✦Joco> Maybe!

[18:21:46] <[RP] ✦Joco> I. I hope.

[18:21:46] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> What is being afraid like?

[18:21:48] <[RP] ✦Joco> Bad

[18:22:10] <[RP] ✦Joco> Your brain tells you to get away from the thing or fight it or curl up into a ball to get safe

[18:22:16] <[RP] ✦Joco> And it can make other thoughts hard

[18:22:58] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I think I've been that, once

[18:23:33] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> What is your idea to fix it?

[18:24:03] <[RP] ✦Joco> Some stories have a- ritual? To fix? It?

[18:24:13] <[RP] ✦Joco> And I know a ritual . That works with Code

[18:24:33] <[RP] ✦Joco> So I'm going to change things, and. Try to fix me. With ritual stuff.

[Scintilla freezes at the mention of a ritual. It stiffens up completely. Then, it relaxes, just as fast as it froze. It tilts its head curiously.]

[18:25:56] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> How will that work?

[Joco blinks at the reaction, but writes it off. They’re just paranoid, over-noticing.] 

[18:26:29] <[RP] ✦Joco> Uh, I've got. Torches, and flowers, and. A circular spot. And I've made a chant.

[18:26:38] <[RP] ✦Joco> In Code-understanding language.

[18:27:22] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I would like to be there.

[18:27:26] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> When you... Do the ritual.

[18:27:28] <[RP] ✦Joco> ?

[18:27:40] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I want to be there.

[18:27:40] <[RP] ✦Joco> To.. watch? You can watch, sure?

[18:27:46] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Okay.

[18:28:02] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I don't... I don't know why.

[18:28:10] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I don't know why I want to?

[18:28:19] <[RP] ✦Joco> Hm

[18:28:34] <[RP] ✦Joco> Do you... want to come see? My farms?

[18:28:42] <[RP] ✦Joco> It would help me.

[18:28:45] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I would like that.

[18:28:53] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> You let me stay in your attic

[18:28:58] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I will repay the favour

[18:28:58] <[RP] ✦Joco> I- yes

[18:29:00] <[RP] ✦Joco> Ok?

[18:29:07] <[RP] ✦Joco> That. Ok sure

[18:29:12] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Well I suppose you did not let me but I did it and you didn't stop me.

[18:29:15] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Can I do it again?

[18:29:28] <[RP] ✦Joco> Yes?

[18:29:37] <[RP] ✦Joco> It's. Better to be used than not, that space

[18:29:56] <[RP] ✦Joco> If you get bored, I would not scold you for messing with the hay. You can make bread from wheat.

[18:30:12] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I think your creature needs the company. Do they have a name?

[18:30:28] <[RP] ✦Joco> They- yeah, I uh. I call 'em Baby Bird

[18:30:40] <[RP] ✦Joco> They reminded me of. Of someone. So I named accordingly

[18:31:05] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> That's funny. Birds eat bugs and yet it is so much smaller than me!

[Joco huffs out a laugh.]

[18:31:15] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I will not eat your Bird, I promise.

[18:31:21] <[RP] ✦Joco> Thanks, bud

[18:31:41] <[RP] ✦Joco> Not every bird eats bugs, and not every bug is eaten by birds, y'know?

[18:31:41] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Where do you go, when you're afraid? Can I go there too?

[Joco blinks.]

[18:32:05] <[RP] ✦Joco> Sure?

[18:32:20] <[RP] ✦Joco> Doc visits me, you might meet him there. Maybe

[18:32:41] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I would like to meet your strange friend!

[18:32:56] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I hope he is just as interesting as you. And answers my questions just as much.

[Joco smiles a bit mischievously.]

[18:33:22] <[RP] ✦Joco> oh I think he loves answering questions

[18:33:25] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> The Wizard taught me how to do conversation and I am quite good at it now. Ask a lot of invasive questions and you win!

[18:33:29] <[RP] ✦Joco> Every question about everything

[18:33:36] <[RP] ✦Joco> EVERY question

[18:34:19] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I am glad you told me where your house was. It feels nice to be here.

[18:34:40] <[RP] ✦Joco> oh, I'm. That's very sweet, I'm glad too

[18:34:54] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I like being at The Wizards house but Prince doesn't talk to me so it is awkward sometimes when I'm with Princebot. And I do not have any other place to be.

[18:35:12] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Houses are interesting places

[18:35:19] <[RP] ✦Joco> They ARE, yes

[18:35:34] <[RP] ✦Joco> Here, let's. Go find wax and stuff. While my brain is nicer.

[18:35:48] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I'm glad your brain is nicer

[18:36:26] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> And that I smell of space and not wing dust. That means I'm allowed back, right? Even when it's not?

[18:36:31] <[RP] ✦Joco> Yes

[18:36:35] <[RP] ✦Joco> Yes, you're allowed back

[18:37:05] <[RP] ✦Joco> I'd not- you're very sweet. Of course you're allowed back

[18:37:27] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I don't think I've ever been called 'sweet' before.

[18:37:45] <[RP] ✦Joco> Well, it's. True, I think

[18:38:11] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I thought people generally didn't like it when you broke into their houses. That's what Princebot said when I told him where I was going.

[18:38:19] <[RP] ✦Joco> Oh, they don't

[18:38:30] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Well I'm glad you like it!

[18:38:31] <[RP] ✦Joco> 'm too old n tired to care

[18:39:48] <[RP] ✦Joco> C'mon, the basement calls

[18:40:01] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I don't think I can hear anything from the basement

[18:40:07] <[RP] ✦Joco> It's a saying

[18:40:23] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> You people say such strange things

[18:41:35] <[RP] ✦Joco> OH

[18:41:42] <[RP] ✦Joco> You didn't know! Ok so

[18:41:46] <[RP] ✦Joco> Ok so!

[18:41:49] <[RP] ✦Joco> This is weed

[18:41:55] <[RP] ✦Joco> These plants

[18:42:02] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Like the plants we pulled out at the garden?

[18:42:14] <[RP] ✦Joco> No! It's different! But with the same name!

[18:42:16] <[RP] ✦Joco> Silly thing

[18:42:23] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Oh! The other one!

[18:42:25] <[RP] ✦Joco> Cannabis is better name

[18:42:45] <[RP] ✦Joco> If you bake it then smoke it or eat it, it does things to the brain. Which is fun.

[18:42:52] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Do you 'smoke weed' like how Princebot used to

[18:43:00] <[RP] ✦Joco> I don't smoke normally, just eat

[18:43:03] <[RP] ✦Joco> Put it in brownies

[Opening a birch trapdoor and hesitating for a moment before beginning the climb:]

[18:43:12] <[RP] ✦Joco> We're going down this ladder

[18:43:19] <[RP] ✦Joco> And nothing is down here to kill us

[18:43:24] <[RP] ✦Joco> And nothing will kill us

[18:43:50] <[RP] ✦Joco> This is more plants to know

[18:43:54] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> That was a very specific clarification!

[Scintilla lands just behind Joco as they look around the space suspiciously.]

[18:44:01] <[RP] ✦Joco> That was! For me

[18:44:09] <[RP] ✦Joco> Don't worry

[Leading Scintilla left from the ladder, past four wool sheep, Joco stops to tap on a pair of glass blocks.]

[18:44:24] <[RP] ✦Joco> Here are my chickens. They don't flap and I can't smell them so it is OK

[Walking onward, Joco stops in front of a larger window. Behind it, two beehives sit, some bees flying in and out of them to gather nectar from flowers planted inside.]

[18:44:29] <[RP] ✦Joco> THIS is bees

[18:45:01] <[RP] ✦Joco> My bee farm collects honey and wax from the bees

[Bending down to pull some honeycomb out of a chest below the glass:]

[18:45:11] <[RP] ✦Joco> So then I can use them for stuff

[18:45:17] <[RP] ✦Joco> Like! Candles

[Their ears twitch as a bee bonks against the glass, and they swiftly move back over to the ladders, surrounded on both sides by an auto-composting setup.]

[18:45:22] <[RP] ✦Joco> And over here

[18:45:30] <[RP] ✦Joco> Composters make bonemeal

[Pulling bonemeal out of a chest tucked under the ladder:]

[18:45:34] <[RP] ✦Joco> Which helps farms AND

[Crafting quickly:] [18:45:36] <[RP] ✦Joco> White dye

[18:45:41] <[RP] ✦Joco> For candles!

[18:45:46] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> There are so many systems involved. How did you discover all of this?

[18:45:55] <[RP] ✦Joco> Other people!

[18:46:03] <[RP] ✦Joco> Other people discovered, and I gathered knowledge

[18:46:08] <[RP] ✦Joco> And I just. Put it in one place

[Gesturing to each farm in turn:] [18:46:18] <[RP] ✦Joco> The sheep farms gather wool

[18:46:32] <[RP] ✦Joco> There are melon and pumpkin farms that gather those things for me

[18:46:47] <[RP] ✦Joco> I am an accumulation of thousands of people's knowledge

[18:47:02] <[RP] ✦Joco> Millions, even

[18:47:07] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I think I understand. I'm an accumulation of all of my Mother’s

[18:47:31] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> It knows a lot of things. I thought all of them, but I'm starting to realise that isn't the case.

[18:47:31] <[RP] ✦Joco> And! You're gaining more, from Wiz and me and. Princes

[18:47:52] <[RP] ✦Joco> The Void does not know things as they live in their environments

[Staring into nothing, toward the floor.] [18:47:58] <[RP] ✦Joco> It does not know things as they live

[18:48:26] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> And I suppose I'm doing that now. Living. Maybe that's why things are so confusing

[Clapping their hands and looking back up:] [18:48:39] <[RP] ✦Joco> yes!

[18:48:49] <[RP] ✦Joco> New

[18:48:55] <[RP] ✦Joco> Fun, scary, confusing

[18:49:22] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> I guess those are emotions. I might have them after all.

[18:49:27] <[RP] ✦Joco> Maybe!

[18:49:35] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> You seem to have far too many

[18:49:37] <[RP] ✦Joco> Yes

[18:49:46] <[RP] ✦Joco> It's. The ritual will help. I hope

[18:49:58] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Which is why we need the wax

[18:50:07] <[RP] ✦Joco> And bonemeal!

[18:50:14] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> And bonemeal!

[18:50:20] <[RP] ✦Joco> Now back. Up the ladder

[They turn to look up the ladder, feet glued in place.]

[18:50:31] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Would you like me to go first?

[18:50:51] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> If there is anything up there I can decimate it ^-^

[18:50:59] <[RP] ✦Joco> Oh, that

[18:51:06] <[RP] ✦Joco> Yeah, that. That would help. Yes

[18:51:24] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> Nothing up here but cannabis!

[Joco steels themself below, taking in a deep breath. They follow Scintilla up the ladder.]

[18:51:45] <[RP] ✦Joco> Cannabis, and

[18:51:54] <[RP] ✦Joco> You know this flower, it's at the island

[18:52:28] <[RP] ✦Scintilla> It's a .... Cornflower?

[18:52:34] <[RP] ✦Joco> Yes!

[18:52:37] <[RP] ✦Joco> Good job!

[They fall into conversation and preparation. The ritual site is readied. Scintilla joins Joco within it. They sit together inside the circle of prepared items. They chant softly under their breath as they do so. Joco’s eyes are screwed shut tight, but Scintilla seems to have very little expression at all.  Something happens. A rush of wind, the whisper of unclear voices, and the overwhelming hum of the Void itself. There is a feeling like electricity spiking through the body. Joco stumbles and falls backwards, one hand reaching up to feel their face while the other braces them against the ground. Something had felt Wrong about their skin, for just a moment.]

[18:56:12] <[RP] Joco> WHAT

[Joco pats their face. They look around, noticing the sudden lack of shadows on the ground. The boughs of…acacia trees rise up into the sky, not dark oak.]

[18:56:44] <[RP] Joco> WHAT???

[Beside them, Scintilla falls onto their knees. Their face splits opens in a wide maw as they begin to retch. A pool of dark, sparkling liquid spreads forth from them, and they shudder slightly. Joco watches the bug, chest heaving. They whisper:] [18:57:08] <[RP] Joco> what

[Shakily:] [18:57:23] <[RP] Scintilla> I do not think It liked me doing that

[Joco stands slowly. Sunlight crests over the savannah. They stand inside a courtyard, the same one they’d been in for the last few minutes.]

[18:57:30] <[RP] Joco> What did you DO

[18:57:44] <[RP] Joco> That. Did you change the biome???

[18:57:50] <[RP] Joco> Or did you. Move? Us?

[18:57:55] <[RP] Scintilla> You wanted to get something Out, right? I just pulled it out!

[18:58:37] <[RP] Scintilla> There was something wrong and I could see it, once we started doing all the chanting and the candles and the- you know! I knew what to do!

[Joco grabs their tail. It’s less fluffy now, more akin to the cat’s tail they’d been used to not even a year prior. It’s yellow-tan and striped with black.]

[18:59:04] <[RP] Joco> You knew?? What to do????

[18:59:07] <[RP] Scintilla> I knew how to do it somehow, so I did! Did it work? Are you better now?

[18:59:11] <[RP] Joco> I mean. Okay. Okay sure, yeah. Yeah ok.

[18:59:19] <[RP] Joco> Yeah, the.

[Joco takes a deep breath, searching for what this might mean.]

[18:59:37] <[RP] Joco> Yeah. You fixed it, kid

[18:59:43] <[RP] Joco> But what ELSE did you do????

[19:00:01] <[RP] Joco> Where?? Are we?

[19:00:09] <[RP] Scintilla> I'm not... Sure.

[19:00:23] <[RP] Scintilla> We aren't Nowhere, so that is good!

[Forming an eye so ae can express facially:] [19:00:39] <[RP] Scintilla> My Mother would not appreciate a houseguest ^-^

[Joco leaves the courtyard, patting the walls as they go.]

[19:00:36] <[RP] Joco> This is a savannah

[19:00:43] <[RP] Joco> Scintilla this is. This is a savannah?

[19:00:59] <[RP] Joco> Scintilla where in the world

[19:01:05] <[RP] Scintilla> More trees and grass, that seems the same as where we were, no?

[19:01:14] <[RP] Joco> No this is a different. biome

[19:01:21] <[RP] Joco> The trees and grass are different

[19:01:08] <[RP] Joco> We're still in. The world, right

[19:01:23] <[RP] Joco> My HOUSE

[19:01:30] <[RP] Joco> My house is gone

[19:01:35] <[RP] Scintilla> This is definitely the world! It isn't my Home, now is it?

[19:01:47] <[RP] Joco> Are we in the same world as before?

[19:01:49] <[RP] Joco> There are many worlds

[19:01:54] <[RP] Joco> Not just Void and World

[19:01:57] <[RP] Joco> There are so many worlds

[19:02:09] <[RP] Scintilla> Everything changes itself all of the time, no World is really the same each time you blink

[19:02:20] <[RP] Scintilla> So perhaps, and perhaps not!

[Joco looks at the Void entity incredulously. They blink several times, then turn around and keep walking in the direction the stairs were pointing. Scintilla follows eagerly, close at Joco’s heels.]

[19:04:06] <[RP] Joco> I didn't explore the world enough to know. If we're even . What the heck

[19:04:18] <[RP] Scintilla> All I know is that I fixed the problem. I don't know how, but it just did what I thought it should do!

[19:04:28] <[RP] Joco> You've caused! Other problems in the fixing

[19:04:47] <[RP] Scintilla> What other problems? We're safe, are we not?

[19:04:55] <[RP] Joco> I appreciate the fixing, kid, I really do. But I've got FRIENDS back there! If we're actually out of the world, then .

[A stutter in their step.] [19:05:02] <[RP] Joco> Then we might never see those guys again

[19:05:25] <[RP] Scintilla> Well if there's so many worlds, surely there are more friends here. What would it matter?

[19:05:38] <[RP] Joco> Keeping the same friends is nice

[19:05:57] <[RP] Joco> If you... liked a toy, would you want to have to find a new one?? That's not a good comparison. That's a bad comparison.

[19:06:10] <[RP] Scintilla> What is a toy?

[19:06:29] <[RP] Joco> A toy is. I'm not explaining that right now

[19:06:18] <[RP] Joco> If your mother somehow became not your mother. And a new Void took its place.

[19:06:23] <[RP] Joco> Would you be enthused?

[19:06:36] <[RP] Scintilla> There is no Void that isn't Void

[19:06:50] <[RP] Joco> Okay but if somehow there Was

[19:07:11] <[RP] Scintilla> My Mother cannot be something, It is what is not

[19:07:11] <[RP] Joco> If something in the universe changed, and the Void became a differently behaved entity, and you could never experience the same Void you knew before

[19:07:20] <[RP] Joco> That'd be bad, right

[19:07:28] <[RP] Joco> You could never go back to your mom.

[19:07:30] <[RP] Joco> Ever

[19:07:37] <[RP] Joco> You had to accept a new mom

[19:07:44] <[RP] Scintilla> My Mother does not want me back

[19:07:50] <[RP] Scintilla> It would not be so different

[19:07:52] <[RP] Joco> Does that feel?? Good?

[19:07:54] <[RP] Scintilla> I do not understand you

[19:07:58] <[RP] Joco> Okay so you're already living this.

[19:08:05] <[RP] Scintilla> It doesn't feel like Anything

[19:08:06] <[RP] Joco> Does it feel good to not be able to go back home

[19:08:43] <[RP] Scintilla> I am no use to my Mother as I am now. There is no use thinking on it further

[19:08:48] <[RP] Joco> Hm

[19:09:01] <[RP] Joco> Sounds like avoidance

[Hitting their forehead with the base of their hand:]

[19:09:11] <[RP] Joco> GOD

[19:09:17] <[RP] Scintilla> That is what you do too, no?

[19:09:18] <[RP] Joco> I built an entire Verde Drug!! AGAIN

[19:09:30] <[RP] Scintilla> You built this?

[19:09:37] <[RP] Joco> We don't need to talk about my emotions right now because at least I acknowledge them.

[Joco, who had been looking where they stepped rather than forward, turns back to Scintilla, then looks back to where they’d been heading.]

[19:16:30] <[RP] Joco> I built-  WHAT?

[19:16:33] <[RP] Scintilla> You people care so much about feelings

[19:16:51] <[RP] Scintilla> That is- hmm

[A large building appears just ahead of them in the distance. Its shape is…familiar.]

[19:16:54] <[RP] Joco> IS THAT FUCKING VERDE DRUG

[19:17:05] <[RP] Joco> No. No. It's wrong. It's . What the hell is GH

[19:17:15] <[RP] Scintilla> Is that a place you know?

[19:17:23] <[RP] Joco> THE

[19:17:31] <[RP] Joco> I've been many places

[19:17:45] <[RP] Scintilla> I have been very few!

[19:18:00] <[RP] Joco> Is this the fucking. Refuge camp. From a CENTURY ago

[19:18:07] <[RP] Scintilla> Well if you know this place, we are clearly right where we should be, no?

[19:18:18] <[RP] Joco> I DON'T know this place!! It's!!

[19:18:25] <[RP] Joco> There's a squid in that window!!

[19:18:35] <[RP] Joco> This is Verde Drug but SO off

[19:18:46] <[RP] Scintilla> Maybe it lives there. Who are we to say where a squid should be

[Joco moves to stare into the window.]

[19:19:06] <[RP] Joco> Two..

[Joco rests their forehead and a hand on the glass.]

[19:20:10] <[RP] Scintilla> Well, are we in your Home? Or are we elsewhere? Are you okay, you have a strange look on your face.

[Joco fake knocks their fist on the glass.]

[19:20:58] <[RP] Joco> Kid, I have no idea

[Inside, the Wizard stumbles as the ground of what he believes is Wolf Trap stops shaking. Ivy sits on the ground from where he dropped her proxy.]

[19:19:21] <[RP] The Wizard> The hell...

[19:19:38] <[RP] The Wizard> Ivy are you alright?

[19:19:54] <[RP] The Wizard> Something just happened

[19:19:59] <[RP] Ivy> Yeesh, yeah I'm fine

[19:20:09] <[RP] Ivy> Don't drop me again geezer

[19:20:35] <[RP] The Wizard> Sorry about that, I'll try not to.

[19:20:46] <[RP] Ivy> Whatever. Let's just...let's go home

[19:21:15] <[RP] The Wizard> Now you want to go home

[19:21:32] <[RP] Ivy> Uh yeah, I'm sick of this creepy mirror place

[19:21:44] <[RP] The Wizard> Mirror place…

[Outside, Joco’s ears twitch at the faint sounds of talking from inside. They keep staring at the stupid squid.]

[19:22:10] <[RP] Scintilla> Is there something wrong with the squid?

[Joco sighs.]

[19:22:31] <[RP] Joco> They're too big for this tank, for one.

[19:22:54] <[RP] Scintilla> Maybe it is what they are used to

[19:22:58] <[RP] Joco> They're for.... oceans, and rivers, and caves.

[19:23:33] <[RP] Joco> They can't live properly in the wrong home

[19:23:52] <[RP] Scintilla> So they need to be somewhere else?

[19:23:59] <[RP] Joco> That's a problem for another time

[Inside, the Wizard gets his bearings. He looks around at the strange, warped Verde Drug-Wolf Trap-something else.]

[19:22:01] <[RP] The Wizard> This didn't...this didn't look like this a second ago

[19:22:24] <[RP] Ivy> Okay, so what did it look like?

[19:22:29] <[RP] The Wizard> Not like this...

[19:22:40] <[RP] Ivy> Super helpful nimrod

[19:22:55] <[RP] The Wizard> Hey now. I'm not joking, something's up

[19:23:58] <[RP] Ivy> What are you scaredddddd ooooooh ooooooh Archie's scareddddd

[19:24:14] <[RP] The Wizard> I'm not scared, just cautious

[Joco rests their palm on the glass once more, than stands up straight.]

[19:24:06] <[RP] Joco> Do we. In? [19:24:14] <[RP] Joco> Go in? Thoughts?

[19:24:14] <[RP] Scintilla> A door is made to be opened!

[19:24:21] <[RP] Joco> Yeah okay sure

[Joco opens the door. They shout into the building.]

[19:24:36] <[RP] Joco> THIS IS FUCKING VERDE DRUG

[19:24:46] <[RP] The Wizard> Okay now I'm scared

[19:24:48] <[RP] Joco> SCINTILLA

[19:24:51] <[RP] Scintilla> Yes?

[19:24:59] <[RP] Joco> THIS IS [19:25:05] <[RP] Joco> it's verde drug but WRONG [19:25:18] <[RP] Joco> Wiz's shops are fucked up

[19:24:50] <[RP] Ivy> Huh [19:25:01] <[RP] Ivy> That sounded like

[19:25:19] <[RP] The Wizard> Oh Void I'm being haunted

[19:25:37] <[RP] Ivy> No idiot that sounded like your stupid gay friend

[19:25:56] <[RP] The Wizard> Ivy, that's not-

[Joco approaches the wall where the horse mural used to be.]

[19:25:23] <[RP] Joco> The gay horses....

[19:25:29] <[RP] Scintilla> i don't know how I'm meant to know that, I've never seen it!

[Joco rests a hand on the wall. They turn, spotting a figure through the magenta glass.]

[19:25:54] <[RP] Joco> HELLO? [19:25:59] <[RP] Joco> DO YOU KNOW INTELLE-

[Joco squints.]

[19:26:02] <[RP] Joco> WIZARD?

[19:26:05] <[RP] The Wizard> Joco? [19:26:14] <[RP] The Wizard> This has got to be a dream

[Scintilla peers around the corner.]

[19:26:14] <[RP] Scintilla> Oh, the Wizard is here! Hello!

[Scintilla waves with excitement. Joco throws their hands up and walks back out the still open door.]

[19:26:40] <[RP] Scintilla> Joco, where are you going?

[19:26:26] <[RP] The Wizard> Well...maybe a nightmare [19:26:37] <[RP] The Wizard> Definitely a nightmare

[19:26:47] <[RP] Ivy> Looks like the bug thingy is here too

[19:26:57] <[RP] The Wizard> Scintilla...yes... [19:27:10] <[RP] The Wizard> Should we follow-

[19:27:15] <[RP] Ivy> YES. OBVIOUSLY.

[Joco yells out into the savannah.]

[19:26:43] <[RP] Joco> What the FUCK

[19:26:52] <[RP] Scintilla> We found one of your friends! You just said you wanted those!

[Joco holds out their hands, shaking them like they’re pretending to strangle Scintilla.]

[19:27:27] <[RP] Scintilla> haha you are so silly ^-^

[19:27:40] <[RP] Joco> What!! The FUCK [19:27:59] <[RP] Joco> Why is there! A weird-ass Verde!! With WIZ INSIDE [19:28:08] <[RP] Joco> What did you DO

[The Wizard walks cautiously through the “Verde Drug”, towards the entrance.]

[19:27:57] <[RP] The Wizard> Huh. Like it, but not quite

[Scintilla stands in the doorway.]

[19:28:08] <[RP] Scintilla> Hello The Wizard! It has been a long time!

[19:28:20] <[RP] The Wizard> Oh. Hello Scintilla. Yes, yes it has, hasn't it?

[19:28:36] <[RP] Scintilla> I fixed your problem. Anything else was... An accident.

[19:28:40] <[RP] The Wizard> Do...are we dreaming? [19:28:46] <[RP] The Wizard> ...Huh.

[19:28:51] <[RP] Scintilla> I cannot dream!

[19:28:59] <[RP] Ivy> Ohhhh freaky bug has freaky bug powers oh we're fucked

[19:29:06] <[RP] Joco> WHAT DO YOU MEANNNNNN

[19:29:07] <[RP] Ivy> We're SOOOO fucked [19:29:14] <[RP] Ivy> So INCREDIBLYYYYY fucked

[19:29:23] <[RP] Scintilla> Who is the tiny thing?

[19:29:24] <[RP] Joco> Who's the fucking ROBOT

[19:29:36] <[RP] The Wizard> Oh! This is my sister, Ivy

[19:29:45] <[RP] Ivy> IVELYN VELVET BITCHHHHH CHECK IT

[19:29:55] <[RP] The Wizard> Ivy, please mind your language

[19:30:00] <[RP] Ivy> Fuck no

[Joco, who had reapproached the door, turns back around to shove their face into a grass block and scream.]

[19:29:57] <[RP] Scintilla> What is a bitch?

[19:30:04] <[RP] Ivy> OH!!!!!!

[19:30:11] <[RP] The Wizard> Ivy please-

[19:30:25] <[RP] Ivy> It's a curse word that I LOVEEE [19:30:30] <[RP] Ivy> You should say it all the time

[19:30:37] <[RP] The Wizard> Ivy please stop

[19:30:51] <[RP] Scintilla> Wizard where were you? you said if I came to your house you would be there, but you were not! For a long time!

[Abruptly lifting their head out of the Joco-shaped dent in the ground:]

[19:31:03] <[RP] Joco> YEAH

[19:31:07] <[RP] Scintilla> And can you please check on Joco I fear maybe I fixed his problem incorrectly

[19:31:10] <[RP] Joco> where DID you go [19:31:18] <[RP] Joco> You left!! the fuckass cats!!! ALONE

[The Wizard looks down at Ivy in his arms, murmuring:]

[19:31:20] <[RP] The Wizard> ...And now you're quiet

[The Wizard sighs.]

[19:31:43] <[RP] The Wizard> I did tell you that, didn't I? [19:31:50] <[RP] The Wizard> I did mean it, at the time

[19:32:04] <[RP] The Wizard> Then this one decided that she needed to take an adventure into the wild beyond

[19:32:15] <[RP] Joco> "I'll be there" and then you’re not's a pattern of yours, ain't it.

[They flinch at their own words, clenching their fists in the grass.]

[19:32:31] <[RP] Joco> FUCK

[The Wizard looks down at Ivy in his hands, and nods solemnly. Joco’s head falls back down to faceplant in their grass block.]

[19:32:49] <[RP] The Wizard> I'm sorry, Scintilla [19:32:56] <[RP] The Wizard> I hope I didn't cause you too much trouble

[19:33:09] <[RP] Scintilla> That's okay! I lived in your house while you were gone

[19:33:16] <[RP] The Wizard> You what- [19:33:18] <[RP] The Wizard> I'm not gonna [19:33:22] <[RP] The Wizard> I'm not gonna question that

[Scintilla moves to stare at Joco.]

[19:33:13] <[RP] Scintilla> Joco are you alright?

[The Wizard steps out of the building, and onto the entryway. Joco, muffled:]

[19:33:36] <[RP] Joco> I had to teach Prince what plants were weeds

[Looking up to stare at the Wizard, grass stuck in their beard:]

[19:33:44] <[RP] Joco> YOU SHOULDVE DONE THATTTTTTT

[19:33:47] <[RP] The Wizard> ... [19:33:58] <[RP] The Wizard> Well I still can, can't I?

[19:34:00] <[RP] Scintilla> Joco taught us a lot about weeds

[19:34:03] <[RP] The Wizard> Or maybe... [19:34:16] <[RP] The Wizard> Did the "Verde Drug" move?

[19:34:16] <[RP] Joco> I don't know where we ARE [19:34:23] <[RP] Joco> THIS ISN'T VERDE DRUG!!

[19:34:25] <[RP] The Wizard> Er...whatever it was called?

[19:34:27] <[RP] Joco> Look at it!!!

[19:34:37] <[RP] The Wizard> It's certainly different

[19:34:48] <[RP] Ivy> It certainly smelled like ass

[19:34:38] <[RP] Scintilla> It's a 'GH'! I don't know what that is

[19:34:58] <[RP] Joco> It's the wrong materials! [19:35:04] <[RP] Joco> Why is it MUD [19:35:19] <[RP] Joco> It's in a SAVANNAH

[19:35:28] <[RP] The Wizard> So it is...

[19:35:30] <[RP] Joco> The shops!! Are fucked up!!

[19:35:32] <[RP] Scintilla> Trees are basically all the same anyway

[19:35:49] <[RP] The Wizard> They're quite different, actually, but we don't have to get into that now

[Joco points at Scintilla wordlessly, looking like they’re about to yell at it before holding their head in their hands.]

[19:36:04] <[RP] The Wizard> The shops were indeed - messed up - so to speak

[19:36:07] <[RP] Scintilla> You and Joco are so similar. No wonder you're such good friends!

[19:36:13] <[RP] Joco> Hhhhhhhhh

[The Wizard looks away.]

[19:36:30] <[RP] Ivy> Okay so we're deffo somewhere else [19:36:34] <[RP] Ivy> Freaky bug

[19:36:37] <[RP] The Wizard> Scintilla

[19:36:40] <[RP] Ivy> Okay whatever

[19:36:44] <[RP] Scintilla> Hello!

[19:36:44] <[RP] Ivy> Where are we?

[19:36:54] <[RP] Scintilla> We are right where we should be, I think!

[19:37:09] <[RP] Scintilla> I didn't ask to be moved, but I suppose my Mother knows best.

[19:37:10] <[RP] Joco> It's so dry

[19:37:32] <[RP] Joco> GOD

[19:37:40] <[RP] Joco> I'm going to make lotion again

[19:37:36] <[RP] The Wizard> ...It’s a lot like Verdigris

[19:37:55] <[RP] Joco> Verdigris was mesa, though

[The Wizard finally looks at Joco for the first time.]

[19:38:04] <[RP] The Wizard> …

[They look back.]

[19:38:07] <[RP] Joco> Hi

[Slapping their forehead:]

[19:38:10] <[RP] Joco> FUCK

[19:38:33] <[RP] Joco> Hi, Wiz, sorry I never visited 'n shit. I was having troubles with emotional regulation and werewolf shit.

[The Wizard tears up slightly, and then looks away. He doesn’t even seem to have registered what Joco just said. Scintilla watches them, completely oblivious to any tension or emotion.]

[19:38:32] <[RP] The Wizard> You're...you're older

[19:38:35] <[RP] Joco> I'm WHAT

[19:38:52] <[RP] The Wizard> You don't look like a youngin' anymore

[Joco slaps their hand to their face again.]

[19:38:55] <[RP] Joco> SCINTILLA

[19:39:00] <[RP] Scintilla> Yes?

[19:38:57] <[RP] Joco> WHAT THE FUCK

[19:39:07] <[RP] Joco> I thought!! My skin just felt weird!! Because it's DRY HERE

[19:39:15] <[RP] Ivy> Freaaaaaky bug stuff, I'm telling ya

[19:39:24] <[RP] Ivy> This thing probably fucked this world right up

[Joco looks at their arms, showing far more age and sun damage than hours before.]

[19:39:30] <[RP] Scintilla> I did not ask for anything strange to happen!

[19:39:47] <[RP] The Wizard> That's alright, Scintilla

[19:39:44] <[RP] Joco> I do not like your mother

[19:39:49] <[RP] Joco> Wiz we're aware of its mother, right

[19:39:55] <[RP] The Wizard> Vaguely

[19:40:09] <[RP] The Wizard> Only in my own assumptions based on our previous conversations

[19:40:03] <[RP] Joco> Void

[19:40:04] <[RP] Joco> The Void

[19:40:17] <[RP] The Wizard> Well...that does indeed clarify some things

[19:40:23] <[RP] The Wizard> And make a whole mess of others

[19:40:26] <[RP] Ivy> What the fuck

[19:40:28] <[RP] Scintilla> My Mother does not care much for you either Joco do not worry! ^-^

[19:40:33] <[RP] Ivy> Void mother

[19:40:46] <[RP] Ivy> Oh this bug is REALLY fucked up

[19:40:56] <[RP] Ivy> Where did you find this thing

[19:41:07] <[RP] Scintilla> Your robot is very vocal

[19:41:19] <[RP] The Wizard> I'm sorry about Ivy, really, truly, sorry

[19:41:26] <[RP] Ivy> I'm perfect

[Joco sighs and stares at their now slightly wrinkled hands.]

[19:41:01] <[RP] Joco> Holy shit you can see my veins now

[Moving towards him excitedly:]

[19:41:06] <[RP] Joco> WIZ YOU CAN-

[Remembering they’ve not talked in months:]

[19:41:08] <[RP] Joco> Hi

[19:41:21] <[RP] Joco> Where did you find this thing, Wiz

[The Wizard sighs.]

[19:41:36] <[RP] The Wizard> It's a long story

[19:41:49] <[RP] Scintilla> I found him more than he found me!

[19:42:05] <[RP] Joco> Ae found me at the memorial

[19:42:19] <[RP] The Wizard> Scintilla and I also met there, as well

[19:42:23] <[RP] Joco> Ahhhh

[19:42:26] <[RP] The Wizard> It was perched within the tree

[19:42:29] <[RP] Joco> Loiterer

[Good naturedly:]

[19:42:40] <[RP] The Wizard> Hey now

[19:42:51] <[RP] Scintilla> That is the place it felt most right to be, and then the Wizard found me and started asking me many silly questions

[19:43:15] <[RP] Joco> Silly questions like. Who are you and why are you in the tree?

[19:43:21] <[RP] Scintilla> Yes!

[19:43:24] <[RP] The Wizard> I do believe that was about it

[Sarcastically:]

[19:43:34] <[RP] Joco> Wow Wiz what silly questions

[19:43:45] <[RP] Scintilla> I'm so glad you understand Joco

[19:43:57] <[RP] Joco> This is like babysitting four year olds

[19:44:08] <[RP] Joco> But it's just. One freakishly tall one

[19:44:40] <[RP] The Wizard> They do indeed seem to lack in the social department, Scintilla, you are not very old, correct?

[19:44:53] <[RP] Ivy> Ayoooooooo

[19:45:27] <[RP] Scintilla> I am made of things as old as the world and also I have spent a few moon cycles being my Self

[19:45:30] <[RP] Scintilla> So yes and no!

[19:45:32] <[RP] Joco> Oh my god it's a baby

[19:45:33] <[RP] Ivy> They may be a freak but they're a baby freak

[19:45:42] <[RP] Ivy> Fraby

[19:45:46] <[RP] Joco> Frabyyyy

[Sing-song:]

[19:45:56] <[RP] Ivy> Frabyyyy why you so freakyyyyy

[19:45:50] <[RP] Joco> HEY WAIT

[19:45:54] <[RP] Joco> Why were y'all inside

[19:46:10] <[RP] The Wizard> It's where I found Ivy

[19:46:17] <[RP] The Wizard> At least...in the one with the dogs

[19:46:33] <[RP] Ivy> It smelled like dogs and hair and ass

[19:46:23] <[RP] Joco> YOU WERE IN WOLF TRAP?

[19:46:45] <[RP] The Wizard> If that's what it was called, then yes, I do believe so!

[19:46:46] <[RP] Joco> That's what happens when there's. I think I counted 400 before giving up

[19:46:48] <[RP] Joco> 400 wolves

[19:46:56] <[RP] Ivy> Goddamn

[19:47:11] <[RP] The Wizard> That is a good many wolves, indeed

[Joco seems to have begun to calm down, they look at the robot in the Wizard’s hands.]

[19:47:10] <[RP] Joco> You. Said this? Was your sister??

[19:47:25] <[RP] The Wizard> Yes, my younger sister

[19:47:37] <[RP] Joco> ,,,, did you Build Her Recently? Hence younger??

[19:47:51] <[RP] The Wizard> Oh! No, she's-

[Musically:]

[19:48:07] <[RP] Ivy> I've been stuck in a gem for like thirty years

[19:48:16] <[RP] The Wizard> Well, that's exaggerating

[19:48:30] <[RP] Ivy> His ass trapped me in an emerald, used me as a battery, and then he realized I was actually alive

[19:48:34] <[RP] Scintilla> You seem to have lots of people who are constructs around you, The Wizard

[19:48:48] <[RP] The Wizard> Do I...?

[19:48:51] <[RP] Joco> I mean

[19:48:55] <[RP] Joco> More than standard, yeah

[19:48:54] <[RP] The Wizard> Ah, yes! The Princes

[19:49:08] <[RP] The Wizard> I suppose that is a good deal more than normal

[19:49:30] <[RP] The Wizard> But yes, I realized that Ivy was still sentient, much, much too late-

[19:49:34] <[RP] Ivy> MUCH too late

[19:49:42] <[RP] The Wizard> I've begun constructing her a body

[19:49:54] <[RP] Joco> Well then! Okay.

[19:49:36] <[RP] Scintilla> This one, the Princes, myself in some ways. I wonder what about you brings together so many things pretending to be people

[19:49:56] <[RP] The Wizard> ...An interesting way to put it

[19:50:02] <[RP] Ivy> I'm a person!!!!!

[19:50:07] <[RP] Ivy> I'm a full fucking person!!!!!!!!!

[19:50:10] <[RP] Joco> I think I'm a person.

[19:50:17] <[RP] Joco> Some guy said that's enough proof, right

[19:50:19] <[RP] Joco> Yeah

[19:50:29] <[RP] Joco> Hi then, Wiz's sister who's a person. I'm J-

[19:50:30] <[RP] Joco> WAIT

[They grab the sides of their head.]

[19:50:38] <[RP] Ivy> J

[19:50:44] <[RP] Ivy> I thought your name was Joco

[19:50:38] <[RP] Joco> WAIT MY NAME'S CYRUS

[19:50:47] <[RP] Joco> HOLY SHIT THAT'S TOTALLY MY NAME

[19:50:47] <[RP] Scintilla> No your name is Joco

[19:50:50] <[RP] The Wizard> Cyrus?

[19:50:58] <[RP] Scintilla> Is it different now?

[19:50:59] <[RP] Joco> My parents!! Named me Cyrus!!!

[19:51:08] <[RP] The Wizard> ...Oh wow...to remember that

[19:51:09] <[RP] Joco> I FORGOT it for Reasons!! And just! Joco! Oh my GOD

[19:51:24] <[RP] The Wizard> I'm so happy for you- Cyrus...?

[Staring at the sunset:]

[19:51:25] <[RP] Joco> My favorite food was parsnips. What the fuckkkkkkk

[19:51:32] <[RP] Scintilla> Cyrus... Hmm, that works nicely!

[Something shifts within them. Maybe this is who they’ve always been…]

[19:51:42] <[RP] Cyrus> What did you do, Stinkbug

[19:51:54] <[RP] Scintilla> I wanted to fix things for you

[19:51:56] <[RP] The Wizard> Scintilla did all of that...

[19:52:00] <[RP] The Wizard> Wait- WAIT

[19:52:07] <[RP] The Wizard> YOU AGED.

[19:52:12] <[RP] Cyrus> I AGED

[19:52:13] <[RP] The Wizard> YOU AGED AND YOU REMEMBERED

[19:52:15] <[RP] Cyrus> OH MY GOD I AGED

[19:52:23] <[RP] The Wizard> What does that mean???

[19:52:35] <[RP] The Wizard> That means...so much...so incredibly much

[19:52:35] <[RP] Scintilla> Something inside you was broken, and it was hurting you. That's why we did the ritual, yes? I simply wanted it fixed, and I thought I could do it. And I... Did? Perhaps?

[19:52:58] <[RP] The Wizard> Oh Void...

[19:53:02] <[RP] Cyrus> We! Were doing a ritual based on NOTHING AT ALL!! To cure me of lycanthropy!

[19:53:09] <[RP] Scintilla> Maybe there was more broken than I thought

[19:53:13] <[RP] Cyrus> And Scintilla took the opportunity! To bring us here!!

[19:54:05] <[RP] Scintilla> I did not mean to bring anyone anywhere. I do not know what happened. I just... Wanted things to be right

[19:53:13] <[RP] The Wizard> If you can...remove something not even OPERATORS could do-

[Bitterly:]

[19:53:20] <[RP] Cyrus> Or would do

[19:53:39] <[RP] The Wizard> The implications are fascinating

[19:53:40] <[RP] Cyrus> I'm pretty sure they were capable of fixing my shit. They just.... didn't

[19:53:49] <[RP] The Wizard> I see...

[19:53:54] <[RP] Ivy> They do like an anomaly

[19:53:55] <[RP] Cyrus> Lab rat being interesting n whatnot

[19:54:08] <[RP] Ivy> To study, dissect, and spread through time

[19:54:11] <[RP] Cyrus> And a way to clear out unwanted worlds

[19:54:22] <[RP] Ivy> Oh that was YOU

[19:54:33] <[RP] Cyrus> ??

[19:54:35] <[RP] Ivy> You cleaned up a lot of problems back in the day

[19:54:45] <[RP] Cyrus> ?????

[19:55:01] <[RP] Scintilla> What does Wizard's sister mean?

[19:55:14] <[RP] Cyrus> They barely let students at the Academy look at me. What do you mean

[19:54:46] <[RP] The Wizard> You knew them?

[19:55:14] <[RP] Ivy> Oh yeah, I knew of them, there was like a name they gave it? Protocol [Last]?

[Stepping back:]

[19:55:28] <[RP] Cyrus> YEAH

[19:55:30] <[RP] Cyrus> HEY

[19:55:31] <[RP] Cyrus> YEAH

[19:55:40] <[RP] The Wizard> By the Code...

[19:55:58] <[RP] Cyrus> HEY WHAT. HEY

[19:56:00] <[RP] Ivy> Nova told me about it...not to brag

[19:56:13] <[RP] Cyrus> Wiz was your sister a fucking Unknown

[19:56:15] <[RP] Cyrus> Wiz? Wiz

[19:56:29] <[RP] Ivy> I was a mercenary put some respect on my name

[19:56:36] <[RP] Cyrus> I ain't doing SHIT

[19:56:40] <[RP] The Wizard> Technically...we both were...so to speak

[Scintilla bristles, their feathers puff up, and they seem to loom a little taller.]

[19:56:53] <[RP] Ivy> Oh yeah they sent me to deal with a lottttt of people

[19:56:59] <[RP] The Wizard> Ivy, maybe not the time-

[19:57:01] <[RP] Scintilla> You were both Unknown?

[Whispered as they take a few more steps back: ]

[19:57:20] <[RP] Cyrus> what the fuckkkkkkk

[19:57:53] <[RP] The Wizard> ...It was how I had access to "magic", and more importantly, how I learned to read Code

[19:58:05] <[RP] The Wizard> I was a lesser being, not even a true one

[19:58:17] <[RP] The Wizard> Our sire repurposed us to be heirs

[19:58:21] <[RP] Ivy> And we RULEDDDDD

[19:58:25] <[RP] Ivy> At least I did

[Scintilla steps back to put a wing in front of Cyrus, protective.]

[19:58:28] <[RP] Cyrus> ?????

[19:58:32] <[RP] Ivy> Archie didn't have the stomach for it

[19:58:35] <[RP] Cyrus> ARCHIE?

[19:59:00] <[RP] Ivy> Yeah! Arcanus, Archie

[19:59:20] <[RP] The Wizard> When I transformed Ivy into the gem, I stood trial

[19:59:29] <[RP] The Wizard> I was stripped of my title and turned fully Player

[19:59:43] <[RP] The Wizard> I spent many years wandering through worlds until I met the Voidwalker

[The Wizard looks up nervously at Cyrus.]

[19:59:49] <[RP] The Wizard> It's how we met

[Cyrus puts a hand on Scintilla’s wing, just holding the top of it.]

[20:00:11] <[RP] The Wizard> ...

[20:00:16] <[RP] The Wizard> That's it. All of it

[20:00:17] <[RP] Cyrus> You can't be telling me that an Unknown went by Archie

[20:00:20] <[RP] Cyrus> You cannot

[20:00:40] <[RP] Ivy> Of course not, he wasn't like, cloak and dagger Unknown

[20:00:57] <[RP] Ivy> He was Arcanus Dracon! Esteemed Scholar of the Great Shining Academy of the Arcane!

[Cyrus snickers.]

[20:01:13] <[RP] Ivy> Basically a nerdy stooge teaching future generations

[20:01:21] <[RP] The Wizard> Alright now-

[20:01:31] <[RP] Cyrus> Arcanus Dracon? Arcane Dragon??

[20:01:37] <[RP] Cyrus> Your real name is MAGIC DRAGON?

[20:01:43] <[RP] The Wizard> ...I chose it when I was a child...

[20:01:44] <[RP] Scintilla> I did say that name felt wrong when we first met

[20:01:44] <[RP] Cyrus> And you're!! A MAGIC DRAGON???

[20:01:47] <[RP] Cyrus> oh my god

[20:01:53] <[RP] Cyrus> no no scintilla that's perfect

[20:01:55] <[RP] Cyrus> oh my god

[20:02:16] <[RP] Scintilla> So you aren't an Unknown anymore?

[20:02:25] <[RP] The Wizard> No, not anymore

[20:02:30] <[RP] The Wizard> Not for a long time

[Cyrus puts their hands on their head and paces in a circle, a smile on their face, amazed.]

[20:02:30] <[RP] Scintilla> You won't hurt us?

[20:02:44] <[RP] The Wizard> Scintilla as long as I live and breath I will never do anything to bring you harm

[20:02:35] <[RP] Cyrus> They let you choose that name???????

[20:02:48] <[RP] Ivy> THEY DIDDDDDDDD

[20:02:52] <[RP] Ivy> ISN'T IT STUPID

[20:02:54] <[RP] Cyrus> They let you represent them? As Magic Dragon the Magic Dragon????

[20:03:17] <[RP] The Wizard> ....Yes.....

[Scintilla fixes their eyeless gaze at Ivy.]

[20:02:59] <[RP] Scintilla> I want to hear it from the other one, too

[20:03:20] <[RP] Ivy> Hmm?

[20:03:36] <[RP] Ivy> Oh little bug I can make no promises there

[20:03:43] <[RP] Ivy> If I had teeth I'd gnash em

[20:03:47] <[RP] Cyrus> YOU'RE BUILDING AN UNKNOWN A ROBOT BODY

[20:03:51] <[RP] Cyrus> OH MY GODDDDDD

[20:04:18] <[RP] Scintilla> This cannot be right

[20:04:20] <[RP] The Wizard> I'm building my sister a body

[20:04:25] <[RP] The Wizard> That's different

[20:04:31] <[RP] Ivy> It's different!!

[20:04:36] <[RP] Cyrus> Your sister who identifies as and is. Like. Legally?? An Unknown

[20:04:40] <[RP] The Wizard> But I will make sure she behaves

[20:04:46] <[RP] Ivy> He can't do that

[20:04:50] <[RP] Cyrus> Can you do that??

[20:04:57] <[RP] The Wizard> ....I think so...?

[20:05:00] <[RP] Cyrus> Realistically? Without handicapping her?

[20:05:06] <[RP] Cyrus> Terribly so?

[20:05:25] <[RP] The Wizard> Honestly, I'm not sure

[20:05:34] <[RP] The Wizard> I've been buildin’ this on the fly

[20:05:52] <[RP] The Wizard> I have no clue what will or will not allow her full capabilities

[20:06:01] <[RP] Cyrus> Horrifying!

[Scintilla leans close to the robot, its face a perfectly blank plane.]

[20:06:01] <[RP] Ivy> And I have power, baby, power beyond imagination

[20:06:02] <[RP] Scintilla> If you hurt Joco, I will not hesitate to tear you through the layers of this world. You are not as impervious as you think

[20:06:14] <[RP] Cyrus> Horrifying! Doubly!

[20:06:28] <[RP] Ivy> Uh huh think you're a big shot huh Fraby a big bad bug

[20:06:37] <[RP] Ivy> I'd like to see you try

[20:06:46] <[RP] The Wizard> Okay!

[20:06:54] <[RP] The Wizard> That's enough from both of you, please

[20:06:52] <[RP] Cyrus> Remember the baby moved us to this world Accidentally

[20:06:58] <[RP] Cyrus> Imagine what it can do. Purposefully

[20:07:07] <[RP] Cyrus> Intentionally? Intentionally

[20:07:20] <[RP] Cyrus> It didn't even MEAN to bring you here

[20:07:16] <[RP] The Wizard> I would have to agree with the both of them Ivy

[20:07:34] <[RP] Ivy> I was always good at punching above my weight

[Scintilla looks away from the Wizard’s scolding, looking a little like a chastised child. It moves to stand by Cyrus again.]

[20:07:57] <[RP] The Wizard> Sorry, Scintilla

[Cyrus reaches a hand up to pat Scintilla’s shoulder.]

[20:08:14] <[RP] Scintilla> Are you all so sure this is not where we once were?

[20:08:22] <[RP] The Wizard> ...I don't know

[20:08:41] <[RP] The Wizard> It. Something about this place feels different, doesn't it?

[Cyrus pulls out an ender chest.]

[20:08:35] <[RP] Cyrus> Oh yeah that's. That's empty

[20:09:00] <[RP] The Wizard> Really?

[20:09:05] <[RP] The Wizard> It must be, then

[20:09:06] <[RP] Cyrus> The vibes are different but I'd just. Say that's being thrown from a dark oak forest to.

[They blink.]

[20:09:28] <[RP] Cyrus> Stars. Okay. Okay! I'm. So calm and rational about this whole mess

[20:09:56] <[RP] Cyrus> Rational about my close dear friend being a sub-Unknown and having a sister. And Being in a different world. And never seeing those people again

[The Wizard smiles to himself hearing “close dear friend”.]

[20:09:45] <[RP] Scintilla> I could try and take us back? But, well

[20:10:06] <[RP] Scintilla> I cannot guarantee all of you would make it without losing something of yourself

[20:10:18] <[RP] Cyrus> You don't recognize a difference between tree species. You are NOT moving us across worlds again

[20:10:25] <[RP] Scintilla> :(

[20:10:27] <[RP] Ivy> Yeah let's veto that then, I JUST got back to full consciousness

[20:12:15] <[RP] Scintilla> Well we are somewhere else, with nothing. Surely this place is for us then? Since you two know it already

[20:12:32] <[RP] The Wizard> I suppose...

[20:12:46] <[RP] The Wizard> We may have no other option, and oh Void

[20:12:57] <[RP] The Wizard> We won't have the other world's protections

[20:13:12] <[RP] Cyrus> They might find us.

[20:13:15] <[RP] Scintilla> Protections?

[20:13:19] <[RP] The Wizard> My thoughts exactly

[20:13:49] <[RP] The Wizard> We should seek out this world's administrator and either try to appeal to them to let me alter this world's Code, or find out more about where we are

[20:14:24] <[RP] Cyrus> This is so fucked up

[20:14:25] <[RP] Scintilla> Are we not safe here? how do you know?

[20:14:37] <[RP] The Wizard> The unfortunate thing is we won't know until it's too late

[20:14:57] <[RP] The Wizard> We may get lucky, and an observer may find us interesting

[20:15:03] <[RP] The Wizard> That would buy us some time

[20:15:05] <[RP] Cyrus> Maybe they won't recognize me. I'm so old now

[The Wizard laughs lightly.]

[20:15:28] <[RP] The Wizard> We can hope that might be the case!

[20:15:40] <[RP] Ivy> Don't hold your breath kittycat

[20:15:55] <[RP] Cyrus> There was a lava pond over there. I'll just. Make an obsidian box and nothing can See us or Grab us or

[20:16:24] <[RP] The Wizard> Well...That's definitely an option...but how about we try something else and use that as a last resort?

[Scintilla looks up at the looming green and gold sign overhead.]

[20:16:12] <[RP] Scintilla> We will be safe inside this place

[20:16:24] <[RP] Scintilla> I feel... Sure of that.

[20:16:30] <[RP] The Wizard> Interesting...

[20:16:36] <[RP] The Wizard> I'm obliged to trust Scintilla

[20:16:44] <[RP] Cyrus> I'll make the box in the building I don't care

[The Wizard looks Cyrus up and down. Cyrus looks down at their dirty clothes, like that might be what the Wizard is looking at.]

[20:17:06] <[RP] The Wizard> If they can fix your Code...perhaps they can shield us as well

[20:17:28] <[RP] Cyrus> Ae did that accidentally, though. Vibes-based.

[20:18:00] <[RP] The Wizard> This is true

[20:17:37] <[RP] Ivy> Oh great we get to live in Fraby Freak's Funhouse

[20:17:57] <[RP] Scintilla> Wizard does your robot have an off switch? ^-^

[20:17:58] <[RP] Cyrus> I think it's. If GH stands for something I recognize. Then

[Cyrus chokes on their next words.]

[20:18:11] <[RP] The Wizard> Unfortunately she does not!

[20:18:15] <[RP] Ivy> IT WOULD BE CRUEL TO BUILD ONE

[20:18:16] <[RP] Cyrus> YOU SHOULD INSTALL ONE

[20:18:24] <[RP] Ivy> HEY FUCK YOU MAN

[20:18:34] <[RP] Cyrus> I'M NOT THE GUY THREATENING TO KILL EVERYONE

[20:18:39] <[RP] Cyrus> ASSHOLE

[20:18:42] <[RP] Ivy> YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE!!!!

[20:18:37] <[RP] The Wizard> ...Perhaps a volume switch?

[20:18:49] <[RP] Ivy> YOU'RE ALL ASSHOLES

[20:18:48] <[RP] Cyrus> Wiz can I throw it into the sea

[20:18:52] <[RP] Cyrus> Wizard. Archie.

[20:18:54] <[RP] Cyrus> Archie surely

[They throw their hands into the air and go back to pacing in circles.]

[20:19:05] <[RP] Cyrus> STARS. FUCKING ARCHIE

[20:19:08] <[RP] The Wizard> Oh no not you too?

[20:19:08] <[RP] Scintilla> Archie... Is that what we should call you now?

[20:19:17] <[RP] Ivy> YES. YES YESSSSS

[The Wizard sighs.]

[20:19:23] <[RP] The Wizard> You can, if you'd like

[20:19:29] <[RP] The Wizard> The Wizard is fine too

[20:19:37] <[RP] Cyrus> The Wizard is so fucking cheesy

[20:19:39] <[RP] Cyrus> And so is Archie

[20:19:43] <[RP] Cyrus> fucking MAGIC DRAGON

[20:19:46] <[RP] The Wizard> ....I like them....

[20:19:50] <[RP] Ivy> GOD yeah YEAH YEAH YEAH

[20:19:59] <[RP] Ivy> OH KITTYCAT YOU'LL LIKE THIS

[20:20:04] <[RP] Ivy> I CALLED HIM CHEESE

[20:20:09] <[RP] Ivy> CALL HIM CHEESE WITH ME

[20:20:10] <[RP] Cyrus> YOU CALLED HIM CHEESE?

[20:20:15] <[RP] Cyrus> OH MY GOD. CHEESE

[20:20:33] <[RP] Ivy> I COULDN'T SAY aRcAnUS or ArCHiE AS A KID SO I CALLED HIM CHEESE

[20:20:35] <[RP] Cyrus> It fits as well as any of your names

[20:20:37] <[RP] Cyrus> holy shit

[20:20:16] <[RP] Scintilla> Your name is as made up as mine, it's okay The Wizard Archie!

[20:20:42] <[RP] The Wizard> ...Thank you Scintilla...

[20:21:10] <[RP] Cyrus> The Wizard, Cheese

[20:21:21] <[RP] Cyrus> What's that make you, a brie? A cheddar?

[20:21:24] <[RP] Cyrus> Provolone?

[20:21:36] <[RP] Scintilla> I do not know any of these words!

[The Wizard sighs again.]

[20:21:40] <[RP] The Wizard> I always thought I would make a good gouda

[20:21:49] <[RP] Cyrus> You'd be fuckin' Provel

[20:22:01] <[RP] Ivy> He WOULD be a provolone

[20:22:02] <[RP] Cyrus> You're not good-a enough for gouda

[The Wizard rolls his eyes with a smile at Cyrus’s pun.]

[20:22:11] <[RP] Cyrus> No, no, not provolone. Provel

[20:22:20] <[RP] Ivy> Provel??? What the fuck is provel

[20:22:20] <[RP] Cyrus> It's a mix of cheeses. For pizza

[20:22:25] <[RP] Cyrus> Specificically for pizza

[20:22:32] <[RP] Cyrus> There've been a few worlds with it

[20:22:47] <[RP] Cyrus> cheddar n provolone n.

[20:22:52] <[RP] Cyrus> I think? switzerlandish?

[20:22:27] <[RP] Ivy> PIZZA.....

[20:22:41] <[RP] Ivy> I haven't had pizza in years. DECADES. CENTURIES

[20:22:28] <[RP] Scintilla> These are... Foods?

[20:22:49] <[RP] The Wizard> They're all delicious foods, indeed

[20:22:59] <[RP] The Wizard> We'll have to make some for you

[20:22:59] <[RP] Scintilla> I know very few foods

[20:23:10] <[RP] Cyrus> We'll show you foods, Stinkbug

[20:23:29] <[RP] Cyrus> God

[20:23:29] <[RP] Scintilla> Bread, and apples, and... Blueberries? Though I do not recall where I saw that one

[20:23:35] <[RP] Cyrus> Blueberries??

[20:23:39] <[RP] The Wizard> Blueberries...?

[20:23:42] <[RP] Cyrus> There's. Last world didn't have those?

[20:23:51] <[RP] The Wizard> No, I don't believe they did

[20:23:52] <[RP] Cyrus> Where DID you see those?

[20:23:56] <[RP] The Wizard> Yes, where?

[20:24:07] <[RP] Cyrus> I was going to show... where the FUCK

[20:24:14] <[RP] Scintilla> I suppose it was something my Mother knew about, perhaps? It passed a lot down to me

[20:24:30] <[RP] The Wizard> I see...if your mother is indeed the Void, then it would make sense

[20:24:33] <[RP] Cyrus> Of all the foods, it only gave you blueberries?

[20:24:41] <[RP] The Wizard> The Void has everything, but yes, why that specifically?

[20:24:51] <[RP] Scintilla> I do not claim to understand Its specificities

[20:25:04] <[RP] Cyrus> Heck, maybe this world's got more berries

[20:25:11] <[RP] The Wizard> I hope so…

[20:25:20] <[RP] The Wizard> I do love a good berry pie

[20:25:12] <[RP] Cyrus> I think I spotted onions back there

[20:25:17] <[RP] Cyrus> Proper onions

[20:25:24] <[RP] The Wizard> Really?

[20:25:37] <[RP] Cyrus> Yeah, not just the singles of alliums

[20:25:58] <[RP] The Wizard> Is it strange that I feel sort of, excited?

[20:26:13] <[RP] Ivy> Yah

[20:26:13] <[RP] Cyrus> Maybe we'll find your kin here, Cheese

[The Wizard grins.]

[20:26:34] <[RP] The Wizard> I missed you a lot, friend

[20:26:22] <[RP] Scintilla> If we are all here together with nothing, will we live together? Because I do not know if I'm meant to live with Cyrus or The Wizard

[20:26:46] <[RP] The Wizard> Well, I think you can do what you please

[20:26:55] <[RP] The Wizard> I'll probably stick around here with you both regardless

[20:26:58] <[RP] Cyrus> This place is already built.

[20:27:03] <[RP] The Wizard> Better to be safe than sorry

[20:27:11] <[RP] Cyrus> Safety in numbers

[20:27:12] <[RP] Cyrus> Joyous

[20:27:52] <[RP] Scintilla> I do want to know what's inside of this place

[20:28:20] <[RP] Cyrus> I'm going to blame this place on you. So I assume it's as big as you'd make it.

[20:28:35] <[RP] Scintilla> I do not know how big I would make something

[20:28:45] <[RP] The Wizard> It seems to go on for quite a bit, in the glance of it I got

[20:29:06] <[RP] Scintilla> I suppose if I was to make something like what I knew, it would be like Home

[20:29:09] <[RP] Cyrus> joy

[20:29:20] <[RP] Scintilla> So perhaps it only continues and continues upon itself?

[20:29:30] <[RP] The Wizard> That would be fascinating to explore...

[20:29:44] <[RP] Cyrus> I. Hm.

[Cyrus swings a leg.]

[20:30:08] <[RP] Cyrus> My knees got older. We've been standing for over an hour.

[20:30:20] <[RP] Cyrus> Can we. Explore the infinite cavern . Later

[20:30:22] <[RP] Cyrus> Please

[20:30:27] <[RP] The Wizard> Ahhhh, welcome to the wonderful world of aging, my friend

[20:30:45] <[RP] Scintilla> That sounds unpleasant. I am glad to not have knees

[20:30:47] <[RP] Scintilla> Or an age

[Going between swinging each leg thoughtfully:]

[20:31:04] <[RP] Cyrus> Have you ever... lost all the flesh on some fingertips, and touched them together?

[20:31:20] <[RP] Scintilla> I do not think I have flesh I can lose!

[20:31:28] <[RP] The Wizard> I cannot say I have...

[20:31:26] <[RP] Cyrus> My knee bones feel like that.

[20:31:37] <[RP] The Wizard> Ah, yes, let's take a rest, then

[20:32:00] <[RP] Scintilla> Perhaps you should sit down. Surely somewhere inside of this place would be suitable for your fleshless knees?

[20:32:13] <[RP] Cyrus> We could totally make them fleshless

[20:32:22] <[RP] Scintilla> Is that a request?

[20:32:24] <[RP] The Wizard> Perhaps we refrain from doing that-

[20:32:29] <[RP] Ivy> DO IT

[20:32:35] <[RP] Ivy> I WANNA SEE THAT

[20:32:46] <[RP] Cyrus> We're not doing that !

[20:32:53] <[RP] Cyrus> Specifically because of her!

[20:32:58] <[RP] Ivy> Oh COME ON

[20:33:27] <[RP] Cyrus> I'm allowed to hold a grudge, I was in y'alls hold for... basically your whole lives wait .

[20:33:45] <[RP] Cyrus> We were similarly aged last we talked, right

[20:33:56] <[RP] The Wizard> I think so

[20:34:09] <[RP] Cyrus> I could've been an Unknown lab-rat as long as you'd been alive .

[20:34:19] <[RP] The Wizard> ...Void

[20:34:20] <[RP] Cyrus> That's weird. It's normal when it's normal lifespans but it's weirder when it's.

[20:34:23] <[RP] Cyrus> Ew

[20:35:31] <[RP] The Wizard> Well...

[20:35:37] <[RP] Cyrus> Okay. Resting. Resting and then exploring. And then maybe finding the actual spawn here.

[20:35:45] <[RP] The Wizard> I like that plan

[20:35:51] <[RP] Cyrus> And FREEING THOSE SQUID

[20:35:59] <[RP] Cyrus> Why squid?? Why in THERE

[20:36:04] <[RP] Scintilla> so I fixed things okay? Despite it going sort of wrong?

[20:36:21] <[RP] The Wizard> Well, we won't know quite yet, but everything seems to be alright for now

[20:36:24] <[RP] Cyrus> I- yeah. Yeah, I mean. We're. Alive

[20:36:35] <[RP] The Wizard> That's the most important bit

[20:37:01] <[RP] Cyrus> Aw, shit, Doc was due to check in on me in a couple days

[20:37:24] <[RP] The Wizard> Oh Void...Doc...and Flick

[20:37:36] <[RP] Cyrus> Our funny little GUY

[20:37:38] <[RP] The Wizard> They won't know what's happened to us

[20:37:45] <[RP] Scintilla> We found the Wizard here. Maybe... They would be here too? Somehow?

[20:37:58] <[RP] The Wizard> There's always a chance

[20:38:02] <[RP] Cyrus> Surely they would've been nearby if so

[20:38:09] <[RP] The Wizard> ...I had thought so as well

[20:38:16] <[RP] Cyrus> Damn

[20:38:16] <[RP] Scintilla> Perhaps not then

[20:38:25] <[RP] Scintilla> I'm... Sorry?

[Cyrus pats aers shoulder.]

[20:38:46] <[RP] Cyrus> Accidents happen

[20:38:51] <[RP] The Wizard> It's alright, we can always find a way to reach out to them, too

[20:39:12] <[RP] The Wizard> Though contacting that world might prove difficult...

[20:39:20] <[RP] Cyrus> There are so many protections

[20:39:24] <[RP] The Wizard> However...I was a teacher once

[20:39:46] <[RP] The Wizard> Scintilla, you may just need guidance. We could perhaps figure out how your abilities work, together

[Cyrus snorts.]

[20:39:59] <[RP] Cyrus> Mister Cheese

[Cyrus cracks up.]

[20:40:10] <[RP] The Wizard> Yes Mister Cyrus

[20:40:13] <[RP] Scintilla> I would like to be able to... Help you two. If I could.

[20:40:30] <[RP] The Wizard> Absolutely, Scintilla

[Cyrus crouches to catch their breath and, just, keeps with momentum and lays on the ground.]

[20:40:40] <[RP] Cyrus> Stars...... [20:40:44] <[RP] Cyrus> This is so stupid.

[20:40:52] <[RP] Scintilla> Cyrus it is better to lie down inside rather than outside, I have been told

[20:40:59] <[RP] Cyrus> No no I'm great here

[The Wizard smiles, he moves to sit next to Cyrus, laying in the half-grass half-entryway. The sun has fully set, and the stars spread above them.]

[20:41:16] <[RP] The Wizard> You can come look at the sky from here [20:41:26] <[RP] The Wizard> Can't do that from inside

[Scintilla shrugs and lies down next to Cyrus, laying stiffly, like they’re in a coffin.]

[20:41:51] <[RP] Ivy> Bunch a nerds [20:41:56] <[RP] Ivy> Lying in the grass

[20:41:56] <[RP] Scintilla> The stars are familiar, I suppose. I do like them

[20:42:06] <[RP] The Wizard> Familiar...

[20:42:26] <[RP] The Wizard> I know constellations don't always come between worlds, but...I don't recognize any of these

[20:42:21] <[RP] Cyrus> I didn't spend enough time looking at the stars

[Cyrus points up at a configuration in the sky.]

[20:42:34] <[RP] Cyrus> But that constellation did NOT exist in the world

[Cyrus points at another one.]

[20:42:48] <[RP] Cyrus> I've seen that one before I think. One star off.

[20:42:39] <[RP] Scintilla> Not to the old world. To my Mother. The stars are in there, sometimes

[20:43:03] <[RP] The Wizard> Sometimes? Do they come in and out?

[20:43:40] <[RP] Scintilla> It goes on forever, and one cannot stay in the same place. They are sometimes visible from certain places, though. I always liked them

[20:43:51] <[RP] Scintilla> They're nicer out here than they were inside, though.

[20:44:03] <[RP] Cyrus> Real

[20:44:18] <[RP] The Wizard> That's lovely

[The three lay in the grass, and look up at the stars. The question of what comes next can be left for a little while later, just for the moment.]

[It’s mid-afternoon at the Wayships. Hal is approaching the mailboxes, humming a little tune as he opens to lids of both his and Magnolia’s. Not too far away, Pekoe clambers over a bookshelf, hunting down a scent that he had caught a whiff of… knocking over a pot in the process.]

[19:13:06] <[RP] Hal> [mumbled] ain't nothin for me, m'kay…

[At the sound of a crash, Hal’s ears swivel and he whips his head around to look.]

[19:13:09] <[RP] Hal> !!!!!

[19:13:25] <[RP] Pekoe> Hm

[ Hal approaches cautiously, but once he spots the young pup fully, a big smile adorns his face. As he does, Pekoe pockets the flower that had fallen from the pot and continues snuffling along, not realizing the other’s presence yet.]

[19:14:14] <[RP] Hal> Hey! Pekoe!

[Pekoe 's ears shoot up and he turns to stare big-style.]

[19:14:37] <[RP] Pekoe> I WAS GONNA PUT IT BACK LATER

[19:14:42] <[RP] Hal> ???

[Hal titters.]

[19:15:07] <[RP] Hal> Whatcha up to, little buddy?

[Pekoe scrambles to grab the pot, still sitting on the ground. Shoving the dirt back inside, he attempts to cover his tracks after realizing the cow was there to see his crime.]

[19:15:14] <[RP] Pekoe> NOTHING

[Hal watches as Pekoe scrambles around, not all too sure what the littler one was doing. His eyebrows crease down in concern.]

[19:15:41] <[RP] Pekoe> Flower!! Is ok!

[19:15:46] <[RP] Hal> .... y'sure?

[19:15:51] <[RP] Hal> y'don't need no help?

[Pekoe gently tamps the dirt around the flower roots, using some water from his backpack to water the plant.]

[19:16:46] <[RP] Pekoe> UHUH

[19:16:53] <[RP] Pekoe> All fine! Normal!

[Hal steps forward, in an attempt to check the sullied pot more closely. However, before he can get close enough, Pekoe scoots his small frame in front of the pot. The miniscule crack on the side of it has intentionally been turned away from Hal’s view.]

[19:17:53] <[RP] Pekoe> All!! Good!

[19:17:59] <[RP] Pekoe> No bad!

[19:18:01] <[RP] Pekoe> No bad!!

[Seeing that the pup is panicked, Hal can’t help but take a more comforting approach, softening his voice accordingly.] 

[19:18:19] <[RP] Hal> hey, hey...! 

[19:18:25] <[RP] Hal> y'ain't in trouble, promise ya!

[Pekoe squints suspiciously. A gentle huff from Hal, in response, and a smile.]

[19:19:14] <[RP] Hal> if sumn's wrong with the pot, the flower that's in it might not be able to keep goin'... I just wanna make sure it'll be awright, that's all!

[19:19:25] <[RP] Hal> mistakes happen, we gotta correct 'em proper-like!

[Pekoe squints suspiciouslier. This causes Hal to put a hand to his chest to show his utmost sincerity. Pekoe relaxes, nodding as he jumps down from the shelf and resumes his scent-hunt. A calmer smile from Hal, as he lifts and checks the pot, rushed in its correction. He takes note of the crack, taking to overcompensation, initially.]

[19:21:14] <[RP] Hal> hmmm... Dang. Well, I'll replace this here pot! I got some at home, somewhere, I'm sure…

[Pekoe does not look up toward Hal as he speaks, locked in and focused on his aggressive hunt. The source of the scent is near, and Pekoe is going to find it.]

[19:21:20] <[RP] Pekoe> Why?

[19:21:57] <[RP] Hal> This one got cracked! Might get worse if it don't get replaced!

[19:22:05] <[RP] Hal> The flower needs a proper home :)

[19:22:22] <[RP] Pekoe> Tiny crack! Won't bigger

[19:22:34] <[RP] Pekoe> Small little tiny. Not pup-small

[Squinting mischievously:]

[19:22:44] <[RP] Pekoe> .... 'lia small

[Hal tilts his head to the side just slightly, setting the pot back down as he does decide that Pekoe may be right.]

[19:22:52] <[RP] Hal> ... Lia?

[19:22:55] <[RP] Pekoe> your lia

[It takes Hal another moment, but once he realizes what the pup is saying, he grins along with an amused chuckle.]

[19:23:09] <[RP] Hal> Ohhhh! You mean Magnolia, don'tcha?

[19:23:18] <[RP] Pekoe> Yah

[Pekoe reaches his arm between the pot and the pillar, blindly grabbing for something scented.]

[19:23:41] <[RP] Hal> Heheheh! He might not like bein' called that, I reckon. but I'll keep that between you n' me.

[Hal continues to watch Pekoe’s strange behaviour.]

[19:23:51] <[RP] Hal> .... Watcha doin anyways, bud?

[At last, Pekoe grabs onto something and grins, pulling outward to reveal the culprit; a small chunk of honeycomb. His nose twitches as he sniffs at it, before holding it up and presenting it to Hal, proudly.]

[19:24:41] <[RP] Pekoe> Found!

[Hal looks down at the honeycomb, curiously quirking his eyebrow.]

[19:24:51] <[RP] Pekoe> Smells!

[19:24:54] <[RP] Pekoe> Yah!

[19:24:59] <[RP] Hal> Huh! Now what could that be doin' here?

[Hal gives it a sniff of his own. His cow nose can pick up the scent, as well. Traces of the familiar aroma of honey fill his nostrils, causing his ears to swivel in satisfaction as he smiles calmly.]

[19:25:11] <[RP] Hal> Mmmm! Honey's good.

[19:25:24] <[RP] Pekoe> ?? Bees? Bees honeycomb?

[19:25:54] <[RP] Hal> Well it smells a lil' like honey!

[Pekoe squints behind Hal's legs.]

[19:26:56] <[RP] Pekoe> No 'lia?

[19:27:35] <[RP] Hal> Oh, yeah! He's been right busy today, din't have time to come down here.

[19:27:51] <[RP] Hal> So i'm helpin' him out :)

[Pekoe nods aggressively, climbing on top of another bookshelf to be closer to eye-level with the tall farmer, puppy-glaring accusingly at him.]

[19:28:31] <[RP] Pekoe> 'Golia can't swim

[Hal winces.]

[19:28:55] <[RP] Hal> Yeahhhhh... He, um. Ne'er got taught, like I did.

[19:29:06] <[RP] Hal> I ain't a good teacher, m'self

[19:29:13] <[RP] Hal> Not with swimmin'!

[19:29:18] <[RP] Pekoe> Hm

[19:29:28] <[RP] Pekoe> Not safe.

[19:29:45] <[RP] Pekoe> Pups have to swim. Or'll drown

[A pit forms in Hal’s stomach at the mention of drowning. The thought of his best friend being in danger causing his stomach to twist. He tries to remain composed, however, in front of the child.]

[19:30:07] <[RP] Hal> Ahah, well, y'know.

[19:30:37] <[RP] Hal> He don't need to swim.... usually.

[Pekoe points at the water visibly lapping over the edge of the platform.]

[19:31:17] <[RP] Pekoe> What if.... fall in

[Hal 's ears swivel, pausing for a moment, as the danger presents itself clearer and clearer. Images begin to form in his mind of what could happen. He shakes his head, ears lightly flopping against his head as the hovering visuals get just a bit harder to see.]

[19:32:09] <[RP] Hal> .... Well. I'll tell you what. I'll try n' teach him somehow! For... The times when I ain't around to help him.

[19:32:24] <[RP] Pekoe> :O

[19:32:26] <[RP] Pekoe> :D

[As Hal continues to attempt to push unwelcome imagery away, Pekoe speaks up again:]

[19:32:42] <[RP] Pekoe> He's gon' drown!

[19:32:50] <[RP] Pekoe> But!! Not!! If can swim!