staysilent | August 2021 - Farming, and...?

August 2021 - Farming, and...?

Finished Farmland

Summer days grow longer and hotter, with scarce rainstorms only bringing a cloying humidity. It makes for miserable work outside, but it's work that still needs to be done. Sheep need to be cared for, the newly-finished farmland needs to be carefully inspected and watered daily, and accurate counts of food in storage need to be maintained to ensure that there will be no famine in the winter.

Still, for as hard as the work is, there is a sense of relief among the settlement. Being self-sufficient is vital to survival through the winter, and Settlement #5 has now achieved that. Hopefully everyone read through the farming books to know how to grow vegetables!

Dark Whispers

For a month, the sounds from outside the settlement had been quiet. The cries at night had disappeared as quickly and mysteriously as they had come, leaving everyone to wonder just what they had even been. By now it may be little more than a memory of what once was.

But starting in August, the Otherworlders will start to hear whispers in their mind at dusk.

"Are you there? Can you hear me?"

These whispers carry a heavy weight, and everyone will feel it tugging constantly at them for about 10 minutes at each sunset. After those 10 minutes, the whispers go quiet once more.

While they are not forced to answer, the Otherworlders will feel a strong pull towards responding. Those with weaker mental defenses might even find themselves wandering towards the northern end of Rabbit Island in search of the source, though they will instinctively know it comes from beyond the waters, on the opposite shore. Nobody is forced to answer, but they will feel an inclination towards doing so. Though maybe talking to each other first would be a better course of action?

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[It's true. He does feel like he should answer. He feels like he should go to the voice.]

If the people... of this world... were hearing it... why haven't... they done anything...?

[Fear. Resources. He knows there are a number of reasons. They just don't seem good enough.]

That voice... it was calling... for help, Faust...

Was it? All I heard was "are you there" and "can you hear me."

[He knows what Teo means though, even if he's being semantic about it. But still, to say things like that while trying to pull an answer from them... he doesn't trust it.]

[Though he can't deny that it could be a legitimate call for help as well.]

This isn't my world, or yours... we're not obligated to take unnecessary risks.

Before... A while back...

[Unless that really was him being crazy. Hard to say.

His head bows.]

It's not... about worlds... it's about... someone being in pain... or in danger...

...?

[He managed to miss out on that particular occurrence, but he'd believe Teo heard voices before. How often do things like this happen around here anyway...]

[After a long moment, he sighs.]

And? What do you expect me to do about it?

[That's... a good point. He wouldn't expect Faust to do anything. It wouldn't be fair to ask of him. He wouldn't want Faust taking the risk and possibly getting hurt.]

... Nothing... You should...stay safe here...

[So really, trying to convince Faust is silly.

He glances back out over the water.]

But I... should go...

...

[That would be the safest thing to do. Just stay tucked away on these islands and not think too hard about the outside world. Funny how easy it is to fall into old habits.]

What are you talking about? You don't even have a way to get over there. Besides, you don't have to hunt the voice down when you could just answer it- though there's no guarantee that's safe to do, either.

I could... leave you my letter... I could... try and swim...

[But again, Faust makes a point. And he has to admit that part of him has been afraid to answer.]

What do you... think could happen? What do you think... it is...?

Are you mad? Even if you could make it past the nets like that, leaving your letter with me... I thought it was more important to you than that.

[He'd keep it safe, of course, but he shouldn't be entrusted with something so important to him-]

...That's just it, I don't know. In my world it could be any number of things. A magical creature trying to lure prey, a lingering curse, a wizard setting a trap... or calling for help. But is that really what it feels like to you?

It is... ! But...

[His shoulder sag.]

It feels... heavy... and I don't understand... how it's happening... I thought this world was... more like mine...

But... I can't stop... thinking about it... If someone needed help... and I did nothing... If they're alive and... I let them die...

And... if they are a monster... what if they're... like me?

...

[He tugs his hat down briefly. Of course he'd wonder something like that... he hadn't considered the possibility. But it's a low possibility...]

This world does have magic, but I don't know the full extent of how different it is from my own.

But I do know that if you try to leave the islands on your own, your chances of surviving the venture, much less returning here, are extremely low. Or did you forget it was by sheer luck that you arrived here with no scrutiny in the first place?

[He looks up a moment, then bows his head.]

No... I didn't forget...

[That's it. The nail in the coffin.]

If they're alive... and I bring them back... we have to go through... all the people... at the entrance... and I die. If they're... like me... then we get caught... we both die. I... can't help...

...It means you can't just go throwing yourself into the sea on a hunch and expect that everything will work out the way you want it to.

[He turns away with a heavy sigh.]

If the voice returns again tomorrow, I'll simply ask them what they want.

[He doesn't argue that. His arms fold over his chest.]

...Tomorrow? Will you be... here then...?

[He wants to know what the voice might say. He's tempted to ask himself.]

...

I can be. But don't assume we're going to go chasing after whispers... this is just to hear what they have to say.

[He nods his head.]

We'll... see what's going on... check things. Nothing.. risky...

Tomorrow, then.

[Time to wander back toward civilization(?).]

[After that little venture and an... enlightening conversation with Mauri, it's time to break the news to Teo. He doesn't know exactly where to find him, but during the day he's more likely to find him around other people, right?]

[Wherever he finds him, Teo can probably tell without asking that he isn't seeking him out to deliver good news.]

Edited 2021-08-22 03:52 (UTC)

[He's working on the houses, tidying up the old burned bits and helping to pass along the new pieces that are going in place. He notices Faust coming, looking directly at him with that odd expression. He excuses himself, telling the others he'll be back soon. (He'll make sure to work extra later to make up for what he's missed.)

He meets Faust part way, torn between a need to hide and not wanting to be too obvious.]

Is everything... okay...?

[When he sees Teo coming to meet him he stops to wait; that saves him the trouble of having to ask if he can borrow him. It's information that everyone here could stand to know, but... considering how personally Teo has been taking this he'd rather let him know privately, and before the whispers can appear again.]

I spoke to Mauri earlier today. Do you have time for a walk? I won't keep you too long.

[His back straightens.]

You have... news?

[He waves a hand.]

I've got... lots of time... they won't mind... Coming back later... Super's stronger than me... anyway.

[He nods.]

If you're sure... let's go.

[He heads off through town, though he only takes a few moments to speak because he's debating where to start.]

Mauri explained something about Finns and Finnish mages to me. Apparently they have three souls, though the one called the Luonto was the one of most interest.

[Apparently he's decided on taking the long way around, sorry if it sounds like he's going off on a tangent.]

[It definitely sounds like a tangent.]

... Okay.

[Cool fact, but what does it have to do with anything?]

So... magic stuff.

[A fun educational tangent on magic stuff(??)]

That's right. Both humans and mages have them, [sorry he's inserting his human/magic user separation in here,] and it seems that it provides some protection from the magic of this world... but for mages it's what allows them to use magic. For humans... it prevents them from hearing the whispers of the trolls.

Faust... the mages are... still human.

[He can let your weird hangup slide for your world but he's not going to here.

Wait.]

... The trolls all whisper. That- [Oh.

Oh.]

So we... hear the trolls... because we're not... from this world.

[Swing and a miss.]

[One point for catching on about trolls, one deducted for the second conclusion. Also he's just brushing past that mages are human comment.]

...Trolls have their own magic, and mages are susceptible to it without the proper mental defenses. And these Luonto take the form of animals.

That's what we saw last night. Our Luonto protecting us from the troll we heard trying to control us.

[On the one hand, the whispers didn't mean what Teo hoped. On the other, congratulations you're a ~~wizard~~ mage, possibly?]

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