August 2021 - Farming, and...?

[staymods]

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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The voice

[staymods]

[If your character is going to respond to the voice, please do so here.]

[ghoulserrand]

[He's called it "voices" before, whenever his memory decided to open and surrender him some distorted piece of his past. But, he definitely hadn't meant it so literally. It didn't sound like someone was calling him, now, here, in the present.

The first time he'd heard it, he'd made a fuss. Someone needed help. They needed to do something. But, when he'd seen everyone the next few days, no one acted like anything was out of the norm. Had he dreamed it? With time, it slipped his mind.

But now it's back, snuck in there and burrowing. It makes him feel uneasy but so does the idea of ignoring someone in need. He does walk to the edge of the water, just once, but he can't go beyond. Not unless-- no. He can't. What if it's not out there? What if it's somewhere worse.

It's with a miserable note that he says;]

I think... I'm going crazy...

[maidofmistakes]

Mr. Teo?

[Supergirl hangs back, looking around nervously.]

I thought it was just my super hearing, but if you hear it too, it must be close. What do you think it is?

[relictus]

Doggos

[Having moved himself into the house on Sheep Island sometime last month, Faust has taken it upon himself to ensure the sheep are taken care of- not in any official capacity, but since he's staying here he may as well ensure they aren't neglected, right? And now that the farmland nearby is ready for use, he can help keep an eye on that as well...]

[But watching out for the sheep also means ensuring the two Finnish Lapphunds are taken care of. He's much more of a cat person, but at least they're well-trained, and, well...]

[When no one is around (or it at least seems that way), he might just spend some time throwing sticks for them to fetch and rewarding them with bits of dried fish and ear scritches, with some rare laughter when they manage to lick his face.]

Voices

[This is very different from the sounds they heard before- if these disembodied whispers can be called sound. It makes him uneasy for a multitude of reasons. He's very aware of the pull and resists it the first night, which seems effective as it fades minutes later.]

[But when it's back the second night, he still refrains from answering but he lets himself follow the pull to the north shore of the island. From here he can tell it's coming from outside the islands, and as far as he's concerned, that's all he needed to know.]

[Regardless of anyone else who may have turned up here for the same reasons, he turns away to head back despite the whispers still pressing for an answer.]

[ghoulserrand]

[His head lifts. Like usual, there's no expression that can be seen with all he wears.]

You hear it too...?

[His breath shudders. He's not crazy. Not yet.]

I thought it was... just a voice in my... head...

[He looks then towards the direction of the shore.]

I don't know... it would... have to be a survivor... wouldn't it...?

[maidofmistakes]

Yeah, unless it's an illusion... I know we're not allowed to go check, but I want to anyway.

[relictus]

[Faust is only on this part of the island to confirm one thing, and he already has- that the source of these whispers is coming from outside the islands. He would have simply turned around and left at that point if not for spotting a familiar figure by the water, and maybe it's just the dimming light but he looks alarmingly close to just walking forward into the waves.]

[Which in itself isn't alarming, but with those whispers...]

Oi, Teo. Get away from the water.

[ghoulserrand]

He didn't realize anyone else was out there. He hates that he can go from being too aware to completely phasing out of the world with the right distraction. He jerks at the sound of Faust's voice, whirling and stepping back from the sea.

...Faust...?

[He glances from the man and back to the water again.]

Do you... hear that...?

[ghoulserrand]

An illusion...?

[He sounds confused. He's not used to magic things. Not besides the dead.]

...Did they say... why we can't... go check...?

[relictus]

[To be fair he was hanging back from the actual shoreline, but he moves closer now that he has Teo's attention.]

...It's coming from outside the islands, so it has nothing to do with us.

[ghoulserrand]

[As usual outside, especially when the glare of the sunset is so bright, his face is hidden. With it is his furrowing brow.]

What do you... mean...?

[He knows full well what Faust means. But-]

Someone needs... help... they've been... calling... We've got to- [No.] I've got to... do something...

[maidofmistakes]

It's not safe. You know, with the trolls.

[relictus]

We don't know who or what it is. You can feel that compulsion to answer, can't you? That's why you're here.

[He glances over the water briefly before looking back toward the main part of the island.]

If someone is truly in danger, that's for the people of this world to handle. It's unwise to leave the islands, anyway.

[ghoulserrand]

[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...

[ghoulserrand]

[The trolls. The dead. He hadn't forgotten.]

Is that... all...?

[relictus]

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.

[ghoulserrand]

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...

[relictus]

...?

[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?

[ghoulserrand]

[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...

[relictus]

...

[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.

[ghoulserrand]

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...?

[maidofmistakes]

I think so... I mean, I don't want to get infected, or get in trouble again, but we can't really leave them alone, can we?

[relictus]

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?

[ghoulserrand]

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?

[ghoulserrand]

You were... in trouble before...?

[Wait, no, that's not what he wants to focus on. He shakes his head.]

How far... can you fly...?