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name: oswald ( oz )
pronouns: he / him
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－ ｍｕｒａｋａｍｉ ｈａｒｕｋｉ
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"damn it all!"
the exclamation was punctuated by a loud curse and the sound of a pile of books toppling towards the ground in an ungraceful heap. several trinkets were swept towards the ground too in a fit of rage, only adding to the cacophony that hadn't been present before. oswald stood, fuming, as a younger boy tentatively pushed open the door to the room and poked his head in. "sir oswald? pardon my intrusion, but i heard the commotion and rushed over... is anything the matter?"
the silver haired man swiveled around, prepared to snap at the intruder, but the words died on the tip of his tongue when he met hugo's gaze. suddenly aware of his disheveled hair and the wild gleam in his eyes from the full-length mirror conveniently placed next to the door, he coughed awkwardly and bent down, preparing to pick up the fallen books. "ah... yes. forgive my outburst, hugo, i was just feeling rather frustrated. some things aren't working out quite as i had imagined, but don't worry about it. for better or for worse, this is out of your realm of expertise."
"oh, okay," the boy said, sculpting his features back into one of neutrality and calm. oswald didn't miss the way hugo's face twisted momentarily in disappointment, but he decided to not comment on it, nodding his head as the boy bowed and left, closing the door carefully behind him.
when the sound of hugo's footsteps faded into the distance, oswald breathed out a loud sigh and surveyed the room, feeling his eyes twitch in irritation. the books were still scattered haphazardly across the floor, and while the alchemist (the inventor? the artisan? he isn't quite sure what he is anymore) gathered the dusty tomes into his arms, his mind wandered over to whatever he had been doing before his outburst.
mumbling under his breath about how he really needed better ideas, oswald set the books off to the side where they wouldn't be bothered if he were to do something in a fit of fury again. when he seated himself by his desk again, his pale eyes fell upon the (rejected) sketches that he had been working on prior.
... and he was instantly reminded of how much of a slump he was in.
"ugh, this sucks."
oswald groaned and leaned back into his chair, reaching out for the papers on his desk and crumpling them up into a ball. somewhere at the back of his mind, a younger, more greenhorned version of himself shook his head in disappointment and pity at the waste of paper and the struggle he was having with his work. the anger from before had dissipated and faded into a dull ache inside of oswald, and trying harder to think gave him no results but a throbbing headache that refused to leave.
the offending balls of crumpled paper remained on the desk, and the man only stared blankly at them.
before, alchemy came as easily to him as breathing. his ingenious mind constantly broke the boundaries of what people thought to be the limits of spellcrafting, and everything he created - the spells, potions, trinkets - all worked easily and without a hitch. oswald's affinity with magic was unquestionable, and when coupled with his drive and passion for creation and further heights, it was no wonder that he could create a name for himself.
he wasn't known as "grand alchemist oz" of the capitol for nothing. even hugo, the stumbling, bumbling young boy who had been so eager to learn but was resigned to his fate as someone magic-less, could see his power.
that was, of course, before oswald began to draft up the plans for the wings.
it wasn't even like the wings were supposed to be that big of a deal. they were just supposed to be a fun little a project between commissions he'd do for other people, and oswald had been planning on adding many small details to the wings itself, in addition to potentially making them functional. however, the problem started when oswald couldn't come up with a design he liked, and when he forced himself to halfheartedly create the wings, they failed to come together and live up to his expectations.
there had been a saying floating amongst artisans and creators, scientists and innovators, about how you were your own greatest critic. the silver haired man had originally scoffed at such a notion, but now, it was painfully clear that he was unhappy with everything he thought of thus far. it felt like a bucket of cold water was dumped on his head, and the alchemist wanted nothing more than to reach inside his head and throttle his brain a little, just to get it back and kicking again.
it was a deeply unpleasant feeling. oswald stood back and pushed his chair back, not minding the harsh screeching of chair legs against the polished oak wood planks of the ground. what was another few scratches on the flooring? it had certainly seen better days before oswald turned the room into his workspace, and it was certainly no stranger to all the explosions and clutter that it was exposed to. besides, the alchemist had better things to worry about.
grabbing the coat that was hanging from the hook on the door, oswald swept out of the room in all his extravagance, flapping his large sleeves and letting the coat billow out from behind him. the door swung shut with a small bang, and with yet another long-suffering sigh, oswald set off to find hugo.
sure, perhaps he did tell the boy to go away barely ten minutes prior, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
"sir oswald... i don't mind accompanying you on your whims and i'm happy that you'd even let me tag along with you, but can i please know where we're going?" hugo asked for not the first time that day, and the older man merely shrugged.
"the library, i guess," the man answered after a long moment of silence, and the frown on hugo's face only deepened.
"you guess?"
"yeah, well." coughing into his fist to mask the embarrassed flush rising to his cheeks, oswald shrugged helplessly. "i'm sure you've seen how much i've been struggling with my work recently. i need a change in environment and something else to do, and i don't want to go alone. you've been holed up a lot too, these days, so i thought that we could both get some fresh air before locking ourselves back up with the books."
"that... is actually a cogent argument. i'm almost surprised, sir."
"hah? what's that supposed to mean, my dear apprentice?"
"nothing, nothing. you're probably overthinking it as always, sir."
shaking his head in disbelief at how cheeky his apprentice was being (he should really teach the brat how to respect elders and not actual alchemy!), oswald stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coat. it wasn't that cold, but the way the autumn wind nipped at his skin was starting to veer more into the uncomfortable territory. hugo skipped on in front of him, evidently enjoying the cloudy air, and the alchemist couldn't help but let a grumble slip past his lips.
"how are you so energetic...? we're just walking to the library."
"you're such a killjoy, sir," hugo shot back, but the boy seemed to reconsider his actions, as his steps slowed and slipped into a gait that was more formal, more refined. in truth, it wasn't that big of a difference from his skips, but oswald chuckled slightly at his apprentice's efforts. it was quiet and barely more than a small snort, but hugo (curse young people and their supersonic hearing) managed to pick up on it and stomped a foot. "don't laugh at me, i'm doing my best here!"
the silver haired man didn't respond, but during those few moments with his apprentice, he felt lighter than he had while puzzling over his latest project. a sort of guilty feeling threatened to bubble up inside of him, berating him for taking time off his work, but oswald did his best to shove the feeling down. surprisingly enough, even he knew his own limits, and he understood that if something didn't come to him, then there was no point in trying to force "something" to come, whatever "something" could be.
it's no surprise that frustration rather than anger fills him instead, and in that moment, oswald clenches a fist as he watches hugo move about. oh, to be young again... perhaps the source of all his troubles was that time continued to tick, regardless of whether or not he was ready.
the alchemist was flipping a page of one of the many books he had stacked in front of him when hugo almost all but crashes into his side, breathless and wheezing but still smiling as radiantly as the sun, even when there's an overcast. "sir oswald!" he exclaimed, completely missing the dark glare the librarian had shot in their direction, "we should do something!"
"are we not doing something right now, hugo?" the man questioned drily, but he set down his book on bird anatomy and nodded apologetically to the librarian. "you should take this opportunity to read up on as many things as you can. the archives we have back at the laboratory are large, yes, but in the face of such a grand library, it amounts to nothing."
the boy stomped a foot on the ground, annoyed that the man hadn't instantly picked up on whatever ambiguous hint he was trying to give off. "sir, you know that's not what i meant! stop reading already! you said you came out here to take a break, but all you're doing now is immersing yourself into the books again!" tugging on oswald's sleeve with one hand, hugo used the other to reach for the stack of papers on the table and pulled them closer to the duo. "let's write something and fold the papers up into something!"
"... idea rejected. hugo, i'm actually trying to do something important here. don't bother me with unimportant things."
"sir, you know that it's not going to work, right? actually take a break. write something, anything. write a story. write a letter to someone, or compose a song. just stay away from those blueprints and formulas, okay? can you at least humour me on this one thing?"
oswald didn't respond, and instead opted to pick up his book again in favour of ignoring his apprentice. no amount of whining from hugo was able to get him to budge, and after a while, the boy sulked off, mumbling about how "there was no such thing as perfection and his master was stupid to run after it like a bitter ex" and how his master was "too much of a thick skulled idiot to appreciate the beauty of rest and relaxation". in a sense, he wasn't wrong; any time not spent doing something was just merely time wasted, was it not? for that very reason, the silver haired man did everything he could in his power to keep himself busy, but there was nothing he could really do about the metaphorical idea drought in his mind.
tapping the end of a pen distractedly against the table as he flipped through the pages of his book, oswald heaved out a sigh through his nostrils and took a side glance at the paper. he couldn't deny how bored or unsettled he was by looking at nothing but diagrams of bird wings and their bone structure, and contrary to his beliefs, a change in location hadn't really done much change for him.
the alchemist was bitter. angry, even. why did he have to be struck with a lack of inspiration and motivation? the worst part about the entire situation was that he couldn't even justifiably take it out on anyone; hugo was innocent and just trying to help, and not for the first time since he picked up the project, oswald felt a slight twinge of guilt prick at his heart. hugo had been trying to help, but the man knew himself enough to understand that such methods likely wouldn't help.
to be fair, he had never tried them out, but how could they work? stopping work in favour of slacking and doing something else? how in the world could that ever be considered productive?
"i think you'd be surprised at the wonders of changing your perspective every once in a while, grand alchemist oz," a quiet voice sounded from behind him, and oswald swiveled around in surprise. he was greeted with the countenance of the librarian who had glared at him and his apprentice earlier, and when he tried to stammer out something - a hello, an apology, a what the hell are you doing behind me - the librarian shook their head, effectively cutting him off. "no. stop. actually listen for a change. that boy - your apprentice, correct? - is just trying to look out for you. i don't doubt that you know this already, but it's worth taking other people's views into consideration for once. no one is invincible, not even the greatest, most prodigious alchemists."
with those simple words, it was like the librarian had taken hold of oswald's tongue and cut it clean off. he shifted uncomfortably for a few moments, before setting the book down once more onto the table and addressing the other person. "how... how did you figure out my identity?"
it was the only thing he was able to force to the surface, and the librarian scoffed as though they had been asked a ridiculous question.
(in hindsight, it probably was ridiculous, but oswald had never been one for retrospection.)
"you and the kid weren't exactly being hush-hush about it, you know. anyone with eyes could tell," they commented flippantly, before turning to the shelves behind oswald's chair. "well, in the end, whether or not you change is entirely dependent on yourself. the boy's said his piece, and as an outsider, i've said mine. i'll be heading off to work now, if you don't mind." the librarian nodded at oswald pleasantly, almost like they hadn't just given him a tongue lashing, and returned to their former place at the front desk. the silver haired man was left to stew in his own pot of uncomfortable feelings.
did the librarian (and hugo) have a point? yes, yes they did. did oswald want to listen? this much was questionable.
perhaps he'll sit back and ruminate a little more.
"there's no such thing as perfect writing, just like there's no such thing as perfect despair, huh?"
"sir? with all due respect, what... what are you doing?"
oswald stared blankly at hugo for ten whole seconds before turning back to his task. he sat, crossed-legged and hunched, and the apprentice's face twisted when he realized that he wasn't going to get an answer out of the grand alchemist if he wasn't persistent enough with his questions.
"sir?"
"don't you have eyes? i'm folding paper airplanes."
"yes, but aren't those papers the plans and blueprints you were using for your project? i'm happy that you're doing something else, i really am, but this... this is something that i never would've expected you to do."
the silver haired man shrugged his shoulders at the boy's words, carefully creasing the paper and humming to himself under his breath. "i suppose i can understand that. i wouldn't have seen myself doing this either, but recently, i've had an epiphany of sorts, if you will. perfection is elusive and slips away at me from every turn, and although i won't stop striving for perfection, perhaps... it would be more beneficial for me to expand my views a little."
hugo whistled loudly in response, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned on the table to catch a closer look at what his master was doing. "that's great and all, but are you going to have enough time to finish that personal project and take on more commissions at the same time?"
oswald gave the boy a distracted nod, lifting the plane to the light to examine it. "yeah, about that... i finished the wings and some of the commissions before letting the others know that there's been some unexpected delays with the progress."
at first, hugo's eyes lit up with glee. "really? that's great news, sir oswald!" a moment later, the rest of the alchemist's words fully registered in his head, and the boy's eyes widened in shock. "wait, what do you mean there's been some unexpected delays?! is anything the matter?"
"you're so loud... kids are truly the creation of the devil," the man grumbled, running a hand through his messy hair. he launched the plane into the air, and watched as it flew straight towards the ceiling and lodged itself into one of the hanging lamps. "dammit. i hope that doesn't catch on fire."
"... sir? are we really going to pretend like you didn't just imply that something is wrong?"
oswald stared at the boy for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day, before shrugging his shoulders. "i'm not pretending. i just didn't feel like heading back onto the work crunch, so i let my clients know that business might be a little slower while i explore paper airplanes some more. of course, i left that last part out, but it's basically the same meaning."
"i... i am not even going to begin to dissect how flawed that thinking is, sir. congrats on finally overcoming your slump, though. i'll just be in my room if you need me for anything." shaking his head slightly, hugo bowed at the man and hightailed out of the room, closing the door behind him with a loud clank. the alchemist let out a small snort, and turned to face the completed wings that were stashed in the corner of the room.
in truth, the wings still weren't satisfactory, but for a casual project, they'd have to be good enough. no more anger resided in oswald, and when he stared at his creation, the only thing he felt was relief.
thank god all that hassle was finally over.
[ 2991 / 3000 words ]
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Alrighty!
I'd like to give this Keldine to ✦ nemuri
It was a challenge to judge these, since all the stories were so well written, but I loved the relationship you created between Hugo and Oswald, as well as the character development shown. The end of the story made me genuinely happy, and I can't wait to see what else you do with them <3
Flowerbud X. wrote:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxI apologize if the code is wonky on your screen as on mine it fits just right ;w;◤xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx◥
xusername; Flowerbud X.
xname; Velia - means "concealed"
xpronouns; She/Her
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╚═════════════╝𝓥𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓪 - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐫▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
Velia has always aspired to be a performer. As her current position of local salve maker wasn’t cutting it anymore. It didn’t matter to her what title she’d acquire as she always made sure every day to expand and perfect her talents. Alas, it was not meant to be. On the fateful day of her interview they posted a new rule for the role she was applying for. One must not have had any prior complaints or charges filed against them. While the charge she had filed against her was dropped, it was still remaining on her record for another month. What was the charge you ask? It was a simple misunderstanding that caused her to be scarred physically and emotionally.~ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ☆ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ☆ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ~
Velia started off her day as any other, making her herbal salves to use or sell later as she owned a small corner shop in town. The mixture she was working on that day was one containing beeswax, lavender oil, coconut oil and calendula oil. This was the salve she sold out or used╔═════════════╗very quickly. It was a perfect remedy for anything minor really; scrapes, chapped lips or skin, bug bites and more. About two batches in she heard a knock on the door, who she discovered upon opening it was the only other local beekeeper; Troy. Troy was fairly easy to get along with as he always kept to himself and avoided causing a ruckus.║
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Except this day. This day he was not himself and he was out for trouble. Velia ignored the warning signals flashing in her head and let him into her workroom. Not even a second upon him entering he pulled back his lips to show his fangs. “Velia. Oh, sweet Velia. It seems we have a dilemma on our hands.” Looking up from her work table, she did an internal jump. His fangs were glistening in the morning sun, looking more sinister each second. She calmly spoke and looked him in the eyes, “It seems we do, Troy. What is this dilemma you speak of?” Velia was glad her body remained as calm as her voice.
“It seems my bees have fallen to the poison of ethanol. I’ve gone through everyone I can think of who would profit off of this and your name was the one that kept coming up.” Velia╔═════════════╗stopped pouring the pot into the jar, her fur bristling at this accusation. It was hard for her to keep her tranquility now. “Now why would I do such a thing?”, she asked him with some hostility. Troy walked closer to her now, a mere foot away from her face. “Why? Ha! Why, she asks. One: you’re the only other beekeeper in this town, even if it’s a small lot. Two: you won’t have to pay me anymore due to our arrangement. Third: your sales will profit more from me being out of commission.”║
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He let out a huff when he was done and his fangs seemed to become even more hostile, if at all possible. Velia was tongue tied and had to tear it off of the roof of her mouth. “I can see where you’re coming from and it’d be pretty obvious it was me, but you know deep down I’d never do that to you. I am a woman of my word, I always have been. I would never jeopardize my reputation or stoop so low to that level. Why would I mess up our relationship over a few more measly bucks?” Troy began shaking his head and let out a maniacal laugh.╔═════════════╗Velia didn’t realize she was in trouble until it was too late. All she could remember was hearing her work table knock over and herself scream. Next thing she knew she was in a hospital bed looking at her niece in the waiting chair. Coughing, she groggily let out, “Hey..what am I doing here…” Her niece looked into her eyes and let out a happy smile. “Ma! Ma! Aunt Velia is awake!” From around the other side of the bed her sister, Olina, came into view. “Careful, Velia. You don’t want to put any stress on your wounds.” Velia didn’t feel any pain until her sister mentioned it and she winced.║
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The pain was in many places, but the worst in her face. She could feel the stitches digging in around her lips. How she was able to let out any words to her niece when she woke up amazed her. She had so many questions, but she couldn’t find the strength to ask them. Her sister filled her in on her wounds. “The minor wounds are the bruises on your legs and tail. As for the bigger ones, you have a pretty big gash on your left side. The doctors said it’ll be awhile before anything heals up and regrows there. They had to remove most of your scales to put the stitches in. I’m sure you already know about the ones on your lips. Plus side about that╔═════════════╗one is you already have the markings to cover up the scars easily, right?”║
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While Velia appreciated her sisters lighthearted-ness and sympathy to make her feel better, she wasn’t in the mood. She was more concerned about what caused Troy to attack her in the first place and how she even ended up in the hospital. After a few moments of her taking everything in her niece returned with a large bundle in her mouth. “I found something to fix for you, Aunt Velia. I hope you like it! The shop-keeper even let me do some stitching on it!” Velia smiled as best she could at the young one in-front of her. Talking with her stitches was becoming a little more easier with each passing moment. “Well don’t keep me waiting, open it! I can’t exactly move my paws very well, you know, haha.”
Inside were two big wings that were more moth wings than butterfly ones. The gears began to churn in her head on what they were. “Wow..I didn’t even notice them,” she whispered while rubbing her paw over the new silky material. Tears began to well in her eyes as she looked at each of them to thank them. The wings were a birthday gift over a heart warming joke from a╔═════════════╗long lost friend when she was younger. Due to age they began to wear and she could never find the time to get them repaired so they sat in a display case. Velia’s ears perked up when she heard her niece clear her throat.║
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“I’m really glad you like them! Ma said they’d make you happy,” the pup chirped with glee, “Plus what I didn’t realize until now you can use them to cover up the wound on your side once you’re cleared to walk.” Her niece paused mid sentence when Velia’s ears sagged a bit. Was her side wound that bad for it to be covered? Velia wasn’t able to see what it looked like, but it made her feel more displeased with it if that was the case. Olina stepped in to reassure her sister, “I know what you’re thinking Velia and that’s not the reason. Everyone out there knows about what happened to you. The police are still trying to pin this whole thing on you from Troy’s input. I know you could never do those awful things they’re saying. It’d be more for your security and comfort than anything.”
Velia knew her sister was right and quickly let those doubts slide. Besides, the wings actually╔═════════════╗did bring her comfort. It felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket. With the comfort of these wings she swore to herself she would get justice from what Troy had done to her.║
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╚═════════════╝~ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ☆ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ☆ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ~
Velia let out a shudder and reconvened her mind wandering to the present situation. While she did get justice for what Troy did to her and it took a while. She found her eyes wondering from where she was sitting to her loft. It was if she could feel an imaginary pull on her heart. In an instant she was standing in front of the display case of the wings with her paw pulling the latch. Velia shrugged them into place, looking down in wonder. “Now why had I ever taken these off?”, she whispered to herself. A surge of newfound anger coursed through her; anger at yet again Troy who caused her numerous problems and at herself for not remaining true to herself.
She found herself making a new promise. One that would always protect her. The promise of freedom. Yes, that was what Velia realized she actually felt whenever she wore the wings. A calm sense of freedom that made her feel like she could do anything. With this newfound power mixed with the anger╔═════════════╗still cursing through her veins, she held her head high. Velia stepped out of her house holding onto those feelings ready to claim the two, well two of the many things, she wanted in this life. [1,524/3,000]║INSERT TEXT HERE║
╚═════════════╝Thanks for reading my story and good luck to all the other entries! I had a blast writing this story for this keldine and have more ideas on development if I win.
rem sleep wrote:
Username - rem sleep
Name - Noah
Pronouns - He / Him / Himself
Answer to Prompt - “Just let me drink my coffee in pace, David,” he muttered under his breath, lips still only centimeters away from the rim of his favorite baby blue coffee mug, “I don’t see why this rumor is so important to you, anyway. When we were kids, we used to tell ghost stories too, remember?”
“Noah, seriously, this is a serious issue! People are actually going missing. People- and, a friend of mine, too.” David reclined in his seat, tossing his hands out at either side, his eyes wide and sleepless, his expression taut, “I don’t know why you’re blowing me off here. I’m just asking you to come with me to the forest that Kevin was last seen at so we can find him. Please, I am literally begging you. I have nowhere else to go, and nobody else would believe me. We’ve been friends since grade school, Noah! Please. I don’t know who else would hear me out, much less come with.”
“That’s a shame,” Noah muttered, taking a long swig of his coffee, “Because I don’t believe you either. You barge into my morning appointment at my favorite café, freaking out, losing your absolute mind, and I sit you down, buy you a cup and watch my breakfast quiche get cold, for what? For some silly ghost story about those woods again. We all know they’re not haunted.”
“But they are! Kevin is missing, Noah. I know you don’t know him well, but still! I didn’t believe it either until Kev went hiking out there and didn’t come back. It’s been a week! I’d rather check sooner rather than later, because of the rumors. Is it silly? Yes. Do I want to risk something bad happening to Kevin? Absolutely not! Have some sympathy, Noah. Please.”
“Fine. Whatever,” Noah groaned and rolled his eyes, “Let me finish my cup, at least. Then we’ll go to on your make-believe search and rescue.”
“Thanks Noah!” David’s anxiety melted into a big, goofy grin, still tired but at least not so bogged down. It was the wrinkles on his face, heavy with stress, that made Noah so anxious. Usually he wouldn’t buy into this sort of hullaballoo, but David… well David had always been a genuine person, a silly guy yes, but someone who wouldn’t joke about this sort of thing. Noah didn’t think his friend was yanking his chain, but he did think that David was being ridiculous, that his naivety had made him buy into what was, and what always had been, a rumor. The woods were not haunted. There was no scary monster lurking in them. They had been telling those tall tales for generations, and not once had anyone ever been seriously hurt. “You won’t regret this!” David added, “How about we split up for an hour to grab supplies, then meet at mine?”
“Sure,” Noah sighed resignedly, “Meet you there.” And that’s how Noah got suckered into heading into the supposedly-haunted woods on the outskirts of town, rather against both his will and his better judgement.
They reconvened and the drive was one spent wordlessly listening to music. Noah gazed absently out the passenger side window, scanning the trees. It wasn’t possible Kevin had been swallowed up by the woods, was it? He didn’t believe so, and he reminded himself of that again and again, but the more sideways glances he gave David, the more he looked at that strained smile, the more nervous he felt. When they arrived, they hopped out of the car with plenty of daylight and set out on foot down the hiking path Kevin was last seen on. The cacophony of the forest set in, rustling leaves, chirping cicadas and singing birds bustled around them, and while it was peaceful and serenely quiet, it was also simultaneously busy and full of the sounds and energy of life. For a moment, comfortably situated under the protection of the branching treetops, watching the dappled sun pattern the grass through the leaves, Noah almost forgot why he was here.
“Let’s get going,” David’s voice shook Noah from his trance, and pulled him down the hiking path at a more urgent speed. David was carrying a camera, pointing it at everything that moved, including Noah, who sneered in the lenses’ direction.
“David, what’re you doing with that camera?” Noah studied his friend skeptically. David walked ahead of him, scanning the woods, his camera darting around frantically whenever there was a moment’s rest.
“Keeping track of things,” David said, “What if we miss something? You can only look at one thing at a time, after all, but the camera can see everything. We might miss hints if we only use our eyeballs.”
“I’ll pretend for a second that what you just said makes any sense at all,” Noah grumbled, giving his friend another sardonic eyeroll. David’s rising anxiety was, with each passing second, more unnerving to him. What was his deal, anyway?
“You do that,” David replied. They carried on for a while before David stopped abruptly in his tracks.
“David?”
“I found his backpack-!” David barked, moving aside for Noah to see and gesturing frantically to the fallen backpack, which on any other day would’ve been an unremarkable blue and green bag, “He wouldn’t just leave this behind!”
“Maybe he dropped it,” Noah searched his mind for an explanation, “Maybe he didn’t notice he left it here.”
“How could he have dropped it and forgotten?” David raised a water bottle from the bag to Noah’s face, “His supplies are in here. He couldn’t get far without this.”
“You have a point…” Noah admitted, lowly, grudgingly. He didn’t want to dignify any part of David’s nervous energy, for one because it would only cause a further spiral down, and also because the entire thing was beginning to get to him. The farther they walked down the path, the more the dappled sunspots faded, the more the cacophony around them dulled, sounding distant, farther away- as if the life of the forest wasn’t following them into its depths. Was there something within, keeping the wildlife away? Noah didn’t want to think about it. “It’s still probably nothing. Let’s just keep searching.”
“I’m taking the bag with,” David said firmly before standing, putting the water bottle back safely inside, “As evidence. And in case we get lost.”
That last bit hung in the air too long, looming over the heads of the two. It occurred to both of them at that moment that they were quite far down the trail, and even with their map, they couldn’t navigate well at night and if they were forced to stay in the woods until sundown, they’d probably have to set up camp- something that Noah, at least, hadn’t prepared for. They continued down the path.
The sun began to set in the distance.
“David? Should we turn back? We might still be able to get back to the car before dark if we head out now,” Noah suggested, his voice escaping him as more of a whisper. It was very quiet around them now, too quiet, and it surely paled in comparison to the volume when they arrived. Was this only because it was getting dark…? Noah tried to tell himself that was all it was, in order to keep his cool, “Kevin probably found his way back by now, anyway.”
“But he isn’t lost, Noah,” David’s tired eyes grew intense, his free hand trembling as he balled it into a determined fist, “Something took him! And we have to find out what, and get him back if we can, and--”
“We don’t know that. You don’t know that.” Noah interrupted him, cutting off what seemed like it would’ve quickly devolved into a nervous rampage, “Please, David. You’re getting irrational. When was the last time you slept, huh? You’re not still staying up all night these days, are you?”
“Well…” David’s eyes fell to the ground, the fist dropping resignedly at his side, “Yes and no. I’ll admit it’s been a couple days.”
“Let’s get some rest, then. We’ll get up and search again tomorrow, okay? I don’t have work tomorrow, so let’s just walk a little more, then pitch a tent. There was one in Kevin’s bag, right?”
“Yeah, and it should work okay. Only one bedroll though, so unless you feel like cuddling…”
“Pass,” Noah rolled his eyes again, his tone stubborn, with the slightest hints of playfulness hidden behind it, which had taken David years to carefully spot, “But thanks for the offer.”
They set up camp after the last hours of daylight had trickled away. They lit a fire, cooked dinner, and laid down to sleep, Noah insisting that David take the bedroll seeing as he had enough trouble sleeping already. Once the fire fizzled out and everything was dark and quiet, Noah noticed just how quiet things were. He couldn’t even hear traces of the world, just dead, uninterrupted silence. He stared into the dark of the woods, watching the treetops swap- but he couldn’t hear the leaves rustle, no matter how hard he tried. He saw bats flying but couldn’t hear their wings flapping. The air was still. Completely still. Noah looked over to David, whose shape he could make out only slightly in the darkness. His eyelids were closed, his expression finally rested, the stress in his face having melted away, even if only temporarily. He wanted to wake David, to get out of here as quickly as possible. The unnaturalness of the situation was creeping down his spine like a chill that he couldn’t explain. But he couldn’t bring himself to, not with David finally looking at peace.
David had always been an insomniac, ever since they were kids. The bags under David’s eyes had been there ever since they first met in kindergarten, all the way up until middle school when Noah’s family had to move out of town. Noah wasn’t surprised that, upon his return after high school, David still had bags under his eyes. What he was surprised by, however, was David’s intense friendship with Kevin, a kid he’d only cursorily seen before. Kevin was a quiet guy, a nature-lover and he seemed decent enough. Noah couldn’t remember anything in particular he disliked about Kevin, but then, he also couldn’t remember anything he liked. Kevin was remarkably unremarkable, an exceptionally average person. He often blended right into the background wherever he was. It was likely no one would’ve noticed his absence without David around.
Snap. A twig snapped in half somewhere in the woods around them, shattering the silence. Noah was brought forcefully out of his memory. He froze, listening to the dead air. Snap. Another, closer this time. Seconds passed that felt like hours before Noah detected anything else. Smash. Noah couldn’t see it, but he was sure a tree had just been split in half, the deafening sound was too much to have come from a twig or single branch. Noah held his breath. He waited for minutes, hours. He woke up when the warm sun washed over his eyelids. David was already awake, picking up camp.
“Good morning, sunshine,” David chuckled, but Noah was still groggy. Slowly, Noah sat up and scanned the surrounding area. He thought perhaps what he’d experienced last night was just a dream, but… there was a tree snapped clean in half that definitely hadn’t been that way before. He stood, hesitantly, and walked towards it, almost in a trance, ignoring David’s commentary. Noah studied the ground, finding a set of footprints, somewhere between human and animal. Too big for a wild animal, but not quite a human shape- they had indents for a long set of claws, and a defined sort of paw pad on the base, but the shape was long, and the tracks were in clear sets of two.
“David, you have to come look at this,” the breath those words escaped on was the first Noah had exhaled in a solid minute. “Bring the camera.”
“What is it man? Might’ve been some sort of dry storm or-” David called out, hustling over to the location before he, too, looked downwards, “Oh.” He knelt down, zoomed in on the prints, and began to shuffle along following their trail. Where had they come from? Noah followed along behind him as they passed two sticks snapped cleanly down the middle. But the tracks seemed to appear suddenly, from nowhere. They followed the tracks back, and they did lead away from the tree. David looked, wide-eyed to Noah.
“Give me five minutes to get the stuff packed up.” He said bluntly, not allowing any time for a response before he ran off and quickly stuffed the camping gear back into Kevin’s lost backpack.
They followed the tracks, which led them off the path they’d been dutifully following this entire time ‘til now. David assured Noah that he could navigate well, since he’d been taking more hikes with Kevin as of late, he’d become quite adept at managing his way around the forest. It was dense, and David was leading the way, cutting branches down with a machete from Kevin’s bag. Where they could, they weaved through the thick brush. It was awhile before the sun broke on the other side and the two stumbled out of the encroached space. Before them was the horizon line, an open plain hidden within the woods, and the surface of a sparkling lake. But, most importantly, there was Kevin, seated on a log stump, his back to them, humming a tune and fishing.
“Kevin!” David blurted, running over to embrace his friend, who seemed confused by the enthusiasm, but stood to embrace his friend, nonetheless. Kevin gazed with his pale eyes over David’s shoulder and over to Noah, seeming even more perplexed.
“David?” Kevin’s voice came after a moment, having been temporarily winded by David’s exuberant embrace, “What’s going on here, man? What’s up? You guys look… really worn down. I hope nothing’s wrong?”
“Oh!” David pulled away from the hug, looking his friend in the eyes, his camera still clutched in his trembling hands, “Well, you see, we thought you’d been taken away by something in the woods, since it’d been a week since you went out on your hike and--”
“Oh, rats, I forgot to let you know I’d be staying out here awhile,” Kevin interjected, again silencing an onslaught from David’s anxiety, “I’m sorry about that dude, but no, I wasn’t hurt or taken or anything, but I really appreciate you worrying about me. I was just camping out a bit, is all. I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t invite you this time. It’s nothing personal, just… you know I like to have personal time, just myself and nature, for introspection and meditating, right?”
“Of course, of course,” David repeated, “Sorry for freaking out. This is my friend Noah, by the way! I think you guts met once, briefly? It was right before he moved out, so I don’t blame either of you if your memory’s a bit foggy.”
Kevin and Noah stared at each other for a moment before either spoke.
“How about we get going home David?” Noah proposed, his tone wary and almost hesitant. There was something about Kevin that just didn’t sit right with him. Maybe it was just the fact that the air still hung dead even in this beautiful alcove that bothered him, but the sense of confinement he had in the dense brush hadn’t left him yet. “I have work tomorrow, and so do you, man.”
“Oh, right!” David blurted, “Kev, you coming with? We can drive you home. Oh! And your backpack, you must’ve dropped it.” David handed Kevin over his bag.
“Oh, thank you. I set it down earlier while on a hike, I was going to grab it on my way back, since it’s only one bag of many and it was getting a bit heavy to drag all the way out to the lake, but I appreciate it. As for turning in early… I think I’ll pass. I will catch up with you though. I’ll only be out a couple more days, at most, then I’ll give you a call and we can go get slurpees or something.” Kevin offered a warm smile, which David reciprocated, as Noah looked on with a cool expression.
“Let’s get going then,” Noah offered, and off they went. What a pain, Noah thought to himself, the first time he’s seen David in months and he’s convinced the world is ending because his new best friend went somewhere without him, not to mention that whether Noah was willing to admit it or not, David and his antics had freaked him out over the past two days and deprived him of much needed coffee and rest. But… one thing still remained that kept him from being completely pissed off. Was… there something up with Kevin? He seemed different from how Noah remembered, somehow, and almost uncanny… Noah was honestly surprised that David didn’t say anything about it the entire way home. Maybe… David was right? And there was something in those woods… Maybe the thing just isn’t what David was expecting.
[ 2875 / 3000 ]
These were a close seconds. The stories were well-written and engaging, and the play-out really kept me on the edge of my seat ^^;
I'd like to give you guys the choice between an RU design or an Uncommon MYO ticket~
Please let me know which you'd like!
Alckatraz wrote:username; Alckatraz
name; Cassius (meaning "empty", "hollow")
pronouns; He/him
answer to prompt;
"Life could have been so easy if we didn't have the tendency to complicate everything. We keep getting attracted by problems as the moths are attracted to flames.
Although everything seems bright in the beginning, always keep in mind that if you are flying too close to the sun, you will end burned."
The keldine slowly moved his sight from you. It looked like he just lived again an unpleasant moment. As if he suddenly remembered that you were standing there, waiting for him to continue, he started walking from a corner to the other of the room, clearing his throat. His face betrayed a shade of disgust. Looking straight in your eyes, he returned to his normal expression.
"You came here for answers, right? Then, you are in the right place. I had many names, but now I am known as Cassius. Ironically, don't you think...? Well, I will offer you what you are expecting to get from me. All I am asking in return is a bit of your time."
You are looking confused at the Keldine. Of course, he is a moth so the time is way more important for him. A week, and he might be gone, taking away with him all the answers you have been searching for since time immemorial. Yet, the Keldine in front of you seemed to be eternally ephemeral; like he lived a million lives before and each of them left a scar on his soul.
"The question is if you have enough time" you replied.
A spark of surprise enlightened the eyes of the one named Cassius. "You would be surprised if you knew how much time I have left, in fact. If only I had it back then..."
Again, it looked like a certain memory was visibly annoying him. You finally dare to ask "Is everything ok? You look a bit affected. Did I say anything that irritated you?"
Caught unawares, the Keldine turned suddenly. He sighed.
It was just another day in my life, maybe a minute in yours. We are wasting out time flying after that "light" which is deceiving us from what it's truly important. So did I, but when you are realising that you ran out of time, each moment is valuable.
It was a night like all of them, but it was special somehow. I was aware that it might be the last one for me. I was ready to go, but unprepared. I had nothing to lose, but a lot of things I didn't do. I spent my life alone and only then I truly realised what a huge mistake it was.
The sun was rising when I firstly saw her. She was shining brighter than any other light, the colours were blending together majestically on her skin. She was a butterfly, while I was just a moth. As I said, I has nothing to lose, so I went straight to her as if she was magnetic. It is said that love makes you vulnerable, but I felt stronger than ever before.
She looked at me and the time froze in that second. I wished I could remain trapped in that moment for eternity.
"Hello!" She said to me with a sweet and melodious voice. "I have never seen you around here before. Are you lost?"
"No, actually I came to admire the surroundings"
"Oh, right, it's a very beautiful area... Excuse me, but it's almost morning and... aren't you get hurt by the sunlight or something?"
I looked ar her amused, yet surprised. It was the last thing I was expecting to hear from her. I was going to reply something stupid possibly, but I felt dragged to the closest shade.
"Oh you saved me" I said a bit ironically. Her intention was good, but I felt like my skin was burning in the place she touched me.
"Now you will be fine" she said. I saw her ready to leave, and my heart broke. I wasn't ready to let her go, especially that we just met.
"Please stay" I managed to whisper, loud enough to be heard.
She turned around "Oh?"
"That is the only way you can assure I won't get sunburnt" I smirked.
"Oof you boys are so stubborn" she laughed.
I was aware that in every second all of these could end and I would be thrown in unknown, confronting with guilt and regrets. But soon I noticed surprised that my time literally froze in the moment we met. I haven't aged since then. I wasn't affected by the sunlight anymore. The only thing that could hurt me was her touch. I don't know what she did to me, all I know is that I was attracted in a mirage, an oasis in the middle of the desert, a reason to continue the fight for the "flame" that I finally found after so long. I was blinded by my own happiness, deceived by a caprice to make a stupid wish that condemned me for the eternity.
I thought that everything was way more beautiful since I met her. In fact, I was overwhelmed in an illusory oblivion of vain hopes.
I didn't know her name, or who she was. One day, she simply vanished into thin air. Without a reason, without a word of goodbye. She simply disappeared, as if she never existed at all. I knew she won't return to me. I should have stepped into the unknown alongside her, instead, I convicted myself of my selfishness.
I wish it was nothing but a dream, one of those terrifyingly "real" dreams we sometimes have.
But it wasn't like that and the reality hit me drastically. What I thought to be the most beautiful period of my life turned into a never-ending nightmare.
I considered myself being blessed with finding the love of my life, while I was actually caught into the curse of the eternity. I learned that everything happens for a reason and that the immortality is not something you would like to spend alone.
How can't I be angry when I am sitting here powerless? When I know I am responsible for my sentencing to continuous suffering. When I am thinking that I will never see again the only creature I ever loved and I am the only one responsible. Every second I wish to have back my mortal life, there is nothing I wish more than reaching an end after I did nothing else than run. There is no other thing I wish more than seeing my loved one again, even for a moment...
Cassius, although calm and melancholic was now boiling. You slowly approached him. Your hand touched his thick fur, as a consolation. He rised his eyes to you; an incommensurable pain was reflecting in them.
"It's not your fault..." you said.
Cassius looked like you just slapped him:
"What did you say?"
The keldine's nervous laughter sounded loudly.
"It's not my fault..." he kept repeating. "Then, whose fault is it!? Hers? Because she gave me everything she had!? Yours? Because you made me to tell all of these things, when I didn't even dared to remember them too detailed!? TELL ME! WHO IS HAS THE BLAME FOR ALL OF THESE IF NOT ME?"
His face suffered a transfiguration so quickly, that you stepped back for fear he could attack you. The situation was indeed delicate, a wrong word and things could get more complicated.
"I'm sure there must be a way to solve this"
"Do you really think I haven't tried anything that could have been tried? There is no treatment or spell that can cure the immortality."
You heard Cassius laughing again. That nervously laughter was the echo of all the suffering he had been dealing with for ages. It was devastating, especially that you felt how the keldine lost the last ray of hope he had left.
"He is furious on himself because he thinks he is to blame for an unhappy coincidence. In this way he destroys himself slowly and agonisingly." you thought.
Knowing that you should do something, you plucked up your courage and touched the keldine's scaly shoulder to get his attention.
"You tried to heal yourself from the immortality, but what if not you are the problem here?"
Cassius, still annoyed, fixed you with his pale golden eyes, defiant, but you knew he was all ears and that the hope started enlighting again in his heart.
"What if the immortality is the answer? You said that everything happens for a reason, didn't you?"
The anger of Cassius was suddenly replaced with confusion. The poor keldine was experiencing an unbelievable number of different feelings per second.
"So you are suggesting that it exist a way that I can share my sentence, implying to revive her so we can life happily ever after for half of an eternity?"
"Something like that, at least you won't be alone anymore. Do you think if can work?"
"I think we won't know until we'll try."(1505/2000)
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*in addition, a cute poodle moth looking like baby Yoda*
This was also well-written, and I adored the poetic way this played out.
I'd like to award you a common MYO ticket, or an uncommon edit item ^^
Let me know which one you'd like!
Sorry for the late judging, I really wasn't feeling up to it ><
But thank you for entering, everyone, and congrats to the winners ! :D
