A cozy log cabin... [Game #12 Closed!]

[sentimental]

Big boy, big dreams.

Username: sentimental_android
Link to sign-up post: ♡

Prompt response:

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Syrilli was using a blade of grass to pick his teeth when he heard Carter announce
the source of his current woes.

Oh.

So the big guy wasn't as pleased with his life on the island as Syrilli had assumed
he was. Understandable. After all, Syrilli hailed from a massive city that really never
seemed to stop to catch it's own breath- who knows how hard it'd be for him to live
on such a secluded island.
Groaning internally, Syrilli glanced at Carter's dispirited expression and felt that, yet
again, he was gonna have to play Google.

"Are you planning on leaving, then, C?" he started- seeing the other flinch, Syrilli spat
out his grass chew and began to contemplate.
He assumed that while it looked like Carter wanted to leave, he probably hadn't worked
up the personal conviction to do so.

"Weeeellllll- since you're so invested in cartography, have you considered mapping
out this entire place first? And maybe informing the residents of your wishes while
you do so? I doubt anyone here would fault you for wanting to chase your dreams."

At Carter's continued silence, Syrilli panicked and rushed to provide more advice-
"I mean ! You're young now, right now. And really, you aren't gonna be at any other
time. Why not go on your grand map-scribbling adventure while you still have room
to regret? After all- you can always return back here. No fare-well is forever. "

"Also-" Syrilli paused before bringing this one up,

"Have you considered an internet connection?"

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[244 words]

[zakuro.]

Big boy, big dreams.
Username: zakuro.
Link to sign-up post: im sobbing bye
Prompt response: [353 words]


she stiffened under the weight of his words. sylvia stopped sanding the board and looked up to find a teary-eyed carter. flustered, she attempted to remedy her friend's woes.

"look, i, uh, i'm really bad at giving advice. partly because i struggle with so much personally that i'm the one who should be receiving it." she put down the sandpaper and wiped the sweat from her lip with the back of her hand. getting off her knees, she relaxed cross-legged and looked carter in the face.

"but, i can tell you this: kalokairi is your home. always will be. people go on vacations all the time! the island won't disappear. your loved ones won't forget about you. they'll always be there for you to fall back on, no matter how far away you may be." she paused for a moment and shook her bangs out of her face.

"do it. go after your dreams. pursue your ambitions. every door is open for you, my friend. in the map of your life, you're only at the beginning! you've got a whole trip ahead of you!" she smiled enthusiastically. "you're a true friend to me, carter. i want the best for you. i want you to fulfill your dreams. from the time i've been on this island, you have been the kindest, most hardworking, most hospitable person i have ever met. you deserve the world. you deserve to do what makes you happy."

she paused once again, a bit unsure of what to say next.

"i'm sorry, i'm rambling. basically, if you want to be a cartographer, go for it. if you want to be an astronaut, GO FOR IT! the world is your oyster, man. this island and the people on it won't be going anywhere. you'll always be welcomed back with open arms. that, i am sure of."

casually, she patted him on the shoulder and returned to sanding the wood, completely dismissing the impact of her words.

a sniffling carter wiped his nose and smiled gingerly.

"Ya know, I think ya might be better at this than ya give yourself credit for."

[skylark]

Big Boy, Big Dreams
Username: skylark
Link to sign-up post: link
Prompt response: link

[apprentice_]

Big boy, big dreams. / rainichi / octopus / sign up / ruka
I've lived here all my life, how could I leave everyone I know behind?

this local ruka has occasionally visited is getting strangely personal. ruka’s just
here because their cruise literally wrecked into this island, and they have to
find something to do. and sometimes that something is talking to this local for
a hot minute.

but now said local expresses a dissatisfaction in being unable to travel. ruka
recoils. what was he looking for, consolation? advice? ruka was a good kid, but
didn’t have much the smarts to give advice or the empathy to cheer up random
aquaintances. really, they lived in a permanent state of being emotionally
drained and didn’t have the energy to spare on anyone that wasn’t a good
friend. which, sure, was harsh, but it’s a dog eat dog world, and they would
know— having been a death god and all.

they were already backing away when they tried to give any sort of reply.
“dude,” they sounded as uncomfortable as they looked, “just take a vacation.”
ruka faked a reaction (rather obviously, as if they hadn’t even been trying to
act it well), like something had caught their attention. “just heard my name,
man! gotta run!” they take off with solid determination not to ever continue
that conversation.

( they later chug an entire thing of cranberry juice in some sort of guilt
induced craze. )


[ 216 ]

[Ethulai]

Big boy, big dreams.
Username: Ethulai
Link to sign-up post: Boop!
Prompt response:

Leave? Radford thought, panicked. He wants to leave? Although he had begrudgingly started to enjoy himself on Kalokairi Island, the experience had only been bearable due to the normally happy-go-lucky kalon standing so conflicted in front of him. He wanted to help Carter out, but who was he to give life advice? He had spent the last twenty years running away from his responsibilities and wasting the opportunities that had come his way.

He tried desperately to think beyond his selfish desires and focus on the issue at hand. Being confronted with Carter's dilemma forced Radford to admit the carpenter had always had a wistfulness about him when he spoke about life beyond the island. He had voiced his dreams from the very beginning. Radford had ignored them.
"The best dreams," he said slowly and with careful deliberation, "are those you can make reality."
Carter looked at him miserably, clearly torn between his desire to travel and his love of home and hearth.

There was nothing for it. Carter had helped him out countless of times since his cruise ship had broken down and left them all temporarily stranded. As different as they were, Carter had not once made him feel unwanted or judged him for his multiple piercings or taken offense to his surly behaviour. He had continued to be friendly and cheerful and given Radford a purpose with the tasks he had been given, whether it was as simple as solving a riddle or as frustrating as looking for feathers. Now it was his turn to help Carter. To pay him back for all his friendship. To convince him that his dreams were worth chasing.

"You know what's amazing about you, dude?" he said, voice cracking. "It doesn't matter where you go, you take home with you. You are the reason I've felt so at peace here, even though this is as far away from my day-to-day life as possible. Let someone else take over your work here, the rest of the world needs you. And when you're ready, Kalokairi will be here, waiting for you."
"Y'kno," Carter said, a sweet smile appearing on his face. "Y'might have th' soul of a Philosopher in you. I think you're right. Kalokairi will be alright. I need to do somethin' for myself. Thank you, my friend!" he said, shaking Radford's paw warmly.

Radford was done hiding his emotions. He swept Carter up in a fierce hug.
"Gonna miss you homefry," he whispered.

[414 words]

[SilhouetteStation]

Big boy, big dreams.
Username: SilhouetteStation
Link to sign-up post: here

Prompt response: 755w

"Oh, hun…"

A dull ache bloomed in her chest at the sight of her friends forlorn expression. Hand still on his shoulder, she turned him around and pulled him into a tight hug. He returned the embrace, a little halfheartedly, and she could understand why. Everyone seemed to lean on him for support, and he accepted their tasks without question. He wasn't just the carpenter; he was everyone's friend.

"Come on," she said, pulling away. "Let's talk. Properly."

Abandoning the sanding work, they settled themselves in the shade under one of the trees. His eyes seemed too bright, and she knew she'd cry if he did too. She gave herself a little shake, thinking hard on what to say before speaking.

"I'm gonna talk, okay?" She said. "I'm just gonna get it all out, and I want you to listen to everything before answering. Okay?"

He nodded, and she continued.

"I've said before I work with people, and act as sort of a life coach. And I get a lot of people who share a similar problem to yours; they put other people ahead of themselves. They prioritize the needs of others above the needs of themselves. And that's what you're doing here. I know it seems like the right thing, helping out other people, but it's not the right thing if it affects you negatively."

He opened his mouth to argue, but she gently interrupted him. "And yes, I know it's a wonderful and selfless thing to do, helping people, and I know it makes you feel good. That's what people think, that doing good for other people all the time is the right thing to do. But it can't let you run yourself into the ground. It can't stop you from doing things you want to do. The right thing needs to work both ways. If you're always giving to others, you have to make sure it doesn't mean taking from yourself."

Carter looked down at his lap, avoiding her gaze. "They need me though," he mumbled, wiping at his eyes and sniffing heavily. "I help them. I help to fix things. There's so much to do here, I can't just…I can't just leave."

"I know it's hard, sweetie," she murmured sympathetically. "And I know helping them makes you happy. But this could make you happy, too. So many people have a desire to explore the world and have adventures, but so many people choose not to do it. Do you really wanna be one of those people?"

He didn't answer for a long moment. "No…" he finally replied, so quiet Annie hardly heard. "Don't you think everyone here would want you to have adventures?" she pressed. "If they knew how happy this would make you, I'm sure they'd encourage you to go. And it wouldn't be forever!" she added, forcing her tone to be more positive. "You can do things step by step. Maybe take a vacation for a week. Come back here for little while. Go somewhere new for two weeks. Come back here. You don't need to dive head first into something new. I know it's scary, and I know it's exciting, but sometimes slow and steady is the best way to do things. What matters is that you feel comfortable, and happy, and that you do things in your own time. They're your dreams, Carter. And you deserve to follow them."

His tears had stopped at some point. He seemed to like the idea of taking it slow; of following his dreams, but keeping roots in the place he loved, with the people he called family. "This place will always be your home," she said. "But there's nothing wrong with wanting to explore the big back yard."

A tiny smile appeared on his face, and Annie felt the ache in her chest turn into a warm, soft feeling. "And hey!" she said. "You can always come and stay with me whenever you like! You've made me feel so welcome on this island, it's only fair that I return the favor in the city. Someone's gotta make sure you don't get lost," she lightly teased, and he let out a little laugh.

He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, the smile still on his face as he nodded. "I'd like that," he said, turning to face her. His eyes were still too bright, but not as much from sadness now; they gleamed with the light of adventure, and determination. "I think I'd like that a lot."

[Raptocidic]

Big boy, big dreams.
Username: RupturedRaptor
Link to sign-up post: here
Prompt response:

[Stephaaa]

Big boy, big dreams.
Username: stephaaa / Link to sign-up post: x / Prompt response:
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Adventure calls you, Carter. Your destiny is to find your wings and fly them.
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[SaltyBirb]

Big boy, big dreams.
Username: SaltyBirb
Link to sign-up post: <3
Prompt response:

Juno noticed how Carter was feeling down so he approached him and was willing to lend an ear. He told him about his dream of being a cartographer and exploring the outside world, but leaving behind Kalokairi is also hard for him since he's always busy.

Juno was dishearten when he heard what Carter said, it reminded him of how he was when he was as a kid. Born from a family of knights, he was immediately put to work and was not allowed to go outside the kingdom unless an order was made for him to go somewhere. Only now was he able to explore everywhere freely but only from time to time, he wanted to help him with his dream so he proposed an idea to Carter.

"I'll help you work! Once we've finished everything needed, we can have a monthly vacation to everywhere! And if that doesn't work, then I'll cover for you while you go and explore!!" Carter's eye gleamed as he heard Juno's proposal, it's too good to be true but with his help, his dream is finally coming true! "You'll be able to meet new people, see new places and many more! Worry not for I shall help you achieve that dream!" Juno excitedly said.

[I Like Bees]

Big boy, big dreams.
Username: I Like Bees
Link to sign-up post: Here
Prompt response: [250]
"Well," Pip began, "everyone takes vacations. I'm on a vacation right now!" The kalon hesitated. "Kind of. Technically, I think I qualify as being stranded on an island with no way home. But that's not the point," he added. "What matters is that everyone needs vacations, everyone takes vacations, and you could go explore the outside world for your vacation!"
Pip pulled a map out of his back pocket. "And if you really can't get away from the island.. The island could use a cartographer." He held his map out for Carter to see. "The entire top right corner of this map is blank, and it's been bothering me the whole trip. I'm sure there's something awesome up there, and you could be the first to find it!"
Pip paused again, trying to think of more reasons for Carter to go out and explore the island. "And... Oh, yes, you could even consider it a job! I could go complain to the kalons who gave me this map that the blank corner is bothersome, and I could get a bunch of other kalons to do the same! It's not lying; I'm sure everyone else would prefer a completed map as well. For the sake of customer satisfaction, they might be willing to pay you to complete their map."
Pip grinned. This was a genius plan! He'd finally be able to know what mysterious secrets were hiding on that corner of the island, and Carter could fulfill his dreams of cartography!