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+---- Thread: LOOK THE OTHER WAY && jungle juice + charms (/showthread.php?tid=9441)
LOOK THE OTHER WAY && jungle juice + charms - idyllfields - 04-10-2019
idyllfields
stars did fall
[didn't expect to write this much! theres a summary at the bottom, or just read the last paragraph if you do not want to read it all and just respond to whats going on]
they had been informed of this entry ritual when announced at the meeting, and once before in passing by another crewmate. at first, idyll had thought nothing of it. they didn't expect to be here this long, but it appeared that outside ships rarely interacted with these islands. perhaps from what they heard of by some locals in their ferocity and brutality, they kept away from pirates looting passenger ships. still, idyllfields felt they had some sort of connection here. despite their extreme hydrophobia and being constantly surrounded by water, they could not leave now. it would take another long string of months to even reach crete at this point, if they mapped the stars correctly. they were further away than where they originally started.
with a soft sigh, idyllfields peered into the coconut-bowl of liquids that were poured into it before their arrival. they closed their honeyed eyes and pinched their nose before tipping the bowl over and quickly drank it, sputtering when they finished.
"jungle juice always leaves a little burn in the back of your throat, huh?" spoke one passerby to another while continuing on their way.
idyll's shoulders shuddered with discomfort, then looked to their guide. apparently they would be taking a boat to some island known as haven. hopefully the name was truthful, and not some sort of trickery. on wobbly legs they followed the silent guide to the boat, their heart pounding in their chest as they heard the waves crash against its sides.
there-there's no other ritual i can partake in?" they asked in vain, pinning their ears back as the guide shook their head. no... this was already set in place. the guide nudged idyll's back legs forward onto the wooden ramp leading to the boat, practically pushing the coyote onto it. they offered a bucket and coaxed them to the staircase leading up to the wheel, but idyll stopped short and hid beneath one of the steps. with a shrug, the guide continued toward the wheel and set sail.
it was like their first trip all over again, except this time they were on the deck of the ship and not underneath. they felt much safer under their little step, their tail wrapped closely to their body and eyes shut. they began to feel a little drowsy, and eventually nodded off.
their waking moment was unfamiliar. the sand was... wet underneath them. idyllfields lifted themselves off the ground and shook off the sand from their pelt, wondering if they were just abandoned here as some sort of sacrifice. the coyote began to explore what they could, though difficult under the lack of light. not even the moon seemed to expose itself from the clouds; thick and heavy across the sky. instead they relied on the wind to give them scents from different directions. to the north was the smell of the sea and the guide, perhaps where they were dragged from. to the west were familiar scents of several individuals that... they could not place.
they decided to go west.
the further they pushed through palm leaves and shrubbery, the stronger the scents became. they began to identify them one by one. sandalwood... burning incense. father jamison. though it couldn't be possible. he was on crete, they were sure of it. there was no possible way he had completed his mission there when it was... well, impossible.
"speak the name of thy father, bring upon him his firstborn." it was a voice in the breeze that drove idyll further down the path. they could see a glimmer of light ahead, something like a fire. a small spark from where they stood.
"temet nosce…. sic itur ad astra…"
"pas vobix…" they finished the phrase fluidly with little thought. they began to run through the palms and rushed to greet their father. had they finally found him? was he here all along?
idyllfields halted as they were met with a luxurious silky red tent around a glowing campfire. in the small pockets of shadows, jars of fireflies lit up the area. there was incense burning over the fire, two cinnamon sticks balanced on its holder. it was rather... peaceful. it calmed idyllfields' heart to a steady thrum as they came closer. one of the tent's entrances rustled.
a red coyote. aged and missing patches of fur. the feather behind its ear dull and frayed. but it's eyes. bright yellow and blazing compared to the fire, made it look more alive.
"idyllfields, you are far from home." father jamison spoke in a neutral tone, staying in place. the younger of the two though moved quickly, pressing into their father and nodding their head.
"i took... two boats to come see you.oh father jamison, i have so much to tell you. i- i haven't seen you in... well i was a pup." always travelling left very little time for them to actually bond, but it had certainly been about two years since they had last seen each other. "i have to tell you something very important. m-mother, last winter she got a cough. she was too weak to make it through the season. the nanny tried helping her brace it but.. she couldn't keep her strength." it was still fresh in their mind, their mothers death. only about six months ago had that awful cold taken her life away. then nanny disappeared, and they had no one left.
father jamison shifted their weight slightly, clearing his throat and pulling away from idyll. "yes, that's... unfortunate. i'm sorry i couldn't have been there to see her one last time." his voice sounded strangely empty of grief. almost cold. it was... unnatural. "though i believe what you are looking to accomplish cannot be done. you see..."
they were cut off by another presence. idyll turned their head to see behind them... her?
the red fox emerged from the other side of the tent, a dagger in her jaws and her fur raised.
"nanny?" idyll's voice dropped to a whisper. they felt a shove to their side and stumbled over, scrambling to get back up until a paw pressed down on their back. the struggled to get up, whining as the fox came closer. "i don't.. understand..."
their was more pressure to their back and they could do nothing but grunt and take it, their eyes now glowering up at the fox. she dropped the dagger from her jaws, narrowly missing idyll's snout before leaning down to them.
"oh idyllfields… you're so naïve. your mother was never sick. i poisoned her." she hissed in their ear before rising back up. their father gave an uncharacteristic chuckle, applying more pressure until idyll began to whine in pain. "but don't worry. we won't take so long with you." she comforted with a small pat between their ears, lifting the dagger again and plunging it straight down.
idyllfields jolted awake, their body huddled in a shaking, wet heap. the sand around them clung to their paws, legs, and mouth. the walk back to the shore was uncomfortable, and the rain only turned the damp sand to mud. still shaken from the nightmare, idyll slowly made it back to the ship, dutifully waiting for their return. the guide saluted them and they only gave a nod. too exhausted to give into their fear. too confused.
once back at barracuda bay the next day, idyll had spent the remainder of their time asleep. their body ached and their brain still scrambled to make sense of their dream. was it supposed to go like that? wasn't it some sort of test? the coyote stared at the piece of paper with their confession written on it.
To whomever may find my confession, I implore you to burn it.
Not even the sea or rain could give me such a fright as this. I fear that I may have caused my mother to perish. I fear that my childishness with my own goals had not given her the strength to survive her sickness. No husband there to hold her. No child to comfort her in her bed. Just a nanny, who's voice was bitter and soured at anything delightful. Had I been for selfless, she may have survived.
they pushed the paper into the bottle, corked it, then tied a rock around the lip. they watched it sank to the bottom with a neutral stare before returning to the capricorn tavern to continue on to the next ritual. something more lighthearted; charms.
from the leftover rope they used to tie the rock down the bottle, they tore a strand for their own bracelet. they braided it to a fine loop, adding one charm: a silver feather from their bag of belongings, before securing it around their wrist.
"at last, 'tis official. i am a crewmate of the typhoon..."
[THIS IS REALLY LONG IM SORRY. so in summary idyll took their first trip of jungle juice. they had a dream of meeting their father on haven island and reuniting them. it quickly turned into a nightmare about their father being unfaithful with their nanny, and having planned to murder their mother all along to be together in the end. thus, why jamison never responded to idyll's letters/sent them back. and also why the ship didn't bring him to crete in the first place. their confession was feeling responsible for their mothers death for not taking care of her and leaving it to the nanny. now theyre in the Capricorn tavern finishing up their charm bracelet!]
they had been informed of this entry ritual when announced at the meeting, and once before in passing by another crewmate. at first, idyll had thought nothing of it. they didn't expect to be here this long, but it appeared that outside ships rarely interacted with these islands. perhaps from what they heard of by some locals in their ferocity and brutality, they kept away from pirates looting passenger ships. still, idyllfields felt they had some sort of connection here. despite their extreme hydrophobia and being constantly surrounded by water, they could not leave now. it would take another long string of months to even reach crete at this point, if they mapped the stars correctly. they were further away than where they originally started.
with a soft sigh, idyllfields peered into the coconut-bowl of liquids that were poured into it before their arrival. they closed their honeyed eyes and pinched their nose before tipping the bowl over and quickly drank it, sputtering when they finished.
"jungle juice always leaves a little burn in the back of your throat, huh?" spoke one passerby to another while continuing on their way.
idyll's shoulders shuddered with discomfort, then looked to their guide. apparently they would be taking a boat to some island known as haven. hopefully the name was truthful, and not some sort of trickery. on wobbly legs they followed the silent guide to the boat, their heart pounding in their chest as they heard the waves crash against its sides.
there-there's no other ritual i can partake in?" they asked in vain, pinning their ears back as the guide shook their head. no... this was already set in place. the guide nudged idyll's back legs forward onto the wooden ramp leading to the boat, practically pushing the coyote onto it. they offered a bucket and coaxed them to the staircase leading up to the wheel, but idyll stopped short and hid beneath one of the steps. with a shrug, the guide continued toward the wheel and set sail.
it was like their first trip all over again, except this time they were on the deck of the ship and not underneath. they felt much safer under their little step, their tail wrapped closely to their body and eyes shut. they began to feel a little drowsy, and eventually nodded off.
their waking moment was unfamiliar. the sand was... wet underneath them. idyllfields lifted themselves off the ground and shook off the sand from their pelt, wondering if they were just abandoned here as some sort of sacrifice. the coyote began to explore what they could, though difficult under the lack of light. not even the moon seemed to expose itself from the clouds; thick and heavy across the sky. instead they relied on the wind to give them scents from different directions. to the north was the smell of the sea and the guide, perhaps where they were dragged from. to the west were familiar scents of several individuals that... they could not place.
they decided to go west.
the further they pushed through palm leaves and shrubbery, the stronger the scents became. they began to identify them one by one. sandalwood... burning incense. father jamison. though it couldn't be possible. he was on crete, they were sure of it. there was no possible way he had completed his mission there when it was... well, impossible.
"speak the name of thy father, bring upon him his firstborn." it was a voice in the breeze that drove idyll further down the path. they could see a glimmer of light ahead, something like a fire. a small spark from where they stood.
"temet nosce…. sic itur ad astra…"
"pas vobix…" they finished the phrase fluidly with little thought. they began to run through the palms and rushed to greet their father. had they finally found him? was he here all along?
idyllfields halted as they were met with a luxurious silky red tent around a glowing campfire. in the small pockets of shadows, jars of fireflies lit up the area. there was incense burning over the fire, two cinnamon sticks balanced on its holder. it was rather... peaceful. it calmed idyllfields' heart to a steady thrum as they came closer. one of the tent's entrances rustled.
a red coyote. aged and missing patches of fur. the feather behind its ear dull and frayed. but it's eyes. bright yellow and blazing compared to the fire, made it look more alive.
"idyllfields, you are far from home." father jamison spoke in a neutral tone, staying in place. the younger of the two though moved quickly, pressing into their father and nodding their head.
"i took... two boats to come see you.oh father jamison, i have so much to tell you. i- i haven't seen you in... well i was a pup." always travelling left very little time for them to actually bond, but it had certainly been about two years since they had last seen each other. "i have to tell you something very important. m-mother, last winter she got a cough. she was too weak to make it through the season. the nanny tried helping her brace it but.. she couldn't keep her strength." it was still fresh in their mind, their mothers death. only about six months ago had that awful cold taken her life away. then nanny disappeared, and they had no one left.
father jamison shifted their weight slightly, clearing his throat and pulling away from idyll. "yes, that's... unfortunate. i'm sorry i couldn't have been there to see her one last time." his voice sounded strangely empty of grief. almost cold. it was... unnatural. "though i believe what you are looking to accomplish cannot be done. you see..."
they were cut off by another presence. idyll turned their head to see behind them... her?
the red fox emerged from the other side of the tent, a dagger in her jaws and her fur raised.
"nanny?" idyll's voice dropped to a whisper. they felt a shove to their side and stumbled over, scrambling to get back up until a paw pressed down on their back. the struggled to get up, whining as the fox came closer. "i don't.. understand..."
their was more pressure to their back and they could do nothing but grunt and take it, their eyes now glowering up at the fox. she dropped the dagger from her jaws, narrowly missing idyll's snout before leaning down to them.
"oh idyllfields… you're so naïve. your mother was never sick. i poisoned her." she hissed in their ear before rising back up. their father gave an uncharacteristic chuckle, applying more pressure until idyll began to whine in pain. "but don't worry. we won't take so long with you." she comforted with a small pat between their ears, lifting the dagger again and plunging it straight down.
idyllfields jolted awake, their body huddled in a shaking, wet heap. the sand around them clung to their paws, legs, and mouth. the walk back to the shore was uncomfortable, and the rain only turned the damp sand to mud. still shaken from the nightmare, idyll slowly made it back to the ship, dutifully waiting for their return. the guide saluted them and they only gave a nod. too exhausted to give into their fear. too confused.
once back at barracuda bay the next day, idyll had spent the remainder of their time asleep. their body ached and their brain still scrambled to make sense of their dream. was it supposed to go like that? wasn't it some sort of test? the coyote stared at the piece of paper with their confession written on it.
To whomever may find my confession, I implore you to burn it.
Not even the sea or rain could give me such a fright as this. I fear that I may have caused my mother to perish. I fear that my childishness with my own goals had not given her the strength to survive her sickness. No husband there to hold her. No child to comfort her in her bed. Just a nanny, who's voice was bitter and soured at anything delightful. Had I been for selfless, she may have survived.
they pushed the paper into the bottle, corked it, then tied a rock around the lip. they watched it sank to the bottom with a neutral stare before returning to the capricorn tavern to continue on to the next ritual. something more lighthearted; charms.
from the leftover rope they used to tie the rock down the bottle, they tore a strand for their own bracelet. they braided it to a fine loop, adding one charm: a silver feather from their bag of belongings, before securing it around their wrist.
"at last, 'tis official. i am a crewmate of the typhoon..."
[THIS IS REALLY LONG IM SORRY. so in summary idyll took their first trip of jungle juice. they had a dream of meeting their father on haven island and reuniting them. it quickly turned into a nightmare about their father being unfaithful with their nanny, and having planned to murder their mother all along to be together in the end. thus, why jamison never responded to idyll's letters/sent them back. and also why the ship didn't bring him to crete in the first place. their confession was feeling responsible for their mothers death for not taking care of her and leaving it to the nanny. now theyre in the Capricorn tavern finishing up their charm bracelet!]