The whole island is a little much, isn't it? But I like the shifting holidays. It makes it easier to be less bored with it. Does any of this look familiar to you?
Right, your memories. [ thoughtfully. ] Well. You're retaining new memories, aren't you? How would you feel about going out there and exploring a bit? I can tell you about it along the way.
[ the book gets shoved into the shelf behind them for later, and they're bouncing up to their feet. ]
Then let's start in the center with the tree. There's probably a present waiting for you anyway. [ but they will begin to walk to lead her back outside. ] Does it snow where you're from at all?
Being familiar's a start. There's snow outside and it's a little chilly, but I think that almost adds to the appeal. Our winters were hit and miss with that sort of thing.
[ they are heading out of the library and back into the snowy center of whoville. ]
I think it's nice though. This island changes with the time, so you get just enough of it before it gets too cold and before it has the chance to turn gray from everyone's footsteps. [ a pause. ] It goes through four holidays. This island, that is. Christmas is just the first.
I think some of the most beautiful things can be cold, really. [ it's more of a comment to the side than anything. bikini bottom is right there though for the summer, wow... ]
I believe it's just a quirk of heaven, yeah. Something to give a little sample throughout the day without overstaying its welcome. I'm sure there's probably an island or two out there solely dedicated to one holiday at a time.
All of you are very funny about being subtle and leaving well enough alone. [ which is to say she could ask whatever she wanted and zuriel would at least consider answering. ]
Chipper is a public network. [ so. ] Are you okay?
Lesson learned then. At least it was for a short period. [ they'll address that first because it's important. there's an intake of breath like they're about to speak again, but there's a pause then because. hm. they... had a thought? it was a thought, but now it doesn't make sense, and what if this thought isn't real? there's a piece missing and they stop to try and sort through it.
I'm not an arcane expert, as my friend Gale has been kind enough to remind me of on a daily basis, but I am very familiar with it. I use it myself often.
This will be easier to explain then, I think. [ will it. ] There's this place I know of that my friends and I found a little over a year ago. It was... something that manifested itself into a forest, and it became a place that responded to the thoughts and will of the people it connected with. [ a pause. this is a long shot, but: ] Are you familiar with ley lines?
No, but I can sort of envision what you mean from context. Some sort of especially magical place responding to your thoughts, at the center of connections to a variety of people whose thoughts might be influencing it?
Something like that, yes. [ close enough, actually. ] It was centered on the heart of the ley line, an energy source of sorts. And because of it, it was able to manifest into a beautiful but sometimes dangerous place. If it fell under the wrong influence, it became tainted. But for us, it would respond to the things that would affect us the most. The trees would speak to us, and it would protect us when we asked, and we did our best to protect it, too.
That place was created by a friend through his dreams. That iteration of it, at least. And when you meet him he's cruel and brusque and a complete asshole. But when you get to know him... he's still a complete asshole, and he's impossible to get along with most days but he cares about things more deeply than other people would ever in his position.
Then there was another boy who was beautiful but had been hurt so often in his life that his pride often made him act without thinking and he would lash out and hurt other people. But he still made a sacrifice to prevent something terrible from happening, and even though it changed him for a long time he was still himself at his core.
And then there was another who was... so privileged without realizing it, and would say and do such stupid things and he never really let anyone know who he was because he had a persona he would utilize for everyone he spoke to. But his words were powerful, and he was kind and he was curious and he had more depth to him than I think people ever acknowledged. He was the one we all followed in the end.
For a while, I thought their kind were terrible and untouchable and I didn't want anything to do with any of them. But they were searching for something magical, and I wanted to come along.
[ there's a pause though... ]
... I think... there may have been someone else. But I don't know if that's true. [ which is the real person they initially thought of when they brought up this example, but they are now paying the game of "are they real or am i imagining things?" ]
So infuriating and stubborn and with a tendency to go off on their own and act without thinking while uncovering clues and/or causing turmoil to themselves? [ they say all of this, but they do sound fond even if exasperated. but this is correct, they were difficult and hard to like and now those are their most important people.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[what is zuriel reading...]
This is an interesting new addition.
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The whole island is a little much, isn't it? But I like the shifting holidays. It makes it easier to be less bored with it. Does any of this look familiar to you?
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Then let's start in the center with the tree. There's probably a present waiting for you anyway. [ but they will begin to walk to lead her back outside. ] Does it snow where you're from at all?
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I don't think so. Maybe occasionally in the mountains, but I'm from the city. It's rather warm there most of the time. But I'm familiar with snow.
[even if she doesn't remember it firsthand.]
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[ they are heading out of the library and back into the snowy center of whoville. ]
I think it's nice though. This island changes with the time, so you get just enough of it before it gets too cold and before it has the chance to turn gray from everyone's footsteps. [ a pause. ] It goes through four holidays. This island, that is. Christmas is just the first.
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[where's the summer holiday...]
Any reason in particular that it cycles through them so quickly? Just a quirk of heaven?
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I believe it's just a quirk of heaven, yeah. Something to give a little sample throughout the day without overstaying its welcome. I'm sure there's probably an island or two out there solely dedicated to one holiday at a time.
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[harrowhark... its harrowhark talking about her ice lolly bimbo girlfriend...]
Well, it's not too bad. Even if some of the more personalized elements are a bit unsettling.
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[ moving on... ]
Have you fallen victim to some of the personalized elements already? [ hehe? ]
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[but you may keep your secrets if you wish.]
By your tone, I suspect that you know that I have.
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Chipper is a public network. [ so. ] Are you okay?
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[if she's allowed to ask she will.]
...I'm fine. It's fine, really. I'd prefer it didn't happen again.
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so instead... ]
What do you know about magic?
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I'm not an arcane expert, as my friend Gale has been kind enough to remind me of on a daily basis, but I am very familiar with it. I use it myself often.
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This will be easier to explain then, I think. [ will it. ] There's this place I know of that my friends and I found a little over a year ago. It was... something that manifested itself into a forest, and it became a place that responded to the thoughts and will of the people it connected with. [ a pause. this is a long shot, but: ] Are you familiar with ley lines?
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[it genuinely does. she loves places like that, with haunting beauty that is perhaps a little deadly, too.]
You still haven't told me of the person. People.
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That place was created by a friend through his dreams. That iteration of it, at least. And when you meet him he's cruel and brusque and a complete asshole. But when you get to know him... he's still a complete asshole, and he's impossible to get along with most days but he cares about things more deeply than other people would ever in his position.
Then there was another boy who was beautiful but had been hurt so often in his life that his pride often made him act without thinking and he would lash out and hurt other people. But he still made a sacrifice to prevent something terrible from happening, and even though it changed him for a long time he was still himself at his core.
And then there was another who was... so privileged without realizing it, and would say and do such stupid things and he never really let anyone know who he was because he had a persona he would utilize for everyone he spoke to. But his words were powerful, and he was kind and he was curious and he had more depth to him than I think people ever acknowledged. He was the one we all followed in the end.
For a while, I thought their kind were terrible and untouchable and I didn't want anything to do with any of them. But they were searching for something magical, and I wanted to come along.
[ there's a pause though... ]
... I think... there may have been someone else. But I don't know if that's true. [ which is the real person they initially thought of when they brought up this example, but they are now paying the game of "are they real or am i imagining things?" ]
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...They remind me a little of my own traveling companions.
[in that they sound very difficult and hard to like and coming to like them anyway was a surprise to them?]
What do you mean by their kind?
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So infuriating and stubborn and with a tendency to go off on their own and act without thinking while uncovering clues and/or causing turmoil to themselves? [ they say all of this, but they do sound fond even if exasperated. but this is correct, they were difficult and hard to like and now those are their most important people.
they pause again to decide how to phrase this. ]
Consider it a class difference.
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[including the metatext part, even if it's embarrassing to admit it, since she barely knew them in the end.]
Ah, say no more. [well, then.] And the other person, the one you weren't sure was there?
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