allthenotes | (no subject)

Yeah, that's true. I'll remember that.

[The lady seems...cruel, if his imagination proves to be correct. The lord...well, Akito is used to that kind of attitude. It was how Kaito treated him, after all]

People to stay on the good side of, then. [Or avoid at all costs] I'll remember that. I don't like making people mad anyway. Agito you remember that too! [He knows his brother is watching....]

[...which is only proved two seconds later] Whatever.

Try not to give them reason for punishment. There is no good side, and they will take whatever they can from you at the slightest opportunity.

Agito's got a temper, so I'll try to keep him out of trouble. If I can, anyway. But we've had some bad things happen happen to us before, so hopefully I can at least remind him of that.

All stories have a use. They don't even have to be true to be useful.

It's up to you whether you'll take the risk, whether it was this medium or another. Whether I'm worth your time, or this is just a waste of it is up to you. You have the cards with your anonymity.

We'll see what happens, either way.

Simply because everything has a use does not mean it will be of use; hammers are 'useful' and 'have a use' but would be pointless to toss to someone drowning.

You dangle 'having stories' that 'have a use' as if that is supposed to mean something to me, with little to nothing for me to believe that what you offer would have a use currently. You call speaking on something anyone - or anything - can read a 'risk' to calculate, with no care for what might be done with the information by other parties, how much you may give away, or who you may put in danger by doing so. You offer bargains without even knowing who or what you may be speaking to, what might be demanded of you in payment for anything given.

That you have anything you would consider of value remaining after doing so is a matter of pure luck.

And you are desperate over something, which is even worse in this place; choose to bargain when an offer is made to give you what you seek, and not only will what you gain be a mockery of what you wished, but the price will be far more than whatever you think you are offering in return.

[It's some time before she writes anything. But then: ]

You've given me a lot to think about. Thank you for your time.

I do not believe I am the only one? This castle was little touched by whatever happened. Honestly it is a testament to the scale of it that we were aware of it at all; I suspect there are entire cycles that have begun, gone on, and ended without any awareness of it here.

As long as they think you may be of use, there will be some mileage from them not wanting to lose a potential "possession" by destroying it, but it is a very flimsy protection.

Be careful who you accept 'gifts' from, should you draw attention.

That big, huh? So this castle is almost kind of a separate island listening to a bomb go off in the other? I noticed fog outside just like the other place.

It sounds like there's a lot of history.

[ And guess who's itching to dig it up somehow. ]

For certain reasons I cannot and dare not disclose over such a public avenue, this castle falls under different rules at times from the rest of this place. The fog seems to be pervasive; a part of what makes this place what it is, perhaps.

The castle has been here for a very long time - likely longer than many other places here.

It's definitely a different feel from the other houses. I feel like I've gone back in time. Even more than usual I mean.

Castles are usually like that. They're built to last a long time.
Do you know why it was built in the first place at least?

It was built to serve as a keep and stronghold for the noble family that founded it.

[ Bit of ink blotting on the page while he's thinking. ]

...when you say family, does that mean there's more than just the lord and lady living here?

Living is a very strong word anymore, and the family itself is a tangled and unpleasant tale that I cannot tell here in any real detail.

But, really,

where did you think the guards, the maids, and the few townsfolk came from?

Such places do not tend themselves.

Well, 'living' as in they reside here at any rate.

Also that's not what I meant by other people!! I know that much. XP
Is it something I shouldn't ask about here?

I did say that I could not tell it.

Did you think it had been built here?

Because a gift isn't always a gift. I'll be careful.

Well it's hard to shift a castle this size. Are you saying it wasn't built here?

......... After everything else that has fallen into this place from wherever, you think a building would be hand-carried across whatever brick by brick?

Of course not. But I can't see if we're floating again or not because of the fog and I don't know if this place has solid land.

If this castle was just 'dropped' here though, makes me think it was taken like the rest of us.

Brilliant deduction. The castle fell through the cosmic cracks, and took anyone who was within its walls and grounds at the time with it.

It is connected to other collections of things that have fallen here. We've had folk wander here before from them. I am not sure the road is open now; some major disruption occurred, and even without such the way does not open easily or swiftly.

[ Slight longer pause between responses while Kaito ventures outside. ]

The road definitely looks closed. I mean we can't even get into the town right now. Doubt going further will get us anywhere and I sure don't want to get lost on the first day.

If you're talking about a different kind of 'road' though then I've got no idea. There's no weird aurora right now at least.

The town gate usually doesn't stay locked for very long; the outer gate of the main wall, however, is usually closed at the Lord's will...

Not that it matters, as there are often large stretches of time where the road beyond it gets lost in the fog.

It kind of sucks. I want to see what's down there. :(

Is this place near the ocean? It smells salty.