Lumiere

Unheroic: The Backwards Castle

They had made it not far onto the bridge before Jasper turned and rested their arms on the railing, seeming to be observing the downstream of the crossing. Disregarding Walker's first comment, since the response had minimal bearing on disposition and little other topical similarities to the proposed game of fake names. "I am sure they mean well. There are only infrequent reports of misconduct, and the work serves The Scab, well enough," they replied to the second, though, taking a few pacing steps further on the bridge, dragging porcelain fingertips along the grains of the railing before stopping at another spot a few meters in. "An excellent observation, Captain Walker!" they mechanically and happily chirped, having not immediately looked up, but then continuing in the smoother more 'intentional' tone, "...and a quaint metaphor, from the right perspective. Such idioms leave no credit to the means and men utilized for such endeavors, though."

Together

Jasper crossed one leg over the back of the other, taking on a casual stance. "Good afternoon, Miss V," they automatically greeted when addressed, but leaned in to bridge their fingers and rest their chin on the folded digits while apparently listening in spite of their unmoving expression or gaze. There was a notable pause after Violet concluded her next line of questions before the construct spoke, about enough time it would take to sigh, illustrated by a slight tilting of his head, instead.
"These are difficult questions, but I will do my best to produce a satisfactory answer..." they hesitantly chirped before elaborating, "It is speculated that 'Kite' is...an avatar...of sorts, thought to be at least a small portion of whatever The Spire drew its power from to wage this war. It is a theory similar to the 'Leyline' practice of magic, where a...stream...of arcane catalyst is tapped into in order to shape reality by both temporarily upsetting the flow in an area, denaturing local reality, as well as redirecting this portion of arcane catalyst to assert a new will into the laws of physics. This process of cascading and manipulating 'leylines' to denature local reality for short periods of time is what many call 'magic'...but with how different worlds have shown to have their own definitions and processes of 'evocation', this constant from my world has become a matter of theory rather than a law of physics. The research to map out leylines in this space, between, has proven to be troublesome, as more 'otherwise' bleeds into this space, between. Not to discount the occasional troubles with local flora and fauna, Master Harper has frequently expressed her frustration in her endeavor to contain The Scab, itself, to best protect its citizens. Yes. This is where I intend to lead you."
They pause, blinking once, "Pardon the tangent I embarked on, but to properly answer your question, I needed to provide context, first," they explained, sidling another step, only lifting their elbows to shift the distance. Somewhere somewhat close by in the river, a few salmon-like fish mingled by the coastal rocks before flapping and jumping their way into the river, proper.
"This aforementioned speculation supposes that this...world...The Spire pulls its strength from, is one aside from commonplace 'time'. The process of The Spire pulling life from this 'world' introduced this otherwise isolated instance to a concept of entropy. As The Spire is suspected to be primarily intended to consume the...'essence'...of this titular world...and..an...and I understand that th-this next part may b-be-be-be uncomfortttttttable to hear...ear..." They started to explain, their head twitching from side to side and eyelids clicking as they fluttered, closed, and then opened once more, "Whatever it is that-at...The Spire is consuming, it is capable of knowing it is being...eaten...and it has chosen creatures more adapted to entropy to help...carry...it back. Through this pact of...want...it is assumed the entity assumes it has permission to 'share your time' in order to restore its preferred state. We are uncertain if this is harmful to the host, in the long run."

During the coming long pause, Kite sniffed, awkwardly, crossing their arms as they, too, wandered to the other side of the bridge to look upstream. They sighed and seemed like they were about to speak before Jasper started, once more. "The Lord Madam, Kaath, as you know her, taught me how to hunt for aquatic sub-lucids, here..." their smooth tones sounding somehow longing behind the mechanical fluting of a voice which wouldn't seem much different from how he'd been speaking, before. "F..th...sh..." Kite sounded out, and Jasper nodded, "Mmh, fish..." agreeing and then digressing, "Many people from the multiverse crossed the old bridge. It was thought to need to be made wider from its alleged humble beginnings. At first it was giants, titans, beasts of might that clashed where the elements met. This 'Battle Creek' was gouged deep from the sword of one of those entities, and another bridge was built of beautifully painted cobblestone."
Jasper's brows seemed to lift into an amused expression, "And when that one blew up when 'Cart-Dragger' and 'Cart-Pusher' had their war, this one was built. Cart-Dragger licks their wounds, and Kedvin's men string up meshed, underneath to climb up behind the people the group across the bridge will confront. They will probably join him, be 'associated' in a misconduct report..." Jasper then lifted their head to look down the rest of the bridge, "...or toss Kedvin's men into the river to let the sharks have at them."
There came no reply in spite of the suspicion being called out. After a short moment, Jasper returned his chin to the bridged, doll-like fingers. "To more directly answer your question, Miss V, you are who your Kite found on short notice, likely while being chased or while hiding. My apologies...there used to be more like The Lord Madam...at least, how she was before her moods...but..." another short pause, "...many are dead. Most died highly uncomfortable and in undignified ways. Most, these days, are elderly, pooling their minds to the library in a way of better speculating what is on the other side of the gate...they need men like Kedvin to be a heavy hand against exterior threats." Jasper then stood back with a step to face the two, "Kaath, a fighter..." a gesture to Walker, "...Kedvin, a leader," a gesture to Violet. "While it would be unkind of me to say there is nothing special about you two, as I understand humans prefer to rest moral stock in their...uniqueness...by your definition, more 'special' selections have already been selected, and you are simply 'next'."

Kite flicked an ear, the two folding back as his state of mind was speculated on with him still within earshot, but Jasper was quick to add, "If it is any consolation, there are many others less special that have come, before."

Unheroic: The Backwards Castle

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Unheroic: The Backwards Castle

Jasper stepped away from the two to let Violet tend to Kite who winced and sputtered with mild annoyance from how she dabbed and wiped at him. Already pacing into the clearing and then turning once they reached the somewhat overgrown path, they patiently waited for the two to air their inquiries. With another clicking blink, they brought a hand to the top of their head and changed directions to search the bushes near where their head was retrieved.
"Short answers, first, as I insist we walk and talk," they commented, brushing debris from a hat they retrieved, planting it on their head and then slipping their left hand along their side. "Ah. I see..." they softly mused, the tone considerably less...mechanical. Looking over themselves as they returned to the path, they gestured with one in the direction of where it wound off into the woods.

"My attempts at a...metaphore...as I assume, by your care for...Kite...that you are, how The Lord Madam says, 'Holding. The. String'." Forgoing the mimicry and raising their hands of offer air quotes to accentuate each of the three words. Returning their hands behind their back and carefully walking backwards with measured steps, "A belief is that a message is intending to be sent, and it is not uncommon for Valket to first seek one they can rely on," Jasper's eyes shift to Walker, "-and second, one that can protect the first. As this is not The Spire, please do not be alarmed by the diminished efficacy of your Kite. This is not their world."

Jasper then lowered their head, slightly in consideration before simply speaking, "I serve Masters Jasper Lanes and Adelaide Harper. I am confident they are safe, and so I am choosing to use their names, freely...no...my name is not Jasper Lanes. I am using his-is..am using his name as...a -a..." their eyelids flutter sporadically for a moment before a pause. After a few seconds, they concluded, "I intend to fairly represent those whom I serve, and I understand this does not answer your question. As such, I will elaborate on the meaning of your question."
Their eyelids shifted down to don a seemingly apologetic expression, "The Lord Madam...Kaath...while she is well deserving of her accompanying titles and accolades, medals and what prestige she refuses to show..." Jasper then takes a moment to mimic the sound of an exasperated breath before sighing, "Nobless obliege," and then resuming, "...has had...uncommon...experiences many within our ranks do not understand. Unfortunately, she has chosen to be highly reclusive, and it would be unfair of me to assert unfounded theories. I would suggest asking Kaath, directly, were I not concerned her reactions would be less than cordial."
Lifting their hands to idly pick debris and loose strings from their heavy-looking fabric that covered a slim form-fitting armor of sorts, seemingly for dramatic effect as they soon commented, "No. I do not share in, nor condone Kaath's distain."

With the first block addressed, the crew had found themselves traversing a rather leisurely hike down the gentle slope the path snaked off through. The sounds of the forest had long since resumed, giving a serene backdrop to the walk.
Assorted wildlife flitted and mingled in the canopy and branches; long-legged short-tailed squirrels, things that looked like woodpeckers but somewhere around the size of a turkey would swoop down and scramble along the bark on bat-like fore-claws and talons as they pried and beat into the flesh of these twisting maple-leaved willows. Their vines, clad in the somewhat familiar leaves, gently lowered from between the boughs, some of their leaves crumpled like a fist. Other time, one could nearly watch the slow process of the vines rolling up on themselves and gently climbing up the branches to seek out the light from above. All the while, the sounds of a babbling brook some distance to the right rumbled on, a percussion to the alien birdsongs and chirping insects.

"You are wholly entitled to refer to yourselves however you wish," Jasper once more began after a few minutes of a pause, folding their fingers behind their back as they took a few leisurely paced steps, turning on their heels in somewhat dancing steps as they appeared to admire the surroundings. "The Lord Madam, my associate has offered me references to entities from her world who would draw power from the formal identities of their prey. While we are uncertain if such creatures have made it into this space, between, I do not share my associate's experiences. Therefore, I cannot accurately ascertain the immediate necessity of choosing to protect your name. As I do not have a capability to assert my will upon others, I cannot prevent you from choosing to go by your true name..." Jasper explained, mostly looking to Walker while speaking. If it weren't for how unmoving their features were, the slight turn and nodding of their head could be construed as a wry smirk of acknowledgement that glinted across their pleasant, solid smile as they coyly added, "...unless we are already playing the game, Captain Walker~"
Their tone once again gained the unhollow hue of a more 'human' personality behind its voice, teasing, knowing, and playing along, a click of a wink and all.
"The goon who had been watching us was likely one of Buncha's Crew. They were too small to be a part of Cart-Dragger's," he commented in a reassuring tone. "Kedvin Buncha, and his...'Buncha Boys'...are thought of as...poachers? Candied words offa'uman's boot-lickin lips, stealin 'oll ah feckin proper good men. Yeh? Ya getn 'em'oll drunk'n teach'n t'b'shoits!" Jasper continued to explain before launching into another echo of Kaath who sounded a bit intoxicated, herself, but no less passionate about her stance on this Kedvin fellow, "Y'can't jus'steal bread loik that, ah? Spook'n 'oll manner'a people doin honest-loik werk; fekkin noifs'n bows, loik- wh..why y'starin' at me loik that? Yer not recordin' are--!?" The voice cut off, Jasper chiming back in to add, "Malcontentious extortionist ne'er-do-wells, I've come to understand. Cart-Dragger and their beasts would seek to eat and kill whatever they find, they are simple detriments to business. Buncha, however, is more of a parasite, taking credit for others' work."
Finally the path came to the bank of the now widening river, cemented cobblestone and brick holding foundation poles for a sturdy wooden bridge seemingly designed to take carts laden with goods and the beasts to pull them. A solid six meters wide, it rode over another thirty meters of rocky cropping. Seemingly constructed towards the beginning of the mouth to whatever body of water the river flowed into, defiant trees rose from tiny land masses in the process of erosion. In a way, the location was built with long-broken and repaired aesthetics until simply left to wear away over what could have been hundreds of years. Still the quality of the bridge wasn't in question, seeming somewhat new, as if refurbished or completely rebuilt for a myriad reasons.

Unheroic: The Backwards Castle

"Golem... Madmen..." The head somehow spoke in Walker's voice in the tone he used when he decided to use such terms. No other comment immediately came from this, as if they were...reflecting...the words back to the man. Instead, they were eerily silent, even as the reconnected arm slid down their side to guide the fragmented leg pieces back into place and then went about adjusting the stockings back up the fractures to cover the damage.
A sliding click of soft marble upon itself rose from how the eyes blinked. "Lady Liaison," They began, creaking as they lifted themselves, "and, Lord Protector...?"
The questioning was stated in a way as one would recall names. They shuddered as they rose to their full standing height of about 5'6. The other hand rolled out of the brush, eagerly scooping together shards and chunks to reconstruct another arm. "The player of this part will be known as...Jasper Lanes," They introduced, taking a moment with the actual name portion. "As I am mandated to uphold a representation of common reality that is objectively 'true', I am required to inform you that I am the 'Godot' model, and the first na- name th-that...the fi-..." They seemed to seize for a moment, catching themselves in their step and sliding their other boot to click against the other...then kick leaves away so they could properly assume balance. "Pardon...I...cease clearance to the locus at this time. As per the dictation of The Lord Madam, it is unwise of me to divulge my...true?...name. I expect no more from either you-" They nod to Violet, expression stony as they say, "Lady Liaison, or you-" they then nod to Walker, "Lord Protector."

Their gaze then turned to Kite who returned the gaze, taking a few mute steps forward. The golem, who had introduced themselves as 'Jasper' remained steady as a statue, their mouth unmoving the entire time, no expression betrayed even a grain of sand down a dune.
Kite glared, narrowing their eyes as an ear flicked. The bars of brows raised a solemn millimeter on Jasper's face before speaking, "Access...denied..."

Kite groaned and stumbled back a few steps, a blood vessel popping in their left eye, turning the white to a crimson red. Snorting and coughing a smattering of blood, against the leaves by the tree they clung to in order to brace, sinking down to their knees and snorting a few times in apparent distress.
Jasper's eyebrows lowered once more, though their eyes also narrowed, merely watching as the rabbit-like creature coughed another spattering of blood, their sinuses apparently having hemorrhaged from the exertion.

"Valkets. What is a 'Kite'...You are from another land. Please try not to be alarmed by the feedback. Thank you for continuing to live, your service is paramount. To this end, I require you to cease attempts to access my core." They explain, kneeling down for the other hand to drag the shambles of an arm into place, similar to the first. "What elaborations you..." They started, the voice of Kaath speaking up the way they previously mimic'd Walker continuing, "...Drops'n an'ocean...*(a sound like the crackling of fire in the background)*...Like...yeh, loik ifn a leaf fell tha roit way, ah? B'loik, in tha'oll forest...y'know?"

"...seek, Leaf in The Forest. Pardon, I was instructed not to show restraint to interlopers" Jasper concluded, turning their head back to the two and nodding, respectfully. "Lady Liaison, Lord Protector," before taking shambling steps towards Kite, reaching into an interior pocket. Kite, holding his forehead with a palm while blood slowly dribbled down a nostril, raised a hand to Jasper who merely replied, "You will want to be at strength by night. Please do not bring the clients into harm's way..." they spoke, offering Kite a hand in one palm, and a handkerchief with the other.

Without a word, Kite snatched the handkerchief from Jasper, who remained with their other arm outstretched.

"It does not have to be this way."

Kite, hesitantly, shakily, took the golem's hand, and they gently eased the rabbit to their feet.
The inner-ridge of Jasper's brows lifted a single millimeter as they hooked their other arm around the small of Kite's back and held him to themselves in order to help him walk, until they were able to do so, themselves.

Jasper, watching Kite, noted how their eyes went to Violet for the smallest glance, turning the cloth over to continue cleaning their sinuses.
Jasper, in turn, slowly looked up to Violet with the same, unmoving expression.
"Liaison, indeed~" they chirped.

Unheroic: The Backwards Castle

[REDACTED]

Unheroic: The Backwards Castle

Whistling a soft and jaunty tune, the appendages continued to try to worm their way back to where the vibrantly colored cloth laid. Seemingly numb to what any of them were saying, the voice kept up, small chunks of ceramics tumbling through the neighboring foliage as if tosses into the clearing from the left side of the scene relative to how the two exited the apparent ruins. The squawking died down to a choked sputtering, accompanied by the kicking up of leaves moments before a pop of vertebrae cut the struggle short.

Aside from the gentle breeze through the trees and distant alien birdsong, the clearing was rendered eerily quiet after this as foliage, high and low, rustled with the panicked retreat of a myriad woodland critters.

...save for a shifting weight some ways respectfully off. Walker, on edge, could note the shifting of boots in proximity of this silence, the tell before an ambush...that didn't come. For better or worse, if this sound was just a larger beast making its final steps away, or a surreptitious voyeur keenly noting the goings-on, the strange surroundings veiled the eyes that paranoia insisted were creeping in from all around. As, once one hears such a distinct sound, they acutely await the next click of a stick or shifting of leaves...accentuating the eeriness of the acclaimed hostile wilds.
Books and spook-stories told at a hearth would whisper of such moments, just before the antagonist would reveal itself in all of its horror.

Meanwhile, as Violet picked up the legs, they extended to rigidity, making it significantly easier to haul them. At this moment, the humming stopped, and the voice chirped, "Hoo hoo~" with a piping tone like wind through an instrument, coming across more direct in the tone. "My core frame is located in your approached proximity. Flagging, the tapestry should denote my primary mass. Once ambulatory, I will be sufficient in aiding my own reconstruction, and will be serviceable in moments soon after~" they cooed, a bit monotone in their direct addressal. Flecks of porcelain began to flick from the right, as well, as a scuttling in the bushes came from where the 'squawk' originated.

"As I am unfamiliar with your land, I urge you to remain calm during my recompilation..." they began, sounding hollow but in a reassuring tone, the flecks ceasing to come from the left side as the scuttling became more aggressive. The sound of leaves shifting under a light, spidery, weight accented their next playfully cooed words as one of the ankles in a boot twisted.
"...All involved parties~"
In the same moment, off in the direction the toe of the boot turned to, the voice of a man picked up in a bout of panic. "H-wh-A-AAHH!! GIT IT OFF!! GIT IT OFF!!!"

The playful voice resumed humming as a man tumbled out from behind a tree they must have been crouching behind...a pale porcelain hand scrambling over them, which they fought to slap at and shake off like one would a spider. Tripping into a bush, the hand shifted and perched on the base of the foliage while they rolled out, with a surprising level of dexterity, drawing a light crossbow in the same motion. Angling the weapon, the hand splayed out to balance on the ring and pinky-finger while the bolt sailed past with a small spark as the metal struck the palm of the presumably porcelain appendage, knocking it onto the back of its hand. While the fingers wriggled and turned, the man used this bought time to leap off into the woods, disappearing in an instant into the farther foliage.

A shallow series of piping chirps came from the body against the log, an expression at the pace with a laugh. A complete arm, doll-like in the joints of the shoulder, elbow and the complexities of a wrist then crawled out of the foliage to the right, the thumb and pinky clinging to a particularly large chunk of porcelain underneath it, wandering over to the tapestry.
The arm set the section down and then started wrestling with the fabric to feed itself, backwards, up what was apparently a sleeve until a click was heard and it began functioning as such. They picked up the chunk that had been brought close and fed it into the space under the tapestry with a hissing click before lifting with a splayed palm in a show of submissiveness, as one would try to convey that it was not a threat.
The other hand, on the other hand, scrambled over the mass to root around in the bushes where the voice had been coming from, presumably to collect the associated parts.

"For your aid in my reassembly, I will endeavor to be as forward with the collective 'you' as I am capable." The voice chirped from the motionless bottom half of a head that the hand dragged out of the bushes. A pleasant smile on painted lips, it held an open domed base, as if it would fit onto a ball...or another dome? It was something else from how anatomy would be expected to work, having no noles of any sort in spite of how it seemed capable of speech.

Within a Second

Damage...
Damaged...

The Lord Madam was a temperamental creature, and I chose not to hold ill will towards her response, what with the recent harrowing.
I chose not to hold ill will...

Damage...
So separated, the pieces reflexively endeavored to return, but I could feel this sensation The Lord Madam had told me about. This...

...beginning assessment for review...

Anger.
- I was damaged through her passing whimsy and left to have my tapestry soiled in the dirt like trash, for a feat exacted against them which I did not inflict. Such results are incompatible with our mission. We try to are helping.
This is...unfortunate. This behavior is unbecoming of The Lord Madam, and I will see it rectified at a lat//// at a...later //////

I will....make....it....right....

The Lord Madam and her whims are irrelevant to the course of the primary objective.

Resolve.
- I choose for this entry to be 'resolve', as gentle arms carry my legs. Since losses are acceptable, the eschewation of The Lord Madam to my company is...unfortunate... /////
The Lord Madam's grace will return to me. I am not concerned.

Objectives.
- Prevent the premature expiration of clients.
- Do Right.
- Maintain an objectively true representation of common reality.

Unheroic: The Backwards Castle

"If'n oi had answers, oi'd 'av 'em for ya," Kaath softly groaned in response to Walker's suppositions. She then appeared to shrink back as violet raised her voice, their ambiguous pools of amber, wide, flicking from the ball of fire in her hands to her face. While Violet appeared to be recomposing themselves, however, they once again narrowed as they returned the cloth to a pocket. Still, they heard the fortune teller out, looking frustrated yet perplexed at the mention that the Kites fought. "On the topic of sloppy desperation..." they sneered at Walker with a scoff, their brow then twitching as Kite slid off of the slab and and deeply inhaled as if about to speak.
The feathery fluff of Kaath's mane defensively sharpened back, and it would take a moment to note the silence that then filled the room. Kaath's eyes were locked on the rabbit-like creature's eyes, as theirs were set on hers.

"W-wouldn't you like to know?" she defensively hissed after a few seconds, holding their sword tighter but maintaining eye-contact for another moment, the slits heating to a deeper hue as the faint clicking sounds rose from behind the plated scarf. Clearly subjecting Kaath to a line of questions through visions, the woman now began to seem visibly unnerved, their mostly-contained anger reflexively slipping out, exposing the glaring weakness of the strange figure. The scalding glare of the alien creature passed back to the other two in consideration before snapping back to Kite, the heat and weight leaving their eyes which grew wide. A hand moved from their sword to the medals on their coat, "I..." she began...and Kite tilted his head.

The rage was abruptly back in strides, whatever implication or question issued by the rabbit having been apparently the wrong one, as Kaath let out a scream of a roar in the same breath as barking, "AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, VALKET!? WHO HAVE YOU KILLED FOR YOUR BAUBLES!?!?"
Trembling, the woman appeared to have taken on a stature that put her a few inches taller than before, though hunched as they loomed from the corner that a tall shadow cast over the flames of the small fire which fluttered and spat in withering timidity from the chill that emanated from the woman. Kaath visibly swelled in their coat, the stitching creaking against the outline of muscles that pushed from within the fabric.
Kite held up his hands, ears folding back, though Kaath swiftly and dismissively hissed, "Yesss. A common misssstake!"

This time, however, her movements seemed slow, the tip of the massive sword dragging a few feet across the cobblestone as Kaath stomped and single pace forward and seemingly made every effort to heft the sword into a horizontal slash, but it was as if the blade had gained a mass that the monster was having significant difficulty even lifting. Kite hopped up onto the slab to avoid how the sword sank into the side of it before tumbling from the shallow cut and dragging Kaath down...until it fell from her grip...and clattered to the ground with a heavy, but not abnormally so, weight.

A moment of stillness washed over the scene as Kaath silently stared at the sword before whispering, "Loqias.."
And she was gone, a sighing wash of warm air filling the vacuum as they sharply faded without another sound. The fire rumbling back to life, though diminished with its limited fuel, slowly crept back up the logs which tipped over in a small flurry of sparks.
Kite eased themselves down, avoiding stepping on the sword to wave their hand through the space Kaath once occupied, without resistance. Ears still folded back, they looked to Violet and Walker with urgency before turning to the fire, pinching the tips of their fingers together, causing the metal caps on the end of their gloves to clink.

A chime like a bell rang out, light in timbre...
...and shadows on the wall began to ripple into existence.

A silhouette of a large bipedal figure with a long snout, it wormed and swirled to become a bloated...serpent?
The fire crackled and thrummed with a swirl of wind to bolster its light.
The figure brightly shone from a pin-prick in the middle of it...and then began to peel away like parchment being set alight from behind.
The figure was then a person.
The figure was then the first beast, the light continuing to expand, burning into the shape of a sword that grew, almost difficult to look at in its light as it grew to overcome the shadow.
A wreath of flickering shadows blew around it like a breeze.

The display dissolved in an instant as a voice spoke from down the tunnel, its voice pleasant, but the words indiscernable. This accompanied a hollow booming of stone being shifted as light faintly shown at the end of the hall.
The voice spoke again, and was cut short by the sound of smashing pottery.

Kite sniffed, a folded ear flicking as they looked down the hall and then over to the others.

"Miss! ...Miss?" the voice called, clearer but echoing, "Oh...I suppose I will wait here, then." Kite's ears slowly stood back up, starting to casually make their way down the hall, stepping around rather than over the sword. They briefly looked back to the others, but continued, regardless.

Outside

Spooling Sequence...

Segment 2

Segment 2

Birds in the Willows

The glow from outside the opening revealed itself to be a ray of sunlight pouring in through the trees. This mouth of a cave being something built into a hill in the middle of apparently nowhere. Faintly, the distant babble of a brook could be heard over the warble of foreign birds and chirps of a myriad of insects. Gently, the trees waved from a breeze that passed far above, but also leisurely whistled through the trees in a hauntingly melodic tune as if a flute was being played some countless miles away.

"Hoo hoo~" a voice warmly chirped from nearby, somewhere to the right. At about this time, the melodic whistling stopped, dulling to a soft humming. An angled hat with a skull-shaped pin sat nearby the door, a colorful tapestry of clean-looking fabric hung over a log to the side of the faded trail. Pale chunks of porcelain flecks appeared to have been violently scattered in that same direction along with the dust of whatever caused the mess to be embedded into the rockface; something having impacted it hard and directionally for the mess to have been made. Two knee-high boots laid at the base of this mark, still occupied by presumably their former owner's legs which hung out. However, no blood was present, instead, the legs appeared...smashed off...as if the legs within them were made of the same porcelain substance that scattered the forest floor.

"Da'anes-e'da!" The voice once again spoke from the bushes that the hat laid upon, a greeting like the one Kaath had given. "Please, if you will, pardon such circumstances. I intended to be presentable for this part. The Madam appears to have been put in a mood." The voice sang, though their tone fell to an apologetic impression on the last sentence. "Ah! My manners. You must distressed from such events, I will-" they began, one of the legs flexing and kicking once. "...Regrettably...I was recently rendered immobile. Please endeavor to remain calm while I...just..." they apologetically yet mechanically stated, the toes and knees of the boots flexing and turning, painstakingly but determinately attempting to crawl to where the tapestry laid.
"While I do not feel pain, I understand how the development of my state can yield distress...I will understand if you are no longer present when I recompose, however..." they were cut off by a guttural squawk of a large bird was heard not far off along with a gentle snapping of bone. "In the Madam's stead, I request your permission for me to guide you from the wilds." they warmly...almost monotonously explained. After a moment, the voice chirped, "My hearing is currently impaired, and I will repeat a semblance of this message, momentarily."

The voice in the bushes, the bottom half of a face made of a porcelain-like substance would then begin softly singing and melodically humming while the shards gently trembled and the boots continued to worm their way, one agonizing yet patient inch at a time. At the base of the mark where the boots wiggled from trembled a pointed ear-shaped depiction of the same material.

Lanes

Unheroic: The Backwards Castle

Kaath dismissively snorted at Violet's request, though they hesitated as Violet lifted their crystal ball between them. A brief moment of surprise danced on the monster's expression as the weight of their glowing pools of amber shifted from the woman's face, to her...bauble...then back to her. For three breaths, Kaath seems to wait...waiting for Violet to 'throw the first punch' before their surprise cooled to a disappointed contempt; an expression of annoyance that something so small would get between them and their aim.
With a long breath, Kaath heard them out, their eyes even turning to Walker with a brief consideration. Kaath's right hand rested on Violet's shoulder, being left-handed, and she leaned in to share a few intimate words.

"S'one moit be..." she simply said, her tone collected but shaking. So close to the woman, Violet could make out a scent akin to honeysuckle and a faint lavender. Their breath, however, was a...non-voice...Kaath seemed to be speaking through inhaled breaths, likely to give it a shriekingly lighter tone than whatever their true tones were. The proximity seeped a malice into the faux fortune-teller; a trembling of seeming eagerness that radiated out from their physique...until Violet would realize she was involuntarily shaking.

Given how Kaath's voice had sounded, so far...accented, stuttered and masculine.

Kaath weighed the consequences, the arm on Violet's shoulder slipping down to hold them close, hoping to keep the articulations of a mage from blasting a hole through her. Kaath's left eye looking somewhere else as their sword arm extended with a withering screech of the metal sheering through the stone ceiling in a swing over Violet's shoulder.

----

And nothing came. No squelch or slice. Not even the crunch of the massive metal reaching ground.

The sword halted mere millimeters from cleaving Kite's skull. Kite swallowed, sitting and looking up at the sword and then to Violet and Walker with wide eyes.
Kaath, meanwhile, seemed perplexed...but not entirely surprised as they tried a sawing motion, the massive blade rocking in mid air.
With a gasp, Kaath broke from Violet with a step, heaving back the blade and lashing for Violet with a fluid motion that was lost in the dim light, the intention found once Violet would perceive the cool radiance of the metal being close to her cheek, as Kaath had apparently attempted to bisect her with a semi-vertical swing...before the blade halted like before.

"I..." Kaath stammered, taking a few steps back, pulling the sword close and looking from its hilt to the group with wide eyes. "...I...see..." she softly spoke, curiously running a corner of the heel of her right palm to the sword's edge, which ate into her flesh like boiling water into snow...the apparently expected reaction, as Kaath only winced and pulled her hand away and violently shook it, glaring, confusedly, at the group. "Issss not right..." they growled, kicking over the logs in the fire in frustration and pacing another step away while hugging their massive sword. "E'res only evah one 'tha fekkahs! Yer story's shoite!" Kaath bellowed as if to call Violet out, an insulted and hurt inflection to their tone as they then worriedly addressed their sword with the polishing cloth, retrieved from their pocket, to pinch and smooth clean the spot that had sunk into her own flesh.

Unheroic: The Backwards Castle

[Unnecessary]

Unheroic: The Backwards Castle

@Dark Cloud
Oh! Yikes, I didn't check notifications. My deepest apologies. >_<;
Theres a discord, and I wasn't actually expecting interest during this revival period. ^^;

The 'original plan' didn't have openings for a while, but I think we may be able to take one more on board. May actually help with a few aspects of progression...

PM me CS?

Edit: I'm otherwise happy to answer questions.