26th of Spring, 516 AV
The day had started as it usually had for Kaik, experimentation and animation. His latest endeavor involved animating two objects at once. It was an idea he had been toying with ever since he had worked at the Animation Studio; a more efficient way to animate multiple objects.
Kaik was sitting by a table with a piece of torn paper, ink, and a quill. On the paper was a large circle with the word “Source” and two lines sprouted from the circle to smaller circles labeled “Destination”, to the side of the image Kaike had wrote “Possible method to double animation efficiency”. With the idea placed on paper, all that remained was to enact it.
Taking white chalk from a wooden compartment inside a nearby journal, Kaik quickly made the circles in the middle of the room. Constantly making the same glyph for a year, the Animator had proven he was quite skilled in the art of making simple lines and circles. The final ingredient needed, dripped from the Animator’s thumb after he unsheathed a dagger.
Just as he stepped inside the largest circle, loud knocking made him jump.
Really? I was just about to- ugh...who could it even be?
Kaik opened the door slowly, greeted by the face of a young male Shinya.
“Hello, Citizen, sorry to bother you,” the Shinya had not looked apologetic.
The Dollmaker paid the young man’s demeanor no mind. “It’s fine. What did you need?”
“Yes, well…” the Shinya’s eyes darted away for a split chime. “Did you drink from the Sharai Spring yesterday?”
“Um...yes? Why do you ask?”
“Oh, has anything...strange happen to you since then?”
Questions were brought to Kaik’s mind, but he decided to keep his thoughts to himself.
“Nothing so far. Will that be it?” Kaik said.
“Yes, that’ll be all. Please report to a nearby Shinya, should something unusual happen to you.”
Okay, that’s it. Curiosity or not I have to know what this is all about.
Before the Shinya could cast his eyes away from Kaik, the Doll Maker grabbed the Shinya’s shoulder and gently pulled him back into eyesight.
"Stop," Kaik said louder than necessary. “Something is happening, isn’t it? Please, can you tell me what it is?”
Kaik let go of the man’s shoulder as soon as he spoke, but had not apologized; the thought never came to his mind.
A feeling akin to a less than minor shock ran through Kaik’s body. No more painful or forgettable than the simple cuts he had over the seasons, he had only noticed because of how foreign the feeling was.
For the young Shinya, he paused for a tick just because he had not expected the Doll Maker to have been so loud. Not loud enough to raise attention from the passing citizens, but enough to make him listen to what seemed to be the problem with the man. The young Shinya was no more aware of the magic cast on him than Kaik himself.
“It’s better you don’t know. It’s for the safety of Lhavit.”
Kaik seemed dissatisfied with the man’s response.
Clearly this has to do with the fountain and it’s seems whatever it is that is the problem is affecting those who drank from the fountain. How many would be affected if that is the case? All of them? A few? I just don’t know what is happening. I need to know.
Kaik locked eyes with the young man. "I’m a victim. I drank from that fountain, so don’t I deserve to know what could happen to me? To know what is happening?”
The Shinya’s resolve flickered for a tick, but his mind remained unchanged.
“I’m sorry, but if nothing has happened to you by now, then you don’t need to know.”
Displeasure had been evident in Kaik’s voice. “How can I be sure nothing will happen when I don’t even know what ‘it’ is? Tell me.”
“Okay, okay...just don’t be spreading talk of this, the situation itself is bad enough. Ever since the this day started countless cases of odd...incidents have been occurring. From citizens spitting fire to growing another arm. From what we gathered they all share a common point, the fountain.”
Is that what this odd sensation is? Because of the fountain? Is that all it means? Nothing's happened so far, but...oh, well. Maybe it’s nothing.
“I see.” Kaik nodded his head. “Thanks for telling me.”
“Yeah, I’ll be on my way then. Remember not to tell anyone, citizen.”
Door closed Kaik looked back to his project. He sighed as walked toward the closet where his backpack resided.
The day had started as it usually had for Kaik, experimentation and animation. His latest endeavor involved animating two objects at once. It was an idea he had been toying with ever since he had worked at the Animation Studio; a more efficient way to animate multiple objects.
Kaik was sitting by a table with a piece of torn paper, ink, and a quill. On the paper was a large circle with the word “Source” and two lines sprouted from the circle to smaller circles labeled “Destination”, to the side of the image Kaike had wrote “Possible method to double animation efficiency”. With the idea placed on paper, all that remained was to enact it.
Taking white chalk from a wooden compartment inside a nearby journal, Kaik quickly made the circles in the middle of the room. Constantly making the same glyph for a year, the Animator had proven he was quite skilled in the art of making simple lines and circles. The final ingredient needed, dripped from the Animator’s thumb after he unsheathed a dagger.
Just as he stepped inside the largest circle, loud knocking made him jump.
Really? I was just about to- ugh...who could it even be?
Kaik opened the door slowly, greeted by the face of a young male Shinya.
“Hello, Citizen, sorry to bother you,” the Shinya had not looked apologetic.
The Dollmaker paid the young man’s demeanor no mind. “It’s fine. What did you need?”
“Yes, well…” the Shinya’s eyes darted away for a split chime. “Did you drink from the Sharai Spring yesterday?”
“Um...yes? Why do you ask?”
“Oh, has anything...strange happen to you since then?”
Questions were brought to Kaik’s mind, but he decided to keep his thoughts to himself.
“Nothing so far. Will that be it?” Kaik said.
“Yes, that’ll be all. Please report to a nearby Shinya, should something unusual happen to you.”
Okay, that’s it. Curiosity or not I have to know what this is all about.
Before the Shinya could cast his eyes away from Kaik, the Doll Maker grabbed the Shinya’s shoulder and gently pulled him back into eyesight.
"Stop," Kaik said louder than necessary. “Something is happening, isn’t it? Please, can you tell me what it is?”
Kaik let go of the man’s shoulder as soon as he spoke, but had not apologized; the thought never came to his mind.
A feeling akin to a less than minor shock ran through Kaik’s body. No more painful or forgettable than the simple cuts he had over the seasons, he had only noticed because of how foreign the feeling was.
For the young Shinya, he paused for a tick just because he had not expected the Doll Maker to have been so loud. Not loud enough to raise attention from the passing citizens, but enough to make him listen to what seemed to be the problem with the man. The young Shinya was no more aware of the magic cast on him than Kaik himself.
“It’s better you don’t know. It’s for the safety of Lhavit.”
Kaik seemed dissatisfied with the man’s response.
Clearly this has to do with the fountain and it’s seems whatever it is that is the problem is affecting those who drank from the fountain. How many would be affected if that is the case? All of them? A few? I just don’t know what is happening. I need to know.
Kaik locked eyes with the young man. "I’m a victim. I drank from that fountain, so don’t I deserve to know what could happen to me? To know what is happening?”
The Shinya’s resolve flickered for a tick, but his mind remained unchanged.
“I’m sorry, but if nothing has happened to you by now, then you don’t need to know.”
Displeasure had been evident in Kaik’s voice. “How can I be sure nothing will happen when I don’t even know what ‘it’ is? Tell me.”
“Okay, okay...just don’t be spreading talk of this, the situation itself is bad enough. Ever since the this day started countless cases of odd...incidents have been occurring. From citizens spitting fire to growing another arm. From what we gathered they all share a common point, the fountain.”
Is that what this odd sensation is? Because of the fountain? Is that all it means? Nothing's happened so far, but...oh, well. Maybe it’s nothing.
“I see.” Kaik nodded his head. “Thanks for telling me.”
“Yeah, I’ll be on my way then. Remember not to tell anyone, citizen.”
Door closed Kaik looked back to his project. He sighed as walked toward the closet where his backpack resided.
Boxcode by Estrellir Konrath
