fighttheefforts | (no subject)

cathoir posting in

[circa 1825, on an island somewhere vaguely in the eastern hemisphere of the world, there exists this Place. and this Place is a fantastical wonderland of surprises and technology, of entertainment and abject poverty. this Place is, essentially, entirely different from the place that it originally was, thanks to technological advances that allow for things like Indoor Plumbing and Lighting far before its time. this is due entirely the Really Cool things that happen when you boil water, and when you boil water in large quantities it turns out that you can get an awful lot done.

there is a lot more to it than that, but that is the explanation in layman's terms and if it is good enough for Cathoir it is good enough for you.

in any case, this place is is completely different from the place it originally was for all the reasons stated above. except that last bit, about the abject poverty. that part is pretty much true across the board. because it is 1825.

and cathoir is one of these impoverished persons, carefully eking out his life day to day by working odd jobs and and occasionally stealing produce. he doesn't, however, actually consider himself a thief or underprivileged(check and check). no, cathoir is a merchant. and he sells things that he would possibly be persecuted for by any court in the land should anyone feel inclined to turn him in, but, of course, no one would. it's hard times, a dog-eat-dog world and any number of other idioms, and you've got to get your money somehow. right? right.

right now, however, cathoir is not worried about any of that. he is enjoying some time with a group of friends before he goes to conspicuously hang out around a back alley for a good part of the night, and the conversation has begun to steer towards the topic of Certain Mysteries around their part of town.]

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From:

ashleytheboy

[--the mysteries in question being a certain Phantom Tortoise that appears at midnight at the crossing next to the town pub, a particularly fancy coat that is rumored to kill anyone who owns it for long enough, and an abandoned mansion on the road out into the pastures.

it is not a very interesting town, you see. it's small and a bit out of the way. most towns make up for this by having a rich history, fascinating culture, hell, a big building. none of that here. you have your store, you have your pub, you have your quaint little cottages lined up all down the street, you have your doctor making his rounds once a month, and that is what you get. There is a brothel, not officially inside the town, but if you walk a few minutes up the northern path you'll get there. the older residents hate it because it attracts all kinds of bad sorts, the younger people like it because it attracts all kinds of bad sorts, and that is about the extent of the conflict here.

this boy's name is ashley. he thinks it is a very unfortunate name.

ashley was born in the brothel up the northern path. he was raised there until he was too old to stay, and got booted out when he was thirteen. he sees his mother once in a while, but oh well, things are hard all over. he thinks that, possibly, he might have been allowed to stay if he did not have an overbite and an inordinately large chin, but that was his lot in life. he is not sure whether or not to be grateful for this.

despite all this, ashley tries to keep his chin up(he struggles a bit with this, naturally) and keep the bitterness he is wholeheartedly entitled to far, far away. over the last few months, he has taken much interest in the Phantom Tortoise, claiming that he himself has seen it multiple times. it is a grey-ish thing, he says, leaving a trail of slime wherever it moves. its eyes burn like coals in the darkness of the night.

his friends think this is the stupidest fucking thing they have ever heard.]

From:

cathoir

That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.

From:

crapley

[the boy sitting cross-legged in front of cathoir and ashley is bradley. currently, bradley is cackling like a hyena. bradley is doing this because he is a mean-spirited person, and cannot just tell someone he thinks they are stupid.

he has to go one step further to make them feel bad. except that in this particular case it is less a step and more a small shuffle forward, because it does not take much to upset ashley.]

Evil tortoises. All the stupid made-up stories here, and you had to pick the worst one. I've never even seen a damn tortoise.

From:

ashleytheboy

T-That's the point!

From:

crapley

How'd you know it was a tortoise, then?

From:

ashleytheboy

Everyone knows what a tortoise looks like!

From:

crapley

They've been selling this big old tortoise shell back at the store for the longest time now. Maybe that's your evil tor--

From:

ashleytheboy

The tortoise I'm talking about is a phantom, Bradley, a malcontent soul roaming the roads, looking to strike fear and doubt in the hearts and minds of--

From:

crapley

You're a loon. Did you practice that speech? Hey--

[he leans forward, strike the side of cathoir's knee.]

Tell him about the time you were walking by that house. Go on.

From:

cathoir

Well, I don't really think I should.

From:

ashleytheboy

W-Well, why not?

From:

cathoir

What I saw was pretty scary. It wasn't quite on the level of the tortoise, but it was definitely a close second. I don't think you can handle it.

From:

crapley

No, tell him.

From:

ashleytheboy

W-Well?

From:

cathoir

I was walking out of town, right? Really nice day out, the snow was just starting to melt--

From:

cathoir

And I pass that house right on the way out, near the gates. You know, that house must've been here a hundred years, and a big old thing like that should've broken down by now without anyone taking care of it.

From:

cathoir

Anyway, it just so happens that as I'm walking by this house, I turn to look at it. And one of the curtains is pulled back.

From:

ashleytheboy

[he leans forward slightly.]

From:

cathoir

It was pitch black inside. I was a little far away, so I couldn't make everything out, but I remember that. Since it was so dark inside, I could see the thing holding aside the curtain clear as day. The person inside was white as a sheet. Not pale, just pure white, can you believe that? The second it saw me it closed the curtain, and that was that. I keep walking by to see if it'll do it again, but no luck.

From:

ashleytheboy

[ashley lets this sink in. and then he grimaces.]

Why'd you want to see that again? Maybe it's angry, did you ever think about that? Stop bothering it or it's gonna--

From:

cathoir

Hey, I'm not bothering it. I'm taking a walk, and I just so happen to walk by the house a whole lot. Road doesn't belong to it.

From:

crapley

I was thinking that it wouldn't be so bad, you know, if I went to go take a closer look for myself. What do you think?

From:

ashleytheboy

No!

From:

cathoir

Stop being such a chicken. You go right ahead, Bradley.

From:

crapley

Thank you for your support. Are you gonna be there to see it happen?

From:

cathoir

Of course. I wanna see it too.

From:

cathoir

When are we doing this?

From:

crapley

Probably tomorrow night, maybe the night after. Think it'd be best to sneak up on it.

From:

cathoir

Sounds like a plan.

From:

ashleytheboy

This is a really bad idea, what if it's some sort of--bogey, or a poltergeist, or--

From:

cathoir

--or a tortoise.

From:

ashleytheboy

[this is about the time that ashley fumes silently for a moment before speaking up again.]

Fine, fine, when you get yourself in trouble that's all going to be on you, and I'll have been the level-headed person that warned you.

From:

cathoir

You're taking all of this a little seriously, aren't you? We're just joking around with you.

[he claps his hand down on ashley's shoulder before getting up.]

Right, then. I need to get going.