A whimsical hooded figure marches its way towards the crowded festive town. The massive horde of by-passers were surrounded by the marketplace's towering structures. Thanks to the nearby activities, the rushing figure bumps into many people. Slurring apologizes, the hooded messenger spent no time hassling around in the decorative plaza.
Imporia is an island clustered with festive decorations. With a clash of cultures from all over the globe, the inhabitants primarily worked together in harmony to live peaceful lives. These residents were known as Imporians – islanders who found purpose in their colorful abodes.
However, Imporia was never a paradise to live in. The island faces many natural adversaries such as windy hurricanes, scorching wildfires and even crumbling shockwaves. Due to these dangerous natural disasters, the islanders developed a system to ensure the safety of their jolly people.
Organizations of instant relief are scattered throughout the island. These safe homes take many forms, from humble beach houses to old forts that hung on the edge of the islands. Due to the sheer frequency of disrupted peace, natural disasters were not the only adversary Imporia had faced.
With every place induced with riches follows gangs of thieves, assassins and traffickers. Whether it's for the pursuit of wealth, a lust for power or simply for pleasure, Imporia is not a stranger to criminals and their mischiefs. It was only natural for the hooded figure's looks to be called out as mischievous, yet its outfit was accepted as a normal messenger.
The hooded figure emerges out of the dense plaza and spots a lofty watchtower from afar. With a silent smile, the figure makes a mad dash towards its destination. On the outskirts of the watchtower, a young lady armed with a metallic blade guards the perimeters. Known as the watchtower's gatekeeper, she was decked out with an array of armor in preparation for anything. The hooded messenger waves at the guardian, successfully grabbing her attention.
Accompanied by the hooded figure followed three identical maidens that wore blank masks. These maidens had stick-thin limbs, empty expressions and large bowties strapped in the center of their black dresses. They styled ponytails that were held by two grey diamonds that poked out of their straddle.
The hooded character gently approaches the guardian to evoke tranquility. "Is this the Ayamox Watchtower? I have an important message to deliver!" The hooded voice spoke jubilantly. The gatekeeper then diverts her full attention to the visitors.
The hooded figure resorts to budging itself towards the guardian. Before taking another step, a man from the watchtower pokes his head out of one of the windows. "Dinosaurs? Prophecies? Wait! So, are you like a prophet or something?" the awe-struck man thrillingly blurts.
Suddenly, the prophet stares at the jolly eavesdropper.
In utter disgust, the guardian glares at the eavesdropping man. "T-Thevenin!" The guardian spouts irritably. "Stay put! I'm coming down!" Thevenin excitingly bellows from above. The hooded prophet cracks an invisible smirk upon witnessing the interaction. In a short matter of time, the eavesdropping Imporian arrives at the watchtower's entrance.
Thevenin makes his way forward, "Sup. I'm Thevenin and uh—" the intruding man was interrupted by the gatekeeping guardian, "One moment, Thev?" she mutters with an irritated expression drawn on her face. Thevenin pauses and shifts his attention directly to her. Here, she grabs his chest and draws him towards her face.
"Can't you see I'm doing my job?" the guardian brashly grits. In response, the relaxed Imporian places his hands on her shoulder pads, "Zyra, chill! It's so boring around here anyway, hearing a story couldn't hurt." – "It's not about the damn story, it's about getting credit." she states, knocking his hands off of her. "Well, sorry that someone got caught napping the other day." Thevenin bubbly apologizes.
"...But I'm dying for some entertainment. Whatcha' got, prophet?" Thevenin ignorantly blurts. With a wider grin, the hooded prophet enticingly clears its throat and announces its prophecy. "I must warn you, this is not a fictitious story for your entertainment. It's a warning you should not take lightly." – "Yeah, yeah. If it's entertaining enough, I'll tell the watchtower on your behalf. Otherwise, my partner will have to escort you out of here." Thevenin playfully adds, winking at the stern gatekeeper.
"Very well." The hooded figure nods. The prophet then elaborately explains that everyone must partake in a non-stop festival in efforts to prevent the next calamity. "Pfft, really?" Zyra snorts and tries to retain her composure. "You want us to dance our problems away? You think dancing is going to stop a natural disaster?" Zyra sarcastically adds.
The blank-faced maidens slowly look at each other in confusion. "Why is she laughing?" one of the maidens softly spoke as the others remain quiet. During the disrespect, Thevenin inputs his thoughts with, "Sounds fun!" Zyra's unsteady giggling grows silent. "I mean, doesn't it sound fun to take a break?" Thevenin rhetorically asks.
Glad to hear the positive results, the prophet takes a few steps closer to Thevenin. "I like that spirit." The voice gratefully thanks. The hooded prophet then pulls out two long pieces of grey cloth from its loose sleeves. "In fact, I want you to keep these as a token for giving me the opportunity to preach my prophecy." Immediately, Thevenin tilts his head in confusion, "Woah, wait, you really think that dancing can stop a calamity?" the Imporian questions goofily.
Zyra tugs Thevenin to remind him that they're wasting their time. "Of course! Everyone is searching for a mechanical solution to prevent earthquakes and such, but this one..." the prophet speeches while gently wrapping one of the cloths around Thevenin's neck. Mesmerized, the Imporian allowed the prophet to get extremely close to him. "...This one's a bit more magical." The hooded prophet says after establishing a scarf around Thevenin's neck.
Seeing the cloth tied up to Thevenin's throat made Zyra take a defensive stance. To this, she takes a step forward with her sword out. "You are to leave this area or I will have to take necessary actions." The guardian threatens. Thevenin stammers and attempts to calm her down, yet the prophet understood. The hooded figure takes a few steps away from the general direction of the watchtower.
"It's okay. It's my mission to spread the prophecy." The prophet announces before walking away. "I'm grateful for your time, gatekeeper and fellow Imporian. Perhaps you can spread the message to your tower?" Without hesitation, the hooded prophet escorts the three maidens towards their next destination. Once the coast was clear of the visitors, Zyra firmly aims her sword at Thevenin's neck.
The Imporian then carefully places his hand over the erected sword. Zyra then slowly pulls it downwards. "I thought it was refreshing hearing something new! It's always do this, do that and before you know it, we're just doing the same thing over and over again." He states, now in a melancholy tone. "Besides, dancing? Yeah right." he jokingly emphasizes.
Thevenin then sloppily glances at Zyra. She notices that his disheartened expression. Regardless, the Imporian struggles to remain cheery. The guardian withdraws her blade and fixes Thevenin's hunching posture. "Don't get in my way next time." she sassily says. Thevenin snaps a small smile, "You know..." he pauses, lightheartedly nearing to her face. "Looks like I'm not the only one who wants a break."
Biting his own tongue, Thevenin unwraps one of the grey cloths around his neck. Satisfied to see him following commands, Zyra eases a bit. "Now, let me finish my duty until—" The guardian was interrupted by Thevenin wrapping the loose grey scarf over her neck. "Until I finish my gatekeeping majig thingy, yadda-yadda." Thevenin teasingly mocks. "What are you doing?" Zyra erupts.
"I think you're just super jealous of my awesome scarf, so might as well share one with you." Thevenin replies, widening his grin in the process. He giddily skips around her to tie the scarf. "I want you to think about it as a gift for being super chill with me." Thevenin states. The guardian soaks in the bestowed cloth. Its fluffy wools did blanket her collar stylishly and kept it warm from cool breezes.
Stunned, the guardian winces at the Imporian. "You're a fool, you know that?" Her uneasy voice gave Thevenin a sense of joy. As if hearing her speak apprehensively was refreshing of her. "Now we both look like fools where bibs!" Thevenin spouts with a burst of laughter. "Well, I got some assignments to do, miss gatekeeper." Thevenin farewells. He heads back towards the watchtower's entrance only to be stopped by Zyra's words, "I'm not done with you." She blurts. The guardian had been glaring at him.
"I know, I know, you still got to focus on your duty." he tauntingly says, "If it makes you feel better, this scarf thingy stays between you and me." Thevenin winks before emerging himself into the watchtower. And with that, the gatekeeping guardian releases a heavy sigh. Zyra directs her guard outwards as she holds onto her post.
. . .
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