Message in a Bottle (Lo)

[Avon]

Will was already coughing before he realized the transition from the dream world to reality was complete. There was an odd orange haze about his living room, but perhaps all of his cognitive functions weren’t quite to speed yet. His lungs ached, as if he’d smoke ten pipes all at once. His eyes watered, and everything became blurry all at once. The smell came, like a thousand camp fires all around him. Then the sensation of burning heat came. Alone on a couch in his home, William Avon realized it was on fire. He stood up with all the haste his adrenaline would allow. He became dizzy immediately and stumbled. Unsure exactly what was happening, Will found he was falling to the ground. The heat pulled the sweat from his pores with the gravity of a star. Everything became fuzzier, and darker. The curtains of reality came down, and all thought was lost.

When Will awoke again, strong hands were dragging him along the ground. The paved stone was cold, and quiet. He was still dizzy, and dare not try to move. Voices were present, but fuzzy and incomprehensible. The orange glow was present in the night, and upon everything. His thoughts came rushing. His home was on fire, his possessions were being destroyed. His writings, thousands of pages covered in ink turning into ash. There was a pain that some remote part of his consciousness felt, and the darkness overtook him again.

“He doesn’t seem seriously burned, he should be okay.” The voice had a dream like quality, but perhaps this was still a dream. Light sensory came to him slowly, blurs of like becoming defined and sharp. Sound crept in as a low hum of silence. Will smelled alcohol. Gravity held him to the bar booth, a pillow under his head. Will pulled himself up against the wall, his arm on the table. He began to make out a familiar shape sitting on a stool across from him, with a mug in his hand. His name was Ip, short for some name unspoken perhaps. Will was aware enough to know he was in the bar Ip owned, and that his home was on fire. Someone else was there as well.

“Will he be okay here?” The second voice was unfamiliar, but could be associated with another figure in the room. Will wasn’t quite all there yet, but the person was tall, male and had hair black enough to be mistaken for a void of light. Will’s head tilted and the owner of the second voice was disappearing form the bar. Will leaned his head back, and closed his eyes.

“I’ve a bed for him upstairs, until he figures things out.” Recognition of Ip’s last sentence came in a lag it seemed. Will’s head was spinning, his chest hurt, and his eyes burned. They burned, but every waking moment made things become clearer. When Will became aware of his breaths reality anchored on him quickly. He’d be dragged from his burning home, and been taken in by one of his closest friends. How close though, was indeterminate. Ip was drinking beer from a mug, and finishing it, slid it down the bar aimlessly.

Will leaned forward, and brought his arms onto the table. He rubbed his eyes, and then took his fingers through his hair. He gave Ip an exhausted glance, and said “Was there anything left?”

“No.” Ip said, standing from his stool and striding to the opposite side of Will’s table. He sat, and continued “The blaze was big. It wanted everything, every piece of paper. I’m sorry, friend.”

[Lo]

A golden shine radiated off everything, the rays of the sun spreading through the dark water like lightning in a night sky. But this light stayed, and there was no crashing boom! that followed in its wake. There was a distant lull coming from the kingdom beyond, the sounds of merpeople gathered together – and Lo was late! What she was late for she honestly had no idea, but it was something important.

The light around her continued to grow, glowing from every sort of object she passed, even the sand under her emanated with a burning glow. It hurt to look at, and was almost unnatural. The castle ahead appeared as if drenched in gold, and angelic voices sang out in a toxic tune, that echoed in her ears and was actually unpleasant for once. She hummed her own tune to cover theirs, one that had resonated throughout her mind time and time again. As she was still a bit away from her destination Lo closed her eyes, continuing to hum over the annoying music before her. She began to wonder why she was even going to a place with music this atrocious as it was turning out to be. It seemed to get worse by the minute, of which a few had passed before she opened her eyes. What was this?

Lo had found the castle had gotten absolutely no closer. It was as if she was stuck behind an invisible wall, that she also happened to not be able to feel…She stopped short, bringing her arms and fin down in anger, frustration and a little bit of confusion. She obviously wasn’t going to get anywhere by going that direction, so she swam up. Well, tried to anyway. But it was the same watery wall, and it was the same anywhere she tried to go. Her entire body started trashing around, her mind thinking perhaps there was magic being done - and if she could only just break through it with enough of the small strength she did have.

It was no use though. It was only as if her own convulsing had started a tornado in the water, sucking her down through the ocean’s floor. Through and through the gritty sand Lo went, thinking there would be no end, until there was. There was light and blue sky below her, as she came out from the sand which seemed to be above her, until she was all the way out; and then everything turned from upside-down, to right-side up. But something wasn’t right.

Lo sat on a beach, somewhere, the tide meeting the skin on her…legs? Her eyes opened wide at the unfamiliar and downright strange sight before her. This she had never seen before. Legs, on her own body anyway. Her mouth was already agape, which she realized and shut with a quick click. She brought her hands to her face as she slowly brought her legs up closer to herself. She pointed one finger, and poked one leg, causing it to drop with a smack on the wet sand…

…Which caused her to wake from her dream world, and brought her back to her reality of everything unknown, even herself in a way. Lo let out a heavy, lingering sigh as she relaxed against the giant shell she had found shelter in. It was big enough to sleep in, with a top half that kept her almost safe. She didn’t stay long though, wishing she could take the shell with her as she swam away. Her fin flipped her way forward through the sea that was never-ending, to her anyway. She stayed close to the surface as much as she could, in order to see any landmasses that may harbor other life. Life that she could communicate with, and figure out what the heck was going on! But the sea was vast and expansive, and seemed to have other plans for Lo.

She flipped her fin harder and moved her tail quicker, shooting through the water as fast as she could, up and up until she surfaced and it felt like she was flying through the open air.

[Avon]

Will eventually made it upstairs, and slept in a bed above the bar. He woke up late in the afternoon the next day, and went out only to find food and take a walk. His head was full of thoughts about information lost. At least ten years of notes, scenes, quotes, dialogues, timelines, and illustrations. Since Will put pen to page his life had been punctuated by the arrival of, evolution of, and loss of entire stories. He was the author of alternate universes, and histories, the god in those worlds. Now his worlds were gone, vanished, sucked into a hot dark void. Only what was left organized in his mind remained, and suddenly those were going dark.

By the time the sun was setting, he found himself upon a stool in front of the bar, a mug in his hand. The world was already a bit dizzy, and he spoke to Ip. “I don’t know whether to try to re-write it all, or just start over. I don’t even know how much of it I could re-write as it was, it’s not like I had every sentence memorized.” Will’s words were slurring a little perhaps, but it was difficult to tell. The bar was being tended by two of Ip’s employees, two female twins who lived in an apartment across the street. Will had counted, yes counted, twelve patrons mostly male.

“You’ve lived in Luca for what, six months?” Ip said, leaning back against the bar on his stool. “You’ve lived off what savings you had, tending my bar, but not from writing your plays. You’ve been in need of rethinking this for a while.” Ip had owned and worked this bar for the last five years. He won in some sort of sphere game popular in Luca. Will had met Ip when he first visited Luca, and after sharing a few drinks and talking for hours, Ip offered him a job so he could stay. “The world’s not what it used to be, we all know that. You’re stagnant here; perhaps you’re forgetting what it’s like to live the adventures.” Ip sighed, and turned around. “I don’t do what you do, perhaps I’m speaking out of profound ignorance.”

“Somehow,” Will said under a sigh, “I don’t think you are.” Will slouched off his stool, and look at Ip. “Maybe, I will.”

Ip stretched, and stood up from his stool as well. “Fresh air?”

[Lo]

Lo dived down into the water, her arms outstretched before her, and she was once again submerged in ocean water. The feel of the cool water hit her skin that had briefly been just the slightest bit dried in the heat of the setting sun. She longed for more and looked up at the sky through the rippling water, continuing to swim. After a moment of looking, her eyes drifted downwards and noticed something in the distance. Oh, I wonder what it could be! she thought, bringing her head up and out of the water. She stopped, looked, and saw a landmass. When she squinted her eyes she could see different shapes protruding upwards, but she couldn’t tell what they were exactly. One just looked like a giant ball of, well, water!

Excitement filled her being like a balloon and she rushed onward through the water. Thoughts of people to talk to flooded her mind, people with legs, as she hadn’t actually talked to anyone in days. It felt like days anyway, and the sun had come up and gone down a few times now. She swam on but slowed down to pace herself, also because an anxiety had crept up on her. A rattling nervousness followed and mixed in to make a churning feeling in her stomach, one that would not go away until she breathed.

With a small, gasping intake through her gills Lo calmed down, continuing to breathe. She noticed the sun and how far away she was from wherever she was going, and figured any people there would be asleep when she arrived. She still wanted to know what that ball of water was, and began to wonder if perhaps her eyes had played a trick on her. She brought herself up through the surface again. She was closer that was for sure, and it was definitely a big ball of water, but for what?

She simply continued to swim, noticing the sun going farther and farther down with the closer to land she got. She didn’t know what to expect by any means, but it should turn out to be fun nonetheless! That’s what she thought anyway.

[Avon]

The sun had finished setting below Luca’s horizon. The waters were calm, and there was scarcely a soul near them. Will sat on the side of a street on the bayside of the city, letting his feet dangle high above the water. Ip stood beside him, and both had new bottles in their hands. The scent of ocean air was always fresh, and the sound of tiny waves crashing against the city was rhythmic. They drank, and Ip spoke “If you want to write something interesting, then you should go do something interesting. Tease your muse from the universe.”

Will considered, but his thoughts were interrupted by a shout from the bar. Will couldn’t quite make out the language, but the voice belonged to the twin bartender with red hair. Ip shook his head, and said “I have to go resolve something.” He started walking toward the bar, and turned for a moment glancing back at Will. “Tell me an interesting story tomorrow.”

Ip disappeared back into the bar, and Will found himself emptying the bottle. He held it up and looked into it. It was clear, but the front was embossed with some sort of trademark. His eyes lost focus on the bottle, and his gaze returned again to the sea. He spoke almost without intent, “It will be a tale told for ten thousand years.” Will spoke to the sea, and to the future. “Worlds of suffering, disaster, and strife in a cold universe are the only places to find that which is most beautiful. If the entirety of the cosmos was intent on producing any form of order, that order would be the love of a lonely prince, and a fallen knight. Stars fall from the sky so that they galaxies may cry for their story.”

Will felt the bottle slip from his hands, and a few seconds later heard its impact upon the water. His head spun, and he began to lose his balance. Suddenly he felt like throwing up, but he didn’t. His head calmed after a moment, and he began to stand up. The water felt cold, and he didn’t remember falling.

[Lo]

The burning orange sun continued its trek down the sky and into the deep, blue ocean until it was no more. Another night in the cool and definitely unfamiliar waters was in store for her. A small sigh escaped her lips, as she thought of her home and how she couldn’t remember much of it. Fragments returned to her, making her feel somewhat homesick as bits of memories entered her mind here and there. It was even hard to recall them after that, but she managed. She popped her head through the surface of the water every now and then, keeping an eye on the distance between herself and the land before her. She was close now and felt her body beginning to tire and lose speed.

When she was close enough, she looked intently at anything to see if there was anyone. A light went off here and there, which was good, right? Seeing obvious signs of life and homes made Lo recall the castle that was so prominent in her mind, and other cave and rock structures filled with other merpeople. A good feeling came to her, but she wanted to remember which one was hers. But Lo continued to swim, her head above water, and her hair stayed wet longer than normal since the sun wasn’t out. She eventually reached her destination in quite a non-climactic manner, but her head and her head were pounding nonetheless. She breathed deep in an almost exhaustive manner, not sure of the power with which she’d been swimming until now. Her chest moved up and down and her heart pounded in rhythmic beats, yet she was okay. Just the thought of finally arriving here made Lo happy enough.

She gripped the edge of a small, raised platform at the bottom of a big set of stairs and lingered there. Listening, Lo heard next to nothing except for the lapping of the waves against the structure. The scent of fresh air rolling out to her from inland invaded her nose; it was strange and different although not unpleasant at all, sparking her interest greatly. The feel of the stone structure felt gritty as she moved her arm along it.

“Ow!” Lo squeaked, bringing her elbows up. She really wasn’t expecting that, but maybe she should have thought more about it. Oh well, she was confused and delighted all the same. Her eyes drifted to the seemingly luminescent and giant moon, now making its way up the sky. She almost couldn’t believe how big and bright it was, and wanted to see that sight, always.

Her attention was soon bounced to the sound of voices, men’s voices. Lo couldn’t help but grin, quickly spotting them walk towards the stairs! She dived underwater and swam to the right a bit, where she knew she would be out of sight and maybe able to spy on them; Not for any one particular purpose, but rather a number of reasons. First, she just wanted to hear them talk, even if they spoke a different language. Right now she just needed to hear another voice saying words. Lo popped back up after making her way over but where she could still hear and see them. She saw two men, speaking of writing and stories and the universe. They each had a bottle in their hands, a bit of liquid already consumed from both. One man looked more…well, manly while the other one was younger and looked wiser in a way.

Sounds drifted from the street above and away from Lo, causing one of the men to depart. She didn’t watch as he walked away, but kept her eyes on the other man who had his eyes on the sea. He finished his bottle. She wondered what filled his mind when he saw the sea. Suddenly he began to speak of a tale to be told for ten thousand years, a tale of disaster and cold and of order and the cosmos, and a tale of love. Her gaze wandered as she knelt against the stone beside her. This man perplexed Lo and clouded her judgment, yet she wanted to know him and talk to him, and hear more of his beautiful words. Her interest was now beyond sparked, it was drowned in gasoline and lit on fire.

The sudden sound of something hitting the water made Lo jump, also disturbing the water around her; she looked and saw the man was gone. There was a spot in the water she could see where he hit, and she wasted no time in swimming down to find him. It took her a moment to find him, but she did. She made her way over and swung one of his arms around her shoulders. It was a bit difficult to swim to the surface, and she hoped he’d wake up. But as she dragged him onto the platform, he stayed still…mostly. His chest moved with life, making Lo smile. She simply watched him for a while, until he started to stir. Without knowing why she became frantic and moved away, eventually swimming through the surface of the water, and away from the man and the land. She’d go back, she had to.

[Avon]

“So what, you think a mermaid saved you?” Ip asked, sitting on the bar.

Ip had found Will outside, wet and stumbling. He had brought him back inside the bar, and had him dry himself off. Now it was very late, and the bar was empty save Will, Ip and the twins. Will sat on a stool, and Ip was sitting on the bar itself. The red-headed twin, Mimi, was counting gil behind the bar. The blonde twin, Kaylei, was putting chairs upside down on the tables. The door was locked, and half the lights were out.

“That’s not what I said,” Will replied exhaustedly, “I must have fallen in the water. Someone pulled me out, and I saw a fin in the water swimming away. I also said I was intensely inebriated, and a life’s worth of writing was burned to ash. I don’t remember swimming, and I felt them pull me up.“ Will ran his fingers through his hair, and sighed. He felt sick, and his head throbbed. Somehow, some compartment of his mind stayed fix on his thoughts before he fell. His thoughts about his new romance plot. “I did not say Mermaid, though. I’m not that ridiculous.”

“Hey!” Mimi cried from behind and across the bar. “There are mermaids! I read about them as a kid. They live in cities under the ocean, and have shimmering tails. The most beautiful are allowed to have legs and walk upon land, so they may bring their beauty to those who don’t know the sea.”

“Fiction”, Will said, again with a sigh.

“There was also a story about magical chocobos that flew through the air.” Kaylei laughed from across the room. She had finished putting up the chairs and walked over to sit beside Will. Will had tried to win a date by writing her a sonnet that would make her cry, but instead she giggled. He’d made no progress since. “And a giant fat chocobo king who lives on a cloud. Speaking of silly stories, are you going to start writing again, Will?”

Will laughed dryly, “One can only hope.”

“Will, my friend”, said Ip hopping down from the bar. He put his hand on Will’s shoulder, “You were saved by a maid from the depths of the sea. You saw only the shimmer of your midnight hero by moonlight.” Ip took an empty bottle in his hand, and looked through it into a light. Perhaps Will’s muse had kissed Ip that night. “You return upon the morrow, and leave the mermaid a message in the bottle.” Ip smiled, to make sure Will understood. “Act one?”

Will’s eyes didn’t move for a moment. He needed ink.

The next day at sunset Will sat on the spot where he had been pulled out of the water. He had an empty bottle loosely corked from Ip’s bar in his hand, and piece of paper rolled up inside it. He sat the bottle down on the edge by the water, and thought for a moment. The day had been consumed with writing. For every sentence he kept, he blacked out ten. He needed a name, but that could wait. He stood there only a moment longer, and then headed back to the bar. Will didn’t actually expect his intended recipient to find the message in a bottle, but he needed that moment to write about it.