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XXXVIII- The Tale of Kaida
Part 4 of 5
"Give Up"
​

When Kaida lifted her head from the bow, everything seemed dark and distorted, people weren’t there in the audience anymore and it was just her. Everything was bleak, and her footsteps echo’d crazily due to the lack of people that seemed to be around. She made her way back down from her spot and began running outside. She saw people around, frozen in place as if they were rudely interrupted from daily routines due to a freeze. Kaida walked slowly, observing what was going on and she looked in front of her, seeing Aux and Hikaru actually walking and seeming to talk, she ran over towards them and reached out, “Guys, do you see this? What is going on?” and she finally reached them to touch their shoulders before they disappeared and she stopped and said, “W-what?” and the world began to crumble and she ran for it.

The ground caved into a never-ending void and no matter how fast Kaida tried to run, she could not outrun it and fell through the ground screaming, reaching upwards for help that could not come. She felt herself float in the dark for a while before the void rejoined.

You think you’re worthy? You think you can save your friends?

Kaida tightened her fist and finally shouted at the voice, “Shut it!”
Am I wrong?

Kaida let out an aggravated yell before finally a light shined through the darkness and she blocked her eyes. When she moved her eyes, she was standing in the doorway of a room and saw Hikaru laying on the bed. He was clearly not moving, and while Kaida knew in that moment of time what the context would be later, she moved in fast and walked over to the bed, she placed her hands immediately on a chair that had been set for her to sit down, but she couldn't sit down, "What happened?"

“What do you care?” Aux replied, Kaida knew this was not how the memory was supposed to go instantly. She turned towards Aux and asked, “What?”

“Surprised you found time. It’s been two weeks since he’s been like this. Not that you could be bothered to even visit him.” Aux answered and Kaida shook her head and said, “No, I… I tried my best to get here as soon as I could…”
“A likely story. You always seem to have an excuse.”
“That’s not an excuse!” Kaida yelled looking hurt.

“Really? Because lately it always seems like you have one…” Kaida shook her head as suddenly she seemed to look at a vision of herself walking away saying, “Sorry guys, I have meeting with the order.”

Kaida backed away before another appeared and she held her hands up and looked in apology, “I can’t make it today.”
The next one came right in succession as she bowed towards them, “I have a training session with Shiro.”

Aux looked fully towards her and said, “And my personal favorite:”

Kaida looked over to see herself, literally the day before she hadn’t seen Hikaru awake as she said with apology, “I’m just too busy today.”

Kaida kept trying to shake her head and say, “I couldn’t help it… I wanted to be with you guys… I didn’t put you two further back to spite you… I-I didn’t.”

“I couldn’t. I wanted to. I didn’t.” Aux hit and right back, “You couldn’t protect your friend. What can you do?”

Kaida started tearing up and said, “I can… I can protect my friends… I- I can!” she didn’t sound confident at all with that.

“No you can’t.” Aux replied before ending with, “Just give up.”
“Just… give up…” Kaida almost wanted to believe in those words before yelling, “No!” and the memory disappeared and she covered her head.

When she uncovered her head she was still in darkness, except a door. Kaida walked over to it and opened it in fear, before she opened to a hospital room. It was empty, except for one bed, which had Seiza sitting there. He seemed to be staring off, not even acknowledging the fact she entered his room. Kaida walked over and stood next to his bed and said, “Seiza…”

Seiza looked at her and said, “You seem to be doing well for yourself. Tell me. How is it, running around in that world where the light shines and your skin burns.”
Kaida tried to keep a straight face and said, “We can both go. Just when you’re health is be- "
“Don’t try to sweet talk me. You and I both know I can never leave this place. And it is your fault.” Seiza laughed evilly and said, “You’re trying to play hero. But you can’t protect those you care about. What makes you think you can be a keyblade master? What makes you think you can do anything right?”

Kaida felt herself crying again and said, “I’m sorry! You know I didn’t mean it!”
“Maybe it would have been better if it was intentional. At least then you’d be evil on purpose.”
Kaida shook her head and said, “I really didn’t mean it. I-I was too young to under-“
“It’s never your fault with you. It’s always an excuse, or someone else. Or something beyond your control. You little excuse maker. Why don’t you just accept the fact this is all your fault. That you’re a monster.”

Kaida screamed, “I’m not!”
“You’re a monster.”
“I’m not. I don’t want to be! I want to protect all of you. I will never fail someone again. I will never do anything to hurt you anymore. We’ll fix things.” Kaida insisted as she got on her knees and bowed her head, “I will fix things. Just please. Let me.”

She kept her head down until Seiza shook his head in disapproval and said, “Give up on the act. Let yourself fade. Let yourself be lost…”

Kaida felt something pulling her down as she repeated, “Let myself be lost..”
“Just give up…” a voice said behind her.

She looked at her arms and saw darkness was pulling her down and she looked up at Seiza in fear, “N-No..”
“Such a coward. Can’t take deserved punishment. Thinks she’s amazing. She’s not.” Seiza shook his head and Kaida jumped up, pulling away from the darkness and saying, “I’m sorry I’m confident!”
“You’re over confident!” Seiza yelled and the beeping on his heart monitor raised and she said, “Calm down!”
“Never! You did this to me Kaida!” Seiza screamed pointing at the heart monitor as it raised and he looked weak, “You’re the reason I cannot live my dreams while you can! You are the reason I cannot go out there and do the things I love! I cannot run anymore! I cannot do anything new anymore! I am stuck in a library because of you! I am stuck working forever in the same job because of you!”

Kaida tightened her fists as he said, “You could not protect your friends! You will never protect your friends!” and Seiza’s heart monitor stopped and Kaida froze as she felt a keyblade against her back and she looked to see Aux, “If you were not selfishly doing what you wanted, I could have been saved. Now I am lost to darkness, and it’s all your fault.”
“You did that to yourself!” Kaida yelled, “How could I have stopped you?!”

Kaida turned fully around to look at him better but Aux was gone, and all that was there was Hikaru standing with his eyes glazed over, Kaida didn’t understand it as he looked at her and said, “It’s your fault you weren't there with me, when I wanted to run away and find Aux. It’s your fault we changed. You were just too busy with failing your Mark of Masteries. Why should I care what happens to you? You couldn’t protect us if you tried. Now we're both here in the realm of darkness, and that's your fault.”

Kaida stared at Hikaru and shook her head, “You’re… you’re wrong…”
“Why are you of all people worthy of the keyblade? Why are you a member of the order?” The three asked in unison circling her. Kaida felt herself pushed between the three of them as they asked, “What did that master see in you to make you think you were worthy of taking his place!”
“I’m not him! I’m myself! Stop comparing him to me!”
“He saved the worlds, you can’t even avoid pressing a button and destroying a friend’s heart. You couldn’t save your friend from darkness. Worthless thing.” Kaida felt the darkness begin to engulf her and she fell to the ground as it began overtaking her as they said, “Go where you belong. Give up!”

When the darkness enveloped her entirely, Kaida could not get up from her knees. She felt someone walk in front of her, and she saw yellow shoes. Kaida looked up to see herself, but her eyes completely blackened and a big grin on her face, “Can’t protect your friends. Can’t protect yourself. You worthless thing.”

Kaida watched herself be circled by this image of herself as they said, “You were never worthy of the keyblade. You were never worthy of the journey. You should have stayed in that little paradise and felt your soul get sucked away as you made wooden creations and became part of the machine. You are a supporting role. You will never be worthy enough.”

Kaida watched them stop and summon out a keyblade and point it towards her, “In order to save you from how dangerous you are, I am going to save you from your sorry little existence. You will wake up somewhere far away from everyone, and you will be forgotten. They may ask, “whatever happened to Kaida” but then they will move on while your pathetic existence withers away. And you know I am right, huh?”
Kaida felt herself nod and say, “You are right..”
“Worthless thing, just give up. It is okay to give up when you have already lost. Give up.” The reflection said and Kaida bowed her head down and repeated, “It is okay to give up…”

The reflection smiled and raised the keyblade higher, “Now you understand. Smart girl.” And she moved to bring the keyblade down on her before the reflection was knocked far back and made a loud noise.

Kaida felt someone shake her and say, “Come on Kaida, get up. You can do this.”
“I.. can’t…” Kaida replied, not looking before the reflection yelled, “Step away, she’s already decided!”
“Kaida, it’s okay to make mistakes. Giving up is just an easy way out of responsibility!” the voice yelled before she heard a loud blocking noise and she could not help but look up.

Max was standing in front of her, protecting her from the reflection with his skateboard, like a shield. Kaida was shocked her was going that far and said, “Max, what are you-“

Max pushed the reflection away and looked behind him and said, “Are you just gonna sit there? Come on, I know you are strong than that. I saw you fight in Disney town. And I was with you during those memories. You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself and living in the past!”

Kaida stood up and the reflection walked closer to them and said, “Kaida, you know yourself better than this kid. You know how dangerous you can be. You know it is better to give up.”
Kaida looked away and Max said, “You’ve pressured her into thinking that. But I’ll stand here and protect her because I know she’s better than this!” he turned his head towards Kaida and said, “Come on!”

Max rushed towards the reflection and they began fighting and Kaida could not understand why he was willing to protect her. Was he seeing something she could not see? Shouldn’t he hate her for what happened with Seiza? What happened when she didn’t go and see Hikaru? How much of a failure she already was? Kaida watched them fight, seeing Max hold his own until his board broke and he fell back.

The reflection pointed at him and said, “You first. Then she’s next.” Kaida watched as the reflection swung their keyblade down and she ran screaming, “No!” towards the reflection. She jumped in front of Max and was ready to take the keyblade for him.

Then the light consumed her suddenly, once more.

CALL ME GOOFY, H'YUCK. PRAISE BE THE DARK LORD

Animosity

How're you doing up there?

XXXVIII- The Tale of Kaida
Part 3 of 5
"Responsibility"
​

Kaida lifted her head to look up at the dog-like teenager. She did not really have much to respond to him with, but he asked a direct question, and she felt a direct answer was probably the most appropriate. Kaida wiped her eyes and said, “I… should be.” she did not know how to continue, but she attempted to open her mouth and respond, before the sound of a flair went off and Kaida stood up and turned in the direction to see the purple there.

“What’s that?” Max asked and Kaida sighed, “It’s… the flair for when someone goes missing… it went off on this day when I ran off… I hid in the woods for about two days… then…” the lighting changed and the moon shifted as she spoke until she heard Seiza’s voice call out, “Kaida! Where are you?” Kaida turned her head and said, “Until Seiza found me… then I…” she turned fully in the direction Seiza called from and she said, “I didn’t try running away, since I was starving… and cold… in fact, Seiza was the one I was willing to talk to the most…"

Kaida walked and Max got on his skateboard and got himself a distance away as Kaida ran looking for Seiza. When she saw him they both stared and Kaida said, “I’m sorry, don’t be mad at me… I just-"

Seiza immediately grabbed her and pulled her into a hug and she was surprised as Seiza said, “You little lemon-haired brat, you had me worried sick. Don’t you know how much people are freaking out right now? This is unheard of.” Seiza let go and had his hands on her shoulders and said, “Why did you run off like that?”
“I…” Kaida backed away from him a bit and took a deep breath and said, “They… were telling me to join Master Yori… because joining you would just make me a weight like you…”

Seiza was quiet as well, it was a solid half a minute where they didn’t say anything. Finally, Kaida broke it continuing, “I was just, angry. They were telling me to just abandon you, I couldn’t handle that. I couldn’t listen to him insult you. Like you weren’t a person…” Seiza finally smiled, Kaida could tell in reflection that it was forced, “You’re a silly kid, Lemon. But… thank you.”
“Let’s both get out of here. To one of those worlds we know are out there! We don’t have to deal with these people forcing us to be something we aren’t. You don’t have to be forced in that cramped library and studying pointless things. We can be out there.”
“Things take time, Kaida.”
“I have time. I have nothing but time.” Kaida insisted.

Then she felt the world disappear instantly around her, everything went black and Kaida freaked out and said, “S-Seiza?” Kaida kept walking and looking around, but she could only hear her voice echo. She spun around a bit and walked forward yelling, “Max?!” Kaida started running in a random direction when she suddenly stopped as she heard a deeper, older voice.

Do you ever consider that whenever you try to benefit yourself, you just end up destroying more you care about?

Kaida froze and looked around before a flash made her cover her eyes in pain, when she opened them again she saw Seiza on the ground and Kaida was in a very cramped space. She recognized it, it was the one Seiza and she had been building for years, even though she had only known for about a year since he hadn’t told her. Kaida walked forward and said, “Seiza, are you okay?”
“Kaida. Stay away from the board. I don’t want you to get hurt.” Seiza was breathing heavily as he tried to stand up, Kaida tried to rush forward to help him but he held his hand out, telling her to stand back.

Kaida looked out the window and said, “Are we going to be able to move? We look stuck.”
“The ship wasn’t ready to be piloted Kaida. We only had enough to launch. We didn’t have enough energy or fuel. And even though I had a bit stashed away in our secondary engine, it is flawed and I don't trust that it won't break. We’re stuck.” Seiza said bluntly, “That’s why I told you not to activate it.”

Kaida was angry and asked, “Why couldn’t you have told me exactly that?!”
“I hoped you would listen to me for once Kaida! You haven’t exactly shown me you treated me seriously at any point and I had faith after everything that happened a year ago, you would trust me and not do anything rash!” Seiza moved to the panel and took a deep breath and said, “Maybe I can relay a message out or something. Something… make shift… maybe…” he was moving quickly trying to figure something out. Kaida shook in fear and anger.

After what felt like too long, Kaida moved forward and leaned behind the chair to look at what Seiza was doing and it slipped and Kaida pushed Seiza into the panel and he panicked and turned, “Are you trying to kill me?!”
“No, I’m not!”
“Then sit down and stay put. Don’t. Touch. Anything.”

Kaida sat in the chair and suddenly a ship flew by. She saw Seiza attempt his signals but the ship went too quickly, he pounded his fist against a safe metal part to do so and said, “No!” she saw Seiza tearing up, he was clearly in fear, and Kaida couldn’t handle that. She jumped forward and said, “We can try and use the fuel we have to catch up. Come on!” Kaida touched the switch and pulled it as Seiza said, “Kaida stop!” then suddenly a light shot out from the engine area straight towards Kaida, not for no reason but because it was directly in her path. Seiza pushed her out of the way and took it straight to his chest. Which made him let out a scream before he fell to the ground, knocked out, not breathing.

Kaida grabbed him and teared up, “No, no! Seiza! I’m sorry! I just wanted to help!” Kaida started crying and placed her head against his and felt everything go pitch black again before she was overwhelmed with light. When her vision came to, she was on the ground and staring up.

“Can…. hear…?” the voice strangled through as her vision tried to set itself and Kaida managed out, “Seiza… save Seiza…”
“Can you hear me?” the voice broke through clearly but Kaida’s eyes closed as an exhaustion consumed her.

Your selfishness killed Seiza’s dreams. He wanted to leave that scholarly life, wanted to leave that world of perpetual nightfall. But instead, you damaged his heart. He could only get a job at a library. He could never travel again. He was stuck on the side of the world that was always nighttime. He never gets the chance to visit the day side, he is worried it will stress him out too much.

You ruined his life. What makes you think you won’t ruin other’s lives?

Kaida opened her eyes and she was in a room. When she sat up she could look around to see it was her room. The one she was given when she became a new resident of Central Haven. Kaida slowly slugged herself up and picked up a picture frame she had on her desk. She stared at it to see a picture of Hikaru, Kaida, and Aux together, in their uniforms in a group photo pose. Kaida stared at Aux and glared at it, her hands shaking before she had to force herself to place down the photo.

Kaida walked to look out the window and saw the sun shine down on the courtyard of the building. She took a deep breath before she heard the distant calling of her name and looked around to see Hikaru outside, jumping and waving his arms at her. Not knowing any better for an instant, Kaida quickly got herself dressed up in her armor and ran outside and towards Hikaru, “I can’t believe you’re here!”
“I can’t believe you’re late! It’s not like you, Kaida.” Kaida froze for a moment out of confusion before he said, “There’s that big announcement today that the Order was going to do, ya know. For the new one replacing- “
“Right, right. That’s today…” Kaida realized this was just the illusion making Hikaru out of her memories, which bothered her quite a bit and he said, “Well you sure don’t look excited about it. Do you know something about it I don’t? Krowley won’t tell me.”

Kaida did know, because she was the new member of the Order. They had to tell her in advance. Kaida forced a smile and said, “Nah, I’m just tired… where’s Aux?”
“Haven’t figured that out yet myself. But I’m sure he’ll catch up. Come on.” Hikaru moved his head pointedly in the direction of the building and Kaida followed him. She took a deep breath and asked, something not on script of that day, “Hey… Hikaru… you’re my friend… right?”

Hikaru laughed and said, “Of course you’re my friend. Where did that come from?”
“It’s just… do you think I do a terrible job at protecting you and Aux?”
“Aux and I don’t need protecting Kaida, we’re not afraid of the sun.” he jested.
“I mean, if I had to protect you, do you honestly think I’d do a good job at protecting you?”

Hikaru stopped and placed his index finger and thumb up to his chin and thought, “Hm.. yeah, you’re pretty strong. You’ve got that keyblade after all and you’re pretty fast. So, I would think you would. I mean, if anything, even if we both got pummeled by Aux together you would at least be there for me.”
“What?” Kaida looked thrown off by that and Hikaru replied, “Well, you know how strong he is in our brawls. You know some day he’s going to be even stronger and worse.”

Kaida thought to herself about how he had no idea, and Kaida said, “What, you don’t have faith that I could kick his butt?”
“I was just kidding Kaida. You guys are almost an exact matchup.”
“Okay now you’re really making fun.”

Hikaru laughed and said, “Come on. Now we’re really gonna be late.” And he immediately ran ahead. Kaida watched him run ahead for a moment until she couldn’t see him in his vision and she said, “Hey Max… I’m pretty sure I’ve figured out one question… but I can’t figure out this second one…”

Max suddenly seemed to appear out of nowhere as he said, “Well, your first one was about what was most important to you…”
“Which was me being my best without being compared to someone else…”
“And your next one was, what do you want out of life?” Max asked. Kaida stared and turned to Max and said, “I swear, these questions were never asked to me, because that kind of question can change on the daily.”
“Well, how do you feel about it right now then?”

Kaida was quiet before saying, “I feel like this is stupid.”
Max kind of let out a bit of a laugh, with a “h-yuck” which he covered his face for embarrassed but then said, “But it’s not stupid. It’s important… isn’t it? Does it have anything to maybe do with your friends?”
“Friends… heh… well if we’re on about friends, I am pretty sure I’ve only got Hikaru now. And he’s not exactly here.”
“Really, only Hikaru? No one else? What about those others you were with in Disney town?”

Kaida quietly thought about that as she kept walking, “I… don’t know… we’re just acquaintances. I’m not sure if I’d think of them as friends…”
“Well maybe you need to let yourself think of them as friends.”

Kaida stopped cold when he said that and turned to look at him but he was gone. But Kaida wasn’t sure why she was so stunned to even think about these guys like that.

What makes you think you won’t ruin others’ lives? Just stop it.

Kaida kept on walking towards the ceremony as the voice echo’d to her.

It’s easier on everyone if you just give up. If you give up, you can’t ruin everyone else’s lives. Just stop. Just let yourself disappear into darkness. You’d save everyone that way.

Kaida walked into the building and headed into the back room pained as she listened to echo’d noise and cheering.

Just give up.

“Today, I would like to announce my replacement now that I’m retiring. I know they will do a good job stepping in my place…” they motioned for her to walk out from the side of the stage as they introduced her, and she bowed to them, a bit scared, not really able to think of anything to say, like she’d reverted to how she felt in the memory, but it was really because of the echoing voice.

Give up.

The rankings in these are generally done based on the KHV-parties earnings. So, even though Vulpeus always wins in the actual mobile game, in our parties that doesn't necessarily show.

I do agree on the fact it might not be fully accurate since some people don't want to wait until, well, 4:00am EST to get data before it resets, when the likelihood of people playing during that time isn't necessarily worth it.

Though, we should see about getting screenshots in the future, for the sake of having the picture of the data right there in case there are doubts.

XXXVIII- The Tale of Kaida
Part 2 of 5
"Paradise"
​

Kaida was not sure how long she would be willing to play along with the scenario. She still didn’t know what day it was, or what this memory was. Was it supposed to be something important that she had long forgotten? As she sat there helping Seiza with repairs, her body and speech sort of happened on its own for a while. Like she was being controlled by an outer force, which was the memories she had been placed in. But her awareness was strange to her. She was working tools to repair and build that she had not used in years. She knew the names of the tools, but at the same time she didn’t. She knew how to operate them, her muscles remembered while her mind forgot. And this resulted in her continuing on until there was a noise in the distance. A large banging noise was heard, and a blue flair shot into the air as a sizzling noise could be heard temporarily. This continued until the sound died down, but the flair remained in the air.

Kaida remembered the color codes of the signal flairs without a problem, it wasn’t something she could forget. The blue flair meant it was wrap-up time for the workers, especially the apprentices, who would return to start at dinner before wrapping up for the night. There were other flairs as well, ones not used quite as often. An orange color shined when a meeting was to be held by those in higher ranking positions, usually around mid-moon. A red color shined when something dangerous was nearby, usually wild creatures beyond their control, or sudden weather that was fierce. The only other color was purple, a color Kaida only ever saw once, to indicate someone had gone missing.

The memory of the purple flair, when remembering the codes engraved in her, made Kaida remember what day this was. And she froze a bit at it. Seiza stood up from his space of work and said, “Well, that does it for the day. I think this is progressing nicely, wouldn’t you think?”
“I’m still not sure what we’re building… I don’t know what it is. Why can’t you tell me yet?” Kaida crossed her arms, she knew the answer, but the memory did not.

“I will tell you when the time is right. I promise I will. But for now, it is safer if you do not know.” Seiza picked up a few more supplies and they began their walk to the peak, to a safe space created for Seiza and Kaida to march down what her mind remembered in two contradicting names: The Forbidden Hill, and the Sacred Laccolith. As they marched down, Seiza began to say, “Today, if they ask, we learned that the wind gusts above are much faster. If we wished to send messages faster, heading up the side, not fully, is the best course of action.”
“Why couldn’t they figure something like that out on their own?”
“Who else is going to willingly walk up the mountain except for us?” They reached a safe ledge with a lift, created by Seiza and a few workers willing to help, so they would be able to get down faster when the signals fired. Kaida and Seiza worked together to bring the lift down using a rope, until they were at the ground and they stepped off and continued their walk until they reached the village.

Kaida reached the front of her cabin, which was Household Q, and she felt something she didn’t expect, dread. She dreaded the idea of standing in front of it. Seiza stood for only a moment before saying, “Same time tomorrow. I will see you later.” He placed a hand on her shoulder before walking away and Kaida responded, “I’ll see you later.” Then she walked into the cabin.

As light filled her vision, blinding her from the adjustment to the night’s lights, she walked forward and closed the door behind her and stepped to the right slightly. She counted to thirty in her head as her vision corrected itself to the light, to look inside her home. There was only one other person in the front room, an older man with his hair tied back into a type of bun. He had a clipboard and stood there saying, “L-3MN. You’re late. You were expected five minutes sooner. Was there a problem with your way back?”

Kaida forgot her code number after all these years, she was surprised at that. She also hadn't thought she could forget something so integral to her days on her home world. She also never considered that maybe her nickname, which she thought was based on her colors and her personality, was a pun based on her code. Maybe it was awareness with age, but it made her feel the slightest bit stupid.
Kaida took a step forward and said, “No sir, things went as they were meant to. We are always five minutes later than the others due to our work location.”
The man made a mark down and looked at the board, “I would like to have a meeting with you, if that would be okay?”

She nodded, she didn’t truly have permission to say no, it was an illusion of choice. She followed him into a room where she sat across from the man and she adjusted her posture to seem more confident than she actually felt and the man spoke, “L-3MN… Lemon. They also have the name Kaida written down. Was that your chosen name?”
Kaida nodded and said, “Yes sir, it’s a combination of my L caretaker’s name Ida, and my teacher Kaoi’s names. If you could use that name, it would mean a lot.” It was a big step for people to accept someone’s chosen name. Sometimes they never did, and they never gave you a name. Kaida held her breath waiting for his response.

He soon began, “L-3MN, it is my understanding that you have always operated better under crafting related jobs. One of your hobbies from when you were younger was whittling with wood, and your speed with jobs could only be matched by the head craftsman, Yori, himself. We understand that you have been working under Seiza’s tutelage for the past six years, but we feel you are not putting your skills to their advantage.” He placed the clipboard onto the table next to him and said, “We understand the bond between a master and apprentice can grow, but Yori has asked that we tell you to reconsider your positioning. It is the best for our Paradise.”
Kaida felt a shiver at those words as she spoke, “I’m sorry but, I truly feel my skills are being put to an advantage with Seiza. I don’t feel crafting is my natural calling. Plus, who else would be a better fit for Seiza?”

The man looked bothered by the comment and spoke out, “Your master’s job does not actually require an apprentice. In fact, his working alone may greater change his effectiveness as well.” Kaida thought about this, and wondered if they somehow knew the project he was creating, and that it was too massive an undertaking for one person to handle. It was in hindsight, but thinking about this memory made Kaida wonder if it was a form of damage control.

Kaida looked up at him and said, “As unnatural as it may sound, I feel I must decline.” There was an uncomfortable silence between the two before the man spoke, “At least consider a trial run, for one week, if you try your hardest and your productivity is not at the peak that it is with Seiza, we will let you stay with him. It is the best thing you could do.”
“The… best thing I could do?” Kaida thought about those words and he repeated, “Wouldn’t you rather work with Yori and become one of the best? You could be the next head craftsman with the right determination.”

“I… don’t want to be compared to someone else. I want to be my best because that’s how I am… not because of obligation…” Kaida felt the words come naturally, and the man suddenly looked angered and Kaida stopped as the man said, “The Paradise does not and can not base itself on singular achievements and wishes. If everyone did what they wanted, nothing would get done. No one would fight the dangers outside, no one would clean, no one would light the flairs. Is that what you want, L-3MN?”

Kaida knew her choice was gone and she closed her eyes and said, “Fine…. I’ll do a weeklong trial…”
“A week of your best work.” The man’s voice echoed, and Kaida opened her eyes and she was not in that room anymore with the man.

---

She was sitting at a table, in a crafting shop that smelled of wood shavings and a burning smell. There was also a distant smell of clay and some sort of refiner. Kaida felt her hands moving, and when she looked down she was working at an extremely efficient rate, finishing off what looked like a type of doorknob. She placed it on the table and rang a bell on her left side and she waited until a man picked it up and inspected it, “Well done, I haven’t seen work like this since my own master taught me how to craft.” Kaida looked up to see a man with his hair long and black, pulled into a ponytail to work better in a workshop scenario. He was closer to an elder age than anyone else she had seen in this flashback, making her wonder just how much time was left for him in the working environment. Kaida nodded and said, “Thank you, sir.”

“It’s been almost a week and your work is quite astounding. We could finish some larger project with you here. I really think you should consider fully signing on as my apprentice.”
“I am sorry, Master Yori. But I truly feel I work most effectively under Master Seiza.” She looked confusedly at him as Yori seemed to roll his eyes at the name, “Right… Seiza. You know...” He placed the doorknob back in front of her and continued, “There is such a thing as, weights, on the community.”

“What do you mean?” Kaida asked as she looked at Yori who walked to the other side of her crafting table and leaned in front of her with his palms on the table, “Weights. People who hold our Paradise down. They are people who refuse to help us achieve greatness, but rather, do things for their own gain. And Seiza works amazingly at writing and research. However, he stopped writing and reading the plans the community wanted, and instead began reading older books and legends, soon he stopped reading these altogether and would disappear on his own adventures. One day, he came back and suddenly he had a weather apprenticeship, with you.”

Kaida watched his hands shift as he stood up straight and said, “You can be amazing at this job and lead us to greater things. You don’t have to be selfish like Seiza has taught you to be. You belong with us, working to your advantage. You are not a weight, you should never be. Do things because you are good at them, not because they feel good, Kaida.”

When Kaida heard, him use her preferred name, she felt like she should have been honored. But she felt insulted. Kaida felt anger build up in her, and taking her out of her catatonic state of efficiency. Kaida stood up from her chair and she ran out of the workshop with Yori shouting her name behind her.

Kaida kept running, as far as she could. She didn’t care where she ended up necessarily. She wanted to get away. She ran into the woods that she was told to stay away from, soon her body kicked into exhaustion before her mind did, and Kaida tried controlling her breathing as she slowed down, and sat down in the woods with her head covered. She tried to calm herself down as best as she could, it was just a memory. But the memory affected her far more than she ever expected. A series of memories that at the beginning of all of this she could not remember, was now hurting her more than when Aux had punched her in the head. She felt the tears come, probably from the memory more so than the reality. Until she felt a comforting presence from someone who was not from these memories and the voice of Max asking her out of concern, “Are you alright?”

life is suffering, we live to die

the secret code is "cal is rude 2 me and my punny humor"

But if you quarantine the puns, no one will get to experience where my humor shines. Have you seen my discord nicknames?

but

the name


is cheesy

I am extremely disappointed in you all that cheddarjak is not higher.

sorry, finals coming up and a bunch of housekeeping things all december. wouldn't even be able to think about joining until around january and I don't wanna hold the game back with non-posting.

If you're seeing it everywhere I post I'm sorry but I don't care. this is important to my sanity: