The Confusion of Castling

    It is no exaggeration to say that Marchioness of Arcadia is working very hard. But she does not show signs of cracking under the pressure. In fact, she has just finished spending the afternoon reading to the children in her garden. They love stories and obviously feel more than a bit of awe having a Legend spend time with them. Elly is always happy to see the children and always sad to have to say goodbye, even if she will be seeing them all soon.

    With the last child just turning a bend on the way back to the village, Elly is left alone. Which is time enough for her to let out a sigh. There's so much stress, it has to be allowed to escape somehow!

    Then her chim is active for a moment. "Yes? Oh, thank you. Yes, of course. Tell them I am grateful for all they are doing there. Hahah, yes. Of course I have not forgotten. The money will arrive on time. There is no need to fear!"

    That done, there is another, quieter sigh. "Well, at least I can say now that I am very much on the mind of the Dukes and Duchesses. Or at least my purse is!" she says to herself.

Dosbox wanders into the garden not unlike a slow-moving zombie in search of brains. He is tired; bags are visible under his eyes despite his clay colored skin, and his arms hang at his side like wet ropes swaying ever so slightly in the breeze.

He does notice the Marchioness sitting in the garden. He slothily makes his way toward her from behind. He isn't necessarily being quiet about it, though. Through a stifled yawn, Dossy interjects, "I am sure you are being thought of for more than your purse, even if it's not by those noble people. Those kids seem to appreciate you a lot. Me, too, for what it's worth." He plops down next to Wake with a release of air: less a sigh and more like what a balloon would make.

    "Borywick! You look..."

    Elly has to pause for a moment to inspect him. Well, he does not appear to be under a strange mood at the moment. That is a good thing. But she is obviously worried.

    "... like you could use a bed, good food, and some relaxation time. I can do little about the last, I have someone who can assist with the need for a full belly, and I have the most comfortable beds in the Dukedom at my command. That is, if you are willing to spend time recovering under my roof. You are doing so much for my people and our Alliance, I hope you will grant me this chance to repay you."

    She does not point out how she also has some of the most friendly and lovely of cait sith felilne maids in the world. No doubt Borywick is well aware of that!

    "Are you feeling sick, or just tired?"

Dosbox audibly deflates like a balloon, though he maintains his roundness, "Just tired," He says groggily. As if on rote memory, several Gem hands appear as soon as he relaxes a little, pulling lenses out of his Inventory before they begin to get to work polishing them.

"I have to be honest here. I haven't really noticed that I don't have a room right now, while the building is being built. Between the lenses, and the metals project, and that loom I am helping with and the the plumbing, and this and that and the other, my sleep schedule has been... Lean against a wall for 30 minutes and get back to it. While it works for a bit, I don't think this is sustainable."

He looks up at the gem hands, busy at work and barks, "Cut it out." The gem hands put the lenses back in his inventory and vanish. "I sometimes forget that I am supposed to be resting.

    "You are new to Olympus," notes Elly gently. "And balancing our project load is a skill, especially when your skills are as in-demand as yours, Borywick. But one handy trick is to have a good place to rest. Until you do have a place that you prefer, you may stay here. You will have no need to worry about keeping things clean, will have access to a real bath if you like one, and of course have some of the best meals in the world. I imagine you ate pretty well in Scale, but you will not suffer here, either. Though I must admit we cannot quite match Vertina's drinks or Asuna's Italian. We have our own flavors here, though."

    Elly offers a hand to Borywick. "Are you feeling well otherwise? What you are doing is wonderful and appreciated. But you do not have to work yourself to death to be wonderful and appreciated. You are more than what you can do for others, Borywick."

Dosbox looks at Wake's offered hand for a couple seconds, contemplating it. Is it a trick? Is it actually a bear trap? Could it be a new form that an Anglerfish has taken to lure him in so that it can devour him? He realizes he's too tired to care and takes Wake's hand, using the appendage to assist him off the ground. "I... Okay. Thanks. I probably should set aside, maybe, 4... no, 6 hours of sleep a day. To make sure I can still function."

However, when Wake says that he is more than what he can do for others, he gives her a look as if she had said 2+2=-4. 'That is, in fact, the opposite of what is true,' He says to himself, but it is also one of those things, probably, that people say because it's the 'right' thing to say, and when you argue with them, everyone calls you a pessimist. Yes. We will not do that. Go on, Dossy. Agree with the pretty lady.

"Yes, you are right. I should take some time for me, too. I cannot be wonderful and appreciated if I die, after all. It would just be my memory that is wonderful and appreciated."

    "I would be delighted if you could aim for 8 or 9, Borywick. But I understand that your work is important to you."

    His reaction to her hand and his views of what she said are both measured with her curious eyes. Her feelings, as ever, are well concealed. It is her way to only reveal them when it might serve a purpose. In this case, it is unlikely her worries will be beneficial. She will try something else.

    "You are wonderful and appreciated, Borywick," she says simply. "I understand that in the past you may not have heard this, but I hope you will get used to it. Better yet would be if you start to truly believe it in your heart. I obviously appreciate very much what you are doing here. I could not do it myself. But more than that.. stuff, is an appreciation for you, as a person, being here and making a difference. You care about others. That, even more than the valuable things you can do, is what I admire about you."

Dosbox blushes a little as he looks down at his feet, "Well... Okay. I... Thanks. I am not really used to being admired and stuff. I... Well, you're pretty great too, you know. Not a Baroness but a Marcheoness. That's pretty awesome!" He pronounces Marchioness as if she were a new type of Eevee Evolution.

He clears his throat a little as his brain begins to process some of the things he heard Wake say earlier, "So ah... when you say... YOUR ROOF. Do you mean like... Your roof the CASTLE? I am not much of a noble, you know? I don't have the best manners either. I might be embarrassing. I just plopped on the ground just now, you know?"

    Elly laughs softly. "It is... strange, isn't it? It makes me sound like I am a woman from Mars. It is fun, though, to think of how far I have come. In just a few short years I have made it here. But... it was not just me, you know? So many people helped me get here. And Tae, my poor, wonderful wife, she has put up with so much. I only hope I have made it worth it for her. I give her as much time with me as she seems able to stand and show my appreciation and love in what ways I know how. It will never really be enough, but I will never stop trying."

    She tilts her head and grins at the mention of nobles and manners. "You are my guest, Dosbox. Just try not to start a food fight and I am sure all will go well. And you plopped on the castle grounds! So that makes it a very noble thing to do." She turns her attention to the Dome of Truth. "I spend a lot of time with children. You would be surprised, perhaps, at how often I plop myself on the ground. At times I think I feel more comfortable down there than up here. But, then again, someone must be up here. Someone has to stand for the little ones, and the Landers, and everyone else who just wants to have a fair shot at a good and peaceful life. I pray every day that my actions prove to be a blessing to them all."

Dosbox lets out a sigh not unlike the one Wake made earlier, "I think everyone sees how much effort you put in to make everyone elses' lives better. I mean, some people see that as something to exploit, like those nobles, but everyone in the Alliance does, I am sure of that."

A thought pops in his head, and he grins a little, "And I am sure Tae appreciates you too. Though I would love to see what Tae looks like when you have given her more attention than she can stand. Would it be like a cat that has had too many pets? I wonder."

    "When Tae is ready for me go do something alone, she will tell me directly. She is wonderful, sweet, and honest. Of course, if she senses that telling me that will sting, she adds kisses and promises of.." Elly looks to Dosbox then and grins, "Promises of what we will do when she requests my attention next."

    The Marchioness cannot help but laugh at herself. "She... knows me very well. Tae is an amazing motivator. When things get more stable, I look forward to showering her with attention again. But now there is so much to do. And if I take too long a break Tae will point out that these toilets are not going to flush themselves. She is very much a fan of proper plumbing."

Dosbox blinks a couple of times, then nods. "Yeah, uh, I have a confession to make. I used to just poop myself and just use the menu clean rather than poop in a hole." J.K. Rowling, eat your heart out.

He looks around nervously, "So, ah... How many of those... Cat girl ninjas do you have on staff in the castle, by the way...?"

    Elly... will just let that one go. She does have a lot of work to do with Borywick, clearly. She will make a mental note to discuss the concept of 'too much information' with the gnome at some point.

    "Cat girl ninjas? You mean cait sith felines? I have several servants who fit that description. I also have spriggans, humans, many others. Oddly, no gnomes have ever applied to be a servant in the castle. Hm. I should try to remedy that. All others are represented in my castle staff."

    Elly makes a mental note to look into that. Perhaps something in her recruiting is failing to attract them. She's already coming up with a plan in her head to address it.

Dosbox nods slowly with a shrug, "I mean, that makes sense. Culturally, gnomes are predisposed to lean into Artisan work. The service industry would probably be looked down upon. I... can't really imagine a Gnome Maid or Butler." He scratches his head, "Ah.... I mean, cait sith felines is one part of it. There's also Werefang Felines as well. Is it, like, racist to call them Cat people? Do they not like that? No one has mentioned it, but maybe they were too busy addressing... OTHER parts of my misbehavior that they found more important...?"

    "I think it is best to speak to people using their names," replies Elly gently. "But generally speaking, calling the various cait sith groups by their general family seems respectful enough. Just not when addressing individuals. I would not lump in cait sith and werefang into a single group like that, though. They are different and beautiful in their own ways."

    She continues to hold Borywick's hand through all of this, unless he seems to want to pull away. Its a gentle, friendly grip.

    "How did you decide that you wanted to work with gems?" she asks abruptly.

Dosbox blinks a couple of times. That one was out of left field. Like, way off topic, and very abrupt, especially for Wake. Is there something about this topic that Wake doesn't want to talk about? Did he just say something pretty bad? Is she digging for information on him to plot his eventual demise? Hunting for hypotheticals wouldn't help him, he decided, so he should probably answer the question.

"Oh. Uh, well, at first, I guess I wanted to be unique. In RPGs, I usually play a caster. And I like Omni-crafting too. Rings and necklacess and stuff tend to be the only type of equipment that casters can wear, so that's why I usually START work on Jewelcrafting. There was a character named Gnome in a game called Secret of Mana that focused most of his magic in the form of Gems, and that was a big drawing point for me. I liked the aesthetic. I was cosplaying as him for a really long time. The beard and hat outfit I had going on."

"When I started THIS game, it was the same thing. My character was a caster, so I should make rings and necklaces, because I prolly wouldn't be able to equip much else... But the level of detail in ETO was amazing. I got REALLY ABSORBED in the craft, you know? Taking something that is basically just a dirty rock and turning it into something that shines so beautifully... That's... It was really great, you know? And seeing the faces of people that actually really appreciated the jewelry as gifts... It warmed my heart a lot." He grins a little, "I know I kinda rambled there, but... Did that answer your question?

    "Tae has very beautiful earrings," Elly says. She reaches up to tap her own earlobe. "And I rather do love the blue ones. They suit me very well. So, thank you for that." The marchioness is a fan of shiny stones. There can be no doubt of that.

    "I think you will find a lot of work here if you enjoy making beautiful things. I hope you continue on this path. Certainly if you expand what you are interested in, more will be possible. Hm. It occurs to me that what seemed divergent at first really is not, is it?"

    She allows that to hang in the air as her eye catches on a pair of crows racing around the skies above the castle. They are a favorite pass-time, and their presence always amuses and comforts her.

    "You create beauty, but by giving children glasses, you allow them to experience beauty."

Dosbox smiles warmly, blushing a little as he looks up at Wake, "You... Really let the gems shine for you, that's for certain. I appreciate that."

Dossy suddenly realizes that he's been holding Wake's hand the whole time, and he starts to get a little anxious about it, but somehow, he lets the anxiety fade away. Probably because he's so tired that he lacks the energy, but maybe it's something more.

"I mean, all the better for them to see you with, Marchioness Wake." He says spookily, like he's a big bad wolf of some kind. "You know, it was the Blind Goddess that spoke to me. About making the glasses. She's blind, but she's happy that I am making it so people can see. That's... That's Irony, isnt it?"

He gives a few nods. "I found a lander woodworker to make the frames. He is not sure if he's willing to commit to mass production, but he'll do one set. For the little girl. Ari was her, name, right?" He sighs, "I am sure we can find a supplier eventually. We just need to work on an adjustable hinge... Oof. I kind of left that be with all my other projects going on... Neeeerrrrggggggh...." Dossy makes a face as he realizes there's another thing that he needs to work on.

    "The Blind One is not blind in the sense of being unable to perceive, but I would say instead she is unfettered by limits to her vision," explains Elly. "Just as my shackles do not truly constrain me, but grant me a measure of greater freedom. The Blind One has blessed my work with Arcadia, as well. It is an expansion of my understanding of the divine. And how lovely that you have found a place in her service. I hope you learn much from this dedication. You will be able to help many, just as you are going to help Ari. In fact, you already have. She saw with clarity for the first time. She is so excited to get her glasses now!"

    Borywick's expression gets her laughing again. So much so that one of her servants peeks out from a window to see what the fuss is about.

    "There is always the next thing to do, my friend! And the next, and the next. It is so hard, is it not? I struggle sitting here, waiting for our survey work to be done so we can build a proper road. So we can build a proper shipyard and port town. So we can build a proper Undine city! Perhaps we are more alike than not. Always thinking what must be done."

Dosbox makes a thoughtful face, "I feel like... religion here and religion in RL... er.. 'The Dream Before' were probably way different. Like, here, there's obvious proof that the Gods exist because they are actively rewarding people for their deeds. And before, you just had to like... BELIEVE that something was there doing something. It has to FEEL different, right?"

    "It is interesting to compare. The divine here is very real. They notice us, reward us, and give us the ability to do wonderful things. It inspires questions, but for now, I am content with what I have. I do wonder, though, if I will meet The Beautiful One or The Blind One someday. I would rather enjoy a chance to express my gratitude directly. In the meantime, though, I offer my prayers and thank them often, as well as The Burning One, of course. They all are important to us."

    With the wind momentarily getting a bit unruly, Elly lifts her left hand to brush her hair back over her left shoulder. "I hope you are able to find real happiness here, Borywick. In Olympus. In Arcadia. In this world. It has so much to offer. In this world, you have already achieved things that you could only have dreamt of before. And the sky is the limit."