SV-2 (Under Tides) story

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Skadi Female Inhabitant Inhabitant Inhabitant Male Inhabitant (A) Male Inhabitant B Old Inhabitant Young Inhabitant
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“

A strange group inhabits this city of ruin. They treat Skadi, a rare outsider, both coldly and warily. A clash ensues.

”

<Background 1>
3:23 P.M. \ Overcast Iberia, Sal Viento

A city, life long lost, lies half-buried under dust and whiff of sea breeze.
Skadi	This is the place on the map. I can't say it smells any good.
[Skadi approaches an inhabitant of the nomadic city...]
Skadi	Hello.
Male Inhabitant	......
[...and approaches another inhabitant.]
Skadi	May I ask–
Another Male Inhabitant	(He hangs his head low, and does not speak.)
Nobody responds. Nobody so much as turns a head. Their eyes are open, yet all of them are motionless. Their only trait unlike a statue is that they breathe. Long and slow, they breathe.
Skadi	...... Monsters?
They are all human in appearance. Aside from being far too slender, and clothed in near-rags, they are indistinguishable from the Iberians met along the way, a far cry from the monsters Old José described.
Skadi	They're all humans. (She utters Iberian.) Is this not how they speak anymore? (Iberian again, the accent somewhat changed.) ......
Still no one replies. Skadi subconsciously grips her case's handle. Outside, she has her ways of making those who will not talk, talk. But it requires that the target comprehend her speech.
Skadi	Moreover, I'm a singer right now. A singer doesn't do that. Mister José said so.
???	Ninety-nine...
A small shadow flits across the street.
Skadi	Someone's talking.
With a fast step, she chases after.
???	Ninety-nine.
[Skadi catches up to the mumbling child.]
Skadi	A... child? He's mumbling a number. I can't have misheard. You– My necklace just... You will not escape!
The child slips free of her grasp. With a flick of his head, he scampers down an even deeper alleyway.
[Skadi gives chase to the child.]
Young Inhabitant	Ninety-nine, ninety-nine...
<Background 2>
[Skadi corners the child in a seemingly dilapidated bar.]
Skadi	You can't run.
Young Inhabitant	Whimper...
Skadi	Why take what's mine? Why bring me here? Hm?
Skadi tramples directly onto a trap laid on the ground.
Skadi	A hole, a few ropes. The ambushes outside were at least much more adequate than this. Come out, all of you. I needed to find you, anyway. Quickly, if you don't mind.
In the shadows, some few "sculptures" come to life, slowly easing towards Skadi.
Male Inhabitant A	She's very peculiar.
Male Inhabitant B	Quite, Sheetmetal. Such a person, I've never before seen.
Male Inhabitant A	Nor I.
Skadi	So you know how to speak after all.
Male Inhabitant A	Who are you?
Skadi	A wandering singer.
Male Inhabitant A	I know not what a wandering singer is.
Male Inhabitant B	Sheetmetal, do not speak to her.
Male Inhabitant A	Your face, unfamiliar. Your attire, strange. You are not one from here. What is your business?
Skadi	I want to ask a question.
Male Inhabitant A	Your clothes, very new.
Skadi	Have you seen my fellow person?
Male Inhabitant A	You have much strength. You are able to eat your fill.
Skadi	She came here before I did.
Male Inhabitant A	Your case, very heavy.
Skadi	An instrument is not a light thing.
Male Inhabitant A	The thing in your grasp, very uncanny.
Skadi	I assume your harps should come more or less the same. (Plucks strings)
Male Inhabitant A	Ears, pained. It is a weapon.
Skadi	It is able to not be.
Male Inhabitant B	Sheetmetal, this person, uncanny. Do not heed her. To speak, very tiring.
Male Inhabitant A	Bench. Let go of him.
Skadi	Bench... Do you mean this child? I didn't intend anything for him. He took something of mine. Things like that are significant.
Male Inhabitant A	You came to rob something.
Skadi	...... I'm only taking back what's mine. And looking for someone who can understand me when I talk.
Young Inhabitant	Whimper...
Male Inhabitant A	Our child, you may not touch. Our things, you may not rob.
Skadi	Hm?
Male Inhabitant A	Our rules, may not be broken.
Male Inhabitant B	Sheetmetal, you have gotten nearer. What are you doing?
Male Inhabitant A	She is going to harm our child, steal what is ours, break our rules.
Male Inhabitant B	Is she not our sister? If she is, she too has a share.
Male Inhabitant A	She is surely not.
Skadi	You don't understand me. I'll go and ask someone else.
Male Inhabitant A	You may not leave.
Male Inhabitant B	One moment, Sheetmetal... Ouch! There–There is a hole here.
Male Inhabitant A	Woodframe's hole. You forgot.
Skadi	Oh, it comes in handy after all.
Male Inhabitant A	Those from outside, to our place, you should not have come!

“

Skadi effortlessly sorts out the inhabitants hostile to her, and meets a girl named Anita who's willing to communicate. Anita gives her directions, and assists her in searching for Specter. At the same time, another set of eyes has been watching Skadi all along.

”

<Background 2>
Skadi watches as the locals fall unconscious, and she picks up the suitcase she'd laid for a second on the floor.
[A young Liberi shows up.]
???	...Gr–Greetings.
Skadi	Hm? There's another one.
Female Inhabitant	Don't–Don't hit me... I'm not very much like them. I know you're good.
Skadi	You can understand what I mean.
Female Inhabitant	You only came here following Bench.
Young Inhabitant	Whimper... Woodframe, Woodframe...
Skadi	He ran, I followed.
Female Inhabitant	You bear no ill will towards us.
Skadi	All I ask is he gives what's mine back.
Female Inhabitant	Huh? B–Bench... what did you take?
Young Inhabitant	All shiny... all shiny... hard... it hurts... whimper...
Female Inhabitant	That's not for you to eat! Pull it out of your mouth, quick! I'm sorry, Bench tends to just grab at things he's never seen before. He doesn't understand these are things he shouldn't grab.
Skadi	(Receives necklace)
Female Inhabitant	Ugh, it's covered in spit... It's gotten your hand dirty.
Skadi	It's fine, as long as I have it back.
Female Inhabitant	We don't often see unfamiliar faces here. Did you come from the outside?
Skadi	I came from a city elsewhere in Iberia.
Female Inhabitant	It's very rare I see people from other places. Your clothes... are very strange too. I've never seen material like this before. Does everyone from the outside dress that way?
Skadi	Only wandering singers would.
Female Inhabitant	Wandering... singers? I overheard you talking to Sheetmetal, but I don't know what that is.
Skadi	Like me, they travel everywhere, occasionally stopping over, playing the harp, singing a song.
Female Inhabitant	What about the case? What's inside it?
Skadi	A saxophone.
Female Inhabitant	What's a saxophone?
Skadi	An instrument.
Female Inhabitant	Are you really a wandering singer?
Skadi	Mm.
Female Inhabitant	(Quiet mutter) So what did you come to do, then? Was it sing?
Skadi	I came to find someone.
Female Inhabitant	Who? Also a wandering singer?
Skadi	Yes. She is a fellow of mine. We are colleagues.
Female Inhabitant	Did she come to Sal Viento too?
Skadi	Correct. Have you seen her?
Female Inhabitant	You haven't told me what she looks like yet... oh, well! I said it just before, but you're the first time I've ever seen anyone like you.
Skadi	I'll go and ask others. Can you guide me?
Female Inhabitant	Guide? That trap... was my making. I thought you would've known.
Skadi	I don't care.
Female Inhabitant	You don't fault me? I thought you would at least have... reproached me some.
Skadi	Let's go. I'm in a hurry.
Female Inhabitant	Alright...
Skadi	......
Female Inhabitant	Agh! Why–Why did you suddenly stop...? I knocked against your case. Ow...
Skadi	I forgot to say. What's in my case is useless to you. Apart from this, anything you might want, I can give you once you help me find her.
Female Inhabitant	Er, I was only curious... Was I that apparent?
Skadi	As plain to see as the trap you made.
Female Inhabitant	Wow... singer, you not only have a pair of nimble hands, but a pair of formidable eyes too.
<Background 1>
Inhabitant	Ninety-eight...
Inhabitant	Ninety-nine...
Skadi	...... How do I ask questions here?
Female Inhabitant	Huh? How do you usually ask them on the outside?
Skadi	(With a thump, she sets down the case she was carrying.) With this.
Female Inhabitant	Um? The saxo... saxophone? You use instruments to ask questions?
Skadi	Yes. Slam slam, boom, kapow.
Female Inhabitant	The sounds this instrument makes are quite bizarre.
Skadi	It's very effective. They all usually open up straight away. If they still don't talk, I can change angle, and go for another round.
Female Inhabitant	Then I have a feeling that won't get you anywhere here.
Skadi	Possibly. (Strokes case) In that case, the two just now. They already got talking.
Female Inhabitant	Sheetmetal? They shouldn't even know of musical instruments. The people here usually keep themselves to themselves, and don't pay attention to anyone. And they, er, talk very infrequently. Even if they knew, they wouldn't understand how to reply.
Skadi	You've paid attention to me.
Female Inhabitant	Probably because I'm a little odd. I'm not too like everyone else.
Skadi	You talk a lot better than they do too.
Female Inhabitant	Do I really? I'm so happy. It's all what Grandma Petra taught me. Oh, if you want to find someone else to ask, I can bring you to Grandma Petra. She's the oldest one of us all here, and knows about the most too.
Skadi	Alright.
Female Inhabitant	Come, singer, let us walk through here.
Skadi	Here?
Inhabitant	Ninety-nine, ninety-nine...
Inhabitant	Ninety-nine.
Female Inhabitant	Do you mean them? You can ignore them, they're just standing around. They make it a bit of a squeeze, but it'll be alright even if you bump into them. They won't react, really. Will you, Tableleg?
Inhabitant	......
Skadi	......
[Skadi jumps over the completely oblivious inhabitant.]
Female Inhabitant	Wha? She jumped–clear over their heads? H–How did she manage that? She didn't so much as touch anyone beneath her. Do all people from the outside walk about like this? How magical!
<Background fades out and in>
[Skadi and the girl reach a house.]
Female Inhabitant	Made it!
[The girl runs inside to an old woman's side.]
Female Inhabitant	Grandma Petra! Graaaandmaaaa Petraaaa!
Old Inhabitant	Don't shout! Are you trying to shake my ears apart?
Female Inhabitant	Hee-hee, grandma, you're so very lively today! You're still–er, are you basking in the sun?
Old Inhabitant	The sun... keh, where do you see the sun? I've been waiting all these years and I still haven't seen the sun. Anita, what are you getting up to? You're always scrambling about, doing this and that. Around here, could anything important even happen?
Female Inhabitant	Grandma Petra, I'm fine as I am. Someone else wanted to find you. –Huh, where'd she go?
Skadi stares fixed at the alley's other end. There's no one to be seen there. At least, it seems so.
Skadi	......
[The girl, now known as Anita, approaches Skadi.]
Female Inhabitant	How did you get over here all of a sudden?
Skadi	Someone's watching.
Female Inhabitant	That so? Where? I can't see anyone around.
Skadi	They're hiding very well. Not well enough, is all.
Female Inhabitant	Why are you so grim? Aren't you a wandering singer? Shouldn't you be very used to people staring if you perform?
Skadi	...You're right.
Female Inhabitant	Then let's make our way over! Grandma Petra's in alright spirits. You might really be able to ask something or other.
[The old woman, now known as Petra, walks round a circle through a pillar.]
At a street corner, an old lady rounds a pillar, turning circle after circle. Her body trembles and shakes, yet her gait is no hobble.
Old Inhabitant	Red sky at night, set aglow by my fiery clothes... beloved one, o, take me to fly o'er the deep blue ocean...
[Anita goes to Petra.]
Female Inhabitant	Grandma Petra, what are you doing now?
Old Inhabitant	Anita, oh, curse you, Anita! Did you not see I was dancing? When a young girl is dancing, nobody can disturb her. Are you going to dance along with me, Anita?
Female Inhabitant	I... I don't know how. Spin a little slower. Watch you don't make yourself dizzy again.
Old Inhabitant	Nonsense! How would I go dizzy? I could round it ten and some times, and the whole city would clap for me! I... cough cough cough...
Female Inhabitant	Take a little break. Look, we have a wandering singer here. She has a question to ask you.
Old Inhabitant	A wandering singer? I've never seen any wandering singer in my good long years. This sunlight... this sunlight's carried on far too long. Why hasn't night come yet? Once the sun's turned in, there'll be people playing away in the bar... Will you be playing in there too? We dance in the square, yes, right here we do... oh, I could spin more times than you could count. I have a red skirt, girlie, and I must say, it's much more beautiful than the one you're wearing. So many youngsters want to dance with me. I like Manuel the most out of all of them. He was the most handsome when he was young.
Female Inhabitant	Yes, Grandma Petra, you've told me this. You've told me plenty of times now.
Old Inhabitant	Besides, who's looking for me? Is it you? Your red dress is so pretty. Red... no, I don't want... I don't want one red. The seawater! The seawater is alive!
Female Inhabitant	Oh, no, here it goes again...
Old Inhabitant	...suddenly came washing up. Everyone dead! All so fine... so many fine people. The survivors had nothing either to eat. Manuel... Manuel told me he'd take me with him. Then he went back on that. He said all those people who left had never come back. All of them had died on the outside.
Female Inhabitant	You've told me this before as well.
Old Inhabitant	And then he said he'd protect me. He promised me–he said he'd protect me! But he only wanted to make a fool of me– He wanted to swindle me out of all the food I'd kept–cough cough, I pretended to agree, and I took the silver vase my mother left behind–cough cough cough cough– Red... I like red... no, I don't want...
Female Inhabitant	Grandma Petra, Grandma Petra! Just leave it, okay? You always get out of breath once you start going on about this. The one I brought to see you today wanted to ask about something else.
Old Inhabitant	Ask? Who's asking?
Female Inhabitant	Her. A wandering singer from the outside. Tell her who you're looking for, quickly! While Grandma Petra still has the strength to answer.
[Skadi goes to Petra's side.]
Skadi	Hello–
Old Inhabitant	Who're you?
Skadi	A wandering singer. I'm searching for someone just like me, come from the outside as well.
Old Inhabitant	An out–An outsider! You're pulling my leg! No outsider would ever come around these parts, they stopped caring about us long ago... You came to steal something, didn't you? You're going to steal my food, my clothes, you're going to sup on my flesh, drink my blood– Monster! You're a monster!
Skadi	(Frowns)
Female Inhabitant	Grandma, there isn't a monster. She's just a wandering singer.
Old Inhabitant	Red hem... red... I've found one, here... the singing has arisen... Manuel is waiting for me, I must go, I should go... Beloved one, o, set aglow by my fiery clothes... fiery clothes...
Female Inhabitant	Sigh. I'm sorry, Grandma Petra's particularly worked up today. Maybe I shouldn't have brought you to see her. I'll take her back inside, singer. Give me a moment.
<Background fades out and in>
[Anita returns after taking Petra back inside her home.]
Female Inhabitant	Singer, are you still looking for the one watching you?
Across the opposite corner, a dark shadow stows away in an even deeper cloud's gloom.
Skadi	I'm fine. Lurking trouble is like a beastling too scared to bare its fangs. No need to care.
Female Inhabitant	Grandma Petra was...
Skadi	She knows of playing instruments, and knows to dance. The way she spoke was akin to an outsider.
Female Inhabitant	Really? No wonder. She speaks of so much, I can't make heads or tails of it.
Skadi	She called me a monster.
Female Inhabitant	She didn't mean to. Grandma often sees things that aren't real. It's like she's dreaming all the time.
Skadi	Who isn't.
Female Inhabitant	She's taken ill. She can't answer your question now.
Skadi	A shame.
Female Inhabitant	Don't be worried. There are other brothers of mine where I live. I can take you to ask them in a while. I'm just not sure if they'll be willing to open up. Sometimes it really is so hard to speak with them.
Skadi	Brothers?
Female Inhabitant	Yes, brothers. You're an Iberian too. Don't you call them so? My mother had no other children–but–I have very many brothers and sisters. In this town, we are all brothers and sisters. That's what the laws say.
Skadi	...... And you believe in those.
Female Inhabitant	What else would we do? When I was very young, Grandma Petra even told me that in those dark days past, we had made mistakes. In those times, each one of us only looked after ourselves, hiding in each home, never speaking. Sometimes a can would be dug out, and we would, um, fight over it. Then things gradually got better. Now we'll live together, and occasionally talk. Everyone's started to, erm–learn to share. –"We want to survive, so we must love one another even more. For love is the inseparable bond between us. We may not steal, we may not fight." "Make oneself sturdy, but our whole self sturdier still. Only this way will bring a better life."
Skadi	This sounds familiar.
Female Inhabitant	Really? The priest says everyone from the outside believes this too. I forgot to say, the priest taught us this! He'll tell us so much every time... most of it is lost on me. Apart from those few words just now, all I remember is we need to treat each other as brothers, and be a little kinder to each other. I suppose it is nice advice, isn't it?
Skadi	Priest?
Female Inhabitant	Yes. Just like you, he came from the outside too. Though that was very many years ago. It was ever since he came that things improved. He's a brother among us.
Skadi	Is he alone?
Female Inhabitant	Most of the time he's alone. Oh, I heard from Sheetmetal's friends there was one more too, later on.
Skadi	Who?
Female Inhabitant	I've never seen her. She doesn't seem to show herself. Occasionally when the priest is speaking to us, she'll be standing behind him. I only ever see that one glimpse of her from far away.
Skadi	Alright.
Female Inhabitant	Why are you... in such a hurry suddenly? Do you need to go somewhere?
Skadi	I'm going to the chapel.
Female Inhabitant	Do you know how to get there?
Skadi	Your chapel isn't that hard to recognize.
Female Inhabitant	The way there's not so easy. You need to follow the coast from here. Come, let me show you.
<Background black>
The girl leads Skadi along a lengthy stretch of path.
<Background 3>
The two gradually near the shore, the chapel roof always somehow in their sight, yet still far away as ever.
[Skadi suddenly stops.]
Female Inhabitant	Why did you stop?
Skadi	...... So they followed.
Female Inhabitant	What do you mean? You've lost me again.
Skadi	That clingy beastling.
Female Inhabitant	That's strange. You keep saying beastling–that should be an animal, right? We've got no animals living here–they disappeared long ago!
Skadi	It's fine. Let's keep going.
Female Inhabitant	Very well, friend from the outside. You're in charge.
[Skadi and Anita reaches the chapel.]
Female Inhabitant	What did you see? It's right there. But we don't usually go to the chapel at this time.
Skadi	I have ways in.
Female Inhabitant	You can enter, we all can. The chapel's entrance is forever open to the devout–the priest said so. But... you wanted to seek someone out, didn't you? He isn't usually in the chapel at this time.
Skadi	What times is he in?
Female Inhabitant	Every so often, he'll appear before us of his own accord, and make friendly conversation with every one of us. If you have any issues, those are also times you can go find him. No matter what it is that bothers you, he'll never reject you. On such days, until the sun rises the next morning, he'll be in the chapel waiting. That's right, he can also help you in your search! I'm sure the priest would know much more than any of us!
Skadi	How long is "every so often?"
Female Inhabitant	Um, I haven't seen him in the recent while. I'm not like them–I don't really count the days. But it should be the next two days? All our food is about to run bare.
Skadi	Alright.
Female Inhabitant	Strange. Whenever you say alright, I always feel like it isn't a sincere reply. No, that's wrong of me. The priest said, we shouldn't doubt others. Ugh, they all say I'm so fond of thinking of all these questions, and it won't help me lead a good life in any way.
Skadi	Were those also his words?
Female Inhabitant	Haha, he'd never tell me this. I'd slip off before he knew it. It's Sheetmetal and his lot, they all hate me making a racket. And it's not like I'm always itching to say so much. The people here are all too quiet. Whenever they won't talk, I get so bored, and the only thing I can do is talk to myself for hours on end. It used to be that only Grandma Petra would talk with me. And now you too, thank goodness. Oh, no. Do you think I'm annoying as well?
Skadi	...... Where I come from, there are many who love speaking more than you do.
Female Inhabitant	It sounds like a wonderful place!
Skadi	...It's okay enough.
Female Inhabitant	Where you come from, do the people dance? Just like Grandma Petra was mentioning, dancing in the square?
Skadi	Occasionally.
Female Inhabitant	Then why haven't I seen you dancing? I've noticed your harp. Grandma Petra's told me. Don't you all dance around while you sing?
Skadi	My dance... none of you may see.
Female Inhabitant	Why?
Skadi	The time, the place, and those before me are all not right.
Female Inhabitant	You're so strange, practically stranger than me. Just where is your home? Are all the people where you're from as strange as you?
Skadi	(Plucks strings) Where I'm from, there is no home. And I do not know where my home is. My home is long gone.
Female Inhabitant	Well, that's okay. My home was long gone as well, years ago in a gale, when the building collapsed. My mamá was inside when it happened, and she's gone too.
Skadi	......
Female Inhabitant	But that's okay. Everyone's in the same boat. If your house is gone, find another empty one and move in. Plenty of buildings fit the bill here. That's right, if you're not happy dancing, then can you sing for me? I've never heard anyone else sing before.
Skadi	Maybe.
Female Inhabitant	Wonderful! Oh, visiting so many places has gotten me hungry. You're hungry too, aren't you? If you're hungry, you can't sing, right? Let's go find something to eat.
Skadi	Um...
Female Inhabitant	Am I running too fast? I forgot you wouldn't know the way. Right, I'm Anita! You can just shout my name from now on, and that way you won't be left behind. Call for me, and I'll stop and wait for you.

SV-2 (Under Tides) story

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