Riddle Me This

[highseasmods]

Who: The Contestants!
Where: A certain villa on an undisclosed island
When: May 30th-June 1st
What: Contests and Schmoozing with a chance at a prize or two
Warnings: Your usual
Status: Closed



Contestants will be able to use the Nav (regardless of when they last used it) to port over to the villa early in the morning on the 30th, though the contest won't start until mid-afternoon and carry into the evening until it's cut off for a formal dinner.

On the 31st, the schedule is much the same, mixed with a leisurely morning breakfast. Midafternoon the contest will recommence and that evening there will be a celebratory dinner out near the reflecting pool.

On the 1st, participants will be given another breakfast and will be able to wrap up what they've got going on, but will be shuffled off the island by mid-afternoon.

Contestants are able to have the run of the house and the grounds, but if they persist in trying to go beyond the terracotta walls that surround the estate, they will be disqualified and sent back to their ship.

Comments

5/30 - 6/1

[madeofswords]

[Archer would stay throughout all three days, otherwise not speaking to a soul unless prompted. His story would remain the same as the lie he told the rest of his crew and his own purpose for coming to the contest would be the same.

He concealed his anger well. He realized that this sort of game trivialized the struggles and sacrifices made by those trying to prevent the movement of the shards. The fact that he appeared as calm as he did had simply been because he was used to maintaining his composure in the worst of situations.

Archer would be found in the library almost exclusively, never leaving it unless necessary. He didn't need to eat or sleep, but that wouldn't have seemed weird in the first place, he imagined. Not wanting to touch food or drink provided by unknown entities seemed just fair enough. There wasn't an ounce of trust in that man's body and he didn't feel obliged to give anyone else a reason to trust him, either. If anything, his stoic disposition fit the profile of the hardened soldier he was aiming to look like.]

[ridingtheclouds]

-And that probably worked on most people.

But Anji Mito was not most people.-

If you keep making a face like that, surely you'll never smile again.

[madeofswords]

I'm perfectly capable. [Archer briefly glanced towards Anji before returning swiftly to his book. At any moment that he was in front of someone he would read at a normal pace, but the moment they stopped paying attention to him, he would return to his inhuman reading and memorization speed.

There was useful information in those books. 'History', even if it was rumor, was powerful to hold onto and utilize.]

Though, I have no reason to smile at the moment.

[ridingtheclouds]

Ara ara... Would it be too optimistic of me, once more, to think I could give you a reason? Perhaps a joke might bring some cheer to your mood, hmm?

[madeofswords]

All I can think of at the moment are the trivialized, lost lives of the men and women who had tried to keep us from other shards.

That this is simply a round of 'Jeopardy' for another artifact of extreme importance, making those struggles seem exceptionally unimportant and worthless.

If you could think of a joke to break me out of that realization, then you can certain tell me it.

[ridingtheclouds]

Mm... This weighs heavily on your heart. You are... a very caring man, aren't you, my friend?

[madeofswords]

[Finally, Archer lifted his eyes from the book.]

In comparison to the rest who seem amused by this, I suppose I must be.

[ridingtheclouds]

Do not take me for a man lacking in compassion for the plight of this ocean world. Mito Anji-san's heart is indeed not only filled with boundless optimism, but capacity for love as well!

But those men and women who died to protect the shards, or died in pursuit of them, or even died during Davey Jones's era... Would those lives not be given in vain if we do not unlock the mysteries of this jewel?

Have you no curiosities as to why such a simple artifact is considered worth that bloodshed at all? We learn nothing from cowering before its supposed dangers...

No, for as optimistic and compassionate as this Mito Anji-san is... my desire to understand is far far greater.

[madeofswords]

I want to go home to my family and put all of this behind me. [For all the good Archer had to say, his persona of Kiritsugu had to be maintained--]

If I have to wade in blood to return, then I will. I don't care about mysteries or great wonders. These 'magic' things aren't any of my concern.

That's all there is to it.

[ridingtheclouds]

I cannot blame you for your stance. Had I a family of my own, I'd be conflicted, surely. But I trust my flower back home to care for herself. She is strong, after all. And stubborn... -He laughed a bit.- In the meantime, I can do much more good here, helping solve this riddle of the jewel.