Today is my 10 Year Loka Anniversary. I have a lot to say, but not a lot of time to say it, since it's so late. I had a whole story I wanted to post today, but it's taking me awhile to write it, so I suppose I'll be posting it in parts! The big thing I wanted to say, though, is thank you all for being such a wonderful home this past decade. Even if I'm not always around, Loka will always have a special place in my heart.
Part One
---
“Hello? Can you hear me?”
It was dark, and there was nothing, but they were alive. And not just alive- for the first time in a long time, they were conscious. At first, the voice sounded far away, but it got closer as their eyes finally fluttered open, and they blinked at the person in front of them.
“Def?” They asked, their voice raw and hoarse from disuse. The man in front of them was ender-blooded. Tall, with mismatched blue-purple eyes, and skin the hue of midnight. They don't know how they knew this name, but they knew immediately that he could be trusted.
“Not really.” Def shrugged. “I’m the ghost of Yuletide past.” He joked. They stared at him.
“What?”
“Never mind, bad joke. No, I'm not Def, but I look like him! Your subconscious chose this form to come to guide you.”
“Guide me?” They echoed. They looked around, finding… nothing at all. Like nothing existed beyond the man that looked like Def, and… that was it. They couldn't see themself, either. It was truly just him.
“Back home. Come on, there's a lot to see.” The ender turned and beckoned them to follow, and seeing no other option, they did.
“Home? Where is home? Who am I?” They asked.
Def paused and looked back, giving them a smile. “Let's go find out.”
–
“This is the Tower.” They murmured as the first scene fizzled into existence. Once again, names filled their head, even if they didn't remember how. They scanned the large open floor, gaze landing on a small group of individuals. Two women and four men were talking, exchanging jokes. More names flashed into their mind.
Jocelyn. Lucifer. Psych. Gudbrandr. Zor. The Thieflord.
They looked over to Def, who stood near them, but noticeably more transparent than the others. “I know their names.” They murmured, and the ender-kin chuckled.
“I’d hope so. These are your memories.” He replies.
“Then why don't I remember?”
“Watch.” He simply says, as a little girl comes running out of a portal. She's laughing, and a wolf is chasing her, but she skids to a stop as she sees the group of adults. Her eyes widened.
The group doesn't pay any attention until she marches up to them, a strange fury in the bright green eyes of the young child. “I know who you are.” She announces, pointing at the sheep-man. All six look immediately amused, and the sheep-man steps forward.
“Really? Who am I, then?” He asks, looking down at her.
“You're Zor, and you're the leader of the Outlaws!” She says, her tone accusatory. A chuckle spread through the group.
“Almost, you're a bit off though.” One of the others says, grinning. The watcher knows that this is Psych, but they watch as he lies to the child. “I’m Zor, that’s Psych.”
The child looks confused, her brows furrowing as she looks between them. But nothing more is said, because then Def appears. Not the transparent one, not their ‘guide,’ but one as visible as the others in the scene. He strides forward, shaking his head.
“Leave the kid alone, Psych.” He says, bringing a hand to the child's shoulder. He lingers protectively at her side, and the child looks up with wide eyes set in a grateful expression.
“You're no fun.” Psych scoffs, but he turns his attention back to the others, and their conversation resumes.
“Go home.” Def says, and the kid nods, hurrying back towards the portal, wolf following behind.
They turn to look at the transparent Def. “That was nice.” They murmur.
He chuckles. “You sure thought so. Look.” He points to the child, and they look back at her, but the scene has changed. They're somewhere on top of a large structure, surrounded by ocean as far as the eye can see.
The child is sparring with a young elven woman with flame-red hair. They use swords made from wood, and they're both smiling. Leasaur. Nearby, Def and another man watch. Pardalus.
They watched as Leasaur spun as she fought, ever-light on her feet. The child tried to keep up with her, but she was too quick, until- there! She slows, and the child finds her opportunity. She jumps forward and strikes the elf in the chest. She collapses, but wears a smile as she does so. “I’m defeated!” She cries. The child grins.
From where they stand, they can hear Pardalus huff. “She let her win.”
“Obviously. But she needed a triumph.” Def replies. The child clearly doesn't hear these words, as she helps Leasaur to her feet. The elf pats her on the shoulder. “Good fight.”
“Thanks!” The child beams, and they look to Def.
“She's so young. Why does a child need to fight?” They ask, glancing back to the scene.
“That's what life in your home is like.” Def replies, and the scene shifts yet again. Once more, the child remains, but those around her are different. She sits on the floor of a library with a young boy, and a pig man is reading to them. Godemox. Artagan.
He's telling them a story about a war, about a battle between the Computernites and the Alliance. Somehow, they know the story. They know what happens.
Then an older man appears from thin air, directly behind Artagan. The children begin to giggle, but the pigman hasn't noticed. “What? What's funny?” He asks, which gets a smile from the man behind him. Cryptite.
“War of the Third Age, huh?” Crypt raises an eyebrow as Art turns around.
“It’s history.” The pigman insists.
“Remember our values.” The older man reminds, and Art sighs.
“Neutrality! Not taking sides!” The young girl pipes up, and Crypt smiles again.
“Exactly.”
“But history is important.” The watcher protests weakly.
Def shrugs. “Seems you always thought so too.” The scene shifts. The child is in a different library, now, writing something of her own. A man looks over her shoulder with a smile. Line.
“What are you writing?” He asks. She turns to him with a grin.
“A story! It’s about squids.” She says happily. Line chuckles.
“Andre, come in.” He says, as a pandaren appears near the entrance. Andrekeroxd. “She’s writing a story of her own.”
“Is she?” Andre asks, taking a seat beside the girl. “Excellent! The world needs more stories.” The people disappear, and they are in nothingness once more.
~
“Do you agree?” Def asks, looking at them. If they had a physical form, they would frown.
“Of course I do. I… I know I like stories. Reading them, writing them.”
“Being in them.” Def adds. “Do you think your story is over?”
They would have frowned deeper, taking several moments to reply. “...I don’t remember anything, really, so I think my story is just beginning.”
He smiles. “There’s more to show you. Follow me.”
They follow.
Part One
---
“Hello? Can you hear me?”
It was dark, and there was nothing, but they were alive. And not just alive- for the first time in a long time, they were conscious. At first, the voice sounded far away, but it got closer as their eyes finally fluttered open, and they blinked at the person in front of them.
“Def?” They asked, their voice raw and hoarse from disuse. The man in front of them was ender-blooded. Tall, with mismatched blue-purple eyes, and skin the hue of midnight. They don't know how they knew this name, but they knew immediately that he could be trusted.
“Not really.” Def shrugged. “I’m the ghost of Yuletide past.” He joked. They stared at him.
“What?”
“Never mind, bad joke. No, I'm not Def, but I look like him! Your subconscious chose this form to come to guide you.”
“Guide me?” They echoed. They looked around, finding… nothing at all. Like nothing existed beyond the man that looked like Def, and… that was it. They couldn't see themself, either. It was truly just him.
“Back home. Come on, there's a lot to see.” The ender turned and beckoned them to follow, and seeing no other option, they did.
“Home? Where is home? Who am I?” They asked.
Def paused and looked back, giving them a smile. “Let's go find out.”
–
“This is the Tower.” They murmured as the first scene fizzled into existence. Once again, names filled their head, even if they didn't remember how. They scanned the large open floor, gaze landing on a small group of individuals. Two women and four men were talking, exchanging jokes. More names flashed into their mind.
Jocelyn. Lucifer. Psych. Gudbrandr. Zor. The Thieflord.
They looked over to Def, who stood near them, but noticeably more transparent than the others. “I know their names.” They murmured, and the ender-kin chuckled.
“I’d hope so. These are your memories.” He replies.
“Then why don't I remember?”
“Watch.” He simply says, as a little girl comes running out of a portal. She's laughing, and a wolf is chasing her, but she skids to a stop as she sees the group of adults. Her eyes widened.
The group doesn't pay any attention until she marches up to them, a strange fury in the bright green eyes of the young child. “I know who you are.” She announces, pointing at the sheep-man. All six look immediately amused, and the sheep-man steps forward.
“Really? Who am I, then?” He asks, looking down at her.
“You're Zor, and you're the leader of the Outlaws!” She says, her tone accusatory. A chuckle spread through the group.
“Almost, you're a bit off though.” One of the others says, grinning. The watcher knows that this is Psych, but they watch as he lies to the child. “I’m Zor, that’s Psych.”
The child looks confused, her brows furrowing as she looks between them. But nothing more is said, because then Def appears. Not the transparent one, not their ‘guide,’ but one as visible as the others in the scene. He strides forward, shaking his head.
“Leave the kid alone, Psych.” He says, bringing a hand to the child's shoulder. He lingers protectively at her side, and the child looks up with wide eyes set in a grateful expression.
“You're no fun.” Psych scoffs, but he turns his attention back to the others, and their conversation resumes.
“Go home.” Def says, and the kid nods, hurrying back towards the portal, wolf following behind.
They turn to look at the transparent Def. “That was nice.” They murmur.
He chuckles. “You sure thought so. Look.” He points to the child, and they look back at her, but the scene has changed. They're somewhere on top of a large structure, surrounded by ocean as far as the eye can see.
The child is sparring with a young elven woman with flame-red hair. They use swords made from wood, and they're both smiling. Leasaur. Nearby, Def and another man watch. Pardalus.
They watched as Leasaur spun as she fought, ever-light on her feet. The child tried to keep up with her, but she was too quick, until- there! She slows, and the child finds her opportunity. She jumps forward and strikes the elf in the chest. She collapses, but wears a smile as she does so. “I’m defeated!” She cries. The child grins.
From where they stand, they can hear Pardalus huff. “She let her win.”
“Obviously. But she needed a triumph.” Def replies. The child clearly doesn't hear these words, as she helps Leasaur to her feet. The elf pats her on the shoulder. “Good fight.”
“Thanks!” The child beams, and they look to Def.
“She's so young. Why does a child need to fight?” They ask, glancing back to the scene.
“That's what life in your home is like.” Def replies, and the scene shifts yet again. Once more, the child remains, but those around her are different. She sits on the floor of a library with a young boy, and a pig man is reading to them. Godemox. Artagan.
He's telling them a story about a war, about a battle between the Computernites and the Alliance. Somehow, they know the story. They know what happens.
Then an older man appears from thin air, directly behind Artagan. The children begin to giggle, but the pigman hasn't noticed. “What? What's funny?” He asks, which gets a smile from the man behind him. Cryptite.
“War of the Third Age, huh?” Crypt raises an eyebrow as Art turns around.
“It’s history.” The pigman insists.
“Remember our values.” The older man reminds, and Art sighs.
“Neutrality! Not taking sides!” The young girl pipes up, and Crypt smiles again.
“Exactly.”
“But history is important.” The watcher protests weakly.
Def shrugs. “Seems you always thought so too.” The scene shifts. The child is in a different library, now, writing something of her own. A man looks over her shoulder with a smile. Line.
“What are you writing?” He asks. She turns to him with a grin.
“A story! It’s about squids.” She says happily. Line chuckles.
“Andre, come in.” He says, as a pandaren appears near the entrance. Andrekeroxd. “She’s writing a story of her own.”
“Is she?” Andre asks, taking a seat beside the girl. “Excellent! The world needs more stories.” The people disappear, and they are in nothingness once more.
~
“Do you agree?” Def asks, looking at them. If they had a physical form, they would frown.
“Of course I do. I… I know I like stories. Reading them, writing them.”
“Being in them.” Def adds. “Do you think your story is over?”
They would have frowned deeper, taking several moments to reply. “...I don’t remember anything, really, so I think my story is just beginning.”
He smiles. “There’s more to show you. Follow me.”
They follow.
