Getting to Know Me

Aclysia had discovered her new least favorite word. It was not something she was particularly pleased with – both the idea of having a least favorite word, and the dissatisfaction that the word brought her made her lips curl in an unpleasant way. Not only that, but the word was so mundane that it seemed wrong in itself to find it so troublesome.

That word was “uneventful”.

Aclysia’s night, as so many of her nights were, had been uneventful so far. And oh, how she longed for the days when that wouldn’t have bothered her. When the passage of time seemed to go as slowly or quickly as it wished, and it affected her little regardless. Now, it seemed, she must contend with this “boredom” feeling that her Creator insisted was normal.

And so, “uneventful” it was.

Aclysia would have gone to see her Creator as she often did, him being the one most regularly awake and active during the long nights, but he had continually sequestered himself away through the day. First with Lerianna briefly, then the kittens, then busying himself with training, and of course, his run with Lerianna…

The last one was the most troubling. Something else was bubbling up inside of her, yet another strange new sensation here to complicate her service to her Creator. Something warm and tight, yet not anger, or frustration. It came whenever she pictured John and Lerianna running together.

“These emotions are most troublesome. Why should it bother me so?”

Aclysia couldn’t answer that question. She should have gone to her Creator, but… for some reason, the tightness in her chest only grew when she thought of going out to find them. By the time he returned from his run, it felt somehow… wrong to go speak to him of it. Yet another emotion, or some deeper instinct as she learned the ways of her Creator and his people? She wasn’t entirely sure.

So it was that Aclysia ended up awake and alone, wandering through the uneventful house at night, careful to mind her footsteps. Creator John had warned her to be mindful of the noise she made while moving around when others were sleeping, due to the weight and composition of her body, so Aclysia had become rather adept at moving soundlessly. Still, the constant mindfulness was difficult with her thoughts so occupied – so Aclysia eventually made her way outside, hoping that thinking less about her noise would free her mind to come up with something to rid her of this infernal “boredom”.

Walks alone were hardly satisfying though, especially for relieving boredom. For a time they might have been of some use, but once Aclysia had seen all the scenery surrounding their home a fifth time, there was little relief in seeing it a sixth. And often her mind wandered to her Creator, thinking of what he was doing, or what he might say if he were there.

“That’s another thing I miss… how quiet my mind used to be. I’m not sure why I even…”

Even Aclysia’s thought did not dare finish itself. True, she’d often expressed this so-called “frustration” to her Creator regarding these emotions and questioned their real use, but even she could see the appeal now. Just thinking about how it had made her feel when he took her hand and went walking with her made her lips curl up in that strange way that made her Creator so happy. It put a warmth in her chest that lasted for an hour when he’d held it the last time...

“I suppose a little boredom isn’t such a terrible price to pay,” Aclysia reassured herself, staring wistfully at her empty palm. She turned on her heel and reversed course, heading back to the house. The thought of her Creator’s hand in her own had stirred something in the Artificial Spirit. She wanted to hold him again, but more importantly, she wanted to tell him about these new feelings.

No, that wasn’t quite right. She didn’t just want to tell him – she wanted to share them. Her steps faltered a little as she walked, wondering how exactly to share them, but Aclysia kept pushing on toward the house.

“For some reason, it seems very important to give Creator John some of these feelings back, to make him feel the same way he has made me feel. But how? I barely understand what they are, how do I convey them to him in a way that will make him feel the same…?”

The feeling from earlier was still there, but it was dulled, and now overpowered by an urge to see her Creator again, to experience that tingling she felt when he held her hand. So many of her new feelings seemed to come from John, especially the ones that she did not yet understand. Aclysia’s feet carried her far more quickly back to the house than they had away from it, and it was less than a minute later she was standing in the doorway once more.

She hesitated before heading to the stairs, though. There was movement and noise in the house now, and a mumbling sound too low for her to quite hear exactly what was being said. The noise seemed to be coming from the kitchen, and Aclysia found her steps carrying her in that direction almost thoughtlessly.

“I believe Creator John instructed the kittens that they were forbidden from eating after midnight… but I am not sure it’s my place to discipline them. And he always smiles when he chases them out…”

Aclysia relaxed a little when she saw that it was no food raid going on in the kitchen, but rather a fairly antsy looking Yvara, flitting about the kitchen in a different outfit than the one Aclysia was used to seeing her in – this one was outfitted with a knee-length skirt, and it lacked the long sleeves of her usual outfit.

Aclysia didn’t make much noise as she strode up, and Yvara seemed quite absorbed in what she was doing, so the dragoness didn’t notice her right away. What exactly Yvara was doing, from what Aclysia could tell, was measuring every single surface of the counters, as well as the room itself and anything else that happened to come within arm’s reach. She was content to watch, but eventually Yvara’s rampant evaluations carried her to an angle where she noticed the Artificial Spirit lurking in the doorway.

“Ah, Aclysia! You startled me,” Yvara said, though she’d made not the slightest of jumps. “Are you looking for something to do?”

Aclysia could only offer a shrug. She hadn’t thought to bring a pen or paper with her, and a nod didn’t seem quite accurate. True, she was looking for something to do, but she had intended on visiting John, and she wasn’t sure how much use she could be if she didn’t fully understand what Yvara was doing.

“Well, if you’re bored, I think I’m going to be up for a little while. I just got so many ideas for how to improve this place for everyone, starting with running water… but I need to be absolutely sure that I get the measurements for everything right. Lord John built this house himself, and I would feel terrible if I made an alteration only to realize it was improper!”

Aclysia nodded, agreeing with the sentiment. She questioned whether there was any concern over improper modifications given both Yvara and John had magical talents for building and repairing, but that didn’t mean she would not appreciate Yvara’s efforts to keep her Creator’s home as intact as possible.

“Ah, but I suppose watching me measuring isn’t much better than just standing around in the common room. I would offer to continue teaching you about our history and ways, but I fear I’ve already gone over most of what I’m confident in. I wouldn’t want to start feeding you half-remembered bits, and history was… never my favorite class,” Yvara admitted, blushing slightly. “The only things I’m confident in are matters relating to the temples, and I doubt you want to hear me start quoting sermons from the priestesses to you…”

Aclysia gave another shrug, then turned away toward the door. Yvara often rambled and seemed to discuss a great many topics when they were working together, especially when she caught Aclysia staring at one part of the temple or another, and Aclysia enjoyed the stories she told even when she wasn’t sure how they might be relevant. But she had come back in order to see John, so-

“...though I suppose as one of his creations, and the statue of a High Priestess come to life, you probably have more appreciation for Lord John than most. I can see why you might enjoy hearing someone talk about the joys he brings and how to properly show your devotion to him. Oh, that corner is just a little off, isn’t it? Maybe…”

Aclysia paused in the doorway, glancing over her shoulder. Yvara had busied herself with taking measurements of the bottom of the sink where a short pipe trailed off from the sink and then ended in mid-air, so she didn’t even notice that Aclysia had been ready to leave. All the same, her words caught Aclysia’s attention in a way she couldn’t ignore. She needed her pen and paper – Yvara was far too engrossed in her work for Aclysia to justify borrowing the dragoness’ utensils for long enough to hold a conversation.

Hurrying across the house to where she had left her pen and paper earlier in the day, Aclysia grabbed them and speed-walked back to the kitchen. The haste was unneeded – Yvara had returned her full attention to her work, so absorbed in what she was doing that Aclysia actually had to walk up to her and hold a sheet of paper in front of her face before she looked up at all.

“Oh, what’s this? You want to know more about showing devotion?”

Aclysia nodded, then hastily scribbled at the bottom: “Why is that important to you?”

“Oh! Well, I mean, back in my world it was important because of all the prophecies, the way the culture was structured, I suppose a little bit of it soaked through into most aspects of life. We all knew that one day Lord John would arrive and change everything, we just didn’t know when, or exactly how. We only knew that he was a generous and powerful man, said to bring an era of prosperity and peace upon his back.”

“And here?”

“Well, here things are a bit more… grounded, so to speak, but somehow that makes them all the grander. I get to see his work firsthand, I get to appreciate what he has done for all of you – and of course for myself! After all, he brought you to life as one of the first things he did after I arrived, and seeing the statue I carved myself to take the place of a High Priestess as a living creature…”

Yvara blushed profusely, her hands wandering up to her cheeks as she seemed to be caught in a daydream for a moment. Her eyes were locked on Aclysia, staring intently at something, though Aclysia could not tell exactly what.

“...like a little piece of me and a little piece of him are mixed forever…”

Aclysia nodded, a slight tension forming in her body. Not an unpleasant one, but a very strange one, one that made her shift slightly on her feet as she continued to write.

“But why do you make displays of that devotion?”

“O-oh, I think I see what you’re asking. Are you curious why we gather to worship him, and why it’s such a public display?”

“For him?”

“Yes! Well, partly. It’s always a good practice to show gratitude for the gifts we receive, and he is the greatest gift of all. But yes, especially now that I am here, it is to show him proper respect and gratitude for what he does. I’m afraid I was never much for many of the temple duties – I lack the ability to cultivate or garden, I’m not the greatest instructor or educator, and I get nervous even speaking in front of just a few people.

“But I have a modest amount of skill for building and crafting, and so I have always done my best to continue learning and making use of those talents whenever I can. I’ve always hoped that if Lord John were to one day gaze upon something that I built in his name, he would see how much I have honored his name and know how important he is to me – and to all the worshippers of my temple, too! I believe that many of the other priestesses and workers at the temples feel the same way. Our endeavors are how we show the Lord that he is appreciated and loved.”

The last word rang in Aclysia’s ears in a way it had not before when others said it. Perhaps it was the fluttering in her own chest, or the way that Yvara’s voice seemed to cradle the word almost gently, but Aclysia hastily scribbled out her next message before the feeling could fade.

“How can I show my devotion?”

“Oh, such a hard question to answer…” Yvara actually put her notepad and measuring tape down as she spoke, looking at Aclysia with a bit of a glimmer in her eyes. “Devotion can be expressed in so many ways. We teach some of them, while others must be found on their own, too individual and unique to be passed down. Maybe it would help if you told me what exactly you wish to express? We have discussed my home many times, and the temples just as much, but this is the most interest I’ve seen from you.”

Aclysia took the time to think her next words over carefully, wanting to make sure she conveyed things to the best of her understanding. Yvara waited patiently, eyes never leaving Aclysia this time. When she turned the paper around for Yvara to read, her hands were pinching the sheet so tight it crinkled a little.

“Creator John has taught me about happiness. He has given me the ability to feel, and he has given me much of this happiness himself. I believe I would like to return some of it back to him, but merely telling him how much I appreciate him seems insufficient. I would like to show it to him instead.”

“Oh, that’s the best reason!” Yvara said, tapping her hands together in the quietest clap she could muster. “Lord John brings joy to all of us, and returning it to him isn’t just a duty, but a pleasure. We do this in many ways, from showing our appreciation and devotion for his efforts, to labors of love of our own. I have listened to many sermons in the temples dedicated to returning the joys and wonders the Lord gives to us back into the world, and they could help you greatly with these matters.”

“How can I hear a sermon from your world?” Aclysia wrote as hastily as she could.

“W-well, I have many committed to memory, but I am hardly a good speaker, as I have already said. I did keep a small collection of books on my person in an extradimensional storage spell, though! They were my personal collection, but I don’t mind allowing you to borrow some - I’ve already made extra copies of a few, since they’re now the only copies, at least in this world. And I have begun copying those I can recall down when I am not busy working on other aspects of the temple. Perhaps you would like to read some of them, and decide for yourself which ideas sound like things you would like to try?”

Aclysia nodded fervently, eager for anything that would help her with her dilemma. Yvara smiled at her eagerness.