Hearken a Mask/Episode Text

== Episode Text ==
Behold, the room is no different. I slept in the hanging bed structure for once and felt the delight of its swaying peace. Never had I sensed such delight that I had the power of words in my tongue. Two stars have I contorted to my nature, and they dim their light as the Refuge Anthem says. But, there is something still off. I have to prove to Dojyu Coffnaigh that I have used the power completely wisely according to my capabilities.
This morning I walked around the facility, running into others along the way. There was the war-sounding Saz Tuy asking about me and Zona again, and I went ahead and admitted our quarrel the day before. The closed-eyed Itio Van talked to me about the system of Ovilis, which is now what I come to further understand.
"You should've been an agent," he said. "Then, we wouldn't have to worry about corruption."
"What do you mean, 'corruption?'"
"We have made it to a point where we rely on a person who's identity is quite shady."
"Were you an interpreter before?"
"No, but I was one of the ambassadors. When I would deliver messages to and fro in various places, I had a taste of what being an interpreter was like. I became so skilled at the ambassador task enough to where I imputted my ideas into the conversation that they promoted me to be a Finalizer this time."
"Well, if you think there's a 'shady' identity here, why don't you just ask Najarv'sye yourself about who he is?"
"Mn..." His soft, light voice contemplated. "Well, if I did that, then he could lie to me."
"He definitely could. Have you spoken to him before?"
"Oh, yes, indeed. I actually speak to him often, especially when he first comes here. It is my responsibility as not only a Finalizer, but also an elite ambassador, to ensure that Najarv'sye is going to the right places at the right time."
"But, as much as you've been close to him, you still think that he's 'shady'."
"Yes. You are very open about yourself, so that's why I think you would be a great agent."
"You think I can handle Ovilis, too?"
"It would most definitely be rough for you in the beginnning, but you're an honest person--to others and importantly yourself. So, you would be able to pull through it." He began to leave me. "Maybe I should take you out on my assignments sometime."
"Oh, I would really enjoy that." A day with Najarv'sye? That elated me.
From there, he just sped off, as a spec of dust that would vanish from the atmosphere.
"Savoice," Lovopian called from behind me. "You didn't look at my notes after the meeting yesterday."
"Should I really care what you write?"
"You should." He lended over the plentiful paper of straight notes. "I've been researching more about the glass girl."
I glared at him. "The glass girl? Of all people? Why don't you do research over Najarv'sye?"
"I could do that," he smirked, "But, you know, I could just take his word on a lot of things. Whatever he says about himself, that's my research about him."
There was much information of the glass girl—surprisingly. It even had her original name, which was Quatorney Vaopai. It had what she used to look like, artwork behind this, her parents' names, her brother's name, her pet Asalan's name. All of the information was so detailed that it went down to the very phrases she had once said.
"Where did you get all this information?"
"If you go to the file room that's right beside the farthest stairs, there's submitted logs of people everyday from ambassadors. There's quite a bit of files in there, even about ourselves."
Oh, yes—that place. If right, that is the place where the Ovil tried to sign my admission of return and changed my middle name, the very place that doomed my relationship with my parents.
"Lovopian, why are you so interested in the glass girl?"
"The glass girl is one of the most strangest phenomenon that I've ever heard about Ovilis. A person changing their physical composition? Savoice, that's just strange."
"But, you should be looking into other people, too. Search up Rejerita Ibbins or the man that attacked Najarv'sye."
He shook his head, smirking. "Or, you can take my advice and search these people yourself. After all, you're lacking alot of notes."
"I don't take notes," I began to leave, "They're in my head. Don't worry about telling me about the glass girl. I have my own means to attend to."
For that very reason, I went into the file room to search some information. It was a very large room, indeed, with so many people busy inside. It was probably even bigger than the Garden Dome. Most of all, for the file room to be this crowded, paper was the major space-taking culprit.
"Savoice," a dry voice came from behind me.
"What?"
"What the what?" Lalovan the grey one chuckled. But, when he saw that I didn't even grin, he got over it. "Who are you looking for?"
"I'm not looking for anyone. I'm looking for something."
"What I meant was, whose files are you looking for?"
I hesitated. If I told him that I was looking for Najarv'sye's, I would probably get into some trouble. "Well, I was looking for the Uisas agent's file--you know, Najarv'sye."
"Hmph," he nodded, walking to a section. "He's going to be in this part."
Here was the N's section, where all those that were a part of Ovilis was documented here. Lalovan picked up a few large folders that was notated in those strange Ovilian letters.
"What does that say?" I said.
"Huh? It doesn't say anything; it's a folder," he laughed.
I gave him a good stare. "I mean, what do those words translate to?"
"Oh, it's just Najarv'sye's name: Najarv'sye Au-Vimoen. Classification: Ragushara." He gave them over.
"Oh, oh," my hands wiggled. "Hey, hey, help me put these on that table over there."
He carried the folders over to the table. As my eyes were on the destination, I could sense him staring into my eyes in search of something.
"Phew," I put them down. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I was just looking at your eyes. You look really determined, Savoice." He tilted his head. "But, the more determined you are, the less you pay attention to other things."
"How strange." Strange it was indeed. His dry voice gave me chills.
"Well, whenever you fellows get a conclusion to be finalized, you tell me first, okay?" He left.
The more and more I live here in Ovilis, the more I seem to connect to more people. They are all trying to befriend me or something, when in the beginning they were brushed the wrong way and hissed often. And the way he was staring at me was even more strange. What a joke.
Najarv'sye is in front of me. He is now able to be exposed of his weaknesses. I got my paper and ink pen that I had planned to use at the meetings and began to write so much about Najarv'sye that it began to feel as if I was just rewriting the folder again.
Najarv'sye Au-Vimoen was born twenty-four years ago by the Laliphorus Walls in east Pantoque. He did not have any siblings. His parents were barely there for him, with his mother being killed by an Ovilian-summoned laser and his father abandoning him. The Ovilian Arch of Studies declared him a "Delusional" after he told the public that he did not show care about what happened to the people there. Although he was declared a "Delusional", he was able to regain his reputation in education and become a Platurian Culture Analyst. After which, he found the most greatest gift of Ovilis—power over the mind. After this past season, he requested the Ovilian Arch of Studies to take his case, that if he were to take note of Ovilis, more would happen to him. So, for now, we here are taking notes over his thoughts.
Of course there was much more than that, but those are the main points that I got from it that were important to me. He was born in Ovilis and stayed there, meaning that his mind is authentically an Ovilian. Unlike me, I was from manipulative Pertan to gain skills, then came here to use it in obedience of the "Almasia Law."
There. Now all of the notes against Najarv'sye will be in my hand during the meetings. These next coming meetings, I will ask him about his personal life, and more importantly, about how he resists the urge to deny reality. Najarv'sye may still be a denier of reality; he just doesn't want to get in trouble as I don't, either. I guess I can ask Finalizer Itio Van, too, since he said he knows Najarv'sye much closer. Whatever I do, it must be done right.
Since I had such a big feast yesterday at Pulin's dormitory, I was not even that hungry to go to breakfast. But, because of Dagra, I went anyway and ate light.
"Good morning, Savoice," she smiled. "How have you been?"
"More than good. Discovery is the best medicine for confusion, I'd say."
"That's good. Hey, can you explain the meaning of that game we played yesterday? I tried to think about it, but, uh, I-I never really got to it."
"It just means that we should pay attention to what has happened and what didn't happen more. It's more of just a memory game, Dagra."
"Oh...well," she sat down in front of me, fiddling her delicate fingers, "I was just wondering...uh..."
I confidently took a bite out of my food. "Dagra, you shouldn't be scared of me." Or, maybe she should.
"W-Well," she said, "I'm not scared...it's just I'm a little nervous about telling you that...I..."
"You like me?"
Her eyes widened. "W-Wha? Why would you finish it for me like that?"
"I'd rather just not wait on you studder. I already knew, Dagra."
"No, no, Savoice." Her eyes scanned for an excuse, swallowing hard of her caught throat. "She was right. You're so..." She began to leave the table. "You're so prideful."
I closed my eyes in dismay, seeing that now every female that I encounter would just end up saying the same thing. "I sure am."
Instead of finishing the food, I left it there for the two of them to clean up. Nothing was more harder than having a failure just go in a circle—again. Once she calls me prideful, she calls me selfish and disgusting and "ruthless". I guess that would be the end between her and me.
I walked to Zona's room and knocked on the door.
He cracked the door open. "What do you want, Savoice?"
"That meeting yesterday, Zona--it made you look intelligent in that argument of yours."
"Is this just flattery to make me forgive you?"
"Forgive me? What were we ever fighting about? It's debate, Zona. I feel closer to those that debate with me."
He opened the door more. "So, you're saying that you feel closer to me because you feel threatened by me."
"No, I didn't say that, either. I was saying that you made your argument clear enough against me. I didn't really have a true debate like that in a while."
"Well, you had the last say," he frowned. "Then you started talking about the Vavys and got in trouble. You're on your last dock; you should be careful next time."
"Hmph," I walked closer to the door. "I am, am I?"
"Nuh uh," he narrowed the door again. "Don't do that."
"Did I stump you?"
He sighed. "Come in. I have something to tell you."
I nodded, walking into the room, taking seat on his couch. "What is it?"
He poured some hot water into two cups and brought it over to the short table near me. "I-I figured out something really bad about Najarv'sye."
Now, it gets interesting.
"What is it? Where did you get this?"
"Research. I went outside of the District yesterday and followed Najarv'sye home."
"What?!"
"Hey, hey," he scooted closer to me, "Stop it, imbecile. You'll make it obvious if you do that."
"What did you see, Zona?"
"You know how we were talking about how he could be lying to us? We were right."
"But, how do you know? Did you see the 'spontaneous reality'?"
"Oh yes, I saw all that. But, it wasn't as severe as Najarv'sye was making it." He shook a smile. "You're just so...believing, Savoice. You actually thought that Najarv'sye was telling the truth?"
"I did. Tell me, how did you figure out that he was lying about everything?"
"Well, he wasn't lying about everything, of course. Like, his birthplace and such is true, I think. But, some of the stories he was telling us was not true. I went all the way to Dakahama and saw Talchon and his wife. His wife didn't even have the vine going down her back like Najarv'sye said."
"Oh, Zona... you think he was lying to me when I asked him if he was changing my room?"
"He probably could have been. You should really bring this up to Cerva Sah. Or, better yet, Coffnaigh."
"This can't be happening... so I was telling the truth about everything the whole time?"
"Sure wasn't, because I'm just messing with you."
I glared at him as he began to chortle in scorn. "What...?"
"Just finding a laugh, Savoice. I don't really know if he's lying or not. I didn't even follow him." He shook his head and took a sip at his tea. "So gullible."
"I am not gullible...I was about to ask you if you were sure."
"No, you weren't," he said. "You obviously were really falling for it."
"Why would you do that to me?"
"Because, Savoice, that's just how I joke. I laugh at you when I see you suffer like that. Now, I stumped you."
I nodded, keeping the resentment to myself. "Sure did. But, I'll get you back. Your time will come."
So, for a while, the two of us drank and drank, even to the point where we had to use the restroom at the same time. Hot water he said he liked, so I went with it.
He told me quite a bit of things that I didn't know about the Ovilian Arch of Studies, more than what Salmah could even tell me. The Ovilian Arch of Studies executed people into the Laliphorus Walls for study at one point during this time. The reason why they did this was to control the population numbers as they were booming after some sort of cultural revolution, plus they also needed to study how Ovilis worked. They calculated that one of every twenty people would be affected by the "spontaneous reality" every day. Most of the test subjects that they used were killed due to the conditions, while the others went freely. Wequt was one of those test subjects.
"Is that why he doesn't talk much?" I said. "He does talk a little, but not alot."
"Well, I'm not sure why, but he probably had a dark childhood. Myaari said that he attempted to commit suicide when he first came here with him."
But, that was not the only thing I learned. Zona's good ears put attention to this new language the Highers were imposing, which is what I heard of but thought it was a silly idea.
Khranas Emersti, one of my Higher accomplices back in my good days of ruling, said that in advocation of the Vavy principles, all three regions should try to embrace a new language that would "unify" the culture of the people.
"Just foolish," I debated in front of the Higher crowd. "Just foolish to think that we can contort a lanugage in less than a decade and snatch the culture of the people away. Listen to this, people. Emersti is advocating this egoistic, Vavy doctrine that denies the truth. I was taught in the Bondas Covoy that we were in Reyonis Platura for only two centuries. Two centuries.
"Why in the world are we trying to adruptly change our identity? Is it because we think that because we hadn't seen our ancestors in just two centuries we are the only ones that exist? The Nylans left us with the perfect Rongom Conditions, only to make it into what it is not. Why call it the Rongom Conditions to begin with if it does not advocate the 'purity' of justice? And then one low-down, Salwomese, delusional politician pretending like he is Pertanese says that we have to change our language? Hurisaj. Never happening."
I had never thought that the Pertanese government was really going to consider such an idea, especially after us Highers voting it out of the question numerous times. But, according to Zona, it's happening. He said that the Ovilian Arch of Studies does not intend to follow the law if it goes out, thankfully. But, watching as my people turn to confusion ails me more than having to stay here. If I leave Ovilis, there will be more trouble on the other side.
Zona told me much more about the Ovilian Arch of Studies. Apparently, me being in the suboordinate branch here is equivalent to being a Pertanese military general—such honor. He said that the facility does do its best to retain Nylan values, as Ovilis could be ultimately dependent on this. Also, whatever law that goes out on Ovilis could conflict with the Pertanese conditions, and could start war. And I told him my secret in favor.
"Before I left my position as a Higher," I rolled my lips, "They were talking about making an alliance after the advisor Phorganis. That would be between all three of the regions. You know what that means?"
He frowned. "Are you serious? That means they'll be using Nylan values again."
"Exactly. I think that there's still some hope somewhere in all this."
All of the information was good, but too much would just become annoying. It was time for me to leave him, and we ended off on the right eye.
I went to the shower pores in the room and put my dirty clothes along it. The steam came out slow yet sturdy, pressured yet calm. As it was a good tidy for my clothes, it was also a great sauna for me to relax in. Naked I layed on my bed.
So much thoughts were going before me. There is Finalizer Itio Van and his strange favor for me, along with staring Lalovan that showed me the file room. About the file room was lousy Lovopian asking nothing of me but skimming his useless notes. Zona Kon'effin was stumped at his own views of the world.
Most of all, Najarv'sye was of "shady" character, watched by the desperate thousands on Ovilis that believe he will bring light to new law. Perhaps with all of the trouble he brings telling us about all of his strange events on Ovilis, he could be planning something great against us. Could he be the one trying to contort us to the denial of reality after all?
A burning scent spread to ruin the calming ascent of rest. Over where the shower pores were lied oversteamed clothes that retained their flawed wrinkes. Angry at this was I, but what could I do about it? Would I rather wash them in the putrid bathroom where everyone meets to handle their business or have wrinkly clothes that could eventually become a new attire experience?
The wrinkly clothes.
I picked up the clothes and put them on. On me was it hot against my white, short fur, and it didn't have the moist feeling. It was dry and crackly and hard to put on; it was like a burned flesh flake mixed with a dead leaf.
But, I just had to be satisfied of what I had, for those in Pertan were about to exchange one of their most precious gifts of knowledge for delusion. I would rather tell the truth in Ovilis than lie and survive for eternity.
I fell asleep, with the swaying thoughts of rest breezing through my tired eyes. One figure came into my drifting surrealism.
"Savowise..."
"N-N...Najarv'sye?" The lavender purple sky above began to show its porcelain cracks. "Najarv'sye...?"
My thoughts were calling his name, but I was unable to say them. I could hear the sky stealing my every thought and presume it as its own words.
Najarv'sye was standing beside my lying contemplation on grey sand, hair blowing violently as the sky began to unleash its rage against him.
"Savowise, let them know where I am."
"Why ask me this?" The cracking glows of the sky beamed my voice. "Who?"
"Tell them. Tell the people of Reyonis Platura where I am."
"What do you mean? Everyone you mean?"
"Tell the people of Reyonis Platura where I am."
"It's too vague for me."
All of a sudden, the blustering winds poured heavy on the two of us, and my body began to float to stand as air pressed between us. Najarv'sye covered his eyes with his inner elbow, letting his drawn-out scarf blow balance into his struggle to stay afloat.
"Najarv'sye, make this stop!"
The winds snatched the ghost of me, having my head to throb in a vague emptiness that pursued my dying heart. If carried, it would fall, then slumber. The currents of valiant force blustered the nature around us. All of the color shimmered away with its radiant sparks. The world around the two of us became a quieted tension, a tempering flare of thought that could be heard with only imagination. It was no more a world; it was no more a reality.
"Savowise..." The faint voice of the stolen straightened the pure peace. "Every person is vague."
The reality of vision was fixed on the faint, fine feathers of the cracked sky. The notion to control a body that was not there did not comply. No matter how much tried, limitation on that one sight fastened my heart down.
"As every person is vague," he whispered, "So are their ideas about their being."
"W-W--," the voice of the sky trembled, my mind strained.
"Being about their ideas, they are all so vague, Savowise. Stop this. Make it vague, that they may mingle it out to complexity. Revelation comes forth when it knows them."
"N-N-Najarv'sye, what do you mean? What are you saying? Say it clear to me!"
"Tame the wild, Savowise, as they had tamed you. The visions will cry out, but the reality will not hear it. Why is that so?"
"Where are you? I-I can't see you anywhere!"
"Answer my question, and you will be redeemed."
"I can't see! There is no reality!"
The loud silence edged into the heart of the dull sands that blew with the still wind. The still silence crept into denial.
Denial of what? This is a dream.
A light breeze brushed against the assumed body I had in this strange realm. No body there is, but all senses here was. Nothing else could penetrate thought, the prominent note in this melodious tale of a surreal dream. Oh yes, a surreal dream.
The sky shimmered its glass lights down into my eyes, blinding me. "Najarv'sye?"
There was a deficit, but it faded away. Why would it have to mask itself after so much explaination?
"Najarv'sye? Come here! I can't see you."
"Nor can you hear me."
A sting of sense in my vision inclined a swift blink. I was back staring at the black ceiling.
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