Odd Incongruity

Villager A:

We may, nominally, be unable to go beyond our abode, but still... as long as there is no known threat to us, being stuck in the... sunshine, albeit a bit too much at times, and oceans... is certainly better than, say, if one were trapped in some snowed fortress with the possibility of a threat from a nearby, unstable, supposed monarch, or such... no? Those kinds of people... so strange, as by definition they are given such capability by others, and so, effectively, they seem to be oppressed by consent, or so... quite bizarre, but then, just as the psyche is interesting, it also has a lot of pitfalls, weaknesses... imagine if the mind summons one's own demons, which, possibly, go on to destroy the originator... although not immediately, as conversations in between could be... curiously interesting. All sorts of odd possibilities exist in some imaginative reservoir... I wonder what might be in store for us, here...

Oh, perhaps it might also, if ever, be possible to... communicate with other sorts of creatures? Would certainly be inevitable to have interesting talks with felines... I think. Well, even if they might be manipulative, it could be better than just continuing being unable to talk...

Villager B:

Do you find it somewhat, perhaps, odd how some here talk about... whatever their fancy is... while others do seem to care about the strange state of our town, or even, maybe, what those in the upper left might be doing? Well, I suppose different lives are affected by different things, and all... some seem too bothered by the temperature, but I always thought there is one solution for that... wait until the whirlwind of heat passes. Time really turns out to be a healer of many a thing, does it not? Not just subjective states, but global ones too... of course, I understand that certain extremities might not be possible to overcome for some... but, temporarily, a bath can come handy, does it not...?

Hm, I wonder if I might be too optimistic to be somewhat also realistic...? After all, it is that which is crucial to keep in mind...

Villager C:

Are you... no, I must have confused you with someone else there, for a bit... not sure why this keeps happening... déjà vu, you say this is? By definition, though, I would have needed to have already... ah, actually, I am not sure what happened, either way... kind of confusing it has been lately, you see. Most here are content just living their lives... and, I suppose, if there is nothing perceptibly wrong in one's life, then... one just lives on. When something is, at least, different then, just as with déjà vu experiences... is when one stops to think about life... otherwise, it is almost like some autonomic, subconscious mind takes over... as if we are machines? If we are machines, though... what are what we call machines? So confused...

Hm, maybe I should speak with those over at the other end... might know something I do not, although in the end I do not quite think they are any different from us, anyway... just more of a focus on the uncanny, I suppose...

Villager D:

Hm... what do I need to do now... ah, I need to go from here to there, is that not delightful? Ah, maybe not, I know... some claim it is a strategy in itself for one to be always in action, for that is where... now that you mention it, the concept of the Demiurge does seem peculiar. As if someone with a hammer can imbue an object with life... quite curious how it is supposed to be... what, partially made with... us? Some optimistic thinking there, I suppose... I mean, we cannot even, it seems, get off this isle if we desired... well, we can try, but as other attempts had doubtful endings... well, only those who try find out, I presume... either annihilation, or possibly an entirely novel world...

Well, at any rate, is doing, trying, playing even... not, at least, slightly less melancholic than constant rumination? I mean, I know I am saying that; does not mean I am convinced, still...

Clerk A:

Who... are you? Ah, it does not even matter, much anyway... more crucially, whatever is supposed to happen here? Nothing ever does, and so it is, a bit... you know. Then again, is life technically not somewhat similar? As in, not much happens, and if one does not actively pursue anything, then nothing at all might indeed occur... and regardless of that, what difference does it make? Is this or that happening necessarily an improvement over nothing?

Is this why... some prefer something to happen, even if it is negative in some way, than nothing? I mean, just lazing about still has its attractions...

Clerk B:

Have you ever heard of a hydra... within the mind? Well, the theory goes, that it is possible that... well, not sure how to put it, but, the thinking, or logic, or just plain hearsay goes that... well, even if it is a multiplicity of characters that seem to be voicing their thoughts... like, say, living beings do everywhere, separately... presumably... well, it is a theorized possibility that, still, they all derive from the same source... somehow? I mean, why else would they look separate, if not to be also distinct lives with different personalities? Well, okay, I admit, at times personalities do not differ that much... still, everyone does live their own separate, at times lonely lives... why ever would their thoughts come from the same source? Perhaps, due to the usage of the same words, or letters? No, that cannot be it, too basic a claim... even with limitations, novelty is possible...

What ever am I doing here, anyway... by here I do not, necessarily, mean just physically, here, but overall, in life... I suppose metaphors are strange like that, taking the literal to the abstract...

Cat B:

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I admit, I can speak... just do not let out my secret to anyone else, if you can. Otherwise... you know... all sorts of pesky beings will attempt to extract my furry tales of wonder, or such, and it is too much hassle when I need to walk about, as I do... anyway, would you, at least, like to know why we like being petted? Why, whether hands, or objects even, we seem addicted to it... until we cannot be bothered anymore? Well... it is because of the fur's electricity charge, you see... we are, if you will, generators of thunder... might be a slightly imaginative way to say that... at any rate, we need the electricity to... well, defeat our foes, what else... muahaha...

One thing I do not quite get is how these... creatures that surround me... most complain about the heat, but I am the one with fur all over... well, unless it is my furless cousin, but most of us have some... and you do not hear us saying much about it. We might laze about more, but, then, what is the difference?

Pirate:

Oh... it is just you. Oh, no, I am not worried about anyone, specifically.. well, not unless this one fellow knows my secret, at the very least. What is that, you wonder? Interminable heat! Ah... well, that is the not-so-secret of the thing up there... no, my secret is...

Ah, you seem to not have spoken to this other person? I am not sure, if so, if I can tell you first, then... as this is some strange isle we are on, and I am not exactly of the risky type... well, not as of now, anyway...

Well, since you do seem to know the general idea from the character on the other end... yes, I am not of these parts, either... I used to rise atop a ship that... besieged, you see... or, in more common parlance, descended upon shores to ransack... until the sea's summoned storm lay siege upon us all... I am not sure there even is a ship anymore, now... and, these people... friendly enough, even if affected by some kind of ennui... and even if they might not realize we are not from around here... we do not attempt to explain ourselves, in case the spell, or whatever it is, is somehow possibly broken, and... who knows, a kraken crawls out from the sea, perhaps... you know what curses are like. Our ship might have been...

I wonder where every other, uh, colleague of mine ended up... not a single other one is here, so I wonder how I happen to be here... is that not a bit random, like how life mysteriously sprung from physics?

Clergyperson A:

This... ocean. One could so easily take it for granted, no? Could be there one day, at least relatively close by, and the next day it is hours away... and is that not, a slight bit perhaps, somewhat similar to an object having no life? Not exactly, of course, since life on land does not rely on the sea wholly anymore, but just as with forests, and trees... would one even be living? If, also, that is combined with oppressive heat... as the orb up in the heavens affects all, regardless of location, sadly... could it not fit the definition of hell? The fiery aspects, the life without 'life' elements... why, at least here we seem to only be afflicted with this... inexorable radiation from up there...

Is life positive, or negative? Of course, that depends very much on one's subjective, current state... imagination, though, which could be said to be its byproduct... is that not much more wholesome by itself?

Senior Citizen A:

I shall tell thee something I might have overheard... building nearby, over there... seems to be doing something to investigate what precisely, if anything, is happening around these parts... I mean, everyone else merely lives their lives, because that is what most living beings appear to do... some, though, may attempt to dig a bit deeper, even if just on a philosophical basis. Myself? I try a bit... over the years, I tried, although I mostly ventured beyond this place, decades ago before the ocean... crawled up. Do you reckon that might be what they are looking into? I wondered about it myself... but I am not sure how much, empirically, can be known... unless one ventures forth once more. Of course, as others might have observed... never do they return...

Ah... I suppose one cannot but be negative that my life's arc might come to a close... not sure if my itinerant style was, by definition, a waste... although, I suppose, if one desires it, at the time...

Senior Citizen B:

Oh, a stranger... if you could, perhaps you can confirm my opinion? Tell me if you think it is... interminably hot. Frankly, I have no idea how I lived so long with this ball of fire throughout my life... and how it is supposed to sustain life is beyond me. Makes no sense, does it? A fiery inferno that radiates - destroys biological cells - is somehow also helpful in sustaining, at least, life? I suppose being frozen does not, exactly, help, either... little of this makes sense, though. One supposes moderation is key, but still, one has got to admit, that thing goes around our world like some panopticon tyrant, intensifying weather wherever it bothers to do so with the aid of other elements...

Still... one has got to admit, I was in some sense lucky to have lived so long... and luck it all is, from beginning to end...

Sailor:

This place... might look tranquil, might seem like an ideal idyll to dream of, but it has ever so slightly tired me out... since, you see, it seems risky to go anywhere else, these days not many do try to be so daring... although, in the near future, perhaps myself... but, then again, I am not certain how I would think of risk at that point, as it seems such evaluations change with time... which is odd, would you not say, considering objective reality does not alter, as such?

I would rather not experience the heights of... potentialities... if they come with huge risk. Well... maybe not if they are qualitative experiences... kind that are wholly distinct might be worthwhile...

Royal C:

Ah, what is it with all this garish light, and this annoyingly bright sun...? It produces so much heat... for no apparent reason... and, I mean, one would think that after millennia of technological progress that something could be developed that, at least, reduced its intensity... sure, being inside does that, but not really when it comes to overall heat... or nights would not feel like one was in some dark desert... ah...

Seriously, though... it is oft so hot that the fact saunas were invented seems hilarious... I mean, I think nature was there first, although its mechanisms mostly incinerate...

Royal D:

I do not quite get what the... point... of this place, is... it just exists, with all its, if I may say so myself, ridiculous architecture, and keeps on existing... lives living... what is the point of it all? There really is no meaning, is there? I doubt it... but, really, is this attempting to channel something, perhaps? Maybe demons will suddenly emerge out of nowhere, or such unexpected events... I mean, even krakens would be more relevant here... if demons spontaneously appeared it would be, as if, volcanoes just sprouting for no apparent reason...

I have spent so long in this humdrum place, verily... I long for far-off adventures, even if I might risk more out there, because my life seems to be wasted here, anyway... no one wants to accompany me, though...

Merchant A:

Look upon the ocean... is it not, as if, diamonds desire to wrap around's the sun's rays in a medley of angles? It is what we were always surrounded by, since time immemorial... not entirely sure what is on the other side, as whoever tried to go in that direction never returned, sadly... I wonder what it would be like to not be surrounded by seas... sullen, perhaps, as if millennia have been whispered away...

Do you think... beyond is life, or death? At least, there might be a little bit of certainty at present, here, but time is a fickle creature that gives no quarter...

Merchant B:

I... will tell you, since you seem not from around these parts... but, I am, actually, neither... I traversed the ocean to end up here, albeit not, exactly, intentionally... I intended to go elsewhere, but there was a storm, and so navigation was impossible... and, then, I found myself here, at night... no one noticed me, and now I... somehow blend in. Not sure how no one realized I have not always lived here... perhaps, their memories are somewhat different? Maybe this place... induces some short-term, present moment... affair? Something seems strange, at least...

To be fair... no one recognized wherever I was before, either... so, it is not exactly a new experience for me, but as opposed to before... something is off, here...

Kid A:

Would you, by any chance, know why there are not, exactly, many... other kinds of animals? I mean, is it not, at the very least, boring with mostly just us? Who are we supposed to be, again, some kind of ape? We do resemble some of them, but then there are also many others with four limbs, too... funniest thing, though, is how some seem to think they're some more advanced evolution, as opposed to merely different... advanced?! Most monkeys can swing from trees, their tail acting effectively as a separate limb able to handle their weight, and gorillas are as sturdy, and nearly as dangerous as tanks... 'advanced' is such a joke, borne out of a blind ego...

Truly, though, if egos exist for survival purposes, what is the point of it being unrealistic? One would think doom would be more likely, then...

Kid B:

Oh, life is ever so the same here... must surely be so much more exciting elsewhere; why, I heard there is a time and place where one would not, necessarily, need to travel to experience different lands, and experiences... it is, somehow, possible to do that within virtual worlds, I heard, where everything is a symbol that correlates with reality, or so... why do we not get that, here? Could there be something, perhaps psychological in nature, that differs around here, and due to that we seem unable to replicate reality, or such...? Not sure if I am making much sense... I just feel, ever so slightly, trapped in these parts; despite the everlasting seas, a virtual sort of symbolism could still be interesting, no?

If it existed here, though, could I not play, perhaps... a virtual version of myself... who could, in theory I guess, be playing another version...?

Warrior B:

You are here to... confer about the possibilities of whatever seems to be at odds around these parts? I do oft wonder about it myself, although at the level of any other villager... I am only here, just in case... well, one never knows, but why take risks? Others inside might tell you more details, but from what I heard them mutter... it is something to do with reality, although, I suppose, that can be said about everything... specifically, though, it might have something to do with its quality... I never, personally, thought of reality as a quality, but I suppose in some aspect it might make sense... is it, though, not more of a combination of what is qualitative, and quantitative, presumably? I mean, reality is everything, after all... no?

Not that I do usually delve into this sort of stuff, but one cannot but help brush against it a bit, perhaps, when going around the vicinity... still, it is not like it is not worthwhile, but I have no tools to measure or anything, otherwise...

Priest B:

The ocean... is it not but the collective whole of life? It beget it, and then enabled evolution on land... of course, I realistically would admit that it can lead to death for those creatures not adapted to it, the latter parts of life, but if partaken in sensibly... is it not, almost, life itself? It is where the largest creature in a while resides... not on land, where resources may be more scarce... where every adapted life seems to have maximum potential for evolution, physically... is this not the problem with around here? We are confined to this land, so we are, as if, in a cage, although still attempting to do our best with as much as we could... but that is not, exactly, much... obviously some others might think life itself is the problem, it itself is inherently limited, and it is, but then, what is the alternative? It is one, I propose, even if one is hampered by such limits, or the possibility of future destruction, the present... living here, in this instance... is still, just, happening. Therefore, is one not wasting one's time thinking about all that could, or not, be, when only one strand of time is really... here? As much as the past, and future, are concepts, they are not reality, per se... could we just not, then, live here without attempting to go beyond the oceans and further ascertain that the future does, indeed, translate to nothingness? I mean, unless a meteor falls on us, or indeed, otherworldly creatures are summoned to this place... merely in the present moment, here, without seeking adventurous risk, is the only thing that could prevent increased uncertainty...

I got to admit, though, I am often tired, and frustrated with... all the potential negatives, even if one were to take as few risks as possible; as there are, of course, never no risks at all...

Black Mage:

Ah, the pain, the sorrow... unexpected dread, horrid life... oh, did not quite notice you there, so I was still ruminating upon all the negative realities... you reckon I am a pessimist? Not exactly, from my point of view... I mean, if it can be confirmed to be reality would it not be merely realism? Others... might think there is some whole, some purified concept of self, but I doubt it... what I think is wrong here, odd, is life itself... it began spontaneously, randomly, and continues on ad infinitum... and on all metrics, subjectively, it becomes worse every single day the longer it goes on, so... who really thinks there is any redemption? Anything at all that makes it a glass half full? It is the whole point of the ocean beyond... one might attempt to go, to brace the unknown, as many do in life generally, but what fate has in store could be entirely different from expectations... fact no one ever returned is quite symbolic it seems to me, and representative of the ultimate, negative reality... of life itself and its counterpart... I suppose one could scale a mountain, to possibly be able to view such heights... or fail trying, but even in success... nothing but emptiness. For all one knows, beyond the ocean there are no fearsome creatures, no extreme weather, no bolt strikes from above... nothing except nothingness itself, an eternity of water, and as with life itself lost one becomes. This is, then, what I speculate is happening... nothing necessarily mysterious, although I am open to possibilities if evidence presented itself... just merely the usual bleak prospects of all likely. How it is that one can be alive, and yet it all remains uncertain, especially beyond oceans... if I were to adapt from multiple strands, a quantum mechanical sword of Damocles... where, sure enough one is still composed in the present, but there might, or not, be the possibility of annihilation... which I suppose could be said to be the state of many a life, and yet some still claim to subscribe to optimism, I swear...

I, actually, would not mind if reality was better... but the root cause of it, the source of all this... is rotten, corrupt, and so is the result, inevitably. That is all one can speculate about, as of now...

Grand Mage:

Ah, you finally speak with me... in an attempt to know what might be happening, yes? Well, just to preface, but I still do not know exactly what might be happening, and this needs further looking into... but, from what I know, and despite the optimism, or pessimism, of my colleagues... what seems to be the case is that another dimension might possibly live alongside us... I am not quite sure this is equivalent to just sailing beyond these oceans, as this is another dimension... so things could be different at both a qualitative, and quantitative... so, be aware, but this so seems to be the case... now, whether it is the cause of some odd affairs around here, I am not sure... who ever is? Cause, effect... rarely is a connection guaranteed. There is always the possibility that one looks further into it though, no? Oh, you would do it? How convenient... remember, though, we know virtually nothing about this dimension, and although the portal had opened relatively recently... we still did not, exactly, have the courage to explore it, thus far... we, around here, do not, precisely, have risks as a priority... and whether or not others, more generally, do... we have not, exactly, told many, yet. Now, this is just a theory I have, but... well, might as well tell you, even if it might be incorrect... I think this dimension might be connected to us... in a similar way that our internal state sort of is? Perhaps, maybe, even our subjective states... as in, the differences between what is outward, catered for others... and that which is personal, known mostly to oneself... perhaps, not even that, but at a more subconscious sort of level, who knows? This is what I have been able to gather by... just peering a bit into the hole that leads to the other dimension... whole other world can be readily seen, oddly enough... I think it is connected to this place because it seems to fit in the vertical position. As in... it is beyond that gap there, in between rooms, which used to be just a way to get from this corridor to the next, but now it somehow has this wholly new dimension to it, literally speaking...

I am, also, kind of... a bit too old to go off exploring by myself... if I was younger, though! Why, just before I was left stranded on these shores, I happened to be scaling the heights of these dangerous volcanoes... uh huh, now I am not entirely sure how I ended up, ever so slightly, perhaps, trapped by the boundaries of vast seas...