for Quill, with love is an interactive story blog that uses text and screenshots to follow the story of our player as she explores the new world she has been put into.
All asks will be answered by Quill by default unless indicated otherwise. If you can also talk to me by tagging it ooc, or 'the caretaker' by putting any one of her names in your message.
All anon asks (unless they have some sort of signature, e.i. emoji or nickname attached) will be treated like they came from a different person, as I and Quill both have no way to identify the sender. You may talk to Quill with as many different 'identities' as you wish.
Asks are not guaranteed to be answered, but they will affect the story, even in indirect ways.
Before you start:
Please be kind! this is my first time running a gimmick blog, I don't know what I am doing.
This will be a PG-13 blog, please keep asks as such.
The story is being made up as I go! As of starting this blog I have no idea where things will end up.
I am one person doing this for fun, continuity errors can and will happen. Please don't mind them.
Quill has basic knowledge about (vanilla) minecraft and it's various mechanics. Quill has no knowledge about modded minecraft, but I (the mod) do have some knowledge of the mods (mostly create). I will also be learning as things go, and playing for fun, not optimization.
The world I am playing in is modded using forge and through the Modrinth launcher. I am constantly reworking the pack according to my own preferences and what my computer can handle, so it may not be 100% accurate all the time, but a full list of the mods on this world will be under the cut.
The tag key for this blog will also be under the cut.
Tag key:
#with love - the default story tag for this blog. anything without this tag is not canon.
#for quill -
#Quill's answers - the ask tag for when quill answers an ask
#Quill will remember that. . . - if this is on your ask, congrats! you have helped guide the story along.
#day [insert number here] - the day this post happened on. aka, a loose timeline.
#caretaker's thoughts - a tag for when 'the caretaker' speaks or changes something in the world.
#caretaker's answers - a tag for when the caretaker answers an ask
#OOC - out of character post tag
#first draft - the first storyline from this blog, which was discontinued due to technical difficulties and me losing the og minecraft world.
From the sketchbook of 𝗝⃥̶̸ᵾ⃥̶̸₦⃥̶̸𝗹⃥̶̸₱⃥̶̸Ɇ⃥̶̸𝗥⃥̶̸. :
[the text reads: She seems tired today Manic? I'm worried.
Quill offered me a place in her harebrained scheme today
I've decided to accept Even if it means dropping out]
I spent the next morning shifting my food over to my kitchen, in between fielding messages from everyone. What had happened to make them be so-- jumpy? I doubted I would be getting any answers any time soon.
Regardless, moving all the food took practically all morning. I had quite the stockpile in my chests, and while i was doing chores I gathered up the rest of crops that were ready to be picked.
I also culled a section of my flock and herds, they had been growing a little out of control lately, with the new feeding trough I'd found in my recipe book.
And with that knife, it was easy as anything to get everything broken down into it's parts.
I admit, I may have gotten a little carried away exploring the recipe book. There were so many to try! Food in my past worlds had been relegated to simple meat or bread, nothing like the feasts I could make now.
I didn't quite know how to use some of the veggies I could grow yet, but the cabbage rolls seemed like an amazing way to use up anything i had lying around. Not to mention the sandwiches that could be made. And the stews! There seemed to kinda only be one thing I could do with rice so far though, which seemed a bit odd. I'd have to figure that out.
I once again had to resist the urge to make more than I needed.
It-- wasn't a case of making two of everything this time--
I had to still my hands from making stacks and stacks of food. Especially the cabbage rolls. We needed easy food. Portable food that would fill us up and keep the group moving. We were always on the move.
There was the phantom sensations of hunger, even though i hadn't been anything but full these last few weeks. I collapsed back into my seat, full bowl in hand and tears stinging the corners of my eyes.
I don't know how long I sat there before the food was cold.
I--
I didn't want to be underground anymore. Not for a while. Maybe tomorrow I would go exploring.
retaker: ... she's still not doing okay. I lied to her for you, I tried to keep you more secret and she's still not okay. I try to be her friend and that gets us kicked, I try to be your friend and you just shove it back in my face.
She missed me, all of us, but you said she didn't. You said that she was happier with us gone. Maybe I should have realized that with how many lies you're telling her, you're lying to us too. Now she's scared and I'm scared too that you're lying about bigger things that are going to get someone hurt or-- or killed.
Nothing I do is good enough for you, is perfect enough for you, is it? I'll keep lying to her, if that's what you want, but I don't think it's making anyone happier, or safer.
>> [caretaker] I am not a liar--
>> [caretaker] I do not mean to scare you. Or her. I would never do anything to hurt Quill.
>> [caretaker] Scared is better than gone forever.
HEY CARETAKER. DO YOU EVER CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS BEFORE YOU DO THEM? DO YOU KNOW THE EFFECTS YOU HAVE ON THE GREATER WORLD? OR DO YOU SPIT WORDS WITHOUT THOUGHT AND ACTIONS WITHOUT CONSIDERATION.
WHY'S YOUR NAME CARETAKER ANYWAY? DOESNT SEEM LIKE MUCH CARE IS BEING TAKEN HERE.
like damn. You're acting like a player, not an admin. You have *control*. You aren't just hurting quill, even though she's the only one you care about. I just.
Who named you?
>> [caretaker] Of course I consider what we are doing before I do it.
>> [caretaker] Quill certainly never did. But I am not like her.
>> [caretaker] My name is caretaker because that is what i am, even if fools like you do not see it.
>> [caretaker] I would never hurt Quill. She is--
>> [caretaker] But I am the admin now. Quill left it to me before she got sick, that first time. If something was ever to happen to her, I was the backup.
>> [caretaker] I always had her back. No matter what. I still do.
To Quill: Is it weird that I'd love to eat a Kiwi fruit? They seem like fun and the saplings are so cute!
I don't know a lot about the world you're on or why it acts the way it does, but I know you're a really awesome person. You're clever and observant and figure things out about your world in ways I can't imagine. You're also really strong. So, even if we don't understand your world right now, I think we will one day. At least, I really hope so.
In the meantime I guess we wait for weird fruit trees to grow and I can imagine how a kiwi would taste, lol.
>> [twistedquill] i don't think it's weird to want to eat a kiwi fruit.
>> [twistedquill] if i didn't know what i was named for I would be curious too.
>> [twistedquill] But-- I
>> [twistedquill] I'm not really a strong person. Just a desperate one, I think.
>> [twistedquill] that and bored. there's nothing to do but explore the overworld and farm. There's nothing to fight and no nether i can get to, which means no dragon to go fight or end to explore either.
You've yet to prove I am a liar, my dear. You haven't even convinced me that I am.
Wouldn't it be better for you to discredit me? Let others know they can't get away with deception? Squash out discord and disorder before they spread?
As someone so keen on keeping order, surely you know how swiftly these things can catch and spiral.
Or, of course, you could refuse and lead everyone to believe you to be the dishonest one, that you have no proof. Sow more distrust, sow more disharmony, sow more chaos.
--{🌌}
>> [caretaker] I do not need to prove anything to anyone
>> [caretaker] You, on the other hand, are trouble. I have known many like you.
>> [caretaker] I will not speak to you any longer.
Oh! Yeah, now that you mention it, I can see the difference from cherry, but my point stands either way - it looks good!
It might be better to let the lizards go. You can try other things but I think they mostly just like spider eyes, and without any monsters I'd guess those would be hard to come by. And it'd be kind of mean to keep them caged, and really hard to chase them down anyway. But say hi to any you come across for me!
>> [twistedquill] thank you!
>> [twistedquill] yeah having no monsters has been a bit frustrating honestly. with no string I can't do a lot of stuff. and there is silk I've found, but it doesn't work the same.
>> [twistedquill] I will say hi to the lizards for you! I'll try and get a picture of one, if you want. that would be better than catching them probably
It was. Well, it was much more than concerning to realize that my only connection to the outside world was so fragile. And controlled by something that wasn't going to hesitate to cut me off again.
I should have expected this.
I didn't know why but that's what it felt like.
At least my chests were more organized then they'd ever been. I wasn't normally the kind of person to keep things organized. But-- something in me wanted to keep it tidy. I could pretend that it hadn't been me to organize the chests.
I let myself have a slow morning. There was nothing so pressing with my little homestead that couldn't wait a few hours. I'd built such a nice bedroom for a reason.
I decided to plant some of the weird saplings I'd found.
One of them was a kiwi sapling, the other was something called lychee? I was curious to see what they tasted like.
The thought of eating something with the same name as one of my friends seemed a little bit odd, but--
I don't know.
I kinda wanted to have something to remind me of them. If our connection ever got interrupted by whatever thing had me trapped here.
I spent the rest of the day digging out another room in my house.
I had no idea what it would be for yet-- but that didn't matter. I just needed time to think. Digging was good for that.
If anyone asked, I probably wouldn't have been able to tell them what I was thinking about. But no one was here to ask.
The whole afternoon was coated in a blueish haze.
I looked up, and all of a sudden it was chilly. I'd left the door to my house open and it was dark now. The mountain breeze was creeping its way inside.
My hands stung, when I splashed my face with water from the little well pond I'd dug for irrigation. I'd scraped my knuckles while I'd been digging.
I really did need to figure out what I had to be able to make some warmer clothes out of.
This silk dress wasn't going to really be wearable much longer.
There was something in me that felt a savage sense of satisfaction at the dress being ruined.
I felt-- feral. I knew the moment that I had something better to wear, this ugly thing would be burned.
<bringing up interface C0mm198524 Worldtype: solo;survival>
<determining user connection and perms>
<Quill Quest set 15>
<Quill Quonter set 10>
[unknown chat connected]
<proceed?>
[[yes]] [no]
>>[system] new message incoming
>>[system] …
>>[system] loading…
>> [aliferous-ly] Hey, quill ... are you getting this? is my message going through? these crappy old comms aren't good for anything I swear.
>> [aliferous-ly] I'm worried. About you, about the world, about ... some of us [spectators]. I know I already asked this but are you safe? Even without monsters you should stay sheltered.
>> [twistedquill] is that why none of you were messaging me? Cause you couldn't?
>> [twistedquill] I thought--
>> [twistedquill] well regardless, I'm okay. I've been building more! I have a barn, and a bedroom, and I've dug out more space for a kitchen.
>> [twistedquill] Oh! and the bees! I have bees now. even though the honey makes me feel kinda sick.
>> [twistedquill] uhm. I might've gotten a little bored?
Kiwi blinked in surprise, sitting up from his bed. They did it. Pix did it. They got through to Caretaker and got them access to Quill again! He felt his servos whir and buzz to new life as messages poured in from Quill and the others.
He gripped the blankets tight to stop them from shaking as he pulled up his chat window. It felt too good to be true, especially after all the back and forth with Caretaker.
<< [kikithekiwiking] You mean it, some of us can talk to her again? Can I? Please?
The answer was almost immediate
>> [twistedquill] Kiwi? What?
>> [twistedquill] Did you mean to send that to someone else?
>> [twistedquill] Was someone stopping you from talking to me?
Something leaked from the corner of his eye, falling down his face, and landing on the back of his hand. A tear. That was strange. He blinked the rest away and typed a quick response.
<< [kikithekiwiking] Quill? We can talk! I don't know how much we can say. We lost contact 10 days ago. She... cares about you in a way, but doesn't like us much.
<< [kikithekiwiking] She was... we tried so hard to talk to you. I'm just glad Pix managed it.
They sat for a moment, waiting for a response, waiting another moment. Then another. They looked out of the window. The day had well begun and there were chores that needed to get done and animals to feed. A twinge of guilt twanged through their chest as they climbed over the mess of blankets to the door. The animals were probably hungry.
The sun was bright and warm as they worked. They dipped their hands in the pond to greet the axolotls and pet along their backs every once in a while. The cows and sheep were thankfully fine with what had been left out the night before, but the guard dog whined as they got his food ready.
No reply from Quill. Which was fine! She took her time to reply sometimes. She was a busy fox--
>>[system] new message incoming
>>[system] …
>>[system] loading…
>>My communicator woke me up with a start, the buzzing something I hadn't come to expect in the time when I'd no longer been getting messages.
>>I fumbled with it, hastily answering all of the messages that came through. Kiwi's gave me pause.
[see whole message?]
[[Yes]] [No]
Oh. Oh, Quill was not okay. Chills ran up their spine and they quickly ducked back into the house to read and reply. Something about mentioning the Caretaker bothered her, enough to drive her away from her comm again. Just like mentioning how trapped she was.
The reason Caretaker cut them off entirely.
>> [twistedquill] i missed you guys a lot.
>> [twistedquill] i. uhm.
>> [twistedquill] kinda got bored. and did a whole bunch.
>> [twistedquill] but in my defense there isnt much to do here but build or explore or mine. there's no monsters to fight. I cant even get to the nether in this world.
>> [twistedquill] the portals wont light
She missed them.
Kiwi sunk to the ground and stared at the chat window as it sank in. Quill had missed them. Relief flooded through their little body, followed by the bitter aftertaste of guilt. They swirled together in an awful soup of emotion as they typed out a response.
<< [kikithekiwiking] ...you missed us?
<< [kikithekiwiking] She said you didn't. I'm so, so glad you're okay.
<< [kikithekiwiking] Sorry,
She blinked slowly and almost caught the sentence before it sent, letting that remnant go. Quill didn’t need a bunch of apologies or need to know about the circling thoughts of “child” “mess” and “your fault” in her head. She tacked on a bit about the portals to try and change the subject. Quill was back. That’s all that mattered.
<< [kikithekiwiking] That's weird about the portals. Do you think it could also affect the end? It would probably be difficult to check without getting blaze powder from the nether, though.
>> [twistedquill] of course I missed you!
>> [twistedquill] All of you!
Her chest warmed at that, even through the guilt
>> [twistedquill] why wouldn't I? You guys are the only people I have to talk to.
>> [twistedquill] Who told you I didn't miss you?
Oh no.
No no no.
He couldn’t get blocked again. Not when he just got this back--
He flicked on and off different chat screens, fidgeting madly while trying to figure this out. He should have calmed down before sending any messages. He should have been content to watch and chat with just the other spectators--
There was one person he could ask what to say.
To: Caretaker
<< [kikithekiwiking] How much will you let us tell Quill? I don't want to hurt anybody or do whatever it is your friend I remind you of did.
<< [kikithekiwiking] She's asking questions, and I think she deserves some kind of answer. If you're really doing this to look after her, don't you want her to know she has someone like that in her corner?
>> [caretaker] Quill cannot know I exist.
>> [caretaker] Her memories have been sealed for a reason
>> [caretaker] do not test me on this. You know what I can do.
"you have my attention now, spectator"
Kiwi’s fidgeting slowed. Quill deserved to know the truth. He read through the instructions and the threat over and over again until the text blurred and he couldn't-- he couldn't figure out a way to appease this desire to help Quill understand and stay out of Caretaker's way.
One more look at the message didn't help.
To: Caretaker
<< [kikithekiwiking] Why don't you like me, anyway? You aren't particularly fond of any of us, but you've been... cruel. to me.
>> [caretaker] I have not been cruel.
>> [caretaker] You are a child, playing with things no one could hope to understand.
>> [caretaker] Therefore, I have treated you as you are deserving. Like a child who has gotten herself into trouble.
>> [caretaker] But alas you all are a necessity.
>> [caretaker] I do not like having to share my Quill with you.
The text blurred again. Child. She almost wanted to laugh. She wondered if this Warden knew how far her threats could go. Kiwi knew if she was cut off again she would cave into the desire to join a public world, just to see someone again. There’s no telling how her code would react to another server. It could tear her apart.
Kiwi wouldn’t survive being cut off again.
The message blurred again, this time the coding of the message bleeding through.
Fero was sending in messages on the group chat.
>> [aliferous-ly] I don't think the caretaker gives af about any of us. she might pretend to, to make herself feel better tho
>> [aliferous-ly] like. she cares about us as far as our connection to quill. if we get hurt bc of quill it's just more evidence that she was in the right. us getting hurt is like. an animal getting hurt. I think.
>> [aliferous-ly] maybe I'm being cruel.
<< [kikithekiwiking] she doesn't want Quill to get hurt. The strongest reaction we've gotten from caretaker is when you quoted Quill's mental breakdown at her. I think you're right. The most we are to Caretaker is enrichment for her charge.
Kiwi was feeling a little bitter, to be fair, but she took a quick glance back at the message from Caretaker. Another tab flicked open and closed as she studied it, deep in thought.
<< [kikithekiwiking] huh.
<< [kikithekiwiking] caretaker isn't her name.
<< [kikithekiwiking] she's signs her messages as Caretaker, but I think there's another layer of code in the message
There was a glitching, messy bit of code underneath the fake player tag. She could make out a “u” as the second letter, but the rest was slipping away. The message from earlier had a different pattern of glitch, like an encrypted wavelength of code, revealing that “n” appeared somewhere in the name, but she couldn’t place where.
>> [aliferous-ly] what do you mean? Why would her name matter?
>> [PixelDragon] …
>> [PixelDragon] do you think
>> [PixelDragon] that would unlock Quill's memories?
<< [kikithekiwiking] maybe, caretaker made it pretty grumpily clear that we shouldn't tell Quill anything about her
<< [kikithekiwiking] or it could help us maybe track down where the two of them came from
They needed more messages from Caretaker to figure this out, to piece together the bits of code that made up her player tag. Which meant they needed to stay on her good side.
Fero asked about the weird colors showing up in messages and the other person Caretaker had slipped mentions of occasionally.
>> [caretaker] there are no colors to my messages. Nor do I speak in any sort of plural 'we'.
>> [caretaker] If you are seeing glitches on your comm perhaps you should get it checked. Or simply get a new one.
>> [caretaker] just like you ought to get new friends.
Kiwi flinched.
Then started writing a message to Quill.
<< [kikithekiwiking] Oh sorry, I must have been tired when I sent my last message. Someone I know said you probably wouldn't miss us. I don't know why I mentioned it. She was obviously joking now that I think about it.
<< [kikithekiwiking] There's something weird about the connection we have to your world. Sometimes we might not be able to get messages to you. We're doing our best to make sure it doesn't happen again. Just know that even if you ever don't hear from us we are still trying to reach out.
<< [kikithekiwiking] I missed you too.
If they glanced over to Caretaker’s messages every once in a while as they wrote to see how someone could deny everything, to see a message Caretaker might approve, that was between them and the empty world they lived on.
They took care with every word to not lie, they couldn’t bear outright lying to Quill, but to just barely dodge the truth of the matter.
Quill would know eventually. This was for her own good. This was so they could free her.
Guess who's back, back again. The little bit of c!Kiwi who lives in the back of my head was very grumpy about this last message, but I think I'll live.
Everyone go check out @for-quill-with-love
Here is the traditional bibliography:
Hey Quill... are you getting this? Day 15
You mean it? Some of us can talk to her? Day 15
Day 15 Quill Update
Quill?!? We can talk! Day 16
...you missed us? Day 16
How much will you let us talk to Quill? Day 17
Why don't you like me? Day 17
Oh, sorry. I must have been tired Day 17 (reply not mentioned)
Oh sorry, I must have been tired when I sent my last message. Someone I know said you probably wouldn't miss us. I don't know why I mentioned it. She was obviously joking now that I think about it.
There's something weird about the connection we have to your world. Sometimes we might not be able to get messages to you. We're doing our best to make sure it doesn't happen again. Just know that even if you ever don't hear from us we are still trying to reach out.
I missed you too.
>> [twistedquill] Who was that said I wouldn't miss you?
>> [twistedquill] That doesn't seem like a joke. That--
>> [twistedquill] Of course there's something weird going on with the connections here. I can't leave.
>> [twistedquill] It seems like every time I try to use my comm I'm reaching for buttons that aren't there. Like how I keep looking over my shoulder to try and find someone who isn't there.I know I used to have a different comm. and I know stuff about how worlds should be-- should behave.
>> [twistedquill] But I have no idea how or why I know this stuff.
hello!!! a question for the both of yall!! do Caretaker and Quill get along? and does Quill even know about Caretaker? does Caretaker even care for Quill?
oh and Caretaker!!!! how’s your day going? :3
>> [caretaker] get along?
>> [caretaker] of course we used to get along. She was my best friend. Do you think I would be letting you spectators talk to her if I did not care for her?
>> [caretaker] And you dare to mock me?
>> [caretaker] My patience grows thin. Be careful with your next words, spectator.
