Knock-Knocking in the Dark

An Ask-Blog for the Lodger character of the indie game 'Knock-Knock'. All info is located on the side or in the links at the bottom of this description box. CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION. Current M!A: None If you'd like to support the blog owner/artist,...

[waverlythetimid]

Take the High Road || w/knock-knockinginthedark

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The one most relieved to see the home, to see Waverly recognize it, was Sottarfar. It was good her home still stood, even after all these years. He wasn’t sure how she would’ve reacted if it was no longer there, but he knew he wouldn’t have been prepared for it. He looked over towards the sign as she peeked inside, humming. “It appears it’s being used like a museum or something of the sort now. It’s got tour times.”

“The fact it’s still standing is amazing. It’s interesting it’s opened to the public instead of being used as a residence.” Cornelius spoke as he was stepping back some to snap some pictures of the home.

[waverlythetimid]

Waverly felt a combination of relief and confusion. She was more than glad to see her home standing here, untouched by time. And yet, the sign made her wonder–what was so special about this place? What set it apart from all the others?

She turned the doorknob, prepared to feel it fight against her, but was utterly surprised when it turned and allowed them entry. Her eyes widened and she hesitated a moment. Did she want to see it all again? Did she really want to see it?

The answer seemed to be ‘yes’, as she pushed open the door and took the first two steps inside, light from the windows illuminating a quaint little dwelling. The chair and tables were the same, the portraits on the walls were still there. This was still her home. On the table sat a pile of pamphlets, which Waverly had passed right by. Home of Murphy O’Toole, Automotive Mastermind.

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Dmitriy and Dvojnik followed after her as they stepped forward to go have a look at the home with Cornelius readying his camera. Sottarfar hung back, grabbing one of the pamphlets and looking over it curiously.

“Waverly? It appears as though I’ve found why your family’s home was preserved.” He said as he glanced into the pamphlet. “’Home of Murphy O’Toole, Automotive Mastermind’.” He read off, taking up the rear in their little group.

“Oh neat, one of your family was famous!” Dvojnik cooed, peering out from behind his counterpart with a smile.

[waverlythetimid]

Take the High Road || w/knock-knockinginthedark

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waverlythetimid:

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The others were not as fast in getting off of the bus. Dmitriy and Dvojnik were the first to bail out of the bus and join her outside. They both were stretching, trying to get the blood going in their limbs again from sitting for so long on the vehicle. Cornelius soon ambled his way on out to join them, camera ready and snapping pictures of the landscape surrounding them. The island was such a beautiful place, he wanted to make sure he had plenty of pictures to look back at when they returned to their forest.

The last to shuffle out was Sottarfar, of course. The old spirit stepped down out of the bus and back onto the ground. It felt good to be out of the metal vehicle and back on natural ground again. Being a spirit of the earth meant there was always a special comfort taken in having the skies above and the earth below without being stuck in a moving metal box. Still, he did give humans credit in being able to make such interesting forms of transportation. “Lead the way, dear Waverly.”

There was a tight feeling in Waverly’s gut as they walked. She was just as nervous as she was excited–what if the house wasn’t there? What if it belonged to someone else? What if it had changed? She wasn’t a big fan of change.

The home came into view. It was still there, still in one piece, and it didn’t look much different than it always had. It was a relief to see it there, but it gave Waverly a sense of nostalgia, longing, and sadness as she was greeted with a flood of memories. This wasn’t their first homestead–it was built on the foundation of the house than burned to the ground when she was still very young. Still, this was where she and her family made their last memories together. Waverly approached the door, reaching a hand out to feel the old wood. “It’s still here…” she murmured, looking in through a tarnished window to see a darkness inside. No one was there–it was abandoned. But a sign was stuck into the ground: “Tours: Mon-Fri 10am-4pm. Sat-Sun 10am-6pm ”.

The one most relieved to see the home, to see Waverly recognize it, was Sottarfar. It was good her home still stood, even after all these years. He wasn’t sure how she would’ve reacted if it was no longer there, but he knew he wouldn’t have been prepared for it. He looked over towards the sign as she peeked inside, humming. “It appears it’s being used like a museum or something of the sort now. It’s got tour times.”

“The fact it’s still standing is amazing. It’s interesting it’s opened to the public instead of being used as a residence.” Cornelius spoke as he was stepping back some to snap some pictures of the home.

[knockknockinginthedark]

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►“I know that when the L I G H T returns - this h o r r o r will simply vanish..”◄

[waverlythetimid]

Take the High Road || w/knock-knockinginthedark

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waverlythetimid:

Waverly was on the edge of her seat as the bus continued forth, all of these familiar sights bringing back memories that were a century old. She finally stood up, pressing her hands against the glass as they began to slow between the hills, a congregation of sheep wandering out in the fields.

She couldn’t wait to get off the bus. She practically ran to the front before the others, jumping down the steps, and waiting for them on solid ground. She knew this place well. Her eyes scanned the horizon, looking for the familiar sight of their pointed roof. Strange…she didn’t see it. Still, a little road would lead them through the hills–that’s where it would be.

The others were not as fast in getting off of the bus. Dmitriy and Dvojnik were the first to bail out of the bus and join her outside. They both were stretching, trying to get the blood going in their limbs again from sitting for so long on the vehicle. Cornelius soon ambled his way on out to join them, camera ready and snapping pictures of the landscape surrounding them. The island was such a beautiful place, he wanted to make sure he had plenty of pictures to look back at when they returned to their forest.

The last to shuffle out was Sottarfar, of course. The old spirit stepped down out of the bus and back onto the ground. It felt good to be out of the metal vehicle and back on natural ground again. Being a spirit of the earth meant there was always a special comfort taken in having the skies above and the earth below without being stuck in a moving metal box. Still, he did give humans credit in being able to make such interesting forms of transportation. “Lead the way, dear Waverly.”

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Kari slithered under the doorjamb, his nearly invisible mist body sweeping through the various rooms seeking out anyone to interact with. A gentle thumping caught his ear and he followed it to a ghostly figure with fiery looking hair. "Hello?" He called, not remembering his voice was barely a whisper in this form.

He had been thinking. He had been doing that a lot since he had been stuck like this. The fiery hair on his head flickered with the thumping, the ‘thumping’ coming from the music he had been listening to while he thought. “Hm?” He snapped out of his train of thought as he heard something. “Um…hello.” he replied as his floating body turning in the direction he had heard the voice…at least, he thought it was a voice. He looked around questioningly, barely noticing the mist. “…Kari?”

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prince-of-mindscape:

Kari knew it was time to back off. “Alright. But I do agree with the Orderly. My help is on offer but in the meantime I’ll leave you with this.” He set a small pouch by Cornelius, it clinked softly. “The runes inside call valravns, corpse-eaters. Just leave one near a body and they’ll take care of it. Use it or not; your choice.”  

Cornelius looked over towards the pouch set down, a brow raised in questioning. Not the nature of the runes, no, the explanation of how they worked was short, sweet and easy to understand. “Thank you, Kari. Although now I have to ask why you’d casually have those on your person...?”

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Kari slithered under the doorjamb, his nearly invisible mist body sweeping through the various rooms seeking out anyone to interact with. A gentle thumping caught his ear and he followed it to a ghostly figure with fiery looking hair. "Hello?" He called, not remembering his voice was barely a whisper in this form.

He had been thinking. He had been doing that a lot since he had been stuck like this. The fiery hair on his head flickered with the thumping, the ‘thumping’ coming from the music he had been listening to while he thought. “Hm?” He snapped out of his train of thought as he heard something. “Um…hello.” he replied as his floating body turning in the direction he had heard the voice…at least, he thought it was a voice. He looked around questioningly, barely noticing the mist. “…Kari?”

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prince-of-mindscape:

Kari jumped from his seat and bowed low. “I’m very sorry! I didn’t mean for all that to come out. I promise it wasn’t my intention to force my opinions on you.” It was a sensitive subject. But not everyone was as adaptive as him. And Cornelius hadn’t lived in the same kind of environment, either. This sort of thing was unnatural and wrong. “But if there’s something we can do, the Orderly and I, if we can help you with anything. Please tell us. This isn’t something you should have to deal with alone. And I’d be happy to help.”

Cornelius’ lips formed into a thin line, only the faintest hum given to acknowledge the apology. He pushed himself up off of the bed, rising to his full feet. “I thank you for the offer of help, but I am fine. I was doing well enough on my own without your interference or assistance and I would prefer it continue the way it has been.”

“In that case, I would at least suggest you find a..’cleaner’ method of disposing of individuals once you’re done with them. That way more curiosity isn’t sparked by the events occurring with you feeding.” The Orderly spoke up as he looked towards the man. “The more discreet, the better.”

[waverlythetimid]

Take the High Road || w/knock-knockinginthedark

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waverlythetimid:

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They were all various degrees of relieved by the time the bus made an appearance. Sottarfar most of all, second only to his little lover. It meant they could be on their way and experiencing what the island had to offer all the sooner. The old spirit let Cornelius and the pair of similar looking young men clamber into the bus first before he followed in. He was a slow old man, he hadn’t wanted to make them wait behind him.

After they all were good to go and had chosen their seats, clustering near each other, they were peering out the windows. Cornelius was still armed with his camera, the brief sound of it heard as he snapped a photo of the bus interior. He hadn’t been on a bus in ages…

“A half an hour doesn’t seem all that bad. Good thing the island’s small, it means we can get to see all of it faster.” Dmitriy commented as he adjusted to sit comfortably in his seat. He noted that he was getting to experience all sorts of vehicles for the first time today. First a train, now a bus. What was next, a taxi?

Waverly sat up straight in her chair, hands on her knees, looking delighted. For the first time in ages, there wasn’t the ever-present air of nervousness around her. She wasn’t her timid self. Shy, perhaps, but confident; she was in her realm now, even in a new modern world that was strange to her. This was still her home, and she knew its soil and its streams by heart.

The bus trucked on, out of the town and into the hills. They were getting further into mainland now, away from the shore, but into the higher lands. The road was long and winding, moving around the steep hills. Waverly kept her eyes out the window all the while, watching for familiar lands.

“We’ll b-b-be there in a few minutes.” Waverly said, drumming her hands on her lap, as giddy as a child. “You’ll g-get to see my house. Err, m-my family’s house.”

Sottarfar noted that his little morning glory wasn’t radiating the same nervousness he had grown accustomed to. It was pleasant to see she was more comfortable now that she was in a realm she could confidently call her own. It was a rare occasion to see her at a point like this. “Wonderful. I’m looking forward to seeing the home of your family.”

“So am I. It’ll be nice to see someone else’s family home for a change.” Cornelius added with a light laugh as he adjusted his camera, which he had long since turned off and covered the lens of during their bus trip.

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Kari slithered under the doorjamb, his nearly invisible mist body sweeping through the various rooms seeking out anyone to interact with. A gentle thumping caught his ear and he followed it to a ghostly figure with fiery looking hair. "Hello?" He called, not remembering his voice was barely a whisper in this form.

He had been thinking. He had been doing that a lot since he had been stuck like this. The fiery hair on his head flickered with the thumping, the ‘thumping’ coming from the music he had been listening to while he thought. “Hm?” He snapped out of his train of thought as he heard something. “Um…hello.” he replied as his floating body turning in the direction he had heard the voice…at least, he thought it was a voice. He looked around questioningly, barely noticing the mist. “…Kari?”

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prince-of-mindscape:

There wasn’t much Kari could add at this moment so he simply remained in place; allowing Cornelius to get what he needed off his chest. Though he didn’t really like how he said ‘condition’. It made him sound ill when he wasn’t. He had changed, and while what he was now may not be considered good that didn’t mean he was evil. As soon as Kari finished that thought he realized he’d said most of it out loud. And rather heatedly. He went red.

It wasn’t hard to assume that both of them were staring at him after that, both surprised. Even for the Orderly’s generally limited method of emoting, he still wore an impressive look of surprise. “Tell us how you really feel, Kari.” He spoke with a subtle bite of sarcasm.

“First of all, Kari, keep your voice down. I don’t need this broadcasted to the entire damn house and second of all, I will call it what I wish. It is my burden to bear, and I will call it what I see it as, and I see it as a condition and illness.” Cornelius’ own tone was sharper, colder. He wasn’t going to argue over it. “Now, are we done here?”

[knock-knockingarchive]

Kari slithered under the doorjamb, his nearly invisible mist body sweeping through the various rooms seeking out anyone to interact with. A gentle thumping caught his ear and he followed it to a ghostly figure with fiery looking hair. "Hello?" He called, not remembering his voice was barely a whisper in this form.

He had been thinking. He had been doing that a lot since he had been stuck like this. The fiery hair on his head flickered with the thumping, the ‘thumping’ coming from the music he had been listening to while he thought. “Hm?” He snapped out of his train of thought as he heard something. “Um…hello.” he replied as his floating body turning in the direction he had heard the voice…at least, he thought it was a voice. He looked around questioningly, barely noticing the mist. “…Kari?”

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prince-of-mindscape:

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prince-of-mindscape:

Kari heaved a sigh before squaring his shoulders and stepping forward. He placed a hand on Cornelius’ shoulder, somewhat nervously before speaking. “We aren’t here to punish you. All we want to know is why you’re doing this.” He kept his voice low; as if he were talking to a young child. “Do you feel like you need to do this? Like an instinct? Or are you ill and this is helping? Please tell us. Or at least tell me.”

Cornelius sluggishly lifted his head to look at the hand on his shoulder, and then let his gaze trail up to peer up at Kari. He let his gaze linger, as if checking to make sure he meant what he said about not being punished. His head hung again, eyes downcast. “I have to. I don’t want to do it, believe me, if I had a choice I wouldn’t dare do…any of that…” He swallowed, the thought of it stirring nausea. “I’ve had to since I came back. When I was…revived, I guess the term would be?…I didn’t come back as me, like I was before.”

“We all knew you were undead, but we never identified what kind you were.” The Orderly spoke up. “We had assumed, after a point, you were a revenant like miss Waverly was. It was the closest we could come up with. why would you-”

“That book on the desk, the one that is a book identifying different kinds of undead. Open it up and turn it to page 52.”

The Orderly slowly stepped over to the desk, warily picking up the book and turning to the proper page. Eyes flitted over the text, and normally calm eyes widened. “…Oh. I see…I can understand why you would be so intent on deception and hiding.”

So it was instinct, or something like it. Kari shuddered as he remembered his own experiences with such a thing. “I understand that. I’m a wendigo myself; or I was possessed by one at least. I don’t like to hurt people if I don’t have to and even then it’s hard. So not only doing that but being forced to eat them made me want to die. Having no one to turn only made death more tempting.”

Kari felt the Orderly’s reaction; he didn’t need to see the book. He had a feeling about what the Orderly had seen. He suspected it since he’d first met Cornelius. He sat down and looked over. “I’m guessing a ghoul or something related. Am I correct?”

“Ghoul is exactly what I was directed to.” The Orderly answered, slowly closing the book and setting it back down. “...Why hide it, Cornelius? Dmitriy was a vampire, why didn’t you-”

“Someone needed to be normal.” Cornelius answered, lifting his head an wearing a sad, worn smile barely holding itself together on his features. “I had just come back and it was hard enough getting Dmitriy to accept that, and he was going through that...he needed someone to be normal. I’ve tried to subtly gather what the opinions of the household would be about my ‘condition’ and they’ve...not been good.”

“Have you told anyone?”

“...I told Waverly. She was the only one I trusted not to pass judgment on me for what I was or to blab it to the household so...this was before you came around, Orderly.” He had to clarify, noting that the man looked almost offended that he wasn’t considered non-judgmental or able to keep secrets.

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Kari slithered under the doorjamb, his nearly invisible mist body sweeping through the various rooms seeking out anyone to interact with. A gentle thumping caught his ear and he followed it to a ghostly figure with fiery looking hair. "Hello?" He called, not remembering his voice was barely a whisper in this form.

He had been thinking. He had been doing that a lot since he had been stuck like this. The fiery hair on his head flickered with the thumping, the ‘thumping’ coming from the music he had been listening to while he thought. “Hm?” He snapped out of his train of thought as he heard something. “Um…hello.” he replied as his floating body turning in the direction he had heard the voice…at least, he thought it was a voice. He looked around questioningly, barely noticing the mist. “…Kari?”

[knock-knockingarchive]

prince-of-mindscape:

Kari heaved a sigh before squaring his shoulders and stepping forward. He placed a hand on Cornelius’ shoulder, somewhat nervously before speaking. “We aren’t here to punish you. All we want to know is why you’re doing this.” He kept his voice low; as if he were talking to a young child. “Do you feel like you need to do this? Like an instinct? Or are you ill and this is helping? Please tell us. Or at least tell me.”

Cornelius sluggishly lifted his head to look at the hand on his shoulder, and then let his gaze trail up to peer up at Kari. He let his gaze linger, as if checking to make sure he meant what he said about not being punished. His head hung again, eyes downcast. “I have to. I don’t want to do it, believe me, if I had a choice I wouldn’t dare do...any of that...” He swallowed, the thought of it stirring nausea. “I’ve had to since I came back. When I was...revived, I guess the term would be?...I didn’t come back as me, like I was before.”

“We all knew you were undead, but we never identified what kind you were.” The Orderly spoke up. “We had assumed, after a point, you were a revenant like miss Waverly was. It was the closest we could come up with. why would you-”

“That book on the desk, the one that is a book identifying different kinds of undead. Open it up and turn it to page 52.”

The Orderly slowly stepped over to the desk, warily picking up the book and turning to the proper page. Eyes flitted over the text, and normally calm eyes widened. “...Oh. I see...I can understand why you would be so intent on deception and hiding.”

[knockknockinginthedark]

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knockknockinginthedark:

♦ Independent RP Blog for ‘The Lodger’ from the indie horror game Knock-Knock

♦ Non-Selective

♦ Mun and Muse are both 21+

♦ Possible triggering content, tagged appropriately

[knockknockinginthedark]

[knock-knockingarchive]

knockknockinginthedark:

♦ Independent RP Blog for ‘The Lodger’ from the indie horror game Knock-Knock

♦ Non-Selective

♦ Mun and Muse are both 21+

♦ Possible triggering content, tagged appropriately

[waverlythetimid]

Take the High Road || w/knock-knockinginthedark

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waverlythetimid:

knock-knockingarchive:

Once they were outside, they were content to let her take the lead. Out of all of them, she better knew their current surroundings better than the rest of them, and she was armed with the pamphlet for bus. Might as well let the little lady have her time of confidence in being the one out in front of their odd group.

Sottarfar, of course, lingered close to her as always. Even as they came to wait at the bus station, he kept close. He was always the protective one, never wanting to stray far from her side if he could help it. Cornelius stood near him, armed with his camera and already starting on his picture snapping again. The pair of similar looking individuals stood shoulder to shoulder, both with their hands in their pockets and a relatively relaxed posture adopted by them as they waited for the bus to arrive.

Waverly didn’t seem to mind waiting; not at first, at least. She stood there with a pleasant smile on her face, but as time ticked by, she grew a little antsy. She was just as nervous as she was excited. She didn’t know what she was more nervous about–the prospect that the family homestead was gone or that it was still there. She would find out soon.

The bus rolled up within a few minutes, relatively bare. It was the middle of the week, after all, before the weekend tourists would appear. Waverly reached into her bag and counted the necessary funds to ride the bus, stepping up to the little set of stairs to struggle her way into the vehicle. She handed the money over to the driver–an old man in a brown cap–and made her way towards the middle of the bus.

“It’s n-n-not a long trip.” Waverly said with a little grin. “A half hour at most, I’m guessing. The island is very s-small.”

They were all various degrees of relieved by the time the bus made an appearance. Sottarfar most of all, second only to his little lover. It meant they could be on their way and experiencing what the island had to offer all the sooner. The old spirit let Cornelius and the pair of similar looking young men clamber into the bus first before he followed in. He was a slow old man, he hadn’t wanted to make them wait behind him.

After they all were good to go and had chosen their seats, clustering near each other, they were peering out the windows. Cornelius was still armed with his camera, the brief sound of it heard as he snapped a photo of the bus interior. He hadn’t been on a bus in ages...

“A half an hour doesn’t seem all that bad. Good thing the island’s small, it means we can get to see all of it faster.” Dmitriy commented as he adjusted to sit comfortably in his seat. He noted that he was getting to experience all sorts of vehicles for the first time today. First a train, now a bus. What was next, a taxi?

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Note for All New Followers

[[ This blog is no longer open. I am finishing the last roleplays that were in-progress prior to the blog closing.

The new, rebooted blog is over here: http://knockknockinginthedark.tumblr.com/

Sorry for the confusion or inconvenience.]]

[waverlythetimid]

Take the High Road || w/knock-knockinginthedark

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waverlythetimid:

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Sottarfar nodded and stepped out into the hall, watching as she followed him and knocked on the other door. There was a brief pause before Cornelius made it to the door and cracked it open. “Hello. Yes, we’re rested. Are we heading out now?”

“Mm-hm, that’s the plan. The bus is going to be here soon to whisk us away on our adventure.”Sottarfar was excited, more than eager to see the island, its landmarks and all of the beauty the place had to offer. He was practically bouncing on his feet, ready to scamper off to the bus at a moment’s notice.

“Sure, we’re ready. Dmitriy, Dvojnik. Come on. Time to go.” Cornelius ventured back into the room to fetch the key and his camera, and the boys were soon stepping out into the hall with Cornelius leading the rear behind them.

Sottarfar’s excitement was adorable. Waverly could practically hear the joy in his voice as he spoke–he seemed just as pleased as she was to get out there into the wilds again.

When they were all gathered again, Waverly took a peek at the pamphlet, wandering towards the front door as she read the directions. The bus station wasn’t far–just a single block away. She waited for someone else to open the door and thanked them as she passed and ventured out into the street. For once, she didn’t seem to mind taking the lead. A follower at heart, she seemed to change when she was in her element. After all, this was her homeland. She may not have known these modern streets, but she knew this land and the dirt beneath their feet.

The bus station was small–just a little stop with a glass cover to block the rain. She stood beside it with this goofy little smile on her face, bouncing on the heels of her feet.

Once they were outside, they were content to let her take the lead. Out of all of them, she better knew their current surroundings better than the rest of them, and she was armed with the pamphlet for bus. Might as well let the little lady have her time of confidence in being the one out in front of their odd group.

Sottarfar, of course, lingered close to her as always. Even as they came to wait at the bus station, he kept close. He was always the protective one, never wanting to stray far from her side if he could help it. Cornelius stood near him, armed with his camera and already starting on his picture snapping again. The pair of similar looking individuals stood shoulder to shoulder, both with their hands in their pockets and a relatively relaxed posture adopted by them as they waited for the bus to arrive.

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Kari slithered under the doorjamb, his nearly invisible mist body sweeping through the various rooms seeking out anyone to interact with. A gentle thumping caught his ear and he followed it to a ghostly figure with fiery looking hair. "Hello?" He called, not remembering his voice was barely a whisper in this form.

He had been thinking. He had been doing that a lot since he had been stuck like this. The fiery hair on his head flickered with the thumping, the ‘thumping’ coming from the music he had been listening to while he thought. “Hm?” He snapped out of his train of thought as he heard something. “Um…hello.” he replied as his floating body turning in the direction he had heard the voice…at least, he thought it was a voice. He looked around questioningly, barely noticing the mist. “…Kari?”

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prince-of-mindscape:

Kari blinked; taking a moment to process the Orderly’s last statement. Finally he stepped forward and whispered to him. “I was unaware of Dmitriy’s method. Does this mean he’s involved as well or is Cornelius acting alone?”

“Cornelius is acting alone. He’s merely duplicating the method used by his son in terms of killing the individual. He helped Dmitriy when he was still under the full effects of vampirism, he kept using the method after that was done.” The Orderly responded to him in a low tone, and then focused back to Cornelius. “So, care to explain why?”

“...” Cornelius was hunched as he sat on the bed, hiding his face in his hands.

“Cornelius. Please. You are not the kind that I believe would this for fun, you’d have to have a motivation for doing this. Why?” Still no response. The Orderly looked back up to Kari, nudging his head as a silent indicator to ask if perhaps he could get a response from him.

[waverlythetimid]

Take the High Road || w/knock-knockinginthedark

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waverlythetimid:

knock-knockingarchive:

“They might have to put their shoes on, but I think otherwise they would be.” Sottarfar nodded in response, sitting up in his chair and scooting his old body to the edge to let him collect and put on his shoes again, as well as working on getting up onto his feet again. Once, twice, thrice and then he was up again. “If we take a bus, if the option to stay standing is one I can take upon it, I will do so.” He declared, deciding getting up out of a bus seat was not worth the effort. Yes, he could have help, but they all knew how stubborn he was in those regards.

Waverly always felt a little bit bad when she watched Sottarfar struggle to get to his feet, but she knew better than to ask if he needed help. He was a stubborn old man like that, never accepting assistance, always insisting on doing everything on his own. Waverly could appreciate his determination.

“Well, let’s go check them, sh-shall we?” She opened the door, letting Sottarfar leave the room first, before she made her way to the neighboring room and rapped her knuckles against the door. “Hello?” she asked, face pressed against the door. “I-is everyone rested up?”

Sottarfar nodded and stepped out into the hall, watching as she followed him and knocked on the other door. There was a brief pause before Cornelius made it to the door and cracked it open. “Hello. Yes, we’re rested. Are we heading out now?”

“Mm-hm, that’s the plan. The bus is going to be here soon to whisk us away on our adventure.”Sottarfar was excited, more than eager to see the island, its landmarks and all of the beauty the place had to offer. He was practically bouncing on his feet, ready to scamper off to the bus at a moment’s notice.

“Sure, we’re ready. Dmitriy, Dvojnik. Come on. Time to go.” Cornelius ventured back into the room to fetch the key and his camera, and the boys were soon stepping out into the hall with Cornelius leading the rear behind them.