Chapter Text
4:35 PM Entry: 1 Microworm: Wriggling
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“Ahem!
“Greetings to all of you back at the academy. It is I, Dedusmuln, offering each of your beings a warm salutations from the Pastel Archipelago! At this moment I stand upon the soft earth of the southeastern isle, specifically in an area close to the island port from where my boat had come to dock. A kind being within their domicile had informed me that this site may in fact contain the paper cup that I’ve been searching for all this time. My tendrils’ liana have been absolutely saturated in sunlight since my arrival, so I hope this good weather persists for my digging tomorrow. In addition to the sun, the air’s scent here is thick with the salt of the bay, I tell you! It simply engulfs my epidermic flesh sort of like a far out poncho: unfamiliar, yet protective. I can faintly hear the waves splashing farther off from here, but I suppose that was an unnecessary detail considering this recording is also picking up the sound...
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“Erm, right! A-Also, I have already taken the liberty of pitching my tent in this potential archeological site, since I detect no vibrations near me that indicate any signs of wildlife or hostile individuals to pester or bludgeon me whilst I excavate. I still need to assemble my vision projector, but that work will wait until after dinner. Forgive me for sounding unprofessional, but I am currently feeling absolutely stoked for this mission! Never had I imagined that my first solo expedition will be one of such importance, both for the pre-accretion scholars and for myself. The hunt for the paper cup has been long, but I promise you all that I will personally end the ‘paper debate’ once and for all with my findings. The power of thin viscosity will soon be upon us!
“Um… bye!”
9:17 PM Entry: 2 Microworm: Wriggling
“Pleasant evenings to all who are listening!
“I have just completed the assembly of the vision projector and, from what my tendrils could gather, it seems that nighttime is upon me. No need for any worries though, as I am safely under my tent and will remain so until the sun has arisen. Call me superstitious, but I am a firm believer that it is from the light of our King’s celestial satellite that’s been the primary cause of the lunacy aggravation. N-Not that I am critiquing His Reasoning for piloting that ray! Of course not! The most violent of anarchists do deserve punishment for everyone’s protection after all. I simply do not want to, well, risk accidentally being labeled as one whilst basking under His Light, and thus I do not want its radiance encasing my body.
“If I were to give a tip to any emergent explorers operating a vision projector, it would be to insert each inner tentacle individually into the opening instead of placing them in by handfuls. It might take more time. Well, it WILL take more time, but it will most certainly be easier for the outer ones to waggle if the inners have more room to splice them. I have to credit my mentor, Smuldunde, for that trick. They made sure to teach it to me after my first attempt was, erm, unsatisfactory to say the least.
“Anyhow, I must turn on the machine and fall into slumber. With great luck, I will be granted a clear replica of the paper cup’s location. Goodnight!”
3:00 PM Entry: 3 Microworm: Desiccating
“-pant pant- Hello. I’ve just finished a -pant- day’s worth of digging at this site and -pant- my apologies if I sound out of breath, the sun’s radiance really scorched my vessel today, hahahaha… really though, my tendrils are drooping heavily right now.
“Unfortunately, today was not a good first day of excavating. The vision erected in my mind last night gave me no clarity in my quest, for it was nothing but an empty space that my subconscious self wandered around in. No vibrations to sense, no structures to feel, no sounds to detect, nothing. Despite it all I still decided to do some digging as soon as the sunlight returned. The ground was very pliable, so I was able to go reasonably deep into the earth, but I uncovered no paper cups nor any other pre-accretion artifacts around this site.
“I did find something though: a small stack of bones! For any of you newly metamorphosed beings listening to this, these coins were the main currency used during the Age of Sages, far older than the moon bucks our collective utilizes in these present times. I know some of your beings may consider these too outdated to be worth anything, but I for one do find value in these jagged old things, so I’m keeping them! Who knows? The buck economy has been experiencing some major inflation as of late, and we may need to transition back to using hard clay as currency once again. It is a fanciful idea for sure, but one can never be too careful!
“This site, however, is worthless, and thus I must venture on. I, of course, did not expect to immediately find the paper cup upon my arrival, and a part of me is glad that I didn’t. The fun of archeology comes just as much from the journey to the artifacts as it does from their discovery, although I do sort of dread having lug around the weight of my tent and tools for who knows how long. I will apply some foam to this recorder’s worm and then make my first journey to the isle’s city. Some assistance from the residents will be vital to my quest.”
10:48 AM Entry: 4 Microworm: Wriggling
“Greetings once again, my fellow academics.
“I am aware that I have not transmitted an entry in a little over a week, but that is simply because nothing eventful has occurred following the last entry and, truth be told, nothing notable is occurring now either. The body of my search for the paper cup has become impregnated with a chimera of hardships. By this point, I have trekked across most of the isle’s surface and have only determined but a few suitable digging sites, all located along the thin beaches east of the city. Those computer badlands to the west are far too hostile for a humble explorer like myself to risk venturing through alone, and the ground near that mysterious tower close by was too hard to do any digging. In case you are all wondering, I found nothing buried in those beaches. I can’t tell if my vision projector is malfunctioning on me or if its visions are apparent only to beings with eyesight.
“As for that city I had mentioned previously, well… it seems that I had not been sufficiently informed of how much lunacy had spread amongst the residents. Nearly all of the beings there were too mentally unsound to echo my greetings nor conduct answers to any questions I had for them. Even the city itself is under this confusion. Today I was told that I had entered Ttuggharak, the Ocean City, when on an earlier visit it had been called Homditeranl, the Chemical City. Only a scarce few were able to converse with me, mostly the indoor dwellers and shopkeepers, but even they were far too busy supervising their shops or tending to their insects to help lead me in the direction of a good digging site. I was at least able to collect supplies from them, food mainly. None were selling any worm foam though, so it looks like I will need to be more sparing with how many audio recordings I transmit as I have but one more tube of foam left.
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“Earlier today I walked straight into a lone house somewhere northwest of the city. I could sense someone was inside, and I wanted to talk to anyone besides those townsfolk, but I did not enter. For good reason, of course! It was because I felt the most otherworldly energy emitting from whatever was residing in that house. You all may not believe me, but I think that I stumbled onto a homunculus psychic, for although their energy was fleshly the power of it still seized me like a moon enchantment. Thankfully the organism inside was snoring peacefully, so I was able to walk away without awakening their potential wrath upon my glands!
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“- sigh -
“Smuldunde, I know that you’re most likely thinking about how your protégé is going way over their head with this mission right now, but I guarantee you that I am certainly not! Yes, maybe I am a bit younger than yourself when you began your archeological exploits, but I find that experience comes just as much from aptitude as it does age. All great explorers need to leave their mentor at some point, and considering how well I’ve been doing so far I would think you’d feel very foolish to have fought me so hard on this decision. My supplies are sufficient and my patience is endless. No matter how long it takes, I WILL return from this island with the fabled paper cup! Just you wait!”
10:58 AM Entry: 5 Microworm: Desiccating
“So I have come to the conclusion that this island does not in fact hold the paper cup that I have so long searched for. I have exhausted all of the possible digging sites, and each night my vision projector continues to lead me astray. And of course the city dwellers of Whatever-they’re-calling-that-place-this-time continue to be too incomprehensible to assist me. I’ve decided to take a boat out to the center island. One of the few things I could gather from the residents were some local legends about that area, something to do with a dread knight entombed in a large shell or something. I cannot recall exactly how it went. Still, it ignites the suggestion of old artifacts being plentiful there, and with luck maybe some better shops that may actually carry some usable foam. I swear by my bones that this accursed microworm keeps desiccating every other day.
“Also, I do still stand by what I said in my last recording. If anything, getting these thoughts out of my glands allows me to make more rational decisions. Now I must set off before the boat leaves for today. I will transmit another message once I make it to my destination. Take care.”
12:01 PM Entry: 6 Microworm: Desiccating
*bump*
“Oof! My apologies, I did not detect your vibrations near me.”
“Watch where you’re going, hylic!”
“Yes, of cour- wait, ‘hylic?’ Why do you call me that as if it is an insult? You yourself do not emit any energy above my own-”
“You better halt that half-witted mouth of yours before my claws cut your flesh into meaty chunks! Us clawmen do business with King Gibby himself, and thus by divine law he bestows us a position higher than that of you lowly cretins. Don’t you dare forget that!”
“Oh, um, right! I understand now. I’ll just go ahead and be on my way… not bumping into you anymore...”
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“ -grumble- Damn bureaucrat -grumble grumble- why does Gibby’s court seem to consist of the worst beings? -grumble- and all this faux ‘hierarchy’ bullshit -grumble grumble-”
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“Um, excuse me please. I need to go through to board the boat.”
“You may not do so. A deputy of our King has relayed me their orders that this port is to be closed indefinitely. Turn around and leave at once.”
“What?! B-Bu-But that doesn’t make a membrane of sense! Why would Gibby want to - SLICE - OWW!”
“You dare ignore our celestial suzerain’s proper title?!”
“Ack, mu-my deepest apologies! What I meant to say was why would our Great King Gibby’s mind toast a biscuit over the fate of this humble port? I wholly respect His Wisdom, but I need to leave this isle-”
“I do not care what you need. Us hylics are bound to the Wills of the King, no matter how specific they may be. Move along now before I slay you.”
“But I… - sigh - Alright. If that is how it must be.”
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“Huh? When did I turn this thing on?"