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Ottie stretches out their arms above their head. Their night-clothes feel far too light for the chilly morning, though they know why they wear them anyways. A gentle breeze blows through the entrance flap for their tent, and the morning Sun bleeds through the thin fabric walls. Laying on their mats, still asleep, are Ottie’s ward-mates. All wards have to live together in the same structure until they’re all married or get assigned to a job that breaks them from their ward. Unfortunately for Ottie, they are too young to be assigned to a ward-breaking job at nineteen, and they haven’t been courted by someone yet. Which means I’m still stuck with these troublemakers… Ottie grumbles mentally.
Ottie had the misfortune of being assigned to a ward with some of the most rambunctious community members of their age group. All of them spend too much time asking too many questions and not nearly enough time earning their keep. Ottie sighs heavily. Their obedience towards the Elders is not enough to counterbalance their ward-mates’ disobedience. Leading to the whole ward being shoved in the smallest, thinnest tent that can still physically fit the group of five, and all of them only being provided the oldest, scratchiest clothes for months now.
After waiting a few more minutes to see if any of the other four were going to wake up, Ottie huffs and begins to get ready on their own. There is only so much time in the day to try and prove themself worthy enough to get a ward-breaking job. “As desperate as I am to get away from this, I still can’t bring myself to want to be courted, much less married,” Ottie mumbles as they leave the small area outside of the tent after getting ready.
They make the trek to the center of the community so they can get their first task for the day.
“Hello Elder Grommet.” Ottie greets the Elder with a respectful nod.
“Hello young one,” the kindly old shulk returns as he gives Ottie’s attire a once-over, “such a pity your ward-mates can not seem to keep out of trouble. Remember, your guiding hand may be all that they need to reform, and so to not reach out could be seen as a failure on your part, young one.”
Ottie mulls the words over in their head, it makes sense to them. I am part of the problem if I am not part of the solution, Ottie recalls their teacher’s favorite mantra from their educational years. It had been bugging them why they can never seem to escape the cycle of their ward-mates’ disobedience and then discipline. “I guess I knew there is a reason I am being disciplined alongside my ward-mates, but I had not pieced together what it was. Thank you for your wisdom, Elder Grommet.” Ottie bows to show respect towards the Elder, and soon after receives their task for the day. They are to milk the cows.
They pull the stool out of the storage room at the cow stable. Dragging it over to Betilda, they begin their job. They feel lonely, as nobody else is assigned to milk the cows at this time.
Later, they return to the community center to get another task, just in time to see one of their ward-mates thrown into solitary confinement for sleeping in for three days in a row and failing to complete her morning tasks as a direct result. The other three troublemakers also committed the sin, but they are all simply given lashings instead. Ottie winces at a particularly harsh crack of the whip, but they simply watch. There is no reason to practically throw myself at the whip for people who don’t even contribute to the community. They tsk at the thought and, after the discipline has ended, they walk over to Elder Grommet again to get another task. This time the task is to help the farmers water the crops by bringing buckets of water to the farmer’s hut.
The Sun has really started to bring mid day heat, so Ottie is for once grateful they have to wear such thin clothes. They work hard and eventually make it to the lake with the final empty bucket, but just as they kneel down to fill it with water a swirling purple oval materializes over the lake. Its colors are mesmerizing to Ottie, who has never seen anything like it. Because of this fascination, they don’t quite notice when the air starts to shift, when their hair begins to stand on end, or even when they themself begin to float towards the portal until it’s too late.
Vwoop.
Ottie joined the game.