Realistic or Modern Tainted Paradise (cl)

[Gemma Nye]

~ an RP by Gemma Nye and Nona ~

{Tainted Paradise}
A great storm sweeps over a quiet and peaceful town, doing little damage to the collection of homes, storefronts and the city center since it is nestled into the high wooded hills of a rainforest. But the open-faced terraces and farmlands suffered a great deal of disarray and it could take the citizens quite some time to remedy the ordeal. But this isn't the first calamity to strike this once ancient village now turned more modern with the passing of time. In the past years, there have been fires, other storms, and land/mudslides. Fed up with the fabled goddess that's supposed to be "protecting" the bay the town sits in, a farm hand named Keanu Kapono, fueled by just a bit of the liquid courage, ventures to the shrine carved directly into a cave deep within the heavy forest inumerous years ago to confront her, but he arrives to it being completely abandoned. It looked like he would have to summon the goddess himself if he wanted to be heard.

The altar was untouched, since the place was literally deserted. Brass goblets with signs of having been left with standing liquid in them over time. Plates with remnants of food that rotted long ago.

Keanu summoned the island goddess, Mailani, and prepared themselves to force the deity to get off her lazy laurels and do her job. What he got was something completely unexpected.

The goddess came, as summoned, but was spat out from the Void, frail and injured. Her limbs were covered in old and only just healing welts from being lashed. Even her wrists and ankles donned deep and profound bruises from being restrained.

An abandoned shrine? And a goddess that looks like she's been tortured?

What's going on here?​

 

[Gemma Nye]

Keanu Kapono.jpg

 

[Gemma Nye]

Mailani

 

[Nona]

Keanu Kapono​

The early evening had once again been filled with dark blustery showers, just as it had been every evening for at least three weeks on the small island. The doorway of a small bar and grill creaked open, the damp air whoosing in, the rain threating to follow. A hooded figure stepped inside, quickly shutting the door behind him to stop anymore of the weather to come in with him.

"Ahiahi, Keanu" A kindly voice called from the far end of the counter, it belonged to an elderly lady who was busy cooking up some food for other customers (which was only around three more people). She looked over at him, offering a smile to match her tone, her sun aged skin creasing around her eyes as she smiled, almost making them look as though they were closed. The figure neared the counter as she spoke, lowering his hood of his navy rain coat to reveal a young man, his face and hair still damp from the rain blowing into his face. earlier. "Ahiahi, Miss Lani" He replied to her greating, his tone respectful. He went ahead and removed his rain coat, hanging it on the pegs right next to the door, his brown eyes gazing out the window at the trees branches swaying with the blustery showers, luckily the town wasn't getting as rough of a time with weather as his fields were... "Lovely evening isn't it?" Lani joked, an aged cackle following her words "Sit down and eat. You want the usual?" The woman questioned as she gathered her cooking utensils. "Ah, yeah. Thanks" Keanu nodded in reply before taking his seat at a stool near the counter.

"Finished work early today, child?" Lani spoke again as she worked at the stove behind the counter, Keanu humming in response "Work didn't happen today. The fields are flooded."
"Again?"
"Mhm."
"Ah, how unfortunate. Perhaps the goddess will do you a good turn eventually?"
"Maybe."

Keanu blew some air from his cheeks, his eyes shy of rolling. Goddess? He didn't think so, but he didn't argue with the woman, she and his parents were the very select few that still believed in such a thing. If a goddess was supposed to be helping the island he surely hadn't seen any evidence of it in his lifetime and if there was, he'd love to have a word with her about the crappy job she was doing lately. Regardless of that he respected that that's what they wanted to believe. He gave a nod of thanks as Lani once she had finished cooking and left his plate of food in front of him, immediately digging into it after. Maybe having something to eat and calming down for the evening would take his mind of the farm problem He heard the door to the small establishment open again but paid more attention to his food than on who entered. That however, was until he had received a firm slap on the back nearly sending his face into his plate along with his name being called. "Kapono! How's it going?" A man's voice sounded, the source of the voice taking a seat on the stool next to Keanu. It belonged to a young man perhaps a year or two older than Keanu he was heavier built, his hair buzzed short and he wore a confident grin. "Ah, Makoa. Evening." Keanu gave the male a friendly smile as he looked over at him. Makoa's grin had grown after he was greeted before looking over the counter at Lani "I'll have a beer please Lani, bring one for Keanu too" Keanu lifted his head up from his food, blinking a few times "Oh, I'm alright I don't n-" He received another firm slap to the back "C'mon Keanu! you're off work right? A few evening beers won't hurt ya!" Lani gave a smile from behind the counter "You do work hard" she agreed passing over two bottles "See? Even the wise lady recommends" Makoa joked. Keanu looked at the bottle pushed in front of him for a moment before shrugging his shoulders "Alright fine" he agreed as Makoa nodded in agreement. "Great, Great. It's been ages since we've had a drink together, I swear you spend 90% of your time trying to get that bloody farm to grow." Makoa commented before taking a swing from his beer.

A few drinks later and the two men were still chattering away. Keanu wasn't much of a talker, never was, but he and Makoa had been friends since they were little, Makoa knew him well and was I contrast, very talkative and could always have a good conversation going. The few beers may have also helped in getting Keanu's mouth moving also. "So wait, you've got nothing from the farm in how long?" Makoa asked, leaning back a little in his chair "Almost 4 months." Keanu answered with a shrug. Makoa raised his brows, blowing some air from his cheeks "Jeez. That's why you're working your ass off?" Keanu nodded in response "Didn't realise thinks were that shitty for you right now...Well. Our fishing runs aren't going too great either. Seas are so choppy the fish are migrating" Makoa said with a slight furrow on his brow "You thinking about moving to the mainland like the others?" Keanu shook his head "I can't. Dad can't run the farm by himself anymore" he answered, his expression looking a little deflated. At the same time Lani had walked to their end of the counter "I already told him that maybe a prayer to the goddess could help. Could help you to, Makoa" she said as she polished a glass. Makoa stared at her for a moment before laughing out at the notion, him being one of the many who believed in no such thing. "Oh, yeah. Hey Keanu maybe you should go to that old shrine and file a complaint with this Goddess" he joked with another laugh. The older womans brows lowering, obviously not amused. Instead of laughing as well, Keanu narrowed his eyes in though, the old shrine? He had remembered his dad mentioning the place back a bit, though he didn't care enough for the memory to remember it. "That's not a bad idea actually" he mumbled, both Lani and Makoa stared at him before Makoa laughed "What? You're joking right?!" He asked with an amused expression. "What have I to lose? The farms gone to shit regardless of what I try and I can't leave here might as well try something" he said with furrowed brows. He wasn't sure if the alcohol was fuelling such a decision or not but he didn't care, he was in a war path now. He was fed up with all this failure he was facing as of late and if this "Goddess" was here and could help the why wasn't she bothering her ass to?! People's ways of life were failing. People were leaving the island one by one, even a couple of his friends and family and he was sick looking at it. This had been niggling at the back of his mind for some time it seemed the alcohol was bringing it to the surface. "The things overgrown man, you'll never even get into it" Makoa said as Keanu had began getting off of his chair. "Kapono! Seriously-" Keanu had already pulled on his coat and went out the door. Makoa stared at the doorway before facepalming "Bloody idiot." He mumbled as Lani snickered "Poor boy is a lightweight." She said as she went back to cleaning the glasses.

Walking down the sandy pathway that had now been made soggy by the rain, he tried to remember the way that his father had told him to go before. Arriving at the run down shrine he saw that it was horribly grown over with all kinds of vines and bushes, not to mention all the piles of gravel. For some people, that would have been enough of a deterrent but for Keanu? It didn't seem that way. Not only was he stubborn by nature but he was still not exactly sober, which was only amplifying his determination and pushing down the idea that this may be a ridiculous thing to do.

He pulled at vines and branches and pushed through bushes for some time before finally reaching the other side. Inside was dark, damp and forgotten, nothing inside but an altar. Any offerings of food had long since spoiled and gifts of jewelry and statues had long since been broken or stolen it seemed. Surprise, surprise..there was no goddess here. Keanu furrowed his brows and looked around. In her defense he guessed if he were a deity and his shrine looked as shit as this he wouldn't stick around either, but there was always that maybe people caring because she had gone off somewhere and left them with no protection. Despite now starting to realise maybe his desperate attempt to right things may have pushed him into something ridiculously stupid he continued to look around the abandoned shrine, only the faint glow of the slowly setting sun reaching through some of the foliage at the entrance to light the inside of the structure.

He walked straight up to the edge of the alter, on it lay some kind of instructions for a...ritual? Believer or non believer he had to admit that it made him curious. Did it summon the goddess when done? It seemed that way. Perhaps he actually could get to have his words with her for not bothering all this time? With slight hesitation at first he then began to follow through with the instructions reading through the chant carefully. Once finished he stared at the altar and...nothing happened. He lowered his eyelids, not sure why he was expecting anything from it really now that he thought on it. Just as he turned to leave the place a flash of light came from the other side of the altar. Well that certainly got his attention, he immediately turned around to see a portal of some kind opening. "Oh Crap." His mouth subconsciously pushed out as the portal got bigger. He was now starting to wonder if there was anything else other than alcohol in those drinks he had... The portal had then spat out what looked to be a person causing Keanu to jump back in surprise. A person? He hesitantly walked over to the seemingly injured young woman who was thrown out of the portal, his expression utterly dumfounded as he had reached her in case she needed help, she was hurt after all...Was this supposed to be the Goddess?

Gemma Nye

 

[Gemma Nye]

Death would never come for her. She was immortal. Locked away for the rest of eternity, Mailani was visited only ever so often by the gods who created her, milked for her divine essence that had become mingled with Chaos. Chaos, which was everlasting, happened to be the only thing keeping her alive. It regenerated her, at first, when she was captured from her shrine itself and thrust into this wasteland. The gods needed the creation of Chaos to fuel themselves and their selfish endeavors, their greed depleting the goddess slowly but surely.

She'd grown so weak. Her hazel eyes were hollowed as they scanned the area around her. How long had she been cast away into the Void? It seemed like forever. Generations ago. Many times she wondered about the islanders that once came to her with newborn children to receive the goddess' natal blessing. She wondered how old they would be now. Or if she'd been locked away so long they'd all but passed on...

It was long ago she ceased to feel the pulsing energy of her island and it was long ago she slowly began to fizzle out. She hadn't felt any connection to the island she was born from. The people had all forgotten about her and the gods' plan had gone without a hitch. Just as they suspected, if enough time went by, they'd forget about Mailani and stop believing, and she'd be all that much easier to subdue. Each passing year left her with less and less strength. The Void was an enchanted realm the gods never delved into. Mailani, immune to its effects normally by nature, could withstand the draining effects of the Void only because of Chaos within her. But, just like any god happening to find themselves in the Void with a disabled shrine, was stuck here with nowhere else to go.

She barely recognized the familiar lull. It had been so long since she'd even felt the sensation prickling at her skin. Slowly, it grew stronger and eventually, she was able to close her eyes and imagine her shrine, using the summon as a one way ticket out of this hellhole. Mailani pushed her way out of the Void, pushing on the split in the fabric of reality to get the dimension to release its hold on her body and she flopped weakly to the floor.

Her pants filled the abandoned cavern as the portal closed once she'd been fully emptied from it. Someone had summoned the goddess. Which, apart from having a proper shrine, is the only way a god can get out of the Void.

But as she lay on the stone floor of the shrine, she didn't move, unconscious from the energy necessary to expend in order to travel through dimensions. Her robes were tattered and covered in dirt and dried and fresh blood, but they covered her slender body for the most part. Around her wrists were a fresh pair of shackles, but the bruises and cuts trailing up her arms and ankles suggested it wasn't the first time she'd been restrained.

She didn't have the ability to appear as one of the divine before the human, though she was summoned. Such form or even her power only come from the place she originated. Which was this dying island. Her people had stopped believing in her and her godly form had reduced to that of a human, basically. She looked no different than any other girl on the island now, but she was breathtakingly pretty, still. All deities were beautiful regardless of the form they took. Even as a weakling littered with bruises and cuts sprawled on the floor of an unkempt shrine, the goddess's beauty was unmistakable.

The human had summoned the island goddess and he had got her. Laying directly at his feet and at his mercy.

 

[Nona]

Keanu Kapono​

He opened his mouth and shut it again a few times like he was waiting for words but they weren't arriving, just staring at the girl that was collapsed on the ground in front of him. This was far from what he expected to happen, he was expecting one of two things. A lazy goddess sneering at the notion of him asking her to actually do her job or the possibility that there never was a goddess and nothing would happen at all. When he had seen that shining light from the portal shooting open up he was immediately trying to collect his words for his complaint speech, which may or may not have contained angry profanity that maybe one shouldn't say to a goddess. As soon as he saw the body slumped on the dark, damp altar rather than a deity however, said speech had fallen out of the back of his head somewhere and now he had no words at all good or bad, just a shocked and confused expression as he had stared.

He kneeled down next to the girl, fearing that who he had appear in front of him was dead. He moved her gently to check that she was breathing, which she seemed to be. Keanu gave a sigh of relief that she was at least alive, just unconscious. His eyes had immediately snapped to the brusies and cuts on her arms, a slight furrow in his brow forming as he noticed that what he thought at first were bracelets on each wrist were actually shackles. She had been locked up? This all seemed pretty odd to Keanu he couldn't imagine a goddess could be held captive like that, not to mention this girl was human, or at least human-like. The only other explanation he could muster up was that this girl had been taken by the goddess as a slave or something, but that wouldn't explain why the goddess would throw a girl she had taken through that portal when summoned, that and if this was the goddess his father and Lani seem to have faith in he was thinking on, it didn't seem in her character to need human slaves. The most logical explanation was that she was their missing goddess. She was definitely pretty enough to be one. Keanu shook his head at such a thought, feeling he shouldn't think such a thing at a time like this. What didn't match up as that she was hurt, could goddesses get hurt like that? He wondered to himself as he removed his raincoat. Regardless of if it was or wasn't it didn't matter, the idea that she was somehow imprisoned could explain the deterioration of those piece of land he called home.

Taking the raincoat he removed, he put it around the girls shoulders, covering her up more in an attempt to keep her warm and dry so he could carry her outside through the bushes and through the rain. It wasn't like he could just leave her laying in the shrine to perish, regardless of who she was. He then lifted the girl up into his arms, beginning down the steps of the alter and continuing out to the entrance of the shrine. He wondered what to do now, picking up the girl to bring her somewhere safer was an automatic thought for him, he hadn't planned much further on it until passing through the other side of the dense forestry that surrounded the shrine. He looked up at the now dimmed sky, it seemed as though the sun had finally set for the day. Though that did mean that chances were the doctors surgery was closed now and no more boats would be setting out to the mainland for any medical help either. Ideally he would have felt more comfortable having her checked and cared for by a professional but, for tonight it seemed he'd have to just...take her home? His lips shifted into a thin line as he thought his options over. It seemed taking her there would have to do for now and he could get her checked on in the morning if needs be. With his decision made he turned on the road he was walking on heading down the worn down path that eventually led to his home.

After around 10 minutes of walking, he had carried the girl back to his house, he no longer lived with his parents but his house wasn't too far away from the farm either. He opened the door and stepped inside, flicking the light switch on by moving his shoulder against it. His home was small only consisting of a livingroom, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. It was relatively tidy apart from a sweatshirt or two hung over the chairs here and there and some miscellaneous tools sprawled on his kitchen table. He walked straight into the bedroom and left her down gently on the bed there. He paused for a moment after, looking around the room. There was a wooden chair in there if he decided to stay with the woman until she woke up he could sit there...was that too creepy? He thought it might be. He glanced out of the bedroom door which led straight out to the living room the couch could be seen from the bed and visa versa so he decided to sit out there, that way he'd know she was awake and he wouldn't be creeping her out... hopefully. Now that she was left down he walked out of the room, first getting himself a glass of water. If he wasn't sobered up before this all happened he certainly was now. Taking his glass of water the took it over to the livingroom couch and sat down, leaning his head back in thought he used his free hand to rub his forehead.

Gemma Nye

 

[Gemma Nye]

The headache pounding between her temples was astounding. She couldn't hear anything, though. Prolonged exposure in the Void brought on this sort of ringing noise. It went constantly. While she was awake. While she slept. While she was trying to think about anything other than that annoying ring resonating in her skull cavity. Mailani would often grit her teeth in an attempt to muscle through the irritation, knowing that's about the only thing she could do

She'd suffered so long from the exposure her ears often bled, a trail from the canals leading down her neck now as she lay unconscious. But just as soon as she noted the headache, it was already beginning to ebb. That never happened. Any headache she got in the Void was only intensified by the ring and often only got worse and worse until it disappeared altogether. She was certain the ache was receding, though. In fact, there were several things out of place to her.

Her body remain still, unable to move it just yet and hardly able to shuffle through her dim-lit thoughts. The sensation on her skin was warm and maybe even a little moist? Why was there moisture in the air? The Void offered a dry and frigid climate. Definitely no sign of either of those characteristics now. But the feeling was so familiar. As if she was being dipped in a warm and calming pool that she used to swim in frequently, once upon a time. A nostalgic feeling. It reminded her of the sensation of the sea breeze whipping over the coastline and making the dense foliage dance to its beat. It reminded her of the smell of the ocean or even the homey scent of dirt and open nature much closer to her shrine in the forest.

Her sluggish mind tried to process the overwhelming sense of deja vu she was experiencing. Had she been here before? Why would she feel like she's been here before, especially trying to regain consciousness? No sooner had she asked herself that did she then realize the headache that was deafeningly painful was pretty much completely gone. Not only that, but her body was warming up. Until now, her muscles were tense and cramped from being positioned so terribly for so long in such a cold environment. Now, there was a gentle heat warming them up, bringing her body to a more pleasant temperature. How was she healing?

Mailani's eyes flashed open and she blinked, seeing nothing for a moment before her vision began to come back, first blurry but quickly sharpening into focus. An open window brought the sweet scent of the sea through it was such a pleasant symphony to her nose. She rose from where she was laying, regretting the decision as the head rush nearly had her doubling back over back into her reclined position. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a figure and it drew her hazel orbs toward it, her still semi-hazy vision trying to make out what it was.

"W-w-who--," she tried to speak, but her throat was still so sore from the steel collar affixed to her neck the gods used to chain her in place with. A blonde strand of hair fell over her eye, obscuring half her face as she struggled to make out what looked like a man sitting in the next room. He was human, she could tell that without even seeing him properly. That's okay, it would only be a matter of time before the island gave her the energy she needed to get her body back to how it should be.

And that thought brought her up short. She'd long lost her connection to the island while still in the Void. She was sure it was only serving her these benefits now is because she was born from the island itself. She crawled from its depths and it is the island that nourishes her. Without the island, she was just a human. Even her immortality is dependent upon the life of the island.

One thing she knew for sure is that the man in the next room is the one that summoned her. All deities can appear before those that call for them and maintain a connection with them until their natural lives expired. She could disappear right now and sixty human years can pass and she will still be able find him, save for any concealment via magic. Mailani was a young god, though, compared to the others and never got summoned to bless a war party or to appear during a funeral to escort the deceased to the afterlife. She merely protected the island. Or at least, she once had. The gods had robbed her of her connection to the island and she could feel it only just thriving. For how long, Mailani wasn't sure.

Her teeth tugged at her full lower lip, not exactly sure what to say. In most cases, a goddess wouldn't be thrust out from a dimensional portal unable to fulfill or at least entertain the requests of the summoner. She couldn't possibly be making a good impression. Her blonde hair was a mess. She could see it in the tangled locks that lay over the front of her shoulder and cascading down her waist. Her robes were dirty and basically falling off of her essentially perfectly sculpted body. The bruising visibly apparent all over her body had faded some since being moved from the shrine to this home, most likely, but she couldn't begin to tell how long it might take for her to just be normal again.

The way she was now, she wouldn't be able to protect herself. Let alone this human if something were to happen right now. Let alone this island. How was she even going to help revive it? She could tell it was dying. The essence of the island she remembered before she got locked away was so much more vibrant. And stronger. The island's life had become static when she was removed and the island needed her just as much as she needed it.

"Are you hurt?" That was dumb to ask. She probably looked in way worse shape, right now. But she was immortal. For now, at least. She may be weak at the moment, but by no means was she dead. Her legs swung over the bed so that she could place her feet on the floor, her bare soles touching gently to the surface. This time as she sat up, she did so fluidly, experiencing no vertigo. That was a relief.

Mailani looked over to the human male, glancing over his entire form. Had he been sitting there the whole time? How long had she been out? She took a quick moment to think about it, not exactly sure how long, but she'd spent two hours, at least, burning alive inside her head with the strength of that headache. Holy hell, was she glad that pounding went away. She could have been out for much longer, though, too unconscious for even her subconscious to register.

 

[Nona]

In the time that it had taken the goddess that had been resting in his bedroom to come to, Keanu had been battling off sleep, almost napping on one occasion but managed catch himself before he did. By the time she had spotted him on the couch he had been lazily stretched on it his curly hair even messier than usual, he obviously still be hadn't fixed it after almost falling asleep earlier. On his lap sat a torch that had been dismantled, some of it's pieces also placed on the arm of the couch as Keanu was carefully examining it and putting it back together piece by piece. It had been laying on his coffee table for a few weeks now and he had just never gotten around to fixing it, he supposed now was a pretty good time to do that as he waited. It was better than doing nothing, it kept his mind busy, not to mention having someone staring at you as soon as you wake up is pretty unsettling, especially if you haven't gotten the slightest notion of where you are so he felt maybe it was best not give that impression whenever the time came for the girl to wake up.

Her first attempt to communicate barely registered in his ears it was so quiet, he had heard the croak of an unpracticed voice but thought perhaps it was a mumble in her unconscious state, he was sure that wasn't unheard of. With this assumption in mind he simply glanced in her direction briefly, seeing that she was still laying down and seemingly still out of it. He had went back to what he was fixing at for now. Hearing the girls voice speak again, this time more clearly had once again grabbed his attention, this time fully of course as she was sitting up and looking at him, seeing this he immediately sat up properly, straightening his posture.

He stared for a bit as he processed the words she had said. "Uhm. No?..." he answered as he slowly lifted what was on his lap and began leaving each piece on the coffee table in front of him. His brows had slightly furrowed at this stage, finding her question odd. Did he look hurt? he didn't think so "I would ask you the same thing but I feel like I'd already know the answer..." he added as he left the last piece down. He stood up from his spot on the couch and slowly made his way to the doorway of the bedroom but not entering making sure there was a comfortable amount of distance between them that wasn't too or too close. He had paused now that he had reached the doorway, clearly thinking on what to say. "I'm sorry I had to bring you here. it was too late in the evening to take you to the doctor's surgery." he said eventually, his gaze had averted off to the side a bit as he did so. "How are you feeling? do you need water? something to eat?" He asked, his brown eyes darting back in her direction. His expression looked a bit unsure, like he wasn't sure if this was the correct way to handle the situation. After another moment of silence, this one a lot shorter than the previous one as he used his hand to ruffle his hair into place, it was now tidier than before but still pretty much a curly mess as it always was "I'm Keanu" he said as he had lowered his hand, he had almost forgotten to do the most logical thing to do which was give his name. That would probably make things easier.

 

[Gemma Nye]

Keanu.

Mailani very much liked that name. It was simple. Not as though she didn't enjoy the sounds of the other islander names, but they were traditionally quite long in the times of their ancestors. Her hazel eyes took in the male in front of her, attempting to discern how much time had passed since getting tossed into the Void. He seemed much less... traditional... than she remembered people being. She might be able to ask him how long it might have been since her disappearance, but he was very obviously human and it definitely couldn't have been within his lifetime. That honestly wasn't even the greatest of her worries. Sure, Mailani wanted to know just how many years she'd been tortured, but the island was, is, and always has been her first priority.

"I am Mailani. I am indeed hurt, I'm afraid I will have to impose on you.... I will try to make it back to my shrine for myself. I don't want to make you carry me like you had to. But I am very grateful you did," Mailani came to a stand, clutching her tattered and loose robes to her body. Her form was still littered with bruises and cuts that still hurt considerably. She winced a bit as she gave herself a look over. "My deepest gratitude for your kindness." Despite her pain, Mailani swept into a deep curtsy, a grand sign of respect when the gesture is offered from deity to human.

She then glanced around the room, taking in the human's home. She liked it quite a bit. It seemed to fit in him in some ways and she admired how comfortable it was. "I don't think I'll need a doctor. I am hurt, but I am still immortal. I just need time to heal. I wish I could offer you a definitive timeline for it, but I am more than uncertain of a lot of things right now. Your summon actually freed me. I've been locked away for a very, very, very long time, I'm afraid." Her hand folded over her stomach and she groaned. "Though, I will be honest. Food wouldn't be a bad move, right now. Fresh air would also be lovely. It's been quite a while since I've felt the sea breeze on my skin." Her hand dropped and she approached the human slowly, her messy blonde hair all in disarray. She didn't have much concept of appearance as she had her shrine to her disposal in order to get beautiful at, but she didn't deem it very smart to return there and remain there with her being so weak. And also without her figuring out a way to bring life back to the island.

Mailani was indeed weakened, but her presence still filled the room. Her very existence permeated the area with such an alluring and comforting warmth. It wasn't something she did intentionally, though she did have the ability to calm an upset individual. She was the goddess of the island that protected it not as a deity of war, but a deity of peace. The goddess brought peace with her wherever she went. Of course, this was at her strongest. The summoning offered her a bit of juice and being back on the same plane as the island helped, as well. But she wouldn't be able to spread her encompassing energy over the island, much less a farmer's field, in her state. She was a bit malnourished from being starved for so long and she really did look as though she'd been shackled anywhere they could fit a shackle at, including a rather grotesque bruise around her elbows from where she'd had her arms winged behind her back. "I don't want to impose so much to have you cook. I would be more than fine, and probably overstepping, to request something that requires little work for you. I am sure you are full of questions and I will offer as many answers as I can. And inversely, I want to know what's happening to my island."

Her eyes were intense, a deep concern mirrored in her green-brown irises. Some way, and she didn't know how, she was going to restore her island. The gods' boredom and jealousy over a power she never desired to have was putting her islanders at risk. They would notice soon that she is gone and could very well send a multitude of creatures, if not themselves, to thwart her pathway to revival. She'd have to be ready to protect the islanders and Keanu with her very life.

 

[Nona]

As the Goddess answered him, the young man could only stare at he. As she was speaking he was wrapping his head around the idea that this was indeed the Island deity he was talking to was indeed who she said she was, not only that but she had immediately explained herself and curtsied at him. He wasn't well up on Deity/Human etiquette or the likes but even he knew there was something odd about her doing so. An immortal giving such a gesture to a human didn't seem like a thing that normally happened, he would make sure to appreciate the goddesses gesture. He eventually did begin to answer her words they had registered with him "I, uhm..." he paused for a moment as rubbed the side of his face with his hand "You're welcome, miss" he spoke the end of his sentence slowly as Mailani had now bean to approach him, not sure what was the appropriate term to use for a deity "But it was no trouble at all, really. It wouldn't have been right of me to just leave you there" he spoke honestly. He noticed her presence in the room, a warm and gentle calm that he found a little strange but rather comforting at the same time.

He shook his head gently when she mentioned over stepping while asking for something to eat. As she said herself, she was locked away for a long time, looking for a meal was more than understandable, he wasn't much of a cook, just around average but he did have some left over food from lunch he could heat up for her. At this stage his feet had already started on their way to the small kitchen "It's fine, I have some food here that can be heat up. It's no extra trouble" he said as he continued on his way to the kitchen, stopping at a window on the way there to push it open, letting in some of the fresh air she had also asked for. Reaching the kitchen he searched the mini fridge in the room until he found the portion of soup that he had put away earlier. "Honestly, I came to the shrine to have a go at you for not helping out with the island..." he started as he prepared the soup to be heat up on the cooker. "...I didn't you were locked up or anything like that... So I apologise for considering it" he said glancing over at her momentarily before turning his attention to the soup he was now stirring as it was heating up "Yeah. I have a lot of questions and I have no trouble answering whichever questions you have either but lets just focus on getting you something to eat and stuff first... and maybe a change of clothes too..." he added, of course all he could offer her were jeans t-shirts and sweaters but it was better than tattered robes for now.

 

[Gemma Nye]

Mailani glanced down at herself at the mention of her robes. They were filthy and ripped to shreds nearly, so there was a considerable amount of body showing. "It's okay. I have been one with my island many times!" Her voice had become filled with delight and only a short time after getting up and the window being opened, she'd begun to liven up more. She moved slowly, but she began to disrobe, really just tearing the bits off of her so they fell to the ground. Naturally, she was now completely naked before Keanu. Her body, for better lack of a word, was utter perfection. She'd been created by the divine and of course they spared no expense in making her breathtakingly beautiful. Mailani is one with the island; being naked only made her feel closer to her surroundings. There wasn't a hint of bashfulness in her expression as she gathered the robes into her arms in bundles, which happened to now obscure her features for the most part.

The soup smelled delicious and each moment that passed made her more and more aware of just how little she'd had to eat in all of these years. Technically, she could never eat again for as long she existed and never die because she's immortal, but she was constructed to feel hunger and she did. Just because she couldn't die of starvation doesn't mean she couldn't suffer from it. Her stomach twisted nearly painfully, the sac churning just the acid that filled it. Hunger was subsiding into nausea and her face tried to remain even but it was beginning to falter. Her mood soured once more and her expression sank back to being sullen.

Something truly had the life sucking out of the island. Mailani, before being locked away, could probably locate the source fairly quickly and eradicate it herself, if not seal it into the Void. But as things were, she could barely feel the life from the ocean just along the beach's shore. While the energy she felt did contribute to her healing some it definitely had significantly decreased. If the island died, then so would she. Mailani didn't experience fear from this fact as she viewed it as a mission. Her job was to protect the island and being born from its very entity, her life hinged upon its survival. The stronger the island, the stronger her ability to protect it. So she had to do what she could to revive it. Mailani could be sure the gods' jealousy is the culprit for all of these mishaps as there are deities seeking more and more power for themselves. Since Mailani became linked with Chaos, she noticed every so often energy being siphoned directly from the island. She'd been experiencing sudden headaches and blurred vision. Or she'd be asleep at night and wake up after pleasant dreams slip into nightmares unprovoked. She set up a barrier around the island one day she was able to track down the trail of energy flow to determine that it was lifeforce being drained from her home. She'd merged with Chaos by that point so the barrier consisted of components that the deities didn't have access to the necessary requirements in order to just break it. But, the loophole is that it's all dependent upon Mailani's strength and the life of the island. Take the goddess away and the island will slowly die and they can, bit by bit, steal its life force. When the island dies, Mailani can be disposed of.

Keanu's summoning couldn't have come at a better time.

She still wasn't sure of which questions she'd ask him. "I don't know," she finally responds to that comment, agreeing that food was of importance. "I could ask a million things about what's going wrong, but I already have a fairly good idea. Before I can address to many things, I'll need to check the state of the barrier. To be honest, I haven't a clue as to how much time I even have. I'll have to make the dive tomorrow morning whether I'm ready or not." Mailani hoped that just being able to step foot on the island again will continue to nourish her throughout the night, but she wasn't entirely sure it had enough to build her strength up by morning. She had other ways around it, obviously, but she hated resorting to them. The energy from the island was a natural by-product and therefore free for her to absorb. That's how she preferred it.

The mention of barrier, she realized, would completely confuse Keanu. Plenty of islanders dived in the very waters she set up the barrier in around the very mass of land, itself. It is invisible to the naked, human eye and unaffected by physical obstructions. People or boats could swim right through it and never know it's there. It's meant to deter energy from exiting the island. Deities were free to come and go, as gods often blessed humans. This island, a victim of the gods' jealousy, had not been blessed with anything but misfortune.

"I think your questions would be better asked, right now. I can't really begin to identify the problem until I see the state of the barrier." She hadn't even mentioned changing or anything since stripping just a moment before.

 

[Nona]

Keanu at first had not really taken note of what Mailani meant by her being one with the island statement, it sounded a bit odd, sure. Keanu hadn't really thought too hard about it, he was busing himself with heating up the soup he had offered and was getting ready to pour it into a bowl for her as she was speaking to him. It was only when he had turned to reach the cutlery cupboard to pull out a bowl that he had gotten full view of Mailani "being one with the island" as she had put it. He blinked a few times before averting his gaze away from her body, his expression in contrast to hers, was definitely an embarrassed and slightly uncomfortable one. Of all the stories he heard of this goddess over the years none of them mentioned that she walked around in the nude alot or at all even so he hadn't mentally prepared himself for that.

"Huh. Okay. Cool. Uh..." He had at this stage turned his entire body to face the counter he was working from as he attempted to respond to her words without looking around. Sure he had seen a naked woman before, he wasn't that sheltered or clueless, but having a woman you just met (a very attractive one at that) quite literally peel her clothes off in front of you without even batting an eyelash wasn't a regular thing so his attempt at playing it cool wasn't exactly convincing. "Well. people normally don't just...walk around naked on the island so I don't think many people would be used to it. I'll. Uh. Still fetch you some clothes. If you y'know...feel maybe you should wear them." He answered as he finished pouring the soup into the bowl he had hastily grabbed earlier. He carried the bowl to over to the table and left it down there, pulling out a chair for Mailani to sit at. Mailani had since lifted the robes towards herself, obscuring her figure which made Keanu a bit more comfortable to the point that he could look at her while talking. He had grabbed the handful of tools that lay on the table into both arms, giving Mailani room to eat as he left them in a box in the corner.

Now that was out of the way, he could turn his attention to the other things Mailani had mentioned that he didn't quite understand. "If we are dealing with my questions, I have a good few to ask. The more you speak the more questions I'm having..." He began as he leaned against the kitchen counter, rubbing the side of his face with his hand as he continued to speak "What's this barrier you're talking about? I'm thinking maybe I should start with that one? Or maybe why you were locked away." He said as he glanced from the window back to the goddess.

 

[Gemma Nye]

She took a cursory glance down into the soup, taking in its qualities. She'd seen something similar before in offerings the islanders had brought her from time to time. They often would bring food as an offering, depending on what it was they were looking to acquire her blessing for. Mailani had always been a humble goddess, as her creation didn't allow her to be poisoned by greed. The gods made her as they wanted her to be, but they fashioned her after the humans she was designed to protect, and therefore, it was due to this she had some amount of autonomy. Mailani had a sense of self.

Mailani’s hazel eyes became clouded over with thought. She didn’t remember the day she was taken all that well. She’d been ambushed, so all she knew is she got kidnapped while making her rounds. “I wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable in my presence…” she began, her arms wrapping around herself as she felt an suspected pang of self-consciousness. Was she wrong for her nudity? The goddess of the island spent many a day being one with nature. But she never associated within the society, so Mailani couldn’t be sure of if she was being appropriate or not. The shrine wouldn’t be safe to return to in her state and if she were to stay here, she’d better make sure the human didn’t feel imposed by her nakedness. Mailani held the tattered robes up to her, averting Keanu’s gaze with a deep, embarrassed blush flooding her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

Her hands twiddled in her lap for a moment before she finally answered his question. “I have no direct powers apart from being able to tap into the direct life force of the island. At least, that was how it was supposed to be, initially. Your ancestors were blessed with me many, many, many generations ago. Since then, my existence has….complicated….,” her voice trails off because in all honesty, she couldn’t exactly explain it all that well. Really, it would be more so a problem that she may not have the vocabulary to express it in terms that Keanu can understand. She didn’t expect him to understand the inner workings of the deities; how they come to be, where they get their power, how they are destroyed. No human had such knowledge.

“I don’t have many words for you to identify with in order to explain myself, in that regard. But the long short of it is that I am directly connected to this island. I was created to protect it. At the beginning, I merely patrolled the island myself. I got a bit caught up in the bigger picture, involuntarily, and after that point, I just became a target. It’s no easy feat to kill a god, not even by another god’s hands, so their plans turned to siphoning off the island. The gods are jealous and greedy by nature. To be suffused with such power does, in time, warp the mind. The only reason I’ve remained as I am is I was designed to serve. I was modeled after a human, such as yourself, so of course I identify with jealousy and envy, but selfishness is not a characteristic I was….bred..to act upon. When I noticed that the gods were actually stealing life force directly from the island, I began to cast a series of barriers. My magic, while powerful, is better in bursts. So I could make a better barrier in pieces and join them then to try and strain myself to produce one to cover the entire area. It took me a while and a lot of my personal energy, but I did it. I started by the cove next to the reefs. In order for me to fix it, I have to visit the origin point which I have stored in a hidden cavern. It produces no energy signature and only I can touch it. Well, a human could, but I don’t know of a human that can wield a divine object. The magic itself could absolutely obliterate your souls. Or your entire body. But some do obtain a connection to magic that can allow them to utilize the artifact. And even then, they’d have to specifically know how.” Mailani gave her head a shake and took a few spoonfuls of soup before continuing.

“The barrier is rather expansive. If there are too many chinks in the armor, the patch work could take quite some time. And energy. Which I don’t have. Which the island is only sliding by. When I’m a bit stronger, I can take to the island and affect it myself, but to restore it bit by bit will kill me bit by bit if the energy isn’t staying within the barrier. That’s just the nature of my power.” Mailani knew the island like the back of her hand, geographically, so explaining the access points to Keanu wasn’t something that required a lot of thought. “There’s an underwater cavern where I began. Well, it’s where the perimeter comes together, most importantly,” her finger draws a large circle on the surface of the table, gesturing a barrier that goes around the island. “It goes around the island and up into the sky. Various pieces joined together with the final interlocking piece in the caverns. Then from my shrine I cast the barrier up over the island like a dome. I need to view those points in order to read the efficiency of the barrier, but my shrine isn’t safe, at the moment. But.” She paused, tapping her chin. “The dome was affixed in multiple places that I can examine. I won’t be able to get a feel for the whole top of the barrier at once, because that access point is very close to my shrine. I’d just have to work around the island to composite the quality of the barrier by checking the sections one at a time.” She shrugged, knowing she was musing to herself. “Diving will be a bit problematic in my state, but it really can’t be helped.”

Her eyes lifted to glance over at Keanu, the soup improving not only her mood but her overall physical state. It warmed her and provided her sustenance which she couldn’t say when the last time was she had either. The Void was a cold and lifeless place. She’d spent countless solar cycles barely warmed by the sun and nearly freezing in the desert night’s cold. None of her hardships outweighed her desire to keep the islanders safe, though, and determination read in her clear, hazel eyes.

The breeze blows through the window and she closes her eyes, enjoying the smell of the ocean that it brought. “It’s been so long since I felt the sea on my skin. The warmth of sunlight. Thank you for freeing me, Keanu.”