adarsh-the-peacekeeper

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

Adarsh studied him another time, but found nothing to suggest that he was going to give away any of his secrets today, not that Adarsh counted on that. He always wished he got more, and that Kaz could be scared into stopping, but sometimes it was enough to just show up, look menacing, get attention from onlookers, and move on. Perhaps he should move on now. “Perhaps.” 

Adarsh did not move in to punch Kaz, he reached for him, slowly, then moved past to pick up something from the table behind the merchant. A piece of technology from after his time, turned it in his hands, then turned back to Kaz. He then leaned back in and placed it on the table again, getting into Kaz’ personal space, daring him to make a move. 

“Ah, I think I’ll let you do the words, after all, you seem to always know what to say as you attempt to push my buttons,” he commented. He considered himself the hero, so to give into the villain was very unhero-like. To watch Kaz squirm as he wanted to know why Adarsh was giving him a hard time; however, that was right in his lane. He smiled proudly. “A reason? Do I need a reason to do a round through the marketplace? YOu’re getting awfully sweaty there, Kaz, anything to hide perhaps?"

"Mm. Think my speed is just fine, thanks." Years spent with an overbearing and abusive father sculpted Kaz's poker face. Although in this instance, not much registered in his expression-- more out of boredom than protection. "Reckon I've spared enough time already."

His head tipped to the side, to gaze beyond Adarsh into a full length mirror scavenged and propped up inside his booth. Not as if Kaz could declare the title of Mr. Sunshine. But speaking of slowness, Adarsh's build-up (about as exciting as watching two snails race) began to grate, and his patience dwindled. Still, he took a moment to admire his own reflection. "Yeah," he responded distant and detached.

"Gonna have to use your words, Adarsh." Kaz's brown gaze drifted back to Adarsh. "Weird, because your wife is fucking vocal. Loud, even." A quick slip of a lopsided smile before it vanished completely.

Nothing else to notify me of? Kaz shrugged. "Don't know what I'm supposed to 'notify' you of." Kaz would happily notify Adarsh of being an A+ fuckwit, for sure. The guy wanted something, so. "I know you're not managing the marketplace now, so. Listen, do us both a favor, hey? Just spit it out, Adarsh. Whatever reason you're dicking around in here for, say it."

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

Adarsh shrugged. She was welcome too, he would have a watch and then walk around the cut through himself to get to camp. He’d been on this island too long, he wasn’t afraid of the dark anymore. 

Adarsh nodded, still a frown on his face, but a clear promise to himself that he wouldn’t interfere, he’d let her do what she wanted to do. If something happened, perhaps he might save her. Perhaps not. “It doesn’t have to,” he agreed. He didn’t think anyone he’d known when he’d been in the world out there was still alive, or would even recognise his name. He figured most of it was long gone, and the end of the world would’ve washed his existence from the world. He did not mind that. He’d never had much that kept him grounded there, on the island he had his chance to truly shine. “Three minutes is not too much, and I am sure that the people of Panopticon will enjoy it.” Because how could he not think that, he would never think anyone could possibly hate learning about him. If anything, he felt that most people loved him, and if they didn’t, he didn’t care either way. As long as they respected him. 

Adarsh frowned, then shrugged. “Ah, you are a therapist along side being a talkshow host?” he asked, a grin on his face, as if he’d figured her out. But she wasn’t wrong. He had never had much with friends, they either took him down or filled him with self-doubt, it was simply easier to have people follow him than wanting to question him. Nor did he really find being a ‘typical cop’ much of a problem, he came from a time and a world where people like him were both ridiculed and respected, depending on the week. He’d always vowed to be the respectable one. But of course nobody on the island knew that his job wasn’t so different between the island and back home, he’d simply been in a different position. His start-over on the island was one that helped him immensely to sculpt a world in his image. 

He was about to react to it however when Jupiter paused. He narrowed his eyes at the risky venture that she’d picked out. As if the island was laughing at them. A tree. “Far more riskier,” he agreed, as he touched a hand to the tree, having jogged after her. “I think it’s a sign the island wants us dead,” he commented, his voice brisk. He walked along the part of the tree on their side and then looked down into the crevice. This wasn’t the most optimal way across. He then looked back at Jupiter. “And you feel confident you can make it across here?” he asked, clearly unamused and not at all believing she could. 

"Well, maybe i will try," Jupiter decided, keeping an eye on the long stretch of open crevice that they walked parallel along. It was getting dark and Jupiter didn't like being out here in the dark, alone. Well - she had Adarsh but she didn't really know or trust Adarsh with her safety. It was contrary how he seemed in charge but also not a leader in any sense of the word.

"It'll have to be edited to about three minutes of footage, so only the best. The system can only handle three-minute uploads to guarantee any sort of broadcast that might reach outside the island. Sometimes broadcasts only reach inside the island...I might just make my Adarsh-feature something for us Pannies, huh? The outside world doesn't have to know about you."

Adarsh stated why he didn't have more friends - both vague and smug, like he enjoyed his own answer. "Huh, I see. So you prefer to feel superior to others, rather than supported by others?" Jupiter summarized, still cheerfully filming him.

Adarsh was right about every 'position' on the island, other than Flower Tower shifts. It wasn't like 'island radio personality' was on a job posting when Jupiter got here. But all the more ironic that even if Adarsh seemed to pride himself on his work, Jupiter didn't trust him with her own safety. "Typical cop," she surmised with a little giggle.

But then she paused, noticing something ahead. A large tree, bent from one side of the crevice to the other, like a bridge. "Yoooooo, Adarsh, look!" Jupiter pointed, then jogged over to the tree. "Okay - this has gotta be a sign. We can cross over the tree! Like a cartoon except...way more scary and risky. Whaddayou say?"

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

Adarsh frowned, but didn’t comment on it. He didn’t owe people, but if Emre thought that would be the rule between them, then he could think that. Given what the other could win with killing dinosaurs, and the safety he’d offer the community, he didn’t even think payment would be in order. People on the island should understand that some things they did were done in effort to keep the island running, not because they always needed to be rewarded for their work. 

He raised his eyebrow, though a smile played on his face. He liked Emre’s attitude, even if he also wanted to smash the guy’s brain in as well. As long as he could consider the other at his side, that was most important. He’d let him make his jokes. “Obvi,” he said in return. 

Adarsh barely made a sound as he walked up the stairs, leaning on Emre for support, his heart beating rapidly as blood pulsed through him. Normally walking up stairs was an easy feat, but right now his breath was laboured and blood was coursing through his veins, making it feel like his heart was in his head. He felt there was still adrenaline. But it was running low, if only it could keep running into he got back. 

He took a breather when they reached outside, not surprised by the time skip, the island was strange, and these things happened. They had stopped confusing him, mostly because it didn’t matter anyway on an island where one didn’t age. 

Once he was caught up, his breath a little less laboured, he pushed forward, glad for the steady body beside him, as the adrenaline seeped away and his light headedness was getting intenser with every step. He didn’t have the energy to say anything, allowed Emre to guide him to the Medicentre, didn’t even thank him when they were finally there, just lay down on one of the beds and closed his eyes, the journal his shoulder bag, along with the gun.

end.

Emre snorted. "Pay me what? You'll owe me, is what you mean." And Emre liked that arrangement even more. He nodded, like it was a deal settled.

It was a joke, but Emre was fine to let it go. Adarsh wasn't taking the bait, and everyone was free to their histories. Emre certainly hadn't shared any of his to Adarsh, who seemed more to enjoy his own guessing game about himself than find out about others. A game which Emre gladly played, because arrogance in others was always playable. "Obvi," Emre said easily, about Urdu and Hindi. He looked amused. "So you was just being a prat, then. Typical Indian."

After that, escape was the only thing on Emre's mind. And Adarsh's - the artefacts pulled from the mysterious skeleton, the beast's impossibly large corpse, Adarsh's bloody gun - all of it could be sorted later, when they were safe. Perferably when Adarsh was properly healing in the Medicentre and free from any concern of infection.

Emre helped haul Adarsh, and by the time they reached outside, it was night. Had they been in the temple that long? No shadows passed above, no flap of wings. Just strange gibbers and grunts from the next far above at the top of the temple. It was pitch black, but Emre didn't dare reach for light. Instead, he relied on backtracking from the entrance of the temple. Hopefully the island would cooperate.

"Come along," he whispered to Adarsh, one of the old man's arms slung over his shoulder as Emre padded away from the temple, back into to jungle. Within safety of the trees, they could get light to guide themselves back.

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

“I’d like to not think about that,” Adarsh said in return, gritting his teeth together. “But I do not mind you doing some pest control, I’d gladly pay for every dinosaur you bring down,” he decided. If only so he could sleep better at night. He knew taking the huge creatures out was going to prove difficult. 

“Sure, if that’s what you think,” he said in return. Not coming up with his own answer, because he wasn’t about to provide Emre with the truth, leave him guessing. “Urdu is very similar to Hindi,” he said instead. “The only reason I’m not fluent is because I have difficulty reading it and remembering the differences,” he said. That and there were too many other languages to pick up, and those who came to him speaking in Urdu could often understand his Hindi as well. Or vice versa. 

Adarsh did in fact still have the beat up shoes he’d arrived in, he’d burned his other clothes, after meeting his ex-wife and learning she knew how to create new clothes. He still wore clothes for far longer than necessary, but it was a habit. Luckily for him, life before hadn’t been much different. It hadn’t been much of an adjustment. 

Adarsh ignored Emre’s screaming, his ears were ringing too, but he was barely noticing it. The pain in his side was taking up his full attention, and the hope that no new creatures would make their way up as well. What was down there? Certainly not another lair. 

He did as instructed, grunting as he pulled the torn fabric from the wound. Given the size of the dinosaur, he’d managed to make off lightly. He cursed in Hindi under his breath, ignoring the way it was almost foreign how the curses fell off of his tongue, yet made the pain feel a lot less. “I know,” he said gruffly. He didn’t want to go back, he needed to see what was down there, but he also knew he wouldn’t make it that far. 

He was grateful that Emre didn’t make much of a big deal of the wound, wrapping it and making sure the duct tape was secure, at least that would mean he’d make it back alive. He pushed his shirt back down and slowly went through his knees as he retrieved the journal. At least their search wasn’t fruitless, he was sure he would find answers in the journal. He figured Emre could see him pick it up, so he didn’t waste his energy on stating the obvious, or on speaking at all, even if he noticed Emre returning to the skeleton for a moment, hearing him move about behind him. Whatever he picked up, Adarsh was sure to ask if Emre wished to know what was in the journal. A secret for a secret. He didn’t have the energy to start an argument on it now, and the adrenaline was the only thing making him feel like he could walk all those steps back up. 

“Guess we’ll dive into the secrets of this place another time.”

"Might be I will. Population control innit," Emre huffed with masculine bravado. "Can't be no natural predators for those buggers. What if they fly up into the residential, near Flower Tower and that? Huge food source - no difference between humans and giant worms for them birdy lot innit." Emre had convinced himself by his own argument: return to this temple (if he could find it again), then steal all the pterodactyl eggs he could. Control the dinosaur population.

He grinned openly, when Adarsh answered his question with some rote polite Urdu. "Right - so you was once a bellhop at a big hotel, yeah," he jokingly surmised. "No wonder you know nine bloody languages."

The idea that this once-man had chewed-up shoes was a revelation. Of course. By the time Emre arrived, it was only a short time until the teleports started working as well. The scavenging and raiding started quickly after, once people learned how to use the teleports; and Emre made sure he and his brother were kept in steady supply. It had only been three years of teleport usage. But people who had lived here before, for decades...with no influx of new items, no trading post in the bazaar. Adarsh would know. Adarsh probably had shoes as busted up as well, before the teleports opened.

Emre had seen more flesh-and-blood bodies than skeletons, that was certain. Although in Afghanistan...but now wasn't the time to delve back into those memories. He said nothing to Adarsh though, content to play the innocent who deferred to Adarsh's expertise.

They were both silent, as the gigantic thing heaved itself up the stairs. Where was it headed? Maybe into the first chamber where Emre and Adarsh had entered the temple. Maybe it could fly upwards to an exit high above? Regardless, Emre stayed flattened against the wall, barely breathing, waiting for it to pass. Unsure how they'd escape...maybe maybe Adarsh would insist on still descending down the stairs, to the underground dinosaur lair.

Everything happened quickly after that - the creature sensed them somehow, Adarsh whispered something - and then Emre recognized the glint of a handgun as Adarsh's torch flicked back on. "No wait -" Emre called out, but Adarsh fired anyway. The sound bounced off the temple walls, and the temple rumbled ominously. Emre covered his ears, his tinnutus screaming again, as the creature and Adarsh joined int. Another shot when the fetid beak lunged, then a horrid groan from the beast.

Its body slumped and it slid back down into the darkness. "Fucking hell," Emre said, unsure if he was yelling. The ringing in his ears was so loud; but when he saw the bandages, he automatically took them.

"Open your shirt," Emre instructed, digging in his own backpack to tug out the little first aid kit. He pulled some antiseptic wipes, and rubbed them against the gash in Adarsh's side. "You're going to get rabies, mate. We've got to get you back to the bloody Medicentre."

Arms looping Adarsh, Emre wound the bandage around Adarsh's waist, securing it with the duct tape. "A fucking mess. You still got the journal then?" Phone light back on, Emre flashed one last glance at the skeleton - and noticed something curious under the ragged shirt, sitting on its sternum bone. He turned back to Adarsh. "Right. Reckon it's time for us to fuck off, mate. Go on, I'm behind you."

When Adarsh's back was turned, Emre snatched the thing from the skeleton - a round metal pendant, strung to a rotted leather necklace. He pocketed it, saying nothing to Adarsh.

Why would he? Adarsh had a fucking gun he asked Emre to stay silent on; well, Emre was good at keeping silent.

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

Adarsh frowned at Jupiter as she suggested taking on the game of the island and jumping over a piece where it was possible to do so. He could envision her jumping and the island deciding right at that moment to pull the ground further apart. It wouldn’t be the first, he’d seen it far too many times. He’d almost died a few times thinking he could outsmart the island, think it lesser than him. Now he rolled with the punches, he’d face whatever the island threw at him head one. He’d follow its suggestions. 

“I’d warn against it, but I won’t stop you if you try.” He’d be sad to have to tell people she’d perished, but at least he’d done his duty. He couldn’t tie her up and drag him over his shoulder back to camp. He was too old to be carrying full grown adults around. 

The question about recording took him off guard, but he didn’t show it on his face. His wife would certainly like to hear that answer, she knew it already, of course, and she would know his answer to it too. Though he figured she wouldn’t be tuning into this character-piece. “Do I get a final say in what you do and do not share?” he asked. “I’m too direct,” he answered. “I don’t give people the benefit of the doubt nor the time to get to know me.” He smirked then. ‘Not everyone appreciates mystery.” And a big mystery he was, he enjoyed the power it gave him over others, how he could remain unpredictable because nobody knew what to expect of him. Even those who had pieces of the puzzle might never understand the full picture. 

“Isn’t everything here on the island aside from the shifts self-appointed?” he asked. “I started it a few years after I landed, it’s nothing fancy, we patrol the area beyond our current camp and make sure new people don’t end up getting lost in the wilderness,” he said. He didn’t mention the drug business, and the instances of violence. People didn’t call for the peacekeepers, they showed up. Adarsh was someone who needed some kind of social order, and the island hadn’t provided that itself. “And yes, it does mean that you are a good girl, and that we don’t have that big of a presence. Which… personally, to me is a sign that it’s working. If you’d see us every day, something would be wrong.”

Keep the island happy. It was a weird way to put it, yet it did make sense. Jupiter had experienced things on the island that seemed to imply it had a sense of things, sentience almost. She just didn't really like thinking about it, nor did she expect anyone to talk so plainly about it, the way Adarsh did.

"Oh fine. But if I find a spot that looks like we can jump across, I'm taking it. Maybe..." she decided to play along with Adarsh's theory. "Maybe the island wants us to take risks and beat it at its game, eh?"

As he stomped along, Adarsh seemed willing to answer. "Why don't you have more friends?" she asked sweetly, pulling out her phone as they walked. "You don't mind if I record you, do I? To keep things accurate and on the record."

He used a term that seemed formal - "Peacekeepers? What is that, like some kinda policing group for the island? Self-appointed?" Jupiter mulled this idea. "Law and order, that sorta thing? That's interesting. I guess the island doesn't always pull in people with the best intentions. What kindsa things do the Peacekeepers do on the daily? Do you do like...patrols, or meetings? Duties? I've been here five years and didn't know about the Peacekeepeers." She giggled. "I guess that's because I'm a good girl."

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

Adarsh nodded, as if Kaz telling him that he was closing up shop was actually believable. “Given the speed with which you do most things around the island, I’m sure you have some time to spare for your favourite peacekeeper.” It wasn’t a question, neither a joke, it was very much a statement. He could feel the eyes of people of the marketplace on their back, and he figured he cut an impressive enough figure. Sure, Kaz might want to ignore him at every turn, joke about his presence, but Adarsh also used his appearance to warn new people that he didn’t turn away from illegal activity. 

He frowned, unimpressed by Kaz showing off his muscles. Not that he had much of a body to show-off. He did have the rug that Kaz spoke off, not much of a belly, but certainly nothing that would get him on the front page of any men’s health magazine. Though they should ask him for it, he was all natural, he kept himself healthy in the most natural ways and he groomed. “Sure, twunk.” 

Adarsh frowned, though more as if his face fell back into its natural state than anything else, as he looked back at Kaz. He didn’t think it reflected badly on him, he couldn’t even imagine how it would, but clearly the other couldn't see that. “Of course, great pals, I’m sure we will be.” Or he’d accidentally get Kaz killed, that would be the dream. Though the fellow seemed smarter than that, he would probably not be quick to join Adarsh on one of his adventures. 

“Intimidate you, I’d never,” he scoffed, and ignored the hammer, instead checking out the coats. “Nothing else to notify me of?” he asked. 

Peacekeeper and disrupter. Nonsensical words, under the impression their age gave them a reason to pass judgements. (Ticking all sorts of boxes for the stereotypical desi uncle). "Is that so? Because you're actually disrupting me. I'm trying to close up shop for the day. Don't have time to play these games." His tone was lazy, like he'd heard Adarsh bark many times over with little bite.

It amused, it passed the time to watch as Adarsh puffed himself up, vainglorious and surveying a kingdom that (in Kaz's perspective) didn't exist. "Can't be a twink. Maybe a twunk. I've been hitting the gym. I got mad gains, man. Come on now..." He hiked up the sleeve of his shirt to flex a beefy bicep, then gave the muscle a kiss and a slap of a palm. A little extra showboating and funny enough to poke back at Adarsh.

A brief cat-like grin dropped as he pointed the hammer at the self-appointed peacekeeper. "But seriously. May not want to announce your wife is more interested in twinks than you. It's not reflecting back the way you think it is." A bob of his head and chiding smile. His voice dropped low and smooth. "See? Look at me over here. Trying to help you out. We're gonna be pals in the long run, eh?"

No. Not at all. His head tipped more into a wobble about 'trouble'. And Luis? Hey, everyone in the bazaar deserved a turn with Adarsh.

What was he selling? Kaz slowly rolled away from the table towards a few open boxes. "Mm. Got some concert tees. These still hold their value in the apocalypse. Wild, yeah?" He turned to see Adarsh with the head of the hammer pressed to his lips before it was lifted."Got a hammer." The hammer was wiggled to play along with the sarcasm.

"Coats are half price as we're halfway through winter. Guess I've got other things to keep people warm too." More in line with Adarsh's nosiness. "So. Done trying to intimidate me today? Or is there something else?"

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

“You can come and explore that once we’ve gotten out of here alive,” Adarsh suggested. Though he wasn’t sure if he was going to come along. He sure liked his chances down here, but he wasn’t about to fight dinosaurs. Flying dinosaurs certainly not. He continued to look around, to survey this place and the body, listening to Emre speak. It wasn’t anything new that his mysterious ways left him with admirers, or just leeches who wanted to know more. Yet, in this regard, he could respect it, because he too liked to know who he took along with him. 

“Perhaps both,” Adarsh said with a slight shrug in his shoulders. Because he had. Seen both, plenty. Though the bones were usually connected with the dead bodies. He preferred running into those than the one who still were covered in flesh and blood. At the question about Urdu, in obvious Urdu, he thought about shaking his head. But that wasn’t the full truth. He couldn’t help the small smile, and thus he replied in Urdu what little he had retained of the language. “My name is Adarsh. Can I help you with your bags? Do you speak Arabic or Hindi? Would you like some coffee?” He switched back to English. “I can understand it well enough, however.” 

Adarsh nodded, at least, that was his conclusion to the findings. He could be wrong, but it would be close enough at least. He studied the boots again, his fingers running over the rubber. “Well, if it stays within my theory, then the boots were this bad before they walked in here, if not… may as well that you’re right and there are rats.” 

He stayed low to the ground, his back connecting with the rough stones of the stairs, aware of something just a few metres away, hoovering closer to Emre than to him, but they could both be made targets if they even moved an inch. He barely dared to breathe. This wouldn’t be his first interaction with something set out to kill him, neither his first where he’d dragged another human being in with him. But he certainly didn’t plan to get Emre to create his way out. Carefully he fumbled in the pocket of his jacket, something made of metal touched his cold fingers. Based on the slam against the rock, he could guess at its size. 

Would it be enough for two bullets? 

It was now or never. He took a deep breath, raised the small automatic revolver, placed the flashlight on top of it and flashed it on, hoping to shine directly in the face of the creature. 

Well, almost. A huge beak shot forward as the light turned on, jabbing Adarsh in the side as he fired his first bullet, then using the pause before the creature retreated to shoot another into its eye socket. A blood curdling scream ripped from the dinosaur's throat and it ripped its beak away. Adarsh screamed as well, but nothing to the levels of the creature. 

He tried to fire a third bullet, only to realise that the gun was empty. Blast their dwindling supplies. 

Meanwhile the big chunk of dinosaur, still struggling for its dear life, slowly fell down the stairs, until it went limp and over the edge and fell into the darkness. 

Adarsh shone the flashlight into the darkness, and then pointed at Emre. “You didn’t see this,” he ordered, holding the gun up. He thought about explaining, but it was best that individuals like Emre - and the whole island - didn’t know about the existence of these weapons. They already didn’t have more than two, with all the others having been lost on adventures and what not. 

He took a deep breath, the adrenaline took over, though he knew he needed to get his side checked. He put his back down, hid the pistol again, and produced some bandages and some duct tape. “I’m going to need your help with this.” 

Adarsh's brief response did spark Emre's curiousity. Not so much about Adarsh specifically but just Emre's instinctive yearning for this sort of connection. He'd taken it for granted in his youth, this community, this layered history that wasn't overshadowed by Western rewrites. But of course where Emre just wanted stories, Adarsh had an actual life. Two different things, and now wasn't the time to parse any of it.

"Nah, I mean, this temple's tall innit. It's got levels what go up, from where that dino was building its nest and that. Fucking hell, that bugger's probably got eggs up there." Now that would be a collectible item, well worth a good trade at the bazaar. Maybe Emre would make Kaz return with him to the temple, to nick a dino egg.

"You've seen plenty of bones?" Emre asked tentatively. "Or plenty of dead bodies?" Nine languages was impressive, although Emre underestimated his own levels of fluency. He just assumed Adarsh studied languages, rather than picking them up colloquially. "Do you speak Urdu?" he asked, in Urdu.

Emre listened intently, absorbing what Adarsh had concluded without comment. "So he was gutted by someone and fell. Bugger would've died anyway." Regardless of if he'd hit his head or not; a gut wound was a slow and agonizing death. The whack to his head was probably a mercy. Emre pointed to the mangled boots. "Right. How'd you explain them chewed up boots then?"

It was Emre's suggestion to search for clues, but Adarsh barged in first search the skeleton. Whatevs, Emre looked around the giant stairs for anything else they might've missed in the dark. Adarsh found a crumbly old journal with more of the writing like the front of the temple - clearly useful for the mystery, and then gave Emre free rein to the skeleton.

"I fucking don't -" Emre started, but everything happened all at once: a strong, foul-smelling gust of wind, the darkness around them almost trying to close in on them. Emre got his phone torch off, crouching on the huge stair just in time. A huge huff of wind, and then something scraping on the rock stairs, or being dragged. Then WOOSH, the feel like something big slammed against the rock, causing the pebbles to tremble. The footfall of something massive, climbing its way up.

It smelled terrible, it felt alive; and Emre had seen Jurassic Park enough times to assume if you just stayed really still, a dinosaur wouldn't see you

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

Adarsh barely reacted to her complaints as he moved her out of the way. He didn’t even comment on it, despite wanting to. He was too busy with his surveillance of the crack. It did not move, but that never meant that it wouldn’t suddenly. But yes, he was being protective, he might be incredibly annoying, he also considered the safety of the people in the island as his task. As a peacekeeper. 

He shook his head at the suggestion. “I don’t think building a bridge is such a good idea, neither of us are big makers, and sometimes it’s better to keep the island happy and play along with its games,” he suggested, as he looked towards the horizon for the end of the crevice.

His face changed when she took the opportunity to continue her questions. So much for his distraction. He gritted his teeth together but looked away so she couldn’t see it. “Allies and friends are two very different categories,” he said. “I am sure you already know I don’t have many of the latter.” She’d joked about it herself, and it had been the truth. Which he actually didn’t mind that much, he didn’t need friends. Allies however. “There are of course my fellow Peacekeepers,” he said, matter of factly, as if not half of them were annoyed by Adarsh as well. “And Franko from maintenance. Sammy from the infirmary, and Emma, Yusuf, and Doa from teaching.” He’d had more friends when he was still together with his wife, who would always manage to stop him from saying anything rude before he said it, or who would try to deflate the situation. In the worst cases however, everyone was his ally, because he would protect them when things came down to it. Even Kaz. Even that little weird man Walid.

"Whoa okay, careful!" Jupiter said, surprised when Adarsh reached out to grab a hold of her arm. Was he being...protective? The way he put himself between her and the crevice, it was almost sweet. A little arrogant but Jupiter appreciated it because she did like being treated like she was special. Something to be kept away from harm. Adarsh was used to the ins and outs of the island, he seemed good with potential danger; Jupiter stayed away from that kinda business if she could help it.

"Ughhhh...this is so annoying," Jupiter griped once it was clear walking around it was going to take longer than necessary. She kept eyeing the crack in the earth as they strode alongside it. "Say maybe if we find a log or some planks or something, we could build a little bridge! I mean if you ask me, it seems more like the island's trying to make it harder for us to get back to civilisation."

She smirked then. "Which means you got more time to answer my warm-up questions, eh? C'mon. Who would you consider your friends on the island and why? You've been here long enough to make some allies, I'm sure."

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

Adarsh looked back at Emre and then shook his head. Though… for one to be something, perhaps they would have to have interacted with it. Or maybe because his parents were, he was as well by extend. It didn’t feel true. Not that it mattered, unlike the little engineer, Adarsh certainly didn’t think the tower was some greater power. “My parents were,” he said instead, because Emre looked genuine in his response, and while he could’ve left it to mystery, he figured he could be honest about one thing at least. 

“We would’ve seen it from the ground,” Adarsh dead-panned, too focussed on his mystery to be bothered. They were heading deep into the ground, at least that meant their problems would be different. It wasn’t damp down here, and the large space gave enough room for fresh air to come in from above, he’d rather be dealing with the smell of mould than the possible light-headedness of climbing up stairs. Though… they’d probably have to go back up eventually. 

Adarsh only hummed in response, too preoccupied to give much thought to the question. He’d seen plenty on the island, and enough before. He was too busy doing a full examination. “I’ve seen plenty of these situations,” he said in response as he followed the blood. He gambled it was some kind of animal, because of the tears in the clothing, or a very sharp and large sword, the one that Emre carried wouldn’t have been able to leave such deep gashes, the bones were slightly cut as well, meaning the weapon had sliced through not just skin and fabric, but bone as well. “Nine, fluently,” he responded to the question. And of several the basics, enough for conversations, and for guided tours. 

They both came to different conclusions, that much was clear, but Adarsh wasn’t going to let the suggestion be unanswered, thus when it was made, he lifted the head of the skeleton, happy to find it didn’t come apart in his hands, though it was clearly brittle. There was an ident at the back of the skull, but it didn’t explain all the blood. A double attack perhaps? First a knock on the head, then a blade to the chest. He stood again, shone his own light at the wall, then back down again, finding a spot of blood on the side of the stairs. He then shone the light back up the trail of blood. 

“I don’t think we’ll find rats down here,” he stated. “More likely this man got pierced or cut by something, a sword or a large knife, up-close as well, in a strong downward movement,” he explained. He pointed at the chest of the man. “There are tears in his clothes, and slight bone injuries indicate the cut was deep.” He shone onto the trail of blood again. “He was standing several steps higher when it happened, fell down, hit his head here, and expired. No indication of animals having gnawed on his bones, the air is pretty dry, so he could’ve been here either a few weeks or years,” he continued. 

At the offer of stealing from the skeleton, Adarsh frowned. There was an eagerness with which Emre suggested it, which told him that he’d done this thing before or he just really liked digging through other people’s belongings. 

Instead, Adarsh bent down by the skeleton himself, and used an arrow to push the fabric away. No phone. He did find a journal, which he took carefully, and when opened, the pages began to crumble. But clearly: Japanese characters once more. 

“Go ahead, perhaps he can find more, I’ll try to decipher some of this,” he said, as he sat down and gave Emre room.

As he sat down however, he felt the winds change, as if something was blowing wind from down the big black void. He stared over the edge for a moment, then hissed at Emre. "Turn off your light," before he did so himself.

"Hangabout. You're Muslim, then," Emre asked, genuinely surprised and a little pleased. And a little annoyed at the island, for having both Walid and Adarsh here on the island all this time, and Emre was only finding things out in his third year here. "Alhamdulillah."

Sorting out personal lives fell off to the wayside once they were inside the temple, carefully making their way down the increasingly steeper stairs. The air even smelled more stale here. "Wonder how deep down we are. Why does ancient temples never go up?" Maybe this one did, but they took a different turn, deep into its belly.

Emre supplied extra light, as Adarsh practically leapt onto the skeleton in clear excitement. He inspected it like some sort of detective, and Emre felt that prickly wariness at the back of his neck. If Adarsh was feds of any kind, well...well Emre had already been 'tried' for murder a couple years ago, and punished for his mistakes. Adarsh had little power here, not of that sort anyway.

"You've been around bodies and that before," Emre observed quietly. Then a slight side-track: "How many other languages you know, then?"

An amused snort. "Bruv, infa-red's some thermal night vision army shit innit. Nah, my phone's four years old, man. Maybe new phones got it, I don't know."

But Emre could see Adarsh looking around, so he accommodated by shining the light around, hoping to highlight and further clues. "I reckon mans didn't come alone. Someone bashed this poor bastard against a rock, dragged him a few steps down, yeah. Abandoned him here. Rat chewed at the boots and ate all the flesh, I'm wagering." Then again, violence between people was always going to be Emre's go-to. The simplest explanation, versus anything more supernatural.

He looked at the skeleton. "Right, I could search the bugger. Maybe he's got a phone, or a journal or ring or that. A clue innit. Reckon you like that sort of thing."

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

Adarsh shrugged at the offer, having already moved on from all of this. He didn’t much care for it all, the stuff Jupiter was carrying didn’t seem like much, she seemed just as happy to be doing all the lifting, she’d gotten it all here in the first place. He walked with his hands in his pockets and with an eye on everything that was around them. He was comfortable on the island, knowing a good bit of its secrets, but it could always surprise him, so it paid off to be careful. 

“If you’d like,” he answered, though there wasn’t much at his place; he’d kept a modest spot nearby the tower, his own spot, the best house left standing when he arrived on the island, and thus instantly his own. Though he would’ve loved something with a few additional etages, then he could look out over the island when he had his morning chai. 

As Jupiter launched into her warm-up questions, he couldn’t be happier to be disrupted by another of the island’s many surprises. For one, he couldn’t be bothered to come up with ‘friends’, because he didn’t suppose he had any. Secondly, he did enjoy a good mystery. 

“That,” he stated, as he stopped at the very edge of it. “Would be new.” Though he’d seen several of them before. “Perhaps the island is making your little spot even harder to reach for outsiders, so you can keep using it by yourself,” he said, looking back at her and winking. 

Hand still in his pockets, he crouched down, staring into the crevice, frowning. It was certainly interesting, though it wasn’t a large jump to get over it. That certainly didn’t mean he trusted it. It could move or perhaps shake as they jumped. No, the island liked to put obstacles in the way, and to trust such a creation was to pay with your life. He got up again and scanned the area to his left and his right. “We’re going around,” he decided, turning towards the beach, grabbing Jupiter’s arm and moving her so he was between her and the crevice. 

Adarsh didn't help her, or even offer to help her. He just leaned against that damn wall and watched her with that interminable smirk. Maybe he didn't want to accidentally break anything hard to replace. Or maybe he was just a big ol' jerkface. Whatever it was, Jupiter resurfaced her old talkshow host days, where even the most difficult or aggravating episode guests were treated politely. Jupiter could separate professional and personal.

Granted, her talk show was on a sound stage, surrounded by her production crew, a place. Here, she was inviting this guy to her home. If he got all judgy or rude, would she be able to just brush it off, for the sake of the interview?

"We could do it at your place, if you're more comfortable there," Jupiter suggested as they walked. "I just have to grab my facial stuff, and then get you all comfy in the privacy of your home." If an elaborate high-walled compound could be built on Pan, Jupiter bet Adarsh would probably live in it.

She looked pleased at his cooperation. "So let's start with some warm-up questions while we get home. Like...um...who would you consider your friends on the island? What do you - oh whoa," Jupiter stopped short, staring down. A long, deep crevice in the ground, that she couldn't fallen into if she hadn't been paying attention. Like someone with a big knife cut a wound deep into the earth.

"Has that always been there? Well shit...do we jump or try to find a way around?"

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

Adarsh continued to smile. “Of course, clearly you’ve forgotten,” he said. “I’m a peace keeper, meaning that I keep the peace, and you’re a disrupter.” He wasn’t phased, not even a little, Kaz could think whatever he wanted, could pretend that Adarsh held no power on the island, but as the one who’d been here the longest, he had enough weight to through around, enough information, knowledge, people he could distort. And there were always people like Kaz, who felt they were above the law. 

He frowned, wondering what the drug dealer would come up with next. This black market business was allowed to exist, he saw no harm in it, but the idea that the ones running it thought they had more to say than anyone else on the island. He enjoyed snuffing out the power hungry. 

He narrowed his eyes at the mention of his ex-wife. He remembered the hammer however. “Ah yes, she was always far more interested in the twinks,” he responded. As long as he didn’t make a quip towards her person, he felt fine insulting his ex-wife’s tastes. Though it was a sour topic, the hammer would deal far more damage to him.  He didn’t move however, licked his bottom lip and tutted. “So you think an insult will get you out of trouble then? A threat and an insult, you’re cutting it close.” He placed his hands on his hips. “And then throwing poor Luis under the bus? As if I don’t plan to bug him next already. What are you selling today, Kaz, that you want me gone so quickly.”

What delusion Adarsh fell under today? Why they wandered in to grab Kaz and then smiled about it? No clue at all. Evidently Adarsh thought he had weight to throw around in the market, when they did not.

"The lay of the land, hm" he repeated flatly. "Seriously, I have no idea what the fuck you're on about now." A beat. "I'm positive you're gonna explain it to me," his head bobbed with the cheery sarcasm. Might as well get a laugh out of it. "I'll also take whatever you're smoking." Man was out in the stratosphere for sure.

He couldn't resist the phrase 'chest rug' for various reasons. Or one, which was Emre. "Nah, not jealous. Just don't want to strip the title from you. My--" He caught himself, because. Damn. Kaz almost slipped into a completely foreign giddiness. Thoughts he'd never had, a smile the muscles of his face had never formed (so, basically not smarmy or vengeful).

And he was certain Adarsh would piss all over it in a second. "My ego doesn't need a world class forest growing on my chest. It's why your ex-wife is into me." His hand swept side to side like a windshield wiper. "So. Probably can go now. Hey, Luis is in the market too, maybe go bug him for a while?" Kaz and Luis had been beefing forever, so might as well pawn Adarsh off on someone else.

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

Adarsh nodded, stored it away for later. He could give history lessons, though only when he most felt like it, and he felt like his words were important enough. He should - and could - be considered someone who knew plenty. He’d spend forty years on earth sucking up whatever he could find, and more years on the island taking everything in from the outside, he’d seen history unfold from strange directions, from single-perspective. Sometimes from screens in languages he didn’t understand. But the information he shared would always be second-hand, anything too close to his background was too far from comfort. He would be a good history teacher, if that job was in high demand and gave him the respect he deserved. 

The Peacekeeper smiled back at Emre at the short response, there was more information there, but he respected someone who kept some cards hidden, then frowned at the response. “I think I should say that to you,” he retorted. His family - not him - had been Muslim, so perhaps there was some connection there, he’d never know, and neither would Emre. 

In the heights of adventure and the presence of a good story, Adarsh was more willing to speak, his eyes glinted against the light of the flashlight, the dinosaur outside completely forgotten as he sought for answers, treasures, secrets, and something that would give away what this place was. He scanned the inside with care, the flashlight moving to scan their surroundings as well as show the path before them. 

“What this place is, why it’s here, why now, and what it could mean for us. The island doesn’t just randomly drop temples like this,” he told Emre. If he was the main character, then the Temple was his great case. The antagonist of his story. “I know some Japanese,” Adarsh replied. “Enough for a conversation.” Which made him amazing, or he’d simply had enough time to interact with the language, Emre wouldn’t know. 

Adarsh kept an eye on the deep beside him, and the walls on the other side, hoping for a sign of more writing, at least a hint of what they might have waiting for them down there. It would seem that they were going deeper and deeper into the earth, and he wanted to be sure that it was still light by the time they resurfaced. 

He stopped and directed his gaze to where Emre was pointing instantly, alert and excited. He did not entertain the joke, instead as soon as the light shone on the skeleton, he got down and went through his legs beside it, careful not to touch it as he studied the skeleton. He touched it lightly, just in case it would turn to dust under him. He bit his lip and looked around, there was no sign that any animal life was present this deep down, meaning that it could’ve been several years since this person had died. He took a look at the clothing and the boots, there were several indications of the fabric having been ripped, and there was a huge spot of old blood beneath the figure. But no weapons that he could see. He got back to his feet and scanned the area around the skeleton. 

“That phone of yours wouldn’t happen to have infrared, would it?” 

"Right, yeah. You do that, bruv," Emre hummed, sloughing the well-known saying off his own shoulders, on a personal level. What weight of power did Emre ever have in life, to have any influence in repeating history? Neither did Emre ever want that level of notoriety, that level of pressure. "I'll take the history lesson though," he added, just because. Life on the island allowed Emre the luxury of story-telling, and he always liked stories.

A short 'no' about the Navy, no elaboration. Fair enough. Either it would come out or nah, but one thing was certain: Adarsh was used to giving orders and expecting to be followed.

As for family in Pakistan, Emre gave his own short answer. "Yeah." Long response too long to bother, and instead Emre huffed in amusement at Adarsh's reply. "Welcome to the fam, fam."

Now that they were inside the 'temple', the pterodactyl had lost its war and lost interest. No noise outside, although the screech had left a ringing in Emre's tinnitus ear. Emre wiggled the shell of his ear to try and pop it, as he followed Adarsh down the stairs. Where the light didn't touch, it was pitch black. "Answers for what?" Emre asked, keeping his voice husky-soft. Then, "You know Japanese? Dead impressive."

The stairs seemed to go on forever; moreso, they seemed to get steeper, like they were made for 3m tall people. Emre started hopping from one stair to the next, but suddenly came to a stop. "Uncle," Emre called, tilting his phone down. There was a stain on the stairs, blotchy and dark-rusted that then dragged along the wall, then down again...

...leading to a skeleton. The clothing, while decrepit, looked like a shirt and trousers. The leather boots looked chewed through, exposing the bony feet. Emre exhaled long and slow, then looked at Adarsh. "Old mate of yours?"

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

Adarsh kept smiling, it was so nice to be on to something that others weren’t. He felt rather good about the fact that whatever Jupiter might ask during this interview she was cooking up, nothing would phase him, he’d been on this island for far too long already, he’d seen the weirdest bullocks, he would be fine. And he’d taught himself not to speak of his past, which was surprisingly easy. 

Adarsh grinned, wiggling his eyebrows when his response had the Canadian flustered, then had her giggling. He thought he was very funny. He shrugged at the accusation, but of course it was true. People here were too easily tripped up. And there was very little he had to do on the island, getting to know the boundaries of people that he could hit was perhaps the most important job he had. He gave her a look that could only be described as ‘we’ll see’ and patted the stone wall. 

Adarsh licked his teeth and watched as she started packing up, figuring they would have to move locations for this plan of hers, he’d follow suit, it wasn’t as if he had anything better to do today. He didn’t have a shift, he’d annoy all the problem kids later today, and perhaps he’d go for a swim. Being pampered fitted perfectly in his schedule. He pushed himself off of the wall when she’d finished, and nodded with a bit of caution. He’d been in plenty of places on the island, plenty of people who had either gotten a booty call, or who had been asked to serve him tea. He followed without saying a word. 

Then smiled with a frown when she turned to point her finger at him, couldn’t help the amused chuckle. If he was a smart ass, then she could easily match his energy with her own. Perhaps the earlier mentioned respect was well-placed, it wasn’t often that people talked back to him, and it was even rarer that it didn’t make him annoyed. 

"Of course," he said. He had no intention to get with her, she was much too bossy. This far in the game, he was far too busy with the mysteries rather than the side-quests. "I would not dare to break the vows of a married woman." He had though, twice. And once broken his own.

"'Ah well'," Jupiter repeated in an exasperated way. Adarsh was clearly amused, and she was pretty sure she was the butt of the joke, but she didn't really know why. Maybe because she was so unnerved, and Adarsh clearly wasn't. Which begged the question: what did unnerve Adarsh? Everyone could get bothered by something, everyone. Jupiter refused to believe otherwise.

She flushed though, her Canadian politeness making her feel called out when Adarsh challenged her to finish the sentence, not just leave it hanging like some kind of 'oh snap' retort. But his cocky smirk made it clear he knew exactly what she was inferring, and she couldn't help smiling back, then giggling. She wagged a finger at him. "Adarsh, you are bad. You are baaaad and you know it. You like tripping people up, that's what! You're a smart-ass!"

She laughed then, diffusing her own situation. "That's okay, I've dealt with plenty of smart-asses."

And yet, even if he seemed a little weird and old-fashioned, he was amenable to being pampered. Good for him! Jupiter liked him a little more more for being so ready and willing. Once Jupiter was all packed up, and nodded at him. "Okay, come with me. We're going to my house, that's where I have all my self-care stock. All the creams and massagers."

As she walked, she turned to waggle a finger a him. "And no funny business, mmkay? I'm not inviting you back for hanky panky. I'm a married woman."

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

“Learn history as to not repeat history,” Adarsh said, which sounded and was in fact a quote. Though he didn’t speak on it further. Despite his age - and being the first on the island - people didn’t come to him for guidance or advice. He had plenty to give however, they were all missing out. “No,” he gave a short reply to the question. Let Emre guess, he’d never been one for sharing anything about his past, and he felt like he’d given Emre enough to go on already. The Navy. Hmm, his father might’ve liked that. 

He nodded, it wasn’t often that he asked people about their backgrounds, mostly he used the Tower for that kind of information. His brain was filled with important information on everyone who made the island their home, the things he was supposed to know, and those that he’d always classed as important. He didn’t bat an eye about the mother, he’d been taught that if he couldn’t say anything sincere, he best shut it. “Family in Pakistan?” he asked. He frowned at the snort, looking back at Emre with a slight smirk. “Perhaps,” he said. Himself as the all-important protagonist, Adarsh enjoyed being mysterious, but he also enjoyed delivering vague information and then never following up on it. At least being called ‘uncle’ was the type of respect he wished more gave him. 

Though technically Pillai-ji would be his dream.

Adarsh pushed them both away from the door far enough that no flying dinosaur could be plucking them out of the stone temple, grunting as he searched for his flashlight in his bag, while Emre used the one on his phone. He found that while the modern technology was all well and good, it couldn’t hold up to the battery powered antique he held. The room filled up with light when he put it on, revealing a large stone cavern, stone stairs led down into the darkness, the wall above them sloped down as well, as if inviting them into depths of this place. 

He took a breath, risked a glance back up at the door, and then set out down the stairs. When he held his hand out away from the wall on their left, there was only darkness, he wondered what would happen if they slipped over the edge. Fall to their deaths? Perhaps. 

“Treasure, maybe. Or answers,” he commented. “Keep your eyes out for any writing on the walls or the floor,” he told Emre. “The writing outside was Japanese, but this doesn’t look like a Japanese temple.” He figured the person who’d written it there wanted the temple to be opened, why else use a language that had a single image for left in the form of a kanji. One of a good number of Kanji that he knew, though it barely scratched the surface of the language. If they ended up walking into more Kanji, they’d be doomed, however, if the messages were left in Hiragana, he might be able to translate a little of it. 

Emre huffed, amused. "Better things to learn about now innit. New tings." He didn't feel badly for having a shoddy education, out of his control. But he did like knowing people here and now - their history, Adarsh included. "Was you in the Indian Navy or that?"

More family questions; Adarsh was certainly living up to the nosy old uncle-ji stereotype, and Emre had little reason to think Adarsh had any ulterior motives in asking. This was just how desi elders were - obsessed with status and class and family background. But Emre was proud to talk about his family, too. "Reckon so. Abu came with his parents when he was a baby, yeah. My ammi died when I was three, don't know much about her." And Emre's step-mother Urmilla...he couldn't talk about her now. He gave a light snort instead. "Oi, you think if we chat long enough, you might be related to them, uncle?"

He grunted in confirmation about visiting London once the teleports had opened. A slight smile, as Emre recalled his adventure with Kaz.

But this was no time to be distracted by memories of oily shirtless Kaz. The monster was crowding them, the bricks crumbling from its force. Was it hungry, or just territorial? Emre assumed the latter, since the jungle likely kept the beasts well-fed. Adarsh seemed to be deep in thought, and Emre focused on fending off the creature.

"Fuck!" he yelled, but then turned to see - Adarsh had done something! Because the door was rolling back like some bloody adventure fantasy film, and Emre tumbled in with Adarsh on him.

Inside the temple had a specific scent - old, musty and sweet. Cobwebs everywhere. Emre pulled out his cell phone then, using the flashlight to look around. His cutlass, he sheathed. "Reckon there's treasure in here?" Emre asked in a husky whisper. Not that jewels really meant anything, but. It would be nice to show off a few baubles. Decorate Kaz in them. Give some diamonds to Walid for some scientific engineering purpose.

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

Adarsh shrugged, whatever Jupiter’s idea of the all-seeing god of Panopticon, she didn’t have one similar to his, but he wasn’t about to change her mind on it. Let her think it was aliens, it mattered little to him. It was somehow amusing that it was so easy to drive her up these walls by a simple mention of the inner workings of the island. “Ah, well,” he said, still smiling. 

Adarsh was about to produce the dumb flip phone he had acquired years ago that had a few apps and could at least tell him where he was in the world and what the weather was like outside, when Jupiter made a jab at him about friends. He laughed. It was a low blow, but it was a good one. He was a little surprised that this particular person could be feisty like that. “Then again?” he asked, challenging her to finish her sentence as he pushed the phone back into his inner pocket. 

He was far too amused. Most people on the island just tired him out, they were boring, shallow, and oftentimes couldn’t take a joke. This one in particular seemed to want to match his stance every chance she got, and he was finding this day to be far more entertaining than he’d previously thought. “Cremes and man-stuff, that sounds like my cup of tea,” he replied, though he ran two fingers through it again. He hadn’t been worried about it being shaven off, if anything, he found that on Pan people generally did what he told them to do, or they did nothing at all. Kaz Ravel for instance. He had an authoritarian stance, having named himself a Peacekeeper before it was even a thing. He’d take advantage of it, of course, whenever he could. But in general he simply felt it was right. 

“Of course,” he said, as if all of that made perfect sense and he had the sensibility to understand humanising him for the audience and the idea that a set-up could take multiple days. Sure, there was technology now, but the world sounded like its people had grown up to be lazy. 

“You happen to have all this man-stuff and creams with you?” he asked. 

Adarsh's smile was infuriating, but Jupiter had dealt with a boatload of infuriating people in her life. And yup - this here was exactly what people had warned her about, regarding Adarsh. He was just weird and brash, and treated people like they weren't people. Jupiter didn't quite understand what was meant by that, until now.

"Of course I believe in God, my Aunties raised me right," Jupiter huffed. "But that's different. You make it sound like - like aliens. Or some original Titans of Earth or something." Not that Jupiter minded the idea of science-fiction, but living it?

But then...wasn't that exactly what Panopticon was?

Something Jupiter said made his smug smirk fade. About the outside world, maybe? "What about a mobile phone, you got one of these?" Jupiter waggled her phone. "It's useful for apps, and talking to your friends. Then again..." It was Jupiter's turn to smirk, her zing that Adarsh had no friends. Then again, maybe Adarsh didn't care about making friends.

But at least he seemed placated by her offer, no arguments about being interesting, even. He seemed worried about his stache though, and Jupiter rushed to say. "Oh don't you worry! No shaving required for a good face scrub. In fact, I'll bet there's some cremes and man-stuff to keep that soup-strainer nice and soft, eh?"

Her eyes brightened when Adarsh actually agreed to the interview. "Forreal? That's great! Well I'll have to get it all set up, get us comfortable, so maybe in a couple days, mmkay? But today - you might as well get it over and done with..." She rubbed her hands gleefully. "And let me give you a facial. If you'll let me record some of it, it'll make for some good B-roll footage. Humanize you to my audience."

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

Adarsh sighed. “He doesn’t know Black Beard… I have questions and concerns about your childhood,” he commented. It was rare for him to share anything about his life before the island. He’d been forty when he came here, there was plenty of history, though because it had been so long ago, and because it was all insignificant compared to the island. “Only when it comes to seafaring,” he said. 

He wasn’t looking at Emre as the other spoke, but his eyebrows were moving in answer to what was said. No, he couldn’t imagine. “Just making conversation,” he said, as he failed to come up with next questions. He paused then. “Your father was a first generation immigrant then? Why did he move?” Sure, just asking questions. “And your mom?” 

He shook his head. “I haven’t.” And he wasn’t planning on. Ever. He used the teleports, for his own amusement more than anything. “Have you been back to London?” 

The big monsters didn’t scare him, they were ancient creatures that the island liked to conjure up, birds the size of small planes, they would easily shred them to pieces. 

He took a deep breath as he shot the last arrow, then turned towards the stone door. He had no idea that this was going to turn into some exploration tale, but he wasn’t against it. Happily enough he would solve whatever puzzle was on the door. If there was one. The writing was exactly where they said it would be. 

左に押す

It wasn’t Sanskrit, which was a bummer, he would’ve been able to get that easily enough, it wasn’t Arabic script either. He could’ve used Emre for that. No, it was a language he recognised but couldn’t place right away. 

He risked a look back at Emre, the torch was running out. He needed to think quickly. 

Not Latin script either.

He frowned. に. Ni. す. Su. Japanese characters. He’d had forty years to catch up on his kanji. Here he was… utterly failing. But quick thinking had always been his strong-suit. 左 left. He hit the left part of the wall with his fist, nothing. He pushed the left part of the wall, and it slowly rolled back, creating a space for them to go through. 

“Emre!” he called, as he pushed through. In the darkness. 

"Bruv, I don't know no Black Beard neither." If all this pirate stuff happened centuries ago, then Emre didn't see why he should know it. He liked history centred around his ancestors traced back to the Mughal Empire (or so Emre liked to believe; why else was their last name 'Akbar'?). "But I like hearing your take on all of it, if I'm honest. You a big history buff then?"

An interesting question, Adarsh posed. What was it like. "All immigrants in my ends, mate; mostly brown and black. And Polish too. Paks had our community, they all had theirs. My Abu had it harder than we did, growing up. But skinheads and dickheads still showed up innit." He tilted his head at Adarsh. "Why you asking?"

So Adarsh was south, which made sense. "You been back to Kozhikode since the teleports opened?"

Adarsh's answer to the mystery was hardly an answer. Vague, but sure enough that there really wasn't any other answer to give. Of course it was 'the island', but how. Then again, Emre was not a man who got caught up in details. He left that to the clever minds.

Possibly like Adarsh. Emre waited for the nod, and then lit his torch as Adarsh bolted out of the bushes. Emre pelted close behind him, but in a slight zig zag to distract the buggers. The screeches though - the sheer noise of the beasts felt like sharp needles stabbing Emre's ear drums. The flying beast dived and swooped like a protective crow; but the fire did frighten it, and keep it at bay.

So did Adarsh's arrows. A good combination, fire and projectiles. And by the time they reached the alcove, the torch was starting to burn out, Emre's hand getting hot on the hilt. He crowded against Adarsh, feeling the WHOOSH of wings behind them. If the pterodactyl landed and pushed its long snout-beak into the alcove, it could pluck them out like worms. Unless Adarsh could get the huge stone door open, with all the mysterious etchings on its face.

"C'mon, c'mon! Get us in there!" Emre called, waving the dying torch outwards. His back against Adarsh's to cover their vantages.

[adarsh-the-peacekeeper]

Adarsh was still smiling, enjoying this far more than he should. But it was always nice to drive secondary characters up the wall. He enjoyed knowing where the boundaries were. It made it easier to navigate the waters later on. “I take it you are not religious, or at least you don’t believe in an all powerful god watching over you?” Not that he thought the tower was god-like in any way, not like that creepy mechanic with the curly hair. 

He stared at the moss, then back at Jupiter, and without looking where he placed it, he mushed the green back between the blocks of stone. Not at all amused about being told to return something because it ‘was pretty where it was’. Though he figured she wanted it nicely on camera. When the plants took over and destroyed the structure, she might reconsider. “Fine, it is your spot.” 

“Solve the island?” He frowned. That was not the game Adarsh was playing, and for some reason… he felt like he was right. Every theory he came up with was true. It wasn’t just a theory. However, her comment on everything he’d missed out on got to him more, his self-assured smirk disappeared and his features rearranged themselves until he looked more concerned than amused. “I don’t think I missed out on much, this island has kept me busy,” he said. “There is plenty more to explore here than to get swallowed up in there.” And the only thing he’d missed was holding a gun. 

He licked his teeth and nodded. He was interesting. Definitely more interesting than anyone else on the island. However, he wasn’t so sure he wanted anyone touching his face. Or to be on camera. Even if he had a lot to say. Automatically his hand reached up to touch his moustache. 

The trade that was offered though… lecturing her in exchange for a facial… that felt like a trap, because he got the best out of it. He narrowed his eyes. It made sense to him, however, people offering him more than he would give, people being interested in what he had to say. Most might laugh at his ‘first person on the island’ statement, but he knew it was true. 

“You have yourself a deal.” 

"Ugh. Ugh!!" Jupiter shuddered at the thought of being constantly monitored, a whole other can of worms. "That's a creepy-ass thought! I am not gonna be able to sleep tonight, thanks to you. You are like the opposite of peaceful meditation, dude!"

Yet Adarsh didn't even seem bothered by the idea of being watched by Something Else. He tore a clump of moss down and Jupiter huffed. "Stop that! That moss was pretty where it was! Put it back right now."

But despite how impossible Adarsh was being, he did have some interesting theories about the buildings, the island itself. And he'd been on Pan for so long, so either he was a reliable source, or...he'd gone bonkers. Either way, even bonkers people had good theories. "Are you hoping to like...solve the island? What would that accomplish, the world's gone to hell anyway. Geez, you missed out on a lot of advances out there, haven't you. Like the cell phones and the internet. The world you left behind ain't the same world it is now."

Jupiter looked huffy again. "Hey! Skin care routines are self care! How I get my skin to glow, mm-hm. You look like you need a good sea-salt face mask, maybe that's what you're missing out on."

She nodded though. "The bazaar is interesting. I think people are interesting - and that includes you!" Both, he said. Both! "Well damn - you're welcome to lecture me all you want on my show." Snarking, Jupiter added, "If you let me give you a facial while you do."