remyparker

[remyparker]

text to: open

pitch: i may have...

pitch: gotten my leg caught in a crab trap

remy: i don't know how to help you

remy: or if i can help you

remy: but i want to help you

remy: so how do i help you

[remyparker]

m. nassry

z. olguin, 

e. pavia ,

she stands by the unfolded table at the back of the tent, straw hat tipped over her forehead as she finds the metal container marked with a laminated sticker reading cream. perhaps peace is too grand a word for it, but there is a certain relaxation to being the first in the briefing tent, stirring her coffee and unpacking her red tin. eléna turns to the entrance of the tent at the first voice, sucking on the spoon in her mouth. she smiles gently around it before removing it to issue proper greeting. 

“mm – - hola, jude.” turning, she leans her lower back against the table – a surprisingly sturdy thing, and if one chose to look at it too closely, a microcosm for the quality and height of cambra’s budget. “not everyones arrived yet.” tapping her spoon against her cheek idly, she looks back at him. “do you want coffee? i just made a carafe, and there’s sweets in the tin. a bit early for them perhaps, but i’m afraid if we don’t eat them soon they’ll go stale.”

shit, shit, shit! how he had slept through three blaring alarms was beyond him; late for some hoity-toity meeting on his first day of being hired by someone other than his uncle? typical. but getting fired on the same day he’s expected to start work is a new low —- even for him. so he’s sprinting all the way from his house to where they said the dig site would be. the familiar figure of the volcano greets him as he nears, and he eventually skids to a stop in front of one of the bigger tents. the sight of the whole place is strangely unsettling once he takes it in but he tries to play it cool. they’re paying him good money!

“i’m definitely not late, right? it’s zack… zachary olguin — your friendly local guide?”

she stood calmly near the entrance of the tent, smoking her cigarette and allowing her eyes to feast upon the mesmerizing view. makara wasn’t late. she came right on time, she just didn’t want to go inside with a cigarette glued to her pink lips. so she waited a little, allowing the nicotine to fill up every pore of her body. but one cigarette just wasn’t enough. her fingers, lips and lungs craved more. so without much thinking, she lit another one and went inside. was smoking allowed inside? she didn’t really bother to check. “ hi,” makara greeted as if on command, letting thin white clouds form around her face as she exhaled through her nose. she took off her black aviator shades, but didn’t smile, as this was a professional meeting.  “ i hope we won’t have to wait for too long. time is money. every wasted second has a price.”

" if you’re late, i’m later, ” remy says as they walk in after the man who introduces himself as the guide, and they flash him a slight smile before glancing around. jude. emma. makara. nice. they like knowing everyone, and the more time they spend as a part of cambra, the more comfortable they feel. they’re bouncing with excitement. it’s the first official meeting of the dig and they’re as ready as they’ll ever be. in their hands, they carried in a carrier with four coffees  ( it was all they could hold. anyone who arrives too late for coffee is suffering from their own misdeed ) and their shoulders fall slightly when they realize eléna has already made coffee. leave it to remy to try and show a good gesture ( them ? bringing coffee ? a wild and improbable scenario ) to have it be fruitless. they glance over to makara. “ sorry for being late. coffee line, you know. ” they grab one of the few coffees they brought and settle into a seat, falling silent.

[remyparker]

ofrivkas‌:

pitch’s face felt hot, something that rarely happened, and she recoiled for a moment. “uh, i– i didn’t even recognize you. sorry. i’m shit with faces.” she uses nonsense to hide her embarrassment and flips her hair over one shoulder. “the others don’t know.” she said in a low voice. “i’d appreciate if you didn’t tell them.” she perused the shelves. “unless your fearless leader decides to.”

“ nope, don’t blame you for that, ” their voice is high, shrill, but they can’t help it. it’s a instinctual reaction and they can’t quite calm themself down enough to get a hold of it. remy’s gaze looks everywhere but towards pitch.

“ oh no, i wouldn’t --- that’s not my place to say anything. i promise, scout’s honor and all. ” they raise and wave three fingers. “ not that i was a scout, but you get the idea. my lips are sealed. me ? i know nothing. you ? i’ve never seen you before. not in this store and definitely not in a tent with --- ”

“ nope, sorry, yep. know nothing, don’t know you. my eyes are definitely not scarred. ” 

[remyparker]

the thing about remy is this : they care about this job more than nearly everything else in their life. but also ? they’re a little oblivious. it’s not intentional --- there’s just so much to look at, so much to see, that sometimes they don’t pay attention to detail. they don’t register every face and every name.

it’s no wonder that when they’re addressed, they answer immediately and without hesitation.

it strikes them that they don’t think they recognize the man ? but they can’t be quite sure if they know him, and what they are sure of is that they can’t say no to anyone else on the dig. essentially everyone is their superior. 

“ nope, not a thing. ” they’re talked over, but they don’t mind.

“ sure, let’s do it. lead the way, commander man. ”

WHERE: cariaki harbour FOR: @remyparker

the crest of the day gone, yakov was keenly aware of how little he – or any of the crew – had really accomplished. he’d checked in with some of the hired help to unpack, yes, and double-checked the demarkation figures, yes, but it all felt dreadfully managerial and his fingers were itching for something – dirt or sea or sand.

boxes bobbed along the harbour in various hands, yakov was never quite good at keeping track, but in a break he caught a young, unfamiliar face. an intern. he made quick work of closing their distance and forwent any introduction. the sooner he put his his hands – and theirs – to use the the better.

“are you doing anything right now?” he didn’t wait for a response, nodding already. “no, good, okay. i need help assembling some equipment on the beach, not too technical, but i’ll need a second set of hands.”

[remyparker]

“ i won’t say no to one if you’re offering, ” says remy. their hands are over their eyes, blocking the sun, and they are squinting as they look into jude’s car. they open the door and get into the car, putting their backpack at their feet, before closing the door then fastening their seat belt. they let their head rest against the headrest before turning to look towards jude. 

“ hey jude, ” they trill the familiar tune before laughing quietly, their shoulders shaking. “ i appreciate this. not that i couldn’t have walked. it’s not far. or too hot today. but who am i to say no to a free ride ? especially from my favorite pocket man. what’ve you got in their today ? pokeballs ? pocket watch ? stolen illegal goods that you plan to fence on the black market ? ”

DAY 5: THE DIG

He was making a few trips this time, careful to avoid Emma’s notice when he shifted his equipment to a new spot - which was tough, because Emma was pretty darn good at her job. As much as Jude respected her competence, however, they weren’t making headway within the small boundaries of their current site. He’d found a few promising areas on the other side of the volcano yesterday, just doing a walkthrough without taking any measurements. It wasn’t illegal, he told himself. He was just - checking it out. And now he was heading back with tools to do it right. 

He pulled out of the parking lot at the harbour and was about to make the turn onto the main road when he noticed a familiar face to his left, and rolled down the window. “Hey, uh. You need a ride?”

[remyparker]

“ oh, thanks, ” remy said. their hand had been hovering in front of the shelf but they finally reached out to grab the pasta. they looked at the shelf, glancing over its stock, before reaching for a small jar of sauce. “ no, really, thanks. ”

a smile rose to their face before they turned to look at the woman. it took a second ( and maybe that was too long ) but remy realized that they recognized her. they recognized her from when they walked into emma’s tent and the two of them were --- remy’s face felt hot. “ sorry for walking in on you the other day, i really didn’t mean to and --- ” the words came out in a rush  and they turned their gaze to the floor.

REMY

pitch found herself playing pack mule again in town, but she’d since come to know the market owner’s nephew after a wine run, so she was the most suited to the job. she perused the short aisles until she came upon another shopper, from cambra. “i know it sounds dumb, but get the one kilo pasta bag. you’ll run through it in a week and it’s cheap.”

[remyparker]

“ i am not to sell it on the black market ? ” remy’s voice grows high at the end of their sentence before they duck their head down and laugh over their mug. they take a sip of their tea before shrugging their shoulders and tipping their head. “ there’s a lot of things not to do --- but i probably shouldn’t drop it. ” their face has flushed embarrassedly at the memory. it was a large cup that had been found and they hadn’t gotten a good grip around it. they managed to catch it before it hit the ground and shattered but nobody ever seemed to remember that part. “ and i said i was sorry for that. bringing it up every time won’t undo it. i’ve gotten the point by now. ” 

@remyparker

LOCATION: COFFEE SHOP IN NALOS GOODS

there was something to be said about the island’s local coffee; a thick, frothy concoction that contained just the right blend of bittersweetness. emma could drink a gallon of the stuff, truth be told. especially considering the energy boost it gave her, her eyes focused and engaged in the conversation at hand as she points to the map of the excavation site. “now - if and when we find anything of value, what are you not to do with it?”

[remyparker]

rcsettastone‌:

she watches remy’s eyes rather than their hand as it reaches for the figurine. there were so few things that you could not alter, fake, or conjure in this world – and wonder was one of them. it seemed each year there were fewer things that stirred eléna’s heart as they once had, but that, the image of another awed by something greater than themselves had yet to be drowned from the list. she smiles, closed-lipped and truthful – a thing that maintains and stretches as she listens to the intern babble. it makes her chuckle.

had she ever been so green, so endearing? no. surely no one had ever looked at her and been so honey-drowned in the sensation of earnestness.

“remy,” she says their name by way of comfort, reaching out to touch them briefly on the arm. “if there is something or someone that is going to control our project’s luck, i can guarantee it’s occupied with far greater things than our conversations. you’re safe, bomboncita.” eléna exhales lightly as she removes her hand from the water, shaking it out gently as she watches how the water discolours the concrete she sits on. as it dries, she looks back up at remy. “this is your first time on-site, yes? i wouldn’t worry. we do quite well. though i do find it can be best not to make self-imposed expectations so early.” if one was watching carefully, they could see a slight downwards twitch to her lips. if one knew more than they should about eléna pavia, they might have understood why.

whatever the sort of magic the fountain has cast over remy has been cast over them by the whole island. perhaps maybe it’s cambra, too, allowing them to work on the dig, but ever since they were young ( though, rather, maybe it is more apt to say younger ; youth seeps from their every pore, bleeding from their smile and the brightness of their eyes ), they loved the mysteries that the past seem to hold, hidden in ancient text and artifact, below the ground, hidden to the blind eye.

there is a brief moment where remy falters, their expression darkening slightly --- perhaps it had been naive of them to think anything they would have to say would have an impact on anything. their lips only fall downturned slightly before bouncing back up. they have more things to dwell on than what they can or can’t impact. they nod their head to eléna’s question, bouncing up onto the balls of their feet as they grow excited at just the thought of what they’re doing.

“ i don’t want to get my hopes dashed, but i don’t want to not have any passion for this either. ” they wrap their arms around themself before glancing around, at the trees, at the far side of the island in the distance. “ i’m finding it a little hard to be patient, ” they admit, “ though i’m sure that’s not hard to tell. ”

[remyparker]

unscrollingavi‌:

“Are they now? This is the first that I’m hearing about this. Funny, considering—” Avi pointed to his own prominent nose. Somebody should have told the brats he went to school with way back when. 

“Well, thanks.” One last glance at the doodle and its many redrawn lines, and he shoves the book into his backpack. “Sorry. I, uh, don’t normally just shove things in strangers’ directions. It’s my first time here and there’s so much to look at— Figures it’s the little things that keep my attention. Are you traveling, too?” 

they glance at him, really glance at him, for the first time and they shrug their shoulders slightly. “ your nose has character. it’s distinct and --- it’s not a bad thing. but i’ll stand by what i said. noses are overrated. actually, i’ll take it back. people’s opinions of noses are overrated. and often mean. “ their face wrinkles with distaste, and their expression is childlike.

“ don’t apologize, ” remy says with a smile. “ it was a nice, random surprise. it might even be the highlight of my day. ” they’re sickeningly genuine. “ traveling ? i --- yeah, ” their brows have drawn together but they nod, “ you could call it that. i’m here for work, but i think i’ve spent more time wandering around than actually working. ”

they let out a laugh at their own expense before asking, “ are you an artist ? ”

[remyparker]

GOAL: a trek into the forest for some firewood proved to be a little much for your gps and you get lost, but you have makara’s number. maybe she can help? also, help emma with the permits.

accepted !

[remyparker]

“ luck is --- a good thing. ”

remy offers a smile before reaching out to touch the statue themself. the figure is cool under their finger, and they let their hand rest before pulling it away. they look at the jade figure, both in awe and with admiration. there has always been something about creations older than themself, older than any man alive can remember, that has caught their interest. sometimes, the rare and magnificent cause their breath to catch in their chest and they just can’t imagine they have the opportunities to see such a thing.

“ of course, we shouldn’t discount hard work and dedication either. ” they smile again, this time wider. it’s lopsided but genuine. they’re still green to field work, they’re still green to cambra. they don’t quite fit in either, dust on their knees and eagerness coursing through them with every pulse. “ d’you think we’ll find anything cool soon ? of course, cool is subjective and really up to opinions, but i made a bet with myself that by the end of next month, we’re bound to have found something and --- ”

remy cuts themself off, their eyes widening slightly before they let their gaze drop to the ground. “ i’m gonna jinx it, aren’t i? ”

WHERE: MAIN SQUARE FOUNTAIN. OPEN TO: ALL.

the fountain, the woman in the market had said, was an epicentre of luck. unlike the majority of fountains and markers of good fortune, there was no tribute needed – - not a single coin littered the bottom of the water pooled below the jade-coloured figure, and the undisturbed nature of it all gave the impression of something tranquil. 

eléna lifts her skirt as she sits on the concrete lip of the structure, and there is a tenderness, a lingering sweetness to the way she leans over and brushes her hand over one of the joints. her eyes remain on the statue at the center even as her hand recedes, trailing lightly over the gentle pool beneath. eléna can’t help but respect a deity that does not demand an offering or a name. that was a tenderness modern gods did not extend. she only turns at the impression of a shadow, pivoting to explain herself.

“a local said it brings good luck to those that rub it,” she offers in explanation, though not yet removing from swirling in the cool water. her legs cross, pulling out from the slit of her skirt. “and i’m afraid i’m not yet naive enough to believe we could not use it.”

[remyparker]

“ i --- sure, yeah, it does ! ” the more words that fall out of remy’s mouth, the more enthusiastic they sound. of course, it should be noted that they answered before they even looked at the sketch. they reached for the notebook, fingers gingerly holding the edges of the pages. “ no, for sure this looks good. ” this time, they’re confident.

they squint a little at the fountain before turning back to him. “ noses are overrated anyway. ”

open :: all  location: main square, The Fountain™

“Does this look similar?” he asked as he held out the little leather-bound notebook. 

For about an hour he had crouched before the fountain, scribbling wildly to capture the worn profile sculpted into its side. He had plans of taking it to the internet cafe for some research, but that wouldn’t go very well if his imitation was subpar. 

“I can’t seem to get that nose right, but maybe I’ve just been staring at it for too long.”