Warning: This work has been rated 16+.
♦ Harmony Boxes ♦
PT 390, The Desert of Sinkholes
Fi opened the door of their room and laid face-down in their bed, they twisted and turned, staring up at their ceiling. Out of boredom, they picked a book up from a stack that was created on their night table and buried their head inside. The books were gifted by Xo-Shi, he told them that they were a special type of book. Ones that couldn’t be found in Joji Prefecture, because of this, They were warped and torn. Fi liked them that way.
It retained an original sense of purpose that a simple rewrite or reprint wouldn’t offer. Some pages were ripped, words scribbled out or in a different language. This was like a challenge to Fi. They could imagine what happened between clusters of lost pages. The stories they read were nothing like their life in Joji Prefecture. Fantasy stories about gods and monsters. All faced by one courageous girl. Of the eleven volumes that Xo-Shi was able to get for them, they were missing the twelfth, so they read the books over and over again, holding onto the hope that one day the twelfth would be gifted to them. In faded letters it said “AR_EM_S”. So they called the story Arems.
By day, Fi worked now that they were of age. Because they wore a black plague suit, they were always put together with male laborers. Like Xo-Shi, you could assist with the king’s business, or do hard labor to keep the world running. Fi accepted that they would not be accepted to do anything close to royal business a long time ago. So they put their nose to the ground and sucked up the work the male laborers did.
Often, it would mean a grueling trip through the sandstorm to go hunting. Most of the time, they would scavenge for animals killed by the sandstorm, other times, they had to do hunting close to the sandstorm. There was always a lingering fear of a portal opening up and swallowing you into nothingness. So the hunters made extra effort to stay close to the sandstorm by taking underground tunnels outside of the storm, but not too far away.
Fi heard their parents mingling outside. They peeked out of their door, only to see an otherworldly creature. They weren’t dressed in the typical plague mask attire, but in protective gear and a futuristic helmet that hid their face. It was some sort of delivery service. The man in gear placed a box on the floor in the living room.
“Here’s your harmony box sir and madam!” He hooted as he danced out of the house.
After Xo-Shi and Kai-So finished setting it up, they arranged the chairs in a formation so they could each watch the news unfold in front of them. The harmony box was a black and white box with what looked like a mirror to Fi in the middle. When it was turned on via a button on the bottom left of the box, it began to rapidly flash a blur of colors before rearranging into a picture of Kitty Alua accompanied by a deep voice.
“Yesterday, the King and Queen celebrated their one month anniversary since Kitty Alua’s arrival to Joji Prefecture! We are proud to announce that she has agreed to trade harmony boxes for ten blocks of teslium each! This allows us to supply the entire Prefecture with harmony boxes! Now…Bare witness to eye-witness recreations of the party!”
Fading in and out of the screen were artistic renditions of the party the king and queen threw the day before. With Kitty often at the centerpiece. Fi was baffled that someone without a plague mask was let into Joji nevermind televised and drawn for everyone to see. Fi stepped out of their room to meet their parents.
“What…Are you two doing?”
“Fi! Have you been so busy that you didn’t know about the news?” Kai-So Questioned
“News…?”
“We’ve been visited by a kind soul who agreed to trade her resources with us. Now we have harmony boxes. It’s the next revolution in our society! I hear that Kitty Alua made all of this for us. Isn’t that great?”
“I…Don’t know. Something about it doesn’t sit right with me.” Fi admitted.
“I understand change is hard to accept, but it is important to accept with open arms.”
“Without questioning it? Isn’t it weird to you that a masked man came into our home and dropped this here?”
“It is a gift, from the king to us.” Kai-So chided.
“We spend a lot of time picking teslium for our people, the king and queen are willing to throw it away for…this. I got the news perfectly fine on paper.”
“Come and watch.”
Begrudgingly, Fi sat down next to their parents. The same broadcast played over and over again with the same news, pictures, and music. Fi felt like they’d fall asleep. It wasn’t until after dinner that they decided to go for a walk.
They roamed through the village in their plague outfit. The streets had become empty. There were much fewer people roaming the streets than usual. The town square was only filled with a meager three salespeople. Fi kept their head low and bought some fruit to bring home for their parents. They walked up the stairs and towards the entrance of the town. Looking over at the giant door. It was surrounded by artificially planted trees. After scanning the area an uncomfortable amount of time, Fi sat under the tree and took a book from their bag.
“This is much better. Feels like I’m the only sane one for once.” They thought.
Fi rolled up the mask of their mask and snacked while reading. The sun beat down. Blocked out just the right amount by the sand, meeting a happy medium of warmth. Fi’s eyes grew heavy as they scanned from word to word.
They soon shot awake after realizing they dared to fall asleep in public. They felt around for their bag of groceries, only to find it was gone. A shadow was cast by the sun, making it obvious to Fi who was taking their food. They picked a rock off the ground, and sent it rocketing into Dzo’s head, who was making off with Fi’s groceries.
“Oh, look who wanted to die today! My old buddy Fi-So!” Dzo jeered.
“Shut up Dzo. Give me back my groceries.” Fi hissed.
They had dealt with Dzo and his buddies too many times over the years that it became commonplace for them to butt heads. Dzo and his crew had become commonplace bandits. While Fi grew in strength, they stayed the same snot-nosed kids Fi grew up with. Like usual, a rock came spinning through the air. Before Fi could react, a bare hand picked it from the air. They looked to their side to see brown hair flowing in the air.
“Kitty Alua…?”
“Back off boys! We wouldn’t want the king to know about this one, right?”
The boys knew Kitty was bluffing, but just the sight of her seemed to ward them off. They dropped the bag, splattering the apples on the ground and sending them madly rolling down the hill. Kitty held out her hand, and pulled Fi to their feet.
“Hi. I’m Kitty-”
“I know who you are. You don’t need to announce it to the world.” Fi exhorted.
They went over to their fruit, some of it was smashed, and others were too bruised to be eaten. They picked up their now empty bag and placed their book inside, walking away from Kitty. Who jumped up next to Fi and followed them towards the center of town.
“Hey, let me atleast replace that fruit for you. It’s the least I can do.”
“Don’t replace it with new ‘harmony fruit’.” They jested.
“Oh, you don’t like harmony boxes? I kind of understand. It’s something DRU’s-”
“What? Something DRU’s making you do? It doesn’t change the fact that you are the one changing everything.”
“I get the feeling you don’t like me very much.” Kitty stated the obvious with an uncomfortable smile.
“I just don’t trust these new things, is all. I know the rules. If someone new enters, especially an outsider, we are not allowed to talk to you until you meet the king and queen. All that tells me is that your first exposure to Joji was through their eyes.”
“I’m trying my best to understand Joji and it’s residents. You are all important to me. So let me replace that fruit you lost. It’s the least I can do.”
“Ugh, okay.” Fi concurred.
Kitty looked at Fi with wide eyes. Something was off. Every single plague mask she had run into up to this point had treated her as if she was some sort of god. Not that it was what she wanted, but it still struck as odd that this plague mask would be so hostile. She bought their fruit for them and let them be on their way. As Fi left, she wondered what made them so suspicious of the society, she concluded that no matter what, it was a good thing that somebody questioned the new changes.
She made her way back to the manor. Where she holed up in her room to relax for a while. She threw down a pod which produced a hologram of her boss, Jackie.
“Reporting for operation Joji.” Kitty started. “Harmony boxes have been deployed, and we have a bunch of teslium coming home! Should I head back soon?”
“Hell no, Kitty. Teslium is rare, and these guys have it in spades! We’ve been using it to make even more powerful weaponry. The Radio-killing kind. I need you to stay there for as long as possible.”
“It’s almost like you’re bleeding these people dry. Is that okay?”
“They aren’t people. They are glitches. Get that shit out of your head.”
“I’m just saying, the harmony boxes are really for our benefit. It’s kind of unfair.”
Jackie put her finger up to her chin. As if she was thinking over Kitty’s statement.
“They are for their benefit too. It’s their only connection to the outside.”
“All we’re doing is spying on them…” Kitty squeaked.
“Hey, you want to move up in DRU, don’t you? That involves doing your job. When you’re the boss, you can decide what is good or bad. For now, it’s my call to make. On that note, there’s one more order we have. You’ll be taking the glitch Fi-So Dano home with you.”
Points:
Time spent:
Canary word: Present
Possible AI signals:
Original Text:
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125,029 Literary Works • 672,781 Reviews
Hello there, human! I'm reviewing using the YWS S'more Method today!
Shalt we commence with the frightful S’more?
Top Graham Cracker - Fi reads some books that their father gave them, ones that aren’t found in Joji Prefecture. One of them is about Artemis, but Fi doesn’t seem to know that. Kitty also defends Fi from Dzo, but Fi doesn’t seem too happy about that. And Kitty talks to Jackie about the harmony boxes, but the talk doesn’t seem to heal her conscious.
Slightly Burnt Marshmallow - In one part, it says that Fi rolled up “the mask of their mask”. I think you meant to write that Fi rolled up their mask, but that is just one small thing.
Chocolate Bar - I love that interaction between Fi and Kitty! It makes sense that Fi would not trust Kitty, but I do know that Kitty has a good heart…Which shows in how Kitty had gotten rid of Dzo! Most credit goes to Fi, for they have grown as a person and can defend themself fine, but it’s still good! :>
Closing Graham Cracker - Overall, an interesting chapter on new changes arising and with it, more questions! I’m excited to see how Kitty and Fi will connect more, and if Kitty is going to keep doing what DRU asks her to do. Fi might not want to leave home, so, what will Kitty do then? I shall wait and see, and…
I wish you a wondrous day/night! ^v^
Hello Again, My Friend!
It's me, Raven, and I'd like to review the next chapter in this great story using my Familiar method! Let's dive in, shall we? Heh heh heh...
What The Black Eyes See...
Ooo, Fi's not happy about all the change, and the more I read, the more understandable it becomes -whether from an inside or outside perspective! I liked being caught up on their situation, and I really enjoyed their first meeting with Kitty! Let's get into the details though.
Where The Dagger Points...
Just one thing to put here!
This felt a bit odd. Perhaps "rolled up the mouth of the mask" or just "rolled up the mask" would fit a bit better? That's all though! Great writing job!
Why The Grin Widened...
As the chapter opens with Fi, I like the scene of how they interpret the book:
It felt like a unique quirk but very understandable, as if -scary as the thought may be- the idea of adventuring beyond Joji really does fascinate them, and for now, these authentic stories are their only window into it. Even if I'm off, just the way this is described is cool!
First off, love how you describe a TV in Joji terms, through Fi's perspective. Secondly, the fact that Kitty's on the news is cool! Announcing that she made it into Joji without a mask was probably a shock to them, and I wonder how they will react if they see her around, and considering that quote about "something not sitting right" about Kitty and the trade deal she spearheaded, it makes me wonder where their suspicion will lead them...
Oh, the irony of hearing this, knowing what Fi has gone through...No wonder they feel so bitter about all the change. Again, seeing how the react when walking around the village and thinking everyone's gone insane, I'm left curious what their reaction will be when they meet Kitty!
I also liked how you caught us up on where Fi stands in the society after this timeskip, first with their labor position and again with Dzo. It's encouraging to see how they've gotten stronger and keen to the taunts, whereas Dzo just sinks lower and lower.
Ooo, a close save from Kitty! Now this is an exciting twist...
Ahh, great dialogue that serves as a great hint as to Fi's bitterness! Not just all the change, but a certain wariness from a supposed ally of the king. That makes a lot of sense when put to perspective, now I'm hoping they'll realize that Kitty isn't lying about caring about all Joji residents (I hope).
Agh, I knew something had to be shifty! The idea of DRU exploiting "glitch" society, something they perceive to be beneath them, just to steal teslium is a wicked plot! And recalling what Fi said about the hard work they put into supplying their own people with it, it's hard not to feel empathy when the goal seems to crack down even more. I'm curious what Kitty will do, I'm curious what Fi will do, and I'm curious if there's something more to these 'harmony boxes' that just got thrown around -beyond the spying which is bad enough... >.>
OH SNAP!! O.O
Our
MadThoughts...Overall, great chapter to raise the stakes! Nicely done!
Thank you for your reviews today! I am glad you enjoyed Kitty's insertion into this story as a side character! I assume you have an idea of where we are going here, so stay tuned~
Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening/Night(whichever one it is in your part of the world),
Hi! I'm Kate and I'm here to leave a quick review!!
First Impression
Well things are getting pretty bad for this particular area of town it would seem, with Kitty or more specifically the DRU's plan going really quite well which naturally means everyone else's day is about to get ruined quite thoroughly.
Anyway let's get right to: Kate's Line by Line Reactions;
Well that's an easy one to guess there xD I wonder if that's a reference to another story of yours perhaps but I have no clue. Either way it seems we're right back to this particular part of the story and we're starting off here in what is mostly a neutral setting although I must admit I've forgotten a few names by this point. We'll see how this goes.
Oooh this is an interesting quirk of the local geology it seem. Not the kind of activity to to lean into in most other worlds but this one seems to thrive on this quite a bit. I think it creates a nice addition to all the other worldbuilding in general that we've got going on here.
Well judging by that reaction that's something new, and judging by the last chapter, Kitty almost for sure responsible for it, whether it was something she wanted to directly implement or if she ended up awkwardly having to agree to keep her mission intact.
Well that seems like something to think about. Asking a lot of questions about how this was authorized and why. One thing is for certain, Kitty is definitely behind this in some capacity looking at how its all gone down trade wise. I'm sure we'll find out more soon.
Well looks like Kitty's addition to society is as strange an unconventional as it appeared while it was happening and now its starting to build on itself and go even further like this.
Hmm that definitely isn't something to be black and white on I think. Its the kind of change that could be pretty good to think about but at the same time while it was a nice change in our world, I don't know if this society is ready for it, not through trade like that where they've clearly sold a massive amount of their own resources for this.
Well it looks like they're most arguing on the back and forth at the moment on the simpler points, which definitely aren't as simple as that to be arguing about. We'll see where this little broadcast as it were is going to take us and I'm also wondering a little about why we've chosen to skip a whole year forward in time if the announcement bit from earlier is to be believed.
Hmm looks like the broadcast is having some very immediate effects here. This is about to get quite interesting. Now it makes me wonder if this is very much a Kitty plan of some sort to try and set a trap of some sort. I could be reading too much into that but this feels like too huge an impact to consider as totally unintentional.
Well looks like Fi's in trouble once again and by falling asleep Fi's got themself into a position that's pretty bad at the moment. Oh dear. This is not looking too great at the moment. I hope that this whole one year that has passed has made some sort of difference. Surely, Fi's managed to get to a point where people aren't always tossing them around but then I wouldn't put it past them either.
Well looks like they're still out for murder. Looks like the situation from earlier with the father has done absolutely nothing. That's a little disappointing but at least Fi seems much less helpless now and more annoyed that genuinely afraid about what might happen.
Well that's awfully convenient timing. Gotta say one time where I can't excuse the dramatic timing unless we know Kitty is specifically looking for Fi for some reason, which is how that would make some sense.
Well it looks like its pretty clear what Fi feels about Kitty, Kitty wanting to get in touch with them or not. This is going to be an interesting conversation regardless, especially if we can learn a bit more about what Kitty is doing at the moment through it.
Well I am loving this. Fi getting to stand up for themself for once in a while and really get in a few nice jabs. We haven't seen a whole lot of that and Kitty having to explain herself a little is a fun change for the moment.
Well looks like Fi is having some genuine concerns and for now at least Kitty is also being genuine. I can't image she's evil at any rate given what we know of her. Its just that I'm sure she can't do a whole lot about what the DRU want and I'm not convinced they aren't evil.
Well okay that's a really awkward change in POV there. I mean its noticeable but I'd advise some sort of divider just to make it a little bit clearer than that if you're going to switch POV mid chapter which is fine, it just generally is better to acknowledge it rather than blend it into the writing.
Well that about confirms every suspicion that I had. Well looks like that's just going to continue then. Maybe they'll have some time longer than other glitches given Fi appears to be important but I have a feeling this whole place won't last very long once it runs out of resources with maybe Fi being the only one to continue. Well, with their not actually been anyone powerful actively fighting against the DRU its just going to keep going I suppose. Its a bit odd that to have technically no protagonist almost but I like that. Its a very realistic path to go on, and I'm sure we'll see more resistance as things continue to get worse but not quite just yet.
Ahh well I was already on the firmly dislike the DRU side of things but I think I can officially switch to the they suck and need to burn to the ground side of things at this point.
So that makes that earlier scene prove as awkward given Kitty was definitely not looking for it. But I suppose plot has to plot and this is how Fi gets out before this dimension is wiped out. Well, we'll figure out what happens soon enough. Looking forward to seeing how part six will go.
Aaand that's it for this oneee!!!
Overall
Overall looks like things are looking very dire for that dimension, and generally things are unfolding horribly for anything that's not the DRU. We'll see if there's going to be any pushback against this or if maybe they were the good guys all along and I just think they're being too harsh.
As always remember to: Take what you think was helpful and forget the rest!
Kate
Thank you for the review!
I think this chapter is a bit rough, now that I am looking at it again with fresh eyes. One writing habit I am trying to work on is dishing out worldbuilding naturally. One thing that would be useful to know (I am sure it is brought up later, but it should have probably been earlier) is that Joji Prefecture is inside of the Desert of Sinkholes where Raiya hailed from. The sinkholes lead to different dimensions, as you know. The desert is essentially the limbo between dimensions, so it is not able to be destroyed either.
You're Welcome!!
Hmm funnily I figured out it was inside of the Desert, but I didn't realize that made it immune to being destroyed but that does change things a bit yes!