Milda
"Terrel, Pig, Pigman, Hog, what exactly drives you to not use magic? It seems quite nugatory when your race gives you sure a natural ability."
Robert
*He'd sit in silence for a while, quiet pondering over which words were better to say.*"Not everyone gets the natural ability to use magic."*He'd eventually say.*"Magic's never helped me with anything. Somehow I've found a sword to be more reliable than it."
Milda
"Ah. So you are not very good at it, despite your races naturally abilities?"
Robert
"Mediocre at best."*He'd say begrudgingly.*"Can't shoot fire out of my hands or make water fall from the sky. Mana has never been a friend of mines, but I've stopped caring for it ages ago. At this point I doubt I have any left."*The Elf would simply shrug. He had grown used to a life without magic. Though he couldn't deny its usefulness at times, it only proved to be a pain for him in the long run.*
Milda
"I believe I understand. I too would want to wear a mask if I failed at the main thing I was made for."
It pauses for a second
"A mask on a mask... Wow! Thinking about it just opens so many possibilities."
Robert
*The Elf would snort in suppressed amusement.*"Well when you say it like that it sounds a lot more depressing. I'm afraid this mask is from much fonder memories though. The face under it hardly matters to anyone at that point. If I needed a constant reminder of my inability to use magic, I'd just go out and fight mages everyday."*He gave a brief shake of his head, mostly from the ridiculousness of the Helper's statement towards wearing another mask. A perplexed expression would cross his face, though of course that wasn't really visible.*"So would that mask be sentient and wear another mask?"*He'd decide to ask, finding the thought of continuing this pattern to be a lot funnier.*
Milda
It pauses for a second.
"Well, I am only given sentience to help Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal... But there are some things I need help with, so I suppose another sentient mask would help that, and I imagine, that mask would need something to be helped with, at which point it would require a sentient mask of its own and after that..."
This continues until terrel stops the mask
Robert
"Alright, alright. I get it."*He'd say, holding a hand up to stop the constant speech.*"So what were to happen if you just stopped being a mask and Jackson just gave your sentience to an actual body?"*The Elf new of some occasions were things like summons and others of the sort seemed sentient. Then again, a talking mask was rather new to him, making him wonder if it worked all the same. Somewhere in that thought process, the Elf imagined some sort of talking animal wearing a mask to which he would snicker at it.*
Milda
It pauses...
"I can't really see why I'd want that."
Robert
"Why not? You'd get to roam around, see things on your own, do stuff without needing the extra assistance. I mean I'd guess you'd still be Jackson assistant or whatever you call this dynamic, but at least you'd have some individuality."*Terrel would explain, tilting his head back a bit in thought.*"Never at least thought about not being part of a mask?"
Milda
It pauses again, a little longer than usual.
"My main reason for coming into existence is to simply help Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal. Given the place that I am in, I am in an optimal position to monitor all of his needs and what to do. I don't believe me having my own body would change much. I only wish to bring Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal happiness."
Robert
"So I'm guessing you're just happy whenever Jackson is happy or some logic like that?"*He'd question.*"Are your thoughts just like his own thoughts too?"*Internally, the Elf tried to piece together whatever this kind of magic was, the most logical being something similar to summoning or enchanting some kind of ability on the mask. Either way Terrel simply envisioned the mask as the extension of the one who wore it, seemingly not the one to talk. Perhaps that was what they helped with above anything.*
Milda
Pause
"What an odd query. I do not know if I am capable of emotion, but at least that is where I and Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal bond. Perhaps, if my job is complete, and he can feel something, one day I could feel something too. However, considering I had never considered that up until this point, I don't believe I'd call it a priority."
It pauses again.
"No, Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal and I do not share thoughts. While sometimes I can understand what he is trying to convey, that is as far as it goes. I am my own entity."
Robert
"You seem to read him pretty well."*He'd note before idly taking off his gloves so he could move to submerge his hand into the cooler pond water.*"You don't think too far ahead do you? Understandable enough, though why isn't he happy? Outside of the crippling things that happen day to day in this world. You would think by now there'd be some kind of feeling."
Milda
"Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal is neither sad nor happy. Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal exists in a humdrum life. Without me, he is contempt to stand in a room all day looking at the wall. It is only when he is told to do something that he will actually do something."
Robert
"Ever tried having him work for someone then?"*He'd joke. What better thing to do than a job for someone if he simply followed what someone said. Then again Terrel was hardly different with his job, but at least he did his own thing outside of it, things that at least gave him some peace of mind. The person was strange to say the least. It was a wonder of how he even made it to this point with that way of going about things.*
Milda
"Yes. Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal is quite good at jobs. He was a laborer on his parents farm for many years, and even became a craftsman for a year or so after. He would have been fine existing in the constant loop of labor, but his parents did not enjoy having him around."
Robert
"Why's that?"*The Elf would ask. He supposed at some point parents were bound to kick their children out, though he had left home prior to that even becoming a possibility. It made him wonder what his own family was doing nowadays. Having left so long ago, some stuff was bound to have changed in that time.*
Milda
"Oh, it's quite simple. Without Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal acting like a normal child, they are constantly reminded of the failures of their parenting and are unable to continue their lives happily."
Lois
Jackson nods and continues to look at the sky.
Robert
*He'd remove his hand from the pond, shaking the water from it for a short while before he'd rub at the back of his neck.*"I don't see the problem. The guy can get a job done. He could end up making money and living the life just like anyone else would want to. Granted, emotionless, but employers hardly care so long as the task is done."
Milda
It paused again
"The parents appeared to have gone through some questionable attempts at fixing Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal until I was brought on. It appears they were not able to bare what they did without a successful conclusion."
Robert
*He'd give off a shrug.*"Their loss. You should go visit the Capitol. Plenty of places that could use someone with a basic skillset. Not sure if it'll make him particularly happy or not, but maybe find an end goal there at some point or just find someone to hang out with. It can be complicated, but sometimes you just go with the flow for a while until something happens."*He'd chuckle.*"It's what I do anyways."
Milda
"We are considering many options, but we have worked those jobs without any change. I believe forced interaction and putting Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal into different situations will possibly lead to something."
Robert
"This interaction doing anything?"*He'd ask. The Elf would place his hand back on the ground. He certainly didn't expect anyone else to be out here nor could he imagine himself just putting himself out there in different situations, but if it works for them, it works he supposed.*
Milda
"Perhaps. We will only know in time, but we always do appreciate the time others take to interact with us."
It pauses
"Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal, why don't you craft a gift for our new acquaintance?"
Lois
Jackson begins to sit up and finds a large stick, cracking it in half and beginning to carve it with a carving knife.
Robert
"I'll take that as a win."*The Elf would say, grinning in slight triumph over something that probably wouldn't come again.*"A gift?"*He'd question in a tone of confusion. Terrel supposed this shouldn't be as strange to him, the more confusing part him taking a stick and crafting it into something unbeknownst to the Elf. His head would tilt a bit to the side in trying to get a better angled view of it.*"What is it?"
Lois
He continues carving silently.
Milda
"Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal requests a second to finish."
Lois
After a bit, he grabs the gift in his fist and puts it toward Terrel slowly, flipping over his fist and opening it up to reveal a roughly carved wooden pig figurine.
Robert
*Terrel would wait a moment longer, silently watching him carve away while hardly getting to see what it was he was working on. Only when he held out the pig figurine did the elf finally let out a quiet chuckle at it.*"Thanks."*He'd say, slowly grabbing the wooden figurine from his hand and turning it over.*"Guess I can see why the mask considered you a good craftsman."*Any more of these pig gifts and one may consider him obsessed. Actually maybe that's a good thing. It could make a fitting decoration later if anything. He'd smile down at it for a short while, before soon pocketing it away within the folds of his cloak.*
Lois
Jackson slowly nods. He reaches forward toward Terrel's mask and attempts to feel what it's made out of.
Robert
*Terrel would grab Jackson's arm with his hand, moving his head back ever so slightly.*"A quick bit of advice though, don't try to do that to the other people in the city. It isn't always taken too lightly."
Lois
Jackson's hand stops. His flesh feels almost burning to the touch.
Milda
"Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal, it appears you cannot just attempt to touch people's possessions. Please put your hand back."
Lois
Jackson slowly puts his hand back down.
Milda
"It appears he wished to see what your mask was made out of."
Robert
"This? Mainly clay and fabrics, bit of furs for the Pig aesthetic."*He'd laugh at the last part, mainly drawing in old memories of when he first wore a mask like this. He was much younger then, but enjoyed it all the same.*"I'm guessing you make your own masks?"*The Elf would ask them.*
Lois
He would tilt his head.
Milda
"Masks as in me? If that is the assumption, no. I was created by someone else and placed onto Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal."
Robert
"Did that someone know he needed a mask or did he used to talk then?"*He'd ask, trying to fill in a hidden gap behind the mask's history of being made. Terrel would have assumed that being a craftsman Jackson would have had some part in it being made even if someone else made it magical.*
Milda
"My creator was paid for by Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal's parents to make this mask specifically for him. It was my creators idea even to attach this charming face to the mask so that Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal's emotionless face would both people less."
At a closer inspection of the mask, it does seem extremely clean and made out of some sort of ceramic or porcelain. The eye holes and the mouth holes lead to everlasting darkness uwu
Robert
"Didn't do such a bad job at it."*He'd say in his own strange way of complimenting it. The Elf would eventually turn away, glancing down at the pond of water in front of him.*"So you heading to the Capitol from here?"
Milda
"He did a great job even! Our creator was one of the best!"
It beams up a bit.
"We were just wandering through when we noticed the water and Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal was growing thirsty. Which way is the capitol? It could be the next destination."
Robert
*The Elf would point backwards, gesturing to the way he had originally come from.*"Just straight that way until you find the main road, then head right from there. The gates shouldn't be far so you should be able to see them."*He would instruct.*
Milda
"That sounds good. Thank you for your help, Mister Terrel, Pig, Pigman, Hog. Have you seen many titans at this place?"
Robert
*The Elf would scratch at his head with the question being asked, trying to rack his brain of any other Titans he's met.*"Besides Jackson and some guard, not really."*He'd say eventually with that being as far as his memory went.*"Why?"
Lois
He appears to look at the ground a bit.
Milda
"I am not entirely sure, but Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal appears to be at least slightly more at ease around his own kind."
Robert
"Can't say I've seen many in my time of traveling. Who knows, maybe they're all gathered somewhere that no other kind knows of."*He'd say.*
Milda
"Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal and even my knowledge seems to be very lacking on where they could be located. The only ones I know about is Mr. Jackson Humdrum Atonal's family."
Robert
"Can probably try searching a library."*He'd say, lowering his other hand into the pond. This time he would use it to rub the cool water along the bottom of his chin, his shoulders growing lax soon after.*"Got all kinds of things you can probably find there."
Milda
"Hmmm... I have a large amount of library knowledge... But for some reason most libraries seem to be lacking in that knowledge..."
Robert
"Well. First one you find, don't forget to ask."*He'd say simply, dipping his back into the water.*"I typically visit around Mentia if you ever want to travel there. You never know what you'll come across in that country. Maybe you'll find what you're liking for there."
Milda
"And what is it exactly that you do, Mister Terrel, Pig, Pigman, Hog?"
Robert
"Travel mainly. Helps me find more jobs as a mercenary that way. And also meet more people along the way if that's what you care more about."*He'd say.*"But I'm just taking a break from it right now."
Milda
"Why are you taking a break? Is the pay not sufficient?"
Robert
"The pay is fine. The workload, not so much at times. Let's just say coworkers make a job harder than need be. It gets tiring after a while."*He'd glance over at the two.*"Sometimes I just want to be able to finish a task, not have to debate in the middle of said task, and get the money for it, but times like that are rare, so I've just been doing my own thing for a while now."
Milda
"That seems... Quizzical. Why would people being paid for a job question how it is done?"
Robert
"Some like to wait until midway through it before having conflicting ideologies. I can never understand it really. Always just saw it as get a job, do it as efficiently as possible, and get paid. Not that every job is the cleanest, but can't help them all."*He'd say.*"Money isn't worth it to them at times in comparison to sticking to their morals."
Milda
"I agree. If you were to spend all your time questioning what you were told, nothing would get accomplished. You have to assume that what you are being told to do is the correct thing."
Robert
"It's the thing that pays me in the end. I already decide whether or not I'll do it at the time of accepting the offer. Anything after is just pure work, whether or not it's correct is a conflict amongst the employers. But sometimes I end up antagonized for doing my job anyways, so not much can be done with that."
Milda
"That is unfortunate. Well, if you need someone who will always follow through on their orders, we will always be around."
Robert
*He'd raise an eyebrow, more so questionably. The Elf has had plenty of allies who seemed keen on working with him only to end up being a pain in the neck when it came down to it.*"Really?"*He'd question dubiously.*"So you don't care much from the idea of death being at every turn or the occasional task of you having to kill off people at the order of someone else?"*His words would come rather bluntly. He had grown tired of dodging around the truth for those unable to stomach the reality of people simply hating one another. Their means for getting each other killed simply added more gold to his own pocket.*