♪ Secret of Mana Music: 03 Rose and Ghost ♪ Caim's Refuge, Toldara 10th of Tidesurge Today was an unexpectedly pleasant surprise. The sunlight kept up in spite of the forecast calling for more summer storms and everything dried out enough that Albe and I took Lelija, Willus, and Vyga out to the park to enjoy the day. We packed a lovely picnic basket loaded with Albe's cooking and baking providing us with a meal and snacks to look forward to over the course of the day. It was nice to see the children playing in the park before the dry winter set in and plenty of other families had the same idea so we were able to make it almost seem like a small festival of our own. While we were out I heard from Ceslaus that the replacement for Pastor Wellinhousen had arrived, rest his soul, I expressed that I was quite eager to meet them even though I was at best a casual worshiper and was never hugely involved in the church. I still feel it is important to get to know someone who with time will be just as much of a cornerstone of our community as Pastor Wellinhousen was before his unexpected passing, I'm certain that we will find that they bring just as much joy and wisdom to those who seek it as well as the continued blessings of the Circles and Harvest. --- New pastor coming in. Good omen after the previous month. Too many refiners broke down. But a shipment's coming in soon to replace them. New pastor. New shipments. It's a month of new. Hope to see the new parts soon. We're going to need them if the forecast is right about the coming month. Silos are still holding, though Valtin complained about potential breaches. Last storm wasn't kind to them. I looked myself. No food's contaminated. Can't hurt to reinforce them. I'll get the welder tomorrow. That'll fix it. Need to see about getting a new rebreather though. Reminder: talk to Gryta about getting one. ----- 13th of Tidesurge The rains returned today. We have been blessed with more than a bounty of beautiful days of sunshine despite the season, in a way the return of the summer rains has been comforting. Coinciding with this good omen Albe and I took the children for a church outing today to welcome the new Pastor. The service was a little difficult for us all I think, as we are slow to recover from the shocking loss of Pastor Wellinhousen, however I can take comfort in the spirit and dutiful manner in which Pastor Althaus performed their duties. Following the service I had the good fortune of conversing with Pastor Althaus for a time and found them to be quite amicable in character. They even expertly conversed with my son, little Willus treating him like an equal despite his tender years, it was a surprising but clearly well received turn of events. Albe and I have been excitedly discussing this turn of fortune so soon following an unforeseen tragedy and we can only hope that things continue to flourish into new bounty as the year comes to a close. I am buoyed by optimism and I am sure that our community is on the cusp of a most wondrous future truly we have been rewarded for our diligence and perseverance. --- Missed service. Up all night repairing the refiners. Hard to do. Hackjob. Got my respirator though. Gryta said I missed out. Something about a revelation. Nice to hear pastor settled in. Maybe I'll get the chance to see them. Boost my mood even. Anything to cope with the rain. Too much rain. Silos still holding. Again. Valtin's getting annoying. Wish they'd stop pestering me about it. System says no breach. Eyes say no breach. Waste of time. Refiners bigger priority. Can't support our colony without them. Laprenz says I need to worry less about the refiners. Laprenz is a damned fool. Can't fix his way out of a tool shed. But I'm stuck with him. ----- 18th of Tidesurge Had a good day once again, business was thick and fast I feel that we were quite the service to the community today! Even better Albe arrived at lunch with a home cooked meal which was my favorite, truly I am blessed to have such a diligent wife. A small oddity, while running errands at the grocer I was exchanging pleasantries with old Edwikke as usual, but yet not once did she mention the Circles and Harvest as she is oft want to do given her most devout leanings. Perhaps it slipped her mind in her long years? Surely it must have, still she seemed hale and energetic which was lovely to see. I'm sure that I will see that my worry is for naught. Perhaps I will even take the family for an extra day of service at the church to have an excuse to check on old Edwikke. Ah, I can hear Lelija calling for me, it seems she along with Willus and Vyga have devised some sort of entertainment for the evening, I look forward to their creativity. --- Valtin said no more silo problems. Sounded odd to just change tune. Wasn't even whiny about it. Good riddance otherwise. One less thing to think about. Had to sleep in the shop again. Got a potential long term fix from the printer. Each piece isn't the right grade. But they fit right. So they break more often. But we can make more, fast. Gives me more reason to see the printer too. They're cute. If I can't find time to see the pastor, I can see the printer. Laprenz and Gryta called me for cards. Neither started the prayer before the game, so I did. Gave me silence. But they were happy. Even if Laprenz has a lousy game face. He didn't cheat this time either. Station called. The refiner shipment's coming in three weeks. Hope they sent enough to keep us furnished for a while. The company likes to save money but they can't skimp on this. ----- 22nd of Tidesurge Came home to find the house empty today, this has never happened before. After searching the house trying not to let my nerves get the best of me I found a note on the kitchen counter from Albe saying that she'd gone with the kids after schooling to the church. After thanking the Circles and Harvest that nothing ill had happened, I found myself possessed by a certain curiosity as my panic faded. It wasn't like Albe to be so interested in attending the church, especially since we'd been extra recently when I wanted to check in on old Edwikke. Still it isn't too unusual, we do have Pastor Althaus settling in, and as an older man he probably could use some support of the community to get a grasp of how things are around here. Thinking of this I find myself warmed by the knowledge that I have a family so willing to help out and contribute to the community. I'll stop by the grocer's and pick up some ingredients for Albe's favorite meal and surprise her with it for when she gets home later. I'm sure she'll appreciate not having to cook a meal for the family for once, and it'll be like a celebration for her and the children. Yes, it will be good to show how proud I am of them for their newfound sense of responsibility! --- Odd. Things are odd. Saw Pastor Althaus for first time. Thought Gryta said they were older. They seemed young. Not a kid, but younger than me. Didn't get chance to talk with them. Pastor was talking to one of the families. Albe and her kids? Didn't disturb them. Too busy getting my freezer dinners. Edwikke looks younger too. Did she see a surgeon? Maybe splurged on a rejuve package? She was coy about it. Might need to get into what she uses soon. Leg's started aching from all the rain. Valtin insists on treating me to dinner. For putting up with him, he says. I keep passing. Can't stand him. Too nasally. Bad enough talking for work, let alone a meal. I'll stick to my One Stop Deluxe Dinners. Haven't seen Gryta in two days. Laprenz says she's sick. Maybe I'll bring her a good health charm. Cheer her up. The Circle continues. The Harvest grows. Refiners break down. I keep fixing them. ----- 27th of Tidesurge As the Circle turns it brings with it a veritable Harvest of surprises. It was a favorite joke of Pastor Wellinhousen when the unexpected would happen, and these past few days I've found it almost constantly on my lips. I've been covering extra shifts for my coworkers at the business, many of them have requested time off for personal reasons or illness and I have been more than willing to pick up the slack. My one regret is that I've been seeing less of Albe, thankfully however she and the children have been more involved in the church than ever. Pastor Althaus must be quite the charismatic figure since the town is more engaged in the church than any time in recent memory. For an older fellow he sure knows how to bring life to a community. I'm impressed and appreciative of his success! Still, I have yet to have an opportunity to thank the man myself. I keep missing him when I drop by the church after my late shift ends, and though I'm spending more time than I can remember at the church I haven't managed to make a proper service or event in some time. I really must consider taking time off soon. Hopefully when work calms down. --- Laprenz and Gryta being out makes this harder. I'm the only person in the facility. Or it feels like that. Did Gryta get Laprenz sick? I suspected they had a thing. Guess that's true. Valtin's getting more insistent. I'll need to find better excuses. Maybe tell him I'm sick too. Serves him right. Refiners break down too much now. I almost regret using the printer. Spend more time fixing the broken ones than upkeeping the working ones. I haven't seen my bed in over a week. Got to move a better pillow over at this rate. Rain's gotten worse today. Could damage the silos. I'll check them tomorrow. See what damage is done. This is the weather Valtin should worry about. ----- 29th of Tidesurge I am left unsettled and disappointed. Finally got a day off of work after these weeks long double shifts. Though I'm appreciative of the work and the good that I am able to do for the community, I must admit that I am still a mortal man and despite my many blessings I find myself exhausted. Despite expressing that I wanted a day to rest and spend time together as a family, Able was insistent that I go to church with her and the children. After an hours arguing she departed with the children leaving me alone to a home that feels unexpectedly lonely. Seeing the disappointment on not only Albe's face, but in little Willus's big brown eyes, growing more intelligent by the day, also Lelija looked almost like her mother with the scorn in her eyes she'll make a fine woman one day. Vyga the angel that she was had nothing but smiles for me, but still I can't help but feel that they were offered in kindness rather than genuine happiness to see me. I suppose they were all looking forward to showing me what their lives have been put towards in these recent days. Even so, my family healthy and hale, practically radiant to look upon them a contrast to my own sorry state. Still I mustn't sulk, I will simply have to do what I can to be the best that I can the Circles and Harvest willing. I'm sure that I'll be able to make it up to them soon and that we'll spend our sunny autumn days laughing together once more. --- Did the silo inspection. Silo was intact but the food looked off. Told Valtin he might have a fungus. Valtin looked weird. Said there was nothing wrong. Laughed. Health code violations are no joke, I told him. Not your department, he says. I'm calling the inspector's office. Valtin's changed. So had Gryta. Spent all her time at church today. Wasn't home when I got there. Sick but still finds time for church. I'm annoyed. Here I bust my ass. Nobody helping. Foundry is falling apart. I'm the only one who cares. Everybody looks off now. Printer person. Edwikke. Laprenz. What is going on? Is it the weird food in the Silo? Is Valtin poisoning them? Company shuttles can't come fast enough. Fog's rolling in thicker than it ever was. Wearing rebreather everywhere. Can't let my lungs catch pneumonia now. ----- 31st of Tidesurge Everything makes so much sense now. I did not have to go into work today, Albe assured me that no one would be there for business, looking at her smile I could find no reason to doubt. After all, why would anyone come in today? Willus and Lelija were skipping as they held my hands leading me to the car, Vyga was already waiting in the back with her sunny and wise smile. Albe arrived a moment later. We left the door open, all are welcome are they not? We were greeted with joyous fanfare, the town's mirth reverberated throughout the church in a manner which I have not seen in all my years, not even in my father's day. The fog was thicker within the church swirling with purpose, and the floor had been flooded in a most wonderful way. Each step felt like a hint of rapture, each breath teasing at the mind with promises of so much more! There standing before the dais was the Priestess, just as radiant and beautiful as Albe assured me she would be. I could see her for who she had always been the trappings of illusion and deceit that had clouded my eyes having finally fallen away. The relief I felt looking upon her was what I had been looking for, all my weeks of exhausted toil seemed to melt away in that moment and then I was beckoned forward. Her hand was held above my face, and the thick holy fluid descended towards my face, I found the words on my lips as she spoke them. I had always known them, and now I have the opportunity to speak them with the whole of my being, "For the Mother, we bleed. For her Children, we sacrifice." --- Fuck. It makes sense. The changes. The food. The church. I called the inspection office. No answer. I went to the office. Nobody was there. I went to head inspector's home, expecting Albe or one of their kids at the least. None found. Door open. Walked inside, worried. No struggle. Parlor desk open, with their journal. Read it to the last page. Realized this place is sour now. Everybody mad. Should have known. The Circle ends. Harvest rotted. Thankful for my rebreather. Ran to starport. Also empty. Thankfully. Found signaller's office. Sent message to station before stealing a shuttle. Nobody's coming to Caim's Refuge now. Autopilot is a blessing. Journal will be handy for telling company why their money's lost. Just happy for my life.
