Comrade Duck

Party Pooper When Corpus was no longer in view, Olivander felt relieved at first. He was glad that it wouldn't be the first thing on his mind. As the hours passed, however, he began to feel guilty. He also recognized that, regardless of the outcome, he would be responsible in some fashion. These thoughts would continue to weigh on his mind for some time, causing him to sit idly in his room without leaving, often for days at a time. He fell into a mental state of agony that he struggled to escape, even when he slept. Often times, his mind would drift to even darker places, where things would get worse. "Maybe I should've stayed behind... " "If the mountain erupts, at least I'd answer for it in death." "I've doomed those people. It's only right that I suffer too." The weight of the dagger in his pocket was often easily ignored. Recently, however, it felt very heavy. As he placed his hand over the handle and gripped it tightly, he placed the flat side of the steel against his cheek. It was cold. It felt good. It felt real. At least he was feeling something. Sometimes he wondered if he handed over the dagger to Kitt if he would honor his final wishes. Those thoughts left as quickly as they arrived, but were replaced by feelings of taking the action into his own hands. He sighed, exasperated, and threw his arms out wide over his bed. He moved too fast and drew the dagger from his cheek too quickly, leaving a crude, noticeable gash under his left eye. He didn't wince or grimace as his face was sliced open. He barely blinked. The blood trickling down his face tickled his cheek and annoyed him. The annoyance quickly turned to anger. The anger quickly turned to rage. Without thinking, he turned over rapidly and tossed the dagger with all his might into the outside wall of his room. It landed with a muddied thud as it sank into the wood of the ship. The worst part about all of this was that Olivander had no idea how to process his emotions. He didn't have a healthy way to deal with whatever it was that was haunting him and he was sure that wouldn't change. He turned over with his back to his door and allowed his face to bleed into his pillow. As he stared out of the port window into the clouds, he thought about why he was along this journey. He couldn't remember. He didn't want to.

How many times have you stubbed your toe in your life?

Whatchall doin? Got a costume you wanna share? Got plans? Going to a party? Staying in and watching horror movies? Whatchall doin?

Hard Decisions Finding David was simple, but still a huge weight off Olivander's shoulders. “Over here!” David called. Olivander turned on the spot and dashed over to the young man, sweeping him off his feet with a big hug. "I'm glad you're alright," Olivander said, trying to stop himself from sobbing. “Well, one of us is, at least. I dunno where Pfeifer got off to after, uh, probably after the ceremony, but he was all packed, right? I know when we saw you he had that bag with him. He should be fine, though. He’s just with his family I gue- oh. Pfeifer’s probably with his family," David said. "His family? Are they... staying?" Olivander asked, trying not to panic. “Old Man Jones is his grandpa, and Old Man Jones is staying behind," David added. Olivander's face flushed with fear and rage. "C'mon then. We have to go and get your better half." Olivander's mind was made up. He wasn't leaving without David and Pfeifer. He wouldn't take no for an answer. With David on his heels, Olivander made his way to Old Man Jones' house. He knocked calmly, despite the chill down his spine. "Mr. Jones. It's Olivander. I'm coming inside," he announced loudly. It didn't matter to Olivander if he had found the Old Man stark naked and lying with a goat. He was going to go into his home, get Pfeifer, and get out. That was all there was to it. "I know we're not on the best of grounds, but I'd like to talk to you," he said as he entered Jones' home without permission. "I realize I'm not making my case much better by barging into your home in a potential time of crisis when you're with your family. I'm very sorry. But there's something on my heart that I cannot leave without taking care of," Olivander said, his heart beating out of his chest. "I'd like to take Pfeifer with me," he said with one more breath after crossing the threshold. With a sigh, he kept his head down and continued talking without leaving room for interruption. His eyes on the ground, his head bowed, he went on. "I know that he's your grandson and that his safety is your ultimately your decision. I'm not in the business of breaking up happy homes and I'm not here to fracture your life. If this volcano doesn't erupt, I'll use all of my power to return Pfeifer to your home post-haste. I can guarantee his safety with my abilities and I will not allow harm to come to him under my care. So finally, please let me beseech you: please allow Pfeifer to be in my care until we are all certain that this disaster is over or has been avoided," he said, fighting back tears. He fell to a knee and waited for Jones to scold him.

Unfinished Business “Good job you two,” he said. Those were the words that Olivander almost fell to his knees for. Though Flynt continued to talk, Olivander couldn't hear him. He was too busy ogling the words of praise he received from the handsome man in front of him. It was almost strange considering the circumstances, but it felt good to receive something this important (to him) from Flynt. Eventually Olivander came out of his trance and sighed happily. "Thanks," he finally managed to say with a smile. "I'm going to check in with Helmsley and make sure I'm not forgetting anything. I trust you to do the same, Flynt." Aboard the Swallow Tail, Olivander finally convened with Helmsley. Olivander moved through the large portion of Corpus that seemed to be aboard the ship until he was finally face to face with its Captain. “Just about ready to call all aboard,” Captain Helmsley said. Olivander only nodded in response. “Little bit ahead of schedule too, guess that means we really do’ve got the gods on our side.” Olivander smirked as the Captain laughed. "Well, I guess this gamble paid off. Praise be to Hinder." “Suppose that means this is a brief courtesy: is there anything else you need to do here? Anyone you need to talk to, any final advice? We’ll wait for you, of course, but I do have to know.” Olivander rubbed his chin as he looked around the ship. He slowly let his eyes fall through the crowd of people when he realized someone was missing. His heart began to race and his eyes grew wide with horror. "The boys! David and Pfeifer! I have to find them!" Olivander's legs carried him faster than the thought could reach his brain. Panicked, he began sprinting through people, literally. He called out their names as if they were his own children. They had become important to him, and Olivander wasn't sure why. "David!? Pfeifer!?" It was unusual for him to form such quick attachments, considering that he was a thief. When thinking of all the things that Olivander really kept with him, all the people he had traveled with, all of the souls he turned over to Hinder, these were suddenly the most important. And until he was two-hundred percent certain that they were aboard the Swallow Tail, he would not allow it to leave. With every bit of his power and every fiber of his being, he would not let David and Pfeifer stay behind. The risk was too great, and his heart wouldn't let him move on without them. His screams became painful as he continued his search. "DAVID!? PFEIFER!?"

During the Storm After dinner (which somehow turned out to be a success, no doubt in thanks to Hinder guiding Olivander's hand over the meal) Flynt's house quickly emptied. Not shortly after, the village was bustling with whispers and gossip. A large gathering had already occurred outside Dia's new place of worship. Now seeing the temple with his own eyes for the first time, Olivander could understand why. The building was massive and had been erected in merely hours. The prowess of Taros was indeed impressive. Even Olivander could see the intricate detail and level of craftsmanship that went into the temple. He let out a long whistle as he approached the temple. "Kitt, you've truly outdone yourself. This temple is a marvel. Well done mate." The last of the village gathered at last which prompted Flynt to move. He watched as Flynt approached the highest stair at the temple entrance, admiring the former watchdog's physique. "And of course you had the help of an equally talented follower of Taros," he said in what was practically a whisper. Olivander caught his jaw and scooped it up off the ground as Flynt drew the crowd's attention. When he was done, Olivander could feel the eyes of the villagers going back and forth between himself and Kitt. He elected to make the next move and stepped forward to speak. "A number of you probably don't know who I am. Who I am is not important. I'm a man who has been appointed by a god. That god has given me clear insight to this situation in which we are now all involved. This insight has led me to believe that you are all in danger. An impending eruption of the mountain-- no-- the volcano behind you, will leave nothing behind on Corpus. As you have heard, thanks to my meddling, the Swallow Tail is prepared to help those of you who wish it to evacuate. It's Captain and crew have been working tirelessly to ensure it is ready to set sail. However, we cannot force you to leave. Nor shall we. This is your home. My fellow watchdog believes that there is an alternative to save the island and protect it from doom. If you believe in his cause, then I encourage you to follow him and call upon Lord Dia." As he finished, Olivander gestured to Kitt and took a step back. "The floor is yours my friend."

If They Could See Me Now "Both, huh?" Olivander reacted softly to Eilis' words. "Leaving the choice to the masses is probably... more in line with the thoughts of the gods than anything myself or Kitt could propose, if I'm being totally honest," he finally admitted. "While the gods may influence our lives, I suppose too much influence would deter our free will. Better we leave the final decision to those who, ultimately, would or would not like to evacuate." Olivander, in all actuality, felt defeated. This wasn't something he considered, and it made his stomach twist into knots. If people stayed and the volcano did in fact erupt, they would die. If they left, and nothing happened, would they feel cheated? Would they resent the gods, and, as a result, resent the watchdogs? He rubbed his chin softly as he contemplated the weight of his words and actions. Had he acted to rashly in a rush and need to get everyone off the island? In pushing the islanders to evacuate, was he over stepping his boundaries? He was conflicted and confused and agitated. With a dejected sigh, he cemented his answer at last. "Yes. It's best to leave the final answer up to the individual. But I must caution that, in the event that the mountain does erupt, there will be nothing we can do to stop it. From here, at least, it would probably be best to open a forum to the public. They should be made aware of the situation. Though, by now, I'm sure the whispers have made it through the cracks." He was certain about this course of action at least. The public of Corpus should be alerted to the possible impending doom, and be allowed to decide for themselves if they would like to evacuate.

The G.O.A.T. As Flynt's home slowly filled with guests, Olivander's anxiety began to rise. "Oh gods. What if they don't like it? What if I under serve someone? What if I over serve someone? What if its over cooked and tough? What if its under cooked and makes someone sick!? Oh gods, just let the volcano take me now!" his brain rattled. Olivander took a deep breath as he began filling the bowls around the dinner table. When every bowl had a healthy serving of stew, he finally sat down to his own bowl and filled it. Unfortunately for Olive, there was only enough for a half-serving for himself. He sighed silently but accepted the remaining serving and helped himself. At the very least, everyone else would be full. The room was quiet at first but as Jones took his seat he prompted discussion right away. “Alright, so,” the elder began. “are we preventing the volcano eruption, or are we running away in terror? Or is it both? Neither?” Olivander hadn't quite taken a bite of his own cooking yet, so he sat his spoon down and looked up toward Jones. He decided to try and get ahead of the situation and admit to his own selfish acts first. "As I've more or less stated before, I'm of the opinion that we should leave. I've already blundered it obviously, but Captain Helmsley is ready to take on the work and help the people of Corpus to escape. I spoke with him briefly not long ago. I'm not entirely sure what Flynt and Kitt were up to while I was preparing dinner, but I still stand by my words. We should be leaving," Olivander expressed. He didn't seem his normal boastful, staunch self. Rather, Olivander came across as solemn and weary. "I'm of course open to our other options, whatever they may be."

Quandary of Flesh "No, no, it's not the best and the worst. It's the best of the worst." A.C.E. rubbed its chin as it pondered Oru's answer. "Statement: So, it does get worse." Before A.C.E. could step further out of the cargo bay, there was a sudden escalation. The source was a distressed voice of one of their crew-mates, Spike. Upon further analysis, it appeared they were threatened and possibly angered. Having not known Spike long, A.C.E.'s subconscious study of the changes in their vocal patterns were not complete. More study was required. "Oi! You got a problem do ya? Come on over here and say it to my face so and I'll crack yer damn skull how bout that?" Secondary analysis revealed aggression and confidence. Many overlapping emotions only gave A.C.E. more questions than answers. Judging by the direction of Spike's face and the trajectory of their vision, A.C.E. concluded that Spike was directing her words to nearby male robots. They were not a model that A.C.E. had seen before, which in turn excited A.C.E. Needless to say, A.C.E. was not reading the situation with proper understanding of the social cues involved. "Excuse me? The only problem we've got is with your aggressive attitude," one of them replied. "Unless it's you that has a problem with us. Care to clarify?" A.C.E. could not determine the intention behind this robot's words. Though it had learned to analyze the speech of organic creatures, it had not done so with other robots. So, it instead turned its attention back to Spike to examine her response and increase its own understanding of speech as a whole. "Yeah, sure, don't think I didn't notice you lot gossiping over there like old ladies. C'mon nuts and bolts don't try and hide it now. You wanna fight dontcha? Think cause I'm smaller'n you that I'm gonna be scared huh?" A.C.E. rubbed their head silently as it posed an internal query to itself. "Query: Nuts and bolts?" "I guess you heard us, but not well enough. We were talking about what's taking those damned cargo inspectors so long to show up. Talking smack about and fighting the crews of other cargo ships would look bad on our report, and the Consortium works me hard enough as it is. No such rule about some banter on tardy inspectors though, is there?" A.C.E.'s emoticons formed a smile (^_^). "Okay. Fine. You weren't talkin shit. But you were looking like it, okay? Don't go lookin at folks all nasty-like if you're not talking about them." "That's a bit difficult when my face looks like this..." It would seem there had been an unintentional misunderstanding between Spike and these unknown units that Spike had dubbed 'Nasty Like'. Was this their assigned model name? A.C.E.'s attention was drawn away from the conversation however as another crew-mate approached and held a sign to A.C.E.'s face. It was Mandevilla, the sentient plant! It's species, the Kkekri, were one that A.C.E. studied for some time in their leisure time because of their different biological make-up from other sentient crew-mates aboard the Janissary. A.C.E. quite enjoyed Mandevilla's presence. He was a very considerate crew-mate. The sign posed a question which, to A.C.E.'s surprise and pleasure, was posed in its own respective mannerisms. "Query: May I have access to your last inventory of the ship and our current budget?" A.C.E.'s emoticons formed a smile (^_^) again. "Statement: I will supply you with the most recent inventory and budget statements." As the Robot and Kkekri moved to enter the ship, however, another, unfamiliar voice joined the conversation. "If your crew is re-evaluating its personal inventory, this seems as good a time as any to ensure the cargo you have on-board is what our messages from Earth promised," they said. Slithering on up to the Janissary was a pair of Sarvatti, relatively towering over botanical, mechanical, and mammalian crewmates alike. Hanging from their necks was a necklace with a badge hanging from it, signifying them as the cargo inspectors assigned by the local government to make sure everything was as listed, and there was no secret contraband aboard the ship. "We apologize for our delay," the other inspector said. "Despite the tardiness, rest assured the inspection of your cargo shall be brief, albeit thorough. I certainly hope you haven't been hiding away illegal firearms or anything of the sort." By his tone of voice, it was difficult to tell if that was a joke or not. "Where is the cargo stored on this ship, precisely? Solarian constructions are seldom uniform, and we would prefer to not report that we got lost inside a spaceship." A.C.E.'s emoticons were nonchalant once more. "Statement: Please follow me." It lead the inspectors inside the cargo bay.

Dinner Plans “Is that how it is, then? I suppose the old rumors were true. Going to be a lot of money changing hands on deck once the crew hears about that. Both wagers and wages, you understand, the second one to keep complainers under control and the first, well, like I said. Rumors. Not that I’d expect you to participate -- in fact, you probably shouldn’t, fellas can get salty enough without thinking the gods themselves are against them." Olivander sat Big Willie down on the ground and let him run free for a bit. "Captain, I can't say for certain that the gods are for anyone," Olivander suddenly admitted. "I told this to Kitt, but, I'll tell you as well. They are fickle, jealous beings. What may look like a personal grudge to us may be but a pawn being defeated in battle. But I suppose that's all the more reason we should take their every move seriously. And it's precisely why I did what I did. I admit, it was selfish of me to bring such a burden down upon yourself and your crew. Rest assured, I will plead with Hinder for your blessing in coin. But I can also assure you that this was not personal. I merely wish to keep these people safe." “If both you and Kitt are in agreement, I should probably go tell everyone they’re working overtime tonight in addition to all that. I’d have to get a better look at the situation but we probably won’t be ready until just before midnight. Make sure everyone knows, too. I’ll deal with early arrivals, but I’d rather not deal with too many of them.” "I'll do that Captain. Thank you," Olivander answered. As the Captain left, Olivander sighed with relief. However, his blood pressure immediately began to rise again as he remembered one crucial part of the evening. "I forgot to make dinner!" He was about to burst out of Flynt's home when he remembered that Big Willie was about. "Stay here, Willie! I'll be back!" Olivander was sure that his request to the chicken would surely keep it in Flynt's house. He made himself intangible and sprinted through Flynt's home and back outside. "Okay. Think, Olivander, think. I'm sure I passed a few goats on the way down the mountain. I'll make a goat stew!" He blazed northward until he reached the mountain and began searching for the most tender goat he could find. After securing said goat, he tucked the dog-sized creature under his arm and raced back to town. He stopped about half-way to nab some wild garlic carrots. After returning to Flynt's home, Olivander took the goat out back and ended its life painlessly. After skinning and cleaning the meat, he took it inside to prepare it. Rummaging through Flynt's home, he found salt, basil, and cumin. After liberally seasoning the goat meat, he seared it on both sides as he brought a large pot of water to a boil. He added just a pinch of salt to the water before chopping up his carrots and allowing them to cook until tender. With half of the water boiled off, he added the goat's meat to the pot. With its own fat, it created its own gravy with the help of the boiling water. Another bit of basil and a the garlic cloves finished off the meal and Olivander removed the pot from the heat. He prepared bowls and waited patiently for Kitt and Flynt. He crossed his fingers behind his back as he silently hoped to impress Flynt.

I suppose I'm a little disappointed to see Life Hutch so low, but then again, I'm also biased to ward M.B.J. so take that with a grain of salt. Other than that its hard to not agree with this list. But especially for Ice. That was a masterpiece.

Observation A.C.E. remembered the details of the mission briefing to a "T". They were to pick up a cargo shipment of food on Earth and bring it Bekkik, in the Eova system. A.C.E. quite liked Earth. It's lush greenery and bountiful water supply made it appealing. After studying the planet through the Janissary's archives and its codex, A.C.E. also learned that the planet was plentiful in rich minerals. Or, at least it used to be. Apparently there had been some over zealous parties had severely drained the planet of most of its minerals, resulting in a shortage and damaging its ecosystem in the process. Thankfully for the local inhabitants, a restoration project saved Earth for another few centuries. As they arrived on Earth at their pick-up point, A.C.E. was alerted by friend Oru that part of the cargo had already been lost due to an anomaly known as an earthquake. A rumbling on the planet's surface caused by shifting tectonic plates below it, had cost them part of their mission. Hopefully, the receiving party who was expecting this cargo, would not blame the Janissary for this. "Statement: Oh dear," A.C.E. replied. After securing the cargo and reaching orbit, things were going relatively smoothly for a brief time. A very brief time. The Union's Navy nearly turned the Janissary into space scrap after mistaking it for a pirate vessel. "Statement: Oh my," A.C.E. added. Not long after departing Earth, alarms began ringing aboard the Janissary, prompting A.C.E. to enter construction protocols. They had to make an emergency landing wherever they could. A fuel leak in the engine room nearly cost the entire mission. "Statement: It could be worse," A.C.E. thought aloud. Naturally, things did get worse. A vermin problem was discovered in the cargo hold, leading the crew to believe that one of the crates were infested. "Statement: Gotta catch 'em all," said A.C.E. as they began to chase the pests around the hold. At last, the Janissary had managed to reach the Eova system after all of the hijinks that had happened to them. This was perhaps the most worrying part of the mission. A.C.E. figured as much when it saw the look on Oru's face. "Welcome, unidentified vessel. Please state your business in this system." "Food delivery for Bekkik, port 14," Oru answered. "Port 14, port 14... hm. There must be some sort of error. Port 14 was shut down months ago." "Oh, for crying out..." "Please enter Bekkik at port 13 for the time being. We will inspect the cargo there and check our orders of food for recent matches." A.C.E. was right by Oru's side when that transmission had come through, so it heard everything, but said nothing. As Oru turned over the ship's intercom, she made a brief announcement. "Alright, someone back on Earth must have made a mistake, because the port we're supposed to be landing in has been out of commission for a while. We'll be landing somewhere else on the planet instead so the Sarvatti can inspect our cargo and figure out where we're supposed to take it. If they ask about that one crate, just be honest with them." A.C.E. waited for Oru to close the coms before asking a question. "Query: Does deception ever benefit us in our journey?" It's emoticon expression was nonchalant. After a smooth landing, A.C.E. watched as the bay to the Janissary opened to reveal the surface of Bekkik. Temperature readings rose by several degrees in its systems. Sunlight caused its sockets to adjust to the bright light as it observed the docking port. There were many other ships about; Bekkik was busy today. "Welcome to Bekkik, everyone," Oru said. "The best worst place in the Galactic Union." A.C.E. gave their immediate surroundings another once over. "Query: How can this planet be both best and worst?" A.C.E. remained close by, just inside the cargo bay.

Foolin' Around “In all of the gods’ wisdom, what are you doing to that poor chicken?” "Huh-- wha--!?" Olivander jumped as he hadn't been paying attention when Captain Helmsley entered Flynt's home. He was so startled that he stopped choking his chicken and let it run around freely. He zoomed over to the door behind Helmsley and shut it so that his loose chicken wouldn't go running off. If anyone else were to see that cock, they might try to take it from him. Or worse, they might have tried to eat it! He couldn't let that happen to his precious cock. He loved it too much now. In the short time they had been together, he had developed feelings for it. He even went so far as to name the bastard. "Captain! You startled me! Sorry about that Willie," Olivander said as he finally caught the chicken again. "I didn't mean to hold you so tight." It was a rather large chicken for its age. You could say he was a huge cock, named Big Willie. "Willie and I were just getting acquainted." “I assume things are going well, then?” Olivander nodded, petting his dear Big Willie. "What's going on Captain?" “Just as well, the ship needs a little more time before she’s ready to go anywhere, though, now that I’ve brought it up, I suppose that leads me to an actual question." Olivander's face scrunched because he had a feeling that he knew exactly what Helmsley was about to ask. "I’ve gotten a few people show up at the dock asking what time boarding was supposed to start. One of them even tried to force their way on. Now, if it was just that one person, I don’t think I’d think any more of it. But with the number I’ve seen, I cannot help but ask, do you have something to do with this?” Actually, that wasn't quite what Olivander thought the Captain was going to ask. Olivander thought Helmsley would inquire more about the giant cock in his lap. "Oh. Yeah, that was me," Olivander admitted nonchalantly. "Captain. Corpus is about to be under miles and miles of fire and brimstone. The volcano will erupt soon. And I can't consciously leave these people behind to die. I realize that it's a pain for you, and I am sorry. But I'll do everything in my power to make sure that repairs are complete and that we leave safely. Isn't that right Willie?" The chicken merely squawked at Olivander's words.

Make it 5. I'm in.

Drive "ThE iSlAnD iS iN yOuR hAnDs," Olive mimicked. "When this is all over I might stuff that one in a box just for annoying me," he snapped as he began to walk away. "Well, if we have to wait until midnight, then we may as well eat. Flynt, would you mind using those big, strong hands to make us another delicious meal? I'll even catch the food for you if you'd like," he said sheepishly. "I mean--! Er, I'll--do dinner tonight! I'll handle it! Yes. That's what a real, strong, muscly, handsome man would do," he stammered as he turned his face away from Flynt and Kitt. He immediately began dashing toward the forest in hopes to catch a pheasant of some kind. His legs moved so rapidly that they appeared to be wheels at his side, kicking up so much dust it would blind anyone behind him in a cartoonish fashion. "We'llreconveneatFlynt'splaceokaybye!" he said in one rapid sentence. Once he was sure he was out of earshot of Flynt and Kitt, Olivander braced himself against a large tree once more. This time, instead of being exhausted, he was merely flustered and embarrassed. His cheeks were flushed red as he slapped his face. "Get yourself together man! The bloody island is about to go under! This is no time for flirting!" Olivander suddenly heard footsteps. Before he knew it, David and Pfeifer were upon him. "So it's happening, then," Pfeifer said. "We're all ready, though one of us had a question about the whole thing." "Where did you--?" Olivander began. "Don't lie, Pfeifer. You wanted this too," David shot back. He turned back to Olive. "Anyway, the question is are we gonna get to watch Mount Vermeer erupt or are we just getting out of here. Like, I was thinking, and maybe this is stupid, but what if we just, like, waited just before we got to the storm to see it erupt? Or is that too much to ask? I dunno, I've never seen a volcano erupt, it just sounds super cool to watch." "These kids are bloody fast," he thought to himself. "David, don't get me wrong. The idea of seeing a volcano erupt is pretty cool. Who doesn't like giant, fiery explosions? But this is one explosion you'll not want to be anywhere near," Olivander came right out to say. "That is, the volcano is hot enough that only gods would dare get close enough. I don't like the idea of you boys being anywhere near it and possibly getting hurt. I won't have it." David pouted "Okay..." he said. He turned to Pfeifer. "Dang, you were pretty excited too." "Who knows," Pfeifer replied, "maybe it'll be loud enough we'll be able to hear it at least from all the way across Naviim." "Oh, yeah! Okay!" David and Pfeifer ran off giggling about something that Olivander couldn't hear. He shook his head, trying not to laugh. "Boys will be boys, I suppose." Just then, a large chicken darted past Olivander's feet. "Hey! You look delicious! Get back here!" he said as he began to give chase. The chicken felt Olivander on its heels, and so it began to sprint faster away from. It ducked under a log, shimmied between two tightly spaced rocks, and appeared to have gotten away past a large rock face. Unfortunately for the chicken, Olivander could walk through walls. He perched himself behind the chicken, leaning against the rock face as he pretended to file his nails. "Oh, hey," he said as the chicken slowly turned around to face him, fear in its eyes. "You come here often?" he asked with a wry grin. He pounced on the chicken and pinned it down, wrestling with it for several seconds before it finally gave up with a disappointed caw. "Yeah, that's right mate. Recognize your superior and come without a fight." "Caw?" the chicken replied. "Did-- did you just understand me? Are you-- are you the apocalyptic chicken of the end of days?" Olivander replied. "... caw." "... liar. I'm gonna eat you." The chicken continued to protest as Olivander carried it back to Flynt's house.

The Brightest Dumb Idea Olivander bit his thumb. He'd forgotten to account for repairs. But this time, he had Flynt. The time it would take to repair the Swallowtail could effectively amount to zero. The idea alone made him cackle like a witch. He quickly composed himself as Flynt further pushed him in the direction he wanted to go. “I can think of one way, but, and forgive me for this, I am hesitant to say it here. Know that the watchdogs know what I am talking about, though, and if they just say the word…” “I didn’t say solutions don’t exist; there surely must be something, and if you answer my questions, I will assent. But they must be answered. You’ve still given me too many unknowns otherwise," the geezer replied. "Do it," Olivander said to Flynt as he looked him in the face. "If it means you can get the Swallowtail repaired with no time lost, then do it. You have my full confidence behind you." Olivander could feel the look Kitt was giving him now. He was fine with it. He knew Kitt wouldn't agree with his methods. This, however, was a surefire solution to their timing problem. But Olivander also knew what the gods would think. Was this about them, or was this about the people? "Too much, and Dia may very well cause the mountain to erupt prematurely. Too little, and we get caught in the blast. We have to take the risk," he thought to himself.

"And what do we say to death, today?" While Olivander's poor attempt to woo Flynt had failed, he was more concerned with the way that Jones seemed to be disconnected from everything. With the most important people in Corpus assembled, Jones seemed more concerned with folks being in his good graces than the safety of his people. Rather, he was likely not a pious person and to hear the contant threat of death loomed over his people made him irate. But what made Olivander irate was the way that Jones was going about it. Through gritted teeth, he listened to Jones' back and forth with Flynt before Kitt finally decided to be the adult in the room. "We were unaware that Mount Vermeer was a volcano...inactive, but a volcano nonetheless until recently. But, things are adding up now. The black snow in Eilis' dream, it's not snow...it's ash. The sounds of thunder...the volcano is beginning to stir. And if what Myria warned Eilis about is true...then I fear that Corpus will have a great travesty befall it." Olivander quickly added to Kitt's words before Jones could utter a peep. "And if you don't want to see the people of Corpus turn to dust, then it is time for you all to evacuate." Judging by his only brief examination of Jones', Olivander knew that wouldn't happen. So he took things a step further. "Let me be clear. This is no longer a recommendation. It is mandatory. I can't promise you another grand life, and I recognize what Corpus means to your people. If you choose to stay, then I won't argue with you. But I will, shortly after this meeting, inform the people of the coming danger. Those who wish to leave will board the Swallow Tail," Olivander said, motioning in the direction of the docked ship. "The captain can have my head later." Olivander wasn't excited to hear Jones' rebuttal. He knew full well that it would upset him. Regardless, he braced himself for the coming argument and what would hopefully result in the safe passage of the people of Corpus. "The gods will guide us, and your people, somewhere safe."

Out of Time Olivander only nodded before turning around to David and Pfeifer. "Boys, I'm asking you to trust me. The people of Corpus are in a lot of danger, and I need to get you away from the mountain immediately." Without waiting for their permission, Olivander took both boys by their hands and sprinted toward the cavern. His eyes flickered with a golden hue as he, David, and Pfeifer all became intangible for a few minutes. This made their journey through the hellish, dark cavern much faster, and allowed them to reach the opposite side in record time. As they returned to daylight, Olivander finally let go of the boys' hands as he looked them in the face. "Get back to your homes. Go to your parents. Gather your things. Corpus is no longer safe." Olivander hadn't shown either David or Pfeifer this side of him, so he felt a little uneasy telling them this. He wanted to turn his back and hope they would obey him, but he decided he should give them the whole truth. "My fellow Watchdog and I... we have reason to believe this mountain is a volcano. It could erupt within the day. I know that sounds scary, but please, don't go running off to tell the whole town. Not yet, at least. If we incite panic, it will make things much more difficult. I'm only telling you this because I've learned to trust you both. I'm hoping that you'll trust me as well. For now, I have a lot to do if we want to get people out in time. So please, just get home for now. I'll come for you. Both of you." Olivander began racing back to town, dodging trees with reckless abandon and sliding through underbrush like a madman. As he saw the edge of Corpus, he picked up his pace and made a dash toward Flynt's home. With more of his disregard for public property, he made himself intangible once more and sprinted through entire homes and businesses just to make sure he got to Flynt's residence as quickly as possible. When he finally crossed the threshold of Flynt's doorway, he stopped to catch his breath. He entered without knocking, still panting all the while. "Flynt," he said between breaths. "Did-- did you know-- it was a volcano?" Olivander finally asked as he stormed through the man's home. He sat back in his previous place when he last ate in Flynt's home. "By the way," he said as he finally managed to slow his breathing. He let out a heavy sigh. "In case I die today, I just wanted to say, you're a very handsome man. Very handsome. Also, Kitt wants you to meet with Jones and Eilis immediately. If we're to have any chance of saving these people, we'll have to work together."

Lost “You might have to kill me,” Pfeifer said. Those words rang in Olivander's ears for what seemed like an eternity. His heart lumped into his throat for fear what he may have to do. As the sentence reached its end, Olivander felt his hand twitch. He was already prepared to keep his word. Then, Pfeifer went on and time resumed. “I dunno, I guess I didn’t expect exactly what I was getting or everything that comes with it and I just came here to think about it." Olivander only stared at Pfeifer. "More responsibility than you thought it would be? Is that it?" "I admit I was going to say it in here before I realized someone could probably hear me through that so now here I am, just kind of staring," Pfeifer answered. Olivander finally smirked softly, his racing heart slowing down. "Are you afraid that you'll slip up and say something you shouldn't?" Olivander wasn't actually expecting Pfeifer to answer. He could read the boy's face and know what he would say. “It’s a cool spot, though, right? Definitely the most ‘away’ spot on the island, I think. I like the feeling of it. Have you heard Corpus’ origin story? How Dia summoned the island up from the depths?" "Can't say that I have," Olivander said with a shrug. He folded his arms and pressed his back to the cavern. He tilted his head to the sky and listened to Pfeifer. "Will you tell me about it?" "I’m not as good a storyteller as grandpa, you should hear him tell it, but Mount Vermeer would have been the first thing breaching the water. The mountain’s important to this island, I think. You felt it too, right? The mountain feels alive.” He chuckled at Pfeifer's words. "You couldn't be more right. The mountain seemed to breathe as I walked deeper into the cavern. It was as though it sensed my presence and reacted to me. I don't know if it reacted negatively or positively, of course," Olivander said with a laugh. "Though, I imagine if I were a threat to a mighty mountain, I would not have found you on this side. Rather, I would've been a splattered mess amidst the rocks that make up the cavern." Olivander sounded as though he was comfortable. He had already accepted death and didn't expect to live a long life. He had also seen enough of it that it didn't scar or repulse him. “Sorry, grown-ups get kind of weird when I get like that, though in fairness, you kind of asked for it wondering what’s on my mind.” Olivander let out a more hearty laugh now. It echoed through the cavern behind him as he did so. "Then, I guess I had that coming." Finally catching his breath, Olivander sat up straight, his back still against the mountain. "What were you hoping for, Pfeifer? I did try to warn you. But we pushed, and here we are. I recognize that you're now carrying a heavy burden. It's not one that a child should carry. You have too long a life to live. So where do you go from here?"