Götterdämmerung [IC/PG-16/COMPLETED]

Comrade Duck · April 29, 2021

Pretty Little Liar

“I can tell you’re suspicious of me, but I hope you’re not believing every bit of slander you hear, you two. Especially not tales from a crotchety old sailor.”

Olivander wanted so desperately to slug Flynt until he either spat up the truth or his teeth, whichever came first. "It's not the sailor who told me about you," Olivander thought silently to himself. Staring into his plate, Olivander was growing more irritated by the moment. Every second that Helmsley and Flynt sat by chatting annoyed him. Thankfully, Helmsley was called away and left Olivander and Kitt with Flynt. "Fuck it. This is my opportunity to confront this bastard."

But before he could stand up from his seat and pin Flynt to a wall, Olivander's hair stood on edge as Kitt quickly nagged at his attention.

"Olivander Steele...you and I need to talk."

"... he has the worst timing," Olivander thought, sitting up in his seat and facing Kitt.

"You said to me earlier, the gods are fickle beings...and I whole heartedly agree with this sentiment. To that fact, your god and my god are no different in this...and in this...our constant bashing of heads will need to cease. If it doesn't, I fear for lives being lost in the crossfire. Not mine...not yours...these are things that aren't factors in this...what I speak of are the innocents on not just this island, but every single island. If we're to help people, then we must cooperate together."

"That's just dandy, Kitt. Really. I don't know what else you would call my indulging you with important information, but I'll be sure to be more cooperative," Olivander sassed.

"My methods may seem slightly archaic in simply taking notes...while yours seems to be more of the hands on approach...but regardless of this, at the end of the day...the boon of results received is all that matters."

Olivander nodded. "You've got a point there, my boy. The results are important."

"After I moved you away from Old Man Jones' home and our argument proceeded and ended...I won't lie to you, Olive...every fiber of my being was telling me to follow you...to strike you for your words. To speak to me as if I were nothing but a simple minded child...after I simply was preparing to give you what I had found and wrote down while you explained what you found in order to devise a plan...you caused my anger to almost take root. But I stopped...because in reality, the fight between us is pointless...we're here to help Corpus, not bicker and fight amongst ourselves. However you see me as, I don't care...but my duty is to do Taros' will...never questioning it."

Olivander chuckled softly to himself, acknowledging Kitt's brazen words.

"...I've gotten what I needed to off my chest. I feel you may have things you wish to say as well...so before we talk business, I'll ask: what do you wish to get off your chest, Olivander?"

Olivander shrugged. "Well, we'll talk about that whole 'blindly following orders without question' bit another time. The only thing I wanna get off my chest now," Olivander said as he stood to his feet. He turned to look over his shoulder at Flynt. "Is why your dear mentor has been lying to me." Olivander faced Flynt completely. "I heard you coming up the mountain, by the way. So I know that you've met Pfeifer, David's good friend," Olivander said, directing the statement to Kitt. "To think a mere child would have so much to say about his elders is almost amusing. So," Olivander said, moving around the table until he was only feet from Flynt.

"Who died, Flynt? And what word of power is it that you've brought to curse these people?" Olivander demanded. "And I won't take any of your slick tongue. Pfeifer told me the incidents stopped months ago. But why? And this time I expect all of the truth from you. Every lie that leaves your lips will be a cut across your back. So help me," Olivander said with that twinkle in his eyes.

Chaos Sonic · April 29, 2021

The Talk Pt. 2

Saying his piece, it was obvious that either Olivander was surprised at his sudden brazen words or just simply entertaining it for the time being, either way...Kitt said what he needed to and that was all that mattered.

"Well, we'll talk about that whole 'blindly following orders without question' bit another time..."

Kitt chose to ignore this little jab. The last thing he needed was to get into another argument with Hinder's Dog.

"The only thing I wanna get off my chest now, is why your dear mentor has been lying to me. I heard you coming up the mountain, by the way. So I know that you've met Pfeifer, David's good friend. To think a mere child would have so much to say about his elders is almost amusing."

"I suppose you'll have to give me the cliff notes...given Pfeifer didn't really give me much to go off of." Kitt chuckled slightly. "Seems a bit more keener to you than me, Olive. Oddly enough, he sort of reminds me of you...but I digress."

"So...who died, Flynt? And what word of power is it that you've brought to curse these people? And I won't take any of your slick tongue. Pfeifer told me the incidents stopped months ago. But why? And this time I expect all of the truth from you. Every lie that leaves your lips will be a cut across your back. So help me."

Kitt figured this was the best time as any, as he too stood up to back Olivander up, probably in a shocking move to the thief. "Incidents and death? Huh...guess you gave me the cliff notes almost immediately then." he said, before seeming to go from a jovial mood to one that was stern. "Aside from that, Flynt...even though that's the major question that is lingering in the air, what I also want to know is why you wouldn't assist in possibly making a temple for this island. I know from what Old Man Jones told me, that this island holds in reverence Dia due to the island's creation legend. So why is it there's only a simple altar that is usually barren from what Olivander told me and what I witnessed first hand? I comprehend the thinking of this island's people of being able to simply survive, just like the young woman that Dia had sympathy on and had Corpus carry her away to survive and determine her own fate...but even then, nothing makes sense."

Then another thing dropped in his mind... "...earlier today you told me that if I forget you or that if my opinions of you diminish, that I'm alive and living now. Flynt, why would you add that last part? For as long as I've known you, you know my opinions of you wouldn't be swayed...saying something as such, however...makes me wonder." Kitt's eyes were now trained on Flynt. "...what are you hiding? And I'll echo Olivander's words...we want the truth."

radio414 · May 1, 2021

Madness Takes Its Toll

Flynt did nothing as the two watchdogs moved against him besides what he probably would have done anyway; he moved to the head of the table, just in front of the cooked bird and the fire crackling behind him. No words escaped his lips until everyone else was finished and a few moments after besides. When he did start speaking, there was a different tone to his voice. He was still calm, but it was the sort of calm that threatened to snap any minute now. “Well, that is certainly a lot to take in all at once,” he said. “If I am allowed to say so, I think you boys might be giving me a bit too much credit. Even at my most cynical, I cannot say all the problems you have brought before me fall squarely on my shoulders. No one on any island -- not a single person -- can say such a thing. I would not blame Eilis for dooming the island even though they are her portents, and, in the same way, you cannot blame me for nobody on the island worshipping Dia to your standards. If I am allowed to say so, I thought I taught you better, Kitt.

“Now, there is the matter of these other accusations you have brought to me,” Flynt said. “‘Who died?’ Pfeifer, somehow, has convinced you that I’ve been killing people? There’s a very simple answer to that: Nobody has died. I admit I have been hiding things from you and fair enough that you do not trust me for that, but the things I have been hiding, while not inconsequential, certainly have not resulted in any deaths.”

He’d held the knife at his side for most of what he had just said but now he shifted his grip and jammed it into the table with a loud *CHUNK* sound. “I remember this morning when I asked you whether you represented Hinder the god of wealth or Hinder the god of thievery, and, if I am allowed to say so, I believe I have found the answer to that question. I don’t think I have satisfied you with these answers. If you are used to deceit, you will find it anywhere, after all. Perhaps my antagonism -- admittedly, some of it deliberate -- has soured your opinion of me so much that nothing can sway you. Very well. I suppose the only option left to me is action.”

Flynt looked down at his cooked meal. “It’s a shame,” he said. “I was looking forward to this meal. Ah well.” He closed his eyes.

“I invoke The Law of Cycles: E͘xǫlv̵u͞ǹt͘u̢ŕ!”

Storm (Part Two)

The first crack of thunder rang across the ship.

The precipitation wasn’t rain, as Helmsley had been expecting. No, instead it was balls of ice. Hail. There were a few of the normal, pebble-sized kinds of hail, but most of it was fist-sized, and they were crashing into the deck, making massive *CRUNCH* sounds with each impact. The Swallow Tail lurched, buffeted by the wind. It wouldn’t be long, Helmsley thought, until something important -

“Captain!” a deckhand yelled from the stern. “The rudder, it’s -” Helmsley could tell by looking at it. The hail had mangled it bad; the metal thing mangled into an upside-down U shape. Steering surely was going to be impossible. Straight, then, was their only option, leading them deeper into the storm.

Miraculously, though, the storm started to fade. It wasn’t instantaneous, but the frequency of the fist-sized hail still noticeably decreased rather quickly, and soon the only worry was the pebble kind, which in turn gave way to a light drizzle, then nothing at all.

Helmsley couldn’t help but laugh. “Ha! The gods sure are fickle today.” He turned to Ephraim. “Take care of things up here for me. I’m going to go inform our passengers what’s what.”

I’ve Got To Keep Control

Flynt woke up that morning just the same as he did every morning, eyes snapping open to a bird call off somewhere in the distance. After that was his morning prayer -- always the same words, always the same rhythm, just as he had been taught, not to mention the numerous trainees who had been under him. “Your steel is my body, your fire, my blood. Help me forge a pathway to understanding and cleave through uncertainty. I am the bone of your sword, you are the Master Forger.”

It did not do much to relax him, though. He, of course, as could anyone who'd ever heard the word of power whispered to him so many months ago, could remembere what had happened. This wasn’t over yet. He did hope that things were different up on the Swallow Tail, though encountering the storm again was probably going to keep that from happening.

“A ship! A ship!” It wasn’t David this time, it was Pfeifer running up to greet him as he stepped out into the village proper. Flynt couldn’t help but stare at the boy, trying to get past his cheeky, knowing grin to the heart of the matter. “Flynt, you said you’d give a coin to whoever spotted a ship first, right?”

“He’s lying! I saw it first!” Ah, there was David. “I was the one walking around the docks since sunup and all Pfeifer did was leave his house and come straight over here. I don’t think he even saw the ship at all!”

It was exasperating, really. “Can I give a coin to both of you? How does that sound?”

The response was a collective “Okay.”

After retreating back inside for the coins and shooing the kids off once he’d distributed them, Flynt finally approached the docks. “Good to see you, Swallow Tail!” he called out. “Hope you’re all still holding up!”

OOC

Spoiler

Subtitles (Well, subtitles that aren't callbacks to the first cycle through the day) are lyrics from Time Warp from Rocky Horror Picture Show, which, as you have now found out, is a bit on the nose.

So that's the reveal, uh, that's what Flynt's been doing. We've now entered the "yeah, so what are you going to do about it?" phase of this island (though of course Flynt will keep trying to justify himself to both of you if you let him). In terms of your next posts, I mean, you're both on the ship right now, and Helmsley has just woken you up (Helmsley wasn't there to hear the word), so you can talk about what just happened if you want, though you can also move forward to "getting off the ship and interacting with Flynt" part if that suits you more.

Again, I have some schedule conflicts next week, so I don't know for sure if I'll be able to chat too much outside of the evenings, but feel free to send messages outside of that time and I can just catch up later.

-r

Edited May 2, 2021 by radio414

Chaos Sonic · May 1, 2021

Twilight Zone

The sound of thunder jolted Kitt awake, as now he sat straight up in a cold sweat. He felt sweat pouring down the sides of his face as he could even feel himself trembling greatly. Never before had he ever experienced such a dream...no...wait...something was wrong...he was back on the Swallow Tail? No, that wasn't right. He was at Flynt's home and he and Olivander confronted him and he...he said…

The cold sweat simply got worse as he felt it pouring down more. He invoked...some law of cycles… he thought, immediately going for his notebook and writing what he could remember: exolvuntur. It was a word from the gods and this one, rather than turning people to stone, this one seemed to set them back...reset the day in a sense. Though he was able to remember it, every detail, every conversation and response. His notebook on the other hand...completely barren of that day's event. Every word he wrote while hanging on every word from Old Man Jones, simply gone and erased from it's pages.

What made this worse was the fact that Flynt was indeed hiding something. He figured it was the case, but something this powerful? A thought did run through his mind, well a few of them did anyway. One was, if he remembered the day's events and everything in between, did Olivander? And if that was the case...did Flynt? He took his thumb and bit it slightly, his mind working into overtime on processing the great lengths of this specific word from the language of the gods.

However, the more he thought and had his mind race, the more the cold sweat continued. After a while, Kitt finally stopped and proceeded to exhale slowly. He needed to calm himself down. "Your steel is my body and your fire my blood...forge a pathway to understanding and cleave through uncertainty...I am the bone of your sword, you are the Master Forger." he said in the rhythmic fashion, his breathing calming the rest of himself down. Freaking out and panicking wasn't going to help him at all. What was going to was talking to Olivander, to figure out the next plan.

And like clockwork, as Kitt was freshening himself up and getting 100% decent, a knock at his door. No doubt the captain...did he remember? "One moment…" he said, before proceeding to open the door.

"Nothing like a good thunderclap to get the blood moving, aye? Sorry about all the ruckus. We'll probably be limping into port, but we will be there soon. Best get yourselves ready." the captain simply said.

Kitt had this scenario play in his head just like it did before...already knowing what the issue was with the ship, plus the captain's answer. Best to skip the preamble, right? "Thank you for the heads up, captain." he nodded. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to speak with Olive...Watchdog business." With not much another word, Kitt made a beeline straight for Olivander's room, already knocking on the door. "Olive, it's Kitt." he simply said in a serious tone.

Comrade Duck · May 5, 2021

Down to Business

The thunderclap awoke Olivander right away, but he wasn't frightened by it this time. Rather, when he sat up, he was brooding. His face folded into an angry frown as he picked up his dagger from his bedside. "I'm gonna cut out his tongue," he thought angrily, about Flynt. As he stood to his feet, Olivander heard a rapping on his door.

"Olive, it's Kitt."

Olivander yanked the door open and pulled Kitt inside without a second word. He locked the door behind Kitt, still clutching the dagger. "He's destroying the balance, Kitt. That right belongs only to the gods. Recycling days like this... how angry has he made them?" Olivander asked. But he didn't bother waiting for an answer. "That's our answer. That's what's causing this 'twilight' with Corpus." Olivander's shoulders were tense, but he finally allowed them to relax. He dropped his dagger and slid back against the wall. "But this time, I'm not going to be of much use. I'm afraid that if I act now, I may inevitably kill Flynt, which will get us nowhere," he said in a hushed whisper.

"I guess, the next step is to figure out what he's trying to accomplish," Olivander said, rubbing his head. "And how do we stop him when he can control the flow of time itself?"

Chaos Sonic · May 6, 2021

The (Re)Cycle Begins

Like that, Olivander opened the door and yanked him inside and before Kitt could say anything...the Watchdog of Hinder spoke...and began to rattle things off, not even letting him get a word in edgewise.

"He's destroying the balance, Kitt. That right belongs only to the gods. Recycling days like this... how angry has he made them? That's our answer. That's what's causing this 'twilight' with Corpus."

He waited for a bit, before seeing Olivander slid back against the wall and dropped the dagger in his hand. This seemed to not only be something that they knew would anger the gods...but it seemed to do a lot more to Hinder's Dog...the man almost seemed drained from this experience.

"But this time, I'm not going to be of much use. I'm afraid that if I act now, I may inevitably kill Flynt, which will get us nowhere. I guess, the next step is to figure out what he's trying to accomplish. How do we stop him when he can control the flow of time itself?"

"I realize he's destroying the balance..." Kitt said, opening the notebook and showing the word that was wrote down. "He said it was the 'law of cycles'...so this is something that, well, I guess we can assume that this is what Pfeifer was hearing. And if he remembered hearing it..." He rubbed his chin before taking a seat at the desk chair in Olivander's room. "...while we can't assume everything...perhaps we can assume this, if this is the word Pfeifer heard and he remembered hearing it, maybe he heard it before the recycle started. Which can assume...those in the proximity of hearing the word could possibly remember. Before you say that's insanity, hear me out, Olive." he said, holding a hand up. "If this wasn't the case...wouldn't the captain also be aware of this?"

Putting the notebook down, Kitt sighed a bit. "He left when Flynt was alone in the home with us...and when I awoke this morning, he simply gave me the same greeting as he did when we first arrived in Corpus. That said, the ones in proximity were you, myself and of course Flynt. Now I'm not sure if Pfeifer was around at this point...so perhaps he's broken from the recycle...but still...we know things now."

"What's making me curious is...does Flynt know we know?" Kitt pondered, before looking at Olivander. "Olive, we're going to need to work together on this. And I mean more than we have. If something this powerful of a force is happening, we need to keep it from happening again. I'm going to ask that you put your trust in me, please. Yes, Flynt is my former mentor, but if he's doing something like this...then he needs to be stopped...otherwise Taros would never forgive me." He let out a slight sigh, before continuing. "It's a gamble, but I think for the time being, we pretend we're oblivious to this loop. If we're alone with Flynt and he addresses it, then we drop it and we demand to know what's going on. Blood shed is only necessary if he physically strikes first. A peaceful solution could still be found...we just need to play our cards right."

Comrade Duck · May 8, 2021

Lackluster

Olivander sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"He left when Flynt was alone in the home with us...and when I awoke this morning, he simply gave me the same greeting as he did when we first arrived in Corpus. That said, the ones in proximity were you, myself and of course Flynt. Now I'm not sure if Pfeifer was around at this point...so perhaps he's broken from the recycle...but still...we know things now."

"Then, you think being present during the casting of the word of power determines recollection?" Olivander mused.

"He left when Flynt was alone in the home with us...and when I awoke this morning, he simply gave me the same greeting as he did when we first arrived in Corpus."

"Perhaps it has memory wiping properties when you're not present?" Olivander thought aloud.

"I'm going to ask that you put your trust in me, please."

Olivander nodded. "You know Flynt better than I do. And I'd rather not kill a Watchdog if I don't have to."

"It's a gamble, but I think for the time being, we pretend we're oblivious to this loop. If we're alone with Flynt and he addresses it, then we drop it and we demand to know what's going on. Blood shed is only necessary if he physically strikes first. A peaceful solution could still be found...we just need to play our cards right."

"That's a hell of a gamble, Kitt," Olivander replied, finally standing again. "I'll work with you. And I'll follow your lead. But as I'm sure you know by now, I'm not one for politics when it comes to putting the lives of others on a roll of the dice. If he doesn't concede and stop what he's doing, then in the end, I will kill him." Olivander had that twinkle in his eyes again. "I don't say that to drive a wedge between us. But the dice are in your hands now. And I can only pray you don't roll snake eyes."

Kitt was right though. Feigning ignorance would be best for now. If Flynt knew that Olivander and Kitt retained their memories, there's no reason he wouldn't address it, right? Unless, of course, he saw fit to toy with them and delay the inevitable. Olivander was frustrated and annoyed. He let out another sigh and unfolded his arms.

"Alright then. Let's play our roles to the best of our abilities," Olivander said as he slowly opened the door to his room.

Chaos Sonic · May 10, 2021

Act 1

"Then, you think being present during the casting of the word of power determines recollection? Perhaps it has memory wiping properties when you're not present?"

"My thoughts exactly..." Kitt nodded. "It may seem strange for us, but this is the language of the gods, so what may seem strange could theoretically be possible for them."

"That's a hell of a gamble, Kitt. I'll work with you. And I'll follow your lead. But as I'm sure you know by now, I'm not one for politics when it comes to putting the lives of others on a roll of the dice. If he doesn't concede and stop what he's doing, then in the end, I will kill him. I don't say that to drive a wedge between us. But the dice are in your hands now. And I can only pray you don't roll snake eyes."

A heavy sigh escaped Kitt's lips, but he looked at Olivander with the determination flaring. "I know putting the lives of others on the roll of the dice isn't your forté...I'd prefer it not to be this way...but if it comes to that...you won't have to stain your hands with a former Watchdog's life." He stood up and nodded firmly. "If anything, Taros and myself will deal with him. He may've been my former mentor...but Taros' will trumps my feelings with former mentors and friends, as I'm sure Hinder's will does the same for you, Olive."

"Alright then. Let's play our roles to the best of our abilities."

With a nod, Kitt walked out the door once Olivander opened it. Playing the roles best to their abilities, which meant...

“Good to see you, Swallow Tail! Hope you’re all still holding up!”

He heard the call, although it was different than it was the first time. I suppose he's trying his best to keep it as if nothing's happened. Nevertheless, let's keep the charade up... With that, Kitt took to the halls and found the window he saw Flynt through the first time and opened it, immediately whistling towards the old man. "Forge Master be praised...as I live and breathe...didn't expect to see you here of all places, Flynt!" he recited whilst waving at the old man with a smile on his face...although this time, it smile that hid some harshness behind it...after learning all this...it was a wonder.

radio414 · May 11, 2021

The Machine is burning...

Helmsley was first off the boat, which surprised Flynt a little because he hadn’t even called him an old fart this time. Still, it wasn’t disarming enough to drop the masquerade, especially after he’d had so much practice. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen a familiar face set foot on this island. How are you, Helmsley? How is the Swallow Tail? That storm didn’t treat her too badly, did it?”

“She’s certainly seen better days,” Helmsley said. “Engine’s a bit muffed but thankfully nothing we can’t handle with a day or two of work.” He narrowed his eyes. “She’s not so bad that she needs anyone’s help but her crew’s though, if that’s what you’re offering. You remember my rule.”

Flynt chuckled. “I’m not a watchdog anymore, but you have to admit that letting one take a look, especially a Taros one, would get you out of here basically as soon as you like,” he said. “Probably could reinforce it too in case the storm keeps up.”

“Hmph,” Helmsley said. “I’d do that if they ordered me too, of course, but it’s the principle of the thing, really. Speaking of Taros dogs, though, I-”

“Forge Master be praised, as I live and breathe, didn’t expect to see you here of all places, Flynt!”

“…yeah figured you might want to know who the cargo is.”

Flynt beamed at the window Kitt was poking his head through. They certainly were quick on their feet, he thought, able to manage a plan so quickly like that. Then again, he had taught one of them, and the other had certainly been a clever little thorn so far, so maybe that was to be expected. “Kitt? Well, isn’t that something? Get out here and greet your old teacher properly, why don’t you?”

Introductions proceeded as normal. Captain Helmsley introduced Olive again and Flynt even got to crack the same “which part of Hinder’s domain do you represent?” joke that was very funny the first time around and even funnier the second. It had to end eventually, though, and Flynt was grateful enough that he was allowed to choose the time. For that he chose back in his home, Helmsley already returned to his ship, as he was serving out porridge.

“I imagine you have some questions for me,” he said as he placed a bowl in front of each dog. “‘Why?’ is probably at the forefront of your minds. It certainly would be if I were in your position. But you should eat first. You didn’t get to eat dinner yesterday, after all, and hopefully some food will get you to calm down after the shock.”

OOC:

Spoiler

Subtitle is one half of a Bruit album, because post-rock gives such good titles I'm going to be using this one twice.

Bit of a peek behind the curtain, I was going to write up to David showing up again, but I didn't want to force Olive out of the way without letting him get a few jabs in. I bring this up mostly as a reminder, he will be expecting you at the cave, after all. Other than that, I don't think there's much to discuss here, besides apologies for not letting you copypaste your way through a few posts, I guess.

I'm not really that sorry.

-r

Comrade Duck · May 11, 2021

Sharp as a Marble

Everything seemed normal at first glance. Flynt's greeting as they left the Swallow Tail was the same. But things were quickly unraveling as they sat down to eat. In fact, Flynt wasted no time at all getting right to the point.

“I imagine you have some questions for me.”

Olivander nodded silently as he sat back in his seat.

“‘Why?’ is probably at the forefront of your minds. It certainly would be if I were in your position. But you should eat first. You didn’t get to eat dinner yesterday, after all, and hopefully some food will get you to calm down after the shock.”

Olivander sighed. Even the food was the same, he noticed as a bowl was placed in front of him. But he was hungry. Without waiting for Kitt or Flynt to join him, Olivander began to shovel food into his gullet. It was as delicious now as it was the first time he had it. "I'm not sure what's worse; the fact that this is as enjoyable a meal as I had the first time or that I trust anything you place in front of me. But you're a fine cook. I'll give you that," Olivander said. "Down to business," he said as he practically inhaled his meal in one fell swoop.

"What's your goal here? Surely you know the gods are furious. I mean, from what little I can tell, it would seem that you're able to control a lot with the law of cycles. Does that include life and death? Are you trying to reverse something that has brought harm to Corpus? Are you trying to keep yourself young and live forever? What is it?" The entire time, Olivander was staring Flynt in his gorgeous eyes. He wanted to be angry, but he also wanted to understand.

Chaos Sonic · May 11, 2021

Smooth as a Stake

The plan was practically full proof...everything was laid out and played just like it did before...a little too well. And it basically all came to a head once they arrived at Flynt's abode once more...funny how things usually culminated here.

“I imagine you have some questions for me. ‘Why?’ is probably at the forefront of your minds. It certainly would be if I were in your position. But you should eat first. You didn’t get to eat dinner yesterday, after all, and hopefully some food will get you to calm down after the shock.”

So he did know... Kitt thought, nodding as he looked at the food presented, before noticing Olivander scarfing his down almost instantly.

"I'm not sure what's worse; the fact that this is as enjoyable a meal as I had the first time or that I trust anything you place in front of me. But you're a fine cook. I'll give you that. Down to business. What's your goal here? Surely you know the gods are furious. I mean, from what little I can tell, it would seem that you're able to control a lot with the law of cycles. Does that include life and death? Are you trying to reverse something that has brought harm to Corpus? Are you trying to keep yourself young and live forever? What is it?"

"We can take this once step further..." Kitt said, eating the porridge practically for the second time. "I'd like to think that this was what Pfeifer heard you say. So when you said it before, he must've been in the proximity of this...law of cycles." Once he finished his food, he slid the bowl away from him.

"But we do need to know what's going on, Flynt. If not for your own sake, then for the sake of Corpus and it's inhabitants..." he paused, before sighing. "And if not for that reason, then you'll need to do it for my own sake. I'm putting my life on the line, Flynt...and you and me both know how much mine is worth." Kitt's eyes narrowed slightly towards Flynt before nodding. "Going off what we learned...well 'today'...we assumed you were responsible and doing something malicious. Whether or not you are...that still remains to be seen, but we'll be giving you the benefit of the doubt for now."

"That said...you need to come clean to us. To just be honest..." Kitt motioned with his hand towards Flynt. "Please...just explain as much as you can."

radio414 · May 13, 2021

Job's Lament

Flynt nodded along as the questions came, emphasized as they were in their repetition from each dog. “Better questions,” he said, commending both of them. “Certainly much better than ‘who died?’ Alright, let’s see…” He pulled out a chair at the head of the table and sat down. “What do I want? That was the first question, so I suppose I should start there. What do I want?

“There is a broad, abstract answer to this question and a more direct one, and, if I am to be honest with you, I imagine I will have to supply both. In the broadest sense, what I want is what anyone on this island wants. I want safety and security for my home, and am willing to do whatever I can to achieve such a goal. You mentioned yesterday Old Man Jones told you Corpus’ creation myth. You understood why he told it to you; it is something even outsiders like us can appreciate. Jones is misguided -- he insists on doing nothing -- but we do want the same things in that regard. You have also met Eilis, and you’ve heard her portents. Those are the stakes: Disaster is coming. Ash will rain from the sky, but beyond that, nobody seems to know anything. I don’t even know when it will be. It could be tomorrow, it could be far off in the future, after both Jones and I, or even David and Pfeifer are dead, but you can’t protect against what you don’t know.

“So there is that.” Flynt took a moment to pause and rub his lower back, grimacing a bit as he did so. The awkward face was gone quickly, though, and he leaned forward again to continue addressing his audience. “Again, that was a general case. But what do I want?” Flynt said it again, with emphasis. “What do I want?

“What is it, David?”

Just as before, the child was lurking just outside, his body mostly covered by the open frame. He was much more hesitant this time around, though. “You’re busy,” he said. “I can go complain to someone else.”

“You know that’s not how it works,” Flynt said. “If you leave now, I’ll still be busy but I won’t know what’s wrong. Did Pfeifer do something?”

David nodded. “We were comparing the coins you gave us and he said mine was better so he took it even though I said they were the exact same.”

“And you want me to make him give it back.”

“And I want you to make him give it back!”

Flynt sighed. “He sure is a troublesome one, isn’t he? Alright, wait outside, between us three one of us will be out to help you in just a minute.”

He lowered his voice and leaned in even further. “You surmised correctly, he has heard a word of power. I couldn’t tell you how; I don’t know what he was doing up at midnight, which is when I normally use it, but he most certainly has. He has probably told you, he is looking to hear it again. But of all the things I told you, you should know the danger such knowledge will bring.

“That being said, this was your charge yesterday. You are the watchdogs here, what are you going to do?”

OOC:

Spoiler

Subtitle is from Godspeed You! Black Emperor's latest album, one of the movements of the first major song (yes I'm using the bandcamp/vinyl arrangement of the songs they only split them up so they can get more streaming revenue because spotify doesn't pay better just because your song's longer and I'm more mad at jimmy spotify than Efrim GY!BE about that thanks for asking.

Splitting the exposition up, but what does that mean? Well, it means, as expected, Pfeifer's making mischief again, so it's pulling you apart in that sense, but there's also that the post is five-hundred words already and, as much as I'm sure you would enjoy it, I decided against a thousand-word post of only exposition. The former decision is mainly Olive's (and you absolutely can tell David to shove it), but this also lets you give some reactions (or maybe prompt Flynt again with that hanging thread in case you think he forgot or he's stalling).

I'm staring at NCM's text editor now because I think I forgot something but just like that two-and-a-half men meme, if I forgot it, then it wasn't important, and I'm always open to questions anyway, so I guess that's it. Hope things are okay, and, as always, stay safe.

-r

Comrade Duck · May 13, 2021

When Seasons Change

“You surmised correctly, he has heard a word of power. I couldn’t tell you how; I don’t know what he was doing up at midnight, which is when I normally use it, but he most certainly has. He has probably told you, he is looking to hear it again. But of all the things I told you, you should know the danger such knowledge will bring."

Olivander silently frowned. The one thing he didn't want to do was break his word. It was all he had as a thief. But keeping that promise could very well put others in danger, and he wouldn't be responsible for that.

“That being said, this was your charge yesterday. You are the watchdogs here, what are you going to do?”

Olivander stood up and folded his arms. "Nothing. Not until you tell us the rest," he said firmly. "If you believe disaster is imminent, then why would you keep these people trapped here? Evacuate them. You cannot prevent what the gods have willed. Not forever." Olivander was poised to leave with David as he did before, but something made him stay. "My concern is that, if you keep this up, you'll make things worse. You will anger the gods and bring an unbridled fury down on all of Corpus for intervening in the divine. As a former watchdog, I would think you'd understand how problematic that can be."

Olivander sighed. "You fear for their lives and safety. I understand your reasoning. But you will inevitably fail. And the results will be catastrophic."

Chaos Sonic · May 18, 2021

Just Tell Me How Many Burdens Left

“There is a broad, abstract answer to this question and a more direct one, and, if I am to be honest with you, I imagine I will have to supply both. In the broadest sense, what I want is what anyone on this island wants. I want safety and security for my home, and am willing to do whatever I can to achieve such a goal. You mentioned yesterday Old Man Jones told you Corpus’ creation myth. You understood why he told it to you; it is something even outsiders like us can appreciate. Jones is misguided -- he insists on doing nothing -- but we do want the same things in that regard. You have also met Eilis, and you’ve heard her portents. Those are the stakes: Disaster is coming. Ash will rain from the sky, but beyond that, nobody seems to know anything. I don’t even know when it will be. It could be tomorrow, it could be far off in the future, after both Jones and I, or even David and Pfeifer are dead, but you can’t protect against what you don’t know."

Kitt listened intently to Flynt's words, seeing that what he wanted...at it's core...was something...noble. He wanted to save the island...he wanted to protect it...even if it meant invoking a word of the gods. This was the brass tacks of it...so to speak.

"You surmised correctly, he has heard a word of power. I couldn’t tell you how; I don’t know what he was doing up at midnight, which is when I normally use it, but he most certainly has. He has probably told you, he is looking to hear it again. But of all the things I told you, you should know the danger such knowledge will bring. That being said, this was your charge yesterday. You are the watchdogs here, what are you going to do?”

Before he could speak, Olivander was already on the ball for this...

"Nothing. Not until you tell us the rest. If you believe disaster is imminent, then why would you keep these people trapped here? Evacuate them. You cannot prevent what the gods have willed. Not forever. My concern is that, if you keep this up, you'll make things worse. You will anger the gods and bring an unbridled fury down on all of Corpus for intervening in the divine. As a former watchdog, I would think you'd understand how problematic that can be. You fear for their lives and safety. I understand your reasoning. But you will inevitably fail. And the results will be catastrophic."

"Olivander is right, Flynt..." Kitt piped up, now taking the floor to speak. "If the gods will it...while I too understand your intentions...but this seems to be one thing that shouldn't happen. After all, you said..." He paused for a moment, recalling one specific sentence that Flynt spoke on the last go round: “But these words of power are the language of the gods. The language of creation, from which Naviim was wrought...their appearance on this plane, some argue, is a signal of the gods’ waning influence. Götterdämmerung, they say. The twilight of the gods”.

"Wait..." he started to stand up, now seeming to pace slowly. "...Flynt how did you hear that word? You said these words were the language of the gods that wrought Naviim into creation. ...that their appearance on this mortal plane were possibly a signal of the gods' waning influence, the possible Götterdämmerung...if that's the actual case in that theory...why do you know one?" Kitt looked at Flynt and then Olivander. "Olivander and myself stumbled upon the word we found on Galatea...I assume you stumbled across yours during your tenure as Taros' Watchdog...but again, I need to know how and where you heard that word. And for another reason, why use it at all?"

Kitt now looked firmly at Flynt, eyes focused on him. "I'd assume, even though we're the vessels of the gods themselves, we shouldn't even need to use their language...like it's a taboo or something. So why do this and possibly invoke the wrath of the gods, Flynt?"

radio414 · May 21, 2021

Cliffs Gaze

David eyed the stranger warily. He hadn’t said much since David had even first seen him and what little he had heard him say it sounded like he was yelling at Headman Flynt, and David didn’t want the stranger yelling at him also. The only person he really wanted yelled at was Pfeifer, and even then he didn’t want that much yelling.

That wasn’t the weirdest part, though. The weirdest part was how it seemed like the stranger knew where they were going. Or maybe he didn’t -- it was just a weird gut feeling David had, after all, but if he didn’t, then that just made the feeling weird for being weird, if that made sense.

Gods, he had to ask now, didn’t he? As they passed one of the last buildings in the village proper and moved into the open farm area just at the foot of Mount Vermeer, David turned around and started walking backwards, facing the stranger. “So… have you been here before? I haven’t seen you ever, I don’t think, but you seem to know your way around and you’re definitely older than me so you could have been here before I was born.”

The stranger shrugged. “It's possible I was here in a past life,” he said, a glint in his eye. “You know, as a Watchdog, the gods have great influence over me. So perhaps I know my way around here because they know their way around Corpus.”

David felt his eyes widen. “Ohhh, you’re a watchdog. That’s really cool,” he said. “I knew that ship looked important. Even if Pfeifer and I disagree on who saw it first -- I did, by the way -- we agreed that it was a pretty cool ship, even when beat up by that storm.”

Another thought crossed his mind. “How were you planning on getting my coin back? Like, he’s still my friend, and while it would be cool to see some watchdog powers, I don’t actually want him hurt. I’m going to forgive him as soon as he apologizes, I think.”

That got a chuckle out of the dog, which got David to feel a bit more comfortable. “Well, I could just take it from him. I have abilities that would bring him no harm but would allow me to get your coin for you. Or, I could trade him for a more special coin. A coin of the gods.”

David’s eyes got even wider. “Well if you give Pfeifer a special coin, you have to give me one too, otherwise we’ll probably fight over that one instead. That’s just how it works. I know I’m supposed to get over it if you tell me to, but I probably won’t if I’m being honest. Oh, what’d be really cool though is if you just give me a special god-coin and then- whoa!” He nearly tripped over a rock, the path had started to ascend up to the cave and things were starting to get a little bumpier. “Okay, I could walk backwards up this but I’m not going to,” David said. “We’re almost there anyway.”

Pfeifer was right where David had left him, admiring the glint of his coins in the morning light of the cave. Somehow, though, even when distracted like that he knew that they’d shown up. “Hey,” he simply said, still not taking his eyes away. “Don’t worry, I still know which one I took from you, David. I wouldn’t mess with you that badly.”

“It’s not messing with me, you stole from me, Pfeifer,” David said. “And I didn’t just get a grown-up or even Headman Flynt. I got a watchdog, so you’re in trouble now.” He turned to the dog. “That’s him, yeah.”

David couldn’t hear Pfeifer’s normal talking voice from where he was, but as the watchdog made his approach he did manage to hear Pfeifer yelling out “What do you have for me, huh?”

OUR SIDE HAS TO WIN (for D.H.)

“Evacuate them.” Flynt couldn’t help but chuckle as he repeated some of Olive’s final words. “Goodness, I had hoped bringing a watchdog last time would have swayed Jones a little, but alas. He does not fear what he cannot see. Ah well… I suppose that will be something to discuss when he returns. I hope he takes what I’ve said to heart, though.”

“Flynt, how did you hear the word? I assume you stumbled across it during your tenure as a watchdog of Taros, but I need to know.”

His chuckle reduced down to a weak grin. Kitt was starting to get to the heart of the problem, and with the looming second half of his answer just on the horizon, gravity was starting to weigh a bit heavier on his shoulders. There was no place for levity here.

“…we’re the vessels of the gods themselves, we shouldn’t even need to use their language.”

And there it was. “Ah, Kitt, but I’m not anymore,” Flynt said. “Well, I’m not in certain aspects, the aspects that matter, anyway. But, if you will permit me, I suppose the best way to go about this would be to simply continue where I left off. I’ll start by answering the question I posed myself, and in that way answer yours. As I was saying, what do I, Flynt, once of Taros, now a mere resident of Corpus, what do I want?

“I don’t think watchdogs -- especially you, Kitt, now that I think about it -- remember what it is like to be without the privileges of their position,” he said. “You can bring a whole island to its knees, in awe and supplication or, when necessary, out of fear. Representatives of the gods! But it cannot last forever. We are still mortal, after all. We cannot stop growing old, we can only hope to pass things on to the next the gods have chosen. I was already on my way out when I trained you, Kitt. But here’s something I couldn’t teach you: I couldn’t teach you what it has been like to feel powerless. I could stave it off for a while, coming here like I did, adopting this island as my own, but when something like this looming, formless catastrophe appears just on the horizon, you want to do something. Perhaps someone else would be able to find some way relying only on their wits, but I could not. By the same token, perhaps someone better could accept their own limitations, but I could not.

“What do I want? Kitt, I want power again. Perhaps it is too prideful to say, but I want what I have lost.

“It was in that moment that I heard the word. It came from nowhere as if carried by the western wind, and I instantly understood what it meant. Like I said yesterday and as you said just now, I had heard other words during my travels, but this word felt as though it was provided for me. As far as I could tell, it was something only I could do. To answer one of your questions more directly, if this word is out there somewhere else in the world, I don’t know about it.

“I hope I have answered your ‘why’ question adequately enough here, Kitt.” Flynt finally approached his conclusion, taking a moment to take a sip from his own cup before resuming. “Even if the end of the world isn’t coming, the end of this island almost certainly is. And until I can convince everyone that that is the case, I can’t help but consider it my duty to persevere.”

OOC

Spoiler

Like last post, the subtitle is from Godspeed You! Black Emperor's new album. "OUR SIDE HAS TO WIN" was even going to be the subtitle last time, but it felt better for answer two (let me know what you think in the comments (no don't).

Pretty self-explanatory, I think. You could probably refer to what happened the day before, even. Olive has been moved via conversation to the cave where Pfeifer is waiting, and I added a little bit of inciting dialog (and a reassurance that David won't hear you if you're worried about that), while Kitt sits through the remaining exposition, which hopefully has enough to be reacted to.

I'm free if either of you need me, as always. Take care of yourselves,

-r

Chaos Sonic · May 21, 2021

I Fight You, I Fight the World, I Fight Myself

Now it was only he and Flynt...like it was before. In this same situation he found him asking for assistance in trying to figure out what this nightmare he had meant...it was here that he was encouraged by his former mentor. But now...at this moment...

“What do I want? Kitt, I want power again. Perhaps it is too prideful to say, but I want what I have lost."
“It was in that moment that I heard the word. It came from nowhere as if carried by the western wind, and I instantly understood what it meant. Like I said yesterday and as you said just now, I had heard other words during my travels, but this word felt as though it was provided for me."

Kitt felt...honestly he didn't know what he was feeling. But this was coming from the man he once had plenty of respect and adoration towards in a mentor...once of Taros...but now simply presenting himself like this. "This position of mine...and the position of those who came before me, yes...we have the power of our patron god, being their vessel and representative. But what you don't realize, Flynt...was that I was powerless from day one." The boldness returned to him, as he stared at the old man. "Unlike you...or my fellow Watchdogs of the Forge...or hell, even my own father...I wasn't born in the conventional means. I was forged...a golem...a homunculus...I was powerless from my birth. I was practically a lifeless doll husk before Taros granted me life. And I had to deal with possibly completely being different than others with each step of my life. I could hear the talks about me from behind my back with quite a few people in the Forgekeepers...hell, in Caminus itself."

"It was an uphill battle, one you knew I was dealing with and even got me through." Kitt's eyes narrowed slightly. "So you speak of being powerless...I know this feeling...may not be in the same vein of what you speak of, but to me...it's all the same."

His posture loosened slightly, as he exhaled slowly. "Right now, the fact that you use this word to...in a sense...keep these people trapped on an island, reliving the same day over and over...your cursing them rather than helping them. I don't care what wind carried this word to you...it was a word of power that you knew shouldn't be uttered. You knew and yet you willingly uttered it, thinking it would just grant you it's power...because you craved it." Kitt crossed his arms slowly before sighing again. "What your doing...is quite literally the definition of insanity, Flynt. You continue to do the same things, over...and over...and over again, until you get a different end result. But what you don't understand...we Watchdogs are here to simply extend the invitation to return to the faith...if they wish for it not to be the case, then we can't do anything. It's called free-will for a reason...otherwise they'd be simply nothing more than dolls and golems to fall in line with what our creator's need. And if that was what they wanted...then they wouldn't have had any need for Watchdogs."

He shook his head and began to turn his back towards Flynt, preparing to leave the building. "...I'll give you a single chance, Flynt. Break this off...end the constant cycle of this day and perhaps I can find a way for you to return to your former glory without the need of a word of the gods..." Kitt simply glanced back at the old man. His eyes were blazing like that of a ironwork's kiln, strong with determination and conviction...but there was a slight look of dread and...sadness? "...if you don't...then I'll be forced to end it myself. This is a matter of Taros...and by Taros' own hands it will be dealt with."

Comrade Duck · May 24, 2021

Cutting off Atlas at His Head

"I learned about what you were interested in, first hand," Olivander said as he approached Pfeifer. "Though I suppose that much is obvious since we're meeting like this again." Olivander wasn't going to pretend like this was his first meeting with Pfeifer. At this point, he knew better. Instead, he got right to the point.

Olivander sighed as he placed his back to the cave wall. "I want to keep my promise to you Pfeifer, but I'm only able to fulfill part of it. I cannot repeat what Flynt said. It's too dangerous. But I can tell you that you're not crazy. What you heard-- well I won't go into detail, lest you find yourself in incredible danger. But know that everything you think you know, is true to a fault. So I'll ask this of you only once," Olivander said, staring Pfeifer in his eyes. "Do not seek out this path any further. It could get you, your friends, or the people you love, hurt or worse. And that's all I'm willing to say on the matter."

"As for that coin you keep taking from David," he said as he took one of Lord Hinder's Serpentine Gold from a small pouch in his pocket. He handed the gold piece to Pfeifer. "Take this instead. It's much more valuable. By Lord Hinder's blessing as His watchdog, I'm allowed to give these coins to those I choose. They may not look-it, but they're far greater than gold. I'll ask that you hold onto it dearly. When you are in dire straits, offer it to Lord Hinder. Then, I won't be long behind. I know this is a lot for me to ask of you, Pfeifer," Olivander said, taking the boy's hand and wrapping the Serpetine Gold in Pfeifer's palm.

"Please. Trust me. I'm going to set things right with Flynt. With the help of my fellow watchdog. And I hope that when I see you next, you'll know that things are right again."

Olivander took another Serpentine Gold from his pouch. He had as many as he would need, but this was the first time he had given one away. "David," Olivander called. "Catch." With a flick of his thumb, he lobbed the coin gently toward David.

"One for each of you, if ever you need me. And no more fighting. You boys are friends. You should only be fighting to protect one another," Olivander said as he began making his way back to the town center. "I'll be at the only altar in town if you want to talk more."

radio414 · May 28, 2021

Tomorrow’s Harvest

Flynt sighed, a long exhale through his nose that betrayed a number of emotions, the most prominent of which was disappointment. “I knew this would happen,” he said. “I’ve been on the other side of this too many times to count. Ah, well.” He stood up from his chair and stretched, massaging his shoulders as he looked up at the ceiling.

“At the same time, I can’t admit defeat just yet. You know that, right, Kitt? In just a few minutes, Eilis will appear in that doorway with a portent that has been troubling her for what she believes to be the past few days. Even if you get rid of me, even if you killed me, I don’t think you can call it your victory until you’ve deemed the island safe. That’s my compromise, you understand. But I won’t interfere with you any longer unless you wish it. I’ll stay here, in my home, preparing for the dinner I already promised you.”

His movements were different now. They were slower, focused, and more deliberate. He took Olive’s abandoned bowl, then Kitt’s, and moved them to the kitchen, then returned for the cups. He came back one more time after that, but only stood in the middle, not quite crossing the threshold to return to the table, instead looking on to his front door. “Hello, Eilis. If something is the matter, you should probably take it up with this watchdog here. He’ll know what to do.”

His gaze shifted to Kitt, waiting for the watchdog to decide.

Music Has The Right To Children

Pfeifer accepted the coin with a sort of stunned silence, only moving just enough to take the coin out of Olive’s hand and only watching as the watchdog left the cave. David, meanwhile, was much more receptive, grabbing at his new coin before it even reached the height of its arc. “Wow,” he said when it finally landed in his open palm. “You know, I thought you were kind of creepy when I first saw you or how you were yelling at Headman Flynt when you came with me to help but it turns out you’re actually pretty alright, you know that? Thanks a lot for the help. I assume you can find your way back to the village? Pfeifer and I are probably going to play with our coins now for a bit, or at least I’m going to get him to try and play now. Like I said, I’ve already forgiven him, really.”

Before Olive could even respond, David had already turned his attention to his friend still frozen in the cave. “You hear that, Pfeifer?” David said. “I said I already forgave you, so let’s go hunt for some buried treasure or something, okay?”

”The only altar in town”, as Olivander had put it, was the same as it always was and, even as exposed to the elements as it was, probably always would be, mundane in its appearance and used in a general sense. Initially, as he arrived at the place, he was alone, but he was not alone for long. Pfeifer, it turned out, had recovered from his speechless demeanor and had dutifully come to the altar -- as suggested -- looking for answers. “‘Everything I think I know is true to a fault’” Pfeifer said, mimicking Olive as he locked eyes with the dog. “‘I’m not crazy.’ I knew all those things already, and yeah, I know I’m not supposed to doubt a watchdog like this, and I’m supposed to trust their judgment and all that, but I’m also supposed to honor the deals I make, and from where I’m standing, you still owe me. I bet you wouldn’t have bothered to look if I hadn’t said anything, you know.”

He held up his brand new coin. It glittered, even under the shade of the altar’s shelter. “I’m smarter than I look, okay? I thought up how to get your attention yesterday and I’ve spent countless days figuring out what I’d even do once I remembered. If you want to know what I think, I don’t think anyone else would do what Flynt’s doing if they were in his position. Even if they had the opportunity to, I think they’d maybe only try to, like, relive a particularly happy memory, but even that wouldn’t work if everyone was also like you or me and knew what was going on. That’s what I want, really. I want everyone to know. Flynt can keep doing whatever self-righteous cause he’s focused on, like, whatever, but everyone else could do as we pleased, then.”

Pfeifer placed his coin on the altar and clapped his hands together, as though in prayer, though he didn’t actually start praying yet. “I’m willing to change the deal, though, since I don’t want to question you too much. You can either do the thing you agreed to do yesterday and tell me what I’m looking for or, at the very least, you can make sure David hears it. He doesn’t even have to remember it, but if you’re keeping it from me when I’ve gotten so close, I don’t want to be alone.” He bowed his head and began to mutter into his hands, waiting for the watchdog to decide.

OOC

Spoiler

Subtitles are Boards of Canada albums which are great except that they're not from Canada -- they're Scottish

Again should be mostly self-explanatory here since it's conversations, though I moved Olive to where he said he was going for you. Chekov's coins are big game, by the way, I didn't say anything earlier about that. Here's the payoff for the first one -- basically a triple-dog dare.

Meanwhile, Kitt's gotten most of what he wants (or what I think he wants?) with some obvious caveats to deal with now. Let me know if you need any Eilis dialog -- I ended there to respond better to Flynt if you wanted but you can extend the scene further her way if you feel so inclined.

Keep on keeping on,

-r

Edited May 30, 2021 by radio414

Comrade Duck · May 28, 2021

All In

“I’m willing to change the deal, though, since I don’t want to question you too much. You can either do the thing you agreed to do yesterday and tell me what I’m looking for or, at the very least, you can make sure David hears it. He doesn’t even have to remember it, but if you’re keeping it from me when I’ve gotten so close, I don’t want to be alone.”

It made perfect sense for Pfeifer to follow Olivander. After all, being promised one thing and being given something else was a slap in the face. As a man of his word, Olivander knew that, and he regretted gambling with this boy. He was beat, and all of the cards in his hand were dead. All this would cause Olivander to do is commit to the hand he had been dealt, and see it through to the end. And so he would, even if meant scarring Pfeifer for the rest of his life. While he held no resentment to Pfiefer, the boy's resolve pushed him and forced him to honor his word. Doing so would come at a cost to the both of them, whether it be now or later. As he finally allowed a sigh to break his lips, Olivander faced Pfeifer and stared him down. He understood exactly what these words meant to Pfeifer and why he was so insistent on learning the truth. Language isn't as precise as an arrow, but its just as deadly in the wrong hands. And that was why he hated what he was about to say.

"There comes a price when you make things bigger than yourself -- something as big as the gods themselves -- all about you. I had hoped that you would understand how dangerous this line of thinking was without putting your feet on the coals. But it would seem you're willing to learn from pain," Olivander said with a shrug. He learned from pain too. It was a familiar lesson. "So, Pfeifer. I'll tell you exactly what you want to know. I won't repeat myself, and you're not to repeat what you hear either. Those are my terms. And if you violate them, I'll kill you. Whether you break those rules now or in the future, Pfeifer. I will kill you. Do you understand?" Olivander stuck out his hand and offered a handshake to Pfeifer.

Pfeifer didn't hesitate, but he didn't take the handshake either. "Tell David too, then. Make him the same deal too, threaten to kill him, whatever, but he's the one dealing with me all the time. He should know it too."

"This isn't about David, Pfeifer. This is about containing a Word of Power. One I promised that I would give you. What he should know is that things will return to normal. Even if I have to kill his Headmaster. I only made this promise to you, not to David." Olivander left his hand extended, his eyes still even with Pfeifer's.

That did get Pfeifer to hesitate, biting his lip as he finally realized the gravity of the situation. But he did surrender his hand to Olive eventually. "Okay," he said. "'I have a soft spot for someone who can argue with the best of them, huh?"

The contract had been sealed, and two people gave their words. Olivander then escorted Pfeifer out to the woods on the edge of the island until he was absolutely sure that there was no one in earshot of either of them. There, he revealed everything to Pfeifer, creating indirect verbal links between its wording to prevent reciting the spell accidentally aloud.

"Words of power are words that belong to the gods. They are words that, when recited in a particular fashion, have a grand effect on the world, from what I understand. The word you heard, E͘xǫlv̵u͞ǹt͘u̢ŕ, causes a change in time. It effectively reverts the state of everyone and everything by the person who perfectly recites its spell. To do so is to invoke said spell. This spell of E͘xǫlv̵u͞ǹt͘u̢ŕ is called the Law of Cycles. And that is why you feel the way you feel, and have experienced the same day for so long."

When he was done, Olivander took a seat under a shady tree, sighing with relief. "It's a big weight off my shoulders to tell you the truth, but I hate it all the same."

He stared up into the canopy of trees as their leaves waved back and forth against the island's breeze. Tucking his arms behind his head, Olivander couldn't decide what his next move would be. "I don't yet know the range of the spell. Obviously it has encompassed all of Corpus, but how much further does it reach? It appears to affect even the weather, now that I think about it. Flynt said he's trying to prevent a catastrophe. Yet, he's keeping you all prisoner to make sure he gets his own, satisfactory, happy ending."

Olivander sucked his teeth. "Remember our deal, Pfeifer," he said as he turned his attention back to the young man. "I am a man of my word. Just this once, I would prefer not to honor it," he said with no hint of sarcasm. "I'm trusting you with something dangerous. I'm asking you to keep word."

Without another thought, Olivander lowered his guard and tucked his head into his chest. A few minutes later, he was snoring away beneath that big tree, plotting his next move in his dreams.

Chaos Sonic · May 28, 2021

The Dream

“I knew this would happen. I’ve been on the other side of this too many times to count. Ah, well. At the same time, I can’t admit defeat just yet. You know that, right, Kitt? In just a few minutes, Eilis will appear in that doorway with a portent that has been troubling her for what she believes to be the past few days. Even if you get rid of me, even if you killed me, I don’t think you can call it your victory until you’ve deemed the island safe. That’s my compromise, you understand. But I won’t interfere with you any longer unless you wish it. I’ll stay here, in my home, preparing for the dinner I already promised you.”

"You give me a reason to resume trust in my former mentor once more...and perhaps things will be different." Kitt said bluntly, before nodding. "If you and the word are the issue Corpus have currently with the safety on this island, then by my right as Taros' Dog...I will do what I must. After all, a certain old Dog once told me...sometimes you need to do the harsh things in life just to do what Taros wants...even if it's got someone who's close in your life."

His peace stated, Eilis walked through the doorway once more, just as she did the day prior.

“Hello, Eilis. If something is the matter, you should probably take it up with this watchdog here. He’ll know what to do.”

Kitt glanced back at Flynt, surprised he even said it like this but he glanced at the young woman and slightly bowed. "A pleasure, Miss Eilis. Kitt Axton, Watchdog of the Great Forge Maker, Taros." he simply said. "I've been told by my old mentor Flynt here that you have quite the dreams that Myria has blessed you with. Even though I'm a Watchdog of Taros, who is usually more interested in the material...I still may be of service to you. Please, if you don't mind...enlighten me on what may be troubling you."

He glanced back towards Flynt for a short moment. Two can play off the script here, Flynt...

radio414 · June 1, 2021

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

It was kind of weird, David thought, how Pfeifer said they should play buried treasure and then decided they should split up to look for it. Wasn’t the whole point of playing that it was something they did together? Yeah, they could cover more ground that way or whatever but after the initial rush of trying to find something special, he really did want someone to talk to. Couldn’t they pretend to be pirates looking for buried treasure like pirates do? He’d even found a really nice stick to use as a cutlass. Where did Pfeifer run off to anyway?

He wandered around outside the cave for a little bit but didn’t see much of anyone, certainly not his friend. He did see a pretty cool bird, or he thought he did, but after a few minutes of trying to get a better look (or trying to find it again once he lost where he thought it was), he was almost near the edge of the island, a location that, after the chicken incident of a few months back (that totally wasn’t his fault, for the record), was out of bounds for the game. He didn’t expect to see anyone when he brought his eyes back down to earth, but he did, a pair of legs sticking out from under a tree.

It wasn’t Pfeifer -- David knew that before even checking closer, those were not Pfeifer’s pants -- it was the watchdog who’d helped him get his coin back and even given him a brand new one. It didn’t really make sense to David why the dog would be out here, though. Hadn’t he said he knew his way around the island? If he was here on purpose, like, why? But then he heard a snore and he got it. The edge of the island did have a decent view if you were looking for that sort of thing and the storm on the horizon had a low, constant rumbling thunder that was pretty calming.

David made his way around the tree until he was facing the watchdog head-on. Yeah, he definitely heard breathing and his chest was moving, so it wasn’t like he was dealing with a dead watchdog, but he still couldn’t help but poke at his leg with a stick. He wondered what watchdogs dreamed about.

I Dreamed A Dream

Eilis eyed the watchdog warily, but she did as he asked. “A dream has been troubling me,” she said. “I’ve had it both yesternight and last, and when something like this has happened before, it’s ended up coming true. One time I dreamed of Grayson… no that doesn’t matter now. But this one involves the island under our feet, so I want to let those in charge know.

“It’s a single image, more a tableau than a series of events, but it’s of withered crops, of sick livestock and a bitter, black snow even though it’s a clear sky. So far the dream has come an hour or two before midnight, but even in the morning it’s still etched into my mind -- I cannot escape it.”

She glanced at Flynt, who said nothing, so her gaze naturally returned to the dog in front of her. “I’ve prayed to Myria already, of course, but have heard nothing since, and I don’t know what else to do,” she said.

OOC

Spoiler

Subtitles are miscellaneous references

Again, pretty self-explanatory on both sides. David's come over to bother Olive since Pfeifer's run off, but you don't have to do anything with that if you don't want. I thought about writing the dream sequence but it seemed like somethin you'd rather do? Probably could have been better about communicating that in chat in the runup but I was a bit busy. Meanwhile, Eilis is repeating herself from yesterday... almost. A few details have been added for you. In the end, of course, it's the same question Flynt was asking last time: what are you going to do about it?

Let me know if either of you need anything. I'm still too sore to be anywhere but near my computer lol. Hope you're well.

-r

Comrade Duck · June 2, 2021

Aretha Franklin

"What have you done?"

He didn't answer.

"Do you realize you've put the entire world in jeopardy?"

He remained silent.

"Well!?"

Olivander could only smirk.

"Your audacious behavior will stop. You will show us the respect we deserve! Whether it be now, or with the end of--!"

Olivander awoke with a soft grunt. He rubbed his eyes and sat up slowly. As he stretched and yawned he realized he was in the presence of David. With a smile, he reached out and messed David's hair as he greeted the boy.

"Hello my young squire," he joked. He finally stood up and took note of his surroundings. Pfeifer had gone and it would appear that David arrived not long ago. How long had he been asleep for? Long enough to dream but not enough to ring in a new day. "And what can I do for you?" Olivander felt like something was off. Things were happening now that weren't parallel to yesterday's events, despite time being reset over Corpus. This meant that he and Kitt changed things. Yet, Olivander couldn't shake the feeling that these changes were not set in stone. In fact, he knew they weren't. At any time, Flynt could recite the Law of Cycles and force them to start again. Unfortunately for him, Olivander had no choice except to see the day to its end, whenever that may be.

Chaos Sonic · June 2, 2021

Dream Catcher

“A dream has been troubling me...I’ve had it both yesternight and last, and when something like this has happened before, it’s ended up coming true. One time I dreamed of Grayson… no that doesn’t matter now. But this one involves the island under our feet, so I want to let those in charge know..."

Now this was odd...during the first go around, Kitt heard nothing of Eilis mentioning a dream of this Grayson. Things seemed...different, yet remained the same...how very odd indeed...

“It’s a single image, more a tableau than a series of events, but it’s of withered crops, of sick livestock and a bitter, black snow even though it’s a clear sky. So far the dream has come an hour or two before midnight, but even in the morning it’s still etched into my mind -- I cannot escape it. I’ve prayed to Myria already, of course, but have heard nothing since, and I don’t know what else to do.”

"I see...I see." Kitt nodded, sighing slightly. "Oh how I wish my one compatriot who was a Watchdog of Myria was here...surely he'd have the answer pinned down on this." He said, crossing his arms slightly. "However I do sense that this vision of yours, miss Eilis, does portray a sense of urgency...that something sinister, be it a plague or something more is planning to befall Corpus. Whether this is a warning of the gods to better help the island's citizens prepare or to ward them to leave, that is still uncertain."

He paused for a moment before smiling at Eilis. "Perhaps we should let those in charge of the island know. Would you happen to know the way?" Kitt asked. Of course, he also knew the way, but didn't want to let anyone else know at this time that he did. The last thing he'd need is for someone to ask questions about his knowledge like this. "I've been told by some..." he casually glanced back at Flynt. "...that the leader in charge is a bit of a stubborn old man...but I believe that if I've dealt with one, I can handle another. And also, if you happen to remember anything else about these dreams...something you missed before...please, don't hesitate to mention it."

radio414 · June 4, 2021

Woods

David didn’t really appreciate getting his head rubbed like that but he did appreciate being called a “squire” like he was some sort of knight so in a final analysis he supposed he enjoyed the interaction. It was enough to get him smiling, at least, as though he forgot why he was this far out in the first place. He hadn’t forgotten, though. “I guess I’m looking for some buried treasure or, well, I say ‘buried’ but it’s more likely to be tucked in the nook of a tree somewhere, like, I don’t think Pfeifer would have been able to get a shovel after the last time, and either way I think he said there’s an X notched on a tree so it should be pretty obvious once I actually pick out the right tree in this forest. Normally, Pfeifer’s supposed to be here too, though, like, he’ll have a stupid grin on his face and be like ‘warmer, you’re getting warmer’ every time I move but I haven’t seen him in a bit though. He just said, ‘I’ll catch up when you start needing help,’ and ran off.”

He dragged the point of his stick in the dirt between him and the watchdog, doodling around to keep his hands busy, mostly just lines with some circles thrown in. “So I guess if you want to help, I mean, I’m either looking for treasure or the guy that buried it. I’m sure Pfeifer’s fine, I mean, but I haven’t seen him in a bit.”

Dead House

“I can show you,” Eilis said. “Headman Jones is in that big house just over there.” She didn’t wait for the watchdog to start walking with her or check to see if he was following her at all, she just started walking. Still, she didn’t completely ignore the watchdog, she just had to focus on the request. Other details in her dream? What she could remember was already so vivid, it was hard to remember anything else, any other detail that might be useful.

Black snow, cows dying in their fields, crops wasting away… If a watchdog was asking for it there had to be something else there, right? Even if Myria was underrepresented, couldn’t he have been asking in her stead? As she passed the altar in the center of town, she couldn’t help but intone a small prayer under her breath. “Show me something,” she muttered. “Show me the way.”

The sound of thunder rang out from the storm on the horizon, hitting Eilis like the bolt of lightning that caused it. It wasn’t much, but if they found it useful… “The sound in my dream, it wasn’t quite like that -- I don’t think it was thunder -- it was louder, and I think it was closer than that was just now. But it was there. I remember that now. I’m sorry I didn’t mention that before.”

She turned around. “Anyway, we’re here,” she said. And they were. Eilis opened the door and led the watchdog inside.

“Who is it?” Brigitte called out. “Oh, it’s you, Eilis. And who’s this you’ve brought with you?”

OOC

Spoiler

Subtitles are from the band Fourteen Nights at Sea

Again, you're both in dialog so there isn't much to be explained here. Pfeifer's missing, though, that's certainly something of note, even if David doesn't seem too concerned. Meanwhile, Kitt probably remembers the house and Brigitte from yesterday, so you can play with that how you will. I would have progressed the conversation between her and Eilis here but firstly, this seemed like a moment for Kitt to step in and act all smooth-like (much to Brigitte's chagrin (foreshadowing if you need lines from me)) and also this gives a bit more emphasis to Eilis' memory. It's another puzzle piece for you.

I would recommend getting together at some point to share information again, but that's something to keep in mind for the future. Obviously not right now; you're both busy.

As always, let me know if you need anything and happy posting.

-r

Comrade Duck · June 9, 2021

A Daunting Silence

Watching David doodle in the dirt captivated Olivander for a short moment. Perhaps there was no drawing that David was putting together. Or, at least, that's what Olivander thought until the circles were added to the lines. "Is that a penis?" he thought silently. His mind briefly wandered back to Flynt and Olivander's face went red. Then, he immediately frowned and focused his attention back on David. "I'll deal with him later."

"... I guess if you want to help, I mean, I’m either looking for treasure or the guy that buried it. I’m sure Pfeifer’s fine, I mean, but I haven’t seen him in a bit.”

That last bit worried Olivander. He kept his smile but he was silently wondering what happened to Pfeifer. With another yawn and a stretch Olivander stood to his feet. "Well, young squire, I propose that we gather all of the King's forces and search for treasure together. That is to say, we should find Pfeifer first, and then we'll go searching for treasure. For we are stronger together than we are apart. What say you?"

"I guess that makes sense," David said. "Is he gonna be a squire too or does he have to be less than a squire for running off and shirking his squire duties?"

Olivander chuckled. "We'll reprimand him. Then, you'll be the lead squire and take charge of the treasure hunt. Lead the way, squire!"

Olivander hoped that they would find Pfeifer sooner than later. He was trusting David to lead the way, but he would keep his eyes open for any telltale signs of Pfeifer's presence.

Sign In

Götterdämmerung [IC/PG-16/COMPLETED]

Recommended Posts

Comrade Duck 178

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Chaos Sonic 442

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

radio414 903

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Chaos Sonic 442

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Comrade Duck 178

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Chaos Sonic 442

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Comrade Duck 178

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Chaos Sonic 442

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

radio414 903

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Comrade Duck 178

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Chaos Sonic 442

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

radio414 903

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Comrade Duck 178

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Chaos Sonic 442

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

radio414 903

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Chaos Sonic 442

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Comrade Duck 178

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

radio414 903

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Comrade Duck 178

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Chaos Sonic 442