“He put me here! I’m down that shaft because of him,” railed Diligence against Willow, becoming more frantic as she became more insistent that he mend bridges, “I was one of them until he cast me out! For what? Some dreams? Who gives a shit if it’s my fault he’s here, it doesn’t change what he did!”
The forge god, losing what good spirit had left, ripped himself away from Willow’s grasp. With a spiteful glance, he turned and stomped away from her, and nearly walked right into Mr. Caxton, who was now standing a few feet away from them. Diligence, and many of the quarrids, jumped at the sight of the one-armed man, standing silent in the quiet hall. The Alchemist’s green eyes looked down at Diligence with a muted sense of expectation. In response, Diligence became more of a caged animal, backing away again, before gripping madly at his hair.
“ARRRGGGGH! FINE,” Diligence wheeled around, back to Willow raising his hands, “it’s my fault he’s here. I’ll talk to him. That’s it. Then he’s out. I’m only doing this because I like ya, and I think ya got good ideas. I’m not forgivin’ NOTHIN’.”
With Diligence stomping past her, Mr. Caxton raised his hand, and beckoned Willow along with a couple of fingers on his only hand. The guards holding Noble at bay spread out to allow their leader through, and the centaur began his greetings again. Whereas Mr. Caxton started back through the gates where Willow had come from, back towards the other side of the mountain.
[The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
“Uh, but… Caxton!?” Willow called after the man as she hesitated; looking between the retreating forms of her instructor and Diligence. After one last look at the two Artisans, Willow grumbled before hustling after Percy. Catching up in short order the Brit fell into step with the alchemist.
“Um, really think its alright to leave those two alone to sort things out?” Willow asked. “Or is me face-checking sword practice more important?”
“Um, really think its alright to leave those two alone to sort things out?” Willow asked. “Or is me face-checking sword practice more important?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
A pensive group of workers parted to allow Mr. Caxton to walk through, not understanding the man’s meaning or purpose, merely being polite. They saw Willow return with a mix of hopeful and stricken stares. Some looked for Diligence, some looked for a way out. The Alchemist didn’t say anything as he made his way past the shaft elevator, with the surrounding walkways filling with more miners and workers.
The mountain shook again, this time with the sounds of thunder resonating through the halls. It sounded as though a storm was raging through the caverns.
“You are needed elsewhere,” answered Mr. Caxton finally, as they began to enter in the rear halls of Dyrnwyn, the same halls that led back to the garden, “What you are to my…”
This gave him pause, stopping short under the beneficent glow of a single lantern, “... my guardians…”
His pace picked up again, the doors ahead into the daylight opening on their own.
“What you are to them will be more important than intervening in the course of Diligence and Noble’s pissing match,” clarified Mr. Caxton acidicly as the mountain shook again, with howls and more reigning sounds of thunder, “We are at a critical moment. Noble never fails. Diligence never dies. But the pantheon could dissolve when they finish bickering. It has happened before. It could happen again, and if it does, everything goes to hell and Vengeance will move unopposed.”
When the open valley with the sickened forest on the opposite end greeted them, he stopped, and placed his hand on the rail. “I’m so close. They’ve never been this real. They’ve never been this close to who they were. Their souls are surfacing on the horizon, I can see them.”
Percival Caxton turned, a crown of divinity wrapping around his head and searing his eyes with light. He wrenched his hand onto his chest, straining and howling.
“In three minutes,” gasped the man as flickers of flame threatened to set him alight, “Smart will tear a rift through this realm into the garden to bring the other two into this. In five, the duel will tear over the mountain and crash into green. You have seven to convince them not to undo everything we have achieved. Do you understand Willow Fairburn?”
The mountain shook again, this time with the sounds of thunder resonating through the halls. It sounded as though a storm was raging through the caverns.
“You are needed elsewhere,” answered Mr. Caxton finally, as they began to enter in the rear halls of Dyrnwyn, the same halls that led back to the garden, “What you are to my…”
This gave him pause, stopping short under the beneficent glow of a single lantern, “... my guardians…”
His pace picked up again, the doors ahead into the daylight opening on their own.
“What you are to them will be more important than intervening in the course of Diligence and Noble’s pissing match,” clarified Mr. Caxton acidicly as the mountain shook again, with howls and more reigning sounds of thunder, “We are at a critical moment. Noble never fails. Diligence never dies. But the pantheon could dissolve when they finish bickering. It has happened before. It could happen again, and if it does, everything goes to hell and Vengeance will move unopposed.”
When the open valley with the sickened forest on the opposite end greeted them, he stopped, and placed his hand on the rail. “I’m so close. They’ve never been this real. They’ve never been this close to who they were. Their souls are surfacing on the horizon, I can see them.”
Percival Caxton turned, a crown of divinity wrapping around his head and searing his eyes with light. He wrenched his hand onto his chest, straining and howling.
“In three minutes,” gasped the man as flickers of flame threatened to set him alight, “Smart will tear a rift through this realm into the garden to bring the other two into this. In five, the duel will tear over the mountain and crash into green. You have seven to convince them not to undo everything we have achieved. Do you understand Willow Fairburn?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
All Willow could do was look incredulously at Mister Caxton. Mouth agape, the teen squinted as she looked out across the vista; her face easily showing that she was genuinely trying to wrap her head around the situation. Every time there was some new development that she needed to deal with she thought she should be used to the situational whiplash, but every time she felt caught off guard and reeling. Noble and Diligence duking it out despite her urging them to use words; all fine and good, wouldn’t have surprised her all that much. Smart deciding to rush in like the cavalry while roping the other Artisan’s in? Ugh, fine. The culmination of all these factors resulting in the end of the world unless she defused the situation? Just… why though?
Covering her face with her hands, she rub her face before pulling her cheeks downward. Finally releasing, she slapped herself lightly before pulling the pouch of metals. Setting it down on the ground the allomancer began to pull out metals two at a time, and downing half of the contents. Bearings poured into her mouth as she quaffed more and more of her ammunition. Every single metal in her arsenal was loaded. She had no idea how this was going to go, so she geared up for maximum adaptability.
“Get the kids to play nice or else the car gets turned around and mom takes away their TV privileges. And by kids I mean demigods, and by car I mean existence, and by mom I mean Vengeance, and by TV privileges I mean Oh god we’re all gonna die. Seriously dude, I thought my family situation was jacked up. At least my house didn’t burn down every time I threw a tantrum,” Willow droned as she swung her hand and threw her remaining Bronze bearings in a wide arc. She burned Iron as she performed a pirouette causing the Bronze bearings to streak back towards her. A Pewter burn saved her from the sting of streaking pellets as the bearing planted themselves against Willow’s clothing. Looking down with sudden realization, she realized the button on her shirt was still off. Bashfully she moved a bearing into place and once again held the garment closed.
“Seriously though, dude, once this is all said and done, y’all better be calling me The Arbiter or somesuch.”
Covering her face with her hands, she rub her face before pulling her cheeks downward. Finally releasing, she slapped herself lightly before pulling the pouch of metals. Setting it down on the ground the allomancer began to pull out metals two at a time, and downing half of the contents. Bearings poured into her mouth as she quaffed more and more of her ammunition. Every single metal in her arsenal was loaded. She had no idea how this was going to go, so she geared up for maximum adaptability.
“Get the kids to play nice or else the car gets turned around and mom takes away their TV privileges. And by kids I mean demigods, and by car I mean existence, and by mom I mean Vengeance, and by TV privileges I mean Oh god we’re all gonna die. Seriously dude, I thought my family situation was jacked up. At least my house didn’t burn down every time I threw a tantrum,” Willow droned as she swung her hand and threw her remaining Bronze bearings in a wide arc. She burned Iron as she performed a pirouette causing the Bronze bearings to streak back towards her. A Pewter burn saved her from the sting of streaking pellets as the bearing planted themselves against Willow’s clothing. Looking down with sudden realization, she realized the button on her shirt was still off. Bashfully she moved a bearing into place and once again held the garment closed.
“Seriously though, dude, once this is all said and done, y’all better be calling me The Arbiter or somesuch.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
As flames built over his body, Mr. Caxton observed Willow’s allomantic technique with an almost academic appreciation. The gears were turning in his mind, especially with the evident practice and grace Willow had in her execution. He didn’t seem to mind her words quite as much, as if he were listening to something else entirely. Then, with a harsh breath, he quenched the flames building on his body.
“You will be fine, ’Arbiter’,” assured the Alchemist, matter-of-factly, “Remember. The world does not end. It goes through genesis again. The fact is that through the millenia, we have never been this close to being past the point of no-return. To the end of repetitious cycles. Smart is looking for me. A superior. An unimpeachable source of truth. She’s going to drag all the artisans before me and ask me to intervene in their issues. Forcibly solve their problems.”
Mr. Caxton leaned in close with a maddened grin, lowering his voice, as if someone could hear his devilish plan, “Instead; they will find you. An equal. A friend.”
A torrent of lightning spilled from the sky and struck into the garden, ripping open a tattered whole of many-colored light on the green. Willow could make out a set of arms extending from the rift. By now, Mr. Caxton was gone, in the way he always disappeared, whether in Elementalia or in real life. Once again, the ball was in Willow’s court.
Down in the Garden, Willow would find Clever having pushed her way through first. She was trying to help a frantic Smart push herself through. After a moment she came tumbling through with Creative falling behind her. Smart raised her head sharply, revealing that her cracked face had given away, one-half crumbling to the ground.
“Where is the Sage?”
Clever knelt down to help her sister.
“Calm down! You’re going to shake yourself apart.”
Smart slapped Clever’s hand away.
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” spat Smart, “Diligence is going to kill Noble, and it will be our fault.”
“Our fault? You are the one who wrote him off for Noble,” corrected Creative, irritated.
“Rich,” snarled the scholar, “coming from the thespian whose own indecision has kept him from doing anything on the fringes of our lands for a century!”
“Smart, I get you’re upset–” Clever tried to grab one of Smart’s wrist to help her.
“Don’t,” Smart roared, throwing herself away, “Neither of you have ever cared about this world! The only thing you’ve ever done is sit back, do nothing and cry to Noble when something is wrong!”
“Get over yourself,” snapped Clever, turning red now, “Who looked after you when our mother abandoned us? Who looked after you after we left Navipolis? Who built all the machinery in the city!? I’ve done plenty”
“The only thing you’ve ever done,” Smart burned the words through tight lips, “is make me look like a freak.”
“You will be fine, ’Arbiter’,” assured the Alchemist, matter-of-factly, “Remember. The world does not end. It goes through genesis again. The fact is that through the millenia, we have never been this close to being past the point of no-return. To the end of repetitious cycles. Smart is looking for me. A superior. An unimpeachable source of truth. She’s going to drag all the artisans before me and ask me to intervene in their issues. Forcibly solve their problems.”
Mr. Caxton leaned in close with a maddened grin, lowering his voice, as if someone could hear his devilish plan, “Instead; they will find you. An equal. A friend.”
A torrent of lightning spilled from the sky and struck into the garden, ripping open a tattered whole of many-colored light on the green. Willow could make out a set of arms extending from the rift. By now, Mr. Caxton was gone, in the way he always disappeared, whether in Elementalia or in real life. Once again, the ball was in Willow’s court.
Down in the Garden, Willow would find Clever having pushed her way through first. She was trying to help a frantic Smart push herself through. After a moment she came tumbling through with Creative falling behind her. Smart raised her head sharply, revealing that her cracked face had given away, one-half crumbling to the ground.
“Where is the Sage?”
Clever knelt down to help her sister.
“Calm down! You’re going to shake yourself apart.”
Smart slapped Clever’s hand away.
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” spat Smart, “Diligence is going to kill Noble, and it will be our fault.”
“Our fault? You are the one who wrote him off for Noble,” corrected Creative, irritated.
“Rich,” snarled the scholar, “coming from the thespian whose own indecision has kept him from doing anything on the fringes of our lands for a century!”
“Smart, I get you’re upset–” Clever tried to grab one of Smart’s wrist to help her.
“Don’t,” Smart roared, throwing herself away, “Neither of you have ever cared about this world! The only thing you’ve ever done is sit back, do nothing and cry to Noble when something is wrong!”
“Get over yourself,” snapped Clever, turning red now, “Who looked after you when our mother abandoned us? Who looked after you after we left Navipolis? Who built all the machinery in the city!? I’ve done plenty”
“The only thing you’ve ever done,” Smart burned the words through tight lips, “is make me look like a freak.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
A sharp whistle sounded following Smart’s rebuke as an auburn streak of light darted into the ground by the Artisans. It had been one of Willow’s Bronze bearings, but the whistle had come from Willow herself as she pulled herself towards the bearing; descending towards the group of demi-gods in what she hoped was a cool looking feat of levitation. As she drew closer, she burned Brass and Zinc to Soothe their Agitation, and Riot a feeling of Calm.
“Technical foul on Smart; unnecessary use of Vinegar,” spoke the teenager who had long since passed being out of her depth. She landed and leveled a stare at each of the Artisans in turn but ended on Smart where she let her gaze sit. The streak came again in reverse as the bearing zipped up out of the grass to plant itself against Willow’s side. “Bold strategy, Smart; insulting the people you brought along to help you. Stand up and take some deep breaths while I fill you in on how this situation is gonna play out.”
Willow crossed her arms and took a stance that exuded as much confidence as she could manage.
“First and foremost; the Sage ain’t here. Furthermore, as a point of order to manage potential terminological confusion, the Sage’s name is Percy Caxton, and for this meeting I will be referring to him as Caxton. I’m not gonna juggle who calls him what, so now we’re all on the same page.”
She raised her left arm with two fingers extended as her right arm still rested on the other.
“Secondly, I understand your stress right now, lovebird, but I am going to stress as much as I can that I’m not gonna let this devolve into a brawl. Soon as Diligence and Noble show up I will be the one to deal with it. I’ve beaten Diligence in a fight twice now, I’ll do it again if I need too. By that same measure if any of you try to intervene I will: one, be very disappointed in you, and, two, take measures to stop you the same way I will be for Dillen and Nob. The goal here is Civil Discourse, not bedlam. Come Hell or high water, I will get you lot to sit around a table and act like adults.”
“Technical foul on Smart; unnecessary use of Vinegar,” spoke the teenager who had long since passed being out of her depth. She landed and leveled a stare at each of the Artisans in turn but ended on Smart where she let her gaze sit. The streak came again in reverse as the bearing zipped up out of the grass to plant itself against Willow’s side. “Bold strategy, Smart; insulting the people you brought along to help you. Stand up and take some deep breaths while I fill you in on how this situation is gonna play out.”
Willow crossed her arms and took a stance that exuded as much confidence as she could manage.
“First and foremost; the Sage ain’t here. Furthermore, as a point of order to manage potential terminological confusion, the Sage’s name is Percy Caxton, and for this meeting I will be referring to him as Caxton. I’m not gonna juggle who calls him what, so now we’re all on the same page.”
She raised her left arm with two fingers extended as her right arm still rested on the other.
“Secondly, I understand your stress right now, lovebird, but I am going to stress as much as I can that I’m not gonna let this devolve into a brawl. Soon as Diligence and Noble show up I will be the one to deal with it. I’ve beaten Diligence in a fight twice now, I’ll do it again if I need too. By that same measure if any of you try to intervene I will: one, be very disappointed in you, and, two, take measures to stop you the same way I will be for Dillen and Nob. The goal here is Civil Discourse, not bedlam. Come Hell or high water, I will get you lot to sit around a table and act like adults.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
The difficulty at which Smart had to contain herself could not be understated, but she did as directed; pushing herself up and dusting herself off. Each of the artisans listened quietly to the girl they all had come to know over the last two weeks. Creative appeared to appreciate her panache, whereas Clever and Smart appeared the most skeptical. The two sisters had the same look in their eyes, of trying to figure out some logical notion to rebut against the allomancer.
“Percy Caxton?” Creative spoke low, but loud enough to hear, “why does that sound familiar?
“What does it matter?” snapped Smart.
“Would you stop being such a Juliet!” spat Clever, throwing all four of her arms up, “All you’ve done is act like a nut since this started.”
“... What’s a Juliet?” bitterly managed Smart. Clever shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t know, but that’s what she called you.”
The mountain shook again, and the howls of laughter could be heard over the peak stretching into the mountain. Lightning cracks of rifle shots could be heard, before thunderous blows rang out further through the mountain range. Smart only became more pensive as the sky’s color began to shift.
“We don’t have the luxury of waiting…–”
“Did she say lovebird?” crooned Creative, “are you and Noble…”
This sort of statement caused Smart to turn slowly to Creative, “That is all you can think about right now? Are you really that bird-brained–...”
“It’s true, then?”
“I– no…”
Unable to resist, Creative began to grin, where Clever began to become nervous, and rose her hands.
“Hold on–...” was all the normally incensed engineer could say.
“It all makes sense now,” resolved the poet, “the gifts, the proximity, the longing looks--... AUGH!”
A rock struck Creative square in the gut, and he keeled over before another struck him in the head. The scholar had produced a sort of staff with a flash of light and looked to be forming a boulder.
“All you do–... All you ever do is pick at the emotions of others; fan them out; put them on display!” Smart gritted her teeth, “There is nothing going on; and you’re choosing now to run your mouth.”
“... S–...” the poet-artisan began to hold up his hands, his glamour starting to wear off to show the array of black feathers that formed the wings at his arms. This was enough to disarm Smart for a moment, expecting a rare apology from her fellow demi-god. His face seemed well-meaning enough, before cheshire smile revealed itself, “... simp.”
“THAT’S IT; I’M DONE,” roared Smart as a boulder sized piece of land tore itself from the ground through her sheer will.
“Percy Caxton?” Creative spoke low, but loud enough to hear, “why does that sound familiar?
“What does it matter?” snapped Smart.
“Would you stop being such a Juliet!” spat Clever, throwing all four of her arms up, “All you’ve done is act like a nut since this started.”
“... What’s a Juliet?” bitterly managed Smart. Clever shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t know, but that’s what she called you.”
The mountain shook again, and the howls of laughter could be heard over the peak stretching into the mountain. Lightning cracks of rifle shots could be heard, before thunderous blows rang out further through the mountain range. Smart only became more pensive as the sky’s color began to shift.
“We don’t have the luxury of waiting…–”
“Did she say lovebird?” crooned Creative, “are you and Noble…”
This sort of statement caused Smart to turn slowly to Creative, “That is all you can think about right now? Are you really that bird-brained–...”
“It’s true, then?”
“I– no…”
Unable to resist, Creative began to grin, where Clever began to become nervous, and rose her hands.
“Hold on–...” was all the normally incensed engineer could say.
“It all makes sense now,” resolved the poet, “the gifts, the proximity, the longing looks--... AUGH!”
A rock struck Creative square in the gut, and he keeled over before another struck him in the head. The scholar had produced a sort of staff with a flash of light and looked to be forming a boulder.
“All you do–... All you ever do is pick at the emotions of others; fan them out; put them on display!” Smart gritted her teeth, “There is nothing going on; and you’re choosing now to run your mouth.”
“... S–...” the poet-artisan began to hold up his hands, his glamour starting to wear off to show the array of black feathers that formed the wings at his arms. This was enough to disarm Smart for a moment, expecting a rare apology from her fellow demi-god. His face seemed well-meaning enough, before cheshire smile revealed itself, “... simp.”
“THAT’S IT; I’M DONE,” roared Smart as a boulder sized piece of land tore itself from the ground through her sheer will.
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
Smart would find herself standing eye to eye with Willow well within the Artisan’s personal space. The Briton had begun moving shortly after the first rock struck Creative, and once a boulder came into play she picked up the pace. Now, mere inches away, she squared off. All of her Brass and Zinc flared as it focused entirely on Smart. It was ham-handed, even by Willow’s standards of Emotional Allomancy, but Smart was a powder keg in this situation; and if Smart hadn’t cooled her jets by the time Diligence and Noble arrived she doubted she would be able to subdue the stormfront that would likely form between the two Artisans.
“Turning that foul into a penalty, Smart,” Willow spoke with an even tone, but shortly after her features softened as her voice lowered. “I didn’t know it was a secret, so that one is on me. I’m sorry. That said, I known ya for all of a couple hours and had a solid hunch about it, so I thought it was common knowledge you were crushing. As an apology, I’ll tell ya a secret.”
Willow leaned closer to whisper, raising a hand conspiratorially.
“Ya ain’t a simp if ya actually do something about your feelings,” Willow leaned back a bit to offer a wink and a thumbs up. “So, own it sister, and then rub your happiness in Creative’s face.”
The wink shifted to a look of worry, and the thumbs up to her hands clasped together pleadingly.
“But please, Smart, cooler heads need to prevail here, and I’m gonna have a hard enough time with the mad lads. I could really use you on my side.”
“Turning that foul into a penalty, Smart,” Willow spoke with an even tone, but shortly after her features softened as her voice lowered. “I didn’t know it was a secret, so that one is on me. I’m sorry. That said, I known ya for all of a couple hours and had a solid hunch about it, so I thought it was common knowledge you were crushing. As an apology, I’ll tell ya a secret.”
Willow leaned closer to whisper, raising a hand conspiratorially.
“Ya ain’t a simp if ya actually do something about your feelings,” Willow leaned back a bit to offer a wink and a thumbs up. “So, own it sister, and then rub your happiness in Creative’s face.”
The wink shifted to a look of worry, and the thumbs up to her hands clasped together pleadingly.
“But please, Smart, cooler heads need to prevail here, and I’m gonna have a hard enough time with the mad lads. I could really use you on my side.”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
The glassy eye on Smart’s face searched past Willow, and the boulder came crashing back to the ground. Creative gave a relieved sigh, to which Clever sharply reminded him that the last exchange was entirely his fault. He only seemed to shrug in response. Smart appeared to share some of her sister’s stubborness in a growing way, but seemed to struggle against Willow’s charm and emotional manipulation.
“You’re right,” she admitted, with a burdened sigh. Another shuddering, thunderous howl from the top of the mountain drew her attention, “on all accounts. If we don’t handle this right, it will end poorly.”
“It always ends poorly,” remarked Creative, fanning out black wings wide. He caught the look of annoyance Clever gave him, and he clarified, “In my dreams. I see us argue like this, and every time it is the beginning of the end.”
“So? That’s just dreams,” Clever challenged, crossing all four of her arms.
“My dreams are rarely wrong,” he explained, with a little smile. The two sisters, their minds two sides of the same intellectual coin, came to the same conclusion in unison.
“Is that why you said nothing when Diligence was cast out?” the two spoke as one. Creative’s smile fell as he saw the attention of everyone turn on him. This time, the performer lacked the confidence to cast another stinging remark, and instead took an interest in something else in the garden.
“You said you were fighting the system,” raised Clever, becoming incensed, “you said you were on Diligence’s side.”
“Words are meaningless,” dismissed Creative, waving a wing. For the first time, a small aspect of the grimness that Bjorn carried shined through him, “I just wanted to escape the inevitable.”
“You’ve been on Noble’s side the whole time,” deduced Smart, aghast.
“You wrote the rest of the world off because of your visions!?” concluded Clever, starting to reflect some of her sister’s prior fury.
“Dreams,” Creative laughed, only at his pedantic correction. There was shame in his admissions, but at the same time, a sense of relief, acceptance, “This is how it falls apart. It starts with us. The other two just carry out the epilogue. Not even the Patr–... Not even Persicaxton can change the outcome. This is the betrayal. This is the fate that Diligence is ordained to carry out. This is happening, despite everything we’ve done to prevent it.”
Willow could feel the gaze from the haunted looking artisan; he smiled, “And once it’s done. It starts over again. Not a single thing will have mattered.”
“What are you talking about?” howled Clever, picking up a clump of dirt and throwing it at Creative, “I hate when you get like this. Willow, are you getting any of this?”
“You’re right,” she admitted, with a burdened sigh. Another shuddering, thunderous howl from the top of the mountain drew her attention, “on all accounts. If we don’t handle this right, it will end poorly.”
“It always ends poorly,” remarked Creative, fanning out black wings wide. He caught the look of annoyance Clever gave him, and he clarified, “In my dreams. I see us argue like this, and every time it is the beginning of the end.”
“So? That’s just dreams,” Clever challenged, crossing all four of her arms.
“My dreams are rarely wrong,” he explained, with a little smile. The two sisters, their minds two sides of the same intellectual coin, came to the same conclusion in unison.
“Is that why you said nothing when Diligence was cast out?” the two spoke as one. Creative’s smile fell as he saw the attention of everyone turn on him. This time, the performer lacked the confidence to cast another stinging remark, and instead took an interest in something else in the garden.
“You said you were fighting the system,” raised Clever, becoming incensed, “you said you were on Diligence’s side.”
“Words are meaningless,” dismissed Creative, waving a wing. For the first time, a small aspect of the grimness that Bjorn carried shined through him, “I just wanted to escape the inevitable.”
“You’ve been on Noble’s side the whole time,” deduced Smart, aghast.
“You wrote the rest of the world off because of your visions!?” concluded Clever, starting to reflect some of her sister’s prior fury.
“Dreams,” Creative laughed, only at his pedantic correction. There was shame in his admissions, but at the same time, a sense of relief, acceptance, “This is how it falls apart. It starts with us. The other two just carry out the epilogue. Not even the Patr–... Not even Persicaxton can change the outcome. This is the betrayal. This is the fate that Diligence is ordained to carry out. This is happening, despite everything we’ve done to prevent it.”
Willow could feel the gaze from the haunted looking artisan; he smiled, “And once it’s done. It starts over again. Not a single thing will have mattered.”
“What are you talking about?” howled Clever, picking up a clump of dirt and throwing it at Creative, “I hate when you get like this. Willow, are you getting any of this?”
Re: [The Dorms] A Perilous Acquaintance
“Nuts to that,” Willow chimed in as she turned to Creative. “I’ve heard just about enough of folk saying what we’re doing doesn’t matter, since everything is jus’ gonna end. But hey! At least it all starts over again! Nah! Nuts to that! People live here! They have lives here. They have made families. Made art, and memories, and precious moments with those they love. It doesn’t matter if the world will start over; it’s the end of what people know and love.”
Willow’s posture became defiant as she pointed a finger at Creative.
“Besides, from what I’ve been hearing, while your dreams may rarely be wrong that still gives us a chance. What’s more, y’all got me this time around,” reaching up to her neck with both hands, Willow thumbed her collar for some flair. “Wild card, baby.”
Willow’s posture became defiant as she pointed a finger at Creative.
“Besides, from what I’ve been hearing, while your dreams may rarely be wrong that still gives us a chance. What’s more, y’all got me this time around,” reaching up to her neck with both hands, Willow thumbed her collar for some flair. “Wild card, baby.”