Random 107

The older woman, the sunflower, nodded calmly and patiently.

The other, the butterfly, now had her mouth open. That is most certainly not fair!

The half-elf on the other hand, let go of Sylvie, giving that sign with a pat on her bottom. Then he got up and, with apparently no fear at all, approached the visages. He glared up at the sunflower-woman and butterfly-woman, met both stares and shook, even as he pointed his hurt finger at the butterfly-woman. "You... you're going to tell me what's fair? I'll tell you what's fair!"

Careful! said the butterfly, landing on the finger -- the human visage appeared to be grabbing it, and for a moment Sebastian looked painful. His finger was being twisted, economically and expertly.

Just like he'd do it. Up until there was a sudden bong sound, and the bare-chested woman was smacked with what appeared to be a bear trap. The sunflower appeared nonchalant about it, whistling quietly and avoiding the butterfly's glare.

Sebastian hissed in some breath and began to shout at the butterly in an old, faraway language.

While he did so, the sunflower walked over to Sylvie and said, quiet and gently, I think we two need to talk.

Sylvie was dusting off her knees after getting up. She gave Sebastian a look. He seemed to prefer handling that talk alone, so she turned to... the Old Lady? Close enough, Sylvie assumed.

"Well, I'm here." She matched the ghostly woman's voice at least in volume.

The Old Lady, Lady Land, Nature glanced over at Sebastian and Lady Luck, Fortune, Fortuna, Mischief. For a while it looked like they were going to go at each other's throats, but finally the butterly ended up on his forehead -- while the visage kissed his forehead.

It certainly stopped the half-elf for a moment.

She's considered him her child for as long as he's been making things difficult for people. Me, hah, I've always looked over him. But Luck? Luck's been... hm. No, I don't need to explain, do I? the sunflower-lady said, staring at Sylvie. Probably not. Now, before you, too, tell me to fuck off, ask your questions.

Heedless, Sylvie would have finished the sentence.

Whether the implication of how well the goddess knew her was real or just in Sylvie's imagination, it chilled her. A question she had never dared think about billowed to the top of her mind. The one that mattered most immediately, if they were accepting his resignation, fought for attention, but was postponed. Questions, so she should have at least two.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, only opening them gradually while she spoke. "For how long have you two been pulling my strings to arrange this?" She stood tensely upright, feet about shoulder-width apart, one knee bent a little due to the slope, hands clasped behind her back. Her voice sounded more tired than angry.

While Sebastian was looking like he wanted to punch Luck, Land sighed, shook her head and caused Luck to stiffen. Sebastian took the chance to huff and puff, point and insult Luck. And then just freeze.

Before you ask, I happen to be stronger here. Land looked over at the two, bored and amused at the same time. She has been using you as a test subject to check whether or not he is too weary. Myself, the same thing. Luck is a fickle little bitch. Land grinned, excused herself for a moment and, with a single slap, quieted down Luck.

Sebastian remained in one of his quiet, utterly unresponsive states.

She doesn't want to lose him, Land said. As for me, I've kept her quiet, no matter how persistently she's been trying to talk to him. Unfortunately, I... well, I have hardly been very good to him myself. But, since that branch hit his head. I was behind that. And the chimera.

Sylvie followed Land. When she finally got the answer she had asked for, she let out a huge sigh and relaxed a good deal. Being used as a tool wasn't a nice thought, and neither was Land's treatment of Sebastian, but Sylvie didn't want to know what it would have done to her mind if they had started manipulating her life as early as setting up her father's scheme.

She repeated what had worked last time, touching his face and calling his name - sticking with Sebastian due to habit.

Land, in the meantime, did not seem to care what Sylvie did to Sebastian. She was dealing with Luck. You. Go sulk. Go cause a windfall or catastrophe, or stay and behave. I gave you the terms. Now behave.

The butterfly -- the ghostly image of Luck in her toga shrank and cursed, just as Sebastian stopped biting his teeth together and looked at Sylvie. His first action was to take a very long breath, then blink and look at Sylvie.

Now, just this one thing, Land said. Any questions, hmm?

Sebastian bared his canines, but as soon as he did so, Land gave him another glare.

Not you. Her.

"Oh."

Sylvie turned to the goddess - without being quite aware of it so she was standing between her and Sebastian, and nodded. "Why these games? Why did you tell Kord to treat him badly?"

The sunflower came closer, whilst the ghostly image of Land in her stout figure grinned. (Sebastian was finding this quite disconcerting.)

Sister Luck, Nature, Land, the Old One began, was worried about him. And I have been worried about him for -- the amount of time the sunflower expressed was the lifetime of many plants and animals. In any case, it amounted to a certain numbers. It was just barely under a millennium by Eodean terms, yet the concept hinted that in some worlds it might have been more. (Sebastian swallowed and stayed silent, glaring at the butterfly.) I had to order Kord be as rude as possible, just so that Sister Luck would finally get the idea.

The goddess paused, then said, even a little sadly after a sigh. He's tired. And it's taken this long for her to understand this, with all her contingency plans.

Sylvie pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can't help but wonder if there would have been any clarifying conversation if you had not prevented any, but anyway, just one more question. Did it work?"

After a moment of silence, during which Sebastian closed his eyes and covered his face, the butterfly began to mutter.

Say it, Nature suggested, wintery like.

The butterfly fluttered for a moment. Yes! Fine! He's not what he used to be.

"...just what the hell was I supposed to be?" Sebastian asked, breathing heavily.

Amusing!

"Well. Fuck you with a --" what he described was not only rude, it was so dirty most sailors would have blanched. It was violent enough to make street thugs clap in appreciation. And it only involved a window screen.

The Old Lady laughed.

Sylvie gave him a short look, slightly worried about his state of mind. He might hurt himself if he decided to punch a tree. She found it hard to be angry at Lady Land - the goddess probably wouldn't have cared, anyway - and wanted nothing to do with that other, lunatic one.

"Good, so I take it that resignation is accepted."

Lady Land still laughed for a while -- and then, in a flash of a moment, captured the butterfly, which looked a little worried about this turn of events.

She said, in certain tones. It might. Might. I have an offer. And this thing here, she said, her ghostly humanoid visage holding on to Luck's ear. But he won't hear it.

Indeed, Sebastian frowned and looked at Sylvie, utterly worried. "What's happening?"

"I'm not sure and I don't like it." She watched Lady Land suspiciously.

Sebastian blinked at her, took Sylvie's hand. "...just tell it's not going to be bad." The sunflower had, by now insinuated itself a half an inch from Sylvie. As much as he cursed and railed at the goddesses, it made him worried. Obviously so.

I want him happy. I've brought Luck here to understand what she's done, and you have been the... cure, let us say. The larger goddess, still holding Luck by her ear, stared at Sylvie.

Sebastian remained worried, outwardly.

You know plants. You know nature. Would you, by any chance, accept a gift if I just asked his resignation was merely... partial?

"What are you suggesting exactly? And obviously I can't decide what he does." She stared right back. "No games."

The flower-image turned brighter. The look on the ghost image turned into a grin, whilst Sebastian looked worried -- and then angry at the butterfly.

No games. And he does not have to decide. You do. Now, the question is -- do you want to go back to your world with him, on the condition that the both of you will stop things such as you stopped here?

Sebastian frowned. "I can't hear her."

Aside from what I've already offered, there is something else I would like to offer you as well, Land said.

Can they do that? Sylvie sat down rather abruptly, tearing up again. A promise of a way home was wonderful, but the thought of gods messing with her homeworld filled her with dread. And wanting her to decide for Sebastian felt like a game.

The implied questions registered with her belatedly. Looking up in the general direction of Lady Land, she said, voice far away and quiet, "Oh, she's offering a deal if we would take jobs like the one in Canyet in future still. No games was part of it, right? I haven't heard all of it yet."

Luck looked to be moping. Sebastian, too. He said, "You're... offering something," he said, addressing the Old Lady.

With a mild smirk, Land looked at Sylvie. He won't hear this offer. I like your guts. But so... how would you like working with him in the future, and, hm. Let me put it like this.

Land retreated a little distance away. How long do you want your life with him to last? He proposed.

"Sylvie...?"

Sylvie took one deep breath and let it go, shivering. Took another. And yelled as loud as she could, "Stop playing games!"

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, she lowered her head, raising one hand to her brow and crossing the other arm across her chest, muttering barely-articulated curses at the goddess.