Side One, Ep.2 "Double Dog Dare"

[Legendary Sidekick]

Paul is impressed with Diana. While no mind reader, he can guess who Vincent is to her. "No surprise there, sir. Yer a lucky guy." He pats Vincent on the back, nearly knocking Muziko off his shoulder. To Diana he says, "If you head up to that mountain, she-wolf, let yer ladyfriends know folks here appreciate what you do."

Father Ben studies Muziko a little longer, then shrugs. "Dead... no. He was already Holst's in life. Being a hermit, he could never be part of an army. Holst found another way to use the man. But it is the army I fear. If Holst has this much influence over one, his grasp in this place is strong. I did not expect this, and on Maiden's Day of all days."

Muziko feels a little braver, momentarily, from Vincent's shoulder. "Holst crossed over. Is that what you are saying?"

Father Ben says to the ex-demoness. "This surprises you? Truly? Or are there truths you did not reveal to these here, who seem to trust you because of your innocent-looking, stolen form."

"W-which you... obviously d-do not." Vincent can feel tiny limbs shaking through his lapel. "B-but... but... what is there to say? There are horrible things on this Earth. I've seen it." She looks apologetically at our heroes. "I was so excited to be accepted, I... I just didn't think you'd need to worry about them. You know of Reflexions, and you know there are stronger demons in charge, yes? I just didn't think any of them would get through."

She climbs down from Vincent and looks around. A tear runs down the bright red marking on her cheek.

"I-I... I don't know where to start. W-what... what do you want to know?"

 

[JRFLynn]

Jei

"Reflexions." I say. "Sis and I missed the boat...literally. Just what is going on here?"

I know half the story. Amid the chaos, the Gardener had mentioned something about a goddess, some grand quest to save the world. I have no qualms about protecting her too, just like these brave warriors. In fact, it just might lead to the answers we seek. I'll gladly lend my bow so long as I get to kill as many of those scummy black-magic bastards that I can. My own gods suffered at demon hands. They won't get another, so long as I breathe.

Riff

Surprised that Muziko herself is a demon, strangely I never noticed. If she can find redemption, surely those seduced by Holst can too! With that, I turn to Father Ben.

"I was hoping there was a way to save Mr. Needle. Even though we couldn't, is it too late when they turn into...stuff?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Muziko says to Jei, "Honestly… um… I was sent to kill them." She gestures toward everyone but the lumberjacks. "Stealing a muse's form makes killing impossible, which worked out better than I'd have expected."

Father Ben asks, "You admit this?"

"It's not like I can hide this fact. On the bright side, I never killed anyone before… directly." She looks at the chained door by the statue. "I thought Lady Death's judgment was harsh, but I think differently now. I wonder… did she know that I would get a second chance?"

Father Ben seems to lose interest in Muziko's words. He turns to Riff. "If Mr. Needle could have been saved, it is I who failed him; not you, child." He seems confused by the fairy's term 'stuff,' until George describes the odd monstrosity. Ben shakes his head. "Best you put him out of his misery, then. I can't imagine that… barn… would have held his soul for long."

He turns to Muziko. "Does Holst have a vindictive sense of humor?"

"The Lord of Laziness? No. Not him."

 

[JRFLynn]

Riff

My ears perk at Muziko’s words. The Lord of Laziness? No, surely it couldn’t be him…

“Muziko, this L-Lord of Laziness…he’s not The Watcher, is he?” Jei straightens at the name, tensing up.

My Father, the Woodsman, only spoke of him once.

This is a bit of history only we pixies know. It’s common knowledge that all pixies are strangely female, but there was a time long ago when the gods could bear god-children, and that’s when my only brother—The Watcher—was born. He disappeared many eons ago, after our parents were changed—thereon, they could only have pixie children.

The Watcher is somewhat of a folk-legend. They say he’d spend his days carried by the wind, cradled in a hammock of leaves, watching the world as he swept on by. He never intervened, never bothered with godly affairs, simply swaying with the breeze whilst gazing dreamily at the stars. The other gods were put off by him, found his frivolous dreams tiresome, and dubbed him The Lord of Laziness.

That’s all I know, it’s a pretty old legend.

Mother wept the one time Father mentioned him. There was some kind of dispute…

What I do know, is our sanctuary used to be his home. Faeries far and wide would come to have a look at the hanging gardens, which he reputedly created from his daydreams. It was truly a masterful, inspiring place. We felt privileged living there in his old abode.

Disturbed, I tell everyone the tale of The Watcher.

“So you see, you must be speaking of a different Watcher. My Watcher is good…he'd never turn crazy-folk into barns--and stuff.”

 

[Noma Galway]

From Fenella's shoulder, I smile encouragingly at Muziko. After she sought my mother's blessing, I held no hard feelings toward her. In fact, she had saved my life on a few occasions. But the conversation was not about that now. "I remember my brother promising the Watcher a better life. Pedri was upset that he was only the God of Knowledge. He wanted more."

I use my Echoes of Silence to talk to Diana, asking her to make sure Muziko is protected. Father Ben seems very hostile toward her.

 

[JRFLynn]

Jei

"What, it's not enough being a god?" I grumble, thinking back to Barney's demise. "They have to go screwing with people?"

Riff

Frowning, I look to Mariya. "I wonder what your brother, Pedri, offered him. The Watcher has never been interested in much, well, except dreaming."

 

[Noma Galway]

"I don't really remember," I say. "Just a better life."

 

[Reaver]

After listening to the conversations, I enter the temple to pray to Lady Death. It appears that I had been improperly instructed in the ways of my faith when I was but a lad. This knowledge is unsettling and I needs must ask my goddess to assuage my doubts and calm my troubled mind.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Fascinating," Father Ben quietly exclaims as the pixies talk of their brothers. "To hear daughters of gods speak."

Muziko blushes a little at Riff's comment. "Strangely female? I thought I would be the only pixie to find that strange, seeing how as a human, I was a… ahh…"

Ben mutters, "Abomination."

Cheeks flushed, Muziko goes on, "Uh… but about The Watcher. Holst," she says to Riff, "Now you know why your mother wept. He and Ty were among the nicer ones. And Pedri… he puts on a kind face. While Holst knows how to tempt the lazy, Pedri tempts the ambitious. The two make quite a team.

"I didn't expect Holst to be the first to cross over. He really is lazy. Um… Sorry Riff. It's true."

 

[Noma Galway]

I look directly at Father Ben. "I would greatly appreciate it if you would refrain from treating Muziko with disrespect. My mother has blessed her. She may not have started as a muse, or started...female...but that is who she is now."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Father Ben looks at Mariya, coldly at first, but his expression softens as he says, "Forgive me. As I said, men as myself oft put words in the mouths of gods. It seems I err in that way myself, presuming the gods' judgment of a man turned demoness turned muse."

"Techincally," says Muziko, "I was a demon, then a demoness when I stole her form." She looks back at Mariya, smiling warmly. "But I'm a better person like this than I was in any other form."

"I was blind to that. My apologies." Father Ben struggles with his thoughts, so his expression suggests. "You say Holst crossed over." He looks at the pixies. "And you two called him The Watcher… his name as a god. Ohhh… don't tell me the prophecies of gods walking the earth meant gods like him!"

 

[JRFLynn]

Riff

"My, you weren't always a girl?" I say to Muziko, blushing. "Well, uh, that's fine by me. Jei and I didn't know what boys were until hunters passed through, ya know. They were devotees of the Woodsman. " I roll my eyes. "That's when she started grumbling why there weren't any boy pixies...and started acting less like a pixy and more like a boy, herself."

Jei raised a brow, flashing a grin.

"I guess I'm still in denial, but you're living proof that people can change. Maybe brother will too..."

Jei

"We can only hope, right? That is, if he doesn't dream us into farm equipment first." Looking at Father Ben, he should really lay off the grey-pixy before he gets his rear zapped. "So, how do you stop demon-gods?" I scratch my head, as the notion is pretty laughable. I don't think my pointy sticks could do much on their own. "What are they doing here anyway? You think it has something to do with the Maiden?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

​Muziko replies to Riff, "Heh… yeah. I'm not proud of who I was." She looks embarrassed, but manages a smile.

Father Ben asks Jei, "You mean this being Maiden's Day? I suppose the timing makes sense, if demons mean to desecrate the celebrating the most innocent of goddesses. Speaking of, I'll have you know that I revere The Maiden as much as Lady Death. What devotee of Lady Death would dismiss the leader of the valkyries? I will be at Her beachfront shrine to celebrate the midnight service, so I must bid you farewell and prepare."

He steps toward the door, but pauses. "Never saw boys… yes. I hadn't given much thought to it, but with so many pixies among you, you should be in the presence of The Maiden tonight." He turns to Muziko. "Even you. I now understand why Lady Death sent you through Her dark door, then allowed you to return."

 

[JRFLynn]

Riff

"I'm sorry if If I was silly, I'm glad you're on our side." I say to Muziko, giving a sincere smile.

Jei is especially doofy, she shouldn't go spouting to everyone about the Maiden! Thank goodness Father Ben misconstrued the meaning! I think I shall go back to town with Father Ben and see these festivities for myself. It's been a long, very bizarre day...

Jei

Riff gives me that impish look, looks like she's heading out. She's probably dying to frolic in Esmeralda's garden...I turn to the red huntress, who was tough and fierce as a lioness during that hairy battle. She's something alright.

"Addison, can you teach me some of those awesome warrior skills?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Riff

Muziko climbs onto her shoulder, or hand if she permits. "It's not silly. I was sent through Lady Death's dark door for a reason. Father Ben may have been right about me in a way. If I pretend my old life didn't happen, I'm no good to you. I could have more information—" A quick glance confirms she is out of earshot of Father Ben and the lumberjacks. "—than Beatrice. Whether you want to know about what I did before I died, or what Hell is like… I can tell you about The Other Side, too. I won't hold back."

She looks at Riff's wings.

"You can't fly being this big, can you? Why make yourself so big? As a man, I wanted to be big. Muscles. Reputation. You don't want to know what I thought of women. There is something about this pixie form… even before I betrayed the demons openly, there was a feeling. I was scared but not because people towered over me more than they ever had.

"I was scared I wouldn't get to stay like this."



Jeisera

"I might be able to… it depends what you can do." Addison looks Jei over. Before putting a hand on her, she says, "May I?" She feels Jei's arm without waiting for a response. "Huh… if I had skin like yours, instead of a leopard's." She gestures toward the dense array of freckles on one of her own arms. "Anyway, you're slim, but I've seen you move. You might be able to pull off what me nun friend taught me, if I can teach what I ain't good at. For other stuff I might be more o' help with… hmm…"

As the Huntresses reach the end of the swamp road, Addy turns to the group. "I'm taking the scenic route. Huntresses only. Meet me at Esmerelda's if you mean to bum a free meal off o' me. All o' you are welcome to me next kill. Er… and if any o' you can cook, come early."

She looks to thick of the forest, then back at the group trying to guess who the best cook is. She waits for responses.

 

[Ireth]

Vincent

Muziko's words make me shudder. I think I already know what Hell and the Other Side are like -- that is, if the memories I gleaned from her frightened thoughts are all hers, and not tangled with my own interpretations. Which is also very likely.

Addison asks about cooks, and I nod. "I can cook well enough, though it isn't my profession, as such." Being a widowed father for most of my life rather made it a necessity, but one which I enjoy.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Addison scratches her head. "Oh… I thought I heard mention of a pro among you. Me cook friend gave me a…" She shrugs. "No matter. Anyone who won't burn me kill's a better cook than meself."

She turns to Jei. "You ready to kill us some dinner?"

 

[JRFLynn]

Jei

"Am I ever, just wish I'd brought more of that orc-pork." I say. "I could scarf that AND a buffadillo."

Waving to Riff as she goes with Father Ben, I follow Addison into the wilds. Honestly, I'm a bit excited to prowl beside a fellow huntress. I wonder what she's gonna show me?

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Cathedral

The preacher says to the fairy, "You are welcome in, dear child, but no need to help with the preparations. For one who is not a man of the cloth, you may find the preparations quite dull. Head to Asahi Beach with your friends. The Maiden's celebration is at midnight. Perhaps I will have more answers about your brother by then."

Ben enters the white door whether Riff goes back to town or not.

Father Ben sees Reaver inside the cathedral. He waits patiently, careful not to interrupt the samurai's prayer. When it appears Reaver would not be disturbed by a question, the preacher asks, "What troubles you, my son?"


Forest, Off the Beaten Path

Addison smiles at Jei. "Keep your eyes sharp."

While not completely silent as before, Addison's movements are quick, yet quiet. She waits ahead, then turns back to see how Jei moves.

 

[Ireth]

Diana

As we head back to town, I turn and sign to Vincent. Feel free to go on ahead to Esmeralda's. I'm going to check up on Beatrice.

I kiss his scarred cheek and hurry away to the waterfront, and the dress shop where I left Bee. I imagine she's okay, but she still deserves to know what happened and what's going on now.