||3|| [Audio/Flagged to the Deities]

[waitsforever]

Hello...Deities. Hi. I'm Rory Williams.

I'm not sure if you or the City brought me here, but I might as well say that I'm new, so I don't have much firsthand knowledge, but I'm doing my best anyway. There's been a lot of stuff going on for a while, before I even got here, and some of it that just started around when I arrived. There was a clock that used to tick, apparently, and there aren't usually this many monsters about, and there have been other things, like the barrier going down and the carousel animals coming to life. So I have two questions.

First thing...do you lot know---I mean, can you stop this? Can you fix it? Because it's...sort of getting out of hand.

And if not that, then...do you at least...can you tell us why this is happening at all...cos....it'd be really helpful, knowing that.

...

...cheers.

Comments

[laszlo-jamf.livejournal.com]

He says "cheers."

I don't know if you're more like Mexico or Chiclitz (however he spelled it) right now. Or Gwenhidwy. Or one of those--whatever.

He says "cheers."

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

Well, um...thanking in advance, to be polite... I'm sorry, I don't understand the references. Are you a deity?

[laszlo-jamf.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid so.

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

You'd...rather not be? No...that's me reading into that, sorry. Look....can you answer either of my questions? I'd really appreciate it.

[laszlo-jamf.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you would.

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

So...you won't.

[laszlo-jamf.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't you rather have the satisfaction of learning these things for yourself rather than have me give you all the answers?

Of course you would.

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

Alright, learn it for myself, right, naturally. But why not fix things? Why don't you?

[laszlo-jamf.livejournal.com]

Why should I?

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

Because...you're in charge here? And you live here as well, so you have a vested interest in making sure the place doesn't fall apart.

[laszlo-jamf.livejournal.com]

Plausible reasoning.

But how do you know we're in charge here? How do you know that we live here? How do you know we won't pull up stakes?

After all, I wasn't here until I was dumped here. Bear it in mind, bear it away.

Why don't you go do something rather than keep talking to me?

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

I'm doing both. Not at once, but me talking to you doesn't mean I'm not going to do something. Call me an idiot for thinking you might be able to help. That's...not an invitation, by the way.

So...you were dropped here the same as anyone else?

[laszlo-jamf.livejournal.com]

Damn.

You think we have that much in common? I was transferred here.

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

I'm just trying to work things out. If you'd say anything directly, this would go much faster. You were transferred. Which means you have more power than an average citizen. Or at least more knowledge, that you've decided not to share with anybody. You don't think that you might have some sort of level of responsibility to help out, like anyone else here?

[laszlo-jamf.livejournal.com]

I "help out" more than you could even begin to realize.

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

Alright, I can't! I don't know! Why do you have to be secretive about it?

[laszlo-jamf.livejournal.com]

Because, quite simply, I don't feel like telling you these things.

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

Even if it might help?

[laszlo-jamf.livejournal.com]

I've been wrong before--it's not often, but it happens--but you look like you're of roughly average intelligence. Maybe you can figure it out without my help if you really, really put your mind to it. Click those neurons.

Anyway, isn't my telling you all the answers cheating? Why should I tell you?

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks.

I don't... Okay. Not all the answers, then. Just a hint. A hint as to what I can do to fix this.

[laszlo-jamf.livejournal.com]

And you're the one who wants to go from being a nurse to a doctor.

Here's a hint: diagnose and treat. What symptoms are presenting? What's the history? What treatments have already been tried? What worked? What failed? What observations can be drawn from that? Use your brain.

Or else I might be tempted to take it and keep it in a jar as a specimen. I mean, really.

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

If it's that useless, do you really want it as a specimen?

But alright, yeah, I get it. Work it out myself. Cheers again.

1/2

[waitedforyears.livejournal.com]

What is--

[waitedforyears.livejournal.com]

Rory? What's going on?

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

I'm just trying to get a few answers...though it's not exactly working.

[waitedforyears.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can see that.

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

I had to try.

[waitedforyears.livejournal.com]

He'd better not be literal about keeping your brain in a jar.

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

I....think he's the sort who's probably completely literal about that. He'd probably let you keep my body, if that helps. [Which is meant to be a joke.]

[waitedforyears.livejournal.com]

Well, in that case. [Which is her accepting the diversion. She thinks you're up to something, though.]

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

Just promise to visit my brain, sometimes. I'm sure floating in a jar becomes quite boring.

[1/2]

[waitedforyears.livejournal.com]

Sure thing. I might even bring your body 'round.

[2/2]

[waitedforyears.livejournal.com]

So what's this all about then?

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

Well...I thought maybe asking nicely would work, and the deities might get rid of all the monsters again, and things might go back to sort of normal. Anyone I asked said they hadn't even bothered asking the deities so I figured: Why not?

[waitedforyears.livejournal.com]

That would've been nice. Too easy, but nice, yeah.

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

I know. I didn't expect much. I only thought it fair to give the 'heartless dictators' a chance.

[waitedforyears.livejournal.com]

You're sweet, Rory Williams.

[waitsforever.livejournal.com]

Fine line between that and daft, I suppose.