Wizard's House

[wizardseason]

"Hey"

The Wizard greets the evil-allured knights the same way every night, with the same word, while casually sitting on the steps of the porch outside of her little home. The building looks handmade, like it was built by people who cared about the place they were going to live. Surrounding it on all sides are fields as far as the eye can see. Vegetables of all kinds, with fruit trees and bushes placed throughout the landscape. Closer to the home are bigger trees, willows and others, providing shade from the strange three suns above. Wherever this is, it isn't the world that the knights know.

Plunged into the ground a mere few feet away from the steps leading up to the home is a handwritten sign that states the following:

Knight Rules:
- Tell others if you want
- You can't reveal others
- The world ends this year

Comments

[wizardseason]

"They shouted at each other the first year! Everyone was talking about that, they must not have liked each other before that. But we didn't know them before that, so maybe they always shouted? But the others say that sometimes they pick targets they don't like, like they deliberately try to defeat knights! Did you know that Sucecq said the Protector killed their knight one year? I think that sounds like a lie don't you? But I don't think Sucecq is a liar."

Astonishingly, it doesn't seem like Fen took even a single breath that entire time.

Not that they need to breathe.

[wizardseason]

Matilda's arrival allows the Wizard to mess with her, too. While she's apparently being completely scandalous, her voice comes from behind Matilda.

"It could be worse." she answers and, if Matilda looks, she'll find another Wizard leaning against the wall beside her.

If she looks back towards Gyre, and when Gyre blinks, he'll find himself laying flat on the floor like he hadn't been held at all. It's not like he was dropped, either, he's just placed there flat on his back on the floor. The Wizard who had swept him off of his feet is gone as quickly as she'd swept him.

And all the while, the Wizard who's at the cooktop is still there, still smirking slightly, and still idly cooking breakfast.

[sustainer]

Well. At least he knows to only ask one question at a time now. He sighs in deep frustration already, trying to figure out which thread to pull first.

"What does that mean, 'targets they don't like'? The wizard says she wants us all to get to the end so she can win, so why would she try to defeat us?"

[sustainer]

Well that was a whole thing. He definitely tries to struggle when she dips him, his eyes widening in... well, fear basically. She's done a good job being charming so far, but paralyzing him like that is absolutely terrifying. Even if it was only for a moment. Even if it was only for a joke.

Sufficed to say, he lays on the ground for awhile after he's left there, turning his head to look at Matilda with these wide, confused eyes.

"Hi."

[wizardseason]

Fen is immediately hopping up and down, little puffs of anime smoke rising off of their head.

"Because she's bad obviously! She's always trying to get more knights onto her side! If she gets all twelve knights on her side she'll win! She has that hammer that breaks everything!"

They pause after a hop, though, seeming thoughtful and oddly silent for a few moments.

"I don't know if I've ever talked to her."

[sustainer]

...goddammit.

"What do you mean about picking targets they don't like, Fen." Uuuuughghgh. "And how does defeating the knights get them on her side?"

[wizardseason]

As if they'd always been there, Fumicq's head rises up from where it had been set against their clawed feet on the ceiling. Their form slowly unfolds from the ceiling, they'd been resting against it like they were a cat on the floor but now they're needed.

"Yes?"

[wizardseason]

"You know! When a knight says they'll never side with you! That's someone they don't like, right? That's what Giqra said one year, that their knight would never side with the Protector! That knight died though, Muraj too! His knight said the opposite when he was a good knight. He would never ever side with the Wizard! And then he died. After that, Sefaq said they must have died because they didn't like them!"

Head. Tilt?

"Um. If they're dead they're not on the protector's side? I guess?"

[tropicalstorm]

When Haizea woke up in unfamiliar pajamas again, she decided she would tolerate this no longer. The pajama top she removes and ties around her waist like a jacket, the pants she rips into shorts. With her leotard on under the pajamas to begin with, and her style sufficiently reclaimed from the pajama fashion tyranny of the Wizard, she finally leaves her room and follows the smell of bacon that's been tempting her since she woke up.

She doesn't quite expect two Wizards, a scandalized Matilda and floor prone Gyre.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asks, eyebrows raised.

[tropicalstorm]

She thinks for a moment. What exactly does she want to know? Honestly, nothing. She doesn't really care about the history of this whole situation, she only cares about beating the monsters and getting home. But she had helped to convince Gyre not to confront Luka in part by advocating that they talk to their companions, so... Might as well ask about something that directly affects HER, at least to start.

"Do you and the other companions know who the knights that were chosen for the Wizard are?"

[sustainer]

He rubs his temple, sighing. Sighing forever.

"Have you actually seen any of this? Or is this just gossip?"

[wizardseason]

"I haven't seen any of it." Head tilt in the other direction.

[scandeled]

Matilda of course whips her head around to look at the Wizard behind her, her own cheeks flushing as she grins at her, and then back at Gyre— wait, where’d Gyre go? He’s on the floor. But she didn’t hear him fall. That’s perplexing, but it’s kind of surprising to see him looked so surprised, so she just giggles and gives a little flounce, rocking back on her heels. “Hi!” She chirps, before her attentions captivated by Haizea, and her majestic pajama shorts.

She can’t wipe the dumb grin off her face, and just giggles more. “Nooooo~”

[sustainer]

"Fuck." This is such a useless thing to do!! He knew it was going to be useless!!!

"Have you... Do you know about the thing inside the planet?"

[wizardseason]

The Wizard turns her head just slightly to acknowledge Haizea, the slightest hint of amusement in her voice when she sees the pajamas.

"That's not a bad idea." She offers. Is that a compliment? But when everyone blinks next, the second Wizard is gone. Now it's back to the one at the cooktop, still idly flipping the food with her magic.

"Any requests?"

[wizardseason]

"The others have said they can feel it?" They answer, tilting their head a third time.

"I think it's a person."

[wizardseason]

"I wish it were that easy." They answer, slowly starting to float down in a circle around Haizea.

"Have you begun to suspect that some of your allies do not have your best interests in mind?"

[tropicalstorm]

Haizea pauses. If the companions don't know who's getting wizard dreams... then Fumicq doesn't know about her. What would they do if they knew? Would they tell the other companions? Would the companions tell their knights? Would the knights tell Luka? Would Luka tell the Protector? She can't have that, better play it cool for now.

"No, nothing like that, everyone's been cool. I'm just curious, I guess. You know I didn't pay much attention to all this before, and it's starting to get to me how little I know." She shifts her position in bed and looks concerned. The best lies are based in truth.

"In earlier years, if a companion found out their knight was Wizard allied, would they tell anyone else? Or did the knights themselves just end up telling everyone? Was there ever a year where no one ever found out who was with the Wizard?"

[tropicalstorm]

She looks back and forth between all parties suspiciously for a moment, before deciding to let it go. She'll remember this, though.

"Bacon and eggs for me, thanks."

[wizardseason]

Fumicq would tell the others literally in a heartbeat. What they did with that information wasn't their business.

"I see." They answer, flatly, watching the way Haizea considers the situation.

"Every year has been different, but secrets such as those are not easy to keep. Wizard knights have typically revealed themselves in a bid of desperation to prove their trustworthiness. Turning themselves in, you would say."

[tropicalstorm]

Fumicq you snitch!!!!!! Good thing she didn't assume they knew already.

"Makes sense, but I bet it didn't always go well for them. People probably figured it was a trick or something, huh?" She keeps her tone light, the same way you would talk about a topic that was interesting but didn't concern you at all. "Do you remember how long any Wizard knight managed to keep the secret?"

[sustainer]

"Can you feel it?" he asks, pursing his lips. The thought of a person being trapped inside the world... well, that's not comforting at all, honestly.

"Why do you think it's a person?"

[sustainer]

...wow, Matilda didn't narc on him. That's extraordinary. Maybe he misjudged her? He's honestly a little shocked when Haizea just seems to accept the answer and move on with her life, but he'll take it for now, sitting up finally.

He's still quite anxious about being paralyzed briefly, but he's trying to play it off, folding his legs like he's definitely comfortable just sitting here on the floor. He's good. Don't worry about him.

"Uh, I can take from what you've got there."

[scandeled]

Matilda just kind of smiles at all other parties for a few awkward moments, then she makes herself at home and finds a seat at the table, perching there with her hands under her chin. “Just no scrambled eggs. Please.” She crinkles up her nose, feeling sick just at the thought. Then she’s back to sitting there as if eating breakfast in a dream is 100% normal.

[daddykong]

The fact that this all could've been one freak accident, one shared nightmare between him and people he'd (mostly) never met before, that was how he got through this day. Maybe he was just so exhausted and passively triggered that the dream was just that- a dream.

FUCKIN' NOPE.

See, Garrot heard the same voices as last time, that's Bad; he also heard the Wizard's voice, and that's Double Bad. And they're in a house, in beds, in motherfucking pajamas and he hates this, Garrot hates this so much! Then he hears the sound of Matilda giggling, which is a very unprofessional thing to do when the fate of the world is at stake, so he finds himself livid, storming out of his room, all three hundred pounds of pissed off, parental stomping.

The scene before him makes his nostrils flare out, and he takes a deep breath in. They're ordering breakfast like it's fucking nothing, even though they'll have breakfast when they fucking wake up! Bullshit, bullshit, BULLSHIT!!

"Why don't you find the sharpest thing you can find, spear yourself in the damned head with it, and serve it to me on a platter!" He's screaming. He's pushed past anyone unfortunate enough to be between his room and the Wizard. And he's just. Looming over her. Glaring.