Nineteen: In Which Klaus Comes Back In the Midst of Turmoil... Like Always

[myblimpisbigger]

[Hey, Mayfield! Guess who's no longer droned? This guy! Now, can you guess who is not at all pleased about suddenly having lost all of his hard-won regains? This guy again! And finally, can you guess who's looking at a certain letter while eating his morning waffles, and debating what the hell he should do about it? 

If you guessed half the people in Mayfield, you're probably right. But for the purposes of this post, it's this guy. One one side of his plate sits the letter, which he's read at least five times by now. On the other side sits the photo of Gilgamesh that came with it. He'll be here all morning, contemplating. Family, feel free to notice that the man of the house is no longer a drone!

And later on, he'll be making a phone call.]

Does anyone here actually believe for a moment that the person who wins this ridiculous competition will actually receive the prize offered, without a catch? 

Comments

phone of course she might get cooties from action

[warriorscoffee.livejournal.com]

Are you actually going to pass this up?

totally understandable, cooties are ew

[myblimpisbigger.livejournal.com]

I never said that. But knowing with certainty whether I will actually be given what I am being offered will factor greatly in to my decision either way.

[warriorscoffee.livejournal.com]

I knew it. You can't pass it up.

[sturmbahnfurher.livejournal.com]

Most certainly some do. Most likely those newer to the town.

It will be an interesting initiation.

[myblimpisbigger.livejournal.com]

I agree. Those who have not yet realized what sort of place Mayfield is are about to get an unfortunate call to reality. I cannot say I look forward to it, but I certainly am... interested in the psychological aftermath.

[sturmbahnfurher.livejournal.com]

I must admit, I await it with great anticipation. Then again, I always await such trials as this.

Many will break down. A few might actually manage to get through it. Even fewer will take pleasure from it.

phone

[putmeinstitches.livejournal.com]

Not one bit.

[myblimpisbigger.livejournal.com]

Good. Then I am not alone.

[putmeinstitches.livejournal.com]

The only way they could give me what I'd like most is to let me go. After they took the trouble of bringing me here, the chances of that are awful slim, I'd wager.

All the same...I'll be watching my back. Everyone should.

[ACTION HOUSE]

[worstvikingever]

[Hiccup walks down the stairs and can tell immediately that Klaus is back to normal. He pauses at the kitchen door for a moment, then runs (and yes he runs, because he has two full legs, something which baffled him when he woke up in the morning) over to Klaus and throws his arms around Klaus's neck.]

Re: [ACTION HOUSE]

[myblimpisbigger.livejournal.com]

[OH GOTT'S LEEDLE FEESH IN TROUSERS HI HICCUP YOU JUST

APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE DIDN'T YOU]

...Now, now, I wasn't gone that long, was I?

[This is adorable. Klaus Wulfenbach is not good with 'adorable'. How do?]

[worstvikingever]

[ONLY A LITTLE. Hiccup pulls away, feeling awkward.]

No, but I didn't know if you'd be back.

And. Astrid got droned at the same time. So.

[doctor-creep.livejournal.com]

Of course not. And, presumably, once this is over we'll have everything back... but that fails to make this an... uninteresting gambit, don't you think?

[His amusement is audible, even over the phone.]

There are, of course, those who will believe... and those, like us, who will use this as a test. A flexing of muscles so infrequently used to draw fear in the hearts of mortals.

I wait with baited breath to see how these humans react to the reality -- or unreality -- of death here.

[myblimpisbigger.livejournal.com]

[SPARK SENSES. THEY ARE TINGLING. Hello Nusakan, you are sounding particularly insane and scientific today.]

Indeed. I feel that is not as serious as some would make it out to be. After all, as we know from countless tests, death is hardly permanent here. A 'trimming of the population' will likely not last; it is merely a chance for Mayfield to force its residents to do something they would find morally wrong, in an attempt to break them. In that respect, it may succeed. The newer arrivals will be especially susceptible and frankly, I am just as interested as you are in the results.

[doctor-creep.livejournal.com]

[HE'S NOT INSANE HE'S JUST ECCENTRIC. Well okay, maybe he's a little insane. Dying will do that to you and all.]

Certainly. And those who have things to lose will often be moved, no matter how long they've been here. Were I less certain that my personal level of involvement in this little rat race would see us against each other at some point, I would suggest we meet and watch this run its course.

Sadly, it's difficult to truly take in the havoc from afar.

[MAN HE WILL TALK FOREVER IF YOU LET HIM, BY THE WAY.]

[puzzlerprince.livejournal.com]

There's always a catch, isn't there?

[Note that he doesn't say he isn't still participating.]

[myblimpisbigger.livejournal.com]

Naturally. It would not be Mayfield without a catch. I admit, it's starting to become almost endearing. This is clearly a sign that I've been here far too long.

[alexanderofny.livejournal.com]

I certainly don't.

[myblimpisbigger.livejournal.com]

So then. What will your course of action be?

[madeofstoic.livejournal.com]

'Course not.

[ He may be smiling a little on the other side of the line, no matter how hard that is to believe. He figured you wouldn't be gone for long. ]

[myblimpisbigger.livejournal.com]

[Aww, Higgs, did you miss him? That's kind of adorable. In a brotastic sort of way.]

Well of course you wouldn't. I make sure my troops are trained better than that.

[Phone]

[lunawolves10th.livejournal.com]

Of course not, brother. Be careful out there.

[Phone]

[myblimpisbigger.livejournal.com]

I intend to. But being careful is sometimes something that one must forgo if one wants to get anything done. I may have to ask your forgiveness in advance.

phone

[wifetops.livejournal.com]

Pardon me, sir, but I think there's somethin' I'm missin' here...I didn't hear anythin' about a competition, and everyone's actin' all up in arms about somethin' now.

[You sound mostly sane. Help?]

phone

[myblimpisbigger.livejournal.com]

[Mostly sane my foot. This man is a mad scientist who is actually very much insane. He's merely good at repressing the cackling.]

Then you have not been selected by the town to participate, which is likely a good thing. Those of us who have been selected are required to murder a person of the town's choosing before we ourselves are murdered. It is a fairly straightforward premise but one that seems to upset the morality of many of the residents, for perhaps understandable reasons.