Part 3

While the arguments continued, Vaust pulled Sirene off into a corner to have a chat with her one on one, away from the noisier Gods. He handed her a bottle of beer, opening one up for himself.

 “"So what are your thoughts?”" Vaust asked as he took a sip. “"The three of them will be busy for awhile.”"

 “"I’ve never seen this side of her before.”" Sirene said with a sigh. “"I’m still processing this.”"

 “"That makes two of us. But the plan itself, what do you think?”"

 “"She’s too energetic and excited to pass as me. If she could tone it down, it would work.”"

 “"Hmm. Let me ask you a question then. How do you act when you’re scared?”"

 “"...Oh.”" is all Sirene said. “"Gods, she’s terrified, Vaust. She’s absolutely terrified.”"

 Vaust nodded. “"Took you long enough. I sensed it early on. She’s trying to prevent another apotheosis from coming to pass. She’s trying to break the cycle.”"

 “"Are you sure you’re just the God of Luck?”" Sirene asked, eyeing him. Vaust just winked. “"Great, more mysteries. Let’s interrupt them, I have an idea.”"

 “"Is it a good one?”" Vaust questioned, one eye open.

"No, “Ibut takeideas overthat aswork therarely God of Death. Not time, just death.”are."

Sirene “Ohoho, I like it! Eigen’s mastery over time is impossible to even hope to fake, but death? We can work with that. Let’s go.” Vaust got to his feet and marchedwalked over to the 3 bickering Gods.

 “I’m telling you-”

 “Don’t be-”

 “SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!” Vaust yelled. Sargon,Eigengrau, Vordea, and EigengrauSargon alland cleared her throat. The three of them ignored her and kept shouting.

"Will you just listen..."

"No it doesn't work like that!"

"But!"

"Hey shut the fuck up!" Sirene shouted at them. "I got an idea you idiots!"

That got their attention, and they stopped toshouting look at the normally quiet God of Luck, Vaust.immediately.

"Who “Excuseare me?”you calling an idiot?" Vordea demanded.

"I'll have you know I am merely a moron!" Eigengrau asked.proudly stated.

"Hold “I’on." Sargon said, holding up his hand. "We've talked with Sirene and we have a plan that will work.”

 “Well let’s hear it, we aren’tbeen getting anywhere.”nowhere. Vordea admitted. “So, Sirene, Vaust, whatWhat do you have for us?”us, Sirene?"

"Nobody “Sirenewould playsactually stand-innotice forif Eigen’sEigengrau aspectwent ofmissing, death. She doesn’t mantle it, she doesn’t even use the power, she just goes around to graveyards and looks sullen.” Vaust proposed.right?"

"I “Hey!”suppose Eigengraunot." shouted.Vordea admitted.

"But Sargon laughed heartily at Vaust’s description of Eigengrau. Vordea was buckled over in laughter, holding her stomach. Even Sirene let out a small chuckle. Eigengrau just stared at them indignantly.

 “This could actually work.” Vordea said, after regaining her composure. “Since Sirene is Eigen, and Eigen is Sirene, if we give her Eigen’s personality and looks, nobodythey would know the difference as she goes around to graveyards and crypts. Sirene has the same foresight as Eigen as well, just more limited, so she could say some cryptic bullshit to fool any mortals who talk with her.”

 “The key will be if she’s able to mix up her tenses into a word salad of nonsense like Eigen does naturally.” Vaust said, folding his arms.

 “I do?” Eigengrau asked, raising her eyebrows.

 “Yesterday you asked menotice if I was goingin totwo beginplaces eatingat the leftoverssame oftime, right?" Sirene continued.

"Possibly, if it was close enough." Sargon pondered.

"Why are we in such a mealfuss thatabout Ihaving hadn’tme evenspend cookedsome yet!”time Vaustin shothiding?" back.Sirene “Do you seriously not notice?”asked.

The “I’msilence not meeting you yesterday for another 6 years though.” Eigengrau replied, confused.

 “This happens to be all the time when dealing with Lady Eigengrau.”after Sirene said withthat sentence was deafening, until eventually Eigengrau spoke up.

"I don't know what would happen." She said.

"What do you mean, Eigen?" Vordea asked, looking confused.

"It's time I explained to you why the God of Time has such a smallhard chuckle.time “Herwith perspectivespeaking correctly." Eigengrau said as she began to draw on some paper she pulled out of linearher pockets. "So, here in the physical world, we can go left and right, up and down, forwards and backwards. All make sense so far?"

"Oh no." Sirene said. She realized the problem immediately.

"Oh yes." Eigengrau said. "So we'll call those movements X, Y, and Z. For all of you, except for myself, time is a hopeless mess. Conversationssomething you haven’tare hadpart yet,of, hadit yesterday,simply continues to move forward. What if," Eigengrau paused to draw a 4th axis at a slight angle on the paper, and labelled it W. "What if time was another axis?" Eigengrau then drew a 2nd time axis, and labelled it V. "What if it was two axis? More? There is a reason I refer to time as a shape. Right now I already know how this meeting ends, because I'm already there."

"The parable of the flat lander." Vordea stated, stroking her chin. "Of course."

"What's that?" Sargon asked.

"A story to explain how a three dimensional person would look to someone who only lives in two dimensions. I suspect the Eigengrau we see here is only the very tiniest slice of who, or aren’rather, what she is." Vaust answered.

"What is much more apt than you might realize." Eigengrau answered. "I'm not just the God of Time, I am time. When I say I don't everknow goingwhat would happen, I mean it. The blank slate is infuriatingly unhelpful in this regard."

"The what?" Sirene asked, causing Eigengrau to havecover gether mixedmouth.

in

"Ah, allI said too much." Eigengrau cryptically replied. "But the time.parable Areof otherthe mortalsflat awarelander shehas cangiven groundme herselfan inidea. linearWhat timeif I sliced off a chunk of myself, and speak normally?”

 “Oh yes, actually. If I have something important to say I’ll enterleft the timeline to speak with a mortal. Spreads my frost everywhere though, and sometimes has a side effect of stopping linear time outsiderest of my vicinity.”N-Dimensional Eigengraubody answered, going back to her stretches.intact?"

"What." “SoEverybody ifelse we set aside Sirene trying to sound like her,” Sargon began.said.

 “We just imitate the frost effect instead.” Vordea finished.

 “Alright"Okay so here’here's the plan.”" VaustEigengrau said, whippingturning outover somethe paper and graphite.starting to draw some more.