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.
“I take over as the God of Death. Not time, just death.”
“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 marched over to the 3 bickering Gods.
“I’m telling you-”
“Don’t be-”
“SHUT UP! ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!” Vaust yelled. Sargon, Vordea, and Eigengrau all stopped to look at the normally quiet God of Luck, Vaust.
“Excuse me?” Eigengrau asked.
“I’ve talked with Sirene and we have a plan that will work.”
“Well let’s hear it, we aren’t getting anywhere.” Vordea admitted. “So, Sirene, Vaust, what do you have for us?”
“Sirene plays stand-in for Eigen’s aspect of death. She doesn’t mantle it, she doesn’t even use the power, she just goes around to graveyards and looks sullen.” Vaust proposed.
“Hey!” Eigengrau shouted.
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, nobody 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 me if I was going to begin eating the leftovers of a meal that I hadn’t even cooked yet!” Vaust shot back. “Do you seriously not notice?”
“I’m not meeting you yesterday for another 6 years though.” Eigengrau replied, confused.
“This happens to be all the time when dealing with Lady Eigengrau.” Sirene said with a small chuckle. “Her perspective of linear time is a hopeless mess. Conversations you haven’t had yet, had yesterday, or aren’t ever going to have get mixed in all the time. Are other mortals aware she can ground herself in linear time and speak normally?”
“Oh yes, actually. If I have something important to say I’ll enter the timeline to speak with a mortal. Spreads my frost everywhere though, and sometimes has a side effect of stopping linear time outside of my vicinity.” Eigengrau answered, going back to her stretches.
“So if we set aside Sirene trying to sound like her,” Sargon began.
“We just imitate the frost effect instead.” Vordea finished.
“Alright so here’s the plan.” Vaust said, whipping out some paper and graphite.