[ Fern's Omni goes off at some ridiculous hour of the morning, and when answered lights up with a video message from Orpheus. He's sitting in a dark room, lit solely from below by a faint, orange-gold pulsating light. The air around him shimmers slightly, like it does above metal or concrete on a hot day, but if it's actually anywhere near that hot where he is, he doesn't seem to notice. His hands are on his guitar, and as soon as Fern picks up, he begins to play a frantic, layered melody, his eyes aglow. ]
There's an eruption coming There's a shadow overhead The volcano's heart is crumbling But you won't leave him for dead
Where the stone that grounds him rises Where the stalwart ravens fly What the Prince of Gulls advises Is what you, Green Knight, apply
You'll steel your heart against the cold Steel your mind against the dread Fearing not the marble stronghold Nor the ravens overhead
By the love that's shared between you By sword and claw you'll live or die Fire and amber start to creep through But you know you have to try
There's an eruption coming There's ashes in the air The beast that is becoming Bears the spark of his despair
[Oh hey, Orpheus! The message wakes Fern up, he's trying to sleep in a little and get up with the very late sunrise, and when he rolls over to check his Omni he assumes this is some harmless little text. No big deal.
He is so very wrong. And very confused. It's a beautiful song, which isn't surprising because Orpheus, but that shimmering screams magic to him, and he isn't totally sure what's going on. It's concerning, honestly.
[ The song draws to a sudden close, Orpheus putting his hand over the strings to still them rather than let the notes fade, and for a moment he just sits there, eyes blank and glowing with the same orange-gold light surrounding him. Then he gives a sudden, full-body shudder, and the light disperses like dust kicked up by a gust of wind. He blinks, shaking his head in disorientation. ]
What was - oh, um. Hi, Fern. I think I Saw something? [ You can practically hear him pronounce the capital letter. He Saw something. ] And, it seemed really important that I tell you about it? Um, sorry about how early it is. I didn't wake you up, did I?
[Welp, this is concerning. Fern is nervous as he watches Orpheus shake the vision off, getting more and more worried as the seconds pass.
He Saw something. Great. Greeaaat.]
Don't worry about that, dude. [His sleep schedule is the last thing he wants to think about right now.] Can you explain any of that stuff? Do you remember what you said?
Um, I don't know if I can explain it? It was all kind of vague to me, too. I can write down the words, if you need them, or play it again? But that might be the best I can do. I'm sorry.
[ Orpheus nods, taking a moment to type up the words and send them to Fern. It takes him a good minute or two - typing still doesn’t come easily to him. ]
It - it might not be about you? But you’re the only Green Knight I know, and it seemed right to call you after what I Saw. [ He frowns, looking at the words, which seem no clearer now that he’s written them down than when they were just in his head. ] I’m sorry. I wish I could be more specific? But I think this is just how it works.
[ He frowns, looking over what he's written down and humming the melody softly to himself as he runs through it again. ]
I think - there's three people, here. There's the Green Knight, the Volcano, and the Prince of Gulls, right? Or, maybe the Stronghold is a person too, and not a place...
[ He trails off, trying to grasp at the last vestiges of the vision itself, fading into dreamlike ambiguity. ]
But - you're probably the Green Knight? And if you can figure out who the other two are, maybe it'll make more sense to you.
I'm definitely the Green Knight. [That's easy enough to confirm.] That's uh, that's what I went by for a while back home, and we don't got a Gawain anywhere, so....
[Varian told him about the whole King Arthur story. Weird.]
Not sure about the Prince of Gulls. Stan's got a seagull for an Omen, but I wouldn't call him a prince.
Gawain? [ Orpheus asks, missing the reference. ] Stan is the older man that I see around sometimes, right? With the big nose?
[ He gestures in front of his own face, trying to indicate the shape of it. ]
I don't think it was him. I'm not sure, though. [ He has a faint memory of a silhouette, but it wasn't anyone he recognized, or detailed enough that he could really describe them. But it probably wasn't Stan. ] I know we have a few princesses here? But no princes, at least that I've talked to.
Arthurian? [ Orpheus echoes, again. That does sound a little familiar, though, and he tries to think of where he might've heard that before. ] Oh, like Lord Artorius? Someone told me some of his story, back when I was asking people to share things from home. And - I had no idea Wu was royalty? He doesn't seem to have much to do with gulls, though.
[ He shakes his head. ]
I'm sorry this is all so vague. I guess I maybe understand why the Oracles back home are like this too, now.
I talked to Varian about it a little bit when we first got here? About how they're always bringing people bad news, that they can't do anything about. [ He sighs, looking away. ] They just have to watch, and hope things go as well as they can.
[ But he looks back up again, setting his jaw with determination. ]
I believe in you, though. I'm sure you can figure this out, and make sure whatever's supposed to happen goes right.
[ Orpheus notices that discomfort, and thinking about it that is kind of a lot of pressure to put Fern under. He backpedals, quickly. ]
We can do it together. It all kind of, um, starts to fall away like a dream, after I See it? That's why I have to turn it into a song, to make it easy to remember. But if you have any questions, maybe there's something that I missed that I can explain better.
[ Orpheus nods, enthusiastic as he manages to seize upon a scrap of memory. ]
Yes! [ And then that enthusiasm immediately fades as he grasps the implications. ] There's - there's something really bad coming, and a monster is involved, but I'm not sure how exactly?
[ He feels like it's going to be less straightforward than Fern having to defeat something, but he's not sure. Worrying his lip, he thinks on it. ]
Maybe this'll help? The 'his' in The beast that is becoming/Bears the spark of his despair is the Volcano, I'm pretty sure. So it's something to do with him, whoever that turns out to be.
[It still seems pretty clear to him that there's a monster involved, and if there's a monster involved then obviously he'll have to fight it. That's just what he does, after all.]
Cool, we got another thing figured out. Sounds like I fight some kinda fire monster....
[He's sounding thoughtful as he says that. The last time he fought one of those it didn't go so well.]
Guess I'll have to be really careful. I can work on my bark armour, it's pretty fire resistant.
[ That doesn't sound quite right to Orpheus, but he doesn't know enough about his own vision to disagree. ]
As long as you're prepared! I know fire's, um. Even less good for you than it is for most of us, but maybe there's something one of the coldbloods we know can do for you, to help with that too. They tend to be able to do things with fire and ice, maybe someone's figured out how to offer some kind of protection.
That's a good idea. [He never really considered asking coldbloods for help, but it makes perfect sense.] I'll ask V - [Waiiiit no, no he can't ask Varian about his coldblood powers. The last time he tried that Varian had a slight meltdown.]
[ Orpheus blinks a bit at that abrupt swerve, trying and failing to puzzle out what's going on there. Ultimately he just figures it may not be his business. ]
I can ask around, too. Is there anything else, though? I mean - you can always call me if you think of something later, also. I'll be around.
[ This all seems really important, so he's happy to drop whatever he's doing for the foreseeable future (ha) and help out where he can. ]
[Just trying to be a good boyfriend stuff, no big deal here!!]
I will, don't worry, dude. I'm really not good at this stuff but I'll have another think on it, there's gotta be more obvious stuff we're just missing.
Maybe things'll start to get clearer as whatever this is about gets closer. That happens a lot of the time, too.
[ Just as often it only snaps into place once everything's already come to pass, though, but Orpheus doesn't want to tempt the Fates by giving that thought voice. He sighs. ]
Well, it's getting - [ he glances out the window at the sun rising over the buildings, squinting and frowning. ] Early. So maybe I should let you go now? But like I said, if you think of anything, I'll be around.
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video | un: lyreplayer | forward-dated to whenever's most convenient
There's an eruption coming
There's a shadow overhead
The volcano's heart is crumbling
But you won't leave him for dead
Where the stone that grounds him rises
Where the stalwart ravens fly
What the Prince of Gulls advises
Is what you, Green Knight, apply
You'll steel your heart against the cold
Steel your mind against the dread
Fearing not the marble stronghold
Nor the ravens overhead
By the love that's shared between you
By sword and claw you'll live or die
Fire and amber start to creep through
But you know you have to try
There's an eruption coming
There's ashes in the air
The beast that is becoming
Bears the spark of his despair
no subject
He is so very wrong. And very confused. It's a beautiful song, which isn't surprising because Orpheus, but that shimmering screams magic to him, and he isn't totally sure what's going on. It's concerning, honestly.
Once Orpheus is finished he speaks up.]
Um, Orpheus, dude, you okay? What was that about?
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What was - oh, um. Hi, Fern. I think I Saw something? [ You can practically hear him pronounce the capital letter. He Saw something. ] And, it seemed really important that I tell you about it? Um, sorry about how early it is. I didn't wake you up, did I?
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He Saw something. Great. Greeaaat.]
Don't worry about that, dude. [His sleep schedule is the last thing he wants to think about right now.] Can you explain any of that stuff? Do you remember what you said?
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Yeah, can you write it down? I think that's a good place to start.
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It - it might not be about you? But you’re the only Green Knight I know, and it seemed right to call you after what I Saw. [ He frowns, looking at the words, which seem no clearer now that he’s written them down than when they were just in his head. ] I’m sorry. I wish I could be more specific? But I think this is just how it works.
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That's okay, man. You're doing what you can, so I guess the only thing to do now is just... see if any of this ends up making sense, somehow.
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[ He frowns, looking over what he's written down and humming the melody softly to himself as he runs through it again. ]
I think - there's three people, here. There's the Green Knight, the Volcano, and the Prince of Gulls, right? Or, maybe the Stronghold is a person too, and not a place...
[ He trails off, trying to grasp at the last vestiges of the vision itself, fading into dreamlike ambiguity. ]
But - you're probably the Green Knight? And if you can figure out who the other two are, maybe it'll make more sense to you.
no subject
[Varian told him about the whole King Arthur story. Weird.]
Not sure about the Prince of Gulls. Stan's got a seagull for an Omen, but I wouldn't call him a prince.
no subject
[ He gestures in front of his own face, trying to indicate the shape of it. ]
I don't think it was him. I'm not sure, though. [ He has a faint memory of a silhouette, but it wasn't anyone he recognized, or detailed enough that he could really describe them. But it probably wasn't Stan. ] I know we have a few princesses here? But no princes, at least that I've talked to.
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[He might have to go hunt down a copy of the book and lend it to Orpheus.]
Yeah! He's the guy who runs the Murder Hut.
[Fern hums thoughtfully.]
Closest I can think of is Wu, but he's a king.
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[ He shakes his head. ]
I'm sorry this is all so vague. I guess I maybe understand why the Oracles back home are like this too, now.
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[Maybe it's a different universe thing?]
Oh yeah. He doesn't really like it, though. And I'd never think of gulls when I think of Wu, there's no way it can be him.
[He makes a noise like a sigh as he thinks.]
Their jobs must really suck, huh?
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I talked to Varian about it a little bit when we first got here? About how they're always bringing people bad news, that they can't do anything about. [ He sighs, looking away. ] They just have to watch, and hope things go as well as they can.
[ But he looks back up again, setting his jaw with determination. ]
I believe in you, though. I'm sure you can figure this out, and make sure whatever's supposed to happen goes right.
no subject
[Wow, that's a lot of faith in him. Fern doesn't have that much faith in himself, so he sounds uneasy.]
Um, thanks. I'll do my best? I'll have another look at the lyrics and see if anything else sticks out to me.
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We can do it together. It all kind of, um, starts to fall away like a dream, after I See it? That's why I have to turn it into a song, to make it easy to remember. But if you have any questions, maybe there's something that I missed that I can explain better.
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[That does help a little. He rereads the lyrics, thinking on this as hard as his himbo brain will let him.]
- That last part. It sounds like there's a monster I'm gonna have to fight, huh? That seems pretty straightforward. Did you See any monsters?
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Yes! [ And then that enthusiasm immediately fades as he grasps the implications. ] There's - there's something really bad coming, and a monster is involved, but I'm not sure how exactly?
[ He feels like it's going to be less straightforward than Fern having to defeat something, but he's not sure. Worrying his lip, he thinks on it. ]
Maybe this'll help? The 'his' in The beast that is becoming/Bears the spark of his despair is the Volcano, I'm pretty sure. So it's something to do with him, whoever that turns out to be.
no subject
Cool, we got another thing figured out. Sounds like I fight some kinda fire monster....
[He's sounding thoughtful as he says that. The last time he fought one of those it didn't go so well.]
Guess I'll have to be really careful. I can work on my bark armour, it's pretty fire resistant.
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As long as you're prepared! I know fire's, um. Even less good for you than it is for most of us, but maybe there's something one of the coldbloods we know can do for you, to help with that too. They tend to be able to do things with fire and ice, maybe someone's figured out how to offer some kind of protection.
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I'll... figure it out.
[Yeah, that works.]
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I can ask around, too. Is there anything else, though? I mean - you can always call me if you think of something later, also. I'll be around.
[ This all seems really important, so he's happy to drop whatever he's doing for the foreseeable future (ha) and help out where he can. ]
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I will, don't worry, dude. I'm really not good at this stuff but I'll have another think on it, there's gotta be more obvious stuff we're just missing.
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[ Just as often it only snaps into place once everything's already come to pass, though, but Orpheus doesn't want to tempt the Fates by giving that thought voice. He sighs. ]
Well, it's getting - [ he glances out the window at the sun rising over the buildings, squinting and frowning. ] Early. So maybe I should let you go now? But like I said, if you think of anything, I'll be around.