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

Comments

phone of course she might get cooties from action

[warriorscoffee]

Are you actually going to pass this up?

totally understandable, cooties are ew

[myblimpisbigger]

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]

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

[myblimpisbigger]

You know, you hardly have the right to berate me for a natural predilection towards bloodshed. You're a warrior princess, for goodness sake.

[sturmbahnfurher]

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

It will be an interesting initiation.

[myblimpisbigger]

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]

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.

[myblimpisbigger]

I assume you will be in the latter group?

[He hasn't really interacted with the Major much, but... hell, it's not like the Major isn't glaringly obvious about his love of all things WAR~]

phone

[putmeinstitches]

Not one bit.

[myblimpisbigger]

Good. Then I am not alone.

[putmeinstitches]

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.

[myblimpisbigger]

You're a smart man, then. I highly doubt they intend to reward us -- I do believe they intend to punish us. It is a double-standard they have used before several times. After being here for so long, I must admit, the town is getting predictable.

Still. Watching your back and the backs of your fellows, should you have gained any in your time here, would not be a bad course of action.

[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]

[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.

[myblimpisbigger]

[Most awkward father/son hug ever. And yet. Also the best.]

Ah. And I take it she hasn't returned to normal?

[Uh-oh. Are they going to have to have the 'there are other dragons in the cave' talk?]

[doctor_creep]

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]

[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]

[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.]

[myblimpisbigger]

[Hey, Klaus has died before. Really. He gets that.]

Observing from afar is hardly the most enjoyable form of observation. To truly understand an experiment such as this, one must be in the thick of it. Should we meet -- and I expect we will, eventually -- I very much look forward to it.

[Was that a hint, Nusakan? Are you the one that was tasked with trying to kill him? Klaus can't be sure, but he'll file it away for later consideration.]