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[oohforeshadowing]

Let me get back to you, darling.

Comments

[oohforeshadowing]

Mm.

Maybe I'll revive the cabaret. It was well attended last time.

[hauntedcalamari]

Same energy, just fancier.

[oohforeshadowing]

Another warden who doesn't care to understand the performing arts. I am not talking about 'energy' relating to public humiliation and drunkenness. But never mind.

[hauntedcalamari]

No, I just appreciate both.

[oohforeshadowing]

Not enough, clearly. But let's move on.

How did you acquire the tentacles?

[hauntedcalamari]

[He's inclined to defend himself, a big believer in appreciating both high and low culture.]

Born with them, as far as I know. Which was probably pretty wild if you think about it. We all have powers. Mine are just weird.

[oohforeshadowing]

How is that 'wild'? Almost everyone with powers in Etheria was born with them.

[hauntedcalamari]

Tentacle baby where you expect the regular kind was probably at least a little bit weird. And as far as I know, nobody has powers where I'm from except us.

[oohforeshadowing]

'Us' being numbers one through five-plus?

[hauntedcalamari]

Seven in total.

[He weighs the next comment, because privacy matters, but also not much about him makes sense without his closest, worst, dearest brother.]

Klaus was Four.

[oohforeshadowing]

Just seven, out of the billions of people on your awful-sounding planet?

Huh. Being here must be quite the breath of fresh air.

[hauntedcalamari]

And I'm usually a ghost, so...

[oohforeshadowing]

Hm.

Do the tentacles still work?

[hauntedcalamari]

Yeah, but they're as insubstantial as I am at any given moment. Which is... dependent... on... Klaus.

[oohforeshadowing]

So there's not much guessing what your deal is for, I suppose.

[hauntedcalamari]

Imagine how much trouble seven of us would be! Rewriting the whole timeline seems like the best bet.

[oohforeshadowing]

...Now I'm not following.

What is your deal?

[hauntedcalamari]

Being alive seems like it's a bonus for being here, as long as I am here. But brother number five time travels. Sister seven can blow up the moon in a bad mood. It's a long list. We've re-done our timeline at least twice--actually, no, more than that. I'm looking for one that doesn't suck. For us or the... planet.

[oohforeshadowing]

Uggghhh.

You're saving the world.

[hauntedcalamari]

I used to live on the world and it's the only place with doughnuts. But if I'm honest, I'm more about saving my terrible idiot family. The world's a nice side effect.

[oohforeshadowing]

And are you getting to be not-a-ghost as, what, a freebie?

[hauntedcalamari]

I think it may be. Dead wardens don't seem to need an auxiliary deal, but the only other ghosts I know around here are or were inmates. But if I use my deal right it shouldn't matter, since I would really love a timeline where I get to finish puberty, just speaking personally.

[oohforeshadowing]

Oh, is that a human thing? Sounds awkward.

Best of luck with the heroism, anyway.

[hauntedcalamari]

Is it? That feels unfair.

[A pause for comedic timing purposes.]

No, wait, I just thought about all of history and we definitely deserve it.

[oohforeshadowing]

I don't know or care about your planet but I'll take it on trust, darling.