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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Story [Magnus Chase] Seeking the Past (Diary of Otis the Goat, DDC 2017) - Updated 7/21

Discussion in 'Non Star Wars Fan Fiction' started by s_heffley, Jan 5, 2017.

  1. s_heffley

    s_heffley Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 7, 2015
    I landed in New York City.

    Was that an exciting conclusion to the cliffhanger? I hope so.

    I landed in a pile of garbage, somewhere in Manhattan. For some of you, that might be very coincidental. The exact place I landed also seems coincidental to me, with my current knowledge after my adventure which my next entries will cover (except for the next one, I’m planning on doing something special with that! Also, I hope you enjoyed that bit of foreshadowing! Do I use exclamation points too much? I don’t think I do!)

    My last adventures in Midgard (Called “Earth” to the uninitiated) had been a month ago, when Marvin and I had carried Thor’s chariot (not containing Thor but Magnus and his friends) to the wedding between Samirah al-Abbas and the giant Thrym (it was apparently the only way Loki would allow Thor to get his hammer back, but Thor and his god friends showed up to save the day!). Now it was April. A few remnants of the winter chill remained, mixing with the warm spring air to create a nice breeze. (Wow! That sentence sounded good! I should try to write sentences like that more often!).

    The alley I landed in was empty, except for the trash bags that had cushioned my fall. A fire escape lined the walls of the two buildings next to me. (I sure do love world building! Also, maybe I should stop commenting every time I use a literary technique, that’s gonna get old).

    I walked out of the alley, and was amazed at the sights. For an immortal goat who has seen the sights of Asgard, you would think the sights of New York City wouldn’t amaze me as much as they did. But I had always been a stickler for tall, elegant skyscrapers. Visiting New York City had always been on my bucket list (how can I have a bucket list if I can never die?), but I just never got around too it. Thor had always been too busy feasting on his goats to take them on vacation (though there was that time we visited Egypt a few years back, though I found out later it was because Thor was jealous of these kids called the Kanes following the Egyptian gods and not him, so he wanted to challenge one of the gods to a duel. No fight never came to be, sadly).

    As I was taking in the sights, I heard a voice off to my left. It was a small murmur over the loud voices from the many faces in the crowd, but discernible nonetheless. “Ah, I see you over there. Yes, the goat.” I looked over in the direction of the voice, and the source of it was staring directly at me. “I’m talking to you, yes, you.” If he had been blind and not looking straight at me, I might have thought his name was Chirrut Îmwe and I was about to be thrown into some weird version of Rogue One and we would be destroying Loki’s ship instead of the Death Star or something.

    The man I was looking at seemed strange. To mortals, he probably looked like a man that was not wearing any pants. But to me, those legs looked like my own. Mortals are not very good at seeing strange things that come from mythology. To them I probably looked just like a stray dog. But I could tell who I was, and I could tell who this guy was. He was a satyr, half man, half goat. Of course, I knew that Greek, along with Norse and whatever other gods you want to believe in, all existed in harmony and peace (except when they all wanted to kill each other, like the Thor-Egyptian debacle I just mentioned). But I never thought I’d have to deal with the other myths. Looking at the satyr before me, I realized that wasn’t true. I was about to get tangled up in Greek mythology more than any goat should ever get caught up in Greek mythology.

    I slowly advanced toward the satyr, wondering what he could possibly want with me.

    “What could you possibly want from me?” I asked. I didn’t see how a satyr could help me find a portal to Asgard or back to Jotunheim, which I’ve totally neglected to mention is what I needed at that moment.

    “The oracles are down,” he said, and I had no idea what he meant, “but from half-goat to goat, something told me I’d find you here today. Come, I know a place where you will be safe, with the dog catchers and all around here. I don’t know what you are here for, but maybe the demigods at Camp Half-Blood can help you.”

    And I think I’ll end this wonderful little entry here! Now, you may be wondering what that special thing I had planned for the next entry was! Well, I’m officially announcing the first annual (maybe not annual) Otis Q&A! Have any questions you want to ask your most favorite goat? (If I’m not you most favorite goat, you can still ask me questions). Write your questions in the responses, and I will answer them in my next entry! If, after all my efforts, still no one cares about me and I get no questions (the depression remains) I’ll just make up some that I always wanted to answer but no one has ever asked me! Thanks for your participation in advance!

    Tags: @Briannakin A Blind Prophet
     
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  2. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Questions? Okay...how do you see a satyr? Is it a goat that's half-human or human that's half-goat?

    OOC: as usual, you had me in stitches. The SW tie-in was funny. :D
     
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  3. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    LOL at oblivious NYC onlookers thinking a goat is a dog!:D

    Question: does Thor ever marinade his goats for feasting and if so, what is your favorite?[face_cow]
     
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  4. s_heffley

    s_heffley Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 7, 2015
    Welcome to the first annual, and only Otis Q&A! We have a few questions from my loving audience, so let’s jump right in! Our first question comes from Ewok Poet

    Q: Okay...how do you see a satyr? Is it a goat that's half-human or human that's half-goat?

    A: Well, interesting question! And the answer? Why not both? I was never a fan of these types of questions. Can’t the glass be both half full and half empty? (Though I’ve always viewed it as half empty, because that sounds like a good technique to convey to the reader my personality). But something tells me you want a more definite answer, and that my equal, non racist view won’t do. (Yes, I went there). So fine, I admit I see a satyr as a goat that is half human. I’m a goat, so I see it like you would while reading a book. If the gender of a character is not specified, you might immediately assume they are of your own gender, unless they have a masculine name, though that is harder to determine in fantasy novels. It is mainly a problem with gender neutral names such as Sam or Jamie. Anyway, I have your problem but a thousand times worse. I was halfway through Tolkien’s The Two Towers before I realized the characters weren’t just some weird form of goat. (I was so confused how a goat could be as short as Frodo!). So, final answer is I see goats before I see humans, almost in too many instances. (My apologies to Thor on that one).

    Next question is from pronker

    Q: Does Thor ever marinade his goats for feasting and if so, what is your favorite?

    A: This is a bit of a weird question. Certainly, if Thor did do such a thing, you would ask what his favorite was, and not mine? I don’t enjoy being feasted on, and I certainly don’t enjoy being marinaded. To answer your question though, yes, Thor does marinade Marvin and I sometimes. I guess if you really are asking me what my favorite is, it has to be barbeque sauce, because that’s all he ever uses, no joke. Not that I enjoy it in any way, it’s just the only choice in a pile of depression. (Great imagery, Otis! I’m gonna have to use that one again!).

    The next question comes from the lovely and almighty Otis!

    Q: What makes you unique, as a goat?

    A: Thanks, Otis old pal. So what makes me unique, you say? Well, I’ve only met one other goat that can talk. Just one! Can you say you’re that unique, Otis? I don’t think you can!

    Q: But aren’t I-

    A: Shush, Otis. Let Otis speak. Some more interesting things about me. I once killed an insect with my bare hooves! And it wasn’t just any ordinary insect, no. It was a wasp! How many goats can say they’ve killed a wasp? I don’t think you can, Otis, But I can. How many goats can say they’ve flown a chariot like I have? Two, just two! Marvin and Otis! But you, Otis? You can’t say that, can you?

    Q: I-

    A: Didn’t think so. Now leave. I don’t have time for petty excuses for goats like you.

    Now that that annoying goat has been dealt with, we can end the little Q&A here. Next time comes my adventures in Camp Half Blood. Don’t miss out!

    Tags: Briannakin A Blind Prophet
     
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  5. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Thanks for your answer, Otis. I shall ignore the obvious fact that you're talking to yourself after these responses to Pronker and me. :p
     
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  6. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    BAHAHAHAHA! Hilarious, as always. So sorry I was away, otherwise I would have totally submitted a question.
    What a unique and genius idea for an entry.
     
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  7. Sith-I-5

    Sith-I-5 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 14, 2002
    Nice subject to cover. Good writing.

    The doctor's note was a good touch.
     
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  8. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    A: Shush, Otis. Let Otis speak. Hooboy, there needs to be another realm for goats like this .. Doppelgangerheim, maybe? [face_idea] Excellent entry and nope, I would have not guessed barbecue to be Thor's go-to marinade. It is robust like he is, though.
     
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  9. s_heffley

    s_heffley Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 7, 2015
    The journey to Camp Half-Blood took a while, and was filled with a bunch of boring little details that I’m too lazy to write. So I’ll spare both you and myself the tedious stuff by just saying this about the trip: I really, really had to pee. No, no! Don’t close away yet! I know potty humor is a no-no for comedy. However, I think it’s a good thing if used in small doses. Besides, the point that I had to pee is an important detail in the development of the story. You’ll see this later, just a minor detail.

    The satyr was afraid that Camp Half-Blood’s magical borders would keep me out. These borders protect the camp from monsters, as well as mortals who just so happened to stumble upon the area. I didn’t fit either of those categories, but I guess satyrs just have a natural prejudice towards goats. (Wait, that doesn’t make any sense. I’m keeping the line, though).

    Oh yeah, the satyrs name was Drix. Strange, the important things you don’t remember to mention when you have to pee. (Which also doesn’t make sense, as I’m writing this post-pee. But once again, I’m keeping the line).

    After somehow making it past the magical barrier that kept monstrous goats like myself out, I stood upon what is known as Half-Blood Hill, overlooking the camp. The camp had all the signs of a recent battle. What looked to be a huge old greek building had been reduced to marble powder near a group of cabins, where I assumed the half-bloods stayed. In fact, a couple buildings had been crushed in a similar fashion. By the way, feedback on these descriptions would be useful, I’m looking for ways to improve!

    “What happened here? This place looks...barren,” I asked of Drix. This was probably the most normal thing I said in in my entire life.

    “Oh, just an attack by a giant statue of the emperor Nero. Nothing too strange. It’s not always this barren in the camp, though. Some old Roman emperors made themselves gods and whatnot, took over all the oracles, and now we are having trouble finding new demigods to bring here to safety.”

    “That sounds horrible! I’m sure you have someone cool fixing that. I’ve read about that Percy Jackson guy.”

    “Oh, yeah. We got Apollo on that.”

    “Apollo! You managed to get a god to fight for you? That’s awesome!”

    “Well, not exactly. He’s a mortal at the moment. Long story. Short story version is he has to reclaim all the oracles to become a god again. Anyway, we’ve wasted enough time. I’ll take you to the big house and introduce you to Chiron. He can answer your questions better than I can.”

    I didn’t know what a Chiron was, but I had one question in particular I needed to ask him.

    We walked the distance the the big house, and Drix knocked on the door. When the door opened, out came an old man, sitting in a wheelchair. He had long, brown hair and a beard. We stared at each other for a few moments, until I said, “Okay, take me to Chiron.”

    “I am Chiron,” responded the man.

    “Really? I was expecting something cooler like a dragon or a centaur, but okay.”

    I blinked, and suddenly, standing before me, was Chiron in full centaur form.

    I screamed, and I’m not afraid to admit it. Have you ever heard a goat scream? It’s not a pleasant sound. At least my scream covered up the sound of the little bit of pee that slipped out when I got startled. Now I just had to hope no one noticed the little drops below me.

    Chiron laughed, “Don’t be afraid, my goat friend. I am quite friendly. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, and if you come inside and sit down, I will answer them for you.”

    The three of us entered the house, Chiron switching back to his wheelchair form so he could fit inside the room. The walls were covered with many different decorations, my favorite being a mounted bear head that was actually still alive, but currently snoring away. I sat on one of the couches, next to Drix (no small feat for a goat), and faced the place where Chiron sat. I wasted no time in asking him my first question.

    “May I use your bathroom?”

    Now, I should probably explain why I needed a bathroom, when I was a goat and could pee wherever I wanted. I wasn't gonna be that kind of guy. Besides, I need to wash my hooves after every pee. Common courtesy.

    Chiron laughed, “Just in the other room, my friend! You can’t miss it.”

    Despite my recent speech about common courtesy, I didn’t have the common courtesy to thank him. I hopped down from the couch and rushed over, bursting through the door of the bathroom. I’ll spare you the details of how a goat managed to use a toilet.

    Feeling relieved, I flushed and stood on my hind hooves to wash my hands. The toilet made a weird gurgling noise behind me, and I wondered if it might explode. That was a funny thought. Toilets make random gurgling noises all the time.

    After finishing my hand washing, I walked out the door. The toilet exploded behind me.

    I believe this is cliffhanger number 2! Oh yeah, remember when I said the pee was just a minor detail? I lied, and I’m not sorry.

    Tags: Briannakin A Blind Prophet
     
  10. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    BAHAHAHA! Hey, I love some good potty humour, and I'm not ashamed to say it.

    I've seen parts of the Percy Jackson movies, so I knew who Chiron is!!
     
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  11. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    After finishing my hand washing, I walked out the door. The toilet exploded behind me. This has got to be the nightmare of every houseguest -- to louse up the plumbing!! [face_rofl] Loved the idea of Apollo and his tasks, too, that's very Greek Mythology-ish and floats my mythlovin' heart. And yes, after decades of attending ag fairs, I've heard goats scream and it isn't pretty.[face_hypnotized]
     
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  12. s_heffley

    s_heffley Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 7, 2015
    After an exceptionally long wait for my adoring fans that I for some reason think I have, here is the conclusion for the cliffhanger I left you off with. And don’t worry, dear readers! You will be disappointed.

    So there I was. Lying against the wall in the second room, hurled there from the force of the explosion, and very, very wet. Chiron and Drix burst in from the doorway. This was really interesting to me. Because Drix was a half-goat, he had sensed I was in trouble and urged Chiron to come rescue me (Or they just heard the explosion, which if you want to think is the more likely option, you are probably right. But I’m not gonna admit it, I like the idea that I have a special connection with Drix).

    Another indicator there might have been a problem with the plumbing: the entire place was flooded. Chiron’s wheelchair must have been magic or something, because he managed to move along in the water quite well. Or maybe the flood looked worse than it actually was, as I was short. Curse me being a normal-sized goat!

    Drix knelled down in front of me. I must have looked pretty banged up, because he snapped his fingers in front of my face a few times, saying, “Otis!” over and over again. If I had actually been unconscious and not just dazed after hitting the wall so hard, I would have woken up anyway. Marvin always did this to me to wake me up, and I always woke up just so I could strangle him (Please don’t ask how Marvin can snap).

    After some bickering on my part, Drix helped me up and led me back to the office. We resumed our original position on the couch, facing Chiron. Either Chiron was too stunned to care, or he just didn’t care in general that I was making his couch soaking wet. The floor in the office was less wet than the floor in the other room, but still damp. Something seemed to be really bothering Chiron. I still had a few details I wanted to know about the camp, but one look at him and I knew that it wouldn’t be a good time to ask questions.

    However, I didn’t like to be left out of whatever was going on, especially after having a toilet explode on me. “Chiron,” I said, “You seem way too upset over some plumbing issues. What’s really going on?”

    Chiron thought for a bit, mumbled something about a prophecy (of course there was a stinking prophecy!), and then said, “Otis, how much do you know of the plumbing systems at Camp Half-Blood?”

    “Not much, considering I just got here. I know they must be pretty faulty if it would explode like that on me.”

    Chiron shook his head, “Otis, this is a magical camp, made magical by the gods. The weather is controlled by magic. We are protected from monsters by magical borders. So it makes sense that we would have a faultless plumbing system, faultless by magic. The system is easily fixable, but for it to mess up, it must have been sabotaged by someone. The prophecy… no, it can’t be. The prophecy is a less probable option of who could have done it, and I want to explore all the options before we go to those extremes. But if the prophecy is true… I still want you to go. Let me ask, do you know who Charon is?”

    “No idea. Can I hear this prophecy?” I asked. It really annoyed me that there was a prophecy that might be about me, and I had never known about.

    “I don’t wish to scare you, so I’ll tell you if need be. Back to Charon, now. Charon is a servant of Hades, him being the one that takes dead souls across the River Styx into the Underworld.”

    I was still depressed that I didn’t get to hear the sweet prophecy, but confused enough by this to care. “And what would Charon want with you?”

    “Think about it. Chiron. Charon. Wouldn’t it make you angry if people always mistook you for a centaur you had no affiliation with?”

    It was true. Thor has mistaken me for a centaur on multiple occasions (that was a joke and should be laughed at, not taken truthfully). “Yeah, happens to me all the time.”

    Chiron laughed (See? He has the right idea), “Tomorrow, I want you to go see him. I’ll send a worthy hero with you, in case things turn ugly.”

    “Why can’t Drix come along?” I said. I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings, but Drix looked a bit beat down by the words. I realized I had just called him an unworthy hero.

    “The means of travelling isn’t meant for three, even if one is a goat,” Chiron said with a laugh, trying to relieve some of the tension. “I’m not gonna say much about this form of travel, I don’t want you to chicken out.” Now it was my turn to have my feelings hurt. I hated when people compared me to chickens when I was clearly a goat (Another joke, I do understand expressions).

    Chiron then suggested that Drix give me a tour of the camp. It was only about 4 p.m, so we still had some time before dinner. Despite the unspoken argument between us, we were both happy to get out of the damp atmosphere and out into the open.

    While walking toward the bulk of the camp, I decided to apologize. “Listen, man. I’m sorry about what I said in there.”

    Drix kept staring forward, and after a bit of a silence he said, without looking back, “It’s okay, Otis. It’s just, I’m not like other satyrs. A satyr’s job here is to get people safely to camp. The only person I ever got here safely was you,” he stopped talking for a little. “We are almost at the cabins now.” He didn’t need to say anything more. Being depressed was something I could relate too.

    We walked past a few of the cabins. Most of them seemed barren, which I semi-remembered having something to do with Oracles. There was, however, a few people here and there. Drix pointed and explained each cabin.

    Oh yeah, did I mention every camper at Camp Half-Blood is half human, half god? If not, that’s probably important. If I already did, sorry for being repetitive.

    So, the explanation for each cabin was for which Greek god or goddess it represented, and if that god or goddess was your parent, you lived in that cabin. Pretty simple stuff. We walked past the Apollo cabin, where I could recognize similar features in all the faces sitting around it, except for a short kid with brown hair talking to a tall blonde guy. We walked past the Aphrodite cabin and oh boy were those girls hot! Now, now, I know I’m a goat, but I think being a talking variant gives me permission to be attracted to human females. Okay? Okay.

    The twelve Olympians are the most well known, but the camp also had cabins for the minor gods and goddesses. We walked past the Nemesis cabin, where a boy and a girl stood around talking. I didn’t want to say anything, but once we were out of hearing distance of the two, Drix said, “I caught you eyeing up Chiara over there. Don’t bother. She’s the daughter of Tyche, and she’s dating that boy she was talking to, Damien from Nemesis. I don’t blame you though. Apollo had the same problem.”

    I felt better knowing that a god was as enticed with her as I was.

    Drix showed me around the rest of the camp. Most of the stuff had been crushed by the giant statue that had attacked the camp (Oh the weird crap that happens with the Greeks), including the dining pavilion. Because of this, we ate communally around the central fire of the cabins once dinner time came around. I chose the vegetarian option. I still don’t know where I stand on eating meat.

    I sat next to Drix. We made small talk, but I don’t think my eyes left Chiara the whole time.

    After dinner, I tried to participate in camp activities, but doing arts and crafts, playing music, and practicing archery weren’t really fit for goats. Needless to say, I was glad when the marshmallow roast and sing along came along at night. I was enjoying a s’more when Chiron came along to tell me I could have the guest bed in the Big House for the night. I thanked him, and went back to staring at Chiara while munching on my s’more.

    Eventually, all the campers began to find their way back to their cabins and settle in for the night. I watched Chiara get up, and briefly considered making a move. I didn’t care about Damien. He could go… sorry, gotta keep it PG. Or at least PG-13.

    I couldn’t gather the courage. Drix had already left for the night, even though I had no idea where the satyrs slept, so I had nothing to do now that Chiara was gone. I tried staring at the Aphrodite girls instead, but it wasn't the same. I got up and headed to the Big House.

    I had trouble falling asleep that night. A certain someone was on my mind…

    Tags: @Briannakin A Blind Prophet
     
  13. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    Thor has mistaken me for a centaur on multiple occasions :D Oh Thor, in so many fics you come off as such a dim bulb! Maybe this is a joke, all right, yet why does it sound so plausible?[face_party]

    Otis, you are mostly considering Drix now as a friend (complete with misunderstandings that arise in any friendship:rolleyes:) and now you look longingly at Chiara? Are you discovering your heart is not so tough as you thought?[face_love]
     
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  14. s_heffley

    s_heffley Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 7, 2015
    I woke up.

    What? Were you expecting more details? Maybe next time you can donate to the detail fund. One dollar equals one detail.

    I was in a grumpy mood at breakfast. (Shout out to Kim from Tennessee for that detail!). I have no idea why I was in a bad mood, I guess it was just one of those days. (Don't try and tell me it was because I was unable to ask out a girl the previous night, it wasn't. Where would you even get that idea from?). So as I sat there, staring at no one in particular, I pondered all that had occurred since I had arrived. (Man, I love making myself sound smarter than I actually am!).

    The biggest point: there was a prophecy that was about me! This had always been a dream of mine forever, and the day had finally come! Please don't get into technicalities and tell me Chiron said the prophecy might be about me because, you know, he never actually said that. It was just implied. So don’t ruin the moment.

    Did I mention I was saying this to Drix? No, no, the words just say I pondered. Now why would I say that when…wait, now I remember. Kim sent in another donation halfway through me writing the last paragraph. Thanks Kim! (By the way, the Kim I am referring to doesn't actually exist. The donation fund thing is a joke! Be honest, how many of you laughed? Seriously, though. I need to know if I'm trying too hard. I know, you all liked me better when I was a depressed goat, not a funny one. I don't share your opinion, sadly).

    Drix tried to do the whole Chiron said it might be about you thing, so he's just as bad as all of you. (Just kidding, love you guys, even if you do like me better when I’m depressed).

    Speaking of Chiron, he conveniently swung by during breakfast. And when I say swung… never mind. I was about to try to make some sort of swing set joke, but that would be trying too hard. Chiron told me to meet him after breakfast at the Big House. This was a relief. I didn’t want to try out the morning camp activities, which I heard included rock climbing with a special twist. I did not need to find out what this twist was, especially since rock climbing on its own would have been trouble enough for me. Chiron then swung off (Yeah, I got nothing) leaving me to stare… I mean finish my breakfast in peace.

    Once I did so, I said goodbye to Drix, and headed to the Big House.

    I was a bit disappointed when I saw the hero Chiron had selected, standing on the porch with him. It was the short brown haired kid I saw at the Apollo cabin yesterday (that must be a pretty strange place to live right now, since Apollo is a human at the moment), not the no girl in particular I was hoping for.

    Chiron stepped forward, “Otis, this is Nico, son of Hades. Nico, I’m sure you know who Otis is by now.”

    I took that last part as a compliment. I was actually so busy deciding how to take the last part, that the “Hades” part didn’t process in my mind until a few moments later.

    “Son of Hades?” I asked, very delayed and foolish like. “Then why did I see you at the Apollo Cabin?”

    “Well,” said Nico, ignoring my slip up, “The only other surviving demigod child of Hades stays at the other camp, Camp Jupiter. As the name suggests, that’s where demigods go if they were born to a god in their Roman form, so the half sister I have there is technically a child of Pluto. Do you expect me to just sit around by myself in the Hades cabin?”

    “That’s what I would do.” I said, and it was true, though I assumed that if I had a brother that was better than Marvin I wouldn’t be saying it.

    Nico sighed, “I guess it’s just personal preference. Anyway, we need to get going to L.A.”

    I couldn't think he meant Los Angeles, that was too far. But nothing else was coming to mind. “What do you mean L.A.? And where’s our ride?”

    Chiron laughed, “Nico is your ride. And yes, L.A. means Los Angeles.”

    “What?” I said. I don’t think I really need to explain why I said that.

    “It’s okay, Otis,” said Nico, “It won’t hurt a bit.”

    That didn’t sound good. Whenever someone told you something wasn’t going to hurt, it usually hurt a lot.

    “Otis,” Chiron spoke (I’m trying to switch up my verbs), “once Nico transports the both of you, he will be very tired. You need to drag him to a safe place to recharge before you confront Charon. Once he is fully awake, he will know where to go, being a son of Hades and all. Got it?”

    My mind was boggled at the complexity of what he had just told me.

    That was another joke! This was the simplest quest ever! Even a goat like me couldn’t mess it up.

    “Chiron, we got this. Promise.” I said.

    Chiron smiled, and began to rat off things a mother would say, such as, “Stay safe! Be sure to drink plenty of fluids! If you get hungry, grab yourself something to eat!”

    Nico sighed, “He does this every time.” A cloud flew over the sun, covering the whole area in shadow. “Huh,” said Nico, “that’s convenient. A Shadow is just what I need.” He glanced down at my front left leg, which I found strange as… do I really need to say? Before I could ask him what he was doing, he said, “Don’t freak out,” and lunged at the leg he had been taking a peep at. Before I could figure out what was going on, I was already sucked into the shadow, flying to Los Angeles.

    Now, I was planning on writing this entire story into one entry, but I’m too lazy now. Come back next time, folks!

    Tags: Briannakin A Blind Prophet
     
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  15. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    “That’s what I would do.” I said, and it was true, though I assumed that if I had a brother that was better than Marvin I wouldn’t be saying it. [face_relieved]Um, are we sure Marvin isn't the one needing the therapist? Could the therapist consider family rates?[face_praying]

    I love Nico! After looking up a list of Riordan's characters, he rocks!![face_dancing]
     
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  16. s_heffley

    s_heffley Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 7, 2015
    Have you ever been on a roller coaster? That doesn’t really have to do with anything, I’m just wondering what it feels like. There’s just not any roller coaster options for goats.

    Speaking of roller coasters, imagine that feeling but ten times worse, and you have what Nico was doing. But of course, I wouldn’t know, as I haven’t been on a roller coaster. It also hurt, bad, despite the assurances of Nico to the contrary.

    When we stopped, it took me a few moments to realize we had actually stopped. Nico was beside me, and he didn’t look so good. Chiron had told me he was going to be exhausted when we finished travelling. Now it was time to get him to safety.

    We were in a small back alleyway, and the biggest problem I had was how I would move Nico, since he was in no condition to move himself. He wasn’t very big, but there was definitely no way he would fit on my back. Eventually, I settled on dragging him along behind me. He would get a ton of cuts and bruises, but it was practically the only way I could move him.

    We exited alleyway, and luckily there was a big sign for a hotel not too far away. It was at that point I realized I had no money. Maybe I could try and sob story my way out of it once I got to the hotel, but I was doubtful.

    The mortals gave smiling looks to what they probably saw as a cute little dog dragging a little boy to safety, and I was lucky all of them were too busy to come over and try and help the cute little dog.

    We made it to the hotel and I prepared my sob story. I walked in, fake tears in my eyes, until the man at the front desk yelled, “Hey, no pets allowed!”

    I was dumbfounded, “Pet? I’ll have you know…” but the man was already passed out at the sound of the talking dog.

    And that’s the story of how getting the key turned out to be easier than I expected.

    I located the room, and we went inside. The room was as comfortable as any normal hotel room can be, which isn’t very. I don’t have many experiences with hotels, except for the few vacations Thor had took Marvin and I on. Those times I had been forced to share a bed with my brother, so come to think of it, maybe this was the best hotel I’d ever stayed at. Two big beds, and I got one all to myself. And the TV! Nico was out, I could watch the shows I wanted, and no one could hog the remote! I hated when Thor did that!

    A nice selection of channels was available to me. Eventually, I found a channel showing Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace, and I just needed to watch that. Jar Jar is my favorite!

    Two hours and thirteen minutes later, and the movie was over. I crawled into my bed, sad that I wouldn’t get to see Jar Jar until the next time I watched the movie. (Okay, I don’t like him that much).

    It was only early afternoon, but I craved a nap before Nico recovered and we got into all the action. As I laid down, however, Nico spoke up in the bed beside me. “I always hated that movie.”

    I stared at him, dumbfounded (I love that word so much I’ve used it twice now!). “How could you hate The Phantom Menace?” I asked. “It has Jar Jar!”

    “Jar Jar is the problem,” said Nico.

    I didn’t understand how Nico could say these things, but I decided to go a more friendly route in my response. “How long have you been awake, anyway?”

    “Since the Darth Maul fight,” responded Nico. “At least I got to see the good parts of the movie. Anyway, we aren’t here to argue about Star Wars. Are you ready to go?”

    “I mean, I was kind of hoping for a nap, before you woke up.”

    “I’ll allow that. Seems kinda unfair for me to have a nap and leave you without one. Shadow travel, the way we got here, takes a lot out of the person who uses it, but the person they take with them is affected as well. Sorry I didn’t give you more of an advance notice about it, I didn’t want you to chicken out.”

    While I tried to grab some shut eye, Nico browsed the TV for something different to watch. He eventually settled on an Animal Planet documentary, which was coincidentally on goats. I don’t know why Nico decided on this, but he was probably just trying to tease me.

    But as it is with all important naps, something was keeping me from getting it. Despite the urgency of the situation, and my dire need to fall asleep as quick as possible, I just couldn’t get her off my mind. After laying for a good twenty minutes, I realized I wasn’t going to fall asleep, not unless I talked to someone.

    I sat up and looked at Nico, who was sitting on the edge of his bed learning about the eating habits of goats. “Nico, do you know that girl Chiara at camp?”

    Nico sighed, “Otis, you’ll never get that nap if you keep thinking about girls!”

    “It’s just, do you think she’s cute?”

    Nico stared at me for a bit, and then said, “I’m gay Otis.”

    Images of the sandy haired kid I’d seen Nico talking to came to me. “And that blonde kid is…”

    “Will Solace, my boyfriend,” said Nico.

    “Huh,” I grumbled. I always knew these kinds of people existed, but I had never actually met one. It was certainly an interesting experience. “Well,” I said, “Thanks for talking to me. Maybe I’ll actually be able to get some sleep.” We hadn’t actually resolved anything regarding the Chiara issue, but I had still got my feelings out, at least a little bit.

    Before I could lay back down, however, a loud knock rang from the door. “Room 42,” a deep voice said, “Your key is missing, but no one is currently registered to be in this room. Please come out so we can resolve this issue.”

    Nico’s eyes widened, and he whispered, “Otis, how did you get this room.”

    “Long story,” I whispered back, even though it wasn’t a long story. I just always had wanted to say that. “But currently we need to work on getting out of here. Fast.”

    Tags: Briannakin A Blind Prophet
     
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  17. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    but the man was already passed out at the sound of the talking dog. Otis, you are fortunate to hang out with a demigod and get a bed to yourself. Keep it up! Think fast![face_nail_biting]
     
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  18. s_heffley

    s_heffley Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 7, 2015
    Hello Otis fans (like those exist) - Otis here! I apologize for my absence. But guess what? I'm back, baby! And I'm ready to win the DDC 2017!

    What's that? It's 2018? The challenge ended three months ago? Woops.

    But hey, you know what's not over? My story! I have another entry for you all that's pretty much done. I just wanna wait until I can change this silly title to upload it to make sure people know I understand the DDC is over and it's not July anymore.

    In the meantime, how have you been?
     
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  19. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    Otis, I have two feet tall wild grass in my backyard, can you help mow/chomp them?[face_pig] I hear goats are rented out for that, what say?

    I contributed a stupendous entry in the Bulwer-Lytton contest this year, while playing around with pronkerblog and looking forward to the boards' fanfic awards upcoming. How fun it shall be to read more of your realm-spanning adventures!
     
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  20. s_heffley

    s_heffley Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 7, 2015
    Yep. The long awaited return of the almighty Otis is here! I finally got tired of waiting to be able to change the silly title (I’m sure whoever is supposed to be fixing it is doing their best), so I decided to just send this thing through anyway. Now, my loyal fans, you’re probably wondering where I’ve been.

    Well, my adventures got pretty intense. Ever tried going on an intense quest and keeping up a journal at the same time? It’s not easy! So, dear readers, use your brains, and the answer becomes clear.

    Or at least that’s what I would be saying if it wasn’t just because I was lazy.

    But look on the bright side! Because of my laziness, I now have more tales to tell! Although the silly challenge I wrote this for ended like forever ago, my story continues. The only question is: will you join me? (Come on, how could you not join me after that sentence. That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever written. Also, I still haven’t learned proper punctuation of parentheses, so forgive me if I make a mistake).

    Now the other only question is, where did I leave off? It’s tough to remember what was even going on. So much has happened since then. Magnus Chase and his buds prevented Ragnarok (I wasn’t even in the book!), Apollo stopped another Emperor (I wasn’t even in the book! Which makes sense cause I’ve never even met Apollo), and that’s not even getting into everything that’s happened to me. I’m gonna need to have a look back at what I wrote.

    One re-read of my diary later.

    Ah yes, Nico and I were running from the hotel owner. I really don’t understand why the owner was so angry at us, despite the fact that we never actually paid for the room. Can’t a man (in this case, a goat) illegally stay at a hotel in peace?

    Well this guy certainly didn’t seem to think so, because he was ticked. Nico and I only narrowly escaped his clutches.

    I turned to Nico, “So where do we go now?”

    “Look,” said Nico, pointing to a sign on a nearby building, “It seems by sheer luck that we ended up at the exact place we needed to go.”

    I glanced at the sign he had pointed to. It read DOA Recording Studios.

    “So this is where that Chiron guy lives?” I asked.

    “Charon, actually. That confusion is the exact reason we’re here,” said Nico. If you recall, reader, a malfunction in the Camp Half Blood pipes led Chiron (the centaur and head counselor at the camp) to believe that an ancient prophecy may be beginning to unravel. However, he wanted to explore all the possibilities before jumping to conclusions. He decided to send the newly crowned King of All Goats (no one has ever called me that) and the shadow traveler Nico (a superpower that allows for very speedy travel) on a mission. Their goal: find Charon, the Greek god of Boundaries and Territories (thanks, Wikipedia) and the sworn arch enemy of Chiron due to the simple fact of their very similar names. If these heroes could deduce that Charon was in fact behind the attacks, he could rest assured that the prophecy hadn’t yet come about.

    “And why is Charon in a recording studio?” I asked only seconds after Nico responded, although there seems to be a long pause as I stopped to recap why we were there.

    “It’s only under the guise of a recording studio. DOA stands for Dead on Arrival. It’s a gateway to Hell.”

    “Well that escalated quickly. So what, we go in and- POOF, we’re dead?”

    “It doesn’t work that fast. Charon works as the sort of receptionist here, and he will just tell us to get out if we’re not dead. He also serves as the boat driver for taking souls to the Underworld, but hopefully we won't get that far. I don’t speak from experience. I read it in Percy Jackson’s The Lightning Thief. A fine read. Anyway, we’ll probably be able to at least question Charon once he finds out I’m the boss’s son. I think.”

    “You don’t sound very assured.”

    “There’s only one way to find out,” Nico said, as he was already walking towards the building.

    “I hate it when people say that!” I said, when I, in fact, had been waiting for someone to say that my whole life. I reluctantly followed.

    For a place that was supposed to be full of dead people, there was certainly a lot of living people in the lobby.

    “For a place that’s supposed to be full of dead people, there’s certainly a lot of living people here,” I said. I apologize for being a bit repetitive, but it’s hard to think of a better line than the one I actually said.

    “Focus on one of them, Otis, they aren’t really there,” replied Nico.

    I decided to focus on a cool guy with sunglasses (not that who I focused on actually matters, just his glasses were really cool). It was true, looking at him out of the corner of my eye, I didn’t notice anything. But if I focused, he seemed to… disappear, and I could see right through him. That description came almost word for word from The Lightning Thief. Nico’s suggestion really payed off. Anyway, I guess this transparency meant that cool sunglasses dude was actually dead. Come to think of it, there’s plenty of other reasons he could have been transparent, but it made sense at the time.

    On a raised podium in the center of the lobby stood a tall, elegant, and handsome man, with chocolate-colored skin and bleached-blond hair, shaved military style. He wore tortoise-shell shades and a silk Italian suit that matched his hair. A black rose was pinned to his lapel under a silver name tag that read Charon. (Okay, I completely stole that description from the Percy Jackson wiki. Is that illegal? Full credit is given, so is it still plagiarism? Do the same laws apply to goats as apply to humans anyway? Please kindly inform me if I have plagiarized, and I’ll delete this and upload a “legal” version).

    As we approached, without even looking up, Charon spoke, “I’ve told you. Ten year wait, minimum. We have a long line. No exceptions.” He looked up, and his eyes widened, “Ah! A fresh face!” His eyes drifted to me, “Ha! This is certainly a first! A pet goat accompanying the deceased! Unfortunately, same rules apply. No passage for at least ten years, unless you can pay the special fee.”

    “I’m not a pet,” I blurted, “and we’re not dead.”

    “And he talks! I thought I’d seen everything in my many millennia, but I was mistaken. Sadly, if you aren’t dead, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

    “Wait!” shouted Nico, “Hades is my dad!”

    Looking back, I realize Nico could have handled this situation far better than he did.

    “Are you now?” asked Charon. “May I see an identification?”

    Nico snapped his fingers. Within seconds, a fissure appeared in the floor, and a skeleton warrior clad in full armor rose out of it. It stood next to Nico and did some spooky skeleton stuff, as well as some intimidating soldier stuff. That was probably the worst description I’ve ever given, but you get the point. The point: Nico is awesome.

    “Is this identification enough for you?” asked Nico. Let me repeat: Nico is awesome.

    Charon laughed, “That skeleton man, or maybe woman, it’s twenty-seventeen, is failing at trying to intimidate me. But it’s certainly proof enough. What do you want?”

    Nico snapped again, and the warrior retreated into the fissure. The floor creaked and groaned, and within the blink of an eye looked good as new (Nico is awesome). “I’m Nico. Me and my friend Otis here just want to ask you a few questions. First, on a scale of one to ten, how much do you hate Camp Half Blood head counselor Chiron?”

    “You mean myself?” asked Charon, “Sorry. People get us confused so often that we may as well be the same person. I despise the guy.”

    I jumped in, “Enough to say, sabotage the plumbing system in his house as a murder attempt?”

    “Ah, yes, the pipes. So that’s what this is about. No, that wasn’t me. Hades has never allowed me a long enough vacation to do anything of the sort. If he had, Chiron would be my first target, but I would certainly use a more conventional method. However, you’re in luck. I can point you in the right direction, for a price.”

    I sighed, there was always a price. “Fine,” I said, “name the price.”

    “There’s that new restaurant, McDonald’s, and I’ve been dying to try a Big Mac from their for years. Bring me one, and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

    “Done,” said Nico, “I’ve been craving some McNuggets myself.”

    Within the next twenty minutes, Nico and I had found ourselves a nearby McDonald’s. There was a few of these on Jotunheim (yes the chain has extended as far as the other worlds), and I always thought they were kinda gross (The food at least. I’ve never been in one, as even giants don’t allow goats in their restaurants). I silently hoped Midgard had better fast food joints.

    Nico went in to order, as well as to use the bathroom, while I waited outside for him. I wish I could’ve made myself useful, but there’s sadly limits to being a goat in a human’s world.

    A minute passed, which turned into a bunch of minutes. And by a bunch of minutes, I mean enough that it definitely surpassed how many it should’ve taken for a quick restroom/order food combo. I decided I needed to do the only logical thing, although doing so might put my safety in danger. I needed to go in and check on Nico.

    Going in, I didn’t spot Nico anywhere, so I concluded that he must have had some sort of accident in the bathroom. It’s fine, we’ve all done it. But real bros help each other out in those sorts of situations. That’s probably the most valuable lesson Thor ever taught me.

    The hallway leading to the restrooms was right near the door in which I entered, so I managed to slip in undetected despite it being near lunchtime. I rushed ahead to the door marked Men’s (though in twenty-seventeen someone like Freya could go in there and it would be socially acceptable. And even if someone did question her, Freya could just blast them out of existence. And I know it’s twenty-eighteen now, I can hear your screaming all the way from here. But all this happened last year, so I’m right and you’re wrong).

    As I got closer to the door, I began to hear a strange, muffled humming sound coming from inside. I slowed my advance a little, obviously curious about this. Even stranger was the light coming out from under the door, which contrasted sharply with the dimly lit corridor. I was just about to summon all my courage and rush in when there was a sudden flash of very bright light from the crevice under the doorway. By the time my eyes had recovered, the humming had ceased and the light below the door had dimmed to normal levels. The door creaked open, and standing before me was the famous actor and WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzenegger.

    Just kidding, it was Nico. A goat can dream, can’t he?

    Nico stared at me with surprise, “Otis! What are you doing in here?”

    “I thought you were taking too long, so I decided to come check on you. What was happening in there?”

    “Wait,” said Nico, with a look of confusion on his face, “what are you talking about? I just went in there a few minutes ago.”

    “No, I’ve been waiting for you for… I don’t know exact numbers. But there’s no doubt in my mind you were taking too long. And this isn’t even getting into the lights.”

    “The lights? Listen, Otis, I have no idea what you’re talking about. But I’ve seen some pretty strange things, so I have no reason to doubt you. I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t like it. Now let’s go get the food and get out of here.”

    “Don’t you think we should investigate the bathroom?”

    “Heck no. I’d never go into that bathroom again if I was held at gunpoint. I just wanna get that food and get as far away from here as possible. I’ll explain why later.”

    I turned just as some teenage McDonalds employee walked into the hallway holding a mop.

    “Uh, sir. No pets are allowed in the establishment. Sorry,” he said, seeing the goat with his pet (obviously).

    “Sorry, mister,” said Nico, “I’ll take him out.” (Oh, I was the pet!)

    After “taking me out,” Nico went back in to purchase the matter which was to be consumed. (Sorry for the strange description, but I wanted to say something other than “buy the food”). This time, I didn’t have to fear, because Nico was back out with the food in what my mind deemed the appropriate time range. Twenty more minutes and we were back at DOA, handing Charon his Big Mac.

    “Now the information,” I blurted. Man, I sounded so cool, didn’t I?

    “Hey, at least give me some time to finish my burger,” Charon said with a mouth full of beef.

    Nico didn’t say anything, but I could tell he was happy to have this extra time to finish his McNuggets.

    After a bit of me standing around awkwardly, Charon took the last few bites. He sighed, “Not as good as I thought it would be.” He seemed to stare into space for a few seconds, and then focused back on Nico and I. “What was it you wanted again?”

    “You said you would point us in the right direction as to who was behind the pipe explosions,” said Nico.

    “And what have you done for me to deserve that kind of information?” asked Charon. We both just stared at him, confused. He stared back at us for a few seconds. He didn’t look like he was joking. Then a small hint of a smile began to from on his face, and he started to laugh. “Just a little joke! And to think I could’ve sent you to get me another Big Mac if I could’ve kept a straight face!”

    “But you just said…” began Nico.

    “I know, I know,” responded Charon, ”But I’m surprised how fast those things can grow on you. I’ve never experienced anything like it. Not since that one time, long ago…”

    “Enough of this!” I blurted. “Just tell us what we want to know already!” I was certainly feeling courageous that day, folks.

    “Ah, yes. How silly of me!” remarked Charon, ”I got carried away. Anyway, I regret to inform you that I do not possess the information you seek.”

    Nico and I both stared at him, shocked. “You mean to tell us,” I said, after I had recovered from the shock, “That you lied to us so… so we would get you a Big Mac? That’s… well, that’s actually pretty genius.”

    “Isn’t it?” asked Charon.

    Nico didn’t look as impressed. “I’ll make sure to put in a word with the big man,” he said with venom in his tone.

    “Go right ahead. I don’t think Hades is gonna fire me after all these years,” said Charon. Nico turned and stormed outside.

    “I wonder what his problem is?” I said to Charon, “It’s not like he had anywhere better to be. I better go after him. Nice meeting you!”

    “We aren’t friends, Otis,” Charon kindly offered.

    I sighed, “You're not the first person to tell me that. Goodbye.” I walked out after Nico. I saw him furiously stomping away, and managed to catch up. As he saw me come up, he seemed to calm down and come to his senses. “Why so hostile back there?” I asked.

    “It was the bathroom at McDonalds. I never wanted to go through something like that again, and to think I didn’t even have to.”

    “What do you mean again? What happened before?”

    He was silent for a few seconds, before saying, “Otis, do you know how old I am?”

    “I fail to see what this has to do with anything, but go ahead. How old are you?”

    “I’m about eighty years old.”

    “A bit older than I expected, but eighteen isn’t too far off from my guess.”

    “No, Otis. I said eighty.”

    “That’s what I said, eighteen.”

    “Eighty, Otis. Eight. Zero.”

    “Wait, did you just say eighty?”

    “Yes, Otis, eighty. For about seventy years of my life I was stuck in the Lotus Hotel and Casino. I was only there for a month, or at least, I thought I was. Time passes differently there. You could go in for five minutes and come out days later. To have the same thing happen to me now… it scared the crap out of me. And the worst part is we didn’t even need to go there.”

    I was silent for a few seconds, trying the come up with a cool and witty response. The best I could come up with was, “Wow.”

    “Wow indeed. Now let’s just put this whole thing behind us. Brace yourself.”

    I didn’t even notice that we were in the shadow of a tree until milliseconds before Nico grabbed my leg and we were speeding back towards Camp Half Blood.
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2018
    pronker likes this.
  21. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    Otis, you smarty goat, you! I can just see your vertical pupilled eyes regarding me from the monitor in your 4th wall breaking way! Lots of fun to be had from you yet, I see, Good job! Now I'm off to MickeyD's for something ... feeling hungry for one reason or another ... 8-}
     
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  22. s_heffley

    s_heffley Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 7, 2015
    After the thrill of the travel had winded down (I had learned by then it was called Shadow Travel but since I have been so lazy in writing these here recaps I may have forgotten to mention the moment I discussed this with Nico), I found myself back in Camp Half-Blood huddled next to Nico on the grass. We gathered ourselves and stood up to see two people running towards us, Chiron and Drix.

    “Well,” asked Chiron, “any luck?”

    “No siree,” Nico said, “Charon is certainly a jerk, but he didn’t have anything to do with the pipes.”

    “Well that’s a day completely wasted,” I remarked.

    “Not completely wasted,” said Drix, giving me a wink. I looked at him questionably. Looking at Chiron and remembering his duty, he said, “I’ll tell you later.”

    But Chiron didn’t seem to care, as he was deep in thought. “Well, this certainly puts a damper on my hopes. Maybe the prophecy is coming about after all. If that’s the case, we can’t wait any longer. Otis, I think it’s time for you to hear this prophecy. All of you, follow me.”

    We followed him and ended up in that same strange room where the pipes had first exploded. The place looked good as new, and I guessed that the pipes had also been repaired. Drix, Nico and I sat on one of the couches as Chiron sat on his wheelchair across from us. He dusted off a monster of a book labeled The Big Book of Ancient Prophecies.

    “Is there really that many ancient prophecies?” I asked.

    Chiron looked up and simply utterd, “Yes.” He continued to flip through the book and sighed, “This book is a bit outdated. Half of these have already been fulfilled. Ha! Look at this one. It brings back a few memories, right Nico?”

    I looked at the prophecy in question.

    A half-blood of the eldest gods
    Shall reach sixteen against all odds
    And see the world in endless sleep
    The hero’s soul, cursed blade shall reap
    A single choice shall end his days
    Olympus to preserve or raze​

    I now know, from reading those Percy Jackson books Nico recommended, that this prophecy had been fulfilled by the man himself, and Nico and Chiron had a hand in his adventures. But at the time, I had no idea. Nico and Chiron shared a laugh, and I was about to ask all about it before I saw that Chiron had gone back to exploring the book. I didn’t want to interrupt. Chiron let out another exclamation. “This one too! Right Nico?”

    I looked at the prophecy in question.

    Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
    To storm or fire, the world must fall,
    An oath to keep with a final breath,
    And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death
    This prophecy, I have since learned, was also fulfilled by hometown hero Percy Jackson (and six other half bloods who don’t really matter. Even though they do). Nico and Chiron did a few things in that adventure, as well. But at the time, I had no idea. I once again wanted to ask, but saw that Chiron was deep into the book again. “Some of these are just absurd. Look at this one!”

    I looked at the prophecy in question (last time, I promise).

    Just a small town girl
    Livin' in a lonely world
    She took the midnight train
    Goin' anywhere
    Just a city boy
    Born and raised in South Detroit
    He took the midnight train
    Goin' anywhere​

    Chiron withdrew the book before I could read the rest. “You get the point,” he said. “What on Earth could it mean?” I silently snickered to myself. Thor had taught me a lot about pop culture, so I already knew who had fulfilled this one. And if I might say, it took quite the journey to do so (wink wink).

    Chiron continued to flip, “Yes, the prophecy that might concern you, Otis. That is the one we are here for. I always get lost in this book. Here it is! Let me read it aloud.

    When the pipes shall burst, and the unlikely hero shall show his head
    It will mark the return of a god long thought dead
    Two heroes shall accompany him to half blood’s forest, where their quest lies in wait
    For him to kill this god. This is his fate”
    My first question was “This prophecy talks about bursting pipes and you didn’t think it was starting to be fulfilled?”

    “I had to cover all my bases, Otis,” said Chiron. “Of course, there was this talk of an unlikely hero - which would be you, Otis - but I still didn’t want to believe it until absolutely necessary.”

    “But what’s so bad about a god returning? That sounds pretty cool to me,” I remarked.

    “This god is undeniably dangerous, unless the pipes wouldn’t have exploded and the prophecy wouldn’t be telling us to kill it. Plus, a new god always makes Zeus jealous, and I wanted to assure there wouldn’t be a huge uproar,” responded Chiron.

    “So now what?” was my final question of the evening.

    “At this point, not sending a team into the camp’s forest would be extremely dangerous to the safety of our campers, no matter how much of a hoopla Zeus would cause up on Mount Olympus. Therefore, I am sending the three of you into the forest. Where in the forest, I can’t say, but I’m sure destiny will lead you to wherever you need to go. That is, of course, if you would not wish another team, Otis.”

    The name Chiara didn’t pop into my head at all, I swear. (Okay, maybe it did. Just a little bit). “Absolutely not,” I said with a confidence that you shouldn’t be doubting. (Okay, maybe you should. Just a little bit).

    “Great! There’s really not a better team for the job,” Chiron said, but even he couldn’t hide his slight doubt. “Well, dinner is coming up. We’ll get you fitted tomorrow morning and send you on your way. Until then, heroes, keep it cool and try not to let the nerves get to you. You are dismissed.”

    Nico had had a lot of experience with this type of stuff, so I figured Chiron’s words were directed more towards Drix (Who you may have forgotten was even there as he was rather quiet. I assure you, however, that he is quite important) and I than to him. It was a pleasure to both of us to hear those things from Chiron. From a goat who was subject to a life of constant death and rebirth to a half goat who never felt he was quite good enough, we were now officially heroes.

    The three of us walked out. “I’m going to meet up with Will before dinner,” said Nico. “It’s been quite the adventure today, Otis. I’ll be glad to have another tomorrow.” He departed.

    Drix turned to me, “This day keeps getting better and better.”

    “That’s right,” I said. “There’s that reason today wasn’t completely wasted. Please inform me. Spending an hour trying to get a Big Mac to exchange for information Charon didn’t even have isn’t really my idea of a productive day.”

    Drix laughed, “I didn’t know about the Big Mac part, but this will all make up for it.” His face got slightly more serious, “Otis. Damien and Chiara broke up.”

    I nearly jumped (I did). Does that make me a horrible person for celebrating a break up? Yeah, I’m pretty sure it does. I began rambling, “This is my chance, Drix! I need to ask her out before we go on that quest. Who knows if I’ll get another shot? And yet… I don’t have the courage. I’ll never be able to-”

    I was cut off by Drix, “Otis! I already asked her on a date, and she said yes!”

    “You did!” I exclaimed. “Oh thank you! Now I don’t have to summon the courage to do it myself!”

    “No, Otis you idiot!” I was used to hearing these words from Marvin, so I was only a little phased. But phased enough to shut up. “I meant I asked Chiara on a date. Like, a date to go on with me.”

    Now I was a lotta phased. “You mean… I’m not going on a date with the girl of my dreams?”

    “Sorry I didn’t tell you I had a bit of a crush too, Otis. It’s just...”

    After a few seconds pause, I sighed, “I understand. Guys - goats, humans, or a mix of the two - never really talk about such things. But… having my hopes raised and smashed within ten seconds is a lot to take in. And you acted like this was good news for me?”

    “I thought you would be happy for me”

    “Well, I am… I guess.” I was quiet for a few seconds, taking everything in. I decided I should do the right thing and be cool about it, however hard it may be. “So… uh… where are you two going on this date?”

    Drix got a dreamy look on his face, “We are meeting after evening activities for a walk in the strawberry fields. Dream date, right there.” He stared with the same dreamy look for a few seconds, before saying, “Come on, let’s get to dinner.”

    Dinner was, well, a bit awkward. I sat with Drix, who was oh so eager to sit with his new girlfriend Chiara. Damien, the former boyfriend, sat with the other kids from Nemesis and tried his hardest to avoid eye contact with our little section. Chiara, while she had been a cheerful and talkative person the night before, just wasn’t engaging with Drix like I thought she would be. I went to go sacrifice some of my meal to the gods in the fire (A tradition at the camp. I sacrificed mine to Thor and hoped I wasn’t about to be smitten by Zeus for choosing a Norse god), and then just slipped off the sit with Nico and Will as the situation was oh so uncomfortable.

    Even with a sort of out of it Chiara, Drix was still so excited that he didn’t even care that I had abandoned him. When we met up again, he didn’t chew me out and led me through the evening activities as he had the day before. Once again, I did my best to participate but you know, hooves and other goat things made it a bit hard.

    As the last activity drew to a close, Drix grew even more restless. He looked ready to sprint down to the strawberry fields, even if it meant being all sweaty and dirty for the date. I acted as a voice of reason, convincing him to get clean and look nice for his special night. I walked back with him to where the satyrs stayed (I can’t remember exactly where that was and the Percy Jackson wiki can’t tell me), and once he had changed, I offered to walk him down to the strawberry fields. He accepted my offer, and I thought I was being a pretty good friend.

    But that was all about to change. I don’t know what came over me. I really don’t. I looked around to make sure no one was watching, and I delivered a stiff kick onto Drix’s noggin. He fell over, and I checked to make sure my kick had done its job.

    It hadn’t. Drix groaned softly, alerting me he was still conscious. Therefore, I hit another kick, and this time I was on the money. I dragged my work into a nearby bush, and hoped Drix would be up in time for tomorrow’s adventure. I walked away, not knowing exactly what I was planning, but knowing one thing for sure.

    I was going on a date.
     
    Last edited: Nov 5, 2018
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  23. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    Uh oh, a fly in the punchbowl of Dating Success! Otis, you are more human than you want to think re kicking poor Drix.

    This neatly evokes the otherworldliness of the cast -- along with, you know, the son of Hades and mentions of ever-wrathful Zeus.
     
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  24. s_heffley

    s_heffley Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jun 7, 2015
    I was still in a bit of a frenzy when I arrived at the strawberry fields. But seeing Chiara standing there in the moonlight, looking like, well, Chiara always did, that calmed me down a bit.

    This was the moment when I began to regret my decision to attack Drix. I was about to turn back, but realized I was already committed. I couldn’t just leave a girl like Chiara hanging.

    Or maybe I’m just saying those things to make myself look better. You decide.

    I approached Chiara, who just stared at me, confused. “Where’s Drix?” she asked.

    “Uhh,” I made a split second decision. It was a long shot, but the only way to save my friend Drix’s reputation (which was totally my goal, I promise). “I am Drix!” I said.

    “But-” Chiara started.

    “Yes, it is I, Drix! Satyrs, you know, turn into full goats when they get nervous. And how can I not get nervous around a girl like you?”

    “But you don’t sound-”

    “Another side effect of my nervousness. My voice gets really high when I’m nervous,” I said quickly.

    “Of course… well, let’s walk, I guess…”

    We began our walk, and I could see why Drix would’ve found this a dream date. The strawberries smelled nice, and it was peacefully quiet being a decent length from the main camp. Plus, satyrs have a habit of talking to plants, so Drix would’ve felt right at home.

    Despite the peacefulness, Chiara still retained the untalkative attitude she had had at dinner. I tried countless times to initiate conversation - doing my best to impersonate satyr talk, such as discussions of nature and which type of aluminum can tasted best - but only managed to get “yeps” or “uh-huhs.”

    The date wasn’t going well.

    We looped around the paths of the strawberry fields and ended up back where we started. As obsessed with this girl as I was, I thought it would probably be a good idea to end the date there.

    “It’s been fun, Chiara,” I said, “Maybe we could…” I stopped.

    Chiara was crying.

    “Chiara? What’s wrong?”

    “I’m such an idiot,” Chiara said between sobs.

    “Don’t say that,” I told her. “Look, if this is about Damien-”

    “You’re dang right it’s about Damien!” Chiara snapped. “It’s my fault he broke up with me!”

    “Don’t say that,” I told her again, but with more force this time.

    “You don’t know anything about Damien and I, Drix or whatever your name is. I knew from the start you were that stupid goat who came in here a couple days ago. I didn’t care who you were. The whole reason I agreed to go on this date in the first place was to try and take my mind off of Damien. I didn’t care if it was with a half goat or a friggin full one, I just wanted someone. But I was an idiot to go on a date the same day we broke up, just like I was an idiot…” she continued talking, but I didn’t hear her words. My eyes suddenly fixed on a building behind her, my attention drawn to it by a sudden flash of light. As the building continued to emit the strange, golden light, I was suddenly struck by a wave of fear. The golden light was familiar.

    I realized Chiara was still talking, “...and don’t try to tell me-”

    “What’s that building over there?” I interrupted. I gestured to the building with my right hoof.

    Chiara was put off by my seemingly out of place question. “What?”

    “That building. What is it?” I gestured again.

    “That’s a bathroom. But what does that have to do with… wait, what’s that light?”

    “That’s my point. We need to get there, now!” And with that, I ran off. Chiara didn’t really have much choice but to follow.

    “I’d appreciate some explanation!” Chiara yelled to me as we ran. She seemed to have put her emotions aside for the moment. “You can’t just say ‘we need to get there, now!’ and take off! What’s all this about?”


    “No time to explain!” I yelled back. We were still a good ways away from the building, and I had plenty of time to tell her the deets. But when you have the opportunity to say the phrase, “No time to explain,” you can’t just not take it.

    After a long run, Chiara and I came up at the back of the bathroom (Back of the Bathroom, good name for an album. Also, sounds like a place where some very sketchy stuff goes down). I began to hear the same humming sound that had come from the McDonald's bathroom, and my worst fears were confirmed. We went around the side of the building to get to the door, panting out of exhaustion as we did so (When I say we, I mean me. I don’t have the same stamina as humans). When we came around the corner, we realized we weren’t the only ones that had noticed the strange phenomenon.

    The first person I noticed was Chiron, fumbling with a set of keys on a keyring. He inserted one into the keyhole of the door, turned, and tried to open. It didn’t seem to budge. Chiron began to fiddle around with the keyring again, wondering if he had somehow used the wrong key. All the keys were clearly labeled, so I guessed this was just wishful thinking.

    I noticed another person standing by, looking nervous. I recognized him as Will Solace, Nico’s boyfriend. Other than him and Chiron, a few curious campers stood about, wondering what all the commotion was about.

    Will spotted the two of us, and walked over. “You look like you ran here,” he said, seeing my tiredness. Suddenly, a look of surprise came over his face, “Oh no, you did run here! That means… gods, Nico is always getting himself in trouble! I still had some hope he was just performing some demonic death ritual and I shouldn’t need to worry. What do you know?”

    A demonic death ritual seemed to me like something you should always worry about, but I decided to keep my opinions to myself. “I don’t know much more than you do, Will,” I said, “This same thing happened to Nico in Las Angeles. All I know is that we need to get him out of there, now.” Man, I loved playing the cool good guy!

    “That’s the problem, we can’t get him out of there,” said Will. “I was standing around waiting for him to come out when the flash happened, and the noise started. I tried going in to check on him, but the door wouldn’t open, Luckily, Chiron was nearby, but he doesn’t seem to be having much luck, either.”

    Chiara turned and faced the nearest window. “That’s why,” she said, reving up her arm, “we take a shortcut.” She slammed her elbow into the window.

    Her arm hurt. The window didn’t crack in the slightest.

    “What the heck? Who thought these windows needed bulletproof glass?” she asked as she held her elbow.

    Chiron trotted over. “No one,” he said. “That glass should have shattered like, well, glass. Plus, I’ve tried every single key. None of them work.”

    “Something, or someone, is stopping us from getting in there.” I said. I was just getting all sorts of opportunities to say cool phrases that day!

    “Otis,” said Will, “how did you get Nico out in L.A.?” (Out in L.A.! Another good album name).

    “I didn’t. I was about to go in and save him, but he came out on his own after-” There was another flash of light, and everyone in the vicinity turned away to shield their eyes. I finished, “That happened.”

    As our eyes recovered, we turned back to see Mr. di Angelo standing in the doorway. He looked around at all the curious faces, Suddenly, his hand hit his forehead, and he held it there as he said, “It happened again, didn’t it.”

    Will rushed forward and buried his arms around Nico. “And I thought I was finally free from you for good,” he said. The comment sounded mean to me, but it seemed to cheer Nico up.

    “How long was I in there?” asked Nico.

    “Ten minutes?” Will speculated. “I was too busy celebrating to keep track.” Will received a punch for that one, but it was a playful punch (Playful Punch! I’m killing those album names today! Though Playful Punch might be more fitting as a band name).

    “Nico,” said Chiron, “if this is going to keep happening-”

    “I know what you’re going to say,” interrupted Nico. “You’re going to ask me whether or not I want to go on the quest tomorrow. I’m going. With Percy in school, I’m the most quest-experienced person at camp. Drix and Otis need me.”

    “Are you sure?” asked Chiron.

    Nico nodded his head, “Positive.”

    As much as I wanted to believe Drix and I could do this thing alone, we couldn’t. Especially since I had just kinda knocked Drix out and stolen his date, and I couldn’t see us working together very well.

    Chiron sighed, “Just don’t go anywhere unsupervised until morning. Maybe you could sleep in the Apollo cabin tonight? As long as Will is okay with it.”

    “I think we’ll be able to bear him until morning,” said Will, smiling. “But it’ll be a challenge,” he added.

    “In that case,” Chiron said to all the surrounding watchers, “we’re done here. Continue doing what you were doing. Lights out is in about an hour thirty.” He trotted off.

    The spectators trickled away, until it was only me, Chiara, Will, and Nico remaining.

    “Well I guess we’ll go do that thing I didn’t want to do but only agreed to do to make you happy thing now,” said Will to Nico.

    “Uhh,” I piped in, “can we go to this place with you?”

    “What he means is, can he go to this place with you,” corrected Chiara.

    “We would love to have you with us, Otis,” said Nico. “But sometimes you gotta just have some alone time together, you know? Maybe next time.”

    “I understand.” Under my breath I added, “If there is a next time,” just to add another cool phrase into my collection for the day. “Have fun, you guys.”

    “I’m not sure if that’s possible with this guy, but I’ll try,” Nico laughed. Playful Punch then released a new hit single, as it was Nico’s turn to be “hit” (see what I did there). “See ya tomorrow.” The two walked away laughing.

    I watched them leave, then turned to Chiara, “How does he do it?”

    “How does who do what?”

    “Nico, how does he come out of such a scary situation and walk away like nothing happened?”

    Chiara thought for a little. Finally, she said, “It’s Will, and all the other campers. I don’t know much about Nico, but I know he didn’t have a very great childhood. None of us demigods did. Nico especially, being a child of the big three. But here, you know you’re safe. Here, you know someone is always gonna be there for you no matter what.” She paused. “That’s not saying everything is perfect. There’s always arguments… and fights,” she began to choke up. “I think you know what I’m talking about. But the people here don’t hold grudges. In the end there’s always forgiveness,” she turned to look me in the eye, tears streaming down her face. “In the end, there’s always love.”

    “I think there’s someone you need to go find,” I said.

    “I think so, too.” She got up to leave, and took a few steps before stopping, as if she forgot something (she did). She turned to face me. “Thank you,” she said, and she wrapped her arms around me in a hug (at least in the best way a human can hug a goat). Then she turned back and went off to find Damien.

    I decided to hit the bed early, as I had a long day ahead. As I lay trying to sleep, I just thought about all that had been said and done. What Chiara said was true, I realized. I had felt the love she spoke of. It was the reason I was suddenly less depressed. It was the reason I now had a confidence I never could’ve dreamed of having. And that hug. It certainly wasn’t the kind of hug that I had expected or hoped for going into that night. But I can say for sure that while it wasn’t what I had expected, I certainly liked what I got.
     
  25. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    Yay, Otis continues on his way in learning Life Lessons!!1 Excellent post.

    A good reason to enjoy these Diaries is that we get inside the heads of characters even better than 3P Omniscient!

    Aw, Chiara, human, goat, or demigod, life is never easy … [face_plain]

    Truer words never spoken, ew.

    =D=
     
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