Chronicles of the Secret Fire: Bedtime Story (55)

[Audren]

Song of Surrender

Leliana: I hope the two of you enjoyed your makeovers?
Valerie: I suppose, but they're not particularly discreet, are they? Aren't they supposed to be disguises?
Gillian: I'm sure we'll be okay, Valerie. Nobody will recognize me in these cat earrings!
Leliana: Well, that is something that we have to discuss, unfortunately. I'm afraid I haven't been entirely honest with the two of you.
Valerie: What do you mean?



Silas: What are you talking about, my dear sister? Aren't we just giving them a style swap and letting them on their way?
Leliana: Not quite, Silas.
Silas: Then what are we doing with them?
Leliana: Hmm. How shall I put this without seeming rude? We're here to demand your surrender.
Valerie: What!?!



Valerie: Surrender? To who?
Leliana: My husband, of course. I'm sure you'll find Jolly to be a, you know, jolly man.
Valerie: I don't care if your husband's the Queen of Spain, we're not surrendering to anyone!
Leliana: Well, that's too bad. If you won't surrender, I guess we'll have to take you there forcibly.



Murdoch: Can this taxi not drive any faster?
Taxi Driver: I'm driving as fast as I can, man. Have some patience. You in a rush?
Murdoch: You could say that.
Taxi Driver: You sure it was okay to leave that orange guy behind?
Murdoch: Yeah, yeah. He'll catch up.



A: I can't believe Murdoch left me behind. Inconsiderate little-
Taxi Driver: Hey, now! There are children present!
A: No, there aren't!
Taxi Driver: Actually, there's a kid in the back seat of my taxi. Brat's been whining about being left behind the whole trip. Such childish behaviour.
A: Just drive.
Taxi: Wah Wah Wah.



Silas: Hang on, Leliana. Is this really what you want to do?
Leliana: You know how Jolly gets. These ladies are just part of his plan.
Silas: Hey, okay, maybe. But kidnapping them? Doesn't seem right to be, is all.
Leliana: What they've done isn't right either, brother. It'll be fine.



Silas: Maybe I didn't make myself clear, sister. I'm not agreeing to this.
Leliana: Really? You know as well as I do what their little hair-dye friend has done to our family.
Silas: Of course, my dear, but he's not them. These people had nothing to do with any of that. We shouldn't be kidnapping people willy nilly. It's not right.
Leliana: *sigh* Maybe you're right. But we do need to do something about them.
Silas: Very well. But no kidnapping!



A: There you are! Not very nice to go running off like that.
Murdoch: You were fine. See? You caught up.
A: Ready to do this?
Murdoch: After you.



Gillian: Hey look! There's someone at the door!
Valerie: What, who?



Valerie: Well, that's a duo I didn't expect to see anytime soon.

[Gogowars329]

Ok, I love how Silas is wearing those giant boots. And naming Murdoch Jolly, got me laughing when I put the pieces together.

[Audren]

Ok, I love how Silas is wearing those giant boots. And naming Murdoch Jolly, got me laughing when I put the pieces together.

I can't normally find much use for those boots, but I figured a fashion snob like Silas would try them out. You'll probably see that style of boots later on.

As for Murdoch's name, I was using the name generator in CAS. I had settled on Murdoch as a surname, but was lacking in inspiration for a first name After a couple of randomizings, I came up with "Jolly" and knew I had to use it. A Brooding Grump named Jolly, the irony was too much to pass up on! 

[Audren]

The Twin Drakes

Loki: Well, look at this. My dearest brother, here in the flesh! Sort of.
Thor: Put Patrick down!
Loki: So forceful! And quite rude. My my, being dead hasn't done a miracle of your mood, has it?
Thor: I said put him down!



Loki: *sign* If you insist. You're so pushy!
Thor: Now sit over here. We need to have a word.



Loki: You're so demanding! I've been back only a day and you're already harping at me. Such pleasant company, you are.
Thor: You shouldn't be alive at all, Loki! That's the point.
Loki: Just because you're jealous of my fleshiness, doesn't mean I ought to be dead! Don't you want Patrick to have a father in his life?
Thor: Maybe, but you're not yourself, Loki. Can't you see that?



Loki: What are you babbling about, brother? Who else could I be?
Thor: I don't know, but the Loki I knew was caring, and loving, and kind-hearted. Not the monster standing in front of me.
Loki: Monster? That's a little harsh, don't you think?
Thor: Monster is the nicest thing I could call you right now.



Thor: Ever since you came back, you've been different! Mean-spirited, evil, petty. You throw insults back and forth at some woman you met in a park, take her food. The Loki I knew was far more of a gentleman.
Loki: But-
Thor: I'm not finished! Then you decide that your idea of "family bonding" is kidnapping your son from your former wife. Do you even realize how you've hurt her, Loki? Or me? Or your son! I don't know who or what convinced you to come back to life, but you shouldn't have listened to them. When I look at you, I don't see my brother. I see the demon that took over his body!



Loki: *sigh* What have I done? What have I become?
Thor: But it's not too late for you, Loki. You can still go back to the Afterlife. I'll make sure Katherine takes care of Patrick.
Loki: How could I have become convinced to come back?
Thor: You tell me, Loki. You're the one who saw the man.
*door opens*



Loki: Him! He's the one that corrupted me!



The Riddlemaster: Oh, our sincerest apologies. Are we interrupting a family reunion?



Thor: You told my brother to come back? I thought you wanted him gone as much as I did!
The Riddlemaster: There is a concept among your people known as lying. Perhaps you should learn how to recognize it.
Thor: Why would you possibly want Loki alive again? It'd just be two Drakes you'd have to worry about.
The Riddlemaster: As usual, you fail to understand the ultimate purpose of the Oracles.



Thor: There's your precious Oracles again! Don't you have any desire of your own!?
The Riddlemaster: That is irrelevant.
Thor: How is that irrelevant? Why should they keeping telling you what to do while you want to do something else?
The Riddlemaster: *pause* We do not have desires. We have the will of the Oracles.
Thor: I'm a bit better at discerning lies than you think, you know.
The Riddlemaster: You cannot comprehend our ways, Drake. The Oracles see our fates. We cannot change the fates they have foreseen. Surely that concept is not too complex for your silly Simlish mind.



Thor: Of course you can change your fate! I'm dead, in case you didn't notice! I bet your beloved Oracles saw that, didn't they.
The Riddlemaster: Of course they did. Your death simply proves them correct.
Thor: The complete opposite! Death should've made me lay down and stop fighting, but I wouldn't let that happen. Even dead, I'm doing a heck of a lot more on my own then you ever could under the ineffable guidance of your Oracles. Maybe if you thought about it, you'd realize having free will might not be as bad as you think.
The Riddlemaster: ...
Thor: Cat got your tongue?
The Riddlemaster: This conversation is over.



The Riddlemaster: *mutters to himself*



Loki: So that's it, then. I go back and everything's good?
Thor: For now, yeah.
Loki: Keep Patrick safe, okay?
Thor: I will.



Loki: Goodbye, brother.
Thor: Goodbye, Loki. I'll see you on the other side.



And thus Loki vanished into the air, never to be seen in his fleshy form again.



Thor: Now Patrick, let's get you home.
Patrick: *coo*

[Audren]

Valerie Unveiled

Silas: I had nothing to do with this! I'm out!
Leliana: Silas, come back!
Gillian: Leliana, come back!
Leliana: What?
Gillian: It's called mimicry. Get it?
Leliana: *sigh*



Leliana: Oh, Jolly! It's so good to see- *kissyface*
Murdoch: Saying something?
Leliana: Not at all.



Valerie: Want to clue us in here as to what's going on?
A: Well, you see, it's very simple. Murdoch and Leliana are married, so naturally she wanted to help him with his evil schemes. We rushed here as fast as we could to stop that from happening.
Valerie: And why is Murdoch is eager to stop his plots?
A: Turns out he's actually a pretty cool guy. At least he's open about his identity, unlike a certain someone here.
Valerie: Fine. I get your point. I'll go wash this hair dye out. That okay with you?



A: "Why, that's not very nice of you, Mr. Right!"
A: "Oh, and you're one to talk, Lady Left!"
A: "You wanna go at it, you silly hand?"
A: "Bring it on, fuzzball!"
Valerie: *ahem* Excuse me.
A: Oh, uh, right. We'll all be outside.



Murdoch: But before we do that, I think I owe an apology to one of you.
Gillian: Don't be silly, you Jolly elf! You don't have to apologize for kissing your wife!
Murdoch: Uh, that's not what I was going to say. Gillian, I am deeply sorry for trying to kidnap you.
Gillian: Oh, it's all good. I got these cat earrings, didn't I? It all evened out in the end.
Murdoch: Very well, then.



Leliana: I'm still not really clear on this, Jolly. Why is it you suddenly don't want revenge on A?
Murdoch: Well, I was really looking forward to it. But we had a talk, and we realized we weren't really all that different.
Leliana: Just between you and me, I think you have better hair dye.
Murdoch: Oh, you're so sweet, my love. Plus he did have a pretty special offer for me. *whisper whisper*
Leliana: Oh, that's incredible! Congratulations, Jolly!



Leliana: A. kept talking to that Valerie girl like she had a whole other identity.
Murdoch: He ought to know, I suppose. He had his fair share of fake identities. Or so he said.
Leliana: Just makes me wonder who she really is.



Ronin: Hey, where'd everyone go?



Gillian: Wait just one minute! You were Valerie this whole time?
Ronin: I hope you're not too angry, Gill. I did what I had to for safety.
Gillian: Of course I'm angry! You were lying to me for weeks! Why would you possibly need to disguise yourself like that?
Ronin: I figured it would be dangerous if A's precious aliens found out I was trying to resurrect Thor. I didn't think they would bother you, since, well, you know.
Gillian: Yeah.
Ronin: But I didn't want it to be public knowledge that I was involved. So I took the name Valerie and made myself a disguise. Only a select number of people on the project knew about me.



Ronin: I just hope you'll forgive me. I know that I probably should've told you, but I didn't know if it'd be safe.
Gillian: Gee, I don't know. I'll need a lot of convincing.
Ronin: I'll take you out for ice cream.
Gillian: Sold.
Leliana: Oh, I want ice cream!
Gillian: Yeah, let's go!
Ronin: Right now? Uh, okay.



A: Hey! I want ice cream, too!\
Murdoch: Actually, maybe you can stay behind a bit. I think we have a little business to take care of.
A: Oh, all right. *pout*
Ronin: I'll get you a vanilla.
A: Thank you!



Murdoch: What are you smirking about?
A: Your first name is Jolly?
Murdoch: Your first name is a letter. I fail to see the difference.
A: Touché.  So, I guess you're ready to do this?
Murdoch: Yup. Let's do it.
A: And this time, we'll be taking the same taxi.
Murdoch: Oh, all right.

(This is the last official update for Chronicles of the Secret Fire for a while. Tomorrow there'll be a small little update leading into my next story, but after that, it'll be dark for a while. Don't worry! I'll get back to it soon! We still have one last storyline to chronicle)

[Gogowars329]

But but, there's still so many questions! I can't wait for the next story. I did figure out that Valerie was Ronin but I didn't even notice the difference in hair colour.

[Audren]

The Next Chapter

Inside the charming Victorian renovation, a comeback story is staged.



Murdoch: No story ever truly dies.



Murdoch: Sure, some stories are finished and sent over to a fancy "Completed Stories" board. Others exist in a state of confusion, not really being alive yet never technically ended. And then there are those that are terminated before their time. These stories may no longer be updated, and these stories may no longer attract the same sense of fame that they once did. But even these stories are never truly forgotten, least of all by their author. And as long as a story is not forgotten, than it is still alive.



Murdoch: This is the tale of one such story.



A: No no, cut!
Murdoch: Come on, what's wrong with it?
A: Don't you think it's a little melodramatic?
Murdoch: Melodramatic? It's suspenseful! It's keeping our audience guessing about what this is. Besides, it's not like you go easy on the melodrama, either.
A: We want to engage our audience. If we leave them confused too long, they'll just switch to another show.
Camerawoman: Uh, A?
A: Hold on, please. We're just discussing our take.



Murdoch: Or maybe they'll be intrigued long enough to realize just what they're watching.
A: Okay, maybe. It's pretty risky, though. We have to have the right balance.
Murdoch: Okay, so when do we make the reveal?
A: I don't know yet. Soon.
Camerawoman: What interview, A?



A: Why, that this is The Mole, of course!
Camerawoman: That isn't public knowledge?
A: No, of course not! I don't even have the proper heading in yet. Why on Earth would I be filming a show about snow-shoes?
Camerawoman: It would be shoes, you know.
A: Good point. We might want to get a pilot out for that.



Murdoch: Don't you think we ought to explain what The Mole's all about?
A: No, silly! That's what the second post is for!
Murdoch: Do you really want that huge wall of text to explain it all? You might want to look at what those Rosas did. Weave it into the introduction.
A: Hmm. That's a good idea. With all those Rosas running around, they're bound to have some good ideas.



A: The Mole is, above all else, a game of deception. Twelve of you will compete on the show for fame and glory. Most of you will just try to get through the challenges we throw at you, earning points for the pot. But if that's all we had to our show, it wouldn't be very good, would it? BORING!

A: That's why we have one contestant be the Mole. Their entire goal is to sabotage the challenges and steal points from the pot, while still remaining anonymous. An obvious Mole is not a very good Mole, is it? Every challenge bears the risk of sneaky plots from the Mole. However, the paranoia doesn't stop there. It gets even better!

A: The Mole doesn't want to be suspected of their Mole-ish behaviour, but the other contestants want their opponents to think they are the Mole. Naturally, the Mole should make some of their sabotage somewhat obvious, but not all. If only one contestant seemed to not want to be suspected, then it's clear who the Mole is, isn't it? It can get pretty convoluted, so this handy-dandy diagram should help.

The Mole: Remove as many points from the pot as you can, but do it so the others don't suspect you, thus causing them to go home.
Everybody Else: Add as many points to the pot as you can, but also make the others think you are the Mole, thus causing them to go home.



Murdoch: All of this leads up to the Execution Quiz, where the contestants answer ten questions pertaining to the Mole's identity. Throughout the challenges, contestants may find Exemptions, which will allow them to skip an Execution Quiz. It's important to have a pretty good idea of the Mole's identity, because whoever has the lowest score on the quiz will be eliminated!
A: And that's pretty much it. If you want to be a contestant, you'll have to keep all your senses sharp, because you may never know when the Mole is going to strike!
Murdoch: There may be a lot of questions of the Execution Quiz, but when you really get down to it, only one question matters.
A & Murdoch: Who... is the Mole?
A: Okay, cut! That's a wrap! That's a good script we just ad-libbed. Now let's start from the top.



A: Okay, cut! It's a wrap! That's a good script we just ad-libbed. Now let's start from the top.
Camerawoman: That's what I was trying to tell you, A.
A: What is it?
Camerawoman: We were on the air. The viewers saw all of that.
A: ... Oh.

(Yes, my next story is a new season of The Mole! If you're interested, please be sure to check it out here.)

[Blayzen]

Wow. You just threw so much at us and are now walking away from it? So not fair to keep us guessing like this - LOL! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am that The Mole is starting up again; I had so much fun with that show!

P.S.
I had no clue that Valerie & Ronin were the same person...That's what I would consider a "disguise" vs. what Silas and Leliana did for Valerie & Ronin.

[Audren]

Bedtime Story

Fenris: Tell me another story, Aunt DeeDee!



DeeDee: Alright, alright, but this'll be the last one. I really need to get going.
Fenris: No, you mustn't! Just one more!



DeeDee: Fine, fine, just one more.
Fenris: Tell me the story about Uncle Thor and A. again!
DeeDee: Now, you know your mother doesn't like you hearing about that business.
Fenris: No, no! I'm sure Mum won't mind!



Katherine: I hope she isn't up there filling his head with stories of nonsense heroics and those foolish men lost pursuing them.



DeeDee paused then. Even now, four years after his disappearance, the echoes of their struggles rang through her. Finally she began to speak.



DeeDee: Well, your Uncle Thor was just another homeless Sim, eking his way through Moonlight Falls, looking after you when you were a wee toddler, when A. Simself came into his life. Together, they began to work to investigate and challenge the alien menace that haunted both their lives, the same one that threatened you.



DeeDee: Thor met me during his investigation, and I joined him in facing the challenges posed against him by the mysterious, powerful Riddlemaster



Fenris: Tell me more about him! How did you know him?
DeeDee: I.... didn't. We found him here in Moonlight Falls, where he challenged us to solve riddles. They led us around the world, first to Bridgeport...



DeeDee: ... where Thor met Ronin, an up and coming musician living in the city with his actor boyfriend. For inconceivable reasons, she was the answer to the Riddlemaster's first riddle And little did he know that she was A. Simself's daughter, the two estranged and barely on speaking terms.
Fenris: But Ronin and A. sound like they'd be so nice! Why didn't they get along?
DeeDee: It's a long story, Fenris, best saved for another time.
Fenris: Fine. What happened next?
DeeDee: Thor, Ronin, me, A., and some other allies continued our struggle, until the tragedy.



Fenris: When Uncle Thor died, you mean?
DeeDee: Yes. He was electrocuted in France, trying to find the key to defeating the Riddlemaster. We were all heartbroken. Devastated. But we had to carry on. To keep you safe. And return you to your mother.



DeeDee: In the end, we managed to save you from the ghosts and aliens that were after you, with the timely intervention of none other than your Uncle Thor, returned to Moonlight Falls in ghost form. At last, you and your mother were reunited, and safe. The end.
Fenris: But what happened to A.?



DeeDee: Excuse me?
Fenris: What happened to A.? After the aliens and stuff were defeated. Uncle Thor is gone, I get that, but where's A.?
DeeDee: Well...



DeeDee: After you became safe, A. went on to host another season of his hit show, The Mole. Everything seemed alright.



DeeDee: We don't know what happened to him. The cast of the show were out on the town, leaving him alone in the massive house. I guess he must've been tending to the firepit or something.



DeeDee: He disappeared that day. How? Nobody knows. When the police finally got to the mansion, he was gone. Rumor has it that he was taken by the aliens he worked so hard to oppose. But that's crazy talk.



DeeDee: All the police found was that firepit, blazing on like nothing had happened.



Katherine: Not this story again. Fenris is far too young to be hearing these stories. You should go, DeeDee.
Fenris: But mum!
DeeDee: No, no, it's fine. I'll visit again soon.
Fenris: Bye Aunt DeeDee!



Katherine was right, of course, to some degree. Fenris could never know the full truth of the events four years ago. How one of the ghosts threatening him was his own father. How the aliens that pursued him weren't defeated for good. And what DeeDee's role in all of it really was.



Let the boy look to the stars with wonder and joy, constantly curious about the cosmos without having the fear of cosmic calamities coming for him. He could never know everything, but he could know peace.



*ring*

A normal sounding ringtone, but DeeDee couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She answered with trepidation.
DeeDee: Hello?



The Riddlemaster: We're not finished with you yet.

[Audren]

After many years, I'm finally ready to bring this story to its proper conclusion. To new readers, I hope this update leaves you intrigued for more while giving the gist of the story in the past. For anybody out there who read this in the past, I hope you'll carry on. After such a long gap, the mysteries at hand in the Chronicles of the Secret Fire will be unveiled. Enjoy the ride.