[Setting: A Quiet Bus Stop, Late Afternoon]

The sun dips low in the sky, casting long shadows over the nearly empty bus stop. Sable, God of Irony, sits on the bench, legs crossed, holding a mint-condition first edition of Sinfest. His expression is a mix of smug satisfaction and utter disinterest—an art he’s perfected.

Elliot arrives, visibly annoyed, clutching his phone and muttering about late buses. He hesitates when he sees Sable, unsure if it’s worth acknowledging him.

Elliot (grumbling): “Great. Of all the benches in the city...”

Before he can sit down, Coincidence, God of Coincidences, and Felicity, God of Happy Accidents, appear, strolling arm in arm. Coincidence immediately stops mid-step, his eyes locking onto the Sinfest book in Sable’s hands.

Coincidence (gasps, pointing dramatically): “Is that a first edition?”

Sable (not looking up): “It is. And no, you can’t borrow it.”

Coincidence (ignoring the remark, crouching beside the bench): “A first edition Sinfest! Do you know how rare that is? Mint condition, too! Let me guess—you kept it pristine with some elaborate scheme, didn’t you?”

Sable (finally looking up, smirking): “Elaborate? Hardly. I simply placed it in a locked box for twenty years and let the universe unfold around it. Classic irony—it’s survived longer than some of the relationships I’ve meddled with.”

Felicity (raising an eyebrow, amused): “Or the relationships you’ve had.”

Elliot (rolling his eyes): “You’re all seriously geeking out over a comic book?”

Coincidence (spinning around to face him, feigning offense): “Sinfest isn’t just a comic book, Elliot. It’s a cultural artifact. A beacon of snark and satire! A treasure of absurdity, much like myself.”

Sable (coolly): “Or me.”

The Philosophical Debate

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Coincidence (standing, dramatically pointing at Sable): “You? You’re claiming to love Sinfest as much as I do? Impossible! I’ve been quoting it for years.”

Sable (nonchalantly flipping a page): “Quoting is one thing. Understanding its nuance is another. I don’t just love Sinfest—I embody its spirit.”

Felicity (tilting her head, interjecting): “You two love this comic because it’s chaos disguised as structure—or maybe structure disguised as chaos. Ever think it’s a little bit of both?”

Sable (slyly): “Chaos only matters because of structure. The best jokes land because of inevitability.”

Coincidence (grinning): “And the best stories twist that inevitability into something unexpected! Every strip is a coincidence waiting to happen! A single twist of fate that changes everything!”

Sable: “Please. Every punchline is a reminder that life’s inevitabilities are as bitter as they are amusing.”

Elliot (throwing up his hands): “Oh my God, it’s a comic strip! Not a manifesto!”

Felicity (grinning at Elliot): “Ah, but isn’t everything a little bit of both?”

Elliot’s Story

Elliot sighs deeply, stepping between them.

Elliot: “Okay, enough! You’re both ridiculous. Here’s the thing—it’s not about who loves it more. It’s about why it matters.”

Sable (leaning back, intrigued): “Go on. Enlighten us, mortal.”

Elliot (pointing at the comic): “Sinfest—or anything worth loving, really—isn’t just for one person. It’s for everyone. That’s what makes it great. Take my cousin Greg, for example.”

Coincidence (perking up): “Ah, Greg. The dancer, right?”

Elliot: “No, that’s another Greg. This one’s a mechanic. Anyway, he once found this old, beat-up copy of Sinfest at a garage sale. He had no idea what it was, but he bought it for a dollar because he liked the cover—a sharp-toothed grin scrawled in black ink, daring him to take it home.”

Felicity (nodding): “Sounds like your cousin’s got good instincts.”

Elliot: “Yeah, and you know what he did with that book? He gave it to his kid sister. She loved it, too. She started drawing because of it. And then she showed it to her art teacher, who said it reminded her why she got into teaching in the first place.”

Coincidence (clapping his hands): “That, my dear Sable, is the power of coincidence!”

Sable (tilting his head): “Or irony. The right hands, the wrong time, leading to something entirely unexpected.”

The Goat’s Intervention

As the bus pulls up, Coincidence grins and nudges Sable.

Coincidence: “So, who’s riding? Or is it more ironic if we all just stand here and let it go?”

Sable (deadpan): “I was here first. You’re all late.”

Elliot boards the bus with a shake of his head. As the doors close behind them, the first edition of Sinfest rests on the bench, forgotten in the excitement.

Moments later, a passing goat sniffs it, bleats, and trots away with the book in its mouth.

Felicity (watching through the bus window, smirking): “Well, there’s irony for you. That goat doesn’t even read.”

Sable (staring out the window): “And yet, it has better taste than some mortals I know.”

[End Scene]

[retcon:1]