[Setting]
Elliot and the god of coincidence are standing at the edge of a quiet field as the sun begins to set. The air is cool, and the light is golden. Claire is sitting nearby, giving the goat a piece of bread to keep it occupied while the god and Elliot face each other.
God of Coincidence (smiling, unfurling a scroll that looks strangely ancient): “Elliot, today I promised you a truth. A real one. No games, no riddles. But first… you need to hear a story.”
Elliot (groaning, rubbing his temples): “Why am I not surprised? You said no games—just tell me the truth, already.”
God of Coincidence (nodding, their tone gentle but unwavering): “And I will. But this story will help you understand. Trust me, Elliot, you’ll want to hear this.”
Elliot exhales, clearly exasperated, but nods, signaling for the god to go on.
God of Coincidence (smiling warmly, beginning their tale):
“Once upon a time, there was a king—a king unlike any other, for he ruled over a land that existed solely by coincidence. They called him The Coincidental King, for everything he did seemed to happen by pure happenstance. If he needed an advisor, one would wander into his castle purely by chance. If he was hungry, someone would accidentally leave a feast by his throne. His entire kingdom seemed to move, grow, and thrive not by any plan, but by a series of random, unplanned events that always seemed to fall perfectly into place.
One day, as the king sat on his throne, contemplating this life of coincidence, a goat suddenly wandered into the throne room. Now, this goat was no ordinary goat—no, this goat was known throughout the kingdom for its knack for showing up exactly where it wasn’t supposed to be. The goat had a habit of appearing in the middle of banquets, at council meetings, even once during the royal wedding. No one knew where the goat came from or why it seemed to always be around, but the king took its presence as a sign.”
Elliot (interrupting, rolling his eyes): “A sign? Of what, exactly? That his kingdom had no security?”
God of Coincidence (laughing, continuing): “Oh, perhaps, but the Coincidental King saw it differently. He believed the goat was a symbol—a reminder that even in his perfectly coincidental life, some things were just out of his control. The goat would wander in, nibble on important documents, or knock over a goblet of wine, and the king would laugh it off, seeing it as part of the charm of his chaotic kingdom.”
The god pauses for dramatic effect, smiling as they continue.
God of Coincidence: “But the more the king thought about it, the more he began to question his life of coincidences. He wondered why the goat always appeared, why advisors wandered in only when he needed them, why feasts arrived without him ever asking. He began to want more than just a series of lucky events. He wanted control. He wanted to understand. So, the Coincidental King decided to take matters into his own hands.”
Elliot (nodding, crossing his arms): “Let me guess. He tried to get rid of the goat?”
God of Coincidence (grinning): “Oh, he tried. He built fences, posted guards, even decreed that no goats were allowed within the castle walls. But the goat—being the goat—found a way back in every single time. It showed up at the most inconvenient moments—during royal proclamations, or when the king was deep in conversation with his advisors. Each time, it disrupted his carefully laid plans. And each time, the king grew more frustrated.”
The god leans in, their voice lowering.
God of Coincidence: “The king was determined to rid himself of the goat, believing that if he could control this one chaotic element, he could control everything else too. He began to build grand towers, filled them with strategists and advisors, and set laws and decrees. He would shape his kingdom into something predictable, something planned. But the more he tried to control it, the more things slipped from his grasp. His advisors made mistakes. His plans unraveled in unexpected ways. The feasts that once appeared by happenstance now needed coordination—and often arrived late, cold, or not at all.”
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The god pauses, watching Elliot’s expression soften ever so slightly.
God of Coincidence: “And yet, through it all, the goat kept coming back. No matter what the king did, the goat was there, chewing on important scrolls or nudging his royal scepter off its stand. And the king, exhausted, realized that perhaps the goat wasn’t the problem. Perhaps the goat was just… the goat.”
Elliot (frowning, already feeling the frustration building): “So the goat was just a goat, and the king was the one making everything complicated?”
God of Coincidence (nodding sagely): “Precisely. One day, an old jester—one the king had dismissed when he tried to rid his court of unpredictability—returned. The jester stumbled into the castle, laughing, with a goat following right behind him, of course. The jester looked at the weary king and said, ‘Majesty, why do you look so glum? You were never meant to understand the why of it all. You were meant to dance with it. You were meant to laugh at it.’
The king, in a moment of desperation, asked the jester, ‘What is the meaning of all of this? Why was I favored, and now, why do I struggle? And what is with this blasted goat?’
The jester, eyes twinkling with mischief, replied, ‘The truth, my dear king, is that there was never a plan. You sought to impose meaning where there was none, and in doing so, you robbed yourself of the very joy you once had. The goat was never a sign. It was just a goat. But you gave it meaning, and then you gave it power over you. You think meaning must be given to you, but it is you who must give meaning to these coincidences. It is not fate that has turned against you—it is your refusal to dance with the chaos, goat and all.’
The king, tired and defeated, realized in that moment that he could not control the world, nor could he make sense of every little thing that happened to him. The only thing he could do was decide how he would respond—whether to laugh, cry, or rage. The power he sought was not in understanding why things happened, but in choosing how to embrace them, goat included.”
The god finishes their tale, their eyes meeting Elliot’s. Elliot looks bewildered, and a bit exasperated.
Elliot (groaning, rubbing his face): “So what? The point is I should just… accept the goat? Accept the randomness? Stop trying to understand everything?”
God of Coincidence (smiling gently): “The point, Elliot, is that meaning is not something I, or the universe, can hand to you. It is something you create. Every coincidence, every goat, every saxophone—it’s all raw material. Whether it means something profound or nothing at all depends entirely on you.”
Elliot (throwing his hands up, his frustration evident): “And that’s supposed to be comforting? That there’s no grand plan? That I’m just making it all up as I go?”
God of Coincidence (nodding): “It’s not meant to be comforting, Elliot. It’s meant to be true. The hard truth is, there is no cosmic answer waiting for you—there’s only what you decide to make of all this. You can see the goat as a nuisance or as something to laugh at. That choice is yours.”
Elliot looks down at the ground, sighing deeply, the weight of the words settling on him. He glances up at Claire, who’s watching him, her expression soft.
Claire (gently): “Hey, maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Maybe it means you get to decide what all this is about. You’re not stuck with someone else’s plan—you get to write your own.”
Elliot (sighing again, shaking his head, but with a small, reluctant smile forming): “Yeah, well… I guess that’s one way to look at it. But it’s still kind of a lot, you know?”
God of Coincidence (stepping closer, placing a hand on Elliot’s shoulder): “It is a lot. And it’s absurd, and chaotic, and maddening. But it’s also yours, Elliot. And that’s more precious than any truth I could give you.”
Elliot (groaning, but a hint of a chuckle escaping): “So, basically, I’ve been running in circles looking for an answer that was never really there in the first place.”
God of Coincidence (laughing softly): “Perhaps. Or perhaps you’ve been running in circles to find out that you are the answer. The dance, the chaos, the coincidences—they’re all part of you, Elliot. And maybe that’s the only truth you really need. Goat included.”
Elliot sighs, looking out at the sunset, the sky a wash of oranges and pinks. He takes a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing just a bit.
Elliot (softly, almost to himself): “Alright. Fine. I’ll dance with it. But if there’s another goat involved, I swear—”
God of Coincidence (grinning widely): “No promises, my dear Elliot. After all, what’s a dance without a few surprises?”
Elliot chuckles despite himself, shaking his head as Claire walks up, the goat still tugging on the leash.
Claire (smiling at Elliot): “So, are we ready to head back? I think we’ve had enough truth for one day.”
Elliot (nodding, his frustration easing into something softer): “Yeah. Let’s go. I guess… I’ve got some dancing to do.”
[End Scene]
[retcon:1]