Setting: A Quiet Morning, Somewhere Too Ordinary to Be Ordinary]

Elliot sits on a park bench, scrolling aimlessly through his phone. The sky above is an almost painfully bright blue, and birds chirp with a little too much enthusiasm. He’s in his “ignore the world” mode, which, unsurprisingly, doesn’t work.

Enter the god of coincidence. He appears with his usual flair—leaning against a nearby lamppost as though he’d been there the whole time. Today, he’s wearing a plaid suit that’s just a shade too loud to be tasteful.

Coincidence (grinning): “Elliot! Just the man I needed. Got your calendar clear, I hope?”

Elliot (not even looking up): “Nope. Very busy. Doing... important things.”

Coincidence (plopping down beside him, ignoring the protest): “Perfect! You’re hired for the day.”

Elliot (glancing up, frowning): “Hired? For what, exactly?”

Coincidence (gesturing grandly): “Oh, just a little something I like to call the work of the divine. You’ll love it. Or hate it. Either way, it’ll be educational.”

Elliot (groaning): “Why me? Can’t you... I don’t know, find someone else to harass?”

Coincidence (shrugging): “Coincidence, my dear Elliot. Or perhaps something more profound. Either way, it’s you and me today. Come on.”

Without waiting for a response, the god stands and starts walking, leaving Elliot no choice but to follow.

[Scene 1: The Flower Vendor]

The two stroll down a bustling street, stopping in front of a flower vendor with a dazzling array of colorful blooms.

Coincidence (leaning down, sniffing a rose): “Did I ever tell you the story of the reluctant gardener?”

Elliot (already regretting this): “No. But I feel like you’re about to.”

Coincidence (grinning):

“There was once a man who inherited a garden from his grandfather. A beautiful plot, filled with roses, tulips, and a particularly stubborn wisteria vine. But the man didn’t want it. Said he had no time for gardening. So he left it alone.

“But gardens, my dear Elliot, are tricky things. Ignore them, and they don’t just fade away quietly. Oh no. The weeds came first—creeping in like they owned the place. Then the wisteria, oh, it took over everything. Soon, the man couldn’t even open his back door without being smacked in the face by a vine. Finally, out of sheer desperation, he got to work. Pulled weeds, trimmed branches, even planted new flowers. And wouldn’t you know it? By the end, he loved that garden more than anything else in the world.”

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Elliot (deadpan): “So, what’s the moral? Love your weeds?”

Coincidence (laughing): “Close! It’s that growth—whether you want it or not—has a way of finding you. And when it does, well, you might as well lean in. Now, let’s buy a rose for someone, shall we?”

Before Elliot can protest, the god buys a single rose and hands it to a startled pedestrian.

[Scene 2: The Café]

They find themselves at a small café, sitting outside with cups of coffee. Elliot stares into his drink like it holds the answers to life’s greatest mysteries.

Elliot: “So, is this your work? Buying flowers for strangers and telling weird gardening stories?”

Coincidence (grinning): “Oh, this is just the warm-up. The main event is yet to come.”

Before Elliot can roll his eyes, the waiter brings over their check—a modest bill, except there’s a curious note scrawled at the bottom.

Elliot (reading aloud): “‘Thank you for the rose. I was having the worst day, and it turned everything around.’” (looking up, incredulous) “Seriously? That’s it? That’s your grand divine work?”

Coincidence (sipping his coffee): “Sometimes, the smallest ripples make the biggest waves. You’d be surprised how often a single act of kindness becomes... well, a garden of its own.”

[Scene 3: The Street Musician]

They pass a street musician playing a melancholy tune on a violin. The god pauses, listens, and then, with a flourish, tosses a coin into the musician’s case.

Elliot: “Let me guess. There’s a story about violins now?”

Coincidence (grinning): “Oh, you’re learning! But no, no violins today. Just this: that coin? It’ll pay for a meal. Maybe two. But it’s not about the coin. It’s about the music. About recognizing that someone else’s growth—someone else’s work—deserves to be seen.”

Elliot (softly): “You think a coin really changes anything?”

Coincidence (smiling, leaning in): “You tell me. If no one listens, does the music still matter?”

Elliot opens his mouth to argue, but no words come.

[The Day’s End]

They end up back where they started, sitting on the same park bench. The sky is now streaked with oranges and purples, and the birds are quieter, as if the world itself is winding down.

Elliot (sighing): “So, what was the point of all this? Buying flowers, tipping musicians, sipping coffee? It doesn’t really change anything, does it?”

Coincidence (leaning back, hands behind his head): “Maybe not. But maybe... it changes you. Growth isn’t always about the world bending to your will, Elliot. Sometimes, it’s about finding a way to bloom where you’re planted. Even if that place is a little... chaotic.”

Elliot (after a long pause): “You really think I’ve grown?”

Coincidence (grinning): “Oh, absolutely. You complained 37% less than usual today. That’s progress.”

Elliot (laughing despite himself): “You’re impossible.”

Coincidence (winking): “I prefer inevitable. Now, go plant some flowers of your own, my dear Elliot. You might just surprise yourself.”

As Elliot gets up and starts walking home, he can’t help but feel like something has shifted—if only slightly. Behind him, the GOC sits on the bench, humming a familiar tune, the faint sound of a violin drifting through the evening air.

[End Scene]

[retcon:1]