58 Vol 1. pt. 58 Patch 10.0: The King, the Rod and the Harem (2/2)
Corwin pulls it out to show Fenrir. He has a positive standing of seventeen. Rock's is five. Fenrir has negative thirteen.
”You're kidding me. This rod only likes good people? But I am good! I only killed assholes, I think,” Fenrir says.
”That… does not sound quite right, Fenrir, but I cannot think of any other potential cause,” Corwin replies.
”I'll be back in a bit. Rock, stay here with Corwin. Try… I don't know, convincing the rod that I'm nice or something,” Fenrir orders.
Rock barks as if she actually plans on trying to talk to the rod.
”What are you going to do, captain?” Corwin asks.
”Be annoyingly nice and helpful to people until my Standing goes up.”
And so, Fenrir runs off motivated to be the nicest he has ever been.
He has no idea what his Standing is unless he goes to get an entirely new card, so he just has to try and be as nice as possible to everybody in hopes that his Standing goes up.
He helps people out on the docks loading and unloading cargo for free, helps elderly NPCs carry groceries around, breaks up any fights he sees – or at least tries to, and even buys a couple of freshly-caught fish to feed to any stray animals!
Grinding for a positive Standing score eats up a few hours of his time.
Finally, he makes it back to Corwin and Rock who are still sitting on the pier.
Rock looks betrayed when she sees the harem of cats and dogs following behind Fenrir.
However, having predicted Rock's reaction, Fenrir pulls out a few rocks from his pockets and tosses them over to Rock.
All is forgiven, and the stray animals following him eventually disperse when they realize he has no more food for them.
”Alright, I'm ready,” Fenrir says, standing before the goody-two-shoes of a fishing rod.
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He lifts it up.
Sure, checking to see if the opal is glowing would be the easiest method of determining whether it's worked or not, but he just wants to test it out and see for himself.
He holds the rod, pulls it back, and then swings it forward!
The lure goes soaring into the air! It doesn't travel nearly as far as Corwin's did, but it travels far enough to prove that it's working!
”I did it! Corwin, did you see that? Rock, did you see that? I did it!” Fenrir cheers, his tail excitedly wagging so quickly behind him that it causes his hips to sway along with the motion.
Now he looks at the bottom of the rod. Surely enough, it's glowing. It might not be glowing as brightly as it did for Corwin and Rock, but it's still glowing.
”You're stubborn, Rod. Seriously, what kind of rod cares if somebody is good or not?” Fenrir tries asking it, but doesn't get a – wait, did the glow just pulsate? ”…Rod, can you hear me?”
It pulsates again.
”Don't tell me that you're also going to turn into a puppy. How would that even work?” Fenrir asks.
Rock whines from the sidelines. What's wrong with being turned into a puppy?
”Alright. Pulse once.”
The gem pulses once.
”Pulse twice.”
It pulses twice.
”Alright. Pulse once for yes, twice for no. What the hell are you?” Fenrir asks.
”Ca-captain, I do not think that is a yes or no question,” Corwin interjects.
”Oh. Right. Okay, next question. Rod, are you going to turn into a puppy?”
Two pulses.
Rock doesn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed.
”Got it. Do you only let good people use you?” Fenrir asks.
The gem pulses once then twice after a short pause.
”I have no idea what that's supposed to mean. Is the reason why you wouldn't work for me because I had a negative Standing?”
One pulse.
”Did you… did you purposely hook my ear?”
One pulse.
Fenrir's eye twitches. He wants to embrace his inner Cassiel and call this rod a bastard. ”Those things are sensitive, you know.”
One pulse.
Yeah, this rod is definitely a bastard.