GODLY AUDIENCES: SASUKE UCHIHA

[divus]

Comments

[divus]

...explain something to me. Which power would you pick? You probably know the set by now.

[moralmyopia]

It depends on what happens this weekend. [He glances up.] Supreme Authority more than likely. Maybe Inner Strength.

[divus]

[...] You might have more leeway with the first than the second, but that's just my opinion on things. Strength is likely to make you more suspicious.

[moralmyopia]

I don't care about suspicion. [He had been gunning for it for so long, right.] It could potentially help me if anyone targeted me.

Are gods able to tell their followers what the division of powers are in that alignment?

[divus]

Or it could backfire. Do we need to point out what just happened to you? [Be smarter, jeez.]

But what exactly do you mean?

[moralmyopia]

The power division.

If I ask you to tell me how many followers have what power, would you? I had Chilled Bones, so there's one. How many others had the other two? How many had All Nighter? Did anyone have Laughter?

Heh. [His laugh is wry.] You can't tell me, I assume.

[divus]

Oh no, no, I could. I'm just not going to when you're defecting next week.

[So there.]

[moralmyopia]

[Hmm. Faintly, he smirks.]

That's fine. I'm not concerned about yours now.

[divus]

Then why are you still here, Sasuke? Why tell me all of this and that you're defecting?

[moralmyopia]

Supposedly, we're meant to talk to all of you. It's what I'm doing. [badly but listen maybe merriment isn't the only one not completely living up to the name] But I can leave if you want.

You told me to join you, but never told me to stay. I would have gone back to him in the end.

[divus]

Why do you think I never said you had to stay? [It sounds a little weary, but more certain than usual.]

...Sasuke. You've never been really good about hiding your intentions if people know what to look for. I would've been more surprised if you never went back in the end, or if you didn't try to burn down everything in your path to keep things safe.

Good quality, maybe not so great execution.

[moralmyopia]

[He just--frowns tiredly at Merriment!! What is with this scolding all the time, damn! Clearly, he's seventeen and he is An Adult and he knows So Much. His plans are great?]

Oh, and you have so much experience because--what? You're old?

[divus]

[A light laugh.] No. Because I used to be like you until I found people to try and care about. When I ruined that, I jumped at the chance to ascend.

[So there x2]

[moralmyopia]

[WOW]

You... ran away? [Like a coward? but then he thinks about himself--no, there's no way. He didn't run because he was scared (he was completely scared, of love, of friends), he ran because he needed to be stronger.] You're "merriment."

If that's the case, why?

[divus]

I didn't--[He shuts up not long after that because like. Yeah, okay, he sort of ran away.] Hasn't anybody told you not to look so deeply into the names?

[Anyway.] ...I used to work alone. For a real, real long time. I was good at what I did, it affected the people it needed to, and nobody stood in my way. Nobody's rules but my own, nothing holding me back. But...then I met people who wanted me to work with them even though we were a bad match. They insisted, and eventually I went along with it because they wouldn't leave me alone. They started to trust me. We started working together, protecting the things that matter, figuring stuff out together. It almost felt like having people care about what happened to me. It was weird, but...not totally unpleasant.

And then...something happened. I got distracted by my own goals and thought I knew better. Figured I could stay neutral, play both sides and get what I wanted. I ended up making a mess of things and didn't know how to fix it.

So I left.

[moralmyopia]

[The twisting edges of his face is actually rather guarded in a way, almost like Merriment pinches a string at the center of his chest and unravels him by pulling it over, and over, and over.

He looks away, inwardly ashamed at how familiar the words sting. His silence is very telling, but Merriment probably knew that much already.]

Are you... [He looks up with just his eyes.] ...satisfied with that?

[divus]

I thought I was. I thought things would go back to being the same afterwards once I was on my own again, but it was harder to come back from. I got what I thought I wanted the most, but there were still things I wanted for other people. I'd messed up though and couldn't go back.

That's why I came here. I wanted a second chance to do things over and try again. [...] I've only started being satisfied again about a week ago. [During his host week.]

[moralmyopia]

[He... should not have come to talk to Merriment, he thinks. Slowly, his eyes lower. He shouldn’t have come because he is trying to cling to the last flimsy pieces of his goal, here and there. He’s trying to hold on to all that bitterness, all that hopeless self-sacrifice.

His eyes squeeze shut like his fists.]

I’m not running away. I’m going back, whether I have what you all promised me or not, and I am going to kill Naruto and rebuild Konoha. [It sounds like he’s trying to convince himself more than anything.] My brother... [His eyes open, and he peers at his white-knuckled fists as he raises them. They carefully unfurl. Does he help create an ideal world? Does he assist in killing the gods? The ones treating them as Itachi had been treated by the village. Does he try to become one and leave Konoha and Naruto and the rest to burn?

Very softy, mostly to himself:] What the hell am I doing...?

[divus]

[He doesn't address any of that, letting Sasuke sort of ask himself these questions and watching quietly. At the last question...there's a pause.]

Sometimes things change and bigger, and sometimes better, plans take a priority. Doesn't mean that's a bad thing. Do you get that?

[moralmyopia]

I get it.

[Does he really? Or maybe he does, but--Uchiha. Execution? Remember.

He's quiet for a long time, and then he lets his arms fall down to his sides. Something about it feels like he's reached the beginning of a resolution within himself. Maybe.] I want to see your room before I go. [It sounds more like a request than a demand, actually.]

[divus]

[Sasuke what.] ...can I ask why?

[Mostly he's just wondering.]

[moralmyopia]

[He's still not sure how to completely articulate how he feels, especially not about more personal things. So, he just...]

I want to see what it means to you.

[divus]

[Hm...]

This time it's more like I can't instead of I don't want to. It's part of our rules we ended up making. Participants have to earn things like that, even if it's free game after that. You can look if you really want, but that's up to you.

[There's a shrug.] And it's not like anybody will walk in and trap you under a bed.

[moralmyopia]

[He just keeps getting no'd left and right by the gods. It's what he deserves.]

So if I find it for myself, I can see it? Is what you mean.

[He makes a face about being teased for the bed trapping... and... everything else.]

[divus]

That's what I mean. [Also Sasuke 100% deserves this.] They're meant for you guys to find, we don't care about that, but it's an extra challenge? Don't ask me how we ended up passing that as a rule.