[When Hiro comes back to the lab--since let's face it, compelled or not he'd probably be coming back there after his offering, he finds Justice waiting for him...spinning in a rolling chair of all things.
The masked deity stops quickly, dragging his heels into the floor, and stammers, embarrassed.]
O-oh! Hello! Sorry...I was just, um, waiting. For you!
[Justice is really Not Great at being a Professional Leader.]
[...oh no. Hiro stops short, Mini-Max perched on his shoulder and his hands in his pockets as his eyes widen a little. Justice is...very small. Or at least the same height he is, and they seem kind of timid?
That's helpful. His shoulders relax and he grins instead.]
Dude, don't worry about it. These chairs are pretty great for spinning. [In fact he's just going to hop into another nearby rolling chair.
[Justice folds his fingers over the chip and tucks his hands under his legs.]
I'm not really an engineer, myself. I can do more with virtual reality than physical building...but I thought it would be a useful resource for everyone. Do you like it? If there's anything missing, I can try to fix it to your specifications.
VR's pretty impressive, too. I've been kind of working on some maps and stuff myself but I'm still figuring it out. This place is definitely useful though.
[…] The lab's been the most helpful place so far. So thanks. I miss my own computer because it has all of my data on it, but I can improvise and build from scratch.
[But that's curious enough.] Do you have that kind of power? Fixing stuff we ask for.
[Of course there's no way to tell, but it sounds like Justice is smiling. The excitement in his voice is clear, at least.]
Sort of. We can only keep control over the rooms we each have dominion over, and giving items to anyone directly is supposed to be against the rules of the game unless it's in return for a favor. So I thought, since I can't do that, I can at least take suggestions from people and make alterations to the space. That way, nobody gets in trouble.
Sure, maybe. [He wouldn't mind if it was possible, but given...everything...] I'd like a second opinion from someone who knows what they're doing.
[The chair drifts.] So you guys do give out rewards for other things. What kind of favors are we talking here? [But ah...that's..pure? Wow.] That's a pretty clever way to think around the problem. And you made a bunch of people happy. I bet a bunch of people have come by to talk to you recently.
[Justice jolts as abruptly as the thought's put out there.]
That was just an example, I didn't mean--that you had to! But something like that or, or convincing someone else to defect from their faction to your own. Basically anything that's helpful.
[Surprisingly, perhaps, Indulgence accepts the offering. Maybe it's just because Hiro's already a part of his team, or maybe he's a fan of the arts. But he's at the pool, lounging like a goddamn king in an oversized floating throne of some kind, arms behind his head.]
You know, it's really a shame that you can't capture my actual likeness. Don't get me wrong, the masked look is great and all, very Machiavelli Goes Phantom of the Opera, if you will, but underneath this intimidating facade? Now, that's a face deserving of a proper portrait.
[Oh for fucks sake. Hiro enters the pool area and he's just. Eyeballing this monstrosity with Mini-Max-turned-Baymax on his shoulder, staring at the god before rolling his eyes.]
Wouldn't it be easier if you actually showed the face under the "intimidating facade"?
Would if I could, compadre. If I had any say in that kind of thing, no way I'd lock up all of this action behind so many stifling layers. A body like mine was meant to breathe!
[His groove is, like, totally being stomped on, here. Ugh.]
Point is, you've got an artistic talent. And I mean, obviously, you're smart, because you picked the right God.
[Justice can't help the excited giggle that escapes him at the prospect.]
Um...I think it depends! Some of the others can be really mean, so I think just being nice goes a long way. But some of the competitors might not mind taking a certain amount of abuse if it means getting a specific kind of ability.
Of course! Even before you told us the lab was your idea I kind of wanted to see if we could talk.
[Justice seems pretty okay. He's down with a child-like god, Still, that's a bitter pill to swallow.]
You think people will really put up with a god they don't like just because they like that god's powers? What would even be the point? That sounds pretty stupid.
Are those the only three powers you guys can give us?
The numbers don't lie, baby. Sure we ain't first standing, but all it takes is a single swipe and we're pushing number one. I'm gonna win, it's only natural. Who doesn't want what I can give?
I think a lot of people do things that make them scared or sad if it thinks that they'll get something for it. Sometimes that's not something that that even know they want.
[Justice pauses, shoulders sagging.]
But I hope not. I think it's better to be good to people and to be happy.
[Sad!!!]
No, we can give you more things...at least, I think so! Nobody ever said we couldn't, just that we decided to only start with those options: three for each of us. Were you hoping for something different than what you found?
...[Well...] Yeah. Maybe. Sometimes people don't really feel like they get a choice if they want something bad enough.
[But anyway.] I think it's better to be good to people, too. And protect them.
[And he spins slowly in his chair.] I don't have superpowers or anything back home, but I can pretty much create my own power. Even with what my god can offer, it's not exactly what I would consider useful. Mostly because I'm pretty sure turning into anything other than me would be a dead giveaway.
Hey, I'm indulgence. You name it I got it, and plenty of it--my stock? Unlimited. The problem here is I'm bagged with all these--
[Airquotes ahoy.]
"Conditions" to be "fair" during the contest. Tch. Like none of them are gonna tapdance through every loophole they can manage. Seriously! They're just jealous. I mean, really.
[He waves a hand in front of his masked face.]
Anyway the point is, my depends depends on your depends. So what are you aiming for? Name what you want, name what anyone can ever promise, I'll top it tenfold.
I need your assurance that no matter what happens my entire city isn't leveled and sunk to the bottom of the bay. Is your success the only way I can guarantee mine? [Well okay Hiro, thanks.]
Exactly, yeah! [He looks excited that there's a god who actually gets it.] I've made a ton of stuff, including Mini-Max, and I could maybe make that stuff here but I don't know if that counts. Does that count? [Or is it cheating?
Maybe he doesn't care...]
I kinda got that impression from him, too. Are there other gods who're like that that I should be worried about?
[She's eaten the macarons - probably. In the beauty salon, there's a little plate with a few chocolatey-looking crumbs on it, but her mask is in place so it's not like he'll be able to catch her in the act of eating it.
Yeah. Sorry about that...[He'll enter the salon, looking incredibly out of place as he shuffles over and just kind of has a seat in the nearest chair. He notices the plate though and there's a half-smile.] I sort of figured you were busy when you have a lot of us and people keep calling on you during trials.
People don't actually talk to me that often. [she sighs heavily, then reaches for a nail file and starts working on her nails] Usually only if they want a hint or something.
Wait really? [Why does he seem so genuinely surprised by that. He fidgets a little, Mini-Max crawling out of his pocket and up onto his shoulder. He gives a polite wave to Ambition, a soft "hello" echoing before he goes quiet.] ...people used to only talk to me to cheat off of my homework, so I guess I get it.
Next time I won't think you're busy then. [Hm.] ...what do you do when you aren't talking to us?
[She. Kind of side-eyes Mini-Max for a second, but... honestly? Not the weirdest thing she's ever seen. So she waves back to the robot.]
They did? You must be really smart, then.
[she would
definitely have been one of the people cheating off his homework, but she'd probably talk to him for more than that, too]
Mostly I just keep an eye on things, or spend time with the other gods. [...] What do you do when you aren't at trials? You're in the lab a lot, right?
I skipped a bunch of grades and graduated from high school last year. [Matter-of-fact, assured of himself. He doesn't seem to mind that.] But college has been a little better.
[That...sounds pretty boring for the most part, though spending time with the other gods makes sense. He has a group of friends he sticks to, so he can't fault that.] The lab's probably the only place in the temple that still makes a lot of sense to me. I'll check out the wings sometimes but I've been working on upgrades for Mini-Max and keeping busy that way.
[i.e. he's been staying out of people's way and that's probably why he's still alive.]
[He rolls his eyes.] I like that it's a challenge. And it's where all my friends are and I can get my hands on all sorts of equipment I don't get to have in my garage. What's not to like?
[He looks back at Mini-Max, eyeing his robo-friend.] I rewrote his entire personality so that he's more like the original Baymax instead of Mini-Max himself. He was originally made for a friend who's really into comic books so he was a lot louder and kind of obnoxious. [Just like Fred.] I upgraded his scanners a little, too, to look out for other people and scan for minor injuries. And he's also programmed to translate a few languages now to read some of the stuff in the study.
[As for her, not having to do school anymore is one of the best parts of being a god.
But, wait.]
You did all that? It's only been, like, a little more than a month. That's a lot. [Well, it seems like a lot to her. She doesn't know shit about robotics.]
Well....yeah. [An embarrassed shrug.] I have nothing else to really do here, and I don't really sleep that much. I have to do something to pass time. Besides, I made all of my gear at home in like a week.
I know. And...I don't know. The only thing I want out of this is my wish. The only way to get it is to stay alive and stay on the winning team. I don't really need anything else as long as I can fix what happened.
And anyway I don't know what you guys would even want with my inventions anyway. It's just science.
Well, you're on the right team for that, anyway. I'm not planning on losing this game.
[it's right there in the name - Ambition. she's not the type to get up.]
Oh, please. Don't bother being modest. We're gods, but only like, one of us is any good with robotics. Anything you can make blows half the stuff the other idiots could do out of the water.
Why do you think I switched? You seemed a lot more capable than my last god. [A shrug.]
...but thanks. [There's a semi-proud grin.] I've talked to Justice, so I kinda got that impression? But it's what I've been doing my entire life so it didn't make sense to quit just because I was here. Besides, it makes me less suspicious if I stay out of everybody's way.
[Hm.] ...I could make you something if you wanted.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
WEEK 1
The masked deity stops quickly, dragging his heels into the floor, and stammers, embarrassed.]
O-oh! Hello! Sorry...I was just, um, waiting. For you!
[Justice is really Not Great at being a Professional Leader.]
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That's helpful. His shoulders relax and he grins instead.]
Dude, don't worry about it. These chairs are pretty great for spinning. [In fact he's just going to hop into another nearby rolling chair.
Maybe be more respectful, moron.]
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It's fun--sometimes I just can't stop myself.
[Pausing, they pull out the chip that Hiro had left in the offering bowl from a sleeve.]
I got your offering--this was really nice of you. Don't you need this, though?
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I don't think so. I made a different one a few days ago and...I dunno. You seemed like you might like this sort of thing. The lab's yours, right?
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[Justice folds his fingers over the chip and tucks his hands under his legs.]
I'm not really an engineer, myself. I can do more with virtual reality than physical building...but I thought it would be a useful resource for everyone. Do you like it? If there's anything missing, I can try to fix it to your specifications.
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[…] The lab's been the most helpful place so far. So thanks. I miss my own computer because it has all of my data on it, but I can improvise and build from scratch.
[But that's curious enough.] Do you have that kind of power? Fixing stuff we ask for.
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[Of course there's no way to tell, but it sounds like Justice is smiling. The excitement in his voice is clear, at least.]
Sort of. We can only keep control over the rooms we each have dominion over, and giving items to anyone directly is supposed to be against the rules of the game unless it's in return for a favor. So I thought, since I can't do that, I can at least take suggestions from people and make alterations to the space. That way, nobody gets in trouble.
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[The chair drifts.] So you guys do give out rewards for other things. What kind of favors are we talking here? [But ah...that's..pure? Wow.] That's a pretty clever way to think around the problem. And you made a bunch of people happy. I bet a bunch of people have come by to talk to you recently.
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[Justice jolts as abruptly as the thought's put out there.]
That was just an example, I didn't mean--that you had to! But something like that or, or convincing someone else to defect from their faction to your own. Basically anything that's helpful.
WEEK 1
You know, it's really a shame that you can't capture my actual likeness. Don't get me wrong, the masked look is great and all, very Machiavelli Goes Phantom of the Opera, if you will, but underneath this intimidating facade? Now, that's a face deserving of a proper portrait.
[O...kay...]
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...how easy do you think it'll be to convince anybody to defect?
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Wouldn't it be easier if you actually showed the face under the "intimidating facade"?
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[His groove is, like, totally being stomped on, here. Ugh.]
Point is, you've got an artistic talent. And I mean, obviously, you're smart, because you picked the right God.
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I am? For real? That's awesome!
[Justice can't help the excited giggle that escapes him at the prospect.]
Um...I think it depends! Some of the others can be really mean, so I think just being nice goes a long way. But some of the competitors might not mind taking a certain amount of abuse if it means getting a specific kind of ability.
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[But he perks up a little.] I've been drafting my own designs for a while...I'm good with plans. Does that mean you've got an idea how to win?
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[Justice seems pretty okay. He's down with a child-like god, Still, that's a bitter pill to swallow.]
You think people will really put up with a god they don't like just because they like that god's powers? What would even be the point? That sounds pretty stupid.
Are those the only three powers you guys can give us?
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The numbers don't lie, baby. Sure we ain't first standing, but all it takes is a single swipe and we're pushing number one. I'm gonna win, it's only natural. Who doesn't want what I can give?
[In other words, no real plan, no.]
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[Justice pauses, shoulders sagging.]
But I hope not. I think it's better to be good to people and to be happy.
[Sad!!!]
No, we can give you more things...at least, I think so! Nobody ever said we couldn't, just that we decided to only start with those options: three for each of us. Were you hoping for something different than what you found?
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[But anyway.] I think it's better to be good to people, too. And protect them.
[And he spins slowly in his chair.] I don't have superpowers or anything back home, but I can pretty much create my own power. Even with what my god can offer, it's not exactly what I would consider useful. Mostly because I'm pretty sure turning into anything other than me would be a dead giveaway.
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[Airquotes ahoy.]
"Conditions" to be "fair" during the contest. Tch. Like none of them are gonna tapdance through every loophole they can manage. Seriously! They're just jealous. I mean, really.
[He waves a hand in front of his masked face.]
Anyway the point is, my depends depends on your depends. So what are you aiming for? Name what you want, name what anyone can ever promise, I'll top it tenfold.
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[Justice pulls his legs up onto the seat of his chair, small enough to fit in such a cramped position, and laughs.]
Indulgence is a bit out there, huh? I don't really understand him, I think he just thinks about having fun more than what constitutes as useful.
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Maybe he doesn't care...]
I kinda got that impression from him, too. Are there other gods who're like that that I should be worried about?
WEEK 5
Anyway.]
...I wondered when you were going to come see me.
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So don't go assuming I'm busy.
[that's tsun for "i'm lonely"]
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Next time I won't think you're busy then. [Hm.] ...what do you do when you aren't talking to us?
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They did? You must be really smart, then.
[she would
definitely have been one of the people cheating off his homework, but she'd probably talk to him for more than that, too]
Mostly I just keep an eye on things, or spend time with the other gods. [...] What do you do when you aren't at trials? You're in the lab a lot, right?
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[That...sounds pretty boring for the most part, though spending time with the other gods makes sense. He has a group of friends he sticks to, so he can't fault that.] The lab's probably the only place in the temple that still makes a lot of sense to me. I'll check out the wings sometimes but I've been working on upgrades for Mini-Max and keeping busy that way.
[i.e. he's been staying out of people's way and that's probably why he's still alive.]
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[nerd]
What upgrades have you made for him so far?
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[He looks back at Mini-Max, eyeing his robo-friend.] I rewrote his entire personality so that he's more like the original Baymax instead of Mini-Max himself. He was originally made for a friend who's really into comic books so he was a lot louder and kind of obnoxious. [Just like Fred.] I upgraded his scanners a little, too, to look out for other people and scan for minor injuries. And he's also programmed to translate a few languages now to read some of the stuff in the study.
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[As for her, not having to do school anymore is one of the best parts of being a god.
But, wait.]
You did all that? It's only been, like, a little more than a month. That's a lot. [Well, it seems like a lot to her. She doesn't know shit about robotics.]
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You could, like, totally bribe me and the rest of the gods with your inventions, you know? Why haven't you?
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I know. And...I don't know. The only thing I want out of this is my wish. The only way to get it is to stay alive and stay on the winning team. I don't really need anything else as long as I can fix what happened.
And anyway I don't know what you guys would even want with my inventions anyway. It's just science.
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[it's right there in the name - Ambition. she's not the type to get up.]
Oh, please. Don't bother being modest. We're gods, but only like, one of us is any good with robotics. Anything you can make blows half the stuff the other idiots could do out of the water.
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...but thanks. [There's a semi-proud grin.] I've talked to Justice, so I kinda got that impression? But it's what I've been doing my entire life so it didn't make sense to quit just because I was here. Besides, it makes me less suspicious if I stay out of everybody's way.
[Hm.] ...I could make you something if you wanted.
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[i'm not actually sure how indulgence and ambition started hating each other so much but that's a thing now, i guess]
...what would you make?