GODLY AUDIENCES: LUKE FON FABRE

[divus]

Comments

[dupelicate]

[branch out, huh...?]

You're a god, right? Can't you just... know who we talk to?

[he looks around the parlor, his discomfort starting to wane in degrees, and nods.]

Thank you. I'm fine, though—no complaints.

[divus]

Well, no. [They sound thoughtful in that regard.] We can know who you've spoken to among the participants, sure, but not amongst ourselves. It's part of our rules. And even with that I find it rather rude to make assumptions.

But I'm relieved to hear that. It lifts the heaviness of my heart to know that you'll be alright with these accommodations. [...they're also serious about this too.]

[dupelicate]

Oh. [huh. It made sense, he guessed.]

I mean, I do kind of have a question.

Why do the East and West Wings keep changing? Is that you, or someone else?

[divus]

Oh, no, that's us! [They perk up then.] Depending on which of us is hosting that week, we're in charge of designing those wings. So you'll see new places and learn more about us each week. Clever, no?

[dupelicate]

[Hmmm]

So each week the wings are built to look like... the place the gods were from, before they were gods? [Piety had mentioned leaving friends behind, after all.] Or just... whatever makes them happy?

And does that mean that last week was Patience's area, and this week is Merriment and Justice's?

[divus]

Either or. Each wing is designed as a god sees fit whether that's memories or their ideal locations. It's our way of hosting you and allowing you to get to know us and try to win numbers to our side.

But you're correct. And whomever is hosting next week will have their own areas, too.

[dupelicate]

They're all... pretty different. I guess I would've thought you'd all be from the same place.

[he still isn't eating or drinking anything—just sitting here quizzing Beauty instead.]

[divus]

[It's unfortunate that Beauty likes talking...]

Oh, no. Actually we didn't know each other before the ascension. We've only recently started to get to know one another and work as a pantheon.

[dupelicate]

None of you knew each other?

...No wonder you're having a hard time getting along. It can be pretty rough to start with.

[LOCAL SEVEN-YEAR-OLD DISPENSES WISDOM TO A GOD LIKE HE KNOWS SHIT]

So, where are you from, then?

[divus]

So I've heard. None of us are entirely sure how we came to be as a pantheon, but we are. Some of us are friendlier with each other than others though.

[THANKS LUKE. APPRECIATE IT.]

As for myself, I'm originally from France.

[dupelicate]

France?

[searching memory...]

That's a country! [WELL DONE] It's in the same place as Japan, right? [DOUBLE MEMORY!]

[divus]

That's right, Earth. [No, Luke's adorable...] I lived in Japan as well. I suppose you've spoken to others here who have, too?

[dupelicate]

Earth? [He hasn't heard that one, before. But considering its usage, it's probably...] Is that the planet's name?

Yeah, I met a couple people. Seems nice. [probably.]

[divus]

Yes. No one's told you about it? [And better question.] Fabre-kun, where exactly are you from?

[dupelicate]

Not really. Just their country's names.

Me? I'm from Auldrant—that's the planet. And Kimlasca-Lanvaldear, if you're asking for the country.

[divus]

I've never heard of either of those. [Luke's an alien...] What was the country like? Were you happy there?

[dupelicate]

Uh.

[Yikes.

Still...]

Yeah. Yeah, I was. It's a nice place.

[divus]

I'm interested in learning about the worlds of the participants to help shape the creation of the new world, you see. If I take the best parts of the world, perhaps it will be more accommodating for those who will inhabit it.

[dupelicate]

That sounds nice in theory... but, don't you think that people like their worlds because of the good and the bad?

[out of nowhere, apparently, luke has Opinions on this.]

You can't really be happy if you've never known what it's like to be sad sometimes.

[divus]

To counter that, don't you suppose there are varying levels of good and bad and that's what creates the ideas of good and bad?

There's a difference between knowing sadness, and in living in misery.

[dupelicate]

Oh, yeah. [agreed]

But I don't know if all the good parts of different places would make one good world. Some of those places would have to become kind of the less-good places, wouldn't they?

[divus]

I never really thought of it that way, no. But good and bad are subjective in their own way. [...] In the end, I want to strive for a world where life expectations can be changed based on your own wants and desires.

[dupelicate]

[hmm]

...What if someone's wants and desires hurt someone else's wants and desires?

[divus]

In theory, people would be able to come to a compromise. But I'm still in the progress of figuring out a diplomatic approach for such scenarios.

[dupelicate]

Hey, you know who could help with that? Piety!