divus | GODLY AUDIENCES: LUKE FON FABRE

[He raises his shoulder, and drops them on the exhale, suddenly inspecting the floor.]

...I just have to hope the gods get to come back, too.

[and not think about how she died.]

What about you guys? None of you must be very happy, either.

It's like Disorder said... someone has to do their jobs.

[Still, Ambition seems a little fidgety.]

I think we were all more upset last week. None of us really got along with Ruin. [she huffs.] She was a violent maniac, so like... we really all are better off without her.

I'm just glad you caught the person who did it. They won't be going after anyone else now.

I never really talked with Ruin—I just heard a lot of rumors. [enough that he never felt bad about not talking to her.] Still... no one deserves that, no matter what they think. [this, he says with a lot more confidence and heart. he really believes it.]

I wish we could've found the other... actors too. Whoever they are. I don't know if we're out of the woods yet.

If it helps, I'm pretty sure she was dead before the monsters got to her.

[it probably doesn't help.]

We're not going to be out of the woods until this is over. Even ignoring Fortune and Ruin's killer, there have still been people killing you guys every week. What re you going to do about it?

[his expressions says that it clearly doesn't. still, the attempt at comfort is noted, and appreciated nonetheless. Ambition really is okay.]

What am I going to do about it? [he sighs, leaning against the door a little more, resisting the attempt to slide down it in despair.] I don't know. I mean—look at what everyone else has tried already! [Yu, Ray, Ishikirimaru...]

If there was something only I could do, to stop all of this? I'd do it in a second.

Hey.

[She takes one hand off her hip and moves forward to reach out in an attempt to tilt his chin up.]

Stop looking so sad, it doesn't suit you.

[it works—caught off-guard, his chin tilts up, rising effortlessly with Ambition's finger.]

--Uh.

[blush rising to his cheeks, Luke's mind blanks, save for one thought:

Ambition was a girl.]

S-Sorry...

...

[DROPS HIS CHIN LIKE A HOT COAL AT THE LOOK ON HIS FACE TBH]

Someone I admire once told me that nobody's useless. So, like, use your brain a little. You can figure out something that only you can do.

[without the expressive keys, he misses Ambition's reaction, caught instead on her statement, color still highlighting his cheeks.]

...Something only I can do.

[...]

...There was a couple things like that, back on my own planet, but... they were all based on who I was—or maybe, who, and what I was made from. I'm not sure I have anything like that, here. [there was no call, for example, for the neutralization of all miasma through self-sacrifice, or the saving of the world through self-sacrifice...]

I'm just me.

[she is not any good at pep talks. she's going to try anyway. why are you making her give a pep talk? you're killing her, luke.]

Okay, fine, you have no self-confidence. Whatever. But do you really think we'd have asked you to come here if there really wasn't anything that you could do?

Have some faith in us if you're not capable of having faith in yourself.

[she's the worst.]

[weirdly, it's conversely... super-encouraging. nostalgic, even. somehow, there was nothing quite like being backhandedly told you were worth something. it was usually more reliably true than the straight-faced statements.]

...Thanks, Ambition.

[and he means it.]

So, any tips on where I can start? If I'm going to be useful, I mean.

[WHY IS HE THANKING HER

NO

she probably looks really surprised behind her mask, but it's not like Luke can tell, since it's covering her face]

The way you've been using your power hasn't been bad at all. [...] Except for the part where you got me when I wasn't expecting it. You're giving us a chance to say things that normally only our hosts would be able to say.

[and to ask questions of the suspects that they normally wouldn't be able to ask]

Who else would have even thought to do it during a trial, even? They'd probably just do it in private.

Yeah, I-I'll try not to do that twice...

[still, it's a surprise to hear he's been doing okay—after all, he was no Ray.]

...I guess that really is something only I could do. [hah] Especially now. Still, I wish Ion'd get a few more followers...

[his head jerks back to Ambition, keenly aware that that could be insulting, and he holds up his hands in defense.]

N-No offense!

It wouldn't be so bad if he did. Love has a few to spare...

[yOU ARE IN THE LEAD RIGHT NOW, AMBITION.]

Ha, we'll take 'em!

But, well... even if he doesn't, I'll stay by him as long as I possibly can. The only way to Ion'll be through me!

[in this case, quite literally]

Ugh, that's the cheesiest thing I've heard all day.

[

it's pretty heroic-sounding, though.]

Hah hah, I guess I can get a little cheesy sometimes... but I mean it.

[his voice softens considerably, both in volume and emotion.]

I... just don't want anything else to happen to him. I want to protect him, really protect him.

Even if it means being his only follower?

[She... sounds a little confused.]

If he doesn't win, you don't get your wish, you know?

Yeah. I know.

[...]

...What does it mean to get a wish, if the price is something you value more than anything else?

Is it worth it?

You're the only one who can decide if it's worth it.

[it's his price to pay and his choice to make]

What do you want? Like, more than anything else?

[he closes his eyes, letting his breath slip out slowly. thoughtfully.]

...To...

...To keep my promises.

[it was the simplest way to put it.]

Will you be able to keep your promises if Piety doesn't win?

[...]

I don't know. [and that's the truth.]

I don't know where I stand right now. If I'm dead, or alive. If I convinced Lorelei, or not.

[he exhales, trying to breath out some of his own tension at admitting to it out loud again.]

But I know where I am, here and now—and I'm not going to give up on Ion.

...

Yeah, I have no idea what that means.

[Like yeah there's basically a divine infodump about all of the participants, but lol, implying Ambition was paying attention...]

But I get it. You're really loyal to him. [...] He might be one of the luckiest gods here.

[he exhales out his nose, a sharp laugh of air.]

Maybe. Or unluckiest, since I can't say anything to bring in new followers...

...Still, I guess I'm not that mad about it. I don't think Ion is, either. After all... he probably sees all of you as his dear friends.

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