GODLY AUDIENCES: RAY

[divus]

Comments

[selfimmolates]

At least one. Maybe two, unless that rice ball was supposed to be his way of repaying one of 'em...

[divus]

A rice ball hardly counts as repayment. Okay, so let's say you have two favors. Like I said, it's best to hold onto that last one for an alignment switch when we need it most. But...what sort of information do you think you're missing in this game?

[She could suggest that Ray hires Sasuke as a hitman, but let's not do that.]

[selfimmolates]

I'm concerned about Patience, but I don't think Sasuke would fare any better there than me.

[...]

What's going on behind the scenes... for all of the concern behind Ruin, Disorder, Ambition, and Cunning, none of them have really made a move—not of the lethal sort, anyway. I don't know if it's because they're playing it safe, or if they're biding their time and making moves behind the scenes.

But if it's info I ask for, I have to be careful. It opens up a window for Sasuke to try and dig at me in return.

[divus]

Have you tried contacting her? Patience, I mean. I don't know if she could be reached, but you're talking to the rest of us anyway.

[But there's a sigh as Love props her head up with her fist.] Disorder's hosting this week, right? She's probably playing it safe, but she actually made something pretty cool with her wing. Cunning no doubt's biding his time and that's why the guys who broke into his room aren't already smote. And Ruin and Ambition...they're sort of on two different levels, you know?

You think Sasuke would demand a favor in return for owning up a favor he owes you?

[selfimmolates]

I sent her an offering and a letter. Haven't heard back.

I don't think he'd demand one, per se, but I doubt he wouldn't ask anything, and I'm not in the mood to deflect his questions.

[dealing with senri is already tiring enough.]

[divus]

[There's some annoyed grumbling...]

Okay, okay, fair enough. [...] I know I just said we should save asking him to switch alignments for the end, but you've been talking to all of us. Is there anybody you think he should switch to that might be useful to us?

[It's still an information game, but there's also powers to consider.]

[selfimmolates]

That's the thing I've been considering. The basis of our original deal was that he would give me any power I want, so if I ask him to switch, he'll expect that kind of reasoning.

Beauty and Justice have a few useful abilities. Piety too, but I don't think he likes Piety much... There's also Cunning's Art of Deduction. Of course, the issue for most of the powers I'm thinking of is that I'll need to come up with a specific use—such as a command, if I want him to take Eye of the Beholder—or, for something like Art of Deduction, that I'll be using him to benefit the group as a whole, rather than myself.

[divus]

No offense to Sasuke but I also wouldn't trust him with Piety. [Leave the braincell alone??] Do you think your goals are so different than everybody else's by now? We're halfway through the game. People are more likely to start aligning themselves with each other than you think.

[Besides...she frowns.] We've seen how effective Eye of the Beholder is though. Art of Deduction hasn't come into play yet, I think.

[selfimmolates]

I don't operate on the assumption that everyone conveniently wants the same thing as I do.

[after the events of the last week, he's decided that his attempt at open and honest relationships is over, because he apparently can't do it right to begin with. senri broke the 12-year-old.]

None of Cunning's followers picked it, it looks like—unless they have reason to want the killers to walk free, in which case they're doing a crappy job of it anyway.

[divus]

[And this is why Love sure did yell at Senri a few days ago. It's pretty clear that Love's not too satisfied with that answer, but.]

Have you asked lately? Things change. [But regarding Cunning...] Okay here's the thing. We know when powers are used and we know who you guys are aligned with. We obviously just can't say...but if you were aligned with someone named "Cunning" would you pick something like that instead of what else he has to offer?

[selfimmolates]

[love did what]

No. Which, again, is why I likely wouldn't use Sasuke for that at any rate.

[divus]

[It's fine don't worry about it.]

...Ray, why don't you tell me what you would actually use Uchiha-san for. Maybe that'll be easier to brainstorm.

[selfimmolates]

To win this competition, of course. However, there are are three conditions that have to be met.

First, for you to be the winning god, assuming I'm still following you. Second, for me to ideally still be alive at the end, to deal with any last-minute developments. Third, for nothing to go off the rails like Patience suddenly showing up and changing the entire thing.

What complicates things is that at least one of those doesn't align with Sasuke's goals, if any of them at all.

[divus]

I'm gonna guess that me winning isn't on Uchiha-san's agenda, considering. [Considering Itachi did a Bad.] You could just strike a deal with him that he's going to protect you from a mortal blow, and then he makes a deal with one of us to protect himself. That's just one loophole.

[selfimmolates]

I don't know if he feels like he owes me that much.

[also jan refuses]

[divus]

Has he said who he wants to win...?

[selfimmolates]

Justice, because he's still young and innocent or whatever. If he can't have that, I'm pretty sure he'd rather have you all dead.

[divus]

Has anybody told him that's a really bad idea? Or at least a really stupid one?

[selfimmolates]

Well, I told Takaomi. Maybe he told Senri, who'd probably tell him that.

But it ain't going to be me at this stage. Our "alliance" goes more smoothly if he thinks I'm of a like mind.

[divus]

I'd trust Shishimaru-san more than Nito-san at this rate for something delicate like that...

[She likes Senri just fine, but my god.] Sometimes the way you think is a little scary. What happens if he ever finds out that you aren't of a like mind? Did you think of a plan for that?

[selfimmolates]

Well, I haven't been actually lying to him. I just don't outwardly disagree.

In any case, I've been helping him because of potential situations like that. As long as I'm still useful to him, he has a reason not to kill me right away. If that ever changes, then I'll kill him myself.

[divus]

Lies of omission are still lies, you know.

But can you like. Not kill him? Or anybody? We talked about this. [Ray...] You're probably one of the smartest people we have in this game, so I don't see him devaluing that anytime soon.

[selfimmolates]

In that case, I'm not ashamed to admit I lie all the time.

[he shrugs.]

I don't carry these weapons for show. If something—or someone—threatens me, I'll deal with it in whichever manner is most effective.

[divus]

[...there's a pause.]

Okay. What's going on with you? [Zero judgment, but it's a question she's wanted to ask for a while.]

[selfimmolates]

What do you mean?