GODLY AUDIENCES: RAY

[divus]

Comments

[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?

[divus]

You're not stupid, but can you maybe treat me like I'm not either just for right now? Lately when we've talked you're a little more relaxed and less business and combative.

[And something changed.]

[selfimmolates]

I've just decided to focus. That's all.

[divus]

I understand that, but...your focus can be on multiple things, can't it?

[selfimmolates]

I was brought here for only one thing, though.

[divus]

...so you want to go back to only focusing on that. [Ugh.]

You get why I don't think that's a great idea, don't you?

[selfimmolates]

Considering what you're like, I expected it.

[divus]

I can't force you to do anything. [So there's that.] I can wish that things were different, I can be mad at people, and I can try to help, but I can't force you to change your mind.

I can support you from here...but...[There's a pause.] I still want you to be honest with me. And I'll be honest with you. Think it's possible to ban lies of omission between us while I'm not wearing a mask?

[selfimmolates]

[...]

Did Senri put you up to this?

[divus]

No, I'm actually still kind of pissed at him.

[selfimmolates]

For what?

[divus]

What the hell do you think? [She's very defensive of this 12 year old and Senri broke him??? That's not cool.]

[selfimmolates]

[rise please

ray sighs.]

If it's what I think it is, there's no reason to be mad. He played smart and I didn't. That's what it comes down to.

[divus]

You don't get to tell me what I can be mad about. [Grumbling.]

...it's just not fair. It has nothing to do with that, and that line of thinking is actually why I don't know if I can trust him myself. [...] He came looking for you, by the way. He wanted to know if I'd heard from you since the trial.

[selfimmolates]

I figured. Let me guess: he came to you whining, "Do you know why Ray-kun's mad at me?"

[divus]

Something like that. He's worried about you, but I'm also pretty sure he doesn't get it, yeah.

...so why haven't you told him?

[selfimmolates]

I'm not mad at him, for starters.

[divus]

...are you mad at yourself then? [Look she can only make so many guesses, this is just the fastest route.]

[selfimmolates]

[i can't believe senri spent about 100 comments pondering this and is still pondering while rise guessed it in like three tags

which is to say that ray's eyes widen, just a tad—and he remains quiet.]

[divus]

[That's because Senri's a fucking fool and Rise's also generally a little more intuitive. Which is to say that without the mask it's easier to see that her expression softens just a little. Ray's prickly and also sometimes more mature than herself, but this is still hard.]

Can I ask why?

[selfimmolates]

[he remains silent for a while, before he speaks. he keeps his expression neutral.]

The whole "making allies through being open and honest" thing was never my specialty. It was Emma's. Using others and being used, playing mind games—that's what I'm better at.

[they balance each other out. compensate for each other's weaknesses.]

... She's not here, though, so I thought I'd give it a try in her stead. [only to have it backfire, and in his single greatest leap of faith in this game, no less.] That was a mistake, and I should've known it'd be. I'm not nearly as suited for it as she is.