GODLY AUDIENCES: RAY

[divus]

Comments

[selfimmolates]

... Well, good to know. [though...] Did she have Strung Red?

[divus]

Does that part matter? I can at least tell you she never used her power either way.

[selfimmolates]

[he smiles.]

... No, that's all the answer I needed. Thanks.

[divus]

Waaaiiit a minute. [Just give her a second to squint.] Are you planning something? Or are you guys comparing notes for when people can come back?

[selfimmolates]

Nope. Just trying to guess who's lying about not having Strung Red Zoe and Connor—or, alternatively, if Zoe herself is lying.

[divus]

[She makes a face.] Why would Zoe lie about something like that? I thought the point of the meeting was to get everybody on the same page.

[selfimmolates]

[he shrugs.]

Someone's being dishonest, so might as well figure out who.

[divus]

Ugh. Not cool...what'd the others have to say?

[Like. She kind of knows, but also.]

[selfimmolates]

Sieg and Nonon are the ones who claimed to have Strung Red and both claimed they didn't do it. Unless he's covering for Nonon, Yu almost definitely has Hopelessly Devoted. Then, there's always the option that Zoe is lying about having Hopelessly Devoted and Strung Red herself, but that'd be really stupid.

There's the possibility that another ability is involved as well. If it weren't for the fact that Fortune had no followers, I might've guessed Wheel of Fortune.

[divus]

[A slow nod. All of that seems to track of what she knows of her followers, at least.]

Would you be mad if somebody was lying?

[selfimmolates]

Not really. It's a pretty minor lie.

The important thing to me is why they're lying, since that'll determine how to proceed from there.

[divus]

That's the part I'm not getting either. If I speak to them this week, I'll see what I can find out. That's not going to help you guys work together.

[...] Can I ask you something?

[selfimmolates]

I'm starting to get really tired of hearing that phrase, but yeah, go ahead.

[divus]

Fine, next time I'll just ask. [Jeez.]

Why Indulgence?

[selfimmolates]

Because he might give me a reward for defecting to him, and to see if I can get any more out of him while I'm stuck in this position.

[divus]

Thank god. [She looks a little baffled suddenly by her own words. Can they say that as gods? She shakes her head.] I was hoping it was something like that.

[selfimmolates]

... Did you think I was charmed by his personality or something?

[trying very hard not to break any rules here.]

[divus]

Well no, I just wanted to make sure he wasn't using you somehow. He's not the worst possibility.

[selfimmolates]

Pretty much my reasoning. He's not someone I want to see win, but I'm not particularly nervous about being aligned with him for now.

[divus]

There's two of you right now. And if you switch back, somebody's inevitably gonna switch to him to try and balance the numbers again. I'm not too worried.

[selfimmolates]

Well, it'd suck for him if his last follower switched next week too, leaving him with zero. But I don't think that'll stop me.

[rip indulgence]

[divus]

It was a nice effort. Trying to make sure all of us had at least one follower? But it still didn't work out for Ruin...and I wonder if it'll work out perfectly any other time anyway.

[selfimmolates]

I wasn't really expecting anyone to try and save Ruin, so this result doesn't surprise me.

[divus]

Between you and me? I'm not that sad.

[selfimmolates]

[him when blackfire died]

Huh. I didn't think you'd admit it.