GODLY AUDIENCES: RAY

[divus]

Comments

[selfimmolates]

... If anything happens to me this week, I want you to pass on a few messages.

[between being a little too helpful last week and his all nighter status, he's aware of how likely it is.

... even with that, though, he thinks he doesn't regret turning down people's help.]

[divus]

[Jan I really hate you. But anyway, she pauses long enough, smile dropping off of her face into something more serious.]

...I understand. It's...smart of you to make preparations. And in the end when it turns out you won't need them, it won't matter too much.

[She's trying to be optimistic that Ray will be alright but uh. She has the same conclusion he does, and it's also a large part of her unsettled mood.]

[selfimmolates]

[love you too]

... Tell your followers, "Good luck. If you need my tools, they're probably with Senri. Zoe's matches are with the other All Nighters."

[but mainly he means the gossip cookies.

...]

And tell Senri...

[this is the hardest part.]

"It's not your or the others' fault. I made my choices knowing what the consequences could be."

[they're not to blame for not protecting him. (and so many people have offered; it's startling, to him.) not when he's never wanted it.]

[divus]

...okay. [That sounds so final, and that's scary.]

I promise. If something happens, I'll talk to them on Friday.

[selfimmolates]

Thanks. [...] That's the main thing I wanted.

[divus]

Okay. [...]

...I want to ask a favor. I'll give you whatever you want that I can, but favor first.

[selfimmolates]

... What is it?

[divus]

If you're not busy right now, stay with me for a while. Like an hour? Maybe two.

[If Ray somehow does die tomorrow's she's not dumb enough to not realize this would be the last time she sees him until the end of the competition anyway.]

[selfimmolates]

[HEY WHAT THE HELL I'M SAD NOW]

... Sure. I can do that.

[divus]

[Suffer.]

Thanks. [She perks up a little at that, actually taking a cookie from the plate to take a bite as she pushes the plate toward Ray.] I know this place doesn't look like much and maybe it's not as fun as Indulgence's wing, but it's still really important to me. I used to live here. [...] Like the town, but also in this shop.

[selfimmolates]

Indulgence's wing is stupid.

[ray is also maybe a tad salty.]

... You worked in a tofu shop? You left that off your list of occupations.

[divus]

[She knew she could count on Ray, but she holds back her laughter anyway.] It's fun. Sometimes people just wanna let loose and dance. Nothing wrong with that.

[But she nods and gestures to a door toward the back that leads elsewhere.] When I took my hiatus, I moved to Inaba to live with my grandma. This is her shop. She usually handled everything, but I helped her when she needed me to.

[selfimmolates]

Isn't that what your dance studio is for? Honestly...

[he looks around at the shop.]

... Nice change of pace?

[divus]

You'd think. But there's a reason I'm hosting with him instead of somebody else.

[There's a thoughtful hum as she finishes the cookie in her hand.] ...I forgot how peaceful this place is when things aren't going on. Inaba's always been a quiet place though. Maybe I just forgot how much I was really leaving behind once I ascended.

[selfimmolates]

You still haven't explained what the hell is with this whole "ascension to godhood" thing.

[divus]

It's exactly what it sounds like. I don't remember a lot of it, but...it's kind of like how you guys got here? We were just called to ascend by some weird cosmic force or something, and when we accepted we became gods, got our new names and our new powers. A lot of us ascended right after something really important happened in our mortal lives, but some of us just happened to be called early.

There's no, like, supreme overlord or anything watching over the pantheon. But we could have said no if we wanted to.

[selfimmolates]

That...

[he pauses.]

That sounds weird as hell, actually.

[divus]

Yeah, well. Maybe I'm used to weird? At first I thought it was because of my Persona having some weird spiritual connection thing, but then the others showed up and that didn't make sense anymore. [She can acknowledge that much.]

We've been kind of trying to figure it out, too. But I think we've all accepted it pretty well.

[selfimmolates]

I'm guessing you can't just undo the godhood, so no choice but to get used to it, huh?

[divus]

Unless there's something nobody's told me, no.

...some of us think about it sometimes. If we made the right choice saying yes. I was pretty sure I had until Yu-senpai showed up, but even now I still think so. And godhood isn't so bad.

I just have to make sure I'm still winning so that everyone's wishes come true.

[selfimmolates]

You've got tough competition in the form of Ambition, looks like.

... Which reminds me: Senri said something about the winning god being able to grant minor wishes even for their non-followers?

[divus]

That's because she has a power that lets her cheat. [Oh look who's still mad about Advancement Opportunity.]

But that's right! It's an option I'm hoping the winning god will actually allow. It'll depend who that is. It doesn't make sense not to try when all of you have been working really hard here.

[selfimmolates]

Yeah, and I hate it.

[...]

I figured you'd be all for it. I'm guessing Ambition might be less keen on it?

[divus]

Knowing her it's going to depend on if she thinks people have earned it. Disorder might not be for it either, or Indulgence.

...of the gods I have good enough relationships with, I can be confident in saying Beauty, Piety, Sincerity, Merriment, Justice and myself would be all for it. I feel like Disorder and Indulgence might be leaning toward no, depending, same with Ambition, and I never know how Cunning feels about anything.

...Fortune would have been for it, I think. Ruin obviously not.

[selfimmolates]

... This is pretty much what I expected from all of you, yeah. Nice to know you're all at least a little predictable.