GODLY AUDIENCES - TAKAOMI SHISHIMARU

[divus]

Comments

Week 1 Sunday I think

[divus]

[Taka enters the game room and will find Merriment waiting for him, seated on a billiard table. They're leaving forward and waiting, legs dangling down and still barefoot as normal, but there's a solemn air to them.]

Don't worry too much about offerings next time. [Theyll show up for Taka whenever he prays, it seems.]

[bakaomi]

It kind of feels like I'm stiffing you on a bill...

[ but he'll nod nonetheless. ]

[divus]

[The figure shrugs.] The acknowledgement is sort of the bigger picture.

...how are things? [You know. After the trial.]

[bakaomi]

... I know we technically figured it out but it still doesn't feel like we accomplished anything.

[ mostly since they were still really just guessing til the end there and could have very easily been wrong. ]

[divus]

Because multiple people are dying? Or something else? [Talk to them, detective.]

[bakaomi]

Both, but... on that first point, would someone be able to bypass that by making a good enough offer to a god?

[divus]

...technically yeah, I think so. There's time for you to make your case, especially if you're wrongly accused. It's up to the god in question who they choose to keep and who they decide to sacrifice.

[Merriment folds their hands behind their neck, staring at the ceiling for a moment.] It's why it's usually a good idea to appeal yourself to the gods.

[...does Merriment not think of themselves as a god? Who knows.]

[bakaomi]

So the better relationship you have to them, the more likely they are to keep you.

[ taka is too rude for this. ]

[divus]

Not just the gods, other people, too. Nothing says someone can't go to their patron god and offer you as a trade for something else.

[It's! A bad! System!]

...I'm not gonna tell you you have to get along with everybody. I didn't get along with a lot of people before this either. But I want to look after you and prepare you for whatever's coming next.

[bakaomi]

... being an asshole will probably make people less hesitant to kill me, right?

[ senri has been very insistent on that. ]

[divus]

Right. And it means they'll be less hesitant to leave you behind. [A beat. ] Learning to work with other people is going to be your greatest strength, but it comes with its own risks, too.

[bakaomi]

Mmhm. Whatever you tell someone could easily be spread around. Or it can be used against you.

[ for someone who already has issues with trusting people and hating goddamn liars, taka is having a great time!!! ]

[divus]

Exactly. [Look, Merriment is definitely on the same page here and it sucks.]

...I'll be honest with you, kid, I'm not great at peptalks. But I can give you advice and watch your back if you stick with me. It's my job. It's a hard line to figure out, but if you work with people, you'll figure out who'll stick around even if you mess things up.

[bakaomi]

...

I am pretty sure that yakuza guy wants to beat me up and leave my body behind a dumpster...?

[divus]

[There's a snort and Merriment shakes their head.]

Well I'd like to see him try to get through me first. [They'll interfere if they can? Excuse.]

...you've gotta pick your fights better. I'm not so sure he's worth it.

[bakaomi]

... it's a reflex.

[ even when taka is nice it's like

layered through tsun. ]

[divus]

So that explains the fights with Senri, too?

[Sorry your god's been watching you.]

[bakaomi]

[ oh

motherfucker ]

-- that's completely different!

[divus]

[Merriment just. Bursts out laughing.

I'm sorry, that's it, that's the tag. They think it's hilarious (and also maybe not so true.)]

[bakaomi]

-- oi! It's not funny!

[ it's very funny

taka's just tsun ]

[divus]

It's sort of funny. If you fight with him all the time, why do you stick with him?

[bakaomi]

... we're partners.

[ although even as he says this, he knows how weak the argument is. they're partners back home, not here. ]

[divus]

Well that's a good answer for normally, but what's the reason now? I don't know if I'd stick around with people from my old life if they were here. [Even as it's said though, there's a touch of something uncertain.]/small>

[bakaomi]

... mm.

[ he wants to question merriment more on that last bit, but he has a feeling he has to answer first. ]

He'd probably break down if he had to be a fake asshole the entire time here. He doesn't have to try that with me.

[divus]

[Hm.] Aren't you the one who said you're not really into people that aren't truthful? [Interesting.] Sounds exhausting for both of you.

[Though it makes Merriment wonder about Takaomi himself.] ...wonder if you could inspire that kind of thing in other people.