GODLY AUDIENCES - TAKAOMI SHISHIMARU

[divus]

Comments

[bakaomi]

Let's get the obvious out of the way.

What kind of world do you want?

[divus]

A world where gods won't play games with people's lives.

[a beat.]

...I know that's a little ironic, given everything that's happening right now.

[bakaomi]

[ just a tad ]

Patience decided not to participate. Why couldn't the rest of you?

[divus]

Because there were some people who were way too eager to participate. If enough of us abstained like Patience, that would make it a lot easier for someone really unpleasant to win.

[do you want ruin to win by default, taka. do you.]

[bakaomi]

Ruin?

[ you can namedrop, fortune, it's fine ]

[divus]

Yes.

[y e p. fortune sounds tired.]

[bakaomi]

Your reunions must be fun.

[divus]

Not very...

[Fortune sighs wearily.]

[bakaomi]

... question.

If you don't win, who would you want to win instead?

[divus]

[Fortune is quiet for a few long moments.]

...I think... probably Piety.

[bakaomi]

... hm. You're the second one to tell me that.

[ god is piety really the single braincell ]

[divus]

[Fortune giggles.]

That doesn't surprise me.

[bakaomi]

[ i can't believe fortune and piety are the same person ]

It's a little surprising, from what I saw at trial.

[ piety seemed like a wimp tbh ]

[divus]

Piety cares a lot about other people. He can be sort of... passive, sometimes, which is why I think I should win, but there are worse people to have in charge.

[like ruin.]

[bakaomi]

[ everyone is so rude about ruin ]

... hm. Who even came up with the idea to do this?

[divus]

...well... Piety.

[A beat.]

It was his idea to have a third party decide, since we couldn't get along. The others are the one who twisted it into... this.

[bakaomi]

That must have been fun for him.

[ if he's so nice then taka wonders if he feels bad about it then. ]

[divus]

I think he was really upset by it...

[Fortune sighs.]

I would have been too, if I were him.

[bakaomi]

You guys aren't going to like... demand a redo after this or anything, right?

[divus]

Definitely not. This is the only time something will happen.

[She says this firmly.]

We all swore an oath... and divine oaths are binding.

[bakaomi]

Does something happen if you try to break it? Or can you not even attempt it?

[divus]

We can't even do it. Have you had anyone suddenly stop talking to you yet? That's the oath catching our words for us.

[Fortune shrugs.]

It would be like that. Whoever the winner is here, that decision is final. We won't be able to change it.

[bakaomi]

... how were you guys even brought together anyway?

You didn't know each other before you were gods, right?

[divus]

We didn't know each other.

[Fortune can confirm that much, at least; but... as for the other thing, she doesn't seem to be able to speak.

After a few moments of trying, she sighs.]

...sorry. I'm not allowed to say yet.

[bakaomi]

Figures. When I asked Merriment how long you guys were gods, he couldn't say either. Just that it wasn't as long as we might think.

[ and after spending time with them all, taka can definitely see that. ]