GODLY AUDIENCES - TAKAOMI SHISHIMARU

[divus]

Comments

[divus]

Nope. [It's said with enough conviction it's probably true.]

..what's really gonna affect you is how visible you are in this contest. The more visible you are, and the more people believe in you, the more likely you'll be fine. It's the people who get forgotten and aren't seen that disappear.

If that's what you're worried about? That's what I suggest.

[bakaomi]

[ disappear... ]

Do you mean, they get kicked out of the competition?

[divus]

[There's a shake of their head.]

I don't think you guys have to worry about that. You'll be able to return where you came from if things don't change. [This isn't vague at all. Their hand returns to the game board, moving the pieces around like it's a game of chess.]

But isn't being alive still better than being dead?

[bakaomi]

I definitely plan on being alive for as long as I can.

[ this will be funny later. ]

How do you guys decide which gods we choose from?

[divus]

[Francy I hate you.]

Um...let's just say we've been competing with each other for a lot longer than you guys know. There were a lot of you we wanted for ourselves, so the only way we were going to agree on anything was by drawing straws...not my suggestion though. That was another god's idea.

[bakaomi]

[ DRAWING STRAWS..........,,,,, ]

... aha. Good to know even gods don't have their shit together.

[divus]

[There's a chuckle because YEAH. YEEEEAH.]

We're working on it. Mostly. [A fingertip knocks over a game piece. At this rate Taka actually gave a pretty good offering because it keeps Merriment busy.] This goes back to my point about your school. You're all working for the same prize, but are all of you using the same methods?

[bakaomi]

No. We all have different skill sets.

[ taka gets a good chunk of points in his favor just from being at the top of his class, but there's plenty of morons who are doing well. ]

[divus]

Think of us the same way. [Whether that means they all have different skillsets or some of the gods are morons is up for interpretation.] We all want the same thing, but some of us are going to play the game differently based on what we're good at. Some are going to be angrier than others if they lose.

[A languid shrug.] But right now? It's anyone's game.

[bakaomi]

[ he pokes at one of the pieces. ]

Would you be angry if you lost?

[divus]

[There's a pause.]

I've been alone for a very long time. If losing meant that the winner can be one of the others who'll make the world better, then can't say I'd be too mad, no.

[Despite that, they can't quite keep the almost-lonely tone out of their voice.]

[bakaomi]

[ oh...... emotions

taka is bad at this. ]

Can't you make the world better?

[divus]

[Hm. It's fine, Merriment is also bad at this and immediately pushes that subject away.]

What would you call better? [They're genuinely curious and also avoiding the question for a minute.]

[bakaomi]

... I don't know. I don't think about that kind of stuff.

[ he's not sure if his definition really matches with other people's ]

But wouldn't a god see things differently than I do? I'm a normal kid.

[divus]

[SHRUG.]

I haven't been a god that long. I have ideas but that doesn't mean they're going to be what's best. [How to explain this...] A better world would be a world where people can protect what matters most without fail.

[bakaomi]

What if what matters most to people contradicts each other?

[ some people are nice but

others are not ]

[divus]

[Some people suck, this is true, and Merriment seems to acknowledge that with a brief hum.]

Some people want a world where everyone will live in fear, because they think that's what matters. That's not a world I want. If what matters contradicts, you either try to compromise or you try harder to change their minds. The good will always win.

[Hope Taka wasn't expecting, like, a real answer.]

[bakaomi]

... no it doesn't.

[ did he really pick some optimistic god or something?? lord. ]

Good gets fucked over all the time.

[divus]

[The fact that they don't say anything is maybe enough of an implication that they agree and that they're....trying. Context would maybe help in a lot of cases but that's apparently too hard so sorry Taka.]

Believe in something strong enough, it'll happen. Even if it seems impossible. That's all I'm saying.

[bakaomi]

... hm.

[ he's not sure if he can believe that, but he can tell that merriment seems to have some sort of complicated feeling on the subject so taka at least chooses not to argue the point further. ]

You said you haven't been a god for long?

[divus]

[Oh thank god. Merriment is still a little awkward with people, but they're trying and are extremely grateful for the change in subject.]

You heard right. Most of us are new to this thing.

[bakaomi]

How new is "new"? You said you've been going at it for a long time.

[ and also that they've been alone for a long time but that's awkward to bring up in a first conversation or ever ]

[divus]

Longer than you know. [A correction.] We're not the oldest gods, but we've been on the job for--[And suddenly there's a strange sort of abrupt sound as if their tongue's curled up on itself.]

Oh come on, I can't even say that? [Ugh, fine!!] Guess that's a little too important to share right away.

[bakaomi]

... so there's certain things you're just not allowed to say?

[ intewesting]

[divus]

Wonder how long that's going to last. [So perhaps this means it won't always be the case, nor was it always the case. Hm. Intewesting indeed.]