GODLY AUDIENCES - ZOE MURPHY

[divus]

Comments

[requiemed]

Right, but that shouldn't be your goal.

[divus]

Why not? If I know I could do a job, why should I pretend I don't want to be the leader?

[requiemed]

Because it doesn't sound like you want to be the leader because you think you're the best fit, and you'd be able to help people more than anyone else. It sounds like you just want to be in charge.

[divus]

I want to be in charge because I know I'll be the best fit, silly. ♡

[requiemed]

Really? Because a minute ago you said you didn't care much about the specifics of your world.

[divus]

A world is a world. People live in it. I'm not going to say I have some lofty goal like I'll make sure everyone who lives there is beautiful or their lives will be one big party like some people will.

But I can say I'll make sure it runs right.

[requiemed]

And why do you feel so confident about the fact that you'll be able to do that better than anyone?

[divus]

Because everyone else is focused on making things that will last forever. But what they don't realize is that nothing should last that long.

You're going to get a job someday, aren't you?

[Ruin's going somewhere with this, promise.]

[requiemed]

[She really wants to comment on that first part, but she follows along instead, eyes narrowing slightly.]

I mean, yeah. I don't exactly want to end up homeless.

[divus]

So, you find a job you like.

Only the person who had that job never leaves it. They stay forever and ever and ever, and there's never room for anything new.

Sometimes things have to come to an end, or else there can't be any progress at all. That's life. ♡

[requiemed]

So... what does that mean for the world you'd make?

[divus]

It means it will be functional. Everything and everyone has its time. When that happens, something new will come up in its place.

[requiemed]

...So you would make a world that's going to end?

[divus]

[Ruin sighs.]

No, silly. I'm going to make a world that works. Some things within the world will end, so that new things rise up in place of them.

[requiemed]

I kind of get the feeling this isn't as good as you're making it sound.

[divus]

I kind of get the feeling that's because you already made up your mind about me before we started talking.

[requiemed]

Why would I have come to ask you this stuff if that were the case?

[divus]

Oh, I'm sure you think you haven't, but everyone has their prejudices. Half the stuff I'm saying, if it wasn't coming from someone named Ruin, you'd be nodding along with and saying, "That makes sense."

[requiemed]

Okay... Then let me ask you, why do you think you have that name?

[divus]

Because in my old life, I was willing to destroy things to create something new. ♡

[and there were already too many positive-sounding gods]

[requiemed]

Can you tell me a little more about that...?

[divus]

I--

[ruin gets cut off again. with a little huff, she stomps her foot.]

Phooey! Apparently it's too soon to say.

[requiemed]

[There's a pause for a few moments, before:]

Would it help if I were more specific, or can you not talk about this at all?

[divus]

I think I'm stuck for now. We're not supposed to share everything about ourselves unless it sways people unfairly. Some of us have more sympathetic backstories than others.

[Ruin huffs.]

But the more time you spend with us, the more we'll be able to say.

[requiemed]

...I'm guessing you think of yours as pretty sympathetic.