GODLY AUDIENCES - ZOE MURPHY

[divus]

Comments

[divus]

[He rolls his eyes when she can't even see it.] Negotiations are a whole other thing. Especially when those pieces talk to one piece and decide that's it. That's the end of the line. That's why you keep those pieces moving in multiple directions, even if it means sometimes losing them.

[requiemed]

Maybe all the pieces who are interested in only talking to one piece can stay on the edges and let the other pieces do what they want. There's no board that doesn't have enough spaces for every player.

[divus]

And if those pieces are the majority? What then?

[requiemed]

...I don't think that's the case in this game.

[divus]

How many people have switched sides that you know of?

[requiemed]

A lot of them, actually. It's not that rare.

[divus]

And then how many switched back?

[requiemed]

Not all of them.

[divus]

But most. [He makes a play that takes out one of her pieces.] You haven't switched yourself, Zoe. You can't tell me it isn't something to think about.

[requiemed]

I haven't—

[She blinks, then pauses.]

Ambition didn't tell you?

[divus]

--about what? [Please save him, he's lost.]

[requiemed]

Dude, I came to talk to you because I'm... defecting to you this week.

[divus]

...wait really? Oh. The rule thing. Riiight, right. Fair enough.

[requiemed]

It's not just the rule, it's...

[She sighs.]

I don't want you to end up without any followers.

[divus]

And when the week's up....what then? You get why I'm skeptical of what you're saying?

[requiemed]

...It depends how many you have, and if there's anyone else who's low. I'm not going to leave you high and dry if you're in danger.

[divus]

Admirable, Zoe, but I'm telling you...as much as the numbers would help me, I want you to consider your strategy carefully.

[requiemed]

[After a moment:]

You want to elaborate on that?

[divus]

What needs elaboration?

[requiemed]

There's a particular strategy you want me to adopt, right?

[divus]

Eventually it's going to get to a point where more than one of us will be at really low numbers. What're you gonna do at that point?

[requiemed]

...You don't know that that'll happen. And - I'll figure something out if it does.

[divus]

Be realistic. It's bound to happen just by the numbers and the way it's set up. You can't keep shutting your eyes and pretending it won't. [He steals another piece.] It'll hurt in the end.

[requiemed]

Then, like I said... If it does, I'll figure it out.

[There's a small pause.]

Everything here hurts, so it's not like that would be new.

[divus]

...[...hm.] If you move your rook, you can block in my knight.