GODLY AUDIENCES - ZOE MURPHY

[divus]

Comments

[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.

[requiemed]

[For some reason, it makes her smile slightly, even as she does it.]

Pity move, huh?

[divus]

Everybody's gotta start somewhere. [Shut up and take it, Zoe.]

[requiemed]

I moved the rook, didn't I?

[divus]

You did. I gave you an opening, so now you have to see how far you're going to take it.

[requiemed]

[After a few moments:]

He's blocked in. That doesn't mean I'm going to capture him.

[it's past midnight and i don't know how chess works please save me]

[divus]

...why not? [FAKE CHESS IS FINE.]

[requiemed]

Maybe the knight's a good person who doesn't deserve to go through that. [please take my keyboard away from me]

[divus]

What makes you think the knight can't handle it? Do you know that knight's backstory and their personal agenda? [Kill us both.]

[requiemed]

If the knight has a personal agenda, he's probably not going to appreciate it getting cut short no matter what.

[divus]

Man, you're really stubborn about this aren't you? Strong mental fortitude's a helpful skill around here, too.

[requiemed]

Yeah, I'm committed to the idea that murder is bad. That's a fair assessment.

[divus]

...what about if it's for the greater good?

[requiemed]

How would that even apply in this situation?

[divus]

A murder to stop a murderer? Self-defense? Stuff like that.

[requiemed]

I think we can all agree self defense is different. Just... how many times has that even happened here, compared with the other deaths?