bluescreenwhitedragon | IC Inbox [2]

If Lady Death is really supporting Azzy, then the current set-up leans in Vengeance's favor.

Unless Shadow Weaver is terrible at her job, I can't think of anything immediately that can be offered that is a better deal.

And asking outright would put her at a disadvantage during negotiations, which means it would just be stupid.

[ there's a pause as he tries to think this over, but he doesn't have information, there's basically nothing he can offer. What a gift from her mother ]

But why your soul in particular? I'd be more tactful under normal circumstances but Shadow Weaver doesn't strike to me as someone who gives half a shit about you, which means having it as her motivation not to screw up seems a little pointless.

[She scoffs a little.]

It wouldn't motivate her.

Probably something happens to her if she messes up, too.

She was a Damned before she arrived as a guest star, correct? This contract is what enabled her move up the ranks.

Yes, but that's what doesn't make sense to me. Your soul in particular holds no significance to Shadow Weaver, which is why it's not enough as motivation if she messes up.

But the contract states that your fate is tied to her, as hers is tied to you. If your soul in particular holds no significance to her why accept is as potential leverage, why put her in a situation in which she also has to be tied to you.

The only way that makes sense is if your soul by itself already holds enough significance that they want it. It's not enough to get you a deal by itself but I suggest you keep it in mind.

I, uh. I don't. . .

There's no way I matter enough. But I guess –– if she was "Damned", they already have her, right? The rest of us get a choice when we "graduate", we can still escape.

[She frowns a little, here, pretty much just voicing her thought process out loud.]

. . .Why can we? Choose, I mean. Why let any of us escape at all?

To my knowledge, no Damned has ever taken the Heaven's Blessing option. And I don't know any well enough that have graduated to even know if it was presented as an option to them.

And I wouldn't frame taking the Liar option as escaping.

Every Heaven graduation is considered another miracle for the Liars. It gives credibility and belief to their cause. And Thia is trying to make herself into the next god. So it suits her purposes well enough.

In the interest of honesty.

I don't think we have the option to escape at all. I've always thought the Heaven graduation is just another illusion placed on us and those who take that choice are not actually back in their own world.

Something else I would keep in mind.

. . .

Cool. Then I don't need to worry about this at all, since there's no good option anyway.

There is the less bad option of having you tied to Shadow Weaver.

Incremental improvements.

Or take her place as host. Maybe screw her up in the process.

Yeah, sure.

[Let's out a frustrated sigh as her tail starts lashing.]

This was stupid. I don't know what I was expecting.

Understanding your situation is not stupid. At least know you understand what she signed you up for.

And if she wasn't afraid of you having that knowledge, she would have given it to you instead of that bullshit she sent you earlier.

I'm missing a not insignificant amount of context in this to be truly of any help, and to begin with the information I have is slim to none.

But he is right. Having this contract in your hands is not going to get you out of this bullshit immediately, but it's a step toward it. And knowing what's in it to begin with means you know what you risk, and you know how to work around it for the time being.

That's not nothing.

I just. . . I don't know what any of this is at all. Like a "bereavement" or a "wage" or what "tying our fates" is supposed to be –– except maybe how well Avante does in games. . .? I mean, she wanted us to win, and when we lose she always does stupid little annoying stuff.

Valour and I can help translate the employment vocabulary. That language is fairly standard across worlds.

...

But can you elaborate on the annoying things she does? And does she ever reward you for winning?

Dumb "penalties". Like sometimes my phone doesn't work and I can't get into the dorm, or I'm dizzy for a day, or I can't eat normal food. Nothing that's a big deal, just annoying.

Rewards aren't really a thing. Except that contract we couldn't read for winning five in a row, I guess.

Ah yes. I remember that fifth game. She could have bothered with something more useful, considering.

But perhaps you could request a new reward for a similar achievement, and see if it provides you with any more information. Like he said. We can help with the bullshit terms.

. . .You're not serious. Because it went so well last time?

Obviously it didn't but it isn't as if you came entirely empty-handed out of it.

My only other idea is for someone to die on purpose to get an audience with Lady Death herself which I really hope you're not going to take seriously.

[She sighs, dragging her claws through her hair as her tail flicks, agitated even with the help of Paloma's alcohol in her system.]

Maybe if I went. It wouldn't get me out of it, but even being involved on my own terms would be better. . .

I agree with that but that doesn't mean I want you to actually die to see if there's anything you can do to at least safeguard your soul.

What do you want to do, Kohime?

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]

Re: [Day 304, after a politics game]