You know the muse. That one muse that just never shuts up permanently.

[hitorabu]

Don't you think that's a little rude? You were the one to come to me, you know. Could it be, you missed the sound of my voice~?

Or perhaps you simply enjoy talking to yourself a little too much.

[Says you, really?]

I was just expressing a hopeful wish. You see, I'm a little too busy to make a habit of talking to people who don't give me anything in return.

You know what you should do.

[And you know you're too much of an attention whore to play in a game. I can't RP 24/7 - and I have other characters I want to -...

That's what this is about, isn't it?]

If you're going to keep expanding the number of inhabitants in your head, you should at least pick humans. Honestly - there goes the neighborhood!

Comments

[vectorsnake]

But non-humans are so much more amusing in the long run, don't you think? Humans are so brittle, fragile - with non-humans they're a little more...malleable.

[hitorabu]

How fragile humans are is exactly what makes them so interesting. Full of noble intentions or hypocrisy, aware of how brittle they are or deluding themselves about their own would-be strength, they continue making decisions and acting on them, a beautiful mix of predictable in the long term and anything but from day to day.

[vectorsnake]

You're not wrong. But it can become dull, how easily humans are manipulated. They are so easily tricked and bewitched, it almost makes the game less fun.

[hitorabu]

At the risk of offering unwanted advice: that's not the humans' fault. If the game's no fun, perhaps you should try another one.

Or a bigger one.

[vectorsnake]

Hmm...I would think an expansive experiment such as replacing human blood with blood of my own engineering would be a large enough game...evidently not. What precisely then would you suggest, since you find humans so interesting?

[hitorabu]

How ambitious~!

[He doesn't approve. Don't touch his humans!]

It's quite simple. If you want an entertaining game, the most important thing is to always make sure people have a choice, or at least an illusion of one. Directly manipulating them is too easy, as you say. Give them a choice - a moral dilemma, maybe - and see what they do.

Of course, preparing for all eventualities to make sure the end result is still to your liking when it matters is perfectly acceptable.

[vectorsnake]

[She makes no such promises - Medusa values any and all test subjects she can get her pretty little hands on.]

Hmm...true enough, the illusion of a choice does indeed give the victim the opportunity to think that they have an advantage. Which makes it all the sweeter when you take that away.

Oh dearie it's beyond perfectly acceptable, it's absolutely necessary.

[hitorabu]

Even without helping them along that way, it's not like they had a choice in the first place. [So hey, nobody can blame him.] Most humans are awfully predictable. Even if you make the set-up more interesting, the outcome usually doesn't change. At best, you can speed things up a little.

But - [He lets out a long, happy sigh.] it's worth it just for those rare cases when someone manages to surprise you.

[And even predictable reactions are better with a little... added intensity.]

[vectorsnake]

Rarely does a human surprise me in a way that doesn't cause me trouble or annoyance...but, to be fair, that only happens every century or so.

[Nor is it something that can't be remedied with a proper spell that drives an arrow through the offender's heart.]

[Plus it's times like those that keep her on her toes and her skills sharp, if she's absolutely honest.]

[hitorabu]

Ehhh, every century?

[He's fairly sure she did that on purpose, but he's happy to take the bait. Almost the same principle he was just talking about, really.]

You should share your beauty routine with the general public! I'm sure there's plenty of people who would love to look that good at your age.

[Says the guy who just turned "21" again. For like the sixth year in a row.]

[vectorsnake]

[Of course she did, but for the moment she hasn't pegged him as a target...'for the moment' being the key phrase.]

[That could easily change.]

[Still, she has to laugh - typical human, obsessed with appearances and using any device or routine necessary to preserve the superficial.]

I might, but I doubt it would be much use to them. [A flick of her fingers produces a crackle of purple and black energy between them; her magic at work. Nothing special, just a little physical manifestation to further prove her point.]

Only witches can harness magic properly.

[hitorabu]

[He doesn't so much as blink - and he doesn't act scared or impressed either. He merely smiles, his words making a deliberately half-assed show of the emotions he think she's expecting him to feel.]

A witch! Oh dear, looks like I am in trouble. I hope you don't plan to fatten me up before you eat me. I'd rather die young and pretty.

[He may be half serious, but which half is anyone's guess.]

[vectorsnake]

[It doesn't take a genius to know that his reaction is hardly genuine. Medusa frowns, not exactly enjoying how he doesn't take her seriously - but then again, he hardly knows her track record. She gives a slow smile after a moment and turns her attention to her perfectly-manicured nails.]

Oh, no dearie. Your fairy tale witches are tame indeed compared to the truth. You needn't worry about being eaten....at least, not by me. My snakes get hungry enough though...

[There's the faintest flutter of movement, if he's paying close enough attention, from the tribal snake tattoos on her arm. As if they're ready to hop right off her skin and go after their next meal...which they are.]

[But Medusa shrugs and her expression turns to a nonchalant smile.]

Honestly I'd say your biggest concern should be whether or not you end up skewered. That's the far more likely option.

[hitorabu]

[He does notice the movement, if only because he couldn't help but notice the tattoos, before. His eyes narrow marginally when he glances at them now, but his smile never wavers.

His voice, however, turns more serious.]

Something as mundane as being skewered, I've managed to avoid all my life.

[He has the balls to sound utterly bored about the suggestion of such violence - though it may just be annoyance at the memory of that one time he was stabbed. Which clearly Does Not Count as skewering, because he says so.]

I'm used to dealing with a grim reaper, you know. [Taunting her now, because that's the best way to cheer himself up again.] A witch doesn't seem nearly as impressive by comparison.

[vectorsnake]

[She laughs, hardly put off by his nonchalance. Sure, she'd prefer to have him quaking in his boots from fear, but she's not going to split hairs over the matter - there are other methods of intimidation she could utilize.]

So you've a Grim Reaper here too? How cute. There's one where I'm from as well. He's thought to be the most powerful being in my world, but I fool him for years, making him think I was a mild-mannered school nurse.

[To be fair, fooling a reaper who's under the impression that the world is experiencing an era of peace doesn't take much effort.]

But, I suppose I don't know your grim reaper - are they terribly terrifying, striking fear wherever they go?

[hitorabu]

Oh, she's positively spine-chilling. An actual dullahan.

[His smile widens.]

I have her working for me as a delivery boy.

[Your story was good, witch-chan, but he thinks his is better.]

Witch-chan, I love it! I can absolutely hear him saying it xD

[vectorsnake]

Ha! Fancy way of saying 'faerie', if you ask me.

But you must indeed have worked some manner of commendable trickery to get her to serve you so.

he's just respecting his elders~

[hitorabu]

Just like 'witch' is a fancy way of saying 'hag'?

[She's free to insult his monster, of course, but she shouldn't pretend to be any better than Celty, herself. That said, he wouldn't mind making them fight each other, if it ever comes to that. Besides, someone-or-other might be interested in snatching up a witch...]

It was surprisingly easy, actually. Humans really are more interesting.

Re: he's just respecting his elders~

[vectorsnake]

[Oh, she doesn't like that. Not at all. But she doesn't let it show, only the briefest spark of purple-black magic flickers from between her lips, not unlike a serpent's tongue.]

Only those witches who let themselves go to hell. The Grand Witch is such an example.

But ah, are humans truly more interesting, or is your faerie friend just sub-par?

[trash_witch]

I know what you mean, my mun's head space is stuffed with things I didn't even know could exist!

[hitorabu]

Oh? They're not locking you up with anything dangerous, are they?

[trash_witch]

I don't think so....? I mean Zion and Jin seems pretty shady but other than that...

[hitorabu]

Two dangerous people are two too many!

Still... If your mun has decided to make you room with them, it's probably okay.

[Probably.]

[trash_witch]

That's not too assuring. But they don't seem too bad.

[hitorabu]

Well, no doubt you know your mun better than I do.

Are they human, then, this Zion and Jin?

[trash_witch]

Hm... they look pretty human.... I haven't spoken to them much....

What about you?

[hitorabu]

Am I human, you mean?

[There's a light chuckle in the words. What a beautifully simple question to answer - and yet the answer doesn't completely cover the truth, if you dig deep enough. Still, that's very human in itself, isn't it?]

I certainly am. And you?

[trash_witch]

O-Of course I'm human! I'm definitely human yup!

[Not a witch at all.]

[hitorabu]

[How very believable. Izaya's eyes narrow marginally, just for a moment, but his smile doesn't waver.]

Good! Then you can approach your mun on equal terms. Just in case there's ever any... misunderstanding.

[trash_witch]

[Hey he's not lying.]

Misunderstanding?

[hitorabu]

[That's a matter of opinion. And Izaya's opinion is very biased.]

Yes. Should you find yourself in danger after all, or simply neglected in favor of someone more "special", it should be no trouble to talk to your mun about it, right?