bakaomi | (no subject)

[ this poor child has been freezing all day! shang qinghua offers a wry smile once they cross paths. ]

Young man, are you warming yourself all right?

... it might depend on your definition.

[ the answer is no

he is so cold ]

[ someone help him. ]

Even those blankets must be cold by now. Why don't you go to the study and sit by the fire?

... yeah.

You were one of Fortune's followers, right?

Let's walk there.

[ shang qinghua gestures in the direction of the study and takes the first step toward it. ]

I was one of Great Fortune's two followers. I cannot speak for my fellow supplicant, but our deity's passing weighs heavily on my heart.

[ he'll follow along. ]

What was she like, as your god?

[ since he. did not have a god-follower relationship with her. ]

My audiences with her were few, but she was always fair and hospitable. Regardless of her own wishes for the contest, she elevated this lowly follower by always having his best interest in mind.

... mm. Sounds like her.

Did you speak with her much?

I... think we were friends...

[ he pauses mid step to stare at takaomi. then his smile widens. ]

Hearing those words, my heart can rest easier. Your companionship was, most likely, invaluable to Great Fortune.

... not enough to make sure she didn't die though.

[ his gaze lingers on takaomi for another moment before he resumes their walk. ]

Great Fortune was always fair and compassionate. Although my time as her follower was brief, I wonder if this is how she would want those of us still here to look upon her passing.

Young man, it sounds to me as though you carry a great burden on your shoulders. Guilt is a powerful motivator, but you mustn't let it hinder you. For Great Fortune's sake, let's use this experience to become wiser competitors for when something like this happens again.

... ignoring the fact that it was Fortune in general, gods dying are too much of a distraction. We focus a lot on their particular death over the other ones, if this trial is anything to go on.

Right. The shock of losing a great god was too great. There were three other victims, and we only solved the case for one. [ he pauses. ] I don't think it's important to solve every case, but there should be a more organized approach to these trials.

If there are so many victims each time, the chances of us solving every one in just nine hours aren't that high. Time is just not working in our favor, unless it turns out one person killed multiple people.

... I'm not sure how we can be more organized. It's easy to say when we're not in the middle of a crowd, but during...

[ or unless they all killed each other . . . ]

I've noticed that we distract easily. Given how many of us there are, though, it can't be helped.

[ shang qinghua will readily admit that he fell for those distractions today. no one has explained to him what a brocon is. ]

[ taka will explain if he gets asked, unfortunately ]

... and I don't think we want to lose so many people that it gets easier.

No, of course not.

[ he shakes his head, then smiles with just a hint of bitterness. ]

This one only has suggestions to give, and no suggestions to help his fellow participants.

... that's the same for the rest of us.

It's not like we have any clue what we're doing.

The fourth week is nearly upon us. The closer the end of the contest draws, the more I wonder about what will happen.

I don't think we're any closer to figuring out who should win, either...

What are you thoughts on that? I haven't spoken to many of the great gods, but it sounds as though you know them all.

It... seems to be a little tricky. They've been saying that all of us just choosing one and switching to them just to end the contes more quickly isn't the way to do it.

It seems to be an easy solution in a contest as elaborate as this. I can see why they would discourage it. Rather than out of convenience, is it that they want us to choose a great god based on our beliefs?