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[marsascending]

Helloooooooo you've reached BARiTONES' Paloma! I'd love to chat with you but I'm away from my phone right now, so leave a message and you'll hear from me soon~

Comments

[marsascending]

She's about as dangerous as any Prince of Hell, and then some, because she's got ideals about the way things should be. As someone who also has ideals, I can tell you—it doesn't mean being nice or safe, especially when you're chasing the power of an omnipotent god.

Surely you've thought of the logical conclusion of who I work for, though?

[crossmyheartandhope]

I mean... sure.

Thinking it and knowing for sure's different, though.

[marsascending]

The Prince of Vengeance is a very solid employer, honestly. "No kings, no gods, no masters" is an agenda I can get behind.

[crossmyheartandhope]

I mean... if you're following him, though, ain't he kinda your master?

[marsascending]

Well, our goals are in alignment, let's put it that way. I don't work for causes I don't believe in for their own sake.

Unless you'd say Intensity is the quote-unquote master of a lot of people here.

[crossmyheartandhope]

Maybe if you ask him.

...but I get it. So it's more, like. An employment kinda thing?

What are his goals, though, anyway? I mean, like... what won you over?

[marsascending]

What the Lady of Lies and the Prince of Vengeance have going for both of them is that people on a grand scale do matter to them at all, among all the Princes. But his pitch goes the way of we, the children of these many worlds we make home, being able to forge our own destiny, free of any cosmic mandate. Free from owing obedience or receiving judgment.

[crossmyheartandhope]

I mean. Sounds good and all, but - that ain't a goal, that's an employment contract.

[marsascending]

Oh, I don't know. I'd say it's still a goal! The goal being to free the universe of what would hold us all back.

[crossmyheartandhope]

He doesn't think it's weird saying that when, like. He's literally what's holding us back?

[marsascending]

I suppose it's harder to feel like it's an opportunity when you didn't choose to be here, but there's quite a lot you can do from this position, you know, to make the universe better. It's in quite a state right now, it seems.

[crossmyheartandhope]

...yeah? What's up with the universe?

[marsascending]

Well, I suppose in my case, there were a number of rather troubling things going on at a cosmic scale; it seems many others recall the same. And, furthermore, that god's abandoned the universe.

But belief still has power. It just needs to be nurtured and harnessed in the right way.

[crossmyheartandhope]

Yeah. I mean, I know what the Lady of Lies is trying to do with belief.

But is A doing the same?

[marsascending]

Oh, no, not at all. Did you see much of Delphi, during your time spent outside Tokyo-F?

[crossmyheartandhope]

Delphi?

[marsascending]

That'd be the proper name of the glittering city of lies. If there were a lot of fans of the show there, that's Delphi.

[crossmyheartandhope]

Ah - yeah. That's where I ended up, then.

[marsascending]

Well, that city runs on belief. Because the damned there can hold onto something—they can find a way to exist, even as pale shadows of themselves. For some of them, what they hold onto is... Imeeji Idol Productions, I suppose. Beautiful dreams—just like what the Lady of Lies is selling.

It's quite different on the other side. What inspires Vengeance's damned is, well... vengeance. The memory of past pain, of wrongs not yet righted.

[crossmyheartandhope]

Then what was all that about harnessing belief?

[marsascending]

Well, that's what Her Deceitfulness needs—which means it depends on the viewers and, more importantly, all of us, here.

We actually have more influence over her success or failure than she would ever admit. Or, perhaps, than she even knows.

[crossmyheartandhope]

...yeah? How's that?

[marsascending]

Well, this is sort of lynchpin to her plans—this program, that is. The more people buy into her heaven, here, the stronger she is, and the more real it becomes. And that's definitely not a good thing, because it'll be her heaven and—someone whose beliefs become true in proximity having that kind of power?

[crossmyheartandhope]

But how do we factor in? I mean, we all know she's full of BS.

[marsascending]

We do.

The people watching this program, seeing idols heroically overcome obstacles to go on and graduate with the blessing of the true heaven to return better, stronger, and happier to their true homes—

They don't know. Or they don't care, because it's beautiful, isn't it?