A Proposition and a Project (Private)

[heyyew]

“I am a god you know.” She was a daemon that was worshipped. So far as she was concerned, that made her a god. She didn’t like the way this Dissonance was speaking down to her whatsoever. She had always been epic. Sure in recent years she had taken a step back in her involvement in the mortal plane. But that was in part because she did not want them eternally reliant on her. But to become perhaps one day greater than her.

Capone was not at all afraid of the idea of someone surpassing her, so long as she had a paw in making it happen. If merely her legend inspired people to greater heights she could be content with that.

In some ways this game fell in line with that. But if Capone were honest, she’d never been the long term type of planner. She was all about improv. Making it all up at the moment. As much as Capone would like to say her long term plan had always to have The Rosebloods form into one awesome big daemon, or for them to inevitably end up in her, happy to be consumed… That hadn’t been her plan.

They were cool ideas. And ones she might not mind. Except she wouldn’t want to eat just anyone. Not everyone was worthy of becoming one with her. If she wasn’t careful of who she ate, she might very well become one of those sheep that had been so common in The Elite. She only wanted the best of the best, the most unique and special.

It was all she deserved and more.

But what Dissonance was talking about. Even if the physical Dissonance and this Dissonance were different… She could not wholly trust them. To be slowly devoured over an eternity was something she could not permit. Capone was above all a sadist, not a masochist.

“You know. I never was one to be the sneaky puppeteer in the background. So I’m going to say no. That’s not my kind of game, and that’s not my kind of wager.”

Capone had almost no doubt she would win. Because she wouldn’t try and play high and mighty like she was above it all. She’d get her paws in there. And that alone would bring The Rosebloods up. But if it couldn’t be great without her… Then what was the point? She wanted them to be better than her. To surpass. And she wanted to be there to see and enjoy that day.

More than any one kit, they were her baby. And to them she was their god. And gods were more than simple leaders, more the kings. More than daemons.

She would not loose all she had gained to some silly little wager.

[Dissonance Valerius]

"In a sense." He responded dismissively. "When I say god, I don't mean someone who's worshipped. I mean an omniscient entity that surpasses comprehension. You are a god, but not god. If the Elite ceased to worship you, you'd cease being a god at all, and just be a daemon like any other. That's the reality of the situation; your godly status is only that way because mortals allow you to be perceived as such. Don't be so vainglorious. You've achieved great things, but what have you done since then? Existed and just reveled in it? The way I see it, you don't aspire for much more. That implies to me that you see yourself as having nothing else to accomplish, that you've reached your peak of achievement and can't grow any further. Is that what you're telling me?" It was about as condescending as could possibly be, and yet said in a totally flat tone that in and of itself implied nothing, as if he were just stating facts.

But in a sense he did make a few good points. You could only stop growing when you allowed yourself to grow idle and stop working to be something even greater - there was no limitation for those who always aspired for more, if they had the will to make their desires manifest.

Her decline of his proposal didn't seem to phase him in any way. In fact it almost seemed as if he'd been expecting that. "It's like I said, you don't need to be a sneaky puppeteer in the background. You can be as actively and openly involved as you desire, but if that's your final answer, I suppose there's nothing to be done about it. I'm going to be playing this game whether you agree to participate or not, and you are my opponent whether you acknowledge it or not. Your consent is not required - did you expect me to simply cede to your will like that, Capone? If you desire to avoid that fate, you had better be working on plans to stop that 'me' and Ecclesia from succeeding, unless you're betting on them to fail on their own."

No, he did not at all need her consent. Did a warrior consent to being slain on the battlefield? Did a child consent to being born? Did a tidal wave pity the people it drowned? The mere idea was laughable. Just a formality. In this game of his, everyone was a participant by sheer virtue of their existence. Daemon, mortal, or otherwise, it mattered not. It was far less entertaining without her explicit agreement and participation willingly, but perhaps her defiance could provide him some amusement in its own way, too.

But she was entirely right not to trust him. He didn't care who won or lost, if Capone succeeded or the Piece-Dissonance found victory in some form or another. All he cared about was avoiding boredom. That's all this was to him; an amusement.

"But your lack of willingness to bet your soul tells me you're not confident enough in your own success, so I can't see you allowing them to continue onward totally unopposed. You were willing to expose yourself to Anthrax and assist her, teach her how to acquire a new body, and yet you won't assist the Elite at large, the very thing you helped found with your flesh and blood, the thing that drew Anthrax into your sphere? Both of us know she was a particular kind of special. The sort that only comes around once in a hundred lifetimes. I perceive your lack of consent as an insult to her." He went on, at once mocking her and appealing to her pride. He did have a certain respect for her, no doubt, he wouldn't be in this state without Capone having existed - in fact he might not have existed in any form at all without that. But that didn't mean she was some sacred creature to him who was above reproach. Him even bothering to have appeared before her in this way at all was, in itself, what he considered to be a form of respect for Capone.

"A child must be nurtured to a degree to achieve success - in this second re-founding of the Elite in their new incarnation, they will be starting off as little more than a child again. They will have to reacquire their greatness through trial and error. Things stand in a very delicate state right now, and we both know it. Nothing is guaranteed."

[heyyew]

“I wish to see The Rosebloods succeed just as much as you. But I do not need to win your asinine game to achieve it. But nonetheless… I must thank you I suppose…” Capone meowed, a smirk beginning to dominate her expression.

This was in part one of the problems with her and The Rosebloods. She had realized this a long time ago. She had made it great, she had challenged it to greater heights. But she had never herself nurtured it to that. She poked, prodded, and belittled it until people rose up to prove her wrong. Those were the ones she had cared about. But once she left where did it all go?

With her. It was the reason she had taken a step back away from The Rosebloods. Capone had wanted it to thrive on its own. She did not know how to nurture greatness. Even with this little project of hers. It amounted to little more than goading it and shoving pieces together to see what stuck.

The daemon did not know how to nurture anything. Her whole life as Capone she’d shoved away the responsibility of raising her kits on other females. Opting instead as a role model to look up to… And she’d wondered why so few had actually managed to surpass her. Capone hadn’t done anything to help them along the way to greatness.

It was no wonder Sorna was a flop compared to what Capone had expected her to be. Perhaps it was time for Capone to do more, to encourage the generations that had come after her to be more than she could be. But honestly she hadn’t the faintest idea of where to start.

All this went through Capone’s head with that same trade mark smirk still plastered on her face. The best pokerface she had.

“I was unaware of Dissonance’s motives until now. So I must thank you for revealing your hand to me. Above all there’s one thing I can assure you… You won’t be bored.” By the time she had finished saying this her smirk fell away to a grim look of certainty. If looks could kill Dissonance would be skewered nine ways from Sunday right now. Capone did not take kindly to threats against her soul.

Nor to those who belittled and scolded her. She would not engage in his bet. And his game meant nothing to her. She’d have done what she was going to do heedless of his presence here today.

[Dissonance Valerius]

"I don't care about their success."

There wasn't even an ounce of hesitation in his response, it was immediate, firm. "They served their purpose for me already. And, for that matter...the physical 'me' also does not care about their success. I will not allow him to care, no matter how much he claims he does, no matter how much his actions might benefit The Rosebloods, he will never be doing it for their sake. Any success he has which impacts them will only be coincidence, a side-effect, or to further his own designs." As he spoke those words, there was a certain strangeness about them - when spoken, one's mind would immediately jump to the color blue, as if the words themselves were of that color and some sort of significance, like something somewhere had changed in its very nature.

If there was any sort of actual meaning or special property behind those words, though, Dissonance was not at all in any hurry to explain it. "Neither do you care. Your care is a prideful self-deception of someone who doesn't know how to nurture anything but their own ego." He shrugged, peering at her casually from behind empty eyes and a straight expression. That smirk didn't phase him, just as that next look on her face didn't - that look which would have made most poor fouls quake with the sort of certain malice it held.

But that last promise did, finally, get a good reaction out of him. A wide, toothy smirk, and a positively foul cackle that seemed to echo almost tauntingly throughout the forest. "<Good!>" He exclaimed, his voice positively ecstatic. "I look forward to the sort of entertainment you can provide me. I'll enjoy every bit of torment and despair on every side! Your determination is pleasing. I can't wait to see that expression on your face turn to one of abject horror in the future, or a disgustingly smug sneer if you succeed. This is going to be a very enjoyable time."

He flicked his tail, and his expression slowly returned to that blank, impassive look he'd held mostly consistently throughout their interaction. "With that business out of the way, you're more than welcome to call me for tea or wine anytime, if you'd like to talk - or laugh at the obscene situations mortals find themselves in. Just call my name, and I assure you - wherever you are - I'll hear it."

"On that note..." He trailed off, peering at the box. "What's in the box? A trophy? Some sort of pet project of yours? Maybe something of sentimental value?"

[heyyew]

Was that some sort of enchantment of sorts? A way for this greater form of Dissonance to impose their will on the physical form? Capone was certain that the Dissonance she watched cared about the Rosebloods. At least… She had been certain. What she did know was that she wanted this version of Dissonance to have what for. If their physical version of Dissonance being in misery would make them happy… Well maybe Capone would try her paw at making someone happy for once. If only just to spite this one.

But no matter what she did he was bound to be entertained. So it was a zero sum game there.

Plus the physical realm Dissonance had teamed up with Ecc and had promised to devour her over the course of a millennia. Not exactly someone she wanted to get close to by any means. Dissonance had just gone up fifty dials on her creep-o-meter.

“You know if you hadn’t been a complete and utter twat this who time I might have actually shown you. But as it is you’ve not earned the right.” At this point she just wanted him gone.