CONTACT [EL NYSA]

[priorly]

[Greetings, Prophet. The Great Work Begins.]
(leave a message after the tone)

Comments

[badgerlock]

Why shouldn't you? I'm doing it to you.

[priorly]

Really. And what have you put together about me, exactly?

[badgerlock]

Prophecy has ruined your life, so you didn't grow up with it. You miss people holding you, or touching you. And you're from a place where either men can love men easily, or you have never mastered the art of hiding that part of yourself. You have never had to defend yourself against violence, or, if you have, you've didn't decide to make it change you. You're certainly not interested in violence.

[priorly]

3 and a half. Not bad.

You know I could cheat at this game?

[badgerlock]

Yes. But I don't think you will.

[priorly]

You want to know what I've learned about you.

A confluence of unfortunate happenstances meant you grew up a bastard no one wanted with some kind of magic no one wants you to have. Your sense of self worth is about as bad as your dress sense but you do know both your familial status and the magic you have make you something different. And different's always a mix of good and bad. Other people might be afraid of it, or you. You have your own prophet with a cruel name that doesn't sound cruel when you say it. And if you have a prophet I suppose there must be a mission to fulfil. You're a dog person. The unevolved variety.

[badgerlock]

Why am I doing this?

[He feels like Chade. Pressing for answers that he knows.]

[priorly]

You... finished your crossword already?

1/2

[badgerlock]

I don't know what that means.

[badgerlock]

I'd like you to think I trust you.

[priorly]

Do you trust me?

[badgerlock]

Yes.

[priorly]

Well, that's all you needed to say.

[badgerlock]

Well.

I trust you.

[priorly]

I'm not sure it's mutual, currently. I feel as if you're leading toward asking me to do something terrible.

[badgerlock]

You're the prophet, not me.

You're perfectly safe with me, Prior.

[priorly]

But the timing of it. Why now? Most people establish trust when they think it's going to be tested.

[badgerlock]

Because now. Although I do understand the suspicion.

[priorly]

Because now isn't an answer. Who taught you that and were they over twenty?

[badgerlock]

[The Fool would have chewed him out of that too.]

Yes, you're right.

But yes. It's because I thought I would be fine being alone.

[Because he's lonely, Prior.]

[priorly]

There are degrees of alone. Most people have a limit to what's tolerable.

[badgerlock]

I always had Nighteyes.

[priorly]

My eyes are terrible at night.

Are you still living by yourself? You do know we have this thing called civilization? You'd be accepted into it.

[badgerlock]

I'm not living in the woods.

[priorly]

No? I'd envisioned this picturesque little hut.