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[ She really isn't used to most people being this kind to her. Partially because she picks fights with a lot of them. ]

That sounds good. Then maybe I can finally get my hands on some more resources on this place. [ Clearly the first thing she cares about. ] Have you found it useful? For the research.

Oh absolutely!

[ He sounds mild, pleasant. ] Why, just yesterday I dove into an obscure text, at least by this world's standards -- regarding their mythologies.

It's intriguing, the way they approach it, like... Like they're just stories instead of a part of the greater narrative. [ A beat. ] And there's plenty of modern sources, too. [ He sounds a little abashed. ] For more relevant studies. I find myself getting away from things easily, these days. I'm a bit...inundated with new information.

[ She sort of makes a "ha" noise. ] Same here. I thought I was used to a lot going on. [ But the things going on right now are a bit too much. ]

But just stories...hm. It would be different without the Recurrence happening. [ Still quite hard to wrap her head around. ] I'll have to look into it when I get there.

It's just as chaotic as home, just a different flavor. [ A beat. ]

If you'll permit me, I may have a choice selection of options... I could have them waiting for you.

That could work, yeah. Thanks.

But you're you sure you don't need any help with what you're working on? [ At this point she's starting to feel bad. ] Especially if there's anything I could divine from.

Oh, I'm sure I will. We can figure it out. I'm trying to figure out the nature of the porter's god, but...

That's proving rather difficult.

Have you found anything worthwhile? Or is it just running into walls like has been for everyone else here?

[ She's not exactly optimistic. ]

So far, I've only run into roadblocks.

However, I haven't given up hope! I've only just now begun my third month. If I were impatient about progress, I wouldn't have finished my doctorate.

Right. But who knows how much time we have... [ She's never been patient, and the unknown time limit here- a different kind of time limit from home- is making it worse. ]

Anyway. If there's anything I need to do, could you let me know? I'm not really doing much else right now, so.

[ Other than yelling at the rest of the Pantheon, but that's not work getting done. ]

Well, if you insist on me putting you to work...

I think I can find something for you to do, of course.

That's good.

[ ...But if she's talking to him right now, she's got something else on her mind. A few things, actually. ] Have you run into any of the other gods, lately? There's...been some things going on.

[ She's not sure how public they want to take the heads, so if he seems not to know, she can just say that Baphomet and Inanna showed up. ]

Baphomet prank called me the other day. [ A long pause. ]

And, ah, Persephone requested my assistance with a sensitive matter. I'm not really quite sure what to make of it.

Really? [ David Blake? Well, it is Baphomet. ] He would.

[ Oh, then maybe he does know... ] Did the sensitive matter have to do with the weird post Persephone made on the network a few days ago?

And the Deicide that wasn't committed? Or not-quite committed? [ David sounds a touch distant, like he's pulled away from the phone, slightly. ]

Unfortunately.

There isn't much about this, beyond some myths involving dismemberment and decapitation. Nothing...quite to this level.

[ HAHA WHAT WOULD DAVID BLAKE KNOW ABOUT THIS?? ]

Yeah. That.

I can't figure out a thing about it. I mean, is it some sort of ritual sacrifice thing? [ Sometimes it's hard not to curse around him, although she's making an attempt- usually not for anything he's said, but for the ridiculous circumstances. ] And what does it have to do with the time limit, if anything? It fits the things Ananke told us before she died, but outside that, it's just...disconnected from everything.

It could be sacrifice, I suppose... [ There's a pause, and then a slight echo -- David's clearly put this on speakerphone, and there's the sound of movement. Cassandra always brings out his loquatious side. ]

But for what end? And what does it have to do with the rest of this? What part did the machine play? Is that a new modern experiment? [ He sighed. ]

I take it you have no more hints than I do?

[ God, the fucking Machine. She cringes just at the mention of it. ]

Honestly? I don't think I have much more than you do. None of us do. Ananke said some weird s...things before she died, but even with this they still don't make complete sense. I just need to figure out where to start.

Some weird... Shit? [ Despite himself, David sounds amused. ] You don't have to censor yourself, Miss Igarashi. I've heard far worse -- and it may surprise you to know, I've said worse too.

[ A long pause. That's just distraction from the real point, and not even intentional. ]

Do you think she ever said anything to them? Or do you think anyone else might have any details? Someone has to have heard something.

I'm sure. It's just weird, is all. [ She has an Academic Mode about these things. ]

You mean the heads? Or people who were heads. [ What a phrase! ] Maybe. But Inanna doesn't seem to have learned much, other than...what happened to them.

We all think Woden might know more. But it's not like it's safe to just have him sit down and tell us everything.

[ A thoughtful note. ]

I wish I could wager a guess. I think the inter-pantheon side will have to be your wheelhouse. I can... maybe keep digging. Supposedly, I have perfect recall of all mythology from our world, but... that likely does little good unless I can contextualize it with our pantheons.

Which, of course, the porter didn't seem keen on giving me, either. There must be something...

Wait, is that the power the Porter gave you? [ She hadn't even thought to ask. ] That would be really useful. Why are you not sure about it?

[ She tested her own powers pretty quick. They're there, alright. ]

It would be a great deal more useful if I had perfect recollection of every pantheon as well.

[ A beat. ] It gave me that and... [ A shuffle, as if he's pulling out a folder. ] Sustenance from "dad jokes"? I don't know if that one works, or not. I haven't really had reason to use them. It's been...too chaotic. I haven't felt much like joking in quite some time.

[Just dig that knife in a little deeper. ]

[ She gives a sort of half-laugh, bitterly. ] It sure would be.

[ But...huh. That does give her pause. He knows that she knows he's a dad, at least, but not the other part of it. ] What does an omnipresent kidnapper think counts as a "dad joke"? It's...weirdly specific for a power.

I agree. [ A pause, and then he brightened. ] Ah! But Jon explained it to me, once. He said it's when I'm... making a joke that's only funny if you've been trying to sanitize your humor for so long that it's almost ludicrous.

[ God, that Jon Blake, eh? ] Good, clean fun? I haven't triggered it yet, but I'm sure it will come once I'm...used to this place.

[ Ah. Yeah. Jon Blake. Without him here to look at her, she's making a "hrrmm" face. That does sound like something Woden would say. ]

I was more thinking that it's hard to define one in the first place...let alone to have some sort of thing that claims it's a non-human entity define what it is. Or what she counts as "sustenance."

[ A pause. ] ...Maybe I'm thinking about it too hard.

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