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[More information? One new arrival, at least, has all the information she needs. The influx of energy from this one is massive, completely unsubtle, almost as if purposefully designed to attract the attention of anyone with any sense whatsoever of the divine. It doesn’t fade away nor does it seem to be easily localized. This surely wasn’t ‘Magatama Energy’…

Whatever ambiguity this might present is cleared up almost immediately. Despite that no one may be in the vicinity, the voice of a young girl sounds clearly throughout the city of Hinoto-Ri to nearly every inhabitant, as intelligibly as if the speaker were standing right next to those she addressed. …Perhaps too intelligibly. The first sound they hear is an vehement, despairing cry.]

NO!

This can’t be…! The forests… The oceans… The deserts and mountains, the tundra and the plains! W-Where are they?! Who did this?! What did you do to them?!

[For a few moments, the speaker seems too overwhelmed with ire to speak. The sound of her breathing eventually slows...]

Humans. Look at this world. Look at it!

I knew this would happen. In every world across every dimension, it doesn’t matter! You -- you’re all the same! See for yourself! This is what will happen if you tear through all of nature without respect for anything but your own wealth and gain! Are you happy?! My children… 100 million species. One hundred million. There's almost nothing left...

I am Viridi, Goddess of Nature, ruler of the Earth and all living things! And I will not allow this land to be desecrated any further.

They say there are monsters ravaging what remains. If you stand against them, then... heed the command of a goddess and CRUSH them!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Um. What.

[WOW WAIT WHAT]

The last time I checked it was still up in space...

And why would they ever choose me, then? It's not like I have a particularity nice soul to offer...in fact, I'm probably the worst choice.

((Oops! I got that confused with Mir somehow.))

Really?

Wow, wait, don't tell anyone I said that. It was... a test. To see if you were paying attention. Um.

Hey, souls, let's talk about those! Trust me, I already like yours a lot better than most of the others I've seen so far.

[[Hahaha, not a problem! Honest mix-up.]]

Right.

[And he sounds surprised, like as if he's won an award he knows he didn't get nominated for.]

What, who, mine? You like mine? [And a long pause.] I...don't really know how you do, I think my soul is rather dull compared to everyone else's. I mean, I don't see it having much worth as, say, a goddess would.

Yours doesn't start ranting and raving about how humans are obviously a font of perfection and they probably produce rainbows and sparkly snowflakes as waste and how dare I -- the goddess who created humans -- judge them when I should clearly just ignore all of the other 100 million species on the planet to let the poor humans go ahead with their plans of deforestation and mass pollution and global extinction.

...
...
...

I can't actually see souls, by the way.

Um, no, I can definitely say that people aren't rainbows or sparkly snowflakes or anything...anyone who says that definitely has their rose-colored glasses on. What can I say, humanity loves to destroy. It's just a part of what it means to be human.

[A pause.] Well, what can you see, then, if anything at all?

That's not acceptable! Being human is about having the potential to seek the higher paths you were meant to achieve! Not the lowest!

And what sort of question is that? I can see lots of things. The sky, the earth, the city crawling with humans... I could see you right now if I wanted to. Oh, and I can definitely see why kids love cinnamon crunchy squares™.

True, I guess...it's not like people want to achieve the lowest paths, though. Sometimes they just end up there.

[ASDFGHGFDSDF VIRIDI]

What do cinnamon crunchy squares have to do with anything?

And you could see me? [wow did this turn into big brother inwardly screaming] I-I was just curious, really...you don't need to see me, I'd feel very uncomfortable if you did.

Trust me. Whatever you don't want me to see, I don't want to see it more. I'm perfectly happy not knowing what teenaged boys do in their bedrooms in their spare time.

[MENTAL KEYSMASHING]

I-I'm nineteen!! And I...I don't do that stuff, goodness gracious, I mean...god.

What stuff? I haven't the least idea what you're talking about. That was a totally innocent statement based on un-pre-conceived notions I couldn't possibly be familiar with in my time.

You're awfully timid for nineteen.

Uhuh. Yeah. Sure...

[There's the mutter of "why am i even arguing about this, good god"]

W-what is that supposed to mean? Is...is that a bad thing?

Nah. I prefer timid. Scroll up and read the rant from earlier if you need to refresh your memory.

Not that I'm interested in hearing any sob stories, but I'm just saying it's a little unusual.

Oh. Right. Good...?

[There's a pause.] Well, yeah, like you said, no sob stories or anything, but...I just really don't like violence and things like that. I don't really know how to deal with that.

If only the rest of humanity was exactly like you.

.......Actually, no, that wouldn't really work out, either, but it's still preferable.

If you can't deal with violence, then just ignore it. Humans are pretty good at pretending that nothing bad is happening, I've noticed.

Oh, oh no, I wish humanity wasn't like me, I don't think you would like that one bit...

[Another pause, before.] Yeah. No, I know that, it's just...it's hard for me to ignore, really. Because I can't do anything about it, even when its directed at me. I just...falter, really. And it's the worst feeling to have, you can't ignore that so easily.

I suggest finding a grizzled old warrior of some sort and segueing into a training montage. Preferably with some singing involved; you get better results with a catchy theme-song.

Alternatively, you could suck it up and learn to face your fears head-on, but that's less entertaining.

...[ARE YOU FOR REAL, VIRIDI] That's what they do in movies, and, um, I don't know about you, but in my world, that actually doesn't do anything to help in real life. It's fun to watch, though.

Well, my fears are way bigger than what any regular person has, I think. And no, I'm sorry, I don't really want to face them...I know that will make people label me a coward, but hey, better a coward than somebody who'll get recklessly hurt by rushing into things.

But it works so well in the movies! We've practically got a song tailor-made for you; you want to Make a Man out of yourself, right?

Anyway. You know there is such thing as a middle ground, right?

First of all, the last time I checked, I wasn't in a movie. And second, I-I don't think Make a Man would really work on me, of all people...

Well, yeah. And your point?

The point is that you don't have to be a simpering recreant or a reckless fool. I know very few of you come anywhere near the ballpark of what a human ought to be like, but one or two of you manage it every now and then.

So, to be human, in your eyes, of course, you would have to be in the middle of that? Both reckless and simpering and yet neither of the two?

To be an ideal human. It's hardly the only criteria, and obviously, none of you even come close.

Oh.

[A pause as he morosely mutters:]

Sorry. That I don't, anyways. Guess I just can't be perfect...

Stop sulking! My expectations for humanity are so low that I gave up all hope a long time ago, anyway.

I'm sorry that I sulk, s-sorry.

[A sigh.]

So, why talk with them if you've given up hope for them, though?

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