two ✤ video

[lingeringhope]

[Hope still hasn't quite grasped human niceties, so he appears on the network suddenly, with no leadup and no greeting. As usual, he looks vaguely stressed and displeased.]

It has become obvious to me that I don't quite know how you creatures work. I need your hope, and unlike Fear I don't intend to bombard you with imagery just in case something sticks. Whether you like me or not, we're working together, in a way - without me, you'd all starve, without you, my power is lessened. I know you all so desperately want to go home, and without more power there's really no chance of that. So I have a proposal.

[He leans in, just a little.]

Bring me things that inspire hope in you. Place them on the altar in my temple over the next week or so, give me some idea of what it will take to draw hope out of you humans. If you can imbue them with more power - inspire hope in others with your ideas, work together, form bonds - that's even better.

As you all seem to enjoy being disagreeable, I do have more incentive then simply helping me out. Whoever brings me the thing that gives me the most power will receive my blessing. It's quite rare and valuable, it will impart to you the the ability to heal others for a certain amount of time. Since you all seem quite squishy and easily injured, I've no doubt that would be useful.

In addition, if I receive enough power, I'll waste some of it on a treat for all of you. So there's plenty of reason to help me out. Get to work.

[And that seems to be that. No farewell here, just Hope shutting the feed off. Feel free to ask him questions, if you'd like. He might even answer.]

Comments

video.

[lingeringhope]

[A fair amount of that zooms right past Hope, but he zeroes in on one thing, at least, and furrows his brow, genuinely confused.]

A hospital? But I'm offering healing, which is quite a bit more convenient. In any case, I'll just bring you back if you die. No need to get worked up over it.

video.

[swill]

[It all translates to "woof woof bark" anyway.]

Yes, but see if you were listening to yourself you'd realize you didn't say 'permanent' ability. [Though how that was supposed to work at all is beyond Hawkeye. He'd seen magic by now, though, and he tried very hard not to reason, so why not. Why couldn't that be possible from a guy calling himself a god or something or other?]

Also, if you used your ears, or your brains, you'd know you were talking about us like we're slugs . Dying hurts lot worse than being dead . Neither one of those options is acceptable, fella.

[lingeringhope]

Yes, that's because you'd have to do quite a bit more for anything permanent. Most of you are rude and uncooperative. I've no reason to reward you for that.

If you'd like a hospital, something might be arranged. If you assist me.

[swill]

Excuse me for being grumpy, Your Highness. I haven't been groomed today, is all.

What assistance do you want? All I have for your stupid altar is a donut, and it's probably lost all its sugar by now. And it's not even a whole donut.

[lingeringhope]

A donut is food, right? Anything that might bring you hope is acceptable. For something as large as a hospital, though, nothing like that would suffice. I'd need far more hope, far more power.

[swill]

[See, we're right back to the son-of-a-bitch thing.]

I'll make a whole batch of donuts. How's that?

[But seriously.] I can't believe I'm going to say this, but how the hell am I supposed to satisfy you? Promise me that hospital- working condition, working machines- and I'm liable to kiss you anywhere but if it's hope that feeds you... you know, sometimes it's a little hard to know it's there at all. It's a little harder to drag it out of someone, kicking and screaming.

[lingeringhope]

Perhaps if you passed them out to other people, it would give them something to hope for.

[Yeah, if that was sarcasm, it went right past Hope. Whoosh.]

You see, that's precisely my goal here. I don't know what inspires you creatures to hope, but in order to gain power - to get you home, to make a hospital, or whatever - I need to learn. People don't seem cooperative, though.