MHA #15, Monday Evening

[pocketpretzels]

As had become habit over the past few months, on Monday evening Watts found himself seated at his kitchen table surrounded by a stack of paper as he wrote to folks back in Toronto.

The most detailed letter went to the Detective and Dr. Ogden, as per usual, given that the former had experience here and thus Watts could be entirely honest about the things he'd seen and done. Less detailed were the missives sent to George Crabtree and Mrs. Hart. And finally, this week, there was a short note he owed Miss Louise Cherry, who'd written him recently expressing doubt that this address was even real. So he was writing back to assure her that no, no one had killed him in a fit of exasperation and he was in fact alive and well, just in Baltimore rather than Toronto.

It was slow going, of course, as he was making an effort to keep his writing as legible as possible. Even then, there had been more than a few sheets he'd had to discard entirely, and the wastepaper basket was starting to fill up.

[ooc: for the neighbour! that he came over is ok to mention, details NFB please.]

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

"Oh, well, depends on the god, doesn't it?" Steven said. He put his glass down as his gestures became more animated as he spoke. "And there's myth versus reality. Still trying to suss out which is which now that I've met them. But if we're talking what I know personally then mostly the Egyptian gods want to watch. Keep an eye on humans but not do anything to interfere. So lots of free time there, if you ask me."

[pocketpretzels]

And they had technically strayed from Watts’s original topic but did he care? Not with the way Steven got in to his explanation he didn’t. “And humans are deemed interesting enough to be worth keeping an eye on?” Watts didn’t really understand that, but on the other hand… Steven’s world had ‘super heroes’ and the like so perhaps humanity in general was more interesting to watch.

[hasaknightjob]

"Well it's their responsibility, right?" Steven said, leaning forward as he spoke. If Watts had wanted to find something Steven could be distractedly passionate about he would've been hard pressed to find a better topic. "Again, strictly Egypt here. Don't know how the other gods handle it. But with the Egyptian gods they have the parts of life and humanity they look after. It's like... I don't know. This is your flat, right? You decided to live here so you know it's yours to take care of, yeah? Keep clean and all that? They've got their domains and that's what they care about. Humans are part of it."

[pocketpretzels]

"So why non-interference?" Watts asked. "Doesn't taking care of something imply interfering with it on some level?"

[hasaknightjob]

"Well there's the argument," Steven said, since Watts had zeroed in nicely on one of the problems. "They all agree - and I don't know how that came about yet - but they all agree to step back and have avatars keep an eye on things, yeah? Only some gods, like Konshu, didn't like that. I mean say what you will about the old buzzard but he doesn't care for being hands off when it came to those he's responsible for. It put him on the outs with most of the other gods who didn't like him doing that. But I'll be honest, willing to wager his personality did not help at all."

[pocketpretzels]

"No, from what you've said he seems rather the disagreeable sort all around," Watts nodded.

[hasaknightjob]

"Very light on the please and thank yous," Steven agreed. "And throwing tantrums when he doesn't get his way. I'd wager half the reason the other gods never agreed with him is he made a piss poor case of it. 'My way or no way' and all that."

[pocketpretzels]

Know who was also pretty light on the please and thank yous? This guy, right here.

"Not prone to compromise," Watts murmured. "I suppose if I were a god I wouldn't see much point in doing so either."

[hasaknightjob]

"That would be the attitude," Steven agreed. He held a hand up as high as he could, then as low to demonstrate. "Very he's up here and we're all down here. Which, be fair, he's about nine foot at his usual. Still. No need for the insults."

Said Steven, who insulted Konshu himself whenever possible.

[pocketpretzels]

And now it was Watts's turn to hide a smile behind his wine glass, because in the course of this very conversation, Steven had insulted Konshu's personality, called him an old buzzard, and strongly implied he was unintelligent.

"Like a child who's found an anthill," Watts said. "I do hope none of them are prone to kicking over anthills." Steven had said most of the other gods were hands-off but who knew?

[hasaknightjob]

"That'd be Ammit," Steven said. He frowned, looking at Watts curiously. "Can't remember how much I told you about her? Wanted to stop evil before it happened?"

[pocketpretzels]

"Hmm," Watts hummed, thinking about it. "Nothing at all, so far as I can remember." according to a search of the player's gmail

[hasaknightjob]

"Easy enough then," Steven said. He took another drink from his wine before continuing. "So what she wanted to do was stop evil before it happened, right? Which sounds nice and all only where's your free will then? Like - like let's say someone comes in with a gun, wants to shoot you, yeah? I'd want to stop that. No problem there. But what if instead it's the same person two weeks ago having a bad day and thinking yeah they might do something wrong but they don't know what yet? According to Ammit you still kill him on the odd chance he goes through with it."

[pocketpretzels]

"That... is absolutely ridiculous," Watts said, face scrunched up in an expression of distaste.

[hasaknightjob]

"Agreed," Steven said. "Konshu didn't like it either. Again, say what you will about the old bird but he values choice. Wants justice if someone hurts anybody under his protection but not at the expense of free will. Anyway we put a stop to it. Konshu, Marc, me, Layla, and Taweret. That's what we did before Marc and I moved here, actually."

[pocketpretzels]

"Tawaret- another one of these gods?" Watts guessed.

[hasaknightjob]

"Goddess of mothers and children," Steven said. "She also takes care of guiding souls in the afterlife. That's where Marc and I met her."

[pocketpretzels]

"The more I hear of your adventures, the more I am in awe," Watts said, shaking his head.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven's blush was unmistakable, though he did try to duck his head to hide it all the same. "I mean... yeah. In some ways. But it was very quick as well. Don't want to make it sound like I've had years of this like Marc has."

[pocketpretzels]

"You realise that just makes your part in it all the more remarkable," Watts insisted. "That you were newer to it and successful in the end all the same." Yes, sure, team effort and all that but guess whose accomplishments Watts gave a shit about?

[hasaknightjob]

"It was sort of fun?" Steven admitted. The blush wasn't totally gone but he was able to look up at Watts again. "I mean also terrifying, won't lie about that. And not that I enjoyed people being in danger. But being able to do something about it? Hold my own against people and things that were scary? I liked that. It's part of why I don't mind doing it. There's good bits. An absolute wanker at the center of it, but good bits."

[pocketpretzels]

"In a way, that's similar to what I like about my own work as a detective," Watts shared. "Yes, I know the system is far from perfect, and all too often those with money and power get away with things those less fortunate in life may hang for, but- when I get it right, when I'm able to do my part to see that someone faces justice- it's very satisfying."

[hasaknightjob]

Now Steven was watching Watts with avid interest. "What was your favorite case? One you're proudest of?"

[pocketpretzels]

Watts sucked a breath in through his teeth as he thought about it. "Well," he mused, "there was the incident with the Japanese spy. Which I am technically forbidden from discussing but seeing as for you, this is all ancient history, if you're interested I suppose I don't see the harm...?"

[hasaknightjob]

"I am pretty good at keeping a secret," Steven pointed out. "But only if you feel comfortable. I want to hear something you want to talk about. Something that matters to you."