Seventeen ★ Text

[wasthemaster]

[There's gotta be a better way to do this. There's just got to be. However he realizes that he's running out of time, especially with the appearance of certain people in the city of Asgard.

He doesn't bother to show his face. Instead he's setting up a text…somehow that seems much, much safer.]

Party's over, I'm afraid. Back to business.

Quick question for the masses:

A.) Would you consider yourself useful here?
B.) Why so? Or, I suppose, why not?
C.) Serious responses only.

[He's fully anticipating not-serious responses, but at least it gives him a bigger pool to work with.]

Additionally, you may very well know that Euridice Taverna's left the city which means that I'm short one business partner. I'm not precisely looking for a new partner, but perhaps a few new hires.

Serious inquiries only.

Comments

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[samantha_grey]

I'd sure as hell like to think so. I'm not terrible in a fight, and you already well know the work with potions. There's a list of other things, but at this point I think we both know each other well enough to have an idea on some of them.

In the meantime, talk to a Sakura Haruno, if you're looking for backup still. She seemed pretty competent the last we spoke.

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[wasthemaster]

I'd be a bit shocked if I didn't know about your intelligence by now, though I can only imagine hand-to-hand combat. You're also being incredibly useful to me as it is. [What with the maps and all.]

Sakura. What sort of background does she have?

[text]

[averagemedium]

Depends on what for, I guess? I mean. I'm not a fighter or anything, the whole... war thing is a little out of my skillset, but I like to think I'm useful enough in the city. Domestic side can be important too, yeah? And control's not half bad for defense when it comes to it.

[text]

[wasthemaster]

[Ryan. Ryan, Ryan, Ryan…Ryan's from Hel and Ryan lives down the hall and Ryan knows how to control crazy people named Henry and that's actually quite helpful.]

How do you reckon? About the domestic side, that is.

…shadow, or body control?

[standsonhigh]

a) Yes
b) Because of reasons.
c) Okay

[wasthemaster]

Disqualified.

[allbloodyhail]

Well, that's a loaded question, isn't it? Am I sober in this hypothetical?

[wasthemaster]

Are you more useful sober or plastered?

[Text]

[scienceleads]

Define useful? One person's useful is another person's annoyance.

And I am currently looking for work, so I am curious as to what it entails.

[Text]

[wasthemaster]

Useful in the sense of actually having an impact at all, of course. What other definition of useful could there be?

I suppose here it's nothing more than mere science which is a tragedy in and of itself. I own an apothecary over in Baldr's district. I'm looking for a new employee or two.

[feathery]

if you actually get nothing but serious responses after you set yourself up like that ill be disappointed

[wasthemaster]

Honestly? I'm sort of planning on several non-serious responses.
And then you showed up so I imagine I was correct.

text;

[necrowmantic]

A) Maybe!
B) If killing things is considered useful.
C) It totally is, right?

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[wasthemaster]

If I say yes what are you going to do?

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[galvanist]

[as he's hungover as hell...]

A.) Obviously.
B.) I'm a damn good surgeon. And, as shown by that powers snafu a while ago, you need talented people who don't base everything on magic.
C.) Serious enough for you?

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[wasthemaster]

[...surgeon huh. That's good to know should he ever blow himself up again.]

A.) What better type to trust than one confident with their skills?
B.) On the contrary I base everything on magic as do the surgeons in our world, so I'm docking you a point for that.
C.) That's serious enough, I suppose. Let me guess, you've taken up a position at the hospital and everything?

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[liquidsky]

A.) More and more every day.
B.) That would be telling. I'll show you. Soon.
C.) Dead serious.

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[wasthemaster]

...are you threatening me?

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[theaccursed]

You ask a subjective question. Do you reference the agenda established by the gods when asking our capabilities? Or do you seek a general idea of skills possessed by others?

It is an important distinction to make.

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[wasthemaster]

[…wow that is a good point. Okay. Touche. He's silent for a moment before responding.]

In this particular case, unfortunately, their agenda. Unless the gods decide to bestow our original skills upon us without causing our heads to explode, I can't see what good they'll do me here.

[livedtwice]

Is there a reason why you're asking, Malfoy?

[wasthemaster]

Yes.

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[5thchild]

Useful?

I exist in order to keep the people I love safe. I do whatever I can in order to achieve that. If it becomes useful to someone, be it.

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[wasthemaster]

I forget you're something of a sacrificial lamb.
Kaworu, let me ask you this. How far would you go in order to protect people?

[mutely]

A.) Not yet. Nill just arrived.
B.) Same answer as A. But I will be useful if I can find a job. And figure out how to make the gods happy.
C.) Why would people not be serious about this?

[wasthemaster]

A.) In the last few days, or longer?
B.) What makes you think the gods are that easily satisfied?
C.) You'd be surprised.

[snugglesjugs]

I would certainly hope I've been helpful to the city. I'm pretty good at using runic magic. [He rediscovered runic magic, he's a smart little bugger.] I'm also great at researching stuff too.

[wasthemaster]

You are exactly the person I need to talk to then. [Why the hell didn't he think of that before?]

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[looseshackles]

I can be helpful when it comes to fighting and protecting. That's what my strengths are back home and I try to use my skills here.

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[wasthemaster]

Hand to hand combat or with weaponry?

[iin2ufferable]

A.) no
B.) no
C.) no

[wasthemaster]

And once again you've just proven how utterly useless you are. Fantastic, thank you Sollux.
Anything else you'd like to share with the class?

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[true_renaissance_man]

A.) I like to think so.
B.) People seem to enjoy the paintings and the inventions have come in very useful.
C.)

[A more serious inquiry could never exist.]


I'm sorry I could not resist. I already have a very successful business and I am not looking for anything right now. What I really wanted to ask about was Euri. She managed to return home? When did this happen?

Text omg I laughed. Oh no

[wasthemaster]

[...is he actually...

...you know. Best to not question it.]

What sort of inventions? [Having an inventor on his side might be good...

At the question of Euri though he pauses.] I noticed a little over a week ago when she didn't show up at the shop and her name had disappeared from the network. Unfortunately I don't have exact details. [Despite wishing he had.]

Knew her quite well, did you?

[Video] | Private

[dragonspeak]

Depends on what we're supposed to be doing. Is this for the project you've been working on?

[Video] | Private

[wasthemaster]

[He can't even hide the mildly excited and terrified look on his face.]

It's exactly that. I'm weeding out my options without disclosing everything just yet. Seems fair, does it not?

text;

[doggedly]

well arent we serious today


are you going to answer these questions as well?

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[wasthemaster]

Yes, you are Sirius today. And every other day, I imagine. [...pun jokes. Really?]

I'll answer soon enough, but why should I reveal my answers before everyone else does?

[text]

[fishdouche]

im not interested in bein useful to anythin or anyone but my owwn causes
wwhy do you care so much

[Look it's an actual serious reply. From the king of bitterness about being in Asgard.]

[text]

[wasthemaster]

Who said I actually cared?
Doesn't anyone believe in curiosity anymore?

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[palebee]

Others have made note of the troubling subjectivity inherent to any such question. Trash and treasure, as the saying goes -- if perhaps, a tad harshly.

Of course, you've already neatly covered that yourself. Asking one's own use is a personal inquiry, but one made no less (forgive me) useful for it.

To whit, I suppose that I consider myself to be of use to myself, and aspire that standard meet with more broadly-applicable result. I had a similar conversation upon the subject not long ago, though to markedly different tone. What brings the matter to your mind?

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[wasthemaster]

[Oh hi Dumbledore.

Shit. He pauses for a moment then, reading and re-reading the man's answer as he tries to absorb everything that's being said. Generally he finds that Dumbledore talks far too much and usually it's unhelpful, but today he's actually finding that the answer makes sense.]

I suppose it's a case of how people value themselves, how the gods value us, and how that validity can be used in terms of getting things done here. Supply and demand, if you will. I imagine that most people aren't nearly as useful here as they think they are but at least asking is a guise of pretending to care about the results. [And it's a good way to weed out who can and cannot be of service to him.]

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[discrepant]

1) Only to my master do I consider myself to be of use. However, I do my utmost to be of use to whoever is in need or require my services.

2) I believe only those, who can consider another individual as useful, are by those one has worked alongside with. It would be pretentious of someone -- especially in my position -- to consider themselves otherwise.

3) If any of my responses to your thoughtful inquiries are to your liking or you have any other questions to ask, then please do let me know. I will do my best to respond as promptly and thorough as I am able to to your satisfaction.

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[wasthemaster]

1.) You've a master? I didn't realize we still had slaves in Asgard.
2.) How precisely can that be pretentious? Wouldn't you agree that you yourself would know your abilities far more than anyone else?
3.) I wouldn't say they're to my liking though I am curious what thought is actually being put behind these answers.

Try again.

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[bruxisms]

And why do you desire to know the answers of utter strangers?

[ Suspicious, as always. Not to mention, how is anyone to trust a man who does not show his face when asking such a question? ]

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[wasthemaster]

Because, unfortunately, you're all I have to work with.

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[tradire]

Opening up discussion on worthiness en masse simply sets one up for disappointment. What you find useful, others may not and the same goes in reverse.

The important question is what you seek and if you are worthy enough to obtain it.

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[wasthemaster]

[...well isn't that something. Of course that makes sense. He should have thought of that himself, why didn't he think of that himself? Like hell he'll admit that the answer's correct though.]

And why should my worth be accounted for in terms of the worth of the people I need to use?

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[therightchoice]

I don't find myself useful like a soldier will be. I'm still a kid and I'm still at Level 1 at Life Drawing, so I think I'm at the bottom. I'm thinking of going to school, but I don't know if that will make me extra useful somehow. I doubt it.

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[wasthemaster]

[Right. There are still children in the city. What a nightmare.]

What benefit would you obtain by not receiving an education? Think of that.