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WHO: Technical Boy and Woden
WHERE: Tech Boy's Virtual Reality Limo
WHEN: Mid March, late evening
WHAT: Reunited and it feels so ~~not~~ good
WARNINGS: Two arrogant gods...there's bound to be swearing at the least.

[ It most definitely hadn't taken Tech Boy long to integrate himself with this world's internet -- to get up to date on the things that had happened, both past and present. Of particular interest had been Woden's whole unmasking debacle, exposed on the network for everyone to be in shock about. And while Technical Boy shouldn't have been surprised because....it was Woden, after all; across the board, they tended to be general disappointments -- he did feel duped. And how did Tech Boy handle himself when that happened? Well, not like a rational adult....that was for damn sure.

It took some time to locate the man. His powers were limited here, so his search had to be a mix of old fashioned and luck. But at some point, in one of the porter cities, he got within a 50 mile radius of technology that would locate him. And so, Tech Boy planted one of his face pods and waited -- waited for David Blake to be near enough so that the technological god could fit him with a mask of a different sort.

And whenever that happened to be, David would find himself transported to a digital limo -- geometric shapes unfolding before him before Technical Boy materialized on the seat opposite of him. ]

Hello, Professor. Or should I say Woden?

[ A pause for a vape. ]

I'm sure you haven't forgotten who I am.

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[ David Blake was given so few opportunities to be himself, these days. After so long living in a safehouse, and then his "reformation" that certainly hadn't flown very high -- he wanted nothing more than to feel that ever-present thrum of power against his skin. The acknowledgement and fear that the other gods had shown while he had been active and a mystery.

Even now, around Technical Boy, he knew he had lost ground. How could he not? He wasn't what he'd expected, he wasn't his genius son, after all.

David could only posture, a hand slipped against the back seat, and he slid back, his lips split into a grin that did not fit the kindly old 'David Blake' demeanor. ]

Technical Boy. [ He said, an eyebrow raised. ] To what do I owe the pleasure? Although if you wanted to see me, it would have been far nicer to give me time -- I could have gotten into proper attire.

Fuck your proper attire.

[ He sneered, smoke billowing from his nostrils. His eyes focused on Woden with mild disdain. ]

Were you fucking with me? Was that it? You wanted to play me for a fool? Wouldn't put it past you since it's an Odin thing to do, but we're going to take that Odin down. Destroy him. Delete him.

[ Fingers tapped against the arm rest briefly, irritation passing and shifting to something a bit more scrutinizing. ]

But you've fallen now so there's no point in taking you down. So, question is -- how the fuck do you plan on picking yourself back up? Seems like most of your pantheon is now gone.

Did you think that was personal?

[ He asked, an eyebrow lifted. Honestly, he was almost blown away by the sheer audacity of it, but he didn't continue. He could have, of course. There was only one person this was personal toward -- and Jon wasn't here to suffer the folly of his own father, now, was he?

He instead met his gaze, his fingers twitched. It was hard, like this, without his mask. David Blake was like wearing an anxious skin too tight for the monster he'd become. He wanted to shift out of it, and into his real clothing, his mask with the impenetrable face, the glare of someone's own reflection looking back at them. it made him feel powerful. Strong. In control. ]

Oh, do you worry that I'm going to... fade into the distance? That's hardly my style. [ A beat. ] And my pantheon being gone is a boon. Now I only have to deal with Cassandra, and she -- [ A half-laugh. ] She can't even put the obvious pieces together, no matter how much I taunt her.

So I plan on coming back into myself soon enough -- all I've lost is... [ He gestured down at himself. ] Anonymity.

[ His nose wrinkled. Petulant. Did he take it personally? Of course he did. After all, who tended to matter more than him? But logically, Tech Boy knew it wasn't. Woden had kept his identity hidden from his pantheon, and it made sense. All of them were teenagers and David Blake was just so....old.

Still didn't make him happy to have spent time around someone who wasn't the cool version of Odin. Not really. Still definitely levels up on Wednesday, though. ]

Anonymity is everything. It's power. Why do you think I'm where I am today?

[ His hands extended outward, a holier than thou motion. ]

I provide the platform that lets people hide behind the masks of their masks. Without that edge, are you really going to inspire devoted followers with your looks? Your charming personality?

[ Tech Boy gave a haughty laugh, leaning back against the seat. ]

But.

[ The amusement never left his face as he met David's gaze. ]

Today's your lucky day. You want to restore your former glory. So do I. Looks like our goals still align if nothing else.

Do they?

[ David was...curious. He was no stranger to faustian bargains, and in fact, had made plenty in all his years. Ananke was simply just the worst in a long stream of questionable life decisions. It had been the most personally gratifying, yet. He didn't know, however, what Technical Boy was offering.

Not that he wasn't intrigued. David was in fact exceptionally intrigued.

He leaned forward, hands placed together, elbows on his knees, fingers steepled. Without the mask, it looked much more like an older gentleman examining something, but with the mask, it had been intimidating. He stared with the intensity of someone who had indeed spent 2 years wearing a mask, and he didn't blink. ]

You have an idea, then? I will admit, staying to the shadows has been... relatively stifling. At least as a whole. I thought I had left the days where I would live my life in the shadows. [ At least in part, he implied. ]

[ From his analysis of David Blake, he had no reason to believe the guy had lied to him about anything else before. Just his identity...and not even that. He simply didn't bother to tell him about it. But he was still a god. Still part of his world's pantheon. Still from a world where gods supposedly lived only two years time and then vanished -- only to be resurrected later on.

Though perhaps David was always the exception to the rule.

Either way, Technical Boy had no qualms about sharing his plans. Who was David really going to tell? Who in this world did he have that actually gave a shit or believed a word he said? ]

The world is going digital. People don't want to live in their realities anymore. And who can blame them? The real world is so... [ His face twisted with disgust. ] ...limiting.

But in the virtual world, you can be whoever the fuck you want. And there's a whole untapped territory, waiting for you to conquer. Imagine it. Your suit. Right now. Imagine the way it covers your skin and it'll materialize. Go ahead. I'll wait.

[ He leaned back and waited for David to do so -- to bring the suit he longed for into reality. Of course, there were limits to Technical Boy's digital realm right now. While the suit could appear -- could give the illusion that it's there, David would only be able to see it on himself...not feel it. It was like a hologram, but one that would provide the same sort of coverage. ]

[ And David did, looked down at his hands, and imagined it -- that suit that masked his fingers and hands, kept that old face away from the rest of the world, where nobody would know that he was simply an old man, looking at everyone, judging them. He imagined the high of having that power again, being anonymous, and his fingers shifted, as if he had his mask and suit.

It wasn't real, though. he could tell by the way he felt, the way the air was too clean, not recycled or filtered, no stifling sense of being trapped in the mask that wasn't his.

Just a veneer to make him happy, or something fake, to make him feel more comfortable. He didn't relax, though. He knew the difference. ]

Clever. Is it an illusion?

[ Even so, the evenness of his voice was apparent -- even with a layer of varnish, Woden slipped through, as if David could imagine using his vocoder to hide whatever inflection he wanted -- so he used little. At least when he was hidden. ]

For now.

[ He drew in a short inhale of his vape pen -- frustration evident. He didn't like having his powers dwarfed. Over the years, Technical Boy had only grown stronger. He had never experienced the opposite...until this world. ]

But as I gain followers, this virtual reality will become as real and tangible as actual reality. The only difference is it's limitless. Want to build an actual Valhalla? Only thing that would hold you back is your imagination. If this is a world where you can create your own rules, I think it's the best place to fast track your way back to the top.

Fast track...

[ David said, thoughtful. It was true, it was an illusion. He could tell from the timbre of his voice, the way it didn't sell the true mask -- the one he'd copied for himself, and made his.

Disappointing, though it was, he understood. One could promise all they want, but limitations were limitations. He wondered if there would be growth for him, if followers would make the difference. Wasn't this the plot in Peter Pan, after all? Clap your hands together, and believe in fairies? David remembered that, he thought.

He smiled. ]

And I assume, of course, that this would not be proposed for free, yes? What sort of aid are you in need of?

[ It was never free as far as gods were concerned. Although, the more powerful a god...the more demands they could make. That was how Mr. World could influence so many to follow behind him. Even Technical Boy bowed to his demands, like nothing more than a lackey. But didn't he owe his success to globalization?

The corners of his lips turned upward in a faint smirk. ]

No. But I'm not asking for anything impossible. I need people to start learning my name...people in tech companies, people who may have gotten lost in their worship of Woden and need to be steered back in the right direction. I need access to a workshop and parts, too. These fuckers thought they'd be hilarious and gave me a job as a sales clerk at Radio Hut. Couldn't even be Buy Best.

[ His nose wrinkled in distaste. ]

They haven't gone out of business?

[ He asked, a twitch of his lips. He noticed, of course, that he'd pointed out that they would be lost in worship of him, but said nothing. Technical Boy did not need to know that Woden's "worshippers" had been few and far between as a whole, and that those who did would likely be more than happy to supplicate themselves at the feet of Technical Boy.

Honestly, if he hadn't... No matter. ]

A Workshop I most certainly have. Followers is also...doable. I have a moderate online presence, and I'm considering concerts again. Without Valkyries I don't have as many people showing up, but we can always give that honor to a few, and draw them in. People who flock to me may be... quite interested in you.

[ And David could always... scratch the record, so to speak, at any point that he wanted. ]

Making things exclusive is a good way to generate interest. Feeling left out always plays to that human desire to feel included. But do right by me and I can get you the people you need at your concerts. I can level you up. Fuck that old pantheon of yours. We are the future. We are what the world will subscribe to in the end. You spread my name and I spread yours. Then, like a goddamn virus, we infect and take over.

[ Technical Boy smirked, arrogant in his beliefs that this was possible. But he had no reason to not be arrogant. It wasn't like he failed before. And he didn't consider being sent home a failure here. This world was only a shadow to the one he truly ruled. ]

The pantheon you created. Credit where credit's due, it was a good plan. Really flexed how powerful you are and I bet it made your old pantheon shit themselves. The fatal flaw was building them up over night. Going from nothing to viral all at once? Ooo. [ He winced. ] More often than not it's a recipe for disaster. That and the fucking hero complex in this world.

I think you should try it again, only this time put in a longer term investment. Collect interest on that shit. Make them ask you for the power only you can bestow.

[ To this, David smiled. The long term. Oh, David was good at it -- a man who could plan to murder his own son and take his place for nearly two years had to be good at it. That, however, was nothing on the perspective a god had. Gods lived for ages -- or at least ones like Technical Boy, and Ananke. He didn't consider the other members of the Pantheon any more than shadows of the great gods they could be.

They were too wrapped up in their drugs, their sex, their petty stories about power and magic, too wrapped up in the glitz and glamour of it all. Woden was different, of course he was. Like he was kept apart from the rest of him like his suit, he kept the perspective sharp and clear. He watched, he observed.

This? This he could readily do. ]

Mutual spreading. [ He said. Flatly, before his lips curled up. ] I like it. Especially the part about...making people want it. [ A twitch of his lips. ] Maybe it's time to deal in Valkyries again -- gets them addicted to the power before they even realize it's happening.

I'd say it's a good move. Who would you aim to have as your target demographic? ImPorts or the regular schmucks in this world?

[ ImPorts would definitely be more of a challenge given Woden's history. But also, if there were ever people who came in seeking more power...they would likely be found within their little circle. ImPorts were dissatisfied with their powers all the time. Technical Boy probably didn't even have to go back that far into the archives of the network to find someone griping about it. And Woden could easily bestow the gift of more power. Or different power. Superior power. ]

Oh, that is the question.

[ He relaxed in his seat, comfortable talking about the subject. ]

Imports are... they may hate their powers, but they have them. Normal people are so, so desperate. [ Hadn't he been? ] Some would give anything to have it.

Desperation makes one so much more beholden.

Fair point. And you're able to build up their powers to the same extent you could with the imPorts? Or were you only able to do that with imPorts because they already had powers to build upon? What are your limits, is what I'm asking. And how can we surpass them?

[ He was always looking forward, always calculating in his partially digitized mind. How could they improve their odds of success? How could they obtain maximized power? What was the quickest path to restoring former glory? Woden wasn't an ideal ally, simply because he had failed once before. But perhaps it was because he had failed to have proper allies of his own. Having an actual god on his side could hedge the odds in his favor. ]

Ah, my limits, yes. [ David rubbed two fingers together, index and his pinky -- the false one that stored his bifröst. ]

It wasn't the imports powers that facilitated that. I...used my power to ensnare someone from my world, and used his ability to make powers more powerful to get enough juice.

My power is...impressive, but the more I create, the more it stretches thin. We likely won't be able to give people a full gamut of powers. At least at first, until we find a way to push the limit, so to speak.

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