HANSA

[chanteuser]

Comments

[robopriest]

I see.

[How interesting.]

Do you think the murders change the rankings, somehow?

[chanteuser]

I think it’s just nova gathering. A lot of we do seems to change it, or... that’s what my Leader said.

Murder could, but so can other things.

[ ... ]

So, I’m no closer to knowing if murder’s the biggest factor in ranking change. Basically.

[robopriest]

That IS the question, isn't it.

[A sigh.]

Another mystery on top of all the other mysteries. We could make a book of them at this point.

[chanteuser]

[ mmmmnrrrrggg. ]

Most mystery books have some kind of answer, rather than, like, seven mysteries all together with no resolution.

[robopriest]

Hahaha. Maybe it's an anthology?

[chanteuser]

[ she just

raises a hand and whacks his shoulder. there's literally no force to it, its fine. ]

[robopriest]

[He's just going to put a hand against her cheek and shove her face very very lightly.]

What? Am I wrong?

[chanteuser]

[ ack ]

Who would read an anthology of mysteries with no big reveal at the end?

[robopriest]

[He's grinning wide as he pulls his hand back.]

Masochists.

[chanteuser]

Maybe don't consider a career in anthology publishing, Hansa.

[ this conversation is dumb and so are they. ]

[robopriest]

Aw. Are you nipping my publishing career that quickly in the bud...

[idiot to idiot conversation]

[chanteuser]

[ yeah ]

You can go and live out all your publishing dreams, but you have to deal with the angry emails about all your anthology mysteries having no conclusion on your own.

[robopriest]

Angry emails? You say that like I wouldn't welcome it. It would be entertaining getting them even more mad.

[HANSA: PROFESSIONAL TROLL]

[chanteuser]

[









sigh. she just takes the bottle off him. hers now. ]

Congratulations on your new job, then?

[robopriest]

Watch out, publishing world. Here I come. I'll take you by storm.

[Just. Deadpan.]

[chanteuser]

I hear really bad romance novels sell well. There's a starting point.

[ hit that demographic running. ]

[robopriest]

What's that genre even like? People getting into fights over things they misheard and then they make out passionately against a backdrop of a sunset or something?

[chanteuser]

I think there’s a lot of swooning involved? [ she takes another sip of the wine. ]

Or some kind of weird power fantasy where one of them’s super rich so you get to write about fancy penthouses and helicopters.

[robopriest]

What's so special about that? Then again, there are those novels where its like, "check out this bad boy cowboy and how he charms the socks off the local lady in town" or something. Guess you don't always need riches.

[Reaching for the wine. Give it to him, please.]

[chanteuser]

[ which is driving him to drink more? the concept of mills and boon or everything about the weekend?

still, she hands the bottle over. ]

If I knew maybe I’d have started a lucrative career writing these things.

[robopriest]

[He saw a saint get stabbed by a kid they sent to his death. Things are a Lot Right Now.]

[He takes a quick swig.]

It doesn't seem that hard. They all seem based on templates, anyways. Like fill in the blank. Real romance must be far more messier.

[chanteuser]

That’s part of the whole fantasy selling point, isn’t it? All the problems are contrived and there’s no real hurdle in the way.

When is real life ever that simple?

[robopriest]

It never is.

[He's handing back the bottle.]

But that's what's special about life too, huh? It might be complicated, but...it just makes you appreciate it all the more.

[chanteuser]

The parts that are terrible are just really terrible to make the other parts seem better?

[ she doesn’t drink from the bottle, she just turns it around and around in her hands, almost idly ]

That sort of makes sense.

[robopriest]

No, that's not it.

[He shakes his head.]

Life is filled with good and bad things. Bad things aren't there to prop up the good things. Sometimes, things are just bad. But life, overall, is good, I think.