《A Cleric's Life for me.》Interlude 3: A change in perspective
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Jack said to "start from the top" not understand the plan his "almost adviser" was proposing. Zack calmly replied between bites of Jelly pastries "Ok so you're the BBEG. Basically you can't actually do anything. You've got to make it seem like you do all this evil stuff but if you do the other Gods will stop you. So instead you make it SEEM like you're doing something. You allude to your omniscient and evil plan that really never happens. Right before everyone dies the good guy has to come in and save everyone even though no one was really in danger. It draws out the drama and makes things suspenseful. In reality the good guys are just wondering through life doing the things you WANT them to do that you CAN'T do because of the other gods". Jack thought for a second and said "BBEG?" and Zach replied "Big bad evil guy. Like a super villain but the super villain that actually gets what he wants".
Moments passed and Jack replied "I am just not getting it. How does this get me any new followers at all. It seems like if I am constantly failing then everyone one will just laugh at us". "That's the trick. Instead of doing evil stuff that gets stopped by the good guys you do GOOD stuff that gets stopped by the good guys" Zach said. He continued a moment later after the message sunk in "And then when the good guys stop you you look great while they look bad. If they do nothing, you end up looking like one of the good guys. Then people want to worship at the temple of Jack because it looks like he's got a better offer than the other gods and BAM! you sell them a 2006 used Toyota Corolla for 3000 over fair market value because you threw in a 12 month bumper to bumper protection plan and new tires, but the protection plan is so limited that it can't actually be used if something does break".
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Jack did not know what a Toyota Corolla was but it must be quite the item to be so valuable that selling it for over 3000g more than it's worth seemed like a good deal. Some artifacts in his collection were that valuable but not many. He did like the protection plan idea though. He let the once human used car sales man turned dragonkin continue "Besides what would the God of Law do IF you started playing their game? If you stopped opposing this tree Goddess would she threaten action against you? Could she even? She is forced to play by her own rules. If you are helping people then she has to let you, right?".
Jack froze time in his pocket universe. He pondered those questions for quite some time and tried to play out events in his head. He could see a limited time into the future as a God and he could pretty reasonably plan for the other Gods reactions. He thought and pondered for a long, long time. He had to admit the over weight dragonkin was right. His wasn't even hated. He was more just avoided. He wasn't like the insufferable God of Death that always had to go around making a mess of everything and trying to "Corrupt life and force souls into ever lasting damnation". He was melodramatic but not that melodramatic. He was ultimately just looking to have a good time. A "Party Girl" as the humans would say. Just "casual hookups, nothing serious". He wouldn't be too offended if he actually helped some people if it meant he got more fun and interesting antics out of it. Hell he didn't even care that Rich preformed a Ceremony of Rest in the name of the God of Life. That old hippy lady was far too open and caring. She wouldn't even consider asking anything of Jack in return. He considered being Chaotic Good for a second. He liked the outcomes he saw. This was such a paradigm shift that Jack sat there for what had to be years and just pondered why he hadn't thought of it before. With this plan he actually could "Rule over the world" as the "Super Villains" tried to do. Then it dawned on Jack. The God of Law was probably doing something similar. She probably didn't even care that Jack was "a Bad Boy" and "didn't follow the Rules". She just wanted more followers and the best way to attract mortals was with "honey and not vinegar".
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Before Jack unfroze time he got up and tied the dragonkin's shoes together. He might act that way towards the new mortals but he's already got these souls under his care. He can screw with them. Jack sat back down and unfroze time. pretended to think for a while longer while the over weight dragonkin munched on another doughnut and loudly sipped coffee. Eventually he stood up abruptly and said "That is actually a brilliant idea. Come with me!" and started walking off. Zach was startled and fell back in his chair. Jack didn't even need to tie his shoes together. Jack was disappointed but didn't let it show.
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