"Some," responded Wraith.
Akane nodded. You can take the demon out of hell but you can't take hell out of the demon. Or something like that. "So what was the point of the point system?"
"The points were supposed to give you some feedback on your performance, Miss Tendo," said someone that was not a Wraith.
Akane looked over this cigar-smoking figure and wondered if he meant to look this disreputable.
"Name's Mambo Jack, I'm an urban legend - which makes me sort of a demigod in some respects. See, the whole Labor concept was mothballed when that Twerp came around and they decided to try it."
Akane nodded. "So what was so special about this 'twerp'?"
"He wasn't trying for apotheosis, he was trying to get a job as a guardian of a magical area called the Well Of Mimir. That only happened after he'd worked for the RRO here for a few decades. You ARE trying to become a goddess, and they offered it to you right off the bat instead of losing the paperwork for a century or so, so they've raised the bar for you."
"Wonderful," said Akane, not liking this at all - or this individual. There was something about him that just made her want to grab a mallet and start pounding.
Mambo Jack stubbed out his cigar on the desktop. "See, the whole running score thing was meant to give you some guidance on how to go about your Labor, the score doesn't mean a thing at the end - it's just a pass/fail thing. Now the gal who's your sponsor is a real package and at the same time your worst enemy. She's taken a liking to you, so you can expect things to be nasty."
"Do you have a name to go with this menace?" Akane clenched her fists reflexively.
"Eris. Sister to Ares. Goddess of discord, jealousy, frayed tempers, and crap like that. Look, Tendo, the most likely thing is you fail to become the next Goddess Of Selfcenteredness or something and you get demoted to einherjar when Eris tires of you. You don't have nearly the enemies the Twerp did."
"I take it you don't like the 'Twerp'," said Akane.
"Nope. Feeling was mutual. Now he's failed his Labors and is off retired on some timeline, having a romance with an Angel Of Death. You trying for goddess - well, the penalties for failure normally match the prize for success, but seeing you in boot camp under the valkyries for a few millenia might qualify there." Mambo held up a few papers. "Now here's the deal, because you are unfamiliar with the whole nine yards, you're getting a choice in your next assignment. You can go to one of these settings, your choice - the mission is already chosen."
Akane frowned but caught the indistinct eye of the Wraith who nodded. "Okay. What are my choices for a setting?"
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(Posted Thu, 19 Dec 2002 13:45)
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