the deal you made with them. one of them wanted out, didn't they?
[She remembers what Persephone said about him being a villain. And since that conversation started when she mentioned Woden the Talent Scout, even she could piece together who was the villain for]
you asked her to be more than just a singer. you used her, and when she didn't like it, you made a fool of her in front of everyone. it was about more than just the suit.
[That's how the story she was told went. Now it's Woden's turn to tell another one.]
I didn't make a fool out of her. I discredited her when she discredited me.
And I might have been...spiteful, when I built a new suit and destroyed it right in front of her, but... she'd spread lies about me. She was doing a press circuit talking about how terrible I was, but when I offered her another suit, she wanted to come right back. She WANTED to work with me.
She liked the power I gave her more than she did her lies.
[It's now clear that Persephone may have left a few details out of her story. To be fair, Utena could have asked more questions, but questions didn't seem necessary. It was clear what he had done... or so she thought. She doesn't want to believe that someone would lie about something like that, but... but if it's true, why would she come back to him?
Conflicting desires are not something that Utena Tenjou is well aware of. This may cause a few problems for her in the future.]
wait. why would she even start something like this if it wasn't true? why would she risk that much?
[Because it was a risk, wasn't it? She could think of very few people who'd admit something like this publicly. They would have handled it privately. Why make a big deal out of it if it wasn't actually true?]</small
Because I'm a pig who only offers powers to tall asian women? Because I'm creepy, gross, and REALLY easy to attack? Because we did have sex, and the power issues were inappropriate?
[ Woden isn't hiding, he's just framing the narrative. Remixing things to work to his advantage. ]
She was hurt, and she wanted to leave. When I didn't let her take the suit with her, she lashed out. It's not surprising. All she did was frame things to her favor, and it worked. For a time. She denounced it, later.
[It's funny how much a remix can change the mood of a song. A faster beat here, a few rearranged words there, and you have an entirely new experience. Woden doesn't create a new song; Utena still knows that he's a creep, and Woden doesn't bother hiding it. However, there's a difference someone taking advantage of or coercing someone and a relationship that's turned sour. There's still those pesky issues of power and control, but unfortunately for Utena (and fortunately for him) the nuance is lost on her. That's the advantage of talking to someone who hasn't entered the real world yet.
However, he hasn't won her over just yet. There's one question left, and the answer will determine the course of their conversation]
what would you have done if she had said no? not no to accepting the suit. no to you being more than just her manager.
I don't know. Probably nothing. I wasn't that into her.
[ He liked to watch, after all. Being with her had been a requirement for his persona, but... he hadn't done it more than once or twice. He didn't like the touching, or the... well, he didn't like any of it. Not that close. But it was great for what he wanted people to see from him. ]
She wasn't my only Valkyrie. I don't know why you all assume that she's the one I had to have.
[If Utena had turned on the video for a face to face conversation, Woden would have seen her recoil from the camera when she read his response. For now, though, the only sign of her displeasure was the slight pause in replies as she fumed at the screen. He talked about the Valkyrie like they were objects to have, objects that were barely worth his interest, and there was only one word she could use to describe it]
[Then, shortly afterward, there was a second text]
but you're not someone i have to worry about right now.
[That was why she wanted to talk to him, wasn't it? Persephone's conversation elevated him from a nuisance to a threat. She wasn't sure how much she believed him, but if he was lying, then why would he tell a story that still painted him as a creep? Wouldn't he try to make himself look better?]
[ Really. Why was he even having this conversation? Oh yeah, probably Persephone. She did seem to think that he was still treating his Valkyries like objects.
Which, he still did a little bit, but not like THAT. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
text
[She remembers what Persephone said about him being a villain. And since that conversation started when she mentioned Woden the Talent Scout, even she could piece together who was the villain for]
text
She just couldn't take the suit I made for her with her. It was a fair trade.
text
[Though, uh, Persephone didn't mention anything about a suit...]
text
[ Like. Seriously? Was it the whole discrediting thing? Because...she started it? ]
text
[That's how the story she was told went. Now it's Woden's turn to tell another one.]
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And I might have been...spiteful, when I built a new suit and destroyed it right in front of her, but... she'd spread lies about me. She was doing a press circuit talking about how terrible I was, but when I offered her another suit, she wanted to come right back. She WANTED to work with me.
She liked the power I gave her more than she did her lies.
text
Conflicting desires are not something that Utena Tenjou is well aware of. This may cause a few problems for her in the future.]
wait. why would she even start something like this if it wasn't true? why would she risk that much?
[Because it was a risk, wasn't it? She could think of very few people who'd admit something like this publicly. They would have handled it privately. Why make a big deal out of it if it wasn't actually true?]</small
text
[ Woden isn't hiding, he's just framing the narrative. Remixing things to work to his advantage. ]
She was hurt, and she wanted to leave.
When I didn't let her take the suit with her, she lashed out. It's not surprising.
All she did was frame things to her favor, and it worked. For a time. She denounced it, later.
text
However, he hasn't won her over just yet. There's one question left, and the answer will determine the course of their conversation]
what would you have done if she had said no? not no to accepting the suit. no to you being more than just her manager.
text
[ He liked to watch, after all. Being with her had been a requirement for his persona, but... he hadn't done it more than once or twice. He didn't like the touching, or the... well, he didn't like any of it. Not that close. But it was great for what he wanted people to see from him. ]
She wasn't my only Valkyrie. I don't know why you all assume that she's the one I had to have.
1/2
you're disgusting
2/2
but you're not someone i have to worry about right now.
[That was why she wanted to talk to him, wasn't it? Persephone's conversation elevated him from a nuisance to a threat. She wasn't sure how much she believed him, but if he was lying, then why would he tell a story that still painted him as a creep? Wouldn't he try to make himself look better?]
no subject
[ Really. Why was he even having this conversation? Oh yeah, probably Persephone. She did seem to think that he was still treating his Valkyries like objects.
Which, he still did a little bit, but not like THAT. ]
Anything else I can illuminate for you?
no subject
[Because really, what else is there to say at this point?]