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No, he didn't - and the only reason he isn't pissed at you is because you messed with his head! What did you do to us?

[If Eli couldn't get angry, then hey, she'd just be angry for the both of them]

I gave you all powers, that's it! A little tertiary knowledge of who you were was probably involved as well, but...

[ Woden shrugged. ]

It's probably because he already had something wrong with his head.

Excuse me?

[What, he's going to turn this around on them now?]

He's fine. I didn't do anything. If he can't mentally handle the fact that Sleipnir was a horse that was loyal to me, that's his problem.

The effects aren't lingering. They're likely residual traits from his own personality. You haven't changed, have you? He's the only one.

[She goes silent and looks away, clenching her fists]

Look, what happened - that wasn't me, alright?

[The cold. The numb. The harshness of the winter wind. That wasn't her, that was Skadi.]

Edited 2018-01-02 05:57 (UTC)

Of course not, but you remember, don't you? The memories, the emotions...

I wasn't going to take that from you. Eli likely remembered the emotions, and has no capability to differentiate them from his current state. That's all.

[And she turns back, her gaze as sharp as ever]

Oh, yeah, you just brainwashed him and turned him into a horse for a couple weeks. That's all. It's his fault that he's not over it, right?

Well, you clearly aren't Skadi, are you?

[She breathes in sharply, seething]

Did you know that we were going to change back? That we were going to go back to normal?

[She ignores his question. He's missing the point. She's not Skadi, but she was. She could have been Skadi forever.]

Based on the evidence from past events? Yes, absolutely.

[ Or rather, an 80% certainty. ]

You- that was just a guess! You messed with our heads, changed us into something we weren't - and for what?! So you could get off on being actual god for once?

For once?

[ His tone was arch -- even through the vocalizer. He went still. ]

I am a god. What do you mean by that?

I mean I don't see any posters for your shows. What was it that you told me, back when you wanted me to join your club the first time? That you weren't the one with the power. Not real power.

I can't sing.

[ It's chill, now. Even through the vocoder. ]

That doesn't mean I don't have power. I'm able to create and do things the rest of them couldn't even imagine doing. Mine manifests differently.

[Cold? Utena knows all about cold now, thanks to him. So she takes a step forward, staring right into his visor]

But that's not enough, is it? If it was, you wouldn't be pulling stupid stunts like this!

Oh no, there's never enough power. Not when I have so much love to give to the world.

Love? Is that what you're calling it?

[She snorts, disgusted]

You took away his free will! [His words, not hers] You turned him into some kind of... some kind of pet! That's not love - that's control.

It's not necessarily always different.

[ Woden knows it's shitty. He says it anyway. ]

Besides, if he didn't like it, he'd tell me.

He likes it. You're the one who doesn't.

[His words make her stomach churn, sickening her for reasons that she doesn't have the words to describe yet. She chokes, before she sputters out, still glaring at him]

He-he doesn't! He told me that you shouldn't have done that - any of that! Why would he say that if he enjoyed it?

A little uncertain, are you?

He keeps sending me messages, after all.

No, he isn't.

[It's a weak denial, with no evidence to back it up. But... he said how wrong it was...]

He has no reason to talk to you anymore - about anything!

Maybe you should tell him that?

Would you like to see it?

[ He pulled out his comm, and started to scroll. ]

Ah, there it is... [ He held up his phone. ] He even wished me a Happy Christmas.

[She furrows her brow as she reads it. There has to be some kind of explanation. Maybe he just wanted answers? And the holiday greetings, well, that can be explained away too. Eli said it himself, it was impossible to be angry with Woden now. He just got into his head.

Then she sees the words: Could I come?

Her stomach sinks]

This... you did this to him. There's no way he'd want something like this, after... after you...

[She can't even finish the words. There's something wrong here. Something that goes beyond physical changes and mind games. It's the nature of want. It's the nature of need. How could someone feel so drawn to someone after they've felt so violated?]

I turned him into a horse! With Sleipnir's memories! That's it.

[ If an eyeroll could be conveyed in a blank helmet right now, it would be. ]

I'm working on trying to fix it. I don't want him to be attached to my hip any more than you do! ]

Funny, I thought you would have liked the attention. You didn't really have a problem with him being attached before.

[It's a petty jab, nearly sulky in its delivery. There's a lot of things here that she doesn't understand. She doesn't understand why Eli remains attached, but she doesn't understand why Woden would draw him in and chase him off]

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