Dude! Guys! Olivier Jethro DuBois here, back with another interview! I went deep undercover this week under the guise of my internship with the council to interview Joash! Of course he totally fell for it, thinking I want to be like him when I grow up… 🙄. But you know what they say, “Pride comes before a fall”! Just wait until you read it though!
Olivier: “Thank you so much for sitting down with me today to ask a few questions.”
Joash: *nodded pompously* “What is that?”
Olivier: “Oh I don’t trust myself to take fast enough notes, and I don’t want to miss anything, so I’m recording us on my phone.”
Joash: *looked impressed at my eagerness to absorb his mighty wisdom*
Olivier: “So I guess my first question is how did you get to be where you are today? Like, how did you climb the ranks all the way to the top?”
Joash: “Well after the Fall, we Nephilim learned we had to be more careful who we put our trust in. We were scattered, disorganised, lost. I was the one who brought us all back together. I was the one who brought order back into the chaos. So when it came time to choose a leader, I guess everyone thought I was the logical choice.”
Olivier: “So when was that, exactly? Before or after Luc-“
Joash: “Well the bringing everyone back together thing was while Luc and Shael were still running the show. They seemed fine with allowing some of us to wander around aimlessly alone while they regrouped with whoever was conveniently at their disposal. If the Fall itself wasn’t enough, that was indication that they were unfit to lead, and viewed the rest of us as disposable. There weren’t as many of us in those days. The original fallen generation was fairly small. Probably why we lost the war. Luc was charismatic, but he thought everyone should come to him, he didn’t do enough to recruit.”
Olivier: “Is that why you invest so much into our younger generations?” *Like that’s actually a thing that he does…😵 Yep, I went there…*
Joash: “Precisely, without growth, there is no future.”
Olivier: “I’m going to write that down.” *drew a caricature of Joash in a crown and a jester’s costume instead, as I asked my following questions* “So, you fostered unity among the Nephilim, and that’s why they elected you leader?”
Joash: “In part. Though I’m sure there were other factors that played into the decision.”
Olivier: *OMG the level of SMUG!* “Have you ever considered retiring or passing the baton? I can’t imagine leading for so long hasn’t taken a toll.”
Joash: “Honestly, it isn’t easy. But I wouldn’t wish this task on another. It’s eternally taxing. Not to mention the uneasiness of the roll falling into the wrong hands and the impact that could have on the entire creation, let alone the Nephilim.”
Olivier: *Guys, it took everything in me not to choke on this statement. Like, for real!* “Of course. I mean the Nephilim have an extremely important duty to perform, I can’t imagine if there were a leader with ulterior motives in power.” *I was a little worried my sarcasm had shone through, and that I’d blown it, here.* “What would you say the top priorities are for the Nephilim?*
Joash: *Didn’t even think a second before answering- like autopilot at it’s finest* “Firstly, to obey the mandates handed down to us from the Lord. Second, to protect creation from the forces of evil. And thirdly, to maintain control through unity within the Nephilim forces. We can not afford disorder or descent. That is why we exile those who rebel and promote discord. Any fracture could allow evil a foothold.”
Olivier: *I was stunned silent by his pointed implication. Like WTF 🤬. Like Noland was bringing evil into the council…? Deep breath Olivier! Deep Breath… Don’t jump the desk and pummel this d-bag… don’t do it.* “Right…” *yeah, that’s all I could manage to say. I was too busy trying to keep him from noticing the smoke coming out of my ears. So I acted like I was taking notes again, because I couldn’t look at him. I just couldn’t.*
Joash: “Your friend Noland for example, he held a disturbing amount of influence over your generation. By allowing him to continue as Bekhor, he could have led an entire generation astray. Just look at how easily your own mate was almost willing to follow him into exile.”
Olivier: *😡 At this point my hands were shaking, I almost broke my pen, and I knew I had to wrap up this interview and get away from this guy before I snapped.* “Yeah, that would be a low point in our relationship I’d rather not discuss.” *I think he was genuinely surprised by the coldness of my tone.*
Joash: *nodded with pious understanding* “Then you do truly understand the importance of dealing with those sorts of issues before they get out of hand. That’s the hard part of leadership. Sometimes you have to make the hard calls. You’re interested in climbing the ranks yourself, aren’t you? Could you do it? Could you cut off your mate?”
Olivier: *Hey! I’m supposed to be the one asking the questions here!😤* “I think you’d be surprised by what I’m willing to cut off for the sake of doing what’s right.” *I locked eyes with him so hard- I hope he felt my intended meaning.* “But speaking of doing the right thing, I should let you get back to it! I’d hate to take up too much of your valuable time. Thank you so much for letting me pick your brain!”
Joash: “Of course. It’s so nice to see members of our youngest generation really grappling with the harsh realities we’re dealing with and learning to approach them from a place of reason.”
Olivier: “You bet I am!” *Put on the fakest smile of my life to try and just make it out of that office.* 👀
If you’re looking for a funner interview, you should check out the conversation I had with my bestie last month! And if you want verification that Noland is a way better leader than Joash, you can see the differences clearly by reading the interview I did with him!
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