open to Investigators

[leftbehindagain]

It can't hurt to try to put some pieces together now that we've had a little more time, right?

Has anyone been able to get anything other than suspicious glares from the Red Team? The more I hear, the less I like the status quo, but if we don't know what the hell they think they're doing we can't really make an informed decision on where to go from here.

I'm also trying to figure out what the... well, the purpose of the Games is. Okay, you get higher Priority out of it, great, but at what cost? If Red Team's so paranoid, why do they allow this distraction from everyone's jobs?

Why is it falling to us and Blue Team to clean up major threats? Speaking of, I hope you guys are all holding up all right, if you've been tangled up in that. The sector I was helping out with lucked out - it was a problem a lot of us have dealt with before, in a way.

No wonder Naoto's getting frustrated.

Comments

[foreveralawn]

I've been okay. Though...maybe we should figure out a...cover story? For consistency. I've been pretending that I've got amnesia, b-but I'm not sure how much longer that's going to work...

And, I d-don't think I've figured out much yet, but I guess my question about the Defenders would be...what are they defending, if it's not the Miners? Something in the fort...?

[leftbehindagain]

I don't know, everyone I've talked to seems content to run with 'Variables are weird, what can you do.' But if anyone's got a good idea I'm open to it. [It can't hurt, right?]

That's one of my questions too. From what I've gathered, they're defending the wider system beyond the Partition - or the fort, I guess - from the purple crap. And that's all well and good, but it'd probably be easier to do that if they went out and, you know, defended.

But I'm applying common sense to the situation, so I'm probably off base. [That comes across in heavy sarcasm.] I can't decide if it's worth trying diplomacy with this bunch or if Red Team would just shout 'Priority' and call off the discussion.

[foreveralawn]

Hmm... Maybe it's just this one g-guy then...and...

[a pause as she thinks it over]

Well, it...doesn't really matter whether the individual Defenders listen. In the end, they've g-got to do what their leader says. That's...how it works, right? All that P-Priority stuff.

[leftbehindagain]

The individual Defenders probably have better odds of their boss listening to them without killing them on sight, or... whatever it is they do. [Let's not talk about this whole 'repurposing' thing okay okay.] But there's no guarantee of that, either.

[betrayedblade]

I may have your answer by the end of the day.


[[ooc note: I actually have a network post I'm working on in which Giovanni is going to share some information he's discovered about the Partition. It'll be out tonight. I'm not trying to step on any toes but I just wanted to let you know!]]

[leftbehindagain]

Really? Good luck, and be careful.

(OOC: No toes stepped on! The more they know, the better.)

[betrayedblade]

I will.


[[ooc: good, good! it was slightly delayed so i just wanted to apologize for it...being right after your post. :3]]

[prolificarse]

The purpose is control, of course. The fiction is that anyone can gain the privileges of the elite. Never mind that most never will, the possibility is there, and it's a much more palatable prospect than open revolt.

[leftbehindagain]

You'd think they wouldn't want to hand out that privilege at all, so why bother offering it to the winners?

[prolificarse]

Because if there was absolutely no chance of gaining privilege, rebellion would suddenly become a great deal more attractive to anyone who chafes under the weight of their station. Handing out little parcels of power according to very strict rules allows them to keep the majority of it concentrated exactly where they want it.

[leftbehindagain]

...I'll grant you that one. There's also the fact that they've likely killed anyone who's tried anything more overt.

[seestheworld]

Maybe the distraction is part of the point? Maybe they figure that if people are busy competing against each other, then there's less likelihood of them plotting together. And if the prize is really good, which it seems to be from their point of view, then they'll have more of a vested interest in supporting the status quo.

[leftbehindagain]

Or it's the only way to buck the system that isn't guaranteed to get you killed.

[seestheworld]

It seems like the only place where Red Team puts some slack in the leashes, or appears to.

[She can't help but wonder if every participant is there by choice.]

[leftbehindagain]

No kidding.

I think Naoto's planning something, but it's hard to say for sure when you have to go through rhetorical gymnastics just to have a conversation.

[foreveralawn]

And if the b-best athletes compete, and get m-maimed or killed, then they c-can't make trouble later, right?

[seestheworld]

I wouldn't be surprised if there was an element of weeding out the chaff, honestly. And it probably gives them a better idea of who could be useful to them and who might make trouble.

ota~

[abweichend]

Some of them might want to protect the Grid... But most probably only care about protecting themselves and their luxuries. The point of the Games is to get more of those assholes to the top, the ones who only want the status and privilege without the real power.

[He hasn't seen them for himself just yet, but he's heard enough that he doesn't really need to. The concept is clear enough to him.]

...I've counted more of us, Green, and Blue than Red, but since so many are too busy trying to buy their way inside or supporting their friends to that end no one's doing anything to challenge the setup here. [That he knows of. Naoto's rebellion is going to be the best thing since 3DMG to Levi, once he gets involved.] Maybe that's why we're here.

[He'd rather his 'purpose' (aha....) be to support change than tighten the grip of a system that's already so oppressive, honestly. FUCK THE MAN, basically.]

[leftbehindagain]

That'd definitely tally with why fighting monsters is falling to the people who aren't really prepared for it in any meaningful way.

Maybe it is. I, for one, can't help noticing there's a tower in there, which suggests a Trump right off the bat. [Or, well, it does when you're a Persona user and one of your party members was Tower. All the more reason to wish Taka-senpai was actually here.]

[abweichend]

It would.

[His psychic voice sounds... A little angrier than it should. HITTING A LITTLE TOO CLOSE TO HOME T B H.........

The thing about the tower, though... He hadn't thought of that. He's been given a list of the cards and a very brief description of each, but he has no connection to them otherwise and so he's not exactly an expert:]

The Tower is one of the cards, isn't it? What's it stand for?

[He needs a symbology lesson, clearly. Anything to help lead them to the Trump that's here, if one is in fact present.]

[hakodate]

You heard anything about that tower other than "it exists"?

[He's feeling...weirdly curious about this.]

[purseownerisme]

I'm just honestly hoping someone didn't make an ass out of himself during those Games.

[And you know...end up making things worse for them?]

Are you doing alright?

[leftbehindagain]

Why did he do that? [If Adachi crashes the conversation to try to explain himself, Naoki probably won't be surprised. And even with no visual, Yua can probably picture Naoki's face right about now, if she ever saw him having to hold his tongue when the housewife network got going about how he was spending his time.]

I'm hanging in there. I think Naoto's plotting something, but it's hard to be sure with all the verbal gymnastics talking about things in the stands required.

[purseownerisme]

Even I don't know.

[And people thought she was rash at times.]

Plotting something? Like what exactly?

[wantedittobeagame]

[Oh, you better believe he heard that, Naoki. Of course, Adachi has the best excuse ever:]

...it was fun?