firstworldproblem | IC Inbox (Imeeji)

Yeah. One of Taisho's original members.

There was a hostage game, but the hostages were public. Everyone was together in the same room, and everyone had to work together to solve a puzzle in order to save both hostages. The catch was, there were two hostages up at any given time, and either unit could save their own hostage by crying uncle and killing the other one. The hostages underwent some escalating torture while everyone else worked on the puzzle.

The game had been going so-so, we'd gotten a couple puzzles right, but in the round before me one of the teams had to cry uncle at the last second. I was put up with Taisho's hostage, a kid, and we were rigged up to bleed to death.

[pausing briefly for questions.]

You wished to save him, and I imagine you asked for him to say the words that would spare them.

I didn't get a chance to say anything. Two minutes into the game Yasuragi called it, and I bled to death there right there in front of everyone.

It was my first death. I would have given my life, but Yasuragi took it from me in full public view, and no-one cared.

Then the mantle of a demon does suit him well if I understand what the term means.

[He pauses.]

No one? Not even your unit?

He's nothing so elevated as that.

I told my unit to stand down. I thought... I thought if I understood why he did it, everything would be fine. But he had no interest in explaining himself to me; I was nothing to him even though he killed me. Later, I learned he was simply a coward with no stomach for violence, even though he went on the commit quite a lot of it.

When I went over to Taisho to demand an explanation - demanding explanations was a thing I did a lot back in those days - he stonewalled me. I demanded Taisho secure his good behavior, and that's when Shu pulled an axe on me.

[Cardinal snorts.] I'm not allowed to be mad about that, though, because Shu didn't mean it. [Said with sarcasm, Cardinal rolling their eyes.]

Shu is the dramatic sort, for ill or for good. And it does seem his personality is the type to rub incorrectly among many. Though to resort to violence, well, I imagine emotions are high.

Though I would caution you on expecting a unit to control their own. They are not bound together by choice, but by circumstance. I've had my own encounters with a member of my own unit which I doubt either of us could be placated in the short term. Nor do I imagine we could influence each other.

And you are in your right to feel as you ought to, upset or no. Actions wrought actions, and injury of person is one that will cause bad faith.

[Cardinal makes a gesture waving it all away.]

This was ages ago. I know better now. Back then I was desperate; I just wanted something to change. So I was reckless.

Is that from whence the bad blood between Taisho and Avante began?

Right. And then I swore a public oath that I'd kill Yasuragi if I ever caught him commiting an act of wanton violence again. That didn't do me any favors but at least I enjoyed myself when the time came.

Of course not. You riled up the righteous. I'm sure tales of your evil and unkind words reached your ears from more than one, even if you were the one to suffer.

You got that right. Nobody thought it was their business when they watched me die, but everybody had something to say when I wanted to hold by murderer accountable.

We had a few guests come and give their 'opinions' on how we handled our hostage and how our hostage should have acted.

How ridiculous.

If one is going to build a relationship they first must show they actually care about the other side. Or at least are willing to meet them partway.

The question is how to show you care... I tried to talk to Shu and Yasuragi countless times to try and understand them better, but they had already made up their minds.

Some you simply cannot. I am running into similar troubles. The blame is not on you. One cannot open a dialogue if they are not open to it.

[Flicks a glance at him, inviting elaboration. They don't want to dig uninvited into Emet-Selch's social business given how badly they just mismanaged their own.]

So, back to my initial plan of making sure all the units have an even dispersion of lovers on other units.

... Do you not worry that will cause more jealous lovers if one should be forced picked above another?

One of the newest on sensitIV I know. Lahabrea used to wear his face. Do I need to say we do not get along?

[laughs.] Maybe I am being optimistic again. This seems to be another thing that just doesn't work here. [a pause while they consider an example.] Like in my profile. I don't know who said that about me, but they saw value in me, because someone they loved saw value in me.

Competition isn't a bad motivator, either. Anything is better than tepid helplessness.

Right... I haven't had a chance to go say hi to him yet. So Lahabrea had his body at some point, I can see why he'd take offense to that. Do you think he's going to be a problem for you?

You know, I do appreciate your train of thought. At least if they are fighting over love they are not feeling useless. A small step in the right direction.

Lahabrea was quite tactical always having multiple schemes going at once. And we cannot be seen by mortal men without the body of one of theirs, alive or a corpse. It is also is quite the useful infiltration tactic.

He is, but he has just arrived. Let's see how time here treats him.

[chuckles.] Thanks. I do think... if we could make the games mean something, everything would change. But if they mean something, then everyone is responsible for what they do and how they act, so it's unlikely to ever happen.

[nodding in agreement to Emet-Selch's last statement.] Maybe he'll gain some new perspective.

Optimistic. In some games there is no right answer, only two terrible choices.

[He laughs at that.] Doubtful. Of the Hero's group he was the most stubborn. I do not believe peace is possible between us.

No. This is pragmatism. It wouldn't be a matter of right and wrong. [They smile at him.] That's not how feelings work, right?

I think you overestimate people's emotional maturity.

[Sigh!] Fair. Making up for lack of emotional maturity is what government's for so without any kind of agreement between the units, that plan's going nowhere.

But again at least they will be doing it for love and not hate. A slight improvement even if the end result is the same.

Real change takes a long time. [Cardinal sighs, soft.]

Which reminds me - [They pull out their phone, and tape a couple of keys. Emet-Selch will feel his own phone go off. Unless he puts it on silent, I don't know Emet-Selch's cellphone habits. ]

I have the notes ready.

[AKA, they finished the notes before they came here in case they got friend disowned.

Attached to a text is a document detailing the terraformation of Mars. Despite Cardinal's protestations of ignorance, it's a competent overview of the general process from a lay perspective. There is a disclaimer emphasizing that many of the details are specific to making Mars habitable for humans and an earth-like environment.

The longer section is about establishing a livable base in void conditions. It is full of practical details and estimates like materials, equipment, resupply schedules, timescales, and necessary manpower. Like the first, there is conscientious disclaimer that this is optimized for humans. Both sections are pretty skeletal for their subject matter. It's a solid study guide that does come with a bibliography but hardly a manual.]

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firstworldproblem - 2020-07-29 02:04 (UTC) - Expand