Week 2

[bathymetric]

Good morning, New Rapture. A new day is dawning.

It's now been a week since you were all captured. Perhaps you've already settled in. Perhaps you're already confident that you'll make it out of New Rapture alive. How serious about this could Mayor Fontaine possibly be, really?

While there still may not be much to do in your little hotel bubble, you've at least been granted a little more now - some kind of mysterious room and a sizeable library of all things. And in all the places you've looked so far, you've found valuable information, and even learned some of the story of New Rapture along the way.

Make sure to keep talking to the others! You want to keep those regain coins flowing, don't you?




SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

[ ooc: Welcome to the second week of Unknown Seas Round 3! Please make sure to mark any investigation toplevels accordingly, and you can reach either Mayor Fontaine or Eleanor for conversations! ]

Comments

meeting room;

[vholran]

[ What a day it has been indeed.

Vholran comes back, and indeed there are the hostages still there. In shark contrast to Rossiu he doesn't even show a single tremor. ]

Your hostage be important to you.

[ ... ]

Does this display shake your resolve?

[onemillion]

[Rossiu glances over at Vholran when he's addressed, eyes narrowing at the question.]

Of course it does.

[That's out there before he can think to stop it, but...]

The Mayor chose to bring Simon. [He points the guy who isn't wearing a proper shirt out.] He was the Supreme Commander before me. He's... exceptionally important to the people back home.

[What will they do without him? Will they even be able to stop the threat that faces their world?]

[vholran]

[ It sure is out there! Vholran is actually a bit surprised he'd admit that.

So, he listens, curious as to what Rossiu will say next. ]

A leader.

I suppose it must be new for "Supreme Commander" to be captured.

[ Vholran's intrigued gaze falls from Simon's appearance. It's different from Alphen's naïve positivity, more bold somehow. And not because he's lacking a shirt. ]

Yet, he doesn't appear afraid. Can you imagine someone like him being unable to return back to your home?

[onemillion]

[Rossiu's quiet for a moment as he considers, but then he finally shakes his head.]

I cannot imagine it, but... he is here, and I'm not sure how to help him.

[Murder is obviously not an option.]

He's done so much for us and while normally I would trust that he would find a way... this situation is nothing like what we've faced before.

[vholran]

[ Murder is never the option, eh? ]

Those like him tend to push hard, even when they shouldn't.

[ His gaze flickers from Simon back over to Alphen. ]

But, it seems to earn them a victory all the same. We'll just have to see if that drive will be enough. Or, if someone else will be tempted first.

[onemillion]

...Someone will be tempted. Of course they will be, that's the point of this.

[The Mayor wouldn't bother if he thought it wouldn't work, after all.]

But I hope that drive will be enough and that it won't come to that.

[vholran]

People do fall prey to lesser things as motivation...

[ Gold, power, prestige. He should know. Though to him, he will have all the power he needs...once he gets out of this place. ]

I'd find it more interesting, if that drive would be enough.

[ He's not intending on dancing to the tune of this experiment, after all. ]

Do you wonder? If it is impatience or bloodlust that drives him to tempt us all so soon.

[onemillion]

I've been giving that a lot of thought. Something like this seems best saved, doesn't it? There are plenty of other offers that could get someone to act, and I imagine most would be far less costly.

[Starvation or information are the first two that come to mind, but really, this seems a bit extreme.]

Perhaps the purpose behind it isn't either, but rather an attempt to ensure we know the stakes so that we will play along. He's proven they're real - so we'll have no reason to doubt him in the future.

[Should things go his way and we don't all die immediately, that is.]

[vholran]

Hm. No reason to doubt him indeed.

[ It'd be incredible of any single one of them doubted that the stakes were high, particularly after the little...demonstration Vholran witnessed on his way out of the area. ]

...At least, for now.

[ Vholran is absolutely assuming they're not going to die this time so soon...admittedly because of his ego than any general high level of faith in everybody and such. ]

[onemillion]

Yes. For now.

[It does sort of depend on what Fontaine decides to do in the future... But that's something they can worry about if they make it through this. Rossiu's gaze lingers on Simon for a moment longer before he looks back at Vholran.]

Who did he bring for you?

[vholran]

...My enemy.

[ He doesn't see any reason to lie about it. ]

His name is Alphen. We don't see eye to eye.

But, he will try to ensure the others on the other side are...safe. If they are to remain here for long, that is.

[ But Vholran seems particularly amused, for what are probably obvious reasons. Since he's indicated that his enemy was brought here. ]

[onemillion]

Your enemy... That is a strange choice.

[But maybe it's because there isn't anyone else to pick for Vholran. Or maybe Vholran really cares that much about killing this guy personally or something. There are plenty of reasons behind it, and Rossiu can only begin to guess at them. Regardless...]

I do hope that we will find a solution that will free them, but... that is good to know. They seem like they have some capable people among them should it come to that.

[vholran]

[ Indeed, there aren't many choices available to him.

Just the one person he wants to kill very much. The irony isn't, of course, lost on him. ]

As expected. And the only silver lining both groups share—the ability to not be completely useless or weak.

[ ...he just recalled something, though. ]

You mentioned this Simon of yours was the Supreme Commander before you. How did you succeed him, exactly?

[onemillion]

[Oh, that...]

There was... an incident. He was fighting to protect Kamina City, but unfortunately, he caused a massive amount of destruction in the process. The people were understandably upset by the loss of their homes, but...

[Is there any way to explain this without getting into the plot of Gurren Lagann... Hmm, nope.]

We are facing an unprecedented threat. One that may very well be the end of our world as we know it. The people were taking their anger out on Simon, because he was the easiest target.

[Which is deeply unfair to Simon, but not exactly surprising or difficult to understand either. He caused plenty of problems that led to this - and it's easier to focus on that than all the good things he did.]

...I took his position because someone needed to lead. That's all there is to it.

[And that's all the elaboration on it he offers.]

[vholran]

[ ...Interesting.

So potentially not the most peaceful of handoffs. ]

Those who are weak inevitably try to shift the blame onto those who are stronger. Though, one might argue this Simon hadn't been powerful enough to subdue them rightfully.

[ Even if their homes were destroyed, in the end they had their lives, and in the face of a great threat, wasn't that what mattered the most? This is why people need to be ruled over with an iron fist, so that they don't become so ungrateful when their ruler rightfully defends his territory. ]

Rule over them well when you return, and I suspect you won't end up in his position.

[onemillion]

...There wasn't really any way for him to "subdue" them without force. Considering we fought for our freedom against a tyrant like that once before, he never would have done that.

[Which is honorable of him, but would it have made things easier in the short term? If he'd simply scared them into submission and then stepped down as a leader...

No, it isn't worth thinking about. Rossiu shakes his head.]

I won't. I know what my role is and I will do what I can to live up to it.

[A leader is just that: a leader. They can't serve as the first line of defense as well. Simon didn't - or couldn't - understand that, and that's what led to this mess.]

[vholran]

[ But how else are you supposed to subdue your people? Probably counterproductive depending on the scale of the threat, though surely gathering a couple to make an example of isn't without its merits. ]

So he wouldn't have. And yet, as a result, he had to have someone step up into his place instead.

[ If he fought against a man like that and emerged victorious, it must not have been an easy battle. ]

In the end, people are ever so fickle. They can slip through your fingers like drops of water, even with the grip of a firm hand. But, ultimate power is irrefutable.

...I'll wish you luck in seizing it.

[ He'll chuckle lightly, before turning on his foot, and going to leave the meeting room. ]

[onemillion]

[Yes. He knows all too well how difficult people can be to control and how dangerous they can be when left unguided and unchecked. He also knows how frustratingly easy it is to lose them.

One million. How many will be left by the time he returns?]

...Thank you.

[But Vholran's already on his way out the door, and Rossiu doesn't try to stop him.]