Meeting Time!

[hotpaprika]

[On Wednesday morning, all the suites will find another note slid under their door. It seems much less formal this time, but the handwriting is still very distinct.]

I am holding another meeting today, at 5 o'clock. I am terribly sorry for the the location this time, but it will be in the dressing rooms at the department store, as that is one of the few places I could find that we would not be watched.

I ask, however, that you don't all come in at once, because I fear that otherwise, it could catch Fontaine's attention and may add further security measures.

I will be providing refreshments, although I welcome any additional help.

J. Harker

[The dressing rooms are, obviously, a very not ideal place to hold a meeting, but Jonathan had somewhat set things up so that they could at least talk to each other, with all the curtains pulled back and one stall reserved for some cakes and sandwiches. He politely greets everyone who enters but it's clear that he's somewhat wary from the motive.

When everyone arrives, he once again addresses the group.]

Good evening. I am sure last week was an icy shock to everyone that Fontaine is not content to let us live about in harmony. However, it is vital that we do not give up hope that we can find a way out of here, because when we do, Fontaine will have already won.

[He's trying to convince himself this as much as he's trying to convince everyone else.]

[ INFORMATION IDEAS GENERAL CHATTER ]

Comments

[honeyedtea]

That sounds like a terribly inefficient way to fill a city.

[ haha. black humor. we have fun here. ]

It does seem to be an oddly... roundabout way of doing things, though. Don't you think? If he truly has access to other worlds as he's demonstrated... why do this with a power like that?

[prompocalypse]

[She jokes but that's exactly Penelope's thought as well. Surely there's more efficient yet still cutthroat ways to indicate someone has the ambition necessary to build this city. Like if surviving regarded pinning the crime on someone else and little else...]

That's what I want to know... It's all designed like he gets what he wants whether we live or die. But with his stated goals, he shouldn't. He'd need us to both live and want to stay here. Which, I don't know about you, but I'm not super eager to stay in this dump!

[honeyedtea]

So he's clearly lying about something. But then the question becomes... why? What's the point of lying to us about his intentions when it doesn't change the fact that we're trapped here?

[ She frowns. ]

Unless... our knowing what his intentions truly are would have some effect on his ability to see them through?

[sastruga]

That seems probably. There's no reason to give his game away to us.

More than likely, this is much bigger than he's pretending it is. If we can find out the true purpose of this... I don't know how much it will help us, but I think it will bring us a few steps closer to putting an end to this.

[prompocalypse]

He's mentioned a few things that make me suspicious that he and his people are up to a hell of a lot more than this one game.

On the one hand, I don't know if he necessarily expects us to completely buy that his intentions are what he says they are. He can't expect us to be that dumb, for one, so it's not like he's hiding his deceit particularly well.

[honeyedtea]

Perhaps... the lying itself is a means to an end? To keep us confused and on our toes – or perhaps distracting ourselves with puzzling out his intentions, so we don't have time to think about escaping or turning over his plans?

[sastruga]

Possibly, but... that seems a little... hm, I don't know. It wouldn't be a very effective strategy, since we can certainly think about it and try to find an escape at the same time.

It feels like too simplistic of an answer.

[It could be that that's the point, but. She's not so sure.]

But I think you may be onto something. I think... whatever this is all about, keeping us in the dark is part of the point.

[prompocalypse]

He could also just be incompetent.

[Like, if they're being optimistic.] Maybe he doesn't expect us to puzzle out that basic logic.

But more realistically, there's probably a reason. I don't think he's lying about us being tested, but I don't know if the solution to the test is the one he's like... pretending it is?

[honeyedtea]

...

Maybe he wants to see just how far he can push us before we tear each other apart. Perhaps turning us all against each other isn't just a means to an end - it's the goal of this whole wretched game.

[ deeply unpleasant to consider! ]