Act 1, Scene 1: Pleasant Boy

[opening_act]

[ A notification on your phone goes off, letting you know the purchase of your meeting with Exael has gone through.

There is an attachment. Where are you, when you open it? ]

Comments

[opening_act]

We could try it out a bit, but I'd need to know what you'd want to be rewarded with first. Nothing in life is free, right?

[afailedmurder]

What I would most be interested in is information — ideally useful and exclusive, though I would take either.

[opening_act]

That's really vague. Especially because you could ask for information now, but you're not.

What would be useful to you? There's no exit door I can tell you about.

[afailedmurder]

The difficult thing is that you would know better than I do what is useful to me. But if you're not willing to volunteer anything, I'll keep asking questions.

Why did you agree to meet with us?

[opening_act]

I think if I give you info now, you're more likely to do what I want later! We'll see how it turns out.

[afailedmurder]

That's not unlikely. A few tidbits of information in that haunted house of yours and here we are, even though it was far worse than what Mukuro did.

Why did you choose the graduation option that you did?

[opening_act]

There's a man outside your door with a gun, and your apartment is filling with smoke! Do you ask the man with the gun to let you by? Or do you put on your favorite music and see if you have any of that candy you really like left in the fridge? Do you wait and see, or is it like this might as well happen!

[afailedmurder]

I attack the man with the gun. Preferably by inviting him in and ambushing him, as the familiar terrain of my apartment is the only leverage I have on the situation, but ultimately I would rather die fighting than allow myself to be slowly suffocated by complacency.

[opening_act]

Feisty!

[afailedmurder]

I have been known to be headstrong at times.

[opening_act]

Hm~ Well! You wanted an alliance, right?

I'll ask you to do something, and we'll see how well you do! I wanted to gauge what the people were like on your end too, this time.

I think there's some people that you should watch out for. I didn't just wall you off, you know? I think the most desperate are probably going to try for Azzy's camp.

[afailedmurder]

Oh, I have no doubt. That is human nature.

But if you are also interested in fighting the man with the gun, then I'm sure we could work something out. What would you have me do?

[opening_act]

Find someone that's going to try for Azzy's camp, and take them down. Can I trust you with that?

[afailedmurder]

Is this something he will propose to the group soon? And what would you consider to be sufficiently taking someone down in a world where injuries and even death are impermanent? Would preventing them from joining him suffice?

[opening_act]

I don't think that's likely. Azzy likes the personal touch.

Preventing would work! So would tagging them with some sort of recorder to report back to us, or getting them to play both sides. Whatever you think suits the situation.

[afailedmurder]

So he'll be recruiting privately as well...

I am certainly not opposed to talking someone down or planting a bug. That reminds me, actually; are our dorms bugged?

[opening_act]

They shouldn't be, unless one of you did it.

[afailedmurder]

No, I shouldn't think so. Not at this point. But I'll keep the possibility in mind in the future.

Since we're no longer being coy here, what is your endgame?

[opening_act]

I want my side to win, of course.

[afailedmurder]

For what purpose? Power? Revenge? ...Ratings?

[opening_act]

None of the above! It's personal.

[afailedmurder]

Fair enough.

Has he always been in charge?

[opening_act]

Azzy? He's not the only producer.

[afailedmurder]

How many are there?

[opening_act]

Classified.