It's understandable; we had no idea what to expect from those proceedings, so you had every right to be furious for being accused of something you didn't do.
Now that we have a better idea of how things will go, I imagine it will be a bit easier to handle any accusations like that.
[Which brings him to his next question...]
I have something a bit awkward to ask you, and I do apologize if this comes off sounding callous. [because it is callous!!!] Do you find it important to weed out and select the killer, or are you in agreement with Cumore that should the time limit approach, we should just choose someone?
[Cumore suggested "someone useless" but that's a little rude even for him!! Anyway, there is a point to this question, he just wants to see where Dist stands on that matter first.]
[For what it's worth, Dist takes the question with stride. He chose not to be vocal during that argument, because for once he had a modicum of sense for his self-preservation. He's perfectly fine with voicing his opinion to Iago, though.]
The only thing I truly care about is staying alive. I don't care if Mikami wants to play along with trial proceedings, but should we not come to a conclusive answer before the deadline, I will not hesitate to vote for someone as long as it is not me.
[...]
Naturally, you may consider yourself excluded from a pure self-preservation vote.
[That gets a smirk out of him; he's been remarkably restrained this whole time, but that certainly seems to have amused him.]
My thoughts exactly. As much as I want to see what happens if Mikami takes the Lady's offer, I'd greatly prefer it if he were to die, so we can stop pretending we care about solving the case. If we're forced into this, then we may as well make the most of it and remove people who could prove troublesome for the rest of us.
But I'm in agreement with you - the only thing I care about is survival as well. It's in my best interests to play along for now, so I will.
[Which ultimately brings him to the question he wanted to ask in the first place.]
As you noticed, almost everyone there didn't have any sort of alibi that could possibly prove their innocence. While such a thing may not be enough to cast suspicion off entirely, it certainly would go a long way to help, wouldn't it?
Should you find yourself in the same position again, you're free to say you spent the night in my room, or I spent it in yours.
It certainly is an odd setup, isn't it? Her incentive didn't give us much reason to truly hunt down the killer when what he did benefited all of us in the end. Perhaps she came up with it simply to rile up the self-righteous among us and paint a target on their backs.
[Iago literally said he'd prefer Mikami to die, so...it worked?
Speculation aside though, Dist listens attentively as Iago proposes his offer. A smirk is quick to form on his face.]
Oh, now that is a brilliant idea. I like the way you think, Iago! I know I could do with that large amount of pressure being taken off of my shoulders from the beginning.
You may claim the same, of course! What sort of manners would I have if not to extend the same offer?
[He nods at the first part, that's exactly what he was thinking as well. She sets it up to pit the idealistic ones against the rest of them, but it works well in determining who will be useful among them.
Dist's words are also exactly what he wanted to hear, so thanks for that!!]
I appreciate it. Even if you were to kill someone - not that I'm saying you would, of course - I don't particularly care about "justice" or whatever nonsense they were going on about. You're far more useful to us alive than dead, and if an alibi will get their attention to turn elsewhere, then it works in our favor.
[We are just narrowly missing Dist getting emotional all over again today. He manages to keep himself reined in, though he does take in a pretty sharp inhale before returning to his usual bravado. Yes, please continue calling him useful.]
I am grateful to hear you say that, and I wholeheartedly believe the same of you. A tactician is what we need in dealing with the Lady's nonsense. I imagine you might be able to piece together her strategy soon enough.
[This isn't a battlefield, but critical thinking is still an important skill!]
But honestly, "justice" has no place here. Not when we all want to survive.
[god this really is a never-ending feedback loop of praise, isn't it.]
That certainly is my plan. I haven't had much luck with the Lady herself, but I am attempting to get what I can from Rembrandt.
[it's. it's something???]
Agreed. I don't believe Teru Mikami cares for his own life; he claimed that he would vote for a criminal awaiting death, which is so incredibly specific that I can only believe he meant himself.
As for the others... Well, when faced with the idea of "justice" or survival, I'm certain they'll all choose survival.
Oh, good. I have been speaking with the Lady myself, so it seems like we have our bases covered. And believe me, I know how strange it sounds for me to talk with her, but despite my aggravation toward her we share interests and a background in science. I believe I can ask the right questions regarding these things.
[But he'll never forget her slight against him. Never!!]
I don't find it strange at all. We must use everything at our disposal, and if she will speak with us then it makes sense to seek her out to learn more. I imagine the two of you have some interesting discussions about technology - you're likely to learn more from her than most of us.
[Both about the technology and because she likes Dist. Obviously putting up with her insults isn't ideal, but it's worth it for any information they can get.]
[He really doesn't like having things in common with the Lady, if it wasn't obvious.]
So far we have discussed the state of electricity in this world. She attempted to build a generator to restore power for her needs, but despite it being constructed correctly, it just cannot seem to generate electricity. She allowed me to examine it for myself, and even I couldn't get it to work. Thus, her claims are indeed accurate. Something in this town is affecting the electricity itself.
...Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that. I assumed she had full control here, but that...
[Hmm... He doesn't really know what to make of it.]
Rembrandt seems to have more power than the Lady, and he told me that he's working for her because there's something he wants from her. It's possible that this is Rembrandt's doing, but I don't know how likely that is.
[Maybe this springs to mind first because it'd be easier to ally with one against the other.]
It's too soon to tell, at any rate. That is very important information though, thank you, Dist.
Neither was I! After all, the spotlights in the Opera House seem to be functional. [...] Perhaps I will look into that, now that I think about it.
[He feels a little silly for not having done so ages ago.]
Likewise, I thank you for the information on Rembrandt. He certainly is a greater anomaly than the Lady, isn't he? One can only wonder how those two forged their allegiance...
That may be a good idea; it's possible there's something unique about them or the building that allows them to work.
[As for the rest...]
Rembrandt is... interesting. It seems he is willing to share a good deal of information - but it comes at a price. For every question you ask, he asks one in return. He was fascinated by the magic I use, particularly illusion magic. In some ways he seems more straightforward than the Lady, but in others he strikes me as more dangerous.
I have been unable to wring any more details about their past from Rembrandt, unfortunately. The Lady can barely tolerate my presence, so I doubt I'll be getting anything from her either.
He was, was he? Hm. It seems that they both have a curiosity toward magic. The Lady was interested in the magic of my world- or rather, the matter that allows humans to create it. I was telling her about a simple solution to our energy crisis, had fonons been present in this world.
That aside, I believe we've both gotten a good amount of information thus far. It seems like both of them are rather tight-lipped...well, about their grand scheme. The Lady certainly loves to hear herself talk otherwise.
[Pot, meet kettle!]
Never you mind about your sour relationship with the Lady- though I must say I envy that position. Just keep needling Rembrandt when you are able and I will do the same with her.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Now that we have a better idea of how things will go, I imagine it will be a bit easier to handle any accusations like that.
[Which brings him to his next question...]
I have something a bit awkward to ask you, and I do apologize if this comes off sounding callous. [because it is callous!!!] Do you find it important to weed out and select the killer, or are you in agreement with Cumore that should the time limit approach, we should just choose someone?
[Cumore suggested "someone useless" but that's a little rude even for him!! Anyway, there is a point to this question, he just wants to see where Dist stands on that matter first.]
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The only thing I truly care about is staying alive. I don't care if Mikami wants to play along with trial proceedings, but should we not come to a conclusive answer before the deadline, I will not hesitate to vote for someone as long as it is not me.
[...]
Naturally, you may consider yourself excluded from a pure self-preservation vote.
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My thoughts exactly. As much as I want to see what happens if Mikami takes the Lady's offer, I'd greatly prefer it if he were to die, so we can stop pretending we care about solving the case. If we're forced into this, then we may as well make the most of it and remove people who could prove troublesome for the rest of us.
But I'm in agreement with you - the only thing I care about is survival as well. It's in my best interests to play along for now, so I will.
[Which ultimately brings him to the question he wanted to ask in the first place.]
As you noticed, almost everyone there didn't have any sort of alibi that could possibly prove their innocence. While such a thing may not be enough to cast suspicion off entirely, it certainly would go a long way to help, wouldn't it?
Should you find yourself in the same position again, you're free to say you spent the night in my room, or I spent it in yours.
no subject
[Iago literally said he'd prefer Mikami to die, so...it worked?
Speculation aside though, Dist listens attentively as Iago proposes his offer. A smirk is quick to form on his face.]
Oh, now that is a brilliant idea. I like the way you think, Iago! I know I could do with that large amount of pressure being taken off of my shoulders from the beginning.
You may claim the same, of course! What sort of manners would I have if not to extend the same offer?
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Dist's words are also exactly what he wanted to hear, so thanks for that!!]
I appreciate it. Even if you were to kill someone - not that I'm saying you would, of course - I don't particularly care about "justice" or whatever nonsense they were going on about. You're far more useful to us alive than dead, and if an alibi will get their attention to turn elsewhere, then it works in our favor.
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I am grateful to hear you say that, and I wholeheartedly believe the same of you. A tactician is what we need in dealing with the Lady's nonsense. I imagine you might be able to piece together her strategy soon enough.
[This isn't a battlefield, but critical thinking is still an important skill!]
But honestly, "justice" has no place here. Not when we all want to survive.
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That certainly is my plan. I haven't had much luck with the Lady herself, but I am attempting to get what I can from Rembrandt.
[it's. it's something???]
Agreed. I don't believe Teru Mikami cares for his own life; he claimed that he would vote for a criminal awaiting death, which is so incredibly specific that I can only believe he meant himself.
As for the others... Well, when faced with the idea of "justice" or survival, I'm certain they'll all choose survival.
no subject
Oh, good. I have been speaking with the Lady myself, so it seems like we have our bases covered. And believe me, I know how strange it sounds for me to talk with her, but despite my aggravation toward her we share interests and a background in science. I believe I can ask the right questions regarding these things.
[But he'll never forget her slight against him. Never!!]
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[Both about the technology and because she likes Dist. Obviously putting up with her insults isn't ideal, but it's worth it for any information they can get.]
What have you learned from her?
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[He really doesn't like having things in common with the Lady, if it wasn't obvious.]
So far we have discussed the state of electricity in this world. She attempted to build a generator to restore power for her needs, but despite it being constructed correctly, it just cannot seem to generate electricity. She allowed me to examine it for myself, and even I couldn't get it to work. Thus, her claims are indeed accurate. Something in this town is affecting the electricity itself.
no subject
[Hmm... He doesn't really know what to make of it.]
Rembrandt seems to have more power than the Lady, and he told me that he's working for her because there's something he wants from her. It's possible that this is Rembrandt's doing, but I don't know how likely that is.
[Maybe this springs to mind first because it'd be easier to ally with one against the other.]
It's too soon to tell, at any rate. That is very important information though, thank you, Dist.
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[He feels a little silly for not having done so ages ago.]
Likewise, I thank you for the information on Rembrandt. He certainly is a greater anomaly than the Lady, isn't he? One can only wonder how those two forged their allegiance...
no subject
[As for the rest...]
Rembrandt is... interesting. It seems he is willing to share a good deal of information - but it comes at a price. For every question you ask, he asks one in return. He was fascinated by the magic I use, particularly illusion magic. In some ways he seems more straightforward than the Lady, but in others he strikes me as more dangerous.
I have been unable to wring any more details about their past from Rembrandt, unfortunately. The Lady can barely tolerate my presence, so I doubt I'll be getting anything from her either.
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That aside, I believe we've both gotten a good amount of information thus far. It seems like both of them are rather tight-lipped...well, about their grand scheme. The Lady certainly loves to hear herself talk otherwise.
[Pot, meet kettle!]
Never you mind about your sour relationship with the Lady- though I must say I envy that position. Just keep needling Rembrandt when you are able and I will do the same with her.
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[dist is the only valid person in this game tbh]
I will, of course. I intend to keep learning what I can from him; he's certainly interesting enough to keep my attention, anyway.
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Good, good! I look forward to our next exchange of information.
[...]
And...thank you for checking on me. I do appreciate it.
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You don't have to thank me for it. It's what I wanted to do and I am pleased to see you're doing a bit better.
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[Iago really is a good friend already, and they've known each other a week.]
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I'll accept it, then. I suppose I understand what that's like.
[He does, and while he normally wouldn't admit it... maybe it's okay to. Just this once.]
Take care, Dist.
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Well, you needn't worry about it here. I will gladly check up on you if you need it in return.
[He offers a small smile as Iago makes for his exit.]
You as well, Iago.