akudamax | WEEK 1

WEEK 1

So, the first day is over. You are confined in various ways for the foreseeable future. There are two overseers you can bother, and pods they want you to get into, but many of you would rather do anything else. Honestly, even the flurry of posts on social media don’t seem particularly interested in talking up this prospect; when searches for the titles start to get results, they’re mostly about the posters’ own avoidance or occasional morbid fascination. There are even one or two newly taken pictures of the particularly outrageous and photogenic poses. At least photos are rare enough that you can be confident not every move is being watched. Conditions are much better than Saturday to wander all the way down to the Execution HQ Ruins, take the shuttle to the police station, or investigate other parts of the setting. As the weather forecast said, Sunday and Monday are smoggy and sunny.

What will you do?

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[Like Lucilius, he's definitely not here to get in a pod, but he sure is here to watch other people jump in and 'demonstrate' how this thing is supposed to work. So for his part, he'll just be leaning quietly against a wall with his arms crossed as he watches the proceedings, although he'll also give a light wave to any others who come in. If you decide to join him, for whatever reason:]

Hey there. Here to enjoy the show?

[He's being really casual about this, for someone who doesn't want to participate...!

Marcille shows more eagerness in her body language: Once she arrives, she doesn't lean against the wall or hang back at all. She stands on her tiptoes to get a closer look at the equipment and the upcoming action.]

Not really? For me, it's more like research. I'm interested in how it works.

[It's hard not to notice her clear interest in the process even if she hadn't spoken up about it, but that just leads to a faint hint of amusement leaking into his voice.]

Oh, you're another one of those types? Seems like we're brimming with curious minds here.

And what's wrong with that? [She waves a finger.] If there's even a chance of me agreeing to do something like this, I want to know everything that I can about how it works first! It's not like we have a lot of time to make up our minds!

[Marcille drops back down off her tiptoes to stand like a normal person. There's probably a lull in the activity on the treatment center floor.]

But it looks like you probably already have.

Now, now. I didn't mean anything by it, promise.

[He still sounds amused though, so that probably comes off as far less sincere than it could be, oops.]

Anyway, I didn't realize I was that easy to read. Did I expose too much of myself?

[Marcille freezes in her indignation.

She's not going to comment on his probably very intentional phrasing, but while Marcille is stuck in a moment of flabbergasted silence, her eyes do briefly flick downward in blushy horror. No way! They're in a place of healing...

Fortunately, it looks like Belial's words were just that. Marcille's faculties boot back up again.] So you're not worried about painfully melting out of existence? What's already happened feels like real damage, so I doubt it's easy to come back from if you don't stay alive.

[There's a small chuckle when he sees her embarrassment, although he'll at least let it pass without comment. He's a trash man but he can show some discretion, probably(?). There's also more interesting things to talk about anyhow, as his attention shifts solely to her. Lucilius has the pods covered anyway.]

Mmm, I do enjoy some pain every now and then. Besides, doesn't it make you question their information? They elect to provide a treatment to a group they've branded as criminals, all without asking for a rupie or a service in return. So why is that?

[Marcille is curious, but she isn't stupid. And neither painfully exploding into rainbox particles of light or accidentally teleporting off a tall height sound more appealing than experimental treatments.] They probably have more use for us if we're alive. After all, Ms. Physicist said that she's a former X-Class, and now she works for them.

[Marcille grimaces a little bit; maybe that's the best outcome - being employed by the government condemning them - that they can hope for right now.]

Criminals don't seem to be put to death here, either. If somebody dies and can't be brought back, it's like they're responsible for it.

[There's no real change in his expression as he listens and for whatever it's worth, he does at least seem to be paying attention to what she's saying.]

Oookay. Let's go with that premise then. If the treatments fix us all up and they're hoping for our cooperation, what if someone decides not to play along?

Let me see if I follow.

You think someone would go along with and complete the "six weeks" of treatment and then try and go off on their own? Or do you think they'd betray the rest of us?

[Betray here is maybe extremely liberal, given that none of them really know each other yet at all.]

I'm pretty sure those big metal creatures would take care of it.

Close, but not quite. I was talking about the risk to whoever's in charge... but you already have your opinion on that, I see. Well, I can understand your point if they're that confident in their toys. But it seems like we've gotten quite a few dominating associates with us right now.

Wouldn't the risk of collateral damage be pretty big?

If they can monitor all of the Akudama closely, they must be confident in their ability to stop anything before it gets out of hand.

[But Marcille's brow is drawn together; that assumption can't stay in place for too long. There's just too much about the way this city seems to work that doesn't feel...right. It makes her squeamish.]

... No, I don't think they really care about the people here. They're too dismissive about what could happen. That's the only explanation, unless all of us are innocent.

[Even from the few short days she's had here, that seems like an impossibility.]

[Wallflowering is literally like, the thing he does best. What kind of ninja would he be if he weren't here!!

That being said, he seems interested in the demonstration in a cursory way -- there's not quite the active wariness and hostility demonstrated by some of the others in his posture; but he doesn't seem especially eager either. Attentive; watchful.

Belial's small talk gets a flicker of a gaze, but no more.]

It is not much of one, in any sense of the word.

What show do you watch here?

[A nonja, obviously--

Anyway, Kimimaro's presence does merit a glance over in his direction though, since it's not as if Belial's met every one of his fellow criminals yet. Unfamiliar faces are always worth watching out for.]

The performances of our fellow captives, of course. [There's something of a redundant gesture over in the direction of the pods that are currently in use.]

Aren't you also here to sate your curiosity?

[He's not quite that nonjalant...!

If there's one thing the Physicist's antics have been good for -- it's getting a good amount of them in one place and reacting, regardless of what the impetus is. Question notwithstanding, it's pretty evident Kimimaro has been keeping an eye on these captives (they are captives; it's a little ironic and a little not at the same time).]

The only one particularly performing just now is that woman, and consistently below expectations. [there's something like a sigh; oddly exasperated] I am here because there are few other places to be.

[When will they unlock the rest of the map.jpg]

[are you surenobi

Okay, now that gets a laugh out of him which probably sounds more derisive than anything else but like, he seems like he's in a pretty good mood? And it's not directed in Kimimaro's direction so it's fine, probably. He still sounds super amused when he speaks.]

Well, you're not wrong. It seems like they're determined to keep us caged for an indeterminate amount of time, but without any stimulating entertainment. [Look, the shitty porn mags in the kombini don't count.] A shame, when we've gotten such an interesting cast assembled here.

[It's jutsu common sense in times like these?!

Belial gets another glance for the laugh, but Kimimaro merely inclines his head -- acknowledgment; it's likely few of them trust the Physicist as far as they could throw her and Zealot (and possibly one of the bigger robots) put together. Standards are hard with this crowd.]

It seems that both yourself and those hoping to move us would like to think of the rest of us as entertainment. [side-eye] Regardless... It's hard to believe our being here is mere coincidence.

[at least someone has enough protection

Ah yes, the good old side-eye. It's oh so familiar considering Lucilius (and lbr, a whole lot of others he's met) do the same, so he just shrugs it off. He's not gonna deny the bit about seeing them as entertainment either, so that's just going to elicit a grin that shows off the tip of a canine as he continues on with the next point.]

Hehe... I'm glad we agree on that front. I can believe that our physicist friend is simply misinformed about the cause, though--I doubt they see her as anything more than a pawn in the end.

[That's usually how it is with big bureaucracies, after all. She only needs to know enough to do what they want her to do.]

[In response his look gets flatter and his side-eye gets more sidled if that's possible, but given what little experience one may have with this particular shinobi so far -- that's about his usual. So perhaps it's not that Belial is particular side-eye worthy.

His face is just like this. Mostly.]

I have my doubts about that. She works under the ones in charge of those puppets, and repeats their propaganda when she should presumably know better.

If she is a pawn, then she is more than a willing one.

[In fairness, Belial totally deserves to be side-eyed so it is a totally valid expression no matter what!!]

Ah, I don't disagree with that. [Because she didn't give the impression that she wanted to go against the administration or anything like that, that's for sure.] But it's easier to control a pawn when you limit the amount of information they can access. There's no need to entrust anything important to them, such as why we're all here in the first place... especially if it might be an inconvenient truth for the narrative they're trying to spin.

[Look, it's early days yet, we can't use up all our side-eye on Belial: the Prologue here.

Also, they are both probably side-eye worthy at the moment given they're gossiping in front of the Physicist's salad, but hey. Discreet wallflowering is also a skill(?) surely(???).]

... Then it becomes more and more mysterious what type of pawn she is meant to be. There are claims she makes -- she and her little assistant both -- where she should know better. Claims about us, claims about herself. The so-called X-Class Akudama.

[He likely has more to say, judging by the way his gaze flickers towards the pods and their creator; but he lets silence do the speaking for him.]

[wow are you saying Kimimaro isn't a limitless source of side-eye? smh!!

Belial follows that gaze over to the Physicist, although it's none too subtle how he lets his linger on the Physicist as she, presumably, goes about operating the pods and setting up the demonstrations.]

Mmm, adds to the allure, doesn't it? Almost makes you want to catch them in private for a nice, long chat. Get to know them better.

[There's probably other avenues of finding information here too, but chatting people up is really what Belial does best, so.]

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WEEK 1

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