WEEK 1

[akudamods]

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?

INTERNET | SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY

((Internet investigations of any kind go here, and for all IRL areas, please use "investigate" in the subject line of your top-level comment, or link the thread to a moderator!))

Comments

[intimations]

[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.

[osssuary]

[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.

[intimations]

[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.]

[osssuary]

[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.

[intimations]

[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.

[osssuary]

[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.]

[intimations]

[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.]