driftfleet | Jester Social Link 001

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Jester Social Link 001

Who: Tohru Adachi and YOU!
Broadcast: Video (to all)
Action: The Marsiva
When: Right now!

[The first thing that could be heard as the network feed clicked on was someone yawning rather audibly. This was followed quickly by the sight of a suited individual sitting up and stretching out his arms.]

Man, I haven't slept for that long in a while. Usually the guard-

[Adachi quickly cut himself off as he realized that he clearly was not where he had been when he fell asleep. Instead of the four plaster walls that he'd grown accustomed to, he now seemed to be in a large, spacious room filled with all sorts of amenities. He couldn't help but draw the comparison to Junes. But then... how the hell could he be back in Inaba?]

[His detective instincts started to kick in, despite their lack of recent use. First thing: assess yourself.]

[Adachi looked down and was surprised to see his old detective duds. The dark gray suit, white button shirt, and red tie all looked as good as new. Odd, considering how often he had worn this particular outfit.]

[Second, assess the environment.]

[Well, this was already partly done. He clearly was in a completely new environment. Could it be... the other world? That didn't seem plausible. He certainly didn't remember going near any TV, nor did he remember anyone coming along who could have possibly thrown him into one. Noticing a nearby monitor, Adachi got up out of the bunk and approached it. He placed his hand on the peculiarly cool screen and felt resistance. He clearly wasn't going inside this one. And that's when he turned and saw the large viewing bay window.]

What the heck?! It can't be!

[He appeared to be in outer space. Yet, somehow... this realization didn't unsettle him as much as he thought it would. In fact, once the initial shock had worn off, he almost seemed comfortable with this fact. But how? He returned to his initial bunk and went back to step one: assess yourself.]

Okay, it doesn't feel like I've been drugged. Though, if I'm really in the real world, then I shouldn't be able to...

[Sure enough, as Adachi concentrated and tried to summon him, he realized he couldn't.]

So I'm clearly in reality right now.

[He rubbed the back of his neck as he came to terms with just how surreal this was all seeming. And that's when he felt the soft bump, located behind his left ear.]

Eh? What is-

[Yet again, however, he seemed to already know what this bump meant. It was as if he'd always had this information stowed away, but he was only now rediscovering it.]

An "augment," huh?

[That's when he noticed the communicator located next to him. Picking it up, he inspected the device front to back. Just like before, he already seemed to know what it was and how to use it.]

Well then...

[Step three: Assess the situation. Adachi directed his attention to the screen in front of him.]

Um... hello? Anyone receiving on this thing?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Nothing like that. Honestly, all I did was go to bed like normal, and then I simply woke up here.

[Adachi snaps a salute. Gotta look official and whatnot.]

I'm a detective actually. Detective Tohru Adachi of the Inaba police department! Nice to meet you... uh...

I see. Interesting.

[If he looks a little surprised at the abrupt snap to attention, he doesn't say anything about it. Instead, he bows politely.] Nagito Komaeda, stu- .... pilot aboard the, uh, Huntress. A police officer, hm? Where is Inaba?

Nagito-kun then?

[Adachi chuckles softly.]

I'm not surprised you've never heard of Inaba. It's a small country town way out in the boonies. Seriously, there's practically nothing special about it. Compared to this place, it's as boring as boring can get.

Oh- hahaha. [Komaeda grins a little shyly, putting his good hand behind his head.] If you want! I feel a little strange about referring to people by name here, because isn't it true that we're all speaking different languages and just- somehow understanding each other? With the augment's power, correct? So is it superfluous to put that in? It feels a little forward to leave it out. [This has been bothering him for a few days, so he's just been avoiding calling people by name. Having outed himself as a Japanese speaker, Adachi's on the hook for his question!]

Do you think so? I think being somewhere quiet and relaxed would be nice. Especially right now.

Edited 2015-02-06 03:57 (UTC)

Oh- well, uh... [Nagito may have overloaded Adachi's circuits for a second.] I guess I understand what you're saying. It just seemed like the normal thing to do? [Queue the nervous laugh.]

I mean, sure it's nice for a vacation or something, but living there can be a real bore. But you have a point... given the choice between here and there, I guess I would prefer the familiar.

[Komaeda nods firmly.] That's what I've felt too. I think it should be asked as a general thing, maybe. If we can reach a consensus, we can go forward from there, perhaps, to a point of better understanding... Surely people who speak other languages experience other linguistic oddities as well. Right?

Hmmm. The familiar? But not the safe? [Something is subtly off about the phrasing of that, and since Adachi has mentioned that he's a police officer, it sticks out a bit more than normal.] I wonder if you're secretly the type that wants some action now and then.

Uh, well... I suppose? I haven't ever really thought about it. Not that I ever needed to before.

Well, sure. [What exactly was this kid getting at? He strikes Adachi as one of those perceptive, little know-it-alls. Probably best to tread carefully around him.] I mean, everyone wants a little "action" now and then in order to keep from getting bored to death, right? I'm sure you probably understand. It can't be fun for a kid your age to be cooped up in a place like this. Although, I imagine the whole setting of outer space does make things much more interesting, doesn't it?

Ah, right. I haven't either, which is definitely why I wanted to ask your thoughts on it.

I wonder what your everyday life is like there? Is it a nice, safe Japanese village sort of situation after all? [Komaeda smiles cheerily. This guy sounds like the sort of person who secretly stirs up trouble, doesn't he? Or at least, he goes and seeks out problems rather than letting things lie.] Hmm, I'm really jealous of you, to be honest.

Glad that I was able to help then I guess.

My everyday life? [Okay, this Nagito kid is getting increasingly annoying. For just a teenager, he's clearly intelligent enough to know how to try and dig for information without trying to seem like it. Hmm... could there be a way to use him? Guess Adachi will have to determine if this kid is a threat or not.] It was pretty normal for a small town police detective. Why would you be jealous of that?

I grew up in a larger city, so I'm not really familiar with that kind of life outside of movies. It seems sort of glamorous, in its own way. Is it true that grannies sit outside and gossip with each other at vegetable stalls? [He's been found out, clearly. That means that this person is probably exceedingly troublesome- he'll be keeping an eye out for him. After all, it takes one to know one, doesn't it?] After all, that feeling of closeness in a village... it sounds nice.

[Komaeda says this almost absently, but it's a purposeful lead-in. A kitten can have claws too, after all.]

Oh, so you're from the big city? I guess I can understand then why you might be jealous. But believe me, you're not missing anything. I'm sure where you're from was much more interesting. What part of Japan are you from Nagito-kun?

[Adachi chuckled, hiding his true thoughts. Best not to tell this kid that he was from the big city too. If he did, he'd likely have to explain how he ended up in that hick town. Perhaps he could flip this whole "interrogation" around.]

(ooc: The mind games are so real right now. They're like two peas in a horrible pod. AND I LUV IT!)

Yeah, exactly. It sounds idyllic and sort of... hm, sort of like you can feel really hopeful about what's going to come, you know? [Smile smile smile. He knows what's happening here, and he's ready for it. After all, he can make good use of his youth to lead this person on.] Um, maybe it was? I don't think so, though. I grew up in Towa City, though I of course travelled here and there... I was afforded quite a few freedoms the average child growing up isn't, I think.

[It's a fine balance between dropping crumbs to allow Adachi to try to manipulate him and seeming like he's leaving too much information on the table, but he thinks he's hitting the right notes. After all, the best lies are grounded in truth.]

((ooc: oh my god these two are the worst and I love it so much ;;;;;))

["Hopeful about what's to come?" What the hell is with this kid?] Towa city huh? I think I know where that is. But you said you traveled a lot? That must have been nice, but also lonely. Unless of course you traveled with friends or family.

[Adachi chuckled. He tried to make the comment sound like an off-hand remark, but he needed to see how Nagito reacts to it. Plus, there was something else he said that interested Adachi.]

Did you not go to school Nagito-kun?

Oh, really? How interesting. Some people have been telling me that people are from all around, which means we might be from the same place after all. More or less, at least. We have a social tie right off the bat, Tohru-san! Isn't that something.

[Hooked. Nagito lifts his eyebrows a little and tips his head, gaze going to the side.] Not particularly, no. Still, I suppose it was nice to see so many sights around the world. I can't be ungrateful, don't you think?

... Eh, you're a police officer, aren't you? It's nothing like truancy! I had private tutors! And I was admitted to a private and esteemed high school after some time, so my education was probably all right! [He kind of does wonder what the academics at Hope's Peak were like. He wishes he could remember that, at least.]

[There were several things this kid said that rubbed Adachi the wrong way. First, he called Adachi by his first name, and he hates being called by his first name. Second, the way this kid talks: traveling all around the world, seeing many sights, and his use of the word "ungrateful." It just didn't strike Adachi as the way normal kids Nagito's age should be talking. Third, and finally, he "probably" had a good education? Nothing this kid's saying could be true. But then... why would he lie? What game was he playing at? Digging for information from this kid was starting to seem like more trouble than it was worth. Adachi wasn't getting anything useful out of him. At the very least, he needs to try and steer the conversation back towards the Fleet itself. Who cares about this kid's background? Adachi just needs to know more about what's going on here and now.]

Social tie, huh? Well, I suppose so. Are there not many other Japanese in the Fleet? [Trying to seem nonchalant, Adachi added.] Also, I prefer people just calling me by my last name, if it's all the same to you Nagito-kun.

And you can relax with the whole truancy thing. Even if I wanted to bring you in, [Hopefully that didn't come off as threatening as it sounded in his head.] I couldn't. I mean, what with us being out in space and all. We ARE kinda outside my jurisdiction here. In fact, I don't know what even passes for law enforcement out here. Do you?

[Komaeda has always, always placed his faith in "deception via truth." It's easy enough to remember, especially under pressure, and has the added benefit of having an emotional impact on certain types of people. Better yet: it cues him in to people who are only trying to act like that sort of person.

Like this man.

He winces and squirms a little, making a visible show of being a submissive dog eager to lap at a scrap of attention.

Well, .... he doesn't mind that, at least, even if it's negative.] Ah, no, I'm sorry, I just assumed... but it's pretty rude of somebody as pointless as me, isn't it! Sorry again, Adachi-san.

Hmmm. No, I really don't know- I mean, my ship has a security officer, so I suppose that's it? But it seems sort of uniquely casual, don't you think? It's a good thing you're here.

Edited 2015-02-10 00:51 (UTC)

Oh, it's- it's fine. It's just personal preference really, nothing for you to apologize about. [Seriously, what is with this kid? Ugh, talking with him was giving Adachi a major headache.]

Just security officers huh? [Interesting. There must be some way though that the "powers at be" keep the motley hordes under control though. Leaving it up to us to govern ourselves doesn't make sense, it would be too easy to just rebel.] Well, I guess that explains why I know my augment is a "security" type. So that would make me a security officer too then? You wouldn't happen to know who I'm supposed to report to, would you Nagito-kun?

It's so kind of you to forgive me for something like that! [There isn't an ounce of sarcasm in his voice. To be honest, Nagito himself isn't certain if it's anything but sincere.]

Ah, it makes sense since you're a police officer! As for who you're supposed to report to... probably, your captain? I have one too, but... [He's totally neutral on him right now. At least it's not negative, he supposes.]

Uh, heh, you're welcome... [Was he mocking Adachi? That sounds like something would say if they were mocking him... but the way Nagito said it... seriously, what is with this kid?]

My captain? I don't have a- [Adachi cuts himself off, as he realizes the connection.] Ah! The shuffle! So I'll find out after I get placed on a new ship. I suppose that makes sense.

[Unfortunately, this line of inquiry isn't going the way Adachi would like. He needs more information about the people in charge of this whole charade. Yet... Adachi's feeling pretty certain he doesn't want to ask Nagito about it. The less of an idea this kid has about Adachi's plans, the better. Best to just shift the topic of conversation back towards something innocuous.]

So what's it like on the "other" ships Nagito-kun?

Mmm, right. We're assigned captains when we get ships. I don't know enough about the ships to know if a certain personality type is selected, or if there's some other common thread I haven't noticed yet.

[Too late, buddy. As much as he can, he's got his eye on you- and you're not learning a goddamned thing that could possibly be useful about his ship.

He smiles. It's a very kind smile.]

Oh, pretty nice. I was surprised at how clean everything is, but I guess that's to be expected. I'm used to being the one who cleans up after things, [in more ways than one] so it's a little bit of a reprieve. The ships all seem to be fairly close-knit. [And let's see if that makes Adachi squirm the same way it does him.] I mean, in a place this small, you couldn't really help but learn a lot about your fellows and really bond tightly, right? [A total lie. He's putting on the thumbscrews, though. Komaeda would be lying if he said that playing games like this didn't excite him.]

So no one starts out on this "show" knowing that they're going to be a captain, huh?

[This whole situation was getting odder and odder. Randomly appointed captains? Arbitrarily assigned security officers? And no way to contact the real masterminds behind this whole operation. To top it all of the only way seemingly out was to earn enough "ratings," and Adachi still had no idea how exactly that worked either. Would Nagito-kun know more? Did Adachi want Nagito knowing that he was interested in ratings?]

How long have you been trapped here Nagito-kun? You already seem pretty knowledgeable about how this whole space-reality-show business works.

I mean, I can't imagine somebody like me being chosen, but yeah, it seems like it's something like that. I haven't been here very long, though, so please don't hesitate to ask somebody else who's been here longer. They might have a better answer.

[Komaeda is used to a cruel and uncaring ~~bear~~ being being in charge of his destiny and rewards, so he's not particularly inclined to get good ratings- not yet, anyway. Call it what you will, but it's tiring to rush after such vague rewards for so long.]

I haven't been here long. Maybe a week? I came right before the day of the shuffle, so I didn't spend a lot of time doing my own thing. But really, I don't know anything much at all!

[Seems like there wasn't much more information this kid could, or is likely going, to provide Adachi. There was one more thing Nagito might be good for though: leads.]

I see. So you haven't been here for much longer than I have... In that case, do you know anyone who has been here longer than either you or I? Someone who could maybe help me understand this whole situation a little more. I'm still confused as to what exactly we're expected to do, where things are, what the rules are... you know, all the typical stuff someone would need to know to not make a complete ass of themselves. Then again, I'm sure that's probably the type of the thing that the audience wants to see, huh? [And close out with the signature Adachi chuckle.]

[He resists pointing out that it's pretty much anybody, because he kind of wants to see what Adachi can rustle up on his own.]

I honestly don't know myself, yet, but if I find somebody who's been here for a really long time, I'll let you know!

As for the rules... well, I don't really understand it myself. Something about ratings? But who's giving them? Are we all given the same ratings? I for one would really hate to watch a show where people are endlessly embarrassed, after all. You seem like a practical, perfectly normal person, Adachi-san. I'm sure you'll be fine. Definitely better than me!

[There's no way a kid like this hasn't already done his own digging around. Surely he must know at least one person, so why not give up a name? Was he deliberately trying to impede Adachi? If that is the case, then what reason could he have for doing so? Either way, this kid was definitely getting on his nerves.]

Well I appreciate it Nagito-kun, thanks. In the meantime, I guess I'll try to get comfortable with this whole outer-space-reality-show-thing. Though it probably will take me a while.

[Then Adachi decides to throw out one more line. Last chance to see if this kid is what Adachi thinks he is.]

The funny thing is, I figured there would be more people making an uproar about wanting to get the hell out of here. I mean, pulled here against your will, forced to be on a TV show, and no way to contact any friends or family back home? It's just kind of odd to me that people are seemingly so complacent about it all.

Jester Social Link 001

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