speed dating 2.0

[idolpro]

WHO: More idols looking to have a good time
WHERE: Game Tower
WHEN: Day 120, morning

[ Hello, Idols! Are you ready for a game?

Some of you may have played this before! The area is familiar for sure: today's playing field is an expansive balcony with several mini-tables paired with two patio chairs each, garden umbrellas planted to keep the heat away. You can see the rest of the city from up here, too - it turns out you're pretty high up as you can even see the start of the Rainbow Bridge from here, though the railings are high so there's not a high likelihood of accidentally falling down.

There are a few pink lemonade pitchers scattered around with paper cups if you're thirsty, and some bite-sized chocolates if you're hungry. Cute snack food!

The instructions look familiar, too: it's a light game, with no enforced truth-telling even. No status effects! Just dates!

There are cards on the table, too! ]

INSTRUCTIONS | SIGN-UPS | TURN-IN | OVERFLOW

Comments

[criminaljustice]

It's helped keep me relatively sane in this place. Bad End doesn't have the best of records when it comes to survival in bad games. If I didn't reach out to friends on other units, I'd start to think no one here is worth saving.

But that's not the case.

[purrrnicious]

[Scoffs.]

Right, sure. I'll just sidle up to the guys that just killed me and ask if they've got any tips for getting bloodstains out've clothing.

[criminaljustice]

Bloodstains are Bad End aesthetic, so I haven't really bothered with that.

But I am apparently dating my killer from back home, so possibly I have a skewed mentality of "you fucking killed me" when it involves manipulation from a higher power--i.e. the producers and these games forcing units' hands.

Now there's that, and then there's people who do wholly unnecessary levels of violence just because they think they can get away with it. The last point, I discourage cozying up to.

[purrrnicious]

What're you warning me for? I had one of those as a roommate when I got here, remember?



[Referencing Doll, of course.]

[criminaljustice]

... I honestly don't know Baritones very well. The only other one I really knew was Codex.

And I wasn't really warning so much as... trying to show the difference. Sometimes, in games, we don't really have a choice in how things go. And I get some people can't or won't see past the consequences rather than the intentions.

But I guess I'm someone who holds intentions to a higher degree than consequences.

[purrrnicious]

. . .

So if I killed off your unit to save my own in one of those games, you wouldn't care? Is that really what you're saying?

[criminaljustice]

I'll care, sure. My unit has been pushed to the point where some members stripped down because they were so sure they were going to die and they didn't want their clothes bloody. And I'm fucking sick of it.

But if it's a game like the balloon one--that's probably exactly what happened, even. I've got no illusions that Bad End probably isn't on Baritones' list of units to protect, so why wouldn't you guys hit us to spare yourselves? It wouldn't be practical to spare a unit you have no strong attachments to.

Now, if you targeted us because you think we'll just roll over and accept it. Or if you targeted us because of spite... those are reasons I'd hold anger against you guys.

[purrrnicious]

Hmm. . .

There's a few units that feel that way, aren't there? You guys, Avante, Future, Lilis –– and that we've mostly scraped by so far doesn't change that a lot of the other units keep trying really hard to kill us.

Maybe we oughta get together and give the privileged units a turn to be the ones who keep dying?

[Laughs lightly, like she's not serious.




Or is she serious. Fuck the popular kids, man.]

[criminaljustice]

[i mean... that's a fair sentiment]

... so, I'm not really opposed to spreading the damages. But I can't say I condone vindictive behaviors. My priority's always been getting all of us out of here in as few pieces as possible.

But the way Bad End works is we act on unanimous vote. So it's highly dependent on who's playing and what compromises we come to. But I can see about putting in a veto vote for Baritones if I'm in.

[purrrnicious]

[That honestly surprises her.]

––What? Why?

[criminaljustice]

... why not? Like you said, it doesn't make sense for the same units to always get the brunt of it. And people target hard-playing units.

And like I said, I want everyone to get out of here in as few pieces as possible.

[purrrnicious]

[Frowns, abruptly much more serious.]

. . .I've heard we deserve what we get. Maybe not in so many words, but––well, maybe you get why I'm a little surprised to hear you say something like that. Most people seem to think you're a terrible person if you try to survive.

[criminaljustice]

[smiles]

You must be new here. I'm the asshole who summoned a demon and conducted a trial that killed four units total because the world was ending.

As if I could or would criticize someone for just wanting to live.

But let me be clear: what I said before would be for attack games if we have the option to make the choice of target. And that's also bearing in mind any random effect that might steer our attack for someone else to you.

[purrrnicious]

["that sounds really cool" is probably the wrong response here, right?]

A lot of fine print, huh.

Someone is always gonna die. I get it. At this point, maybe all I want is for people to stop acting like I should just accept their death sentences because that's what's "good" and "just". Maybe I'm sick of people thinking it's okay to kill me off 'cause I won't go along with that. Maybe I'm tired of self-righteous jerks who pretend they're doing what's "right" when really they just want to keep protecting their friends at the cost of people they've decided aren't worth protecting.

[Sounding so fucking bitter, and starts idly tracing a circle on the table with one of her claws, making an unpleasant nails-on-a-chalkboard squeak.]

Who knows, maybe I'd even be okay with it if someone like you was the one who killed me. At least then it'd be someone who thought I deserved to live. . . right?

[criminaljustice]

[... does he, tho?]

Well... I'll be honest. I can be self-righteous. And I do want to correct injustices as I see them. And I want to protect my friends when I can.

The problem is, I know too well I can't always do all of that. And compromises have to happen. I'd rather no one have to die, but if someone has to die, then I don't want the arrangement we have in this place right now where selected units get dogpiled, where people who don't want to die are put down. Spread the damage when possible, instead.

... and you might be okay with being killed by me... but I won't be okay killing you.

[purrrnicious]

[Well. Saying he'll veto when possible, that it should be spread around instead of dogpiling on specific units, that he's not okay killing her. . . that all kind of implies that no one really 'deserves' to get killed, doesn't it? At least no more than anyone else present, which is really all she cares about.]

Just don't bring me some dumb food basket. That's just insulting.

[criminaljustice]

When you have all the alcohol you could want?

I do coffee and maybe some day, curry.

... and free services for getting quick live and counterlive points as well as catharsis in destroying property.

[purrrnicious]

I don't know what those first two are, but I'll take the last.

[criminaljustice]

... okay. I am now obligated to make coffee for you.

You a sweet tooth?

[purrrnicious]

Not really. And I'm not supposed to eat chocolate, if that's what you're asking about.

[criminaljustice]

Nah, but good to know. Mostly cream and sugar and things like that are what I'm thinking about.

... how 'bout spices?

[man their time has run out but nothing can stop a Persona protag from making sure Rank 1 Confidant is set]

[purrrnicious]

"Spices"?

[Said in the tone of someone who has no goddamn clue what he's talking about.]

[criminaljustice]

[nod nods...]

So some experimenting to find the right flavor. All right.

[purrrnicious]

[. . .perks up a lil]

Uh, so you're serious? You're just gonna feed me? For free?

[criminaljustice]

Friends get free coffee.