andexecutioner | PRIVATE MEETINGS

[It's been a while.

Truth be told, she's been unsettled about the Adjudicator since as far back as Walter's execution -- how he had been laughing as Fern bled, how he was practically patting the man on the back as he killed him. The execution of Yang and the eventual argument were just a continuation of those feelings. Not that he was merely not on their side, because of course he wasn't -- he'd given more than enough evidence to support that fact. It was something harder to put to words.

However, she considers it easier to get answers from people than to dig around for clues. And since it seems seances take about as much planning as a wedding, there are some advantages to questioning someone immediately available. Besides, she's not feeling as upset and petty as last week -- she can move past their last argument.

But can Juri? She knocks on Thursday morning. Whether or not he lets her in should be telling enough as it is.]

[The last argument was a shitshow, that much is an entirely valid assessment, but Juri does have a job to do here; whether he knows it's her knocking or not (or, perhaps more accurately, what he thinks about it) isn't obvious from his tone when he replies.]

Yeah, enter.

[As usual, his office seems to be as it's always been - a bunch of games, a few things from the machine, an...almost sarcastic amount of plush things from Ferid? There are something like five cats now. An unholy fucklot of things that look like mice shoved awkwardly on top of some of the books on one shelf. Presumably because Ferid has a tremendous amount of problems.

...And speaking of the fourth execution, Walter White's shitty hat is also on one of the shelves in here because of course it is.

That said, though, he doesn't seem bothered to see her; he looks up when she comes in - he's sketching something, admittedly, but he'll acknowledge her just the same, and it's with the customary mild shrug and casual tone when he speaks.]

Hey. Something on your mind?

[Just a moment, Jean needs to balk at that pile of toys. She doesn't ask if it's Ferid, because of course it's Ferid, but where did he even find time to make all those and clothing for the fashion show? And Fern's dress, and her toy of Ruby...

She gives Juri a quick look of confusion and concern, as if silently asking So do you suppose this is because he's bored, or because he has the mind of a serial killer? But she doesn't ask anything aloud about that.]

A few things. For one thing, I didn't want to leave things as they were last week.

[And quickly adds,] I'm not about to apologize, since even if I could have said it all better, I didn't say anything I didn't mean. But it would be hypocritical of me to yell at you about why sympathy is necessary to fully understand something... and then not try to understand your side better.

[Well, at least they're starting this out on even ground, given that Juri just kind of...raises his hands a bit in a mildly exasperated way and his expression is pretty much the closest thing to I know, right?? that he can approximate.

Ferid is a mess, more news at ten.

Either way, he'll gesture towards the chair across from his desk; come and sit, he doesn't mind.]

I didn't expect an apology, and it'd just disappoint me if you gave me one - but if you're interested in talking, we can do that.

Disappointed, really? [It's more of her musing over the statement than asking about it, as she approaches and takes the seat.] ... actually, I suppose I should have expected that.

I honestly don't understand you, though. That's not meant to be an insult, it's more... [How had she put it to Naoto?] It's difficult to reconcile some of your different actions.

[The most obvious example, of course, is the way he seems to relish killing people for this job, and yet he's calm and reasonable enough to talk to people like this in his office. But on the other hand, Ferid did point out that he was more forthcoming when you were interesting in your questions. The killing angle is obvious -- what's a more interesting way to approach this?]

For example... what I brought up last week, the rules. You're not someone who enjoys being bored. So, even considering your role? It still seems strange that you'd expect us to fall in line with them.

If we did that, wouldn't it limit the outcomes?

[The noise he makes is brief, almost noncommittal short of the way that it's pitched-up at the end; he's considering it, anyway, it's a valid question. Though it's not that he doesn't have an answer, per se; he just has to consider wording it, really.]

All games have rules - that's just the nature of games themselves. It's not much of a game if there isn't a set way to play it...or a few set ways, maybe. You get the idea, though.

But that thing you've said, about limiting the outcomes - that's why I don't add or change rules if I can help it. I'm actually not trying to bend you to my will or anything. I'm here to oversee the game and make sure it's played and make sure you guys play fair, but I'm actually not going to force you to do solely what I want you to do. It defeats the point, yeah?

[She concedes,] That is true enough. The only rules you've added... well, they actually clarified more options. Even if those ones are more of a last resort.

[AZ is still casting a shadow on her heart.]

... ... ...

I know there are other ways this could be done. You've said as much yourself, and the others have mentioned that there are even other games going on. That to some degree, this was your own design.

But... [She pauses.] If you'll humor me for a moment. If you had total control, absolute freedom. If it wasn't just a job. Would there be other things you'd change?

[In other words, does he think this is a necessary evil, or just necessary? But you know. In a way he might actually respond to.]

[He leans forward over the desk at that, abandoning the sketching he's been doing in favor of propping his chin up in one hand and toying with the pen idly between the fingers of his left.]

Absolute freedom...?

[He repeats it slowly, like it's something he doesn't quite understand.]

I don't... How do you mean?

[...Sometimes it takes him a second to comprehend what's being asked; this looks like one of those times.]

[What the...? Well, that's gotten her curiosity.

Is this really so hard of a thing to grasp? She didn't think so, but... on the other hand, it's interesting that he picked up on those words. It's the only absolute she believes in, the dream she's always aspiring towards.]

Look. You're answering to a higher set of rules, right? Well, what if you weren't? What if your employer said, "Do whatever you want," instead? That kind of freedom.

Edited 2016-08-20 05:02 (UTC)

[He just...keeps playing with the pen at that, really.]

It's not even worth thinking about - that sort of freedom is something I'm never going to have, just because of the way things are here. The rules can't be changed, and challenging them is a bad idea.

...And I've been asked before if the lack of agency pisses me off, and it doesn't, before we go there.

[...Well, then.]

[This is pretty deeply concerning, but it is starting to explain a lot about why he was so adamant about all this. And for a change, she can understand it extremely well.

It has shades of the same mindset she had while she was part of the cult. You killed and proved your value, or you died. Which she almost did, when she rejected them.]

... ... ...

I apologize if this is an abrupt change of subject, but... a long time ago, you told me that we weren't on my world. Since then, though, I've wondered about something else.

Are we on your world?

[It's not actually a change in subject. But you never know -- maybe he won't realize why she'd be curious about that.]

[...That's an interesting question, really.]

It's the only world I've known. So yeah, I'd say it's mine.

[And that's an interesting answer, but not quite the one she was hoping for. In fact, it's just raising bigger questions.]

The only one...? Well, did you grow up here, or did you wake up here like we did, or something else?

I woke up here.

[...yeah.]

[She's taken aback, but not for the reasons one might expect.

That had actually been an early theory she had, something to explain Juri's strange mix of commitment to his job and... lethargy, maybe? Towards everything else. But when she had been pressing him for more information about his level of control, and he clarified his role as someone who was not their friend, she discarded it.

And picked it up again briefly, because of things Luca and Mozu had said, and then discarded it all over again when he started to show signs of his real sadism.

And now here it is again, the return of the wayward truth. If she had stuck to her guns and asked about it anyway, they could've been on much different terms for this whole game.]

But unlike us, you've left this facility, I presume?

No, I haven't.

... ... ...

[This is the rabbit hole, all right. Each answer is just leading to a pile of more questions -- Were you in a game? Did you lose? Did you WIN? Are you still playing it? Has anyone actually left this place, or is our grand prize a great big lie?

She sorts through them all, and finds the one that's both interesting and least likely to cause more internalized screaming.]

But... then... where's your cat? I'm sure someone said you had a pet cat...?

[...Well, that's...huh.]

I don't know where she is. I haven't seen her in a long time; I didn't bring her in here with me.

In here -- as in our game and the rooms we've unlocked, or as in the whole building?

Your game.

I see...

[So they'll have to keep an eye out for this cat. Jean knows more than enough about cats to know that they're great at getting into places they don't belong.

... although...]

Wait, no, I don't see. How does a cat end up in a place like this facility? I have a hard time imagining one as a competitor in this game.

Edited 2016-08-21 20:24 (UTC)

That doesn't really matter.

[Back to stonewalling for the time being, looks like. Sorry about that, Jean.]

I know, but -- still.

[All right. Come on, Jean. Back to the real issues.]

Were you ever part of a game yourself, before you started this job?

[Something seems to strike him vaguely oddly about that; it's easily dismissed, the sort of thing that looks more like a mental blip than anything, nothing too bad. But still.]

I wasn't.

[Jean finds the answer equally odd, but she doesn't dismiss it. There's a question she badly wants to ask, but somehow, she's guessing it's too far out of the scope of the game for him to talk about. Instead, she muses about it aloud.]

... it's strange to think of someone waking up here for any other reason, though. Maybe it's because I still don't know what this game is for or how it fits into the grand scheme of things, but if all these people are being brought in for this...

Even with how many have been getting killed, there's still more than a few to start pitching job offers to.

Unless these weren't always a part of the grand plan?

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