open; Tuesday evening; cafeteria

[tevinteriscoming]

[So you decided to come to this spontaneous gathering. Not Dorian's gathering, mind. He's not leading this, it was just a suggestion some people made and one of those people who made it was Dorian.

But nonetheless, you are here, in the cafeteria, at the time suggested by Dorian.]

Comments

[tevinteriscoming]

[After enough people have drifted in, Dorian, who has already finished his meal and is sitting at a table near the back, will speak up.]

Well, I'll start, I suppose. It seems, following last week's events, that we ought to talk about these murders and the motives, yes? I think it imperative to stress that, tempting as these motives almost certainly are to some of us, they are also almost certainly false promises.

Do we understand that? Whatever they offer, you cannot expect that you will live to enjoy the prize. That's the nature of making bargains with demons.

[bloodbiter]

I must wonder... If they know so much about us, our names, our abilities, even down to height and weight, how much they know about our personalities and experiences. Is it possible that they've crafted these motives to appeal to at least one of us very strongly?

[tevinteriscoming]

It would not surprise me one bit if true. There's little hope to be had in suggesting that this motive isn't good enough, not when it's likely tailored to someone.

Rather, this sort of magic never ends well.

[bloodbiter]

We can always hope, but... I would rather take other precautions as well. I also doubt this will come to a happy end.

[tevinteriscoming]

Yes, I know. I thought it worth saying, little good it will likely do any of us.

[bloodbiter]

Thank you for saying so all the same.

Besides urging others not to fall prey to their tricks, what would you suggest we do?

[tevinteriscoming]

Learn what we can. For those of us who don't kill, this will be a matter of surviving until we've found the way to fight them.

[bloodbiter]

Hopefully when we find a way to open the blocked doors, we will find some answers or at least a clue.

[tevinteriscoming]

Yes. But at this rate, to unblock the doors will require many more sacrifices.

[bloodbiter]

You don't believe we can find a way ourselves?

[douchemag]

Yeah, that sounds nice and all, but do you actually have any ideas on how to get home? Because sooner or later, that's the only motive they're gonna need.

[tevinteriscoming]

I've no idea how to get home, no.

But I would suggest that I also doubt very much any motive where they would return us home, free to go. Surely you're familiar with demons.

[douchemag]

Of course I am!

[He is not familiar with demons, but he's assuming they're something similar to black djinns. He'll...just leave out the part where he was kind of working for them whoops]

But that's not the point. Even if they won't return us home, they still have all the power unless we figure out how. What if they get rid of all the food until we do what they say? Or throw us out the ship? That's what I'd do if I was the one in charge here and wanted people to kill each other.

[chiseler]

After what just happened to Alita it's pretty much a guarantee we're not gonna get to live long enough to enjoy whatever incentives they offer us. So we should work on finding a loophole if we plan on getting off of this ship.

I still stand by our best bet being maybe figuring out how to make a deal with the AI instead.

[tevinteriscoming]

Yes, perhaps so. I wonder what it is she wants.

[chiseler]

Has anybody tried to ask her yet? We've asked her a bunch of questions but what about that one?

[tevinteriscoming]

I don't know if anyone has. Perhaps we can count on a lie, perhaps not. It can't hurt.

[chiseler]

Guess I can give it a shot. [Maybe not this week. He wants to see how things pan out and the hesitance should be enough to imply that.] Worst she can do is refuse to answer and then we find another way to approach her.

[missmaladroite]

Exactly.

[Thank you, Dorian. Marinette couldn't agree more.]

I doubt these 'motives' are even real to begin with. It has to be a trick!

[tevinteriscoming]

It is almost certainly a trick. And to the extent any of them are real, I'm sure they come with unanticipated consequences. Would anyone want to evade all their enemies, or learn a truth they've been seeking, if it meant they would also return home with a demon bound to them?

These sorts of promises and deals are the manner in which malevolent spirits and creatures increase their power. They seldom end well for the humans who accept them.