week 3; of investigating

[elemancy]

[he hadn't been particularly forthcoming about what he wanted to discuss. and really... noctis had a few reasons for that.

the first is that it's just the sort of thing that shouldn't be discussed with prying eyes and ears. the second is that it's because it involves things that were spoken of in confidence—and for all the things that noct isn't great with, he wants to at least keep his word and the trust he's managed to built with some people here.

even though it was a bit awkward to approach riku, he did so out of necessity, and when he hears the knock on his door a couple of hours after making that approach—well, he's equal parts uneasy, nervous... and relieved. he doesn't have any idea how this is going to go, or if it's going to improve the situation at all—

but he has to try and hope that in the end, his plan works.

so he'll swing the door open, standing aside to let him in before and honest, but serious:]

Hey. Thanks for coming.

Comments

[heroinwait]

[So. Noctis has found out some of the same stuff he has. It makes him wonder how many other people have gone to the sheriff asking these sorts of questions. How many of them have professed a desire to find another way, but in private accepted the reality of their situation? If they can find another way out, that's great--but until then, people are going to die.]

You could say that.

All this talk about finding another way out of here is just talk. Until we can find it, we're trapped by the rules of this game. The way I see it, knowing as much about is as we can can help us figure out what to do.

The problem is, there are some people here that balk even just thinking about that.

[He shakes his head, then meets Noct's eyes directly through his blindfold.]

I don't know about you, but I didn't want to be considered suspicious just because I started asking questions.

[elemancy]

Can't argue that part. No getting around that knowing that much is suspicious anyway.

[given the fact that riku hasn't said anything noctis doesn't know already, he knows that advertising too much would be suspicious.]

Don't really want to be looked at that way, but if it comes out that we know more than we're telling 'em, it's gonna spell trouble either way.

[even still.] Just means we'll have to use what we know. We'll find it by finding our lucky winner and getting them to end the game. ...If we can pull that off.

Xion trusts you a lot. [he says, after a short pause.] Enough that she didn't want trouble for you when I asked about this. Gonna use that to assume you want to get people out of this alive too. [even though they're trapped by the rules of the game and they both know it—noct's definitely looking to make more allies that will work with him on saving lives instead of taking them.]

[heroinwait]

[Riku nods. In his defense, he hadn't been planning on letting it slip that he knew more than the basics of the game thanks Xion.]

That's the plan. Make sure that someone who'll send everyone home wins the game.

[He pauses when Noct does, the unspoken between them: what happens if and when they have to make that choice between killing or being killed? If they can't figure out another option... do they let someone die, in order to make sure they can all get home later? At Noctis's last statement, he nods firmly.]

Yeah. None of us asked for any of this.

If there's a way for us to get people out of here alive, I'll do whatever I can to make sure that happens.

[elemancy]

[the kill or be killed (or whatever punishment comes with refusing to comply) is something noctis hasn't quite figured out either. how to handle that—what's right and wrong, what is worth sacrificing or self-sacrificing in a case like this.

he doesn't want to make the wrong choice.]

We should work together, however we can. If we use what we know, we might be able to find a way.

[this is definitely the time for a proper alliance. if they really want the same things.] Definitely the kind of thing that's gonna be easier to do with more than one person.

[he's not the best at this kind of stuff, but they need to save as many lives as they can—working together is the best way he can think of for them to make something happen that will be for the better.]

[heroinwait]

[Riku nods. It'll be much easier to get through this if they team up. And if worse comes to absolute worst, at the end...

Well, he thinks he can trust Noctis to make the right choice. He'd be willing to die for that, if necessary.]

Agreed. We can start by putting together everything we know so far.

Have you gotten anything from the sheriff that I haven't mentioned yet?

[elemancy]

[to that, noctis nods—he's a bit suspicious that riku might know this already, but he'll still offer up what he does.]

There are roles other than the bandits that he told everyone about during the trial. The ones who take out the bandits that don't do their jobs, and ones searching them out.

[he sighs a little.]

What we need is the people in those parts to not give a damn about his rules and try to work with saving everyone instead.

[but who knows? it really depends on who is in all of those roles, honestly.]