you gotta be so cold to make it in this world

[scythegun]

[It's been exactly three weeks and three days since Yeager woke up in an unfamiliar location, surrounded by twenty-eight unfamiliar individuals and one very familiar face he'd really rather forget. Being here on his own would be preferable to being here with Alexei.

But somehow - against all odds - they've managed to play nice with one another for three weeks and three days. There have been three murders, three executions, and as of yesterday, three motives. Someone else will die at the end of the week and the cycle will repeat until they're all dead.

Yeager can't really say he cares all that much about the outcome. Dying hasn't scared him for a long time, after all.

The real killer here is boredom. The building they found themselves in prevents escape, but despite being laid-out like some kind of fancy manor (not like his, more like what he'd imagine the nobles of Zaphias to own) there isn't anything interesting to do here. He'd initially thought the first week was the worst, if only because they got a new floor the second week, but there hasn't been anything interesting on any of these floors.

(Never mind the question of "how big is this manor and why does it have so many floors", that's something he'd rather not think too much about. It doesn't really matter, does it?)

The most recent floor they've gotten access to is home to a gym and strangely an indoor garden of some sort; the others call it a "zen garden" and it held Yeager's attention for all of five minutes, which is probably a new record for any of the rooms on the new floors, sadly.

Needless to say, he's been very bored.

He doesn't bother heading up to the top floor today, instead he makes it up to the second before deciding the library's a good place to go. It's not that he has any interest in the books - he certainly doesn't - but it's still early and he's probably got a little while before Alexei comes in. Alexei surely will come in; the man practically lives here, after all. He's presumably done with his cataloguing and all that by now, but there are plenty of thick, boring books for him to study.

If Yeager's sense of time isn't completely screwed (and he's fairly sure it isn't), he's probably got a little less than an hour before all the clocks in the building chime, signaling the start of the day. That's more than enough time for him to rearrange the books. He doesn't move too many of them, of course! Just four of them, picked at random and moved to random places throughout the shelves. Once he's done with that, he selects one of the (many) murder mystery books and takes a seat, biding his time until Alexei shows up.

(It's not a terribly interesting book, but he can be patient when he needs to, and waiting for an hour or so really will be worth it. Surely this will get Alexei to do something with his face.)]

Comments

[scythegun]

[He's not really expecting an answer, and the answer he gets... isn't actually as bad as he thought it'd be? Huh.]

I can understand why you find training fun because it often is fun. Metalworking isn't something I'd ever find fun, but I can see the merits in it.

[It's something to do with your hands, and once you're done you'll have something you can hold, visible proof that you've accomplished something.]

What sort of things do you create?

[It's surprisingly serious - well, as serious as he ever gets, anyway. There isn't anything mocking behind it, it's a genuine question.]

[ideismo]

Weaponry, mostly. Swords and the like.

[Not just while trying to replicate Dein Nomos, either; creating things that ambitious isn't precisely something you just pick up and do yourself with no experience, even if it is for a purpose.

He doesn't mention the fact that he's done some work with blastia as well, though he imagines that much is...obvious; this is surprisingly decent, and he can keep it that way for the time being.]

[scythegun]

[Thanks for not mentioning the blastia. It's something he'll probably realize later, but for right now it's fine.]

At least you have good taste! Ah, but you did make that sword of yours, didn't you? I suppose your work isn't half bad!

[He can absolutely appreciate a cool sword, but if it can't transform into other weapons then why would he ever use it.]

[ideismo]

[Because it doesn't need to transform into anything else, seeing as it shoots lasers?]

I'd like to think it isn't. It took some time, but that particular sword is one I'm pleased with.

[scythegun]

[...okay, fair...]

I doubt you would have been parading it around like that if you weren't satisfied with it!

[ideismo]

[That...

Okay, that actually gets a laugh out of him, sort of - it's brief and quiet, more to himself than anything, but it is there.

Fair enough, really.]

It was necessary to raise Zaude. Of course I was going to be using it.

[scythegun]

[Ah, look at that, he actually got a reaction. This isn't exactly the way he thought he'd get it, but he'll take it.]

I can't say I'm surprised. You certainly did a lot of things because they were "necessary", ja?

[It isn't pointed and it isn't bitter or angry. He doesn't let it hang there for too long either, just sort of shrugging it off like he does everything else.]

Is that all you do for fun, though? Training and metalworking?

[ideismo]

[Mm. He isn't going to dwell on that first part, either; it's the sort of thing that he acknowledges and settles into and is content to let lie, because it's true enough. Most people may not see what he's done as a necessity, but there's a reason most people weren't tasked with the same things he was.]

I do enjoy archiving as well, though again, I wouldn't call that "fun." Satisfying, yes, but even I'll admit that the process is tedious.

[He...really is confirming that he doesn't have much of a concept of "fun", isn't he, but he's attempting.]

[scythegun]

[...]

I specifically asked about "fun" and you gave me "archiving", which even you acknowledge isn't fun. Is that really it? You really need to learn how to live a little.

[ideismo]

I do have responsibilities to the Empire that I can't simply ignore. Something is going to have to be set aside; it just happens to be leisure, in my case.

[scythegun]

Of course I understand that, but surely you had fun before you were Commandant?

[ideismo]

Of course. And once in a while after the fact as well.

[And then the war happened, and the Emperor died, and everything was kind of a perpetually self-adjusting fuckup beyond that.]

It's been a long time since then.

[Understatement of the year.]

[scythegun]

[When did Alexei become Commandant...? Well, it doesn't really matter, and it's not like he wants to think back beyond ten years ago anyway.]

Maybe you should try to learn how to have fun while we're stuck here. Not like it'll be easy, given what we have to work with here...

[he's so bored.]

[ideismo]

[Alexei is one of those people that's just sort of always been there, even if he technically hasn't. He's been Commandant for about as long as a lot of people care to remember, at any rate.]

Surely. I imagine the zen garden can provide entire minutes' worth of entertainment, all shoved into several hours.

[...His sense of humor is really dry, but once in a great while it happens unprompted, all right.]

[scythegun]

I don't know how anyone can find sand interesting.

[It's better than being left in the damn desert, but still.]

[ideismo]

Again, some have said it's for meditation purposes.

[...]

Why anyone would find that interesting is another story.

[HE REALLY DOESN'T GET IT? why would you do that, what is the point.]

[scythegun]

Precisely! I don't think any of our number find it all that interesting, but I'll admit I only went in there once and decided it wouldn't be worth a second trip.

[ideismo]

...Admittedly, I believe the point is that it's not supposed to be interesting.

[OR...SOMETHING... how the fuck does meditation even work]

I'm sure it will be like every other room in this place. Some will be a little too interested in it, but most of us will ignore it.

[scythegun]

My hope is we'll get something better on the next floor.

[please... it's a miracle he hasn't already gone insane, please don't make him suffer any longer.....]

At least you've already found your favorite room! I still do think you could stand to learn how to have fun, though.

[ideismo]

Somehow I would think that wouldn't matter to you.

[scythegun]

Maybe I think it'll be interesting! Would you really put it past me~?

[ideismo]

Humor me and tell me how so.

[scythegun]

Do I look like the sort of person who ever humors anyone?

[For a moment it seems like he's going to leave it there, but then he shrugs again.]

You're lucky I'm exactly that bored. I would like to see what you'd find fun here, mostly because it'll at least amuse me for a little bit! Besides, you look like you might actually hurt yourself if you have fun and that would be entertaining.

[ideismo]

[He pauses for a moment at that.]

Again, I have responsibilities I simply can't ignore. Just because I'm not in a position to be concerned about the Empire at the moment doesn't mean that I don't have obligations to the people here.

[...]

Perhaps I'll find something that holds my interest, however. Something satisfying, if not fun. That's the most I ask for nowadays in that regard, anyway.

[scythegun]

[...you are the biggest killjoy.]

Good luck with that. You've already archived all the books in here, ja? You'll have to find something else to do with your time. Unless someone decides to rearrange all the books or something, I suppose.