the mastermind meme

[monomods]

 

You asked for it, we're finally giving it to you! Say hello to the mastermind meme!

What does this mean exactly? It means your character is the one responsible for everything! They've been controlling Monobear from the shadows (or maybe they have an assistant to help them, possibly even one of your classmates!), they've been putting forth the motives, running the trials, all of it! And now they've finally chosen to reveal themselves and their true motives.

What are their motives? Why do they want to spread despair? Are they somehow connected to the late Junko Enoshima? And most importantly what is their snazzy Monobear-themed look like? You decide!

Threading reactions is highly encouraged and feel free to AU things up to mix up our current survivor pool as much as you'd like.

Comments

[sadisticwarfare]

Archer doesn't say anything at first, expression openly surprised before he manages to replace it with the usual smirk. It's not as confident as usual though, and the way his hands have tightened on the podium should speak volumes.

He might have underestimated Lysandre.

"Very well, so it's possible that you've already had them play your little game; it's entirely possible that they're already dead, or if they aren't dead yet, they'll be the next participants in your game. I don't particularly care what happens to Amestris.

"What I want to know is what you intend to do with me." Because as usual, he's the most important person in this room.

[holocast]

Lysandre tilts his head a little bit at that. "As self-serving as ever, I see. It's almost a shame, that you still haven't learned. But very well; if you really want to know, I intend to do nothing with you."

He finally moves then, rising easily to his feet and allowing Gyarados to uncoil itself, its body twisting as it rises into the air, revealing its full 6.5 meters of length; it doesn't go far, however, hovering above Lysandre where he stands, arms open, stance broad.

Not as though Archer would have any way to know, but it's a twisted version of a position Lysandre has always associated with comfort and friendship, a mockery of the welcoming gesture Augustine always used to offer him. When Augustine was still alive, that is.

"You all know by now that there's no way off this island unless I allow you to leave; I'm sorry to inform you that you'll never escape without my assistance, unless the Supreme Creator decides to take pity on you. Of course, I've run many iterations of this game and it's never taken pity on my students - but who knows, hm? Perhaps you'll be the chosen ones."

He smiles a bit, the gesture perhaps unsettlingly open. "Don't worry, I'm not going to take anything from you; it would be prudent of you to be sparing with what supplies are left in this place, however. They won't last forever."

[sadisticwarfare]

"...So you plan on letting us die?" Archer moves to fold his arms. "Why bring us all down here then? Why reveal yourself now?" It doesn't make any sense to him. If he were in this position, he would not reveal himself until the very end.

[holocast]

"Because the game is over, mon cher." Lysandre's voice is patient, though tinged with mild, almost fond exasperation - suiting for a teacher handling a particularly difficult student.

A Professor, if you will.

"Do you think I'm going to stay here with you...? You've failed, all of you - and I don't have time to waste looking after failures."

[sadisticwarfare]

"So you're going to leave and what, start another game? How long do you intend to keep running these? You can't possibly save every world from destruction." Archer is openly irritated now; he doesn't do well with failure or even being called a failure.

[holocast]

Sorry-not-sorry about the truth, Archer; it sort of stings a bit, doesn't it.

"I don't think that's your concern anymore."

[sadisticwarfare]

Rude. Archer can't find words for a moment but his grip tightens on the podium to the point where it's starting to hurt. "So that's it, then? You reveal your motives and leave us to die?"

[holocast]

Lysandre just shrugs a bit. "What would you have me do? I certainly can't let you go - you had several chances to prove me wrong there, and none of you succeeded."

[sadisticwarfare]

"Why can't we remain on the island? We can't do anything to get home and there's no chance of us escaping given the ocean, so let us remain here." He'd really rather not remain here, but his priority is living. He can work out what to do after he has that secured.

[holocast]

"Perhaps I'll allow it - but tell me, how long do you think you'll last, once I've abandoned your game? Surely you don't think all your provisions - food, supplies, medicine...surely you don't think those all just magically appeared? What do you plan to do once no one is here to provide for you?"

[sadisticwarfare]

Archer is silent for a moment, trying to come up with something to say in response. His initial thought is to make a case for his own life, but if anything, that will probably only anger Lysandre. It would certainly prove his point, that they're awful people who don't deserve to be saved. He could try to argue for the rest of them, but Lysandre likely wouldn't believe him (for good reason, of course).

"...We'll cross that bridge when we get there." It's not an answer and he knows it.

[holocast]

"Showing determination like that, even now?"

He actually isn't mocking; rather, it sounds quite like he approves. "Your conviction is admirable, at least. I'll grant all of you that much - you've been an interesting lot."

[sadisticwarfare]

"If you expect me to give up, you have another thing coming." He never gives up, no matter how dire the situation. Admittedly he usually tries to side with people who won't put him in such a dire situation to begin with, but he doubts there's any way to get on Lysandre's good side at this point.

[holocast]

"I've known several like you, you know - with enough determination and the will to refuse to give up, even in the face of their inevitable demise. It never ended any better for them than it did the ones who simply lay down and died."

He offers a bit of a flippant gesture, however. "Your subordinate was one of them, by the way; I believe he was still alive when I left that lot, though obviously I've no idea how he's doing now. Most likely dead; that was a while ago."

[sadisticwarfare]

Archer clenches his hands and releases them a few times, trying to work the tension out so he doesn't do anything stupid. Attacking Lysandre would only result in his death, he knows that. There's the lion and the... serpent-thing to consider. Attacking Lysandre is pointless.

Still, the words sting in ways Archer wasn't expecting - he couldn't care less if Kimbley died in battle, but like this? This hurts for some reason - but he's not going to act rashly.

"That doesn't matter. You've severely underestimated us. We'll find a way to survive here." He doesn't believe that for a second, but he isn't going to show weakness now.

[holocast]

"Oh, I'm sure you will - there are ways to do it, after all. If you're resourceful enough."

He takes note of what Archer is doing with his hands, however; after all, Lysandre has a similar habit. "I seem to recall you saying that you don't have any loved ones to return to, Colonel; I suppose that's fortunate in the end, isn't it? Having nothing to return to means that no one will miss you."

[sadisticwarfare]

That doesn't hurt half as much as what Lysandre said about Kimbley, but perhaps that's because Archer's always known that. When he dies, no one will miss him. "Are you trying to rile me up? You'll have to do better than that."

[holocast]

"Simply stating fact, mon cher - after all, I suspect you already knew that, didn't you?"

He shakes his head a bit. "I doubt you really want me to try riling you up, besides - how much do you want to test me?"

[sadisticwarfare]

"I have no interest in testing you. I'd rather not die." Archer returns to resting his hands on the podium, never once looking away from Lysandre. "Why are you doing this? What's the point in taunting me like this?"

[holocast]

"Honestly? I wanted to see if you're capable of feeling anything at all, outside of anger and paranoia."

Well, at the very least it seems Lysandre's usual attention to subtlety and social grace is still perfectly intact...

"Your subordinate behaved quite strangely for a war criminal who revels in the carnage he causes, you know - would you believe that he actually refused to play?"

[sadisticwarfare]

Ugh, rude. Just because he doesn't usually feel anything outside of those two doesn't mean he's incapable of feeling anything else!

That statement about Kimbley is both incredibly surprising and... really not surprising at all, actually. "He didn't want to play because it wouldn't be fun, is that it?" Archer fights the urge to smirk at that. Of course Kimbley would find a game like this to be no fun whatsoever; he wouldn't want to kill someone for someone else's amusement.

[holocast]

"That was it, yes - although he was surprisingly passionate about wanting to see me defeated, by the end."

He pauses for a moment, his gaze flicking down toward Archer's insignia. "A bit young for Lieutenant Colonel, though, isn't he? Even with your help - because of course, he did tell me about that."

[sadisticwarfare]

"Leave him out of this."

That's surprising vehement. He wasn't expecting to be as bothered by Lysandre's words as he is, but for some reason it really bothers him.

[holocast]

"Why should I? He seemed quite fond of you. Really, it seems a bit cold that you never mentioned him to me, given how much he was willing to tell me about you."

[sadisticwarfare]

Don't rise to the bait, don't rise to the bait--

"What did he tell you about me?"

Dammit.