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]

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.

[holocast]

"You recruited him by pointing a gun in his face and telling him that you could reinstate him to the military. You got him a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel even though he wasn't expecting you to. You've achieved your rank even though you aren't an alchemist, through sheer hard work and determination. Even if that's not how he would have done it, he supposes that might have been worth some respect. You like strawberries - he regaled me with that pointless little fact once, though I've no idea why.

"He also rather hated being locked up, you know. His game took place in a large series of bunkers underground; I wonder how he's doing, after not being able to see the sun for so long?"

[sadisticwarfare]

Archer flinches at that. Kimbley must have trusted Lysandre a good deal to tell him so much. Or maybe he just liked to talk. Either way, he said more about Archer than Archer had said about him. That almost makes him feel bad. Almost.

"He's fine." The words are hollow and Archer doesn't believe them at all. "And even if he isn't at least he didn't participate in your game."

[holocast]

...Honestly, it was probably the latter; from what he recalls, the poor goddamn idiot didn't stop yattering the entire time Lysandre was in the game.

"Really, if I didn't know any better I'd say that was an attempt at taking the moral high ground just now. I suspect you're just being contrary, though."

[sadisticwarfare]

"...Were you really expecting anything else from me?" At least he's self-aware enough to comment on it?

[holocast]

"Not at all." He just smirks a bit at that. "After all, that sort of behavior is why you're here."

[sadisticwarfare]

"Of course." Ugh. Great.

"Do you intend to keep playing these games until you've saved everyone?"

[holocast]

"Or destroyed them in the process. At this point, I can't say that the outcome matters very much."

[sadisticwarfare]

"I thought that would be important to you." Or has this warped Lysandre far beyond what Archer has thought?

[holocast]

"If they're destroyed, then it's because they deserved to be."

...Perhaps 'warped' is putting it a bit lightly, Archer.

[sadisticwarfare]

Just a bit... "How can you be so certain of that?"

[holocast]

There is no descriptor in human language strong enough to describe the amount of '...really' his expression contains.

"Do you really think I'm being that indiscriminate with my targets?"