[ video ]

[hostage]

So here's the thing, right. I mean, yeah, the Initiative kinda kidnapped us. But they say they didn't do it on purpose. And I believe them, 'cause nobody in their right mind would wanna recruit me into their army on purpose. Some junkie loser. Ask anybody who saw me my first few weeks here, okay, all shitting in my pants scared and useless with the shakes. I couldn't hold a gun steady if my life depended on it.

So they didn't exactly bring us here on purpose. But what do they do when we end up here?

[He raises his hand to the camera, counting off on his fingers:]

They patch us up, bring us back to life. Hey, that's a big deal for some of us, ain't it?

They give us some swanky ass apartments. Yeah, we got roommates, but do you see what the rest of everybody's living in? We got some damn nice cribs in comparison, yo.

They give us money. Just like that. Like, "here you go, go buy a sandwich."

They give us weapons. You ain't never been a prisoner if you think that's something they'd do if they meant to keep us prisoner. Okay, nobody arms a prisoner. They'd be taking away our weapons if they were trying to hurt us all on purpose. And look at this shit -

[He holds up his own gun for the camera, popping the magazine out so the poison darts inside are visible.]

- All high tech. They ain't just giving us sticks to go out and defend ourselves with. This is some quality craftsmanship.

[He sets the gun aside.]

And you hear how I said "defend ourselves"? Yeah. Those U.E. sons of bitches are coming after us. They bombed the shit outta this place we're living in like my first week here. I mean, look around. You can see what they done to this place. To the people in this world. And they got the technology to do that to our worlds, too, unless we do like the Initiative says and go on missions and fix this shit.

And you know what else? You got a problem with the Initiative, you can just talk to 'em. Yeah. They ain't gonna hurt you. I was having some problems when I got here, so I went and talked to them, and guess what? They gave me everything I asked for! That's all it took. So yeah, maybe they can't send you home right now. But they'll help you out best they can.

Look, we're pretty much their only hope here. They wanna do right by us. So just... stop talking about dumbass rebellions and start - I don't know - communicating.

Comments

[ex_bandai157]

[ you know what, color him impressed. ]

I couldn't have said it better myself.

[hostage]

I'm just sick of everybody talking shit about the Initiative while they're living in the Initiative's apartments and eating the Initiative's food and whatever, you know? They wanna rebel? There's a whole other army out there trying to crush this place. Go sign up with them.

audio

[breakin_ur_lore]

...Yeah! [YOUR WORDS ARE GOOD AND MED'AN LIKES THEM. He's supportive, at least?]

[hostage]

Right?

[whatsupcroc]

Master Pinkman is a wise man.

( Chin handing as she watches him over here. )

[hostage]

Thank you, thank you.

[Video]

[noble_nate]

I have to say, I'm glad to hear that are at least a few other people around here with some sense in them.

There has to be a way for all of us -- the Initiative and the Transports -- to be able to work together peacefully.

[hostage]

They been doing the best they can for us. The least we can do is try to hear 'em out.

[payback]

I wouldn't say that anybody should just trust the Initiative no matter what they say, but an outright rebellion is just stupid.

[hostage]

You can trust 'em not to wanna hurt us.

[Audio]

[strategic_guile]

You're right about that. Prisoners don't often get their choice of weapons, much less the facilities to train with them.

[hostage]

Seriously. You'd think that'd be an obvious clue.

[Video]

[charming_jerk]

About time some said this the right way. I don't think me just sayin' "this rebellion stuff is bullshit" was coverin' it.

[hostage]

Hey, that was a good start, though.

[priad]

Amusingly blunt, and accurate. I like you.

[hostage]

Ah, yeah. Thanks.

[permatext]

[stonefaith]

How long have you been here.

[hostage]

Two months.

video

[chittybang]

Not a bad perspective, especially considering their recent announcement. According to them, the U.E. is affecting our worlds, too. Then again, that's also easy to say.

[ SMILE AND A SHRUG, it's a tired topic at this point. At least this guy has a nice drive. ]

[hostage]

Even if it was just this world and none of the others, you really wanna say, "Yeah, good luck with that, I'm out"? Especially after living here a while, getting to know these people... I dunno. I can't.

[alwaysforhim]

I don't want to rebel, nothing like that-- but I have a problem with-- I don't know-- simply being asked to fight in a war I never wanted to be in. It's not my destiny to fight here, not in this time or this place. And I suppose I will, when all's said and done, but-- well, I suppose I can't entirely get behind supporting the Initiative either.

[hostage]

Nobody's even forcing you to fight. You can cook food, you can help out the medics, or you can just sit on your lazy ass and do nothing all day. They won't throw you in jail for it.

[unlikelyrebel]

I still don't get why anyone would want to fight the Initiative. Sure they didn't say please, but they've done a pretty good job of saying thank you.

[She smiles slightly.]

Even to me and I haven't even done any fighting yet.

[hostage]

Yeah, exactly. They been all about thank yous.

[Video]

[breakablegirl]

[She looks.. Conflicted. Curious. A little numb.] ... If it's true, it's a cause worth fighting for.

But the nature of how we got here.. I just can't trust them.

[hostage]

Think about it, though. Why would they lie to us? 'cause if they could control who they pick, they'd do a better job, right? They wouldn't be picking up like little kids. And if they could send us home, they'd send back the nasty ones who ain't doing shit for 'em, right? And definitely if they wanted to hurt us, they'd be doing that already. They wouldn't be putting us up in like a five-star hotel, giving us everything we ask for.

You don't have to trust them. It's just, you know, logical. They need our help.

[Text; Let me know if it's a bother and I'll retcon to video!]

[speakveryclearly]

Its Nice To Hear A Little Reason Around Here
I Particularly Appreciate Your Point On How Malevolent Interdimensional Kidnappers Dont Supply Weapons

it's cool!

[hostage]

[Text makes it hard to decipher sarcasm. He can't tell if he's being made fun of or not.]

Ummm, yeah. I mean, that just seems obvious to me.

[voice]

[futurarex]

If their true purpose is to protect our kingdoms from the threat of this United Earth, then I will make cause with them. But they still brought us here against our will--and in doing so, turned the gaze of United Earth on our kingdoms.

And only a fool would trust gifts freely given. We have no choice but to fight, but to give them our trust would be foolish.

[hostage]

I get it, but you gotta trust 'em at least a little. I mean, this is their world. We're using their stuff. And it's an enemy they know best. Sometimes, even when somebody's got you against your will, you gotta follow 'em to stay alive.

video

[fourscience]

It has been a long time since we spoke, Jesse. I am glad to see you doing well.

And it is good, I think, to be skeptical. Sometimes. But I have seen nothing that would want me to work against the Initiative. Yet.

[hostage]

[He smiles when he sees Nananea. Aw, look, he's not creeped out or anything anymore.]

Sure, yeah. I mean, I ain't saying people should just follow blindly.

[asskickersunite]

I'm glad to see we got some folks around here with good shit on their shoulders.

Those U.E. assholes don't have any place in the Age of Metal. Sooner we fuck 'em up here, the sooner everyone and their homes are safe.

[hostage]

Hell yeah, bitch! That's what I'm talking about. Focus on the real enemy, here.

video;

[bratworth]

Quite well said. [ Although in Edgeworth's opinion it probably could have used a little less profanity. ] We're already fighting a war on one front, there's no need to fabricate some additional enemy as well.

[hostage]

Yeah, exactly. Like how do you ignore the guys who're actually trying to kill us? It ain't like this shit is made up.

video;

[sacrificar]

A cage remains a cage, however comfortable and disguised it may be.

[hostage]

Uh, except not? This ain't a cage. Just 'cause they can't send us back to our world don't mean you gotta stay here. I don't think anybody's stopping you from taking a goddamn hike. Ain't nobody with AKs standing at the gates.

video;

[bittertears]

And who "in their right mind" would use our own memories against us as some sort of exercise?

Because as I recall, it was the same Initiative you speak so highly of.

[hostage]

The hell are you even talking about?

voice;

[transgressed]

Maybe they gave us those things in exchange for lining up nice and doing what they say. At the end of the day, no matter what they give us to help 'em, we're trapped. We're given weapons to help them. You don't know what'll happen if someone really rebels, 'cause the folks around here spend more time talking about it than doing it...but I bet a thousand gil they wouldn't be as nice and accommodating after that.

As for our worlds being in danger...well, I've got news for you, but the world I got pulled from is in danger, with or without this U.E., as long as I'm trapped in this dump thanks our happy kidnappers here.

[hostage]

These guys don't force you to do anything. You know how I know? 'cause I sat out every mission so far. Just sat there right on my lazy ass, letting everybody else do the work. If I did that in the real military from where I'm from, they woulda put me on trial or something. These guys? Whatever, man. They even keep sending me a paycheck and nobody's asked me for rent not even once.

They can't send you home. I don't get what's so hard to understand about that. I'm sure they'd loooove to send home all the whiny bitches and get some real soldiers up in here. The only reason I can think they haven't done that yet is they can't.

video. /reaches for

[paracosmic]

[well, she certainly hasn't heard anyone put it like that before. but she still questions it. they're still trapped here, no matter how you put it. there wasn't an escape unless it was totally random.]

You're right, Jesse, but we're still trapped here. We're pawns for them.

/touches

[hostage]

We don't have to be pawns. There's nothing stopping us from just doing nothing. They didn't do anything to me when I was just doing nothing all day.

And there's a whole world out there, if we wanted to take our chances with it. But me? I'd rather stick it out here. These guys have been good to me. I owe them.

video;

[endured]

When you put it that way, it makes this place sound a lot more like home.

( a sigh. )

... Hopefully the similarities will stop with just those examples though.

[hostage]

Why? What's so bad about it?

[video]

[failtsuninari]

You do have a point there with many of those things now that I think about it. I've heard stories where someone was thrown into another world only to have their powers taken away and trapped in less than favorable conditions.

Still, I only hope the current situation is temporary. Many of us, like myself, have things back home we need to take care of.

[hostage]

Of course it's temporary. We got the technology, we just gotta figure it out. And the sooner we fix this place up, the sooner people can go home.

[a_million_blossoms]

Your naiveté is almost amusing.

[hostage]

Eat me.