exsilium | video;

[ Hello, fellow transports. Tonight when you check your networks, enjoy a look at one of your newest, a serious-looking man (flippy blond hair notwithstanding) with a politely neutral expression. ]

If it isn't too much trouble, I'd like to ask a few questions. While the woman providing the introductions was enthusiastic enough, her explanations were somewhat lacking. For instance, how many people are here in Exsilium right now, and how many are fellow transports? I understand there's a war going on - in that case, what kind of organized armed forces exist in this city? I'd assume there's a system in place to protect civilians or those unwilling to fight, but [ a bit of that politeness slips out of his tone ] please correct me if something so obvious hasn't been attended to.

[ He reaches to turn off the feed, but pauses as if remembering something, and straightens again with a friendlier look and a half self-deprecating sort of tone (all affected of course, with the ease of someone used to putting on a public face). ]

My apologies, it's rude to ask questions without giving any answers. My name is Barnaby Brooks Jr. Additionally, I'd like to hear from anyone familiar with me, whether personally or from Hero TV.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He doesn't quite say it is cool, and he's a little divorced from the time when he might have, but he's happy to explain it anyway to someone curious. ]

That's right, I am. It's a show that follows the heroes of Sternbild City as they fight crime, with each episode typically being about a particular operation - for instance, a bank robbery. The heroes are scored based on the quality of their participation, and at the end of the season, the hero with the most points is declared the King of Heroes.

[ Her face darkens for a moment. Life isn't a place where being a hero is nothing more than a game for others to watch - it hits a little too close to home, even though it's exactly the kind of show she would have watched before everything happened. ]

So you're an actor? [ It seems too far removed from reality to be... well, real. ] Shows like that are always popular. They're the sort of thing people watch because it's nice when the heroes win.

[ He notices the expression change, in part just because it seems so out of place on such a young face. He doesn't comment on it, though his eyebrows drift upwards a fraction. ]

I'm sure that's part of the reason for our show's popularity. [ (Let's believe.) ] But it seems I wasn't very clear - I'm not an actor, nor are the events of the show staged. The Justice Bureau works together with the heroes and show producers to arrange the logistics of recording the incidents, as well as to make sure the city's police and heroes are on the same page - it wouldn't be very good, after all, if we got in each others' way. Of course, crimes also happen without any warning, in which case it's up to the crew to keep up.

[ That... almost sounds ideal. A few weeks ago and she would have been nothing but excited to hear about a place where heroes could do their thing and be respected for it, but now anything that seems perfect is met with an equal degree of suspicion. ]

And what if the show didn't exist at all? Would you still help people, or is it all just some kind of job?

[ Sayaka doesn't mean to single him out directly, but it comes out a little more accusatory than she intended. Surely most (if not all) of them are only in it for selfish reasons. ]

[ He finds it a fair enough question to be asked really, maybe in part from being used to the publicity and being asked all sorts of questions by now. Or maybe he doesn't mind answering because she's hit upon one of the topics he hasn't had reason to hide anything about for a long time now, something he's been wondering about lately.

(So become someone strong who can protect people.)

If the show had never existed at all is a funny thing to think about, because there's no question that his life would change if that were the case. While he wouldn't have become a hero and learned the lessons (and met the people) he has today - looking deeper, his childhood would've been very, very different, and unquestionably happier. There's a painful pang at the thought, and when he answers, he sounds less stage-perfect and more natural, maybe a little less assured but with some conviction. ]

My parents devoted their careers - no, their lives - to putting all of their efforts into helping other people. Even if I didn't have the opportunity to become a hero or if I chose not to, I'd still want to follow in their footsteps and live by their ideals. Though, [ and his voice gets a little lighter ] I might have chosen something closer to their line of work instead.

[ It's a good answer - almost too good, really, yet Sayaka has no reason to doubt him, and he speaks convincingly. She exhales, expression lifting a bit; it's still far from happy, but there's a sense that maybe selfless people aren't impossible to find after all. ]

Good. Most people wouldn't care without some kind of reward for themselves. [ And Sayaka judges them for it, in her own stupid naive way. She pauses for a moment, before her curiosity gets the better of her. ] What did your parents do, anyway?

[ He was like that once - so so eager to get as much publicity as possible to draw out his parents' killer, or at least gain access to resources that'd help him find him - but instead of getting into that with a child, he'll address the second topic (and he enjoys that more, anyway). ]

They worked in robotics. They wanted to develop androids capable of assisting and even saving people in trouble.

[ That's... new. It's not a field Sayaka can claim even the most basic of knowledge in, but it certainly seems noble. ]

They sound like good people. I can see why you'd want to be like that. [ Genuinely good, which is pretty big coming from her. She frowns momentarily in contemplation - she's been largely keeping to herself, but he's left a good impression so far. ] You said your name was Barnaby, right? I'm Sayaka.

[ That response actually does draw out a warm look, especially after his (no longer very recent) run-ins with some of the places their research was taken. ]

They were very good people. And it's a pleasure to meet you, Sayaka. [ Even if she still seems way too younnnnnng for this. ] If you don't mind my asking, are you a student?