voidtreckerexpress | Highly-Visible Ninja

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Highly-Visible Ninja

Who: Edge and OPEN
What: A much-disliked ninja tries to choose his time and place for confrontation.
Where: The greenhouse car.
When: Egret 28.

Considering things had reached the point where open calls to murder him were expressed on the message system -- and though Edge was sure they'd be written off as jokes, he was also sure that the ones making those jokes would not show the slightest moral qualm were they to happen -- Edge believed that an actual attack was only a matter of time. Any number of people on the train believed themselves superior, didn't they? And he felt certain the Council would, if not look the other way, debate such a situation without any meaningful resolution occurring. In other words, someone who wanted to hurt him had no reason not to try.

That being the case, this called for a little strategy.

So the mid-morning found Edge in the greenhouse car, sitting atop one of those large crates full of seeds, legs folded and hands resting on his knees. His eyes were shut, and overall he gave the impression of being deep in meditation. Of course, someone who could (and did) expect an attack would be an idiot to meditate in the open with his guard down, wouldn't he? But enough people thought he was an idiot that he fully expected it would meet their threshold of belief.

In reality, he was focused entirely on the environment around him, as he perceived it through his hearing. The end of his ninja scarf, pooled on the crate beside him, in fact hid his folded-up shuriken, right where he could snatch it up easily. So he was ready.

Now to see if anyone would take advantage. He hoped, at least, that he was being excessively paranoid...

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Duo raised a brow at that. "The hells that got to do with anything?" That was confusing as all hell to him. "I mean, sure, don't like someone if you don't like them, but what the hells a monarchy got to do with anything?" He leaned forward, peering at Edge through his bangs. "... You're not one of those guys who try and force their beliefs on others, are ya? Because lemme tell you, that's called tyranny. I've previous with that type. The kind that'll happily kill billions to realise their world view... You seem like a good guy to me. So that's not you, is it?"

Watch Edge not be intimidated! He knew where he stood on his moral principles!

"Do you SEE me taking anyone down? I expressed an opinion and evidence to back it up. That's all."

He wasn't being intimidating at all. He could, but he wasn't. Duo was genuinely curious. Honestly surprised. And then he shook his head.

"See now, I've seen the opposite. But I suppose you'd kinda need both. If you were gonna have a monarchy, they don't just rule alone. They have people around them. You kinda need that, right?" Though he realised he was speaking without actually knowing what Edge meant, what his vision was. Do Duo say back and gave a little wave of a hand and a smile. "So tell me what you think?"

"Of course not! A king absolutely needs trusted advisors and reliable subordinates! And a queen would be nice," he added, rubbing the back of his head, "but those are harder to find."

"But those things need a kingdom as well, yeah?" Duo cocked his head to the side and grinned. "We're not really one of those. This is just a group of strangers trying to work together and organise themselves. It's kinda shit, the organisation. But what do you expect with so many strong personalities?" And he guessed it was the council people that Edge had issues with. And childcatcher Tony. But couldn't he be considered the King of the train? Everyone seemed to see him as the leader so it'd make sense.

"Isn't that kinda what's going on though? You've hot the 'king' and you've got his 'trusted advisors'... So I'm not getting it." And he honestly wasn't. While they weren't using royal terms it looked like the train had fallen into the kind of rule this guy liked.

Edge shrugged. "There's the problem. The person who is in charge is incompetent, but manages to sound good enough that people think he can handle being in charge. That's ages different from earning the position through word and deed, and thus, acclaim. This system lets people trick their way into power, and it lets people as a whole make terrible choices. Recipe for trouble, any way you slice it."

"So..." Duo leaned back a bit and crossed his arms over his chest. "The guy in charge sucks. So what then? Stage a coup? Who says someone else would be better? What if you did that and people decided you suck and overthrew you? It'd never end. If you wanted a war, this is how they start."

"If history's any guide, a descent into factionalism will result, and a strong leader will need to emerge to pacify the conflict." That's how it went in Baron, as he understood it. "A proper ruler would never be considered to 'suck' by his people."

Duo's lips quirked. "Like, say, teams?" He asked curiously. "And say... maybe from those 'factions' maybe a leader appeared that the people approved of? Maybe not all. Not all will be happy with who rules no matter how good they are. A King could shower their people with land and riches and they'd still not be happy and find something to be pissed off about. You can't please everyone, I guess... So it doesn't hurt if you don't like the current ruler. But as I see it, everythin you've said sorta works for what's happened here. Most people I've spoken to..." And he'd made it a point on his first day (and second) to speak to as many people as he possibly could. And those that he hadn't he'd eventually get around to. "... all seem to like the guy. Personally I withhold my judgement till I see him on one of these missions." Duo was a soldier after all.

"After what he's said and done, I don't understand that in the slightest, but it just goes right back to a demonstration that people can choose a poor leader when they're constantly offered choice." And he categorically disagreed with the premise that people would always be unhappy enough to seriously rebel. He'd seen that work otherwise in Eblan. But why argue it when all it would get him is more insults? "On the other hand, it might just be that people don't want to be personally responsible."

"No idea what that guy said or did to get you this pissed off at him. But while I don't think things are as organised as they could be... I'm actually surprised at how calm things are on this train. I mean you'd expect people to be at each others throats being stuck in a long metal tube with a hundred other people. So maybe someone's doing something right?" Duo gave a shrug, at the end of the day he didn't much care one way or the other. "I've seen war all my life, man. Been a part of people's bids to rule and take what isn't there's because they think they should rule over everyone. Can't say if you're right or wrong, your opinion is yours, but things seem kinda calm here. That's gotta count for something."

"That's because the Council mostly doesn't do anything." No question about it, to Edge; if the Council actually began enacting laws and rules, rebellion and factionalism would soon follow.

Duo gave a slow, one shouldered shrug. "And what can they actually do? This isn't a kingdom. It's not a city to run. It's a train. And from what I've seen there are a few royal types on it. So what the hell's the big deal with needing to be in charge? Better yet... why're you so butthurt? Can't you just, I dunno, chill the fuck out and not try and cause a riot over something that'll not be important once the train decides we're more trouble than we're worth." And Duo kind of thought that might happen if people kept instigating unrest.

And there's the attitude he expected. Edge drew himself up, folding his arms. "I don't need to be in charge, but I expect a leader to be worthy of the name. And I don't intend to compromise my principles -- for you, him, or anyone. I've already done that enough here for the sake of peace and goodwill. Any more and I might as well not have principles to start with... and that would make me worse than anyone here."

Duo... burst out laughing. Maybe he shouldn't have, but this guy was living up to his name. He was on edge! He could do with relaxing some, Duo thought. They were just having a conversation and he wasn't asking the guy to compromise anything at all. How stupid would that be?

He held up his hands in surrender and grinned. "Whoa there, never said anything of the sort. Just meant we're all stuck here together, and we don't know how long that's gonna be. So does it really matter who is in charge and who isn't?" He dropped his hands and shrugged again. "So long as there's no fighting going on here, I think it's not so bad. I'm just gonna keep my head low and do what I do until I can get my ass off of here and back home. No need to go rocking the boat when we don't know what the future holds."

"It matters when they're making decisions that affect the lives of others. Besides, do you WANT someone treating you like a child?" Even if he looked to be the same age as the brat, Edge couldn't believe that every world would treat a person his age as a child.

Duo smirked. "People are gonna treat me however they want. That's their problem, not mine. Most treat me like an idiot. I kinda like it that way for the most part. No one gives me a second look. Why would they? I'm just that guy with the braid." And that's the way it was supposed to be. No one needed to know more about him. "I'm no one important." So no, it didn't bother him. Because he knew better, and that was all that mattered to Duo's mind.

"That's true of no one here." Pull the other one. Edge knew it and so did everybody else. "Are you saying, then, that you don't intend to aid on the missions?"

"Now where did I say that?" Duo asked, looking very amused. At no point did he say or even suggest such a thing, and he wasn't sure where Edge had gotten the notion.

"When you said it didn't matter if the leadership told you that you couldn't, or you had to do it a specific way, or your contribution didn't matter in the slightest. Not that any of it would stop you, of course." That much he didn't need to be told.

Duo had lost his amused look now. Even the smile had gone. In it's place was a very confused frown. "Dude, are you okay? I never said those things."

"I've said it doesn't matter whose in charge so long as people aren't fighting on the train. Don't know what the hell you mean about a 'specific' way but I'll generally do my own thing regardless. And I know I didn't say that last part. I said I wasn't important enough for people to really take notice of. Even when I make a big noise no one ever really pays attention to me. And that's the way it should always be." Because he didn't want anyone to.

"As for missions... I go where I feel my skills are more useful. Maybe I stick to my team or maybe someone elses. No one can really stop me there. And I'll do my own thing then as well, to get the job done."

Edge folded his arms. "Then you'll be going against a leadership who fears independent thought. Which was my point. You say those things, you're setting yourself in opposition to someone who believes he knows best and that only he can save us. You can say you don't care all you want, but that doesn't change the opposing stances."

"We'll see about that." Duo grinned. He'd not had that impression, though saying that he had spoken to one guy who had been kind of bent out of shape by his insistence that he would kick ass in whatever way he deemed fit, and had been forced to promise not to get himself killed...

Not getting killed was only sensible for numerous reasons, though a promise might be taking it too far. But for the here and now... Edge squeezed his eyes shut, wondering how someone could be so obstinate as to not Get It.

"Also you're not an adult, I should tell you that."

"No shit, Sherlock." Duo wasn't too sure why this seemed to be bothering the guy, so he leaned forward again and dropped his voice to a whisper. "But I'll let you in on a secret... I've never been a kid. I've done things that'll make your hair curl."

He straightened up and laughed. "Nah man, I'll make my own opinion from what I see of people. Maybe you're right? Maybe you're the adult I should be watching out for? I'll come to that decision on my own."

Highly-Visible Ninja

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