Hmm. You do succeed, at a little under ten minutes. You do give some thought to simply destroying the lock or pulling the pins from the hinges of whatever it's holding shut to make a point, but choose to solve the lock for the same reason that you choose not to simply remove the vibrating apparatus.
You would have figured out all the correct steps at about six minutes, but the distraction would slow you down as you executed the solution.
I would find myself in a precarious position, in that sort of circumstance. The necessity of balancing a success quickly enough to satisfy you with my competence with drawing it out long enough to take optimal advantage of your enthralled presence.
It seems that my apprehensions about being seen generally are easily mitigated so long as I'm excelling in my art at the time of observation.
I admit, I had not put a great deal of thought into my enthralled presence. But I suppose I would be there. I'm not sure how many people would go around putting vibrator remotes behind puzzle locks, but I would assume the average person doesn't know two people who would share that immediate instinct upon being given a remote.
I was intending to comment upon how it would be relevantly simple to attach the electronics of a remote to connect it to a timer switch, to cycle through settings at set intervals. But if I am present, I could simply manipulate the remote with Hierophant.
I imagine it helps if you know that you are being observed because the experience of watching you perform your art is appealing in itself. You had not considered that until recently, so no doubt you would start considering other reasons why someone might want to observe you. Even if you had no reason to suspect someone of trying to subvert your work, it would be an open question.
Ah. Is there anything important that I ought to know about my enthralled presence?
Yes. Perhaps not the only reason, but yes.
It's not as if I think that you would just assume the worst of any observer. But the existence of that unanswered question seems like it would be an unwelcome drain on your concentration.
We're positioned in such a way that you can see up my skirt, if you care to look.
It's that I feel ashamed when I'm noticed, typically. It would be a stain upon my family name to do what I do for the purposes of recognition or attention. But as with most subversive things, the allure of the forbidden does present a certain scintillating element...provided it's taken in an appropriate context.
Very few things compromise my ability to do my work directly.
And I suppose it is. I did deliberately choose to be observed once before I came here. It's how I received my invitation to attend the academy I was enrolled in immediately prior to my arrival in the Burnished Crater.
You see, that kind of offhand statement is exactly why someone might be intrigued to observe you.
I'll be honest, I'm not sure if that's meant to be a good thing or a bad thing. It sounds like a positive result, but it's difficult for me to separate my understanding of your circumstances prior to your arrival from my reading.
Hmm. Incredibly selective, I imagine. Clearly attending it was important enough to you to allow yourself to be observed, but I doubt that doing so would have been the approach that you chose were something like academic achievement or an entrance examination sufficient.
And it must have been integral to some goal of yours, because I think that in order to allow yourself to be observed you would have needed to be in a state where you were not able to feel.
My year consisted of a roster of sixteen, all students recognized as world-class in their field of choice. Those arts ranged from traditional things like swimming and wrestling to the more unorthodox, like gambling or being heir to a business conglomerate.
Or lucky.
That was the "talent" of the boy I'll spend the rest of my life protecting. He won a lottery to be admitted and was given the distinction of possessing world-class luck.
...Oh! Athletics. That's right. I like basketball, so I suppose I would've...done that.
I would balk at the idea of luck being a talent, but instead I am balking at it apparently being a talent that is entirely separate from being an heir.
But I see. Perhaps that would explain it. If the purpose of a uniform is to encourage students to think of themselves as an extension of their school and encourage collaboration, one probably would not fit the goals of an institution dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in very specific, unique fields.
I recall I've asked you before if you've met Rohan Kishibe. A significant portion of my relationship with him is rooted in the fact that his personality is almost identical to that of the Ultimate Heir. It's not a compliment.
You're right, though. Conformity would be slightly counterproductive when in fact we were all assembled because of our tendency to stand out.
Ah, so being an Ultimate Heir is not merely an objective measure of being the person who inherits the most. It's a contest of who is the most insufferable about it. That at least adds some element of skill.
[ Is this 'dunking on a guy he doesn't know' time? Always. ]
To be honest, I can't imagine a group learning environment that would be able to nurture world-class talent in a field in one student while also remaining accessible to the others. It sounds less like a school and more like a collection.
Something like that. His family's practice is for the male head of the family to have a dozen or so children with different women and then pit all the half-siblings against each other, with the victor becoming the next family head. Togami-kun defeated his brothers and sisters for that distinction, which was the feat that qualified him for his title.
...
It's interesting you put it that way, because you're not wrong. We were, in fact, "collected".
He never specified, but given the unlikelihood of Togami-kun defeating fifteen of his siblings at any competition that hinged on physical prowess, I assume it was something grounded in intellect or cunning.
[EAT SHIT, TOGAMI]
The successor becomes head of a conglomerate that plays a role in controlling the various financial activities of the world from the shadows. The defeated lose all rights to their family name and are forced to live as commoners.
I'm delighted that you dislike someone so intensely. It's only natural to want to make the most of it.
...And I'm a monumentally petty person who has in the last few minutes discovered that he dislikes the idea of inheritance being considered an academic achievement.
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You would have figured out all the correct steps at about six minutes, but the distraction would slow you down as you executed the solution.
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It seems that my apprehensions about being seen generally are easily mitigated so long as I'm excelling in my art at the time of observation.
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I was intending to comment upon how it would be relevantly simple to attach the electronics of a remote to connect it to a timer switch, to cycle through settings at set intervals. But if I am present, I could simply manipulate the remote with Hierophant.
I imagine it helps if you know that you are being observed because the experience of watching you perform your art is appealing in itself. You had not considered that until recently, so no doubt you would start considering other reasons why someone might want to observe you. Even if you had no reason to suspect someone of trying to subvert your work, it would be an open question.
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...Is that why you think I dislike being observed? Because it forces me to question the motives of the person watching me?
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Yes. Perhaps not the only reason, but yes.
It's not as if I think that you would just assume the worst of any observer. But the existence of that unanswered question seems like it would be an unwelcome drain on your concentration.
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It's that I feel ashamed when I'm noticed, typically. It would be a stain upon my family name to do what I do for the purposes of recognition or attention. But as with most subversive things, the allure of the forbidden does present a certain scintillating element...provided it's taken in an appropriate context.
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It is symbolic, yes? The act of choosing to be observed is the first step upon a path that ends in compromised judgement.
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And I suppose it is. I did deliberately choose to be observed once before I came here. It's how I received my invitation to attend the academy I was enrolled in immediately prior to my arrival in the Burnished Crater.
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I'll be honest, I'm not sure if that's meant to be a good thing or a bad thing. It sounds like a positive result, but it's difficult for me to separate my understanding of your circumstances prior to your arrival from my reading.
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You should ask me questions about the school environment. At your discretion. If you're curious about it.
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Hmm. Incredibly selective, I imagine. Clearly attending it was important enough to you to allow yourself to be observed, but I doubt that doing so would have been the approach that you chose were something like academic achievement or an entrance examination sufficient.
And it must have been integral to some goal of yours, because I think that in order to allow yourself to be observed you would have needed to be in a state where you were not able to feel.
What were the uniforms like?
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...
I don't remember us wearing uniforms. I...
No, I think we must not have had that type of dress code.
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Would you have wanted to be a member of any particular clubs?
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Or lucky.
That was the "talent" of the boy I'll spend the rest of my life protecting. He won a lottery to be admitted and was given the distinction of possessing world-class luck.
...Oh! Athletics. That's right. I like basketball, so I suppose I would've...done that.
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But I see. Perhaps that would explain it. If the purpose of a uniform is to encourage students to think of themselves as an extension of their school and encourage collaboration, one probably would not fit the goals of an institution dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in very specific, unique fields.
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You're right, though. Conformity would be slightly counterproductive when in fact we were all assembled because of our tendency to stand out.
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[ Is this 'dunking on a guy he doesn't know' time? Always. ]
To be honest, I can't imagine a group learning environment that would be able to nurture world-class talent in a field in one student while also remaining accessible to the others. It sounds less like a school and more like a collection.
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...
It's interesting you put it that way, because you're not wrong. We were, in fact, "collected".
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wait
pit them against each other at what
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[EAT SHIT, TOGAMI]
The successor becomes head of a conglomerate that plays a role in controlling the various financial activities of the world from the shadows. The defeated lose all rights to their family name and are forced to live as commoners.
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That sounds like an elaborate excuse to not pay child support for 15 children.
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I would feel honor-bound to keep him alive and unharmed if he ever came here, I suppose.
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...And I'm a monumentally petty person who has in the last few minutes discovered that he dislikes the idea of inheritance being considered an academic achievement.
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A girl in our class slapped him once. I'll admit to a little envy of her for that.
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[ Yes he has been continuing to complain about being an heir not being an academic achievement this whole time. ]
A collection, though. So the facility was gathering you as a set of living trophies?
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