I thought it would be best for everyone if I put one of these up.

If you have any issues about how I play Batou, you are encouraged to raise them with me here. Of course, I very much welcome use of examples with your problem, so I can have a better idea of what to fix. If you have questions about why Batou did something or why he did so in the way he did, those are also encouraged.

That which does not kill the muse makes him stronger, right? And I want to be the best player I can for all of you!

Anonymous commenting is on. As for the IP address issue, in spite of playing Batou, I have absolutely no idea of what to do with them, so you're quite safe.

If you feel the need to contact me privately, the best way is probably by e-mailing agreylady@gmail.com. You can also talk to me at my rl journal, elspeth_vimes, or look for the elusive Elspeth Vimes on AIM.

And for reference, should you desire it: Batou's permission meme

[And locked to people he talked to during it. Thankfully, a very short list.]

That never happened.

Any of it.

[ This is now locked to the Major and Togusa, in order to appease the rookie. ]

[ The camera is trained directly on Batou. The room he's in is evidently darkly lit, so it's difficult to make out much. But if you look over Batou's shoulder, you can see Togusa, who is looking at Batou with a mixture of puzzlement and concern.

Batou smiles briefly. ]

Hey, Motoko.

[ In the background, Togusa's expression becomes more one of panicked confusion. Batou just looks slightly annoyed as he glances down at something before looking back up at the camera. ]

Do you think there's any way we can both get off this surveillance gig? I was really hoping we could get out this weekend. [ He smiles again. ] It's been a while since we've had a date.


(( Done with the gracious permission of Kuruma. ))

wrho;aooegih

KURUMA, YOU ARE AMAZING AND FAR TOO GOOD TO ME AND THANK YOU!!!
♥♥♥

"New recruits," huh?

Glad we're going to get to work with those AIs again.

They seem to have come out alright. They wouldn't have pulled a joke like that otherwise.

OKAY, WHO IS THE WONDERFUL ANON WHO GAVE BATOU SOME MORE PAID TIME? I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO YOU! ♥!

Finally got an appointment tomorrow. About time, it's damn annoying missing my right hand. I keep dropping things.

...
Everyone else made it out alright.

The Public Prosecutor's Office is definitely going to target Yakushima, too. He's going to pay for what he did.

[locked to the Major]

Ishikawa got pretty badly beat up, but everyone else seems fine. The rookie's still in regular police custody. He's safe enough there.

The old ape planned all of this to force somebody to act against Yakushima. We might even get reinstated soon. Unofficially, of course.


Oh, and the Gundam's fine, it was far enough away from the blasts. I went over the whole thing.

[/locked]

[Private]

...It was a great plan, really. And probably the only way to get things done. But dammit, it shouldn't have to have this high a cost! If Motoko had-

And the Tachikoma. They deserved better.


I'll be glad this whole damn thing is really over.

[/private]

They...


I'm grateful. I wish they hadn't had to, but...I won't waste it.



I definitely didn't last a week on my own, huh.

[And backdated to earlier in the day.]

Is there really anything that's "just" a job? People get tied up in things, get attached to them. It's part of what makes us human. We need that. All of us.

Not that she'd be as attached as me, of course, but...

Hell, I don't have to follow any orders now. If I want to do something, I'll do it. Consequences be damned, the only one who'll have to suffer for it's me.


Good thing I kept those guns.

That brat hacked my eyes! Must've gotten at my ears too. God dammit.

And when did the Narc Squad get assassins to back them up? ( I should have stopped that...dammit. Having Imakurusu would have helped. Those bastards. Major helped show them, at least.)

At least we got the file. (Can't say I'm really grateful to that kid though. Is he really the Laughing Man? I can almost believe it...)

Damn rookie, where'd he get the idea that it's fine to go in without any backup on call? (...I hope that wasn't me.) He's lucky he didn't get shot more. (He'd better pull through, the idiot.)

Those DEA bastards. Going in and slaughtering civilians like that, what the hell kind of government is this? (We're not letting them get away with this. They're goddamn murderers. And those people that just let the rookie lie there, sometimes you wonder about this whole goddamn country.)

(...This stupid virus had better end soon. I need to upgrade my security.)


(( I figured he'd post twice for episode 21, once about halfway through and then again after it. If that's alright with you, Toph. ...And I've got class now, so anything else will have to wait, I'm sorry. >.< ))

...
Major? Could we just...forget that...thing I said?
That wasn't me.

Goddamn virus...

...I should have said this a long time ago.

Motoko...I love you.
I've loved you for years. I mean, you're kind of scary and all, but you're an amazing woman and...


I guess that's all.

[Private, but he's a little too angry to be completely careful, so the skilled could probably hack. ...Not that I recommend talking to him in this mood.]

That stupid bastard.

How can someone throw away a perfectly good life? For money? Because he didn't feel appreciated? It seemed like he was pretty appreciated to me. He was doing well enough. Isn't your family more important than a little more cash?

Can't people just learn to be happy with what they've got?


It's either leave or be left, huh?
I don't want that.

It's a goddamn order. I can't argue.

But dammit...there ought to be some other way. Some sort of training for them, maybe, if reprogramming won't work. They shouldn't have to be...

Hell.

I don't want to work without them.


She's scary, huh?
I wish for once that wasn't true.

Y'know, it's kinda funny just how big a deal some people make about being the other gender for a while.

I mean, it can't really be that bad.

Geez, the rookie needs to be more careful. Doesn't he have any idea of when to pull out?


Aoi, huh? Nothing really to go on, still...

I end up feeling guilty.

I should have done more to help her. More than just trying to cover with the old ape.


And it just feels kinda wrong, finding things out like that. Dishonest, I guess. Doesn't really make sense, but there you go.


Sometimes I think it'd be better if I just left and tried to forget about the place, but I know she won't. So I'm staying. Even if it's not much use.

[Also, backdated...a week. >.< Sofail.]

So in some ways this place is great. I mean, Batman just joined. What could be better than that?

But now the Major's going around claiming she's related to a bunch of these people. First I thought it was a hack, but I checked as much of her activity as I could, and between that and the rest of the people here, it's pretty clear that it's another one of these damn "viruses."

I don't know how to deal with this.
I don't know how the Major's going to deal with this.

You really got to wonder if this is worthwhile.


...Not that the vacation was bad.

[...Alright, the Major could probably hack. But it would take work.]

This is why those idiots in charge shouldn't start wars. They never really end until everyone who was ever involved is dead.

There's no such thing as "peace." Not for the living or the dead.

Especially not with bastards like the goddamned CIA running around free.



But we still keep trying.
Does that really count for something, or do I just want it to?