video; return of the radio show (forward-dated to march 10)

[orphne]

[Okay, so when Goro Akechi asks nicely for a favor, Kotone isn't one to turn him down. People are probably more likely to listen if it's not-him saying something! Besides, it's kind of fun to pretend to be a real news anchor, sitting next to Minato at one of the desks in the club building, holding a piece of paper in both hands. In light of recent events, though, her usually-bright smile is a bit more subdued as she mouths a few words, skimming down the paper, and then immediately makes a face.

It's so obvious to anyone who knows either Minato or Kotone that there's no way what they're reading out loud are their own words. Their broadcast goes live not long after Ragna's post.]

Good evening Aldrip!

I'm certain that we all are aware of the current events. Especially since the perpetrator behind the latest explosion decided to grant us with a live broadcast and-- [She pauses, scrunching up her face, because what's written next is so passive-aggressive about "the person in question not having a plan, and how no one should be surprised that person didn't have a plan." She'll just leave that part out and skip ahead,]

Considering the nature of the Council, it'd be foolish to think this attack will be left unpunished. However, we aren't sure if they will come to us as a whole or just target the perpetrator. Honestly, both are plausible scenarios. Which is why I believe we need to gather all the information we have of The Council.

[ Why is this so long?? Minato leans over a bit, squinting at the mess of handwritten notes in front of him. ] A lot of people have theorized that they are the ones responsible for our presence here, or that they are godlike creatures. While I believe this is an important theory to keep in mind, I’m not sure that’s the case here.

The council was originally absent when The Chosen arrived here for the first time. They only became active back in October after we went through the Maze. [She makes another face, because the maze sucked.] For those who weren't here back then, here's a quick summary: One night in September the town transformed into a gigantic maze with different levels that we had to clear while facing our fears, insecurities and memories related to the crimes in our parchments. After a few days the maze disappeared and town returned back to 'normal.' That's when 'Jerry' appeared and began to act on behalf of The Council to rehabilitate the criminals.

…‘someone' suggested that we might have entered a whole different timeline after coming out of the maze. [ He takes a moment to shuffle through his papers because, what maze…? Minato glances over his shoulder at something off-screen with a puzzled expression before looking straight ahead again. ] There’s no concrete evidence on this, but we shouldn’t ignore it either. The odd behavior from the locals would suggest it. They’ve been seen freezing in the middle of action before suddenly changing their opinions and behavior, along with being… unable to offer any proper information about the world they live in.

It could be that the world is preparing for another world-altering change right now, just like back with the maze. [Maybe they should have led with that?]

We also believe that we are hardly the first group of The Chosen who have arrived. There have been mentions of previous "cycles", indicating that there were others before us. These cycles were mentioned in the graves that we came across during October's witch hunt — [ He glances at something out of view again with a curious tilt of the head. After blinking a couple times with a frown in that direction, he turns to his notes again. ] — along with… an underground grotto where we found pictures of the people from past. [ Minato frowns a bit because that’s… mildly concerning if true. Frankly, he doesn’t know whether anything in these notes is true at all. ]

The biggest indicator, however, that we are not the first ones here are the sudden images, video and audios clips we received after our expedition with the fairies back in July. [Her mouth opens in an "oh" as if she's only just realized something herself, then shrugs and continues reading,] Those clips showed people from the past discussing about their "crimes" very similarly to our own. They also mentioned dealing with similar trials and monsters like we have. So, it would make sense if we assume that everything that we have gone through has happened before, and that we are following some sort of a script...? [HUH?? Now it's her turn to stare off-screen mouthing 'what?']

Or at least, that was the case until the destruction of the City Hall. [ Finally, something he actually has firsthand knowledge about and doesn’t need to glance over his shoulder to make sure he’s reading things correctly. ]

[Apparently whatever she's looking at off-screen is prompting her to continue, because she makes a face but checks her papers again. And then makes yet another face, deciding to paraphrase what's written there.] The Council is really powerful and can alter people's memories and bodies, but maybe they're not the ones behind the maze...? 'Cause apparently we don't have any proof that they can change reality. So maybe they're just a product of maze instead of the ones behind it. [She scrunches up her face and checks the papers again, a little doubtfully,] Maybe like Jerry, they're being used as tools by someone with greater power...? [She's kind of regretting agreeing to do this... she should have made Akechi read his own hypotheses...]

We don’t know who or what that powerful being may be. It could be the ones that locals call Those Who Were Here, but they seem to be deities only to Aldrip. None of the other towns have shown any signs of religion as far as we know. They might be a red herring set out to mislead us. [ He speaks flatly with an impassive expression. Minato clearly doesn’t actually believe or agree with anything that’s coming out of his mouth right now. He maintains his focus though, eyes trained on the notes in front of him. ] Whatever it is, we believe we can all agree that their excuses and explanations about wanting to rehabilitate us is bullshit, along with our 'crimes.' [ Minato looks off camera again and gives definitely-not-Akechi-Goro a thumbs-up. ]

[Kotone puts down her papers and sticks out her tongue a little as if trying to figure out how to talk normally again after all that formal language.] Anyway, that's just a summary, so if anybody has any other information, go ahead and let us know! How was that, Goro?

[ ooc: Replies will mostly be from Akechi, but possible peanut gallery-ing from Kotone and Minato!

Also please feel free to tag each other too! Hop on in and let’s start cooking some theories \o/ ]

Comments

voice;

[drugsnotclubs]

[...Only one absolute Tool of a Fucker would be this wordy. And so Shinjiro sounds half amused when he responds.]

He really put you guys up to this to save his own pride, huh....

[Well he won't out him more than Kotone already did. His biggest hint was the """someone""" and then the mention of exactly what Shinjiro had told Akechi months before. Ah well at least this can be some kind of.... olive branch between them, too.]

...Speaking of what 'someone' suggested: I got some more info on that, too. It was a weird message Dara got a few weeks back about an 'environmental resent' in progress. It was about a third of the way through at the time.

voice;

[memori3s]

Senpai, were you here in October? Did you find any witches?

[ Because that's all he gleaned from Akechi's notes. ]

[drugsnotclubs]

That was right when I showed up. [Fitting.] But... no, definitely didn't go hunting for witches. I didn't really hit the ground running like you.

[thats a kind way of saying 'i spent a lot of time trying to will myself into not existing again instead of participating' but ok]

But everyone was talking about that maze thing. Like how one sprung up in town overnight, they had to go through some bullshit in it, and when they came out everything was a little off or different. Like the locals not loving them anymore, and the Council showing up.

[memori3s]

Oh. ...Okay, I'll ask someone else about the witches then.

[ Does this really count as hitting the ground running --

Wait, what? ]

...did the Council not show up until the maze?

[drugsnotclubs]

From what I've heard, yeah. And before then, apparently the locals were throwing themselves at every idiot who washed up here like some sort of messiah. That's how we got the name 'Chosen'.

[A beat.]

That's why when Akechi told me about it, I told him it sounded like they'd hit some other version of the place. Kind of like how you and Kotone are different versions of each other. And me and the Shinjiro who used to be here.

[memori3s]

[ Huh.

He's glancing at Kotone out of the corner of his eye. ]

Maybe there's a different Aldrip and that's where the other versions have gone.

[ Nah, that'd be crazy. ]

[drugsnotclubs]

Possible.

[It would be crazy, but no crazier than waking up in the middle of the woods from your death and finding out 'oh sup everyone here knows some more-likeable version of you, prepare to disappoint them']

I mean, could be anything, really.

[memori3s]

[ OKAY FAIR. ]

...it's not so bad here, is it? I got to see you again.

[ A pause. ]

I got to meet Kotone.

[ If they can't do anything about being stuck in some simulation from hell, at least there's that. ]

[drugsnotclubs]

...

[...Man, why you gotta ask deep shit all the time, Minato. He sighs-- but then concedes.]

Nah. It ain't.

[Honestly, it's better than back home, he feels. But that might be weird to voice, so he won't.]

And yeah, I dunno how else we could've met her. It'd just be a lot easier if this place weren't changing up all the time.

[memori3s]

[ Of all the people that Shinjiro could voice that thought to, he's speaking to someone who would readily accept it. ]

I heard sometimes entire buildings appear with their interiors intact. ...Manjiro told me that's how the dojo got here.

[ Must be pretty inconvenient to have the place changing to drastically all the time. And this is what Minato chooses to glean from Akechi's report too, other than the witch hunt. ]

[drugsnotclubs]

Huh. I wonder if that's why the arcade from the mall's hanging around, too.

[Yep. Game Panic exists in Aldrip. It's weird and unsettling to him, to see this isolated replica of something from home amongst all the local wooden, hand-built structures.

The idea that things are just loaded and unloaded with such ease, that reality is just what they perceive and nothing more.... He can't decide if that makes the 'alive again' thing easier or weirder.]

So far most of the main things have stayed the same, I think. Where the towns are, the geography, that might of thing. So it hasn't been completely unstable. Just mostly.

voice;

[orphne]

He asked nicely.

[That's it... that's why they did it...]

D'you know if that weird message ever got updated? Like, if it was in progress?

[drugsnotclubs]

Far as I know, she didn't get it again. So I dunno if that means it's paused or if we just haven't heard about it.

[Oof, saying this next part to Kotone.... kind of sucks. But keeping it from her isn't exactly protecting her from it.]

I've... kind of been figuring that's why I'm a different me. Like I'm part of what already got reset.

[orphne]

Oh.

[Give her a few seconds to chew on that. Maybe a few more. She hasn't disconnected, she's still there, but... what can she say to that? It's quiet, barely audible, when she finally asks,]

...D'you think that's why Ken-kun isn't here anymore? And Ryoji?

[Are the people who knew her from home being reset? Is it her fault somehow?]

[drugsnotclubs]

...I don't know.

[It..... sucks. Introducing the option that it could just be a mater of time for everyone else to be phased out, only to maybe be reintroduced later. But... Minato and Kotone weren't the same person. Same role, sure, but they existed here concurrently. It feels different.]

It might be. Or for whatever reason this place didn't need them anymore. Who even knows what the point behind it is.

[orphne]

[It's kind of narcissistic to think that way, isn't it? And yet, ever since she learned about the other leader of SEES, the people who knew her had kept disappearing. Maybe she's next. It's been almost a full year here in Aldrip, so--

Well, telling Shinji that stuff isn't going to help anything, so she just forces a smile, hoping it carries into her voice.]

What do you think we should do, Senpai?

[drugsnotclubs]

[The good thing: It's audio so they don't have to see each other doing the whole 'processing' and 'thinking' thing. The expressions flitting across faces, the eyes dipping down or to the side. The bad thing: even over voice there's a palpable sort of heaviness, one that neither of them are acknowledging.

At her question, he does stop and consider for a moment. What can they do? The enemy is unknown, their current world may or may not be in danger, and they desperately want to cling to the bonds they have.

....Seems familiar, really.]

What SEES does best, I guess. Fight like hell in the dark and hope it turns out right. We never knew shit before, and that didn't stop us.

[orphne]

[She can't help but laugh -- there's not much humor in it, but it's a laugh nonetheless, because yeah. Yeah, this isn't the first time SEES has gone through this kind of awful shit. It's never been easy for any of them.]

Sanada-senpai would probably say something like, "even if we get knocked down, we have to keep fighting until the end of the match"... right?

[She inhales a deep breath and straightens with a firm nod that of course he can't see.]

Then we'll just be ready to fight whatever happens.

[drugsnotclubs]

[He groans at her first comment, but it's good hearted.]

That idiot can only think in boxing terms, I swear.... All the punching's scrambled his brains...

[Translation: man i miss that dumbass jock.]

Yeah. If we can narrow down why this is going on, then we can know what to do about it. And if that means shoving out hands into every crease of this place, then I guess we gotta do it.

[murderingjustice]

it hardly has anything to do with pride.

hmm, that could be referring to the message we saw on our tablets before the blackout. something about updates being installed.

[drugsnotclubs]

to be taken seriously then

Oh yeah? Guess that means I should finally get a tablet, if you guys are getting more info on it. [he probably won't.] i dunno an update sounds different from a reset to me. and that would have been right after the Kestorians pulled their shit, right?

[orphne]

I'll get you one, Senpai!

[Yeah she knows he isn't going to get one on his own.]

[drugsnotclubs]

[he has instant regrets]

Thanks Kotone. [He is not thankful.]

[murderingjustice]

yes well, unlike some people here I do not plan on sitting on the information and wait to see what happens next. i prefer to figure out what the fuck is going on.

are they that different. both do indicate that the a change of some kind is coming. but what i find important is the nature of the language as they both are very technical, as if they were referring to a programing.

[drugsnotclubs]

Hey, I talked to people about it. Just not you.

An update is changing sonething and a reset is getting rid of all the changes, right? So yeah they seem pretty different.

Did you go out by Kestoria when were at Rumpitur and see those monsters? They were like... TV static or something. Or like when a picture's taking forever to load on a website or sonething and it's all fuzzy and weird. Between that, what you guys said about that maze, and then that message-- yeah, I think some kinda 'program' is about all that fits.