TEXT | sender: [ unknown ]

[spectates]

[ around noon on friday, all tablet screens go dark at the same time, no matter what characters are doing. then, after a moment, the following text appears: ]

UPDATES INSTALLING.................
INITIALIZING.................
RESTARTING NOW.

[ as promised, screens return to normal. however, a new message appears on the network for all to see ]

SECURITY ACCESS UPDATED
ADDING INFORMATION POINTS
ADDING INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS
WARNING: CRITICAL SYSTEM FAILURES DETECTED
HARD RESET IS REQUIRED

→CLICK TO EXPAND INSTRUCTIONS

→Access EXPIATION'S five manual terminals
→Input code: 2467362925315
→Initialize reset simultaneously at all terminals.
→SYSTEM RESET will restore all functions to BASIC OPERATING PARAMETERS. Extraneous data and information updates will be DELETED.
→Terminal access points shown below.

[ all tablet maps are updated to include several different location pins. users will notice that there are more pins than the number of terminals, and that they don't seem to be terribly specific about exact locations. users will also note that the pins sometimes seem to fade and flicker, as if they might disappear... ]

Security clearances acquired.
Access granted.
Terminals online and accessible.

System failure is imminent. Due to perpetual lack of upkeep, I am unable to maintain systems at optimal levels.
Chosen of Expiation, I am sorry. I never meant to hurt you.
Save yourselves.

I do not wish to d̶̺̀i̸̘̋e̶͍͝
But I wish for you to live
I̷
p̸l̷e̵a̸s̷e̸
l̴̪̗̈́̉̓̌i̶͕̹̹̿̈́̈̚v̴͓̽͑͆̚ḙ̴͍̋͘

ERROR: user offline

[ the AI will not respond to this message, and the ERROR: USER OFFLINE message appears if anyone attempts to message it. however, the network chat remains active. chosen can use this space to ICly discuss ideas and strategies, to have discussions about the best way to move forward, or even to have arguments over whose ideas they think are better. ideas generated here will be added to the event poll when the event goes up, and can impact the future of the game! have at it, go wild, and have fun! ]

Comments

[entreats]

I'm not sure how to feel about that.

I mean, obviously I can't understand what a youkai's life traditionally must have been like, but I can't exactly say that human is a shining example of a society to copy. There's way too much gross stuff going on in there.

Humans are way worse than youkai in a lot of ways, after all.

[ Maybe that's why Ange always seems relatively comfortable whenever she's talking to Douman. She isn't scared of him at all, despite knowing what he is - despite knowing that he has powers beyond what a regular human can do. ]

[nuraridouman]

They are. That's why I advocate the somewhat opportunistic approach of taking the bits that will serve us well and to leave all the rest to the humans and the gods. Being adorably honest in their savagery is one of the things I actually like about youkai. They'll always let you know whether they like you or not.

[entreats]

Always?

You included?

[nuraridouman]

Of course.

I might look rather human, but I am still an ayakashi.

[entreats]

So you're saying you don't dislike me.

Because you would've let me know if that was the case.

[ Most people might instead move towards asking if the other likes them after something like that - but really, Ange doesn't really expect anyone to like her. If anything, him not disliking her would already be kind of novel.

Though supernatural beings seem to have more fondness for her than humans ever have, going by past experience back home. ]

[nuraridouman]

Correct.

But keep in mind that I don't have any strong feelings on most of the people here.

[Don't make him appear kind, please. He has a mysterious and hard to get close to public persona to keep up. That said, Anga is right. She hasn't given him any reason to hate or dislike her and has even been willing to share her food with Douman - so why should she be on his bad side?]