AUDIENCE: SOO-WON

[retellers]

Comments

[retellers]

[ thinking even harder... ]

[recrowns]

[humming thoughtfully to himself]

And maybe some tea...

[retellers]

[ ...

...

........... ]

I'm trying to think of a way to answer this that wouldn't have consequences, but I am failing. [ a pause. ] But your memories of them should be fine. That is, no less likely to disappear than any other memory, at least.

[recrowns]

[hm]

Consequences?

For who? You? Or myself?

[retellers]

[ i accidentally stopped giving you access so i sure hope that didn't screw anything up, gomen dana ]

For everyone.

[recrowns]

[SDLFKJSDFLKJSDF THIS IS SO FUNNY

i didn't get this notif but it's okay i found it]

Ah, fair enough.

Then - would you say that those who were 'removed' are decidedly dead and unable to be contacted?

[maybe if it's simpler and in a yes/no format it'll be easier to answer]

[retellers]

Their souls have passed, Soo-won. You should not expect to see them.

[recrowns]

Hm.... alright.

[he'll accept this for the time being]

How is your connection with the Realm faring? Better?

[retellers]

[ hm... ]

Things are still... unstable. Better than they were yesterday, though. I don't know if I would say our connection to the Realm has changed, but that, we can feel.

[recrowns]

Hmm...

So the spilling of blood has created an instability that hasn't settled down yet? Even though more blood has been spilled at the Realm's direction?

[retellers]

Possibly. Or something else went wrong on Thursday night that we aren't yet aware of, given that we don't know the direct details of what happened then.

[recrowns]

You were all incapacitated, yes?

[from what he heard]

Could you tell me what you experienced exactly?

[retellers]

Yes. Like you, we were all trapped where we were, and we couldn't leave. It was very strange. Then, after an hour, we fell unconscious.

[recrowns]

And you were all here... a week longer than us, yes? That didn't happen on the previous Thursday?

[retellers]

[ they shake their head. ]

Nothing like that occurred before. I don't normally require sleep either, so it was rather unexpected.

[recrowns]

Do you believe it was the work of the Realm?

[retellers]

I believe it is the Realm's doing, but in the sense that the Realm may have responded to someone's will. It exists from memories, and so its existence adjusts based on others' experiences and emotions.

[ they think for a moment. ]

If the Realm itself simply wanted to kill us all, there are simpler methods of doing so. It is not difficult, physically, to take a life.

[recrowns]

Ah, so like a giant ravine opening up in the middle of the plaza and swallowing us if the Realm chose?

[like

is that possible]

[retellers]

Maybe. Now that you've said it, I suppose that could be an option.

Or, if I was the Realm and wanted to be cruel, I would merely deprive you of most of your supplies and wait for you to fight over what remains. Humanity has few scruples when faced with starvation.

[ a pause, before they realize how that might've sounded. ]

N-Not that I would do such a thing...!

[recrowns]

At this time, I believe you.

[and he'll place a hand on goat's shoulder again, giving it a friendly pat]

I ask that you do take care not to betray that trust.

But hypotheticals are fine.

[retellers]

[ they just nod. ]

[recrowns]

[yay! so soo-won just offers up a smile before pulling back his hand]

But you make a point - I've mentioned to others that at first I didn't understand the motivation, given the plentiful food and shelter.

So the current hypothesis is that the Realm responded to the will of either Virid, or Virid's leader, in order to allow for circumstances on a Thursday night in which Virid could murder Hajime?

[retellers]

That seems to be the case.

[recrowns]

And if someone else gets the same idea - that they have a memory that is so important to them that they would kill in order to get it back - the same circumstances will manifest this Thursday?

However if those sentiments don't exist, Thursday will proceed normally?

[retellers]

[ they nod. ]

If no one has any kind of unusual intent, I believe Thursday should be another, ordinary day.

[ maybe this is break week! no murder! ]