text; another mystery to uncover...!

[alborada]

[ The look on Sylvarie’s face could be nothing other than apprehension as she looks down at her slate resting on the floor between them, chewing her lip softly. ]

Do you think this is a good idea? Should we maybe ask the Director first? Or even Mogaruru?

[ Lean shakes his head in response, regarding Sylvarie with a slightly amused expression. ]


It’s okay. Given the circumstances, we’re doing them a favour. Press the button when you’re ready.

[ Well, could she really be ready given they have absolutely no reference for who they are dealing with other than a dislike of Comic Sans (a wise choice)? Breathing out, Sylvarie looks to Lean straight in the eyes despite the low lighting of her bedroom. ]

If anything happens to my slate, may I borrow yours? [ Either way, her finger is hovering over that button. ]

[ There’s a moment where the young man visibly hesitates, feeling uncomfortable with the notion of sharing his personal data with someone else… but seeing no other options, Lean eventually agrees.]

F-fair enough. As fair as I know, Moogles can fix anything on the spot, though. [ Either way, he’d rather hope nothing happens, commenting with a nod. ] Go on.

[ Then the real message begins and their feed goes live, in text format to start for the sake of politeness. ]

> Excuse us, um..

a2lsbGVyb2Z3b3JsZA==

We do not mean to disturb you if it is a late hour where you are. We were simply wondering if, as someone with whom we share this Linkshell, you may be willing to discuss some questions with us? Regarding the greyed names.

> We have been aware of your presence for a long while now, yet you have decided not to reveal your true self. Why? What is your purpose?

[ Lean, you are getting a Look. ]

And if this format doesn’t work for you, we may do video instead? ヽ(´o｀；

[ What? An emogi might help relax them all. ]

((ooc: though addressing killerofworlds specifically, you are welcome to threadjack and add a few questions! fellow coworkers, feel free to seek out your night owls. ))

Comments

[a2lsbgvyb2z3b3jsza]

For no one to be able to weaponize the Calamity, you'd need to get rid of life altogether (⊙︿⊙✿)

Even if it's not technically possible, someone will find a way.

Not out of malice. By its very nature, life invites pain and fear (◕︵◕)

Medical knowledge, transports, cooking... Pretty much everything is born out of a desire to make life better.

But no matter how much we progress, the pain and fear doesn't go. It progresses just as much (┛◉Д◉)┛彡┻━┻

Some people would even say it worsens. And they grow to resent life itself.

That's why even if the Calamity's form changed, there will always be someone to find a way.

text; (1/2)

[promiselisting]

[ ... ]

text;

[promiselisting]

You know, if I had to take a guess? I don't think that was the intention of those who sacrificed themselves.

But like... the Calamity was all the bits and pieces that Crystallis couldn't absorb. I dunno what criteria that place had for worlds, but I know for people it meant the parts of yourself that you hid, that you denied, even to yourself. I can say for a fact that there's a lot more to that than pain and anger and fear. There are so many parts of ourselves that we can hide.

It's probably true though, that the net worth of all those pieces and parts was negative. And if nothing else there's no denying the result. Lots of broken bits of people and worlds, torn apart from the whole they used to be.

I mean, I'm not them, and can't really speak for them. Takeshi can come knock me too if I say anything really wrong.

But like... getting rid of pain entirely? Literally impossible. And really pointless because it's impossible. I know it's really cliche to say pain is a part of life but... it is? Frankly it's a part of existing. The only way for us to not have pain would be to... not be able to interact with reality at all.

From what I understood, the four sacrificed themselves... well, first of all to save Crystallis. Because the Calamity was still trying to destroy it. But also so like... the Calamity itself could move on from what probably was a really terrible existence. So it could be directed into a new world, new life. Not life without pain, because again, literally impossible. But just... a normal one.

Point being, pain's a normal part of existing, yeah. But just because there's pain doesn't mean the Calamity should be here, because that wasn't why it was there before. It's not normal for pain and fear and negative emotions to be an actual collective force. Or even possibly sentient.

bonus

[promiselisting]

Wow okay that all got really long and cheesy and stuff

I can't believe you got me to do that

[a2lsbgvyb2z3b3jsza]

You're saying that as if I don't know (T＿T)

But you're right, the only way for pain to go away would be to stop existing.

That's why so many people choose death.

But that's not even the end. Death leads back to life （；＿；）

That's what the Calamity is. Fragments stuck between the cycle of life and death. Neither really alive, neither really dead.

It just "exists" (●__●)

[promiselisting]

[ Look Missingno, you're the one with the undercurrent of nihilism in a lot of your commentary here. :T She'll let it drop there though. ]

Huh, okay. So basically reincarnation confirmed.

Except something is trapping people in between, or at least parts of them. Especially the uh, painful parts. And that's the New Calamityᵗᵐ

So uh, not sure if you'll answer buuuut what's your role in all this? And why have you been watching us all this time? （ｏ。ｏ；）