text; open discussion (threadjacking encouraged)

[promiselisting]

[ It'd kinda taken a backseat with everything else going on, but there's still something that's been bothering her a bit. She could just dismiss it as a kid making things up but... after everything she's experienced here, and back home, she's got a gut feeling there's more to it.

She can't search the internet like she used to but... well that doesn't mean crowdsourcing is off the table. ]

Hey, did anybody else run into a weird girl on their first day here? A little kid, blonde hair.

Also does anybody know what the name of this "linkshell" means? Kali Shashidhwaja. She mentioned that, along with telling me that "she" would try to hurt me if I ever lost it and was alone.

[ As a final note, she added the two pictures the girl had doodled, described as follows: " There was a crude drawing of a feminine figure with purple eyes standing over what appeared to be the corpses of a human and a moogle, looking a bit eerily similar to Futaba and her moogle even though the drawing was crude. " Along with "This time the figures looking like Futaba and her moogle were standing alive, and were surrounded by other figures. They faced toward the purple-eyed figure, who seemed to be fleeing."

And now, to see what information others might have... ]

Comments

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[pishirogane]

While I can't say I've met a little kid fitting such description and this is the first I've heard of 'linkshell'. I'll have to ask Cristo-san about it. However, you're not the first to mention a "she" taking issue with one or all of us.

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[promiselisting]

There's a bit on them in the help menu. They're sort of like chatrooms. The Kali Shashidhwaja is just one that everyone's in by default.

Who else was talking about it?

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[spaceforged]

Did she show you any pictures of the 'she'? I think I met the same girl.

...she wanted to see a storybook about 'The Four Ancient Heroes'. Said there are two different versions of it.

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[promiselisting]

The only pictures that I got were the doodles that she made on my tablet. I've already posted them.

What did she want with it?

[ Did the story maybe have something to with why they were here??? ]

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[studdedcouncilprez]

[Futaba...?]

...when did this person threaten you? And did she mention how?

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[promiselisting]

[ Okay so she wasn't alone in feeling vaguely threatened by the whole exchange? Makes sense that Makoto would be worried too. That being said... ]

Pretty sure that the "she" the girl was talking about wasn't herself. [ Hopefully not at least. ] But it happened the day we all got here.

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[conniemaheswaran]

I don't know about that stuff with the little girl--maybe she's connected to that weird doomsday moogle?--but I'm Indian, so I can weigh in a little bit on the linkshell name.

Kali is traditionally the goddess of destruction in Indian mythology, but can also be translated to 'black' in Hindi. As far as Shashidhwaja, it's the name of a raja (rajas were Indian high nobility, sorta like a king or prince) who challenged Kalki, an incarnation of the preserver god Vishnu who was dedicated to wiping evil from the face of the Earth. Kalki willingly surrendered to marry Shashidhwaja's daughter, making Shashidhwaja one of the only figures in Indian mythology to "defeat" an incarnation of Vishnu. This was probably because Shashidhwaja wasn't actually that bad.

Admittedly, the connotations of this are... worrying. As 'Black' in most ancient mythos refers to something evil, and if it doesn't translate to black then it translates to the literal actual goddess of evil and destruction that Kalki fought, the meaning of this name is either two things: an evil challenger to a god who got killed during the fight (because he would actually be evil in this case); or the inverse, an evil challenger who fought a god and won. Another possibility is that this name implies Shashidhwaja being an incarnation of the goddess Kali herself, which is another big problem. I'm not an expert, so any corrections/feedback would be appreciated!

[promiselisting]

I'm not really an expert on Indian folklore, so I'll defer to you there.

[ And she can definitely agree that those implications... seem pretty worrying. From what she can grasp, at least. ]

It makes me wonder though, why is it here? This planet isn't Earth, and so why would a chatroom be referencing mythology from it? And if they are connected, why use it on a chatroom for all of us?

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[acceptedlife]

[Shit. He was really hoping that the names of these places were just a coincidence, but with this and the creepy girl?]

Never ran into the girl, but I do know more about this "linkshell." and some of the things mentioned in other responses.

I'm no expert on Indian mythology, but in the world I came from before this... "Kali Shashidhwaja" was a term used for the Heroes of Light by the Ancients, and "Heroes of Light" being the term for those who were summoned to the world of Crystallis used in the time I was called there. Along with people I came to know as friends and family.

And Kalki? That was the name of the woman who tried to become a goddess and destroy the concepts of life and death entirely before we stopped her.

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[einspine]

I HAVEN'T SEEN HER YET, BUT I CAN KEEP AN EYE OUT!!! IT'S A VERY BUSY PLACE, AFTER ALL. BEST NOT TO LEAVE SMALL CHILDREN UNSUPERVISED.

[Although... that she comment. That's unsettling. It reminds him of an encounter he had earlier, and- oh. That is a very dark image. He's not sure what to make of that.]

SAY, DO YOU THINK THIS "SHE" IS THE SAME "SHE" THAT FUNNY MOOGLE WAS RAVING ABOUT? I RECALL HIM SAYING ALL THIS NONSENSE ABOUT US BEING DOOMED. HOW SILLY OF HIM... AND YET THIS GIRL SEEMED EQUALLY CONVINCED.

STILL, HOW BAD COULD IT TRULY BE? SO FAR, EVERYTHING SEEMS VERY PEACEFUL. PERHAPS THERE'S SIMPLY A WEIRD CONSPIRACY AFOOT.

[promiselisting]

Personally I wouldn't take everything that we see here for granted. There could be a lot going on that we don't know about.

[ She's speaking a little too much from experience here. ]

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[chosennobody]

There was a moogle outside shouting that "she" was coming and the end was near. Might be related.

[promiselisting]

So I've heard. Might be worth tracking him down and talking to him.

[ Interrogating, more like, but still. ]

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[witchwithoutacause]

omfg was that crazy moogle actually telling the truth? lol??

uh i don't think i met the weird girl ur talking about even if i did meet some weirdos but you sound pretty cursed.

[promiselisting]

Gee thanks.

Dunno if it's the truth yet, but I'm definitely thinking there's more to it than some kind of prank.

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[lordshield]

I did. She approached me in the gardens of the center, but disappeared after a short conversation. I was concerned for her, as she appeared to have no guardians present. Has she been seen since?

[promiselisting]

Not as far as I can tell, but if anybody's seen her, hopefully they'll bring it up here.

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[spaceforged]

What did you talk about with her? There might be specific reasons we were approached. Or at least a pattern to it.

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[twomeals]

so if were alone, that purple eyed lady will get us?

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[promiselisting]

If we do something to annoy it, yeah. At least that's what the little girl said.

[ Whether you believed her was another matter entirely. ]

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[chefbayardee]

Please be careful, Futaba!
What if people don't want us to know about this? (⊃д⊂)

[promiselisting]

All the more reason for everybody to know about it.

[ T B H. ]

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[failtsuninari]

I saw her when I was waiting for those medical check-ups. I don't ever recall her from when we first woke up though. She said the people here are nice but they're the ones with the problem and they need us more than we need them.

Was she also trying to avoid giving her name to anyone else? She asked me to sing along with her because it makes her feel better.

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[promiselisting]

Ugh, I didn't even think to ask, sorry.

Did she really say "us" and "them"? Because that almost makes it sound like she isn't native to this world any more than we are.

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[alborada]

I will admit, these findings are a little concerning. But as only four of you saw this girl, I’d advise another check up and more rest. As it's been two days, you could just now be experiencing a delay in bodily effects having to adjust to this world, or you were not entirely honest in your check-ups.

Curti Center is not responsible for damages and illness resulting from withheld information. Thank you.

[ She's never had to put the disclaimers before, why this. ]

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[promiselisting]

If you're trying to say that she's a hallucination, I have two doodles on my iMog Slate that I did not make that say otherwise.

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[masqueraid]

That girl— she gave you these drawings?

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[promiselisting]

Yup. Well, she borrowed my tablet and drew them on it.

Pretty creepy either way.

[After Makoto’s reaction and the subsequent conversation, she does want him to know she’s taking this somewhat seriously.]

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[acceptedlife]

Hey.

Just wanted to check and make sure you were alright. No idea what that lady's deal was but that wasn't cool.

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[promiselisting]

It's fine! I'm fine. Absolutely fine.

[ She's not fine. She's irritated, almost angry. ]

Seriously, what's her problem!? I'm not making this up or hallucinating.

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[spaceforged]

I'd suggest not engaging that woman any further. No matter she says it isn't worth it.

At this point she's doing no one any favors, least of all herself or you.

So, that aside. Doing alright?

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[promiselisting]

Is it really that obvious?

[ Yes Futaba, yes it is. ]

Don't answer that. I'm fine.

[ She actually has calmed down a little talking with Ira. And Makoto's there. She's fine. She'll be fine. ]