Yes. To the point where Norma had been killed with a shotgun, and the gun was found in Chiemi's house. We found all of their notes and the weapon and everything before the house was bombed and collapsed on us. [ so that was. fun. ]
...the director used to be the mayor, but she changed her title. And the notes said that if people didn't pay her 65,000 bells to help deal with the monster problem, she'd bring them to the museum and take care of them herself. They would come out with their mouths sewn shut, and they'd be isolated from everyone they knew. They would have to pretend to be the perfect, friendly neighbor, but even then some of them were isolated from each other. [ ... ] Ace was there. He was a goat, but we knew it was him and he was chained to his house and he couldn't leave. We tried to help him, but it just hurt him even more. Something went terribly wrong there, because when we started cutting the chains we saw the true nature of things. He was half goat and half himself, but everything settled when we stopped trying to rescue him. He...told us to leave him behind. So we had to keep going.
Main street wasn't much better. We went into a few shops, and....we found that the director was controlling certain people. Like puppets. Reigen's student was at the post office and we didn't see it, but he told us he tried to attack him. And we followed Norma's ghost into another shop. Except the shop was...also bad? [ this is an understatement apparently since he also stops again here. ]
Maybe. Something like that. [ that's a possibility. ] They were on strings. When we walked into the clothing store after Norma's ghost, everything looked so normal at first. But when our vision cleared, we realized that's where they were storing all the bodies. People we knew from both here and our homes. Half-animal, half people. Some full animal...the shop keeper was a full person though. She was missing her eyes though. And her mouth was stitched closed. But I wanted to talk to her anyway and see if she'd still speak to me. It didn't...really go that well. Even though she was strung to the wall, and even though I knew she wasn't real, we tried to make things work.
I tried to talk to her. Reigen told me later he didn't really blame me for trying since he tried to talk to Mob before he attacked him, too. It's...one of those things you know isn't real but you think because you understand how things usually go you can change it to your favor. [ ... ] It's been a few years but I've always understood how to talk to her, so I thought maybe she would still help me if I asked. And that didn't work. [ a gesture to the bandage on his face. ]
I think the goal was to fall in line, yes. Or at least make sure nobody would oppose her, but I don't think she was counting on us wanting to save the monster she was using.
[ even if it’s not real, even if it’s not what you know— seeing people you care about hurt is tough. she can understand that. ]
…
Do you think it maybe has something to do with this place? Not entirely, but— the mirrors of the murder, people from here being there, the idea that there’s a “monster” in their midst but it’s being controlled by someone higher up than you or I, or even some of the people we can see and know…
You’ve seen all the notes about how this “competition” was changed for some reason, just to make it more dangerous for us and our homes, right?
Yes and no, because the "monster" was something familiar, too. [ but he doesn't bring himself to say what, because that's not his story to tell. that's not his business. ] But I do think that maybe it served as a warning that we're being forced into certain roles. And maybe that by going along with the rules we're supposed to, all we're doing is feeding a bigger problem that'll destroy us all if we're not careful.
It's something I've been thinking about recently because of the notes and everything. [ ...oh. but speaking of. ]
We got a newspaper article at the end of it. I can show you if you want.
You and me both. [ but he does reach for his phone so he can show her a copy of the news article:
In the wake of the penultimate battle, many have found themselves with more questions than answers. First and foremost among them: what was the goal of the battle? Our heroes naturally set out to protect the citizens of Oceanside City, but for what reason would the moon wish to fight at all?
One theory suggests that a certain book may have something to do with it, though we have few leads on how at this time. What we do know is that the book was originally in the moon’s possession, until hero Silver Horse obtained it during the course of the battle. Several eyewitness accounts claim that the book was severely damaged in the ensuing struggle, inciting the moon to attack and ultimately kill Horse in its rage.
News footage seems to support this theory, but it raises yet more questions: Why would our heroes risk their lives for a book? What is its importance? What do its pages contain? Though it seems ordinary at best, it clearly holds some significance to both the moon and the heroes. Investigators have expressed interest in asking the remaining heroes about the matter, perhaps after giving them some time to grieve their lost compatriots. ]
Yeah. First time I'm hearing about it. I'm planning to show Phoenix but I'm not sure what the other leaders might say about it. Or if it'll be another dead end until we get more information.
At one point, six of them went on a trip kind of like the ones we've been going on here. They went to a place called the Netherworld, but they also went to the moon. They fought aliens and stuff.
Phoenix, Rabbit, Snake, Tiger, Pink Pig and Marigold Monkey. Those were the six who went. I didn't get much more details other than that, but Phoenix seemed to imply they sort of forgot pieces of themselves, too, while they were gone.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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That… wait it was reflecting things that happened here? With what we suspect happened the previous week?
[ that’s… concerning. ]
A director that had started to change things in the village….
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...the director used to be the mayor, but she changed her title. And the notes said that if people didn't pay her 65,000 bells to help deal with the monster problem, she'd bring them to the museum and take care of them herself. They would come out with their mouths sewn shut, and they'd be isolated from everyone they knew. They would have to pretend to be the perfect, friendly neighbor, but even then some of them were isolated from each other. [ ... ] Ace was there. He was a goat, but we knew it was him and he was chained to his house and he couldn't leave. We tried to help him, but it just hurt him even more. Something went terribly wrong there, because when we started cutting the chains we saw the true nature of things. He was half goat and half himself, but everything settled when we stopped trying to rescue him. He...told us to leave him behind. So we had to keep going.
Main street wasn't much better. We went into a few shops, and....we found that the director was controlling certain people. Like puppets. Reigen's student was at the post office and we didn't see it, but he told us he tried to attack him. And we followed Norma's ghost into another shop. Except the shop was...also bad? [ this is an understatement apparently since he also stops again here. ]
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Like someone was just... playing with dolls and anything that didn't fit was disposed of or forced out of the spotlight entirely...?
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That was a bad idea.
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[ … she’s sure she wouldn’t like the answer, but— ]
If things were that bad, what was the goal there? Just to… fall in line?
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I think the goal was to fall in line, yes. Or at least make sure nobody would oppose her, but I don't think she was counting on us wanting to save the monster she was using.
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…
Do you think it maybe has something to do with this place? Not entirely, but— the mirrors of the murder, people from here being there, the idea that there’s a “monster” in their midst but it’s being controlled by someone higher up than you or I, or even some of the people we can see and know…
You’ve seen all the notes about how this “competition” was changed for some reason, just to make it more dangerous for us and our homes, right?
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Yes and no, because the "monster" was something familiar, too. [ but he doesn't bring himself to say what, because that's not his story to tell. that's not his business. ] But I do think that maybe it served as a warning that we're being forced into certain roles. And maybe that by going along with the rules we're supposed to, all we're doing is feeding a bigger problem that'll destroy us all if we're not careful.
It's something I've been thinking about recently because of the notes and everything. [ ...oh. but speaking of. ]
We got a newspaper article at the end of it. I can show you if you want.
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Please. I need all the info I can get.
But… you’re not wrong. We did just show up here, get handed and “role” and were expected to play along.
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In the wake of the penultimate battle, many have found themselves with more questions than answers. First and foremost among them: what was the goal of the battle? Our heroes naturally set out to protect the citizens of Oceanside City, but for what reason would the moon wish to fight at all?
One theory suggests that a certain book may have something to do with it, though we have few leads on how at this time. What we do know is that the book was originally in the moon’s possession, until hero Silver Horse obtained it during the course of the battle. Several eyewitness accounts claim that the book was severely damaged in the ensuing struggle, inciting the moon to attack and ultimately kill Horse in its rage.
News footage seems to support this theory, but it raises yet more questions: Why would our heroes risk their lives for a book? What is its importance? What do its pages contain? Though it seems ordinary at best, it clearly holds some significance to both the moon and the heroes. Investigators have expressed interest in asking the remaining heroes about the matter, perhaps after giving them some time to grieve their lost compatriots. ]
...how long are we really supposed to play along?
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[ huh. ]
Until we find answers, I guess.
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Tama have you heard from some of the leaders about the trip they were sent on a few months ago?
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No, I haven’t. They’ve talked a little about what happened when the moon fell, but other than that…
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[ she just fucking blinks. ]
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Like a kind of... temporary amensia or something like that?
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