CYOA - W3

[afflictionmods]

ic date: friday, w3
ic time: 7pm - 10pm

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[undertakings]

[Is it? He's not so sure.]

I don't know... what is it like for you?

[afflictionmods]

It's the same for me as it is for everyone else.

Or it's - it's supposed to be the same.

[undertakings]

If you're saying it's supposed to be the same, then it isn't.

And if that's the case, doesn't that mean you don't belong here either?

[afflictionmods]

I was made here.

So it's different. But you not being from here is why you're wrong.

[This is clearly a logical train of thought.]

[undertakings]

[Clearly!!

Also that... is one way of wording it. The nuance is a little different compared to before.]

If me being here makes me wrong, then how do I leave this place?

[afflictionmods]

[Good question!]

If you let him replace you, you won't have to worry about that.

[undertakings]

[......]

What would happen to me if I did? Would I remain trapped here?

[afflictionmods]

Don't know! Does it matter? Wouldn't it be better like this anyways? It's so nice here!

[But is it, though?]

[undertakings]

[He doesn't even need to think on this. Accepting this would be no different from sticking your head in the sand and pretending that everything was fine as you lived out a delusion of peace.

And he didn't belong here to begin with, so it was time to go.

He'll turn on his heels on "Xingqiu" abruptly, looking over to the street. So just to orient ourselves, is the Museum District to the east or west of the Small Mall area?]

[afflictionmods]

[Xingqiu protests, but there's not much he can really do. He seems stuck, somehow, now that Shin isn't talking to him.

And the Museum District is to the east.]

[undertakings]

[xingqiu.exe has crashed i see, but Shin pays no mind. Alright, since the Museum District has recently opened up and would've been one of the places already uncovered by the fog, Shin will head west on the street so he's going in the opposite direction and (theoretically) into the area that is still covered by fog in their version of the world. (also please feel free to correct me if i'm wrong because directions hard)

Is this doable or is he going to hit some kind of interference?]

[afflictionmods]

[He can wander down the street, certainly, but... it's entirely possible he won't want to go very far.

The farther he gets from the circus, the more the people seem... aimless. There's less of them on the street, but there's something familiar about that aimlessness.

Just like there's something familiar about the void that seems to be covering the street.]

[undertakings]

[Well, that helps confirm(?) some things. Just a couple of questions about the scene here:

1. Does the void extend to the buildings and other fixtures? For example, would there be a void-colored building or a void-colored lamppost, or does the landscape just completely flatten out so it's only an expanse of void on the ground?
2. Any particular features on the aimless people that stand out?
3. If he tries to make eye contact with one of the aimless people, do they react?]

[afflictionmods]

[1. Nope. The world ends abruptly, like there's a line between the void and the rest of the world.

2. They're hard to focus on, just like the schedule on the bus stop and Xingqiu's face.

3. They do not.]

[undertakings]

[Alrighty! Also one more question about the aimless people, but do they all only wander in the direction of the void or are there people who are coming onto the street from the void side too?

Otherwise, either way, he's going to try and uh... place a hand on the shoulder of the nearest aimless person to try and stop them. He'll be on guard in case it looks like things might get ugly, but y'know.]

[afflictionmods]

[They're wandering in both directions - though, naturally it's hard to tell what's happening to the people once they've stepped into the void.

The person he touches comes to a halt, and they turn to Shin silently. This close... he can see there's a spark of life still in their eyes.

They don't make any effort to pull away from him, but they seem... confused. It's barely noticeable, but it's there.]

[undertakings]

[Hmm. That's a good sign at least.]

Can you understand me?

[afflictionmods]

[There's a long, long pause, but...]

Yes. Who... who are you?

[undertakings]

Shinei Nouzen. [Not that he expects them to recognize his name but.] Can you tell me what happened here?

[Just going to look over at the void to punctuate the point.]

[afflictionmods]

[They glance over at the void, staring at it for a long moment, before slowly turning back to Shin.]

I heard something... telling me that it could help... That it could fix everything, and then... I ended up here.

[Which... certainly sounds familiar, doesn't it?]

[undertakings]

[Sure does!! But there is one critical difference here.]

Have you been able to leave this place?

[afflictionmods]

No.

[For a moment, they look afraid, but that fear fades quickly enough to something hollow.]

There no way out. Nothing I want could be worth it, right? But I can’t leave. I’ve seen some people wander off and they don’t come back…

But I don’t think they made it back.

[undertakings]

[Hm.]

Are you talking about the ones who walk into that void?

[afflictionmods]

Yes... Sometimes they come back, but sometimes they go in and just don't. I don't know where they go, but... Could it really be somewhere good?

[undertakings]

[He just gives one more glance at the void and the others who are still straying in and out--]

No.

[He has no proof and it's not like he's adverse to risk-taking, but trusting in something blindly like that... isn't something he's willing to do when they know so little. Turning back to the person:]

Will you come with me?