tushanshu

Some training retreat, first I get shanghaied climbing a mountain…now this? [Technology, oh why technology!?] This is…not normal…you have to be a magician to work one of these things…

[As the video cuts on a youngish girl, perhaps in her mid teens can be seen fiddling around with the computer almost as if it were some kind of death trap, or worse…in this case technology does seem to be worse than a death trap.

After several moments devoted to playing with the camera, a camera intent on catching her in various odd angles…most of them are probably not very flattering given the faces she’s currently pulling…she surrenders. It'll be what it'll be apparently.

Judging by her attire, which consists of a basic karate uniform and a black belt, she must be some kind of martial artist…either that or a vagrant.]

Gah…this thing is evil and it must be destroyed…[her blatant irritation is followed by a huff]…where’s Ami-chan when you need her, this is supposed to be her area of expertise. Oh well, at least it’s on and that should count for something.

[Yes turning the computer on is a personal triumph. You must learn to see the positive in the negative.]

I hope I’ve got this set up right otherwise I’m going to look awfully stupid just talking to myself…well…if I am talking to myself no one else would know so that’s a moot point…[oh right…she’s on the air…or whatever. She’ll just straighten herself up abruptly]…konnichiwa! I guess an introduction is proper social conduct, huh? My name is Kino Makoto, but you can call me Mako-chan, or just Mako…I’m not all that picky.

[A beat]

So, I guess I'll get to the point…[she’ll go ahead and scratch the back of her head nervously]…well I know that several things were explained to me when I got here, though I’m still not sure exactly how I got here. I’m trying to digest it all…ah…I guess what I’m asking is for is any more information, whatever you got, or if you just want to say "hi," I’m fine with that too! I’m actually trying to keep myself grounded until I can get my bearings straight…

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[Of course, being that she's of Japanese nationality it's traditional for the surname to come before the given name.]

Nice to meet you Damian...I was...well I wasn't exactly taken from and important time. I was just in the middle of a personal crisis. Kind of.

[Excuse him for the question, Makoto. He's grown up among people where showing or admitting to a weakness could cost your life. The term is actually unfamiliar.]

Personal crisis? Meaning what, exactly?

Well, it's more like...I've lost my path. I'm used to being the strong one and life has made me strong...I live alone, I take care of myself, I do everything for myself. It's not an easy pill to swallow whenever something defeats me so easily...

Why do you have to swallow it? I would simply return to fighting back against it.

Well the enemy was defeated, but not by me so there's no redemption battle. My physical strength is part of my identity too...so it's pretty hard.

There are always enemies to defeat, however, are there not?

That's true, but this is the first time I've ever felt so weak. I can't really explain it well.

There are - always - things that are bigger or worse than you. That is not a failing of yours, or not one that has to defeat you.

Everybody has weaknesses.

They do not make him weak. Not unless you stop trying to change those weaknesses. Close the openings.

Yeah...I mean...that's good advice...and it's why I want to train harder and work on my weaknesses. I'm just struggling with what those weaknesses are.

[Damian is quiet, for a little bit, then.]

It is possible that you will encounter here enemies that might resolve that difficulty.

You have a pretty optimistic point of view...and you're probably right. I guess we'll just have to see what happens.

[Damian blinks, slightly. It takes very particular people to consider 'there will be bigger and badder enemies here' as optimistic.]

[... he finds he likes it, a little. But it's not that easy.]

Perhaps it is not optimism but experience.

I mean...it's optimistic of you to think that redemption is still possible. Maybe I'll find it too.

People keep telling me it is.

Well...what do you think?

You cannot undo the past. It is the present and future that we can control alone.

[Redemption is not possible. But one still needs to do whatever can be done.]

I have a hard time thinking that way because I've been exposed to time travel.

[Makoto believes that anything is possible.]

[Pause.]

So, if you change the past, do your memories of it change, too?

You'd think they would, but apparently it doesn't...though that could be the doing of the illusionary silver crystal.

[Damian stares.]

So... did the past actually change? Or did the illusionary silver crystal make you think it did, and you had both memories at the same time?

[No, he's not going to plead headache. Nope.]

I think the crystal just rewound everything back a year minus the Dark Kingdom. It's kind of hard to wrap your mind around so I try not to...but we had different enemies in place of the ones that were erased.

[She knows that's a hard one to believe and she also has no idea how the Illusionary Silver Crystal works in that capacity.]

I mean I can remember things about my past life, and I can remember what happened that year...but the world hasn't changed.

[He was actually following the thing until the last part. And.]

... if your enemies were erased... how has the world not changed?

I mean as far as everything being same-old, same-old. My classmates are the same, people still crowd the streets to go to work, life happens as it always had. No one else remembers the darkness that was covering the planet, the strange weather patterns...

[He... gets what she means, in a way. On the other hand...]

So, one. You - your team, I presume - remember, but the rest of the world around you doesn't.

Two... how about the people around the enemies that were 'erased'? Their schoolmate, sensei, and so forth?

♃

video;

video;

video;

video; I am so sorry for the late.

video; no worries.

video; <333

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Quietly encrypted to 99%.

Re: Quietly encrypted to 99%.

permacrypted

permacrypted - I have no idea how this got lost XD

notifs have a way of hiding!

fo sho!

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