video, un:happyaround (forward-dated to Oct 1)

[roundandaround]

[The video starts in the reception area of the Winter Guild, where Rinku and G'raha stand amid a collection of artifacts brought in from the Hell Dimension.

Rinku looks different. She's shrinking into herself a little more, her usually sparkling eyes have gone dull, and she looks like she's struggling to hold herself together. But G'raha seems confident and serious. He lets Rinku have the first turn to speak, gently encouraging her.]

Um... [She shakes her head and pushes forward.] There was a lot of stuff in the Hell Dimension. I know it was awful, and it's not something people wanna think about... But we gotta talk about what we found. Because it looks like a lot of people died in there, over a really long time, and even if we couldn't save them, we need to do whatever we can for them.

[G'raha speaks up.]

What I discovered with E'kayan was a hallway full of treasure and an additional room with electric currents. In there was a scroll that seemed to hold information on some kind of a summoning ritual. It was in a language neither of us knew, nor was the ritual familiar to us in any way.

[Even with their experience on various summoning magics.

Rinku nods and fidgets with a piece of her hair.]

They had this... armoury? Kind of, ish. More like they just took a bunch of weapons and war banners and hung them up. It all looked like it was from forever ago, and the banners looked like this.

[She holds up a flag with wheat, two fish, and upside-down bat wings.]

Since there's wheat on it, I thought maybe it might be from the Spring Segment? Or Autumn, maybe. But I've never seen it.

Uh, speaking of wheat and farms and stuff, they also had farm tools someplace else. And camping stuff. It didn't even look used, I'm pretty sure they didn't know what it was for. There was a trap in that room that made all the dead bones arrange into weird skeletons, and they were pretty mad, but we got them to calm down when we helped put them back together the right way. The skeletons didn't seem to think the stuff was theirs either.

There's also a different flag? One with dandelions, where we found... dandelion seeds, but they were sad and had regrets? Maybe people got turned into dandelion fluff? I dunno if demons can do that.

[Rinku takes in and lets out a slow breath.]

And, uh... here in the city, like, recently, can you tell me -- can you look for any signs of a fight, anything someone might have dropped, any shady stuff or -- I know it's gonna be hard, people were obviously just fighting in the city anyway. Right. I just... I'm scared something happened. I can't do this alone.

[As Rinku talks about the happenings of the city, G'raha gently puts a hand on her shoulder to give her his support and steady her nerves, even just a little bit. She looks up at him and nods.]

Oh. Um. If you need to see any of the stuff, I stole a bunch and gave it to the guilds. ...Yeah.

[G'raha looks at the camera with a solemn nod.]

Please share any information you feel like is important, whether it's about the Hell Dimension or what happened during the expedition.

Comments

[roundandaround]

They like fighting each other, so maybe.

[starwill]

I wonder if they have explosion competitions.

[roundandaround]

[Sniff.]

Maybe. It sounds like they do a lot of things they see even if they don't get it.

[starwill]

I guess that's just how they are... kind of reminds me of a few people I know.

[roundandaround]

Huh...

[Rinku isn't so easily swept into a fun conversation right now. She looks sadly at the retrieved artifacts.]

Where do you think they got their ideas?

[starwill]

If I had to guess, it might be from other people showing up there? Or at least, that might be part of it.

[roundandaround]

The people they... yeah.

[Rinku sniffs and holds a water bottle tightly.]

It was really all just a game to them, huh.

[starwill]

It's just a theory, in the end.

[What she just said, anyway.]

I don't know for sure. It could be a game to them, or just... their own way of living.

[roundandaround]

Everyone should be able to have their own way of living. But not if it means killing and torturing all these innocent people for fun.

[starwill]

I agree with you there. But some people can't be changed.

[roundandaround]

You mean can't like won't?

[starwill]

Yeah.

Kinda dealt with that type before.

[roundandaround]

...yeah. I guess so. But I wanna believe they still can. Even those ones.

[starwill]

You're too nice sometimes, Rinku.

[In a way that Stelle doesn't entirely get.

A part of her can't help but wonder what she would think if she ever met... no, best put that thought aside.]

[roundandaround]

I don't know any other way to be.

[She hugs the bottle to herself sadly.]

Every time we have to kill an enemy because they won't stop, or someone infected with Darkness corruption because there's still no cure, it hurts too much to let things stay this way. Everyone should be able to be saved.

[starwill]

They should, but... sometimes, it just doesn't work that way. I know too well. And I'm sure that others have been through many similar things.

[roundandaround]

There's a lot of harsh and scary worlds out there, huh... But it's still worth it to keep trying to make this one better.

[starwill]

Yeah. I agree. But making this one better doesn't necessarily mean that everything can be fixed, much less changed.

[roundandaround]

[sniff]

Maybe not. I don't wanna give up. Even if it's impossible to win.

[starwill]

You're going to be doing that forever, then.

[She just says it plainly, like it's a simple matter of fact.]

[roundandaround]

Doesn't everyone? If you have a dream -- not even like mine to make everyone happy, but things like adventure or protecting people -- aren't you also doing that forever?

[starwill]

[Strangely serious for once as her expression dips:]

... No.

[roundandaround]

...eh? What do you mean, Stelle-chan?

[starwill]

All dreams end eventually. And most people don't live forever, either.

[roundandaround]

I mean, yeah, but... wait, what do you mean, all dreams end?