[Video | Public]

[otakuro]

Hey.  Looks like I've got this working.

[Atsuro's face appears on the network under somewhat inadequate lighting.  An astute guess would place him in his room illuminated only by the backlight of his laptop.] 

Everyone get out of that first mission OK?  I can't speak for anyone else, but geez, I think I slept for a few days straight there.  If they, uh, wanted a report or anything, the research labs are fine.  ...Probably.

[He stifles a yawn before continuing on, the camera zooming out slightly to reveal a lot of bedhead and a conspicuously absent trademark floppy hat.]

Hnn...  Sorry.

So!  Anyway.  I've been thinking a lot.  About what they've told us and about... what they haven't.  Hah, I'm still surprised this place isn't some weird hallucination.  It's a little unreal, right?  Like they're asking us to act out a game or a fantasy novel.  But... even if it seems like it might be fun to stick around, I think we need to find out what it is we're really getting into.  ...There's something I want to say about all this.

You've all run into the monsters by now, right?  They talk, they cast magic, they do tricks.  Not all of them are bad, but they're things we've heard of in myths and stories from different cultures all across the globe - Cerberus, the hound of Hades.  British pixies and kobolds.  Nekomata and other youkai from Japan.  So... what gives?  What're they doing here?

...I'm not gonna get into details, but I should say that these guys - the exact same identical demons - have popped up in at least two other worlds that I know of.  And both times.... they showed up because the world was about to end.

I'm not saying this place is the same way, but... maybe that's why they need our help badly.

[addendum a few minutes later]

Ah, someone reminded me - if you guys want to see a database of all the demons I've ever met, you can drop by my room.  Libra 5-07.

Comments

[itswhoopasstime]

It's hard to say. There wasn't an obvious invasion, but my friends and I aren't the only ones who've seen them. I think that they only show up in specific places -- but mostly, I think that there are a lot of people who choose to be stubborn non-believers, the more I see.

Plus, with the way that rumors spread... all it takes is a few idle words from someone who does believe, or at least someone superstitious, to make demons appear somewhere.

[otakuro]

I don't know if you're saying that people find demons more easily because rumors spread about where they hang out, or if the rumors actually make demons appear.

I guess it makes sense, either way, if demons in your world are affected by belief... Hah, I wish I could just close my eyes and wish them away.

[itswhoopasstime]

A little of both, actually, if that makes any sense?

[otakuro]

Can we start spreading rumors about how all demons are just figments of our imaginations, then?

[itswhoopasstime]

We talked about trying that, but the trick is that the rumor has to be interesting enough for people to spread. I guess people like to be scared. They're fascinated by the unknown!

[otakuro]

What about... all demons are actually actors in costumes promoting an awesome new live action virtual reality RPG! I bet people'd go nuts over that. And we can call it something ominous, something like ...Resurrection of the False God! They'd eat it up!

[itswhoopasstime]

Oh! People would love that! I'm not sure if the rumors can erase something like demons, but it's worth a try, don't you think?

[otakuro]

It'd be kind of a paradox if the demons had something to do making them real in the first place, right?

Haha, let me know how it works out.

[itswhoopasstime]

Once I have the chance to try it out, I'll be sure to let you know!