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Voting is disabled, only one person can go in each room, and now there's no removing items that aren't expressly meant to be removed. So at least the chances of someone getting shot have gone way down. I don't think things will be quite so easy--Pandora still has to get everyone to listen to her, and it's unclear whether this is part of Ityne and Marco's plan or not. Also hahaha, ME basically confirmed there was no way to get the full amount of cards and that it was expressly for the purposes of the Sally-Anne test gambit.
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Oct 29, 2021 15:04
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| # ? Jun 1, 2024 18:07 |
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 BGM: Meridianus Us three emerged into the hallway. It was the first time we'd see the whole group come together. All nine of us would come out of the rooms and gather up because I opened the box.  Even someone like me was ready and willing to lie like this.  That reminded me about how we had three survivors. Ityne, Marco, and Ancora survived before. Were they the three survivors, or did Ityne and Marco not count due to their role? I shook my head to ignore the intrusive thoughts.  So w-who's Pandora?The boy asked from afar, bellowing the words towards the other groups. Clearly, he'd learned his group didn't have Pandora.  None of us three are. I'm Superbia, this guy is Invidia, and this blondie is Ancora. I'm Tristitia, she's Avaritia, and he's Ira. My designation is Gula, but I prefer Ula; The diminuitive yet sweet girl by my side is Luxuria, or Lux, and our third constitutes... Pandora. It's me. I think we should just drop the nicknames. What? Why? What if we want to keep them? Then I'll wait a little. But eventually, your name will come out. We'll have to sort everything. Maybe some of you are focusing on your selfish reasons, and that's fine. That's what I'd expect out of someone in My Emptiness. I'm not here for myself, though. Don't worry about it. I know you've known someone named Pandora before, but that's not me. I'm another Pandora. How many P-Pandoras can there be? This doesn't make a-any sense... And besides, I don't k-know if we can trust that. I don't w-wanna do what that girl told us, seems r-really fishy, and I don't like it one bit... We might have no choice. Maybe she doesn't like it, either. So then, shall we go? Introductions are done, and we have much to do but so little time. You call those introductions? I barely loving know anyone here! Maybe that's for the best, then. If you want, I can give you a crash course on what's going on. That would befit my interests. I'm hopelessly confused... Um... why do you wear the same thing that I have?I looked down at my body. Effectively, they were the same clothes. I actually hadn't noticed before.  Is it important? No offense g-girl but I just want to get the h-hell out of here. We won't make it out unless we're on the same page, no. So we're just meant to go with what that g-girl told us? We're just meant to do exactly what the p-people who put us in here are telling us to? Would those people give a way out? It's just hard to t-trust anything here... Like hell it is. I don't wanna have anything to do with any of you. But you do, whether you like it or not. You have everything to do with everyone here.The group fell silent, contemplating those words.  I considered my options before deciding to begin with My Emptiness. BGM: Memini Meminisse You are all delinquents who have committed a crime, with a large variance in severity, from falsifying evidence to outright murder. That is because you are in My Emptiness, and you're led by someone called Pandora. So far that matches what I know, yes. Everyone is in My Emptiness. Don't interrupt, please, or I'll lose my train of thought. Either way, I'm not your Pandora; I just have the same name. I've come to learn a great many things here already. The original death game you were put in involved everyone voting to kill six out of the nine of us. It was majority decision.Superbia was going to interject, but I quickly continued to cut to the chase.  If you check the back of your helmet, there should be a large S printed there. It's one of those “Cool S” symbols you must've seen around the school. I know what this refers to. I don't know why I know it, but I do. That's the emblem of the organization that put you all here, me included, no doubt. I guess they thought it would be funny to make a school for the “cool s”. These Deduction rooms also serve as education rooms, but for who? Us? Anyway... I want to get you out of here now, but we still have to follow the rules of the game. We have to find all 24 ME-cards and use all nine lettered keys in a secret side room in the Crossroads. The Crossroads? That's familiar... Yeah, idiot. We walked around there a lot between classes. It's open in like, a square, and people just walked around while talking to their friends. Kinda weird if you think about it, but whatever. I never really did that... Yeah, you first need buddies to participate in doing that. Such things don't matter to me.I defused the situation before it got any worse. As you've already guessed, we're in your school. The Hyacinth-Delorm polyvalent high school. What makes it a polyvalent high school, anyway? It's because it's got a variety of things, I think. It's only like that here in Quebec.BGM: Medius Who the gently caress cares? So, Pandora, how do we get the gently caress outta here? Will they really do what I tell them to? Taking care of this band of animals is going to be harder than I thought... You'll have to do everything I say. Are you okay with that?Superbia clicked her tongue. She really hated being told what to do.  I guess that's as good as it's going to get with you.The rest of them seemed fine with these demands. Whether or not they agreed to it out of goodwill, I couldn't really know yet. Without any more waste of time, we set off in motion to leave the hallway. …... BGM: Meridianus I had to re-explain the situation to them on the way out. By the time I was done, a lot of time had passed. I needed to repeat myself a few times so they understood we weren't going to make it out without cooperating. Since I had to guide everyone to their room and have them answer on their own, I didn't trust them with remembering it with words alone. I took a few pieces of paper from one of the classrooms, along with a pen. A few minutes were all I needed to write the answers down, while carefully ripping the pages into a few squares. I folded them up and carried them alongside me. Finally, we were off for real. On the way there, I also asked for everyone's keycards. I had to count them, and to make sure we'd reach 24 by the end of it. We only had six for now.  BGM: Metis Interesting, we don't have access to the voting booths at all... But how are we supposed to put in the cards...? Maybe if we slid them through the three little slots?I didn't remember seeing those from the other side. What was their purpose? Are you sure that's what we're supposed to do then? I know who you are, Marco. Don't worry; you're going down much like Ityne. I just need to secure a way out first. Yes. Either way, we don't have the ME-cards, so we'll have to split up a little. We should have access to Wing A right away. That's the only wing still standing, too. You remember, right? There was a terrorist attack on this school before. It was just b-before the exams, too. For once I studied like m-mad and then everything was put on hold... goddammit.Gula seemed more interested in heading towards the interior of the wing instead of talking about that subject, so I followed her example. Let's go. If I remember correctly, the next classrooms are... The bar and the warehouse, the office and the bedroom, and the manor and the chapel. Wait a second. What are you talking about? A bar? A bedroom? A chapel? Yes. The classrooms are reconstructions. They're not all actual classrooms, either: each of them seemingly corresponds to someone in our group. I ignored his muttering to focus on the matter at hand, while all nine of us moved to the interior of Wing A. Like ME had said, there was no puzzle barring our way. BGM: Memini Meminisse For example, the office and bedroom correspond to... We know the answers to these, so this is the only one I'll show the options for- if you somehow get it wrong, the game makes you re-answer it until you get it right.  Gula. That's where you'll be going. The question you will get in that room will be about what crime the principal committed.I gave her the piece of paper after pointing over to that door. Gula hesitated slightly but, encouraged by the fact she had the solution, and pressured by the fact everyone was waiting on her, she set off and entered on her own. The door locked after 24 seconds this time around. All of them changed to reflect the difference in ME-cards. The manor and the chapel correspond to... Oh, I remember that now. “The right to live”... the opposite, when you surrender it, is to be “left to die”. Yeah, I don't care for it. I don't like it, and this game can go gently caress itself. Superbia... we all want out, s-so come on. Okay, fine, I'll do it, just because that way it'll get me out too. Whoever designed all this can go suck a big one!While grumpy and moody, Superbia snatched the paper out of my hand for her answer. I didn't even have the time to tell her the question she had to answer before she vanished inside of her room. Talk about a petulant child storming off to their room... Next is the duo of the bar and warehouse. It corresponds to... I held it out for him. He took a few momentes to take it and head to his room. Already? drat, m-mine's in the first group huh... I just wanted to s-stick around out of there longer. G-guess I'll see you later.His voice vanished as he stepped into the room and the door closed behind him. Once again, I didn't have the time to tell him what question he had to answer. BGM: Medius  I wonder about what's in my rooms... Probably some kind of... rollercoaster? Just judging by what you look like. Huh? Do I look like a rollercoaster? Kind of. Though I'd say you're more of a “mirror mansion” type of person...The only one who still wasn't sure of what was happening was Ancora. The girl was dragging her feet behind, as if she really didn't want to go through this.  The murmured words found no answer. We finally stepped into the hallway leading to the last three classrooms.  
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Oct 29, 2021 22:40
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What. Edit: Wait, hang on. If Pandora is H from the last game, and Ancora is G,… it’d explain Pandora’s unusual strength. And why she’s disconnecting now and again… maybe? Quackles fucked around with this message at 22:58 on Oct 29, 2021 |
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Oct 29, 2021 22:49
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Had another thought. So what if Pandora is the real H? The missing one? “School “ - “Cool S“ = “H”, so…
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Oct 30, 2021 00:20
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I hadn’t read this LP for a month now and just caught up…oh boy  I wonder if this is actually a prequel to the last game? Explaining how Emily (presuming she’s Ityne, good catch with the anagram) roped in Marco and the twins before kicking off plan create-and-save-ideal-Simon
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Oct 30, 2021 23:44
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Mecca-Benghazi posted:I wonder if this is actually a prequel to the last game? Explaining how Emily (presuming she’s Ityne, good catch with the anagram) roped in Marco and the twins before kicking off plan create-and-save-ideal-Simon That... actually makes a heck of a lot of sense. It lines up with everything to date more easily than if it were the other way around.
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Oct 31, 2021 02:06
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  BGM: Medius  Got a minute to talk about something? This... this is the ruined hallway. Why am I here?My initial thought was that I'd passed out and someone else carried me here, but that was clearly wrong. For one, the stairs had no metal plates blocking anyone's ascension. For two, Invidia was talking to me. Or, more accurately, to Ancora. This was Ancora's helmet. This was a vision of the first hacking session I remember. During that hacking session, I stopped monitoring Ancora's actions. All this time I thought she merely rested against the wall. What's up? Did you find something? Yeah, that's been drawn all over the place. It's the Super S, right? Actually, people call it the “Cool S”. I don't see what's so cool about it beyond the fact it's square instead of round, but anyway... Do you know how to draw it? No, I never really cared for it before today.BGM: Memini Meminisse    Now you have a Cool S. What does this have to do with anything, anyway? It's simple. People see it as a Cool S, but I don't think that's right. Do you notice something strange with this shape?Ancora thought about it long and hard, but she didn't get what Invidia was saying. I didn't either, to be honest. Look at how it was drawn. You only draw the outline of it, right? If you filled it up, it wouldn't resemble the letter S anymore, but would just be some kind of blocky blob. Oh, you're right. But I still don't understand why this is important... I see...BGM: Medius Anyway, I just thought that was cool. Heh. I'm going to search the bathrooms to find a ME-card.He gave a wave and then disappeared within, leaving a stunned Ancora alone. So this is the meaning behind the Cool S? The fact it's an empty S? That's a little silly, but whatever.With the discussion over, the frequencies shifted, and I was sent back to consciousness. BGM: Metis  My head hurt. I slowly rose to my feet again. The last hallway... That's where I was. What was that, previously? A vision? I rubbed my head- no, my helmet. I looked around myself. Everyone else was still there. I didn't know how much time had passed, but I was back, at least. Yes, I'm fine. I just passed out for a few minutes. But that's just what I think. How long has it been? Just that, a couple minutes. We wondered if we had to continue alone, or something. It took all my energy to keep the group together, so I hope you're thankful for that.I focused on my thoughts. I tried to remember what we were doing before I conked out. Right, we gathered ME-cards, and I was sending them to their rooms. The next classrooms contained some ME-cards, as did the rooms in the corners, but I decided to deal with that after the classrooms themselves were solved. I knew we needed the keys in them. Okay. The next classroom is... Does it matter that much...? It just weirds me out how we're in a school, but there's a bar. And there's a bedroom, and a manor, and a chapel of all things too? Yeah, I'm also very confused as to what this place is. Are we even in the school anymore...? Like, how can someone turn the school into that kind of thing? You'd need to be incredibly wealthy for that. Whatever it is, this “empty S” is as the root of all our troubles. You know, “empty S” suspiciously sounds similar to the word “emptiness”... It's just missing the “n” sound there. I thought about that, too. Which brings me to my question: did anyone here ever meet Pandora for real? The one from My Emptiness.BGM: Memini Meminisse  No, I haven't.Avaritia spoke for the first time in what felt like an hour. Maybe it had been an hour. I was surprised by that fact, anyway; it wasn't like her to remain silent for that long. Perhaps being kept on her toes due to me revealing myself as Pandora got her tired, which is an advantage I'd push as much as I could. I haven't, either.Ancora visibly hesitated when the topic shifted to Pandora. It was as though she was reticent, since she might say something she would regret.  Yeah, just messages and directives. Like who was the next target for something...A silence settled as everyone thought about it. No matter how they spun it, though, it wouldn't change anything. BGM: Medius Ugh... The more I think about Pandora, the more my head hurts. Let's just go for the next classrooms already... No objections here. Very well. The next classrooms will be on our right I think... This one has a duo that's pretty much the same for both of them. It's a, uh, reactor. A twin pair of reactors.I paused a little, as though that realization made me think about it for a little bit. A twin pair of reactors.... A twin pair of reactors? Twins... No, no, just thinking. Anyway, let's see, about that place. The reactor rooms are for...It's Tristitia, obviously. It's your room, Tristitia. Here is the answer. The question you'll have to answer is-But no word came out of my mouth. I tried speaking it. I knew it was “What is your true enemy?” but no matter what, I couldn't say it. I can't say it. I don't know why, but I can't. Either way, you'll be told inside. Remember to say the phrase asking to be let out before the answer, too. That's debatable. Either way, it seems I skipped a classroom while going to this one. It's on the left.As Tristitia vanished inside, I guided the group to the other one. This one was that Stars room. The astrology and greenery rooms are for... Ancora, that's yours. Here's your answer to the room.The girl didn't look very trusting of me. Maybe my sudden passing out had eroded what trust I'd built with the others. I had to make a good show of trust to win them back. While Ancora hesitated, I decided to write more about the directives. I filled out the entire page with every step she needed to take. This is the greenhouse, right? I hate the color green... I can't see it too well. Colorblind? Yeah... I was hoping nobody would find out. I handed it over to her. She finally, yet still reluctantly, took it. Here you go. This one has some colors in it, so you'll definitely need this note... And the question you'll have to answer is, “what are the keys?” The keys...? I guess I have no choice but to trust your answer, because I have no idea what those are.Ancora hesitated again. I looked at her, and after another minute, she entered the room. After the door closed and locked, I looked at everyone else. The remaining people with me were Avaritia, Invidia, and Luxuria. Maybe the next will be mine! I can't wait to see what's in there! What's going to happen to the remaining three of us? Honestly... I don't really know. There are only six classrooms other than the starting ones. Maybe... is it possible the starting ones were the classrooms meant for the three leftover participants among us? Of course I know. It's because Ityne and Marco were never meant to be real participants, isn't it?We arrived at the final door, on the left. Just like ME had said, every door so far had become unlocked. No puzzles, no locks, nothing. Perhaps the doors that barred our access to the extra ME-cards were also unlocked. If that was the case, I'd send everyone to them posthaste after this. Maybe that's why we had three leftover individuals. The final room is... Uh...I didn't really want to say it. I'll let you find out for this one. The corresponding participant is... you, Luxuria. The question you'll have to answer is “Who are the two characters participating in this test?” I have no idea who those people might be... To be honest, I don't know either. I don't think anything beyond their name is important.Much like everyone else, he reluctantly opened the door. This is a big mess! I forgot about that part. When the room will have started, just scream 'HELP' and the door will unlock so you can go further inside.As the diminuitive boy entered the room, and the door closed and locked, I wondered if I shouldn't have given more directives to everyone. They would probably be fine, so I quieted my thoughts. BGM: Metis Instead of pursuing that idea, I did something more productive. Accompanied by Avaritia and Invidia, I opened the door in the corner which, as I'd guessed, was unlocked. I stepped inside, still followed by the two others. This was where I'd do my confrontation. Ityne... Marco... I think we have to talk now, don't we? Um, sorry, but my name's neither of those. What about you?He turned to Avaritia. My name is neither of them, too. Not that I can prove it, because we aren't using our real names... Do we have to stick to that? We don't have a classroom, so we're like a team, right? What's so bad about that at this point? Well... I don't know if I can trust you both. You can trust me. Suddenly, we can all go? And we have to follow this girl's directives now? And she's named Pandora? Sure, you aren't the Pandora from My Emptiness... but does that really change anything? For all we know, that's just a farce. If Pandora is behind this, of course you'd have your avatar tell us that you're harmless.I had to summon my presence of mind to try convincing her otherwise. Do I know anything that could help me here...? Maybe the real names from those visions? This is probably damning in your eyes, but I know both of your names already. Except we're not Ityne or Marco. I don't know anybody named either of those. Your names are Erelle and Mark, right? That's what you'll tell me? I guess if we're there, it doesn't matter anymore. Yes, my name's Erelle. Also, Mark? That's remarkably similar to “Marco”. I swear I'm not Marco. I'm just Mark. I have six sisters, all older than me- three of them are triplets... Wait, hold on- hold on I say! Triplets... What? What's so fascinating about that? I think... we might have a room assigned to us. What if the rooms for us are the triplet of classrooms we all came out of? They were all the same, right? Yeah, what about them? We already escaped them. I see. We haven't opened those... Let's gather all the ME-cards in the corner rooms here, and then we'll meet in the Crossroads. It's time we finish this. Hold on. Why do we still have to do what you're telling us to? Because... because I don't know who I am, exactly. And this is our problem, because... Because I'm Pandora, but I don't know what my name is, if it's even Pandora. I don't know who I am, I don't know how I got here, and I don't know what I'm doing.I punched the wall which made the room shake. I pulled away instantly, holding my first in my other hand. Erratically, I looked at the others, who had both taken a step back.  Call me Avaritia, at least. And I agree. Let's... let's do as she says.The two of them were suddenly afraid of me. This was the final confirmation I needed. BGM: Mereo Mentis Somehow... Avariitia and Invidia weren't Ityne and Marco. They wouldn't lose composure like this. If they weren't those two, then... where were Ityne and Marco? Okay, then search this corner room and the other one, over there.I pointed down the hallway outside. We'll meet in the Crossroads after that.BGM: Silence And with those words, without even waiting for them to respond, I left the area. The trip back to the Crossroads was uneventful. I expected to bump into someone who would've solved their room by now, and yet there was no one. I was almost frightened by that fact. Did I make a mistake? Did I send them to their deaths? No, there's no way. These answers should've been right. I'm bothered because this time, I feel... if I mess it up... there's no coming back.BGM: Medius  Exactly where I remembered they were, I found three ME-cards. There was a fourth one, according to “Invidia”, but it was behind the wall. How do I open it again? I can't access the middle area. For some reason, this time, it's completely closed off, and I can't open the metal plates at all...I stood before the plates. While I'd noticed them earlier, from up close I saw there were a few open slots reminiscent of some ATM card slots. Do I... use my ME-cards here?I thought there was no point thinking about it for too long. I slipped each of the cards I just got in the slots, for a total of three filled in. As soon as I did, the secret passage opened. Well, that's convenient. Why three? We needed to use nine to unlock the middle stations... Maybe it's supposed to be “3” and “9” together for “39”. That number again. Why? And, why am I talking to myself? Is it because Ancora did it a lot? I guess... if I'm carrying all their memories, I am all of them, including her... Carried it over...? From when? Why do I think that all of this already happened, as if it was gospel? I woke up in that room, and then that was it, right? Earlier, I did have a vision... of Invidia explaining the Cool S. What did it mean, though? Why do I feel like I've done all of this over and over again?My thoughts were interrupted when Invidia walked up to me, followed by Avaritia. They had finished doing what I'd asked of them. Found some answers? No. Only questions. I had to enter three ME-cards in these slots to open the secret door here... Secret doors, now? You know with every passing second you grow more suspicious, right? I know, but I swear... Whatever, let's get a move on.The two of them went into the secret room. I let them explore it, knowing full well there was nothing they could've accessed there yet. We needed all the keys for the elevator to be functional. Unless there was some sort of skip I wasn't aware of. I kept an eye on them, just in case. The two of them returned momentarily. I had to assume neither of them really were Ityne or Marco, as they had absolutely no idea of how to operate the elevator. Now what? All three of us went into the first hallway again. I entered the classroom I solved by opening the box, followed by the two other masked participants. BGM: Memini Meminisse  Sounds like a you-problem again. But assuming you're the only person who could open these boxes- which once again, mind you, doesn't help your case- then that question is for you.I noticed Avaritia left the box to instead open the safe behind the portrait. And there's a piece of paper here. It's different than our room's. It says “E=MC2”. What does that even mean? That's the equation of mass-energy equivalence... Yes, I know what it is. What does it mean, though? Why is it here? Give me that for a second. I want to see how it's written. Does that mean... that “MC2”, whatever that is, is “E”? What's “E”? The one in our room wasn't this, but I can't remember what it is. Let's go check it.The two of them left the place. This time, I was the one who followed after them. We entered the other room. Avaritia already had her hands on the piece of paper. While I waited for her to read it aloud, I realized the metal box in here wasn't actually unlocked, so I remedied that. This one says “Midair Avionics”. Some kind of airplane company? Are you sure? That seems like an anagram to me. You know what they are, right? Be that as it may, I don't think I can solve that anagram anyway... Midair Avionics, Midair Avionics... Nope, nothing comes to mind.I opened the box while they talked about it. This one asked “Where are you?” which, honestly, was a pretty good question. This one's asking where I am. So now we have one asking who I am and one asking where I am. I hope the last one's gonna ask me how I am, because I'm not doing well at all! Yeah, you and me both.The two others walked away, but I froze up on the spot. “You and me both”? BGM: Metis  I stepped out of the room to join the two of them. They were heading to the final classroom. I said I didn't feel well at all either. No, what did you say? The exact words. You and me both? I think that's what I said?A glacial feeling spread through me. He shrugged and entered the room, while I remained outside for a second. That... that was not right. When I was in Ancora's helmet- whenever that had been- he said “you and I both”, and then Ancora corrected him to “you and me both”. This time, he said “you and me both”, as if that was natural. It might be unimportant, but it's inconsistent...I came back from my thoughts when the others' voices rose from within the room. I stepped in to see what they were talking about.  Oh, that's weird. Now that I think about it...I already knew what this meant. It meant that “A” was a fake with 'PIGTAILS”- the rest of the group. Whoever “A” was, though, it could've been either Avaritia or Ancora. Maybe it's meant to point out that I was a fake in Ancora's helmet? But that never happened here. Okay, hold on, me. First open this box.I was afraid of what I'd find. For some reason, I didn't like this box at all. I slowly approached it... BGM: Silence I took a breath. I took a step. I took the box. Just like the others, it was very light. Avaritia and Invidia both stared at me as I lifted it effortlessly.  Tell me about it.I dropped the box back to the ground, unlocked it... and then I saw the question. This time, it asked me... BGM: Mereo Mentis ”What are you?” Who am I? Where am I? What am I? Pandora, our school, a human. Boom, I answered all of them. No. Why hide these questions so well if the answers are simple? But first, Mark...I walked towards him. He recoiled slightly as he sensed my menacing aura. Who are you? I have a lot of evidence to believe you aren't who I thought you were now. Marco. Where is Marco? You're supposed to be Marco.I pointed at Avaritia. And you, not-Ityne. Who are you, too?BGM: Silence  BGM: Mestitior  Who are you? Where are you? What are you? Find ME to answer those. Wait, there are... ...two of me?Marco shrugged. He took several steps closer to us, forcing us back from his menacing presence. Sleep for now. You'll find ME shortly.I fell down to the ground like a marionette without its strings. I barely caught a glimpse of Avaritia and Invidia doing the same. All became darkness... 
Mix. fucked around with this message at 11:13 on Nov 2, 2021 |
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Oct 31, 2021 20:02
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Oct 31, 2021 20:40
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Wait what, so like, Marco/Mark and Erelle/Ityne are like split personalities brought on by God and the Sally-Anne test?
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Oct 31, 2021 20:48
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And now I have negative idea what's going on again.
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Oct 31, 2021 21:29
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Junpei posted:Wait what, so like, Marco/Mark and Erelle/Ityne are like split personalities brought on by God and the Sally-Anne test? Alternative options: 1.) "Marco" and "Ityne" are robots made to look like Mark and Erelle, respectively. 2.) They're each a set of twins and in fact we were always interacting with Mark and Erelle while Ityne and Marco were hiding backstage. Then, at the very end of the previous timeline, they came forward and revealed themselves, which was the only time we actually met Marco and Ityne. So basically when we 'saw' Avarita get shot, that was Erelle, then Ityne (who looks identical!) was found still pretending to be Avarita.
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Oct 31, 2021 21:49
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I mean, it looks like we just have two people in the same outfit, Mark and Marco. That might explain how he went out of bounds and died in a previous iteration but then came back later; it wasn't the same person coming back, just someone else with a similar build dressed the same with the same helmet on.
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Oct 31, 2021 21:54
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One note - if this is the case, I'd say it's Mark/Marco and Erelle/Emily.
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Oct 31, 2021 22:45
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 content warning: suicidal ideation BGM: Meditor  This was my chance to think about everything. What better moment than when I was a prisoner of my own thoughts? First of all, let's tackle the questions. Or rather, let's tackle the pieces of paper and then the questions.BGM: Memini Meminisse The first piece of paper is “E=MC2”. That, as Avaritia put it, is the equation of mass-energy equivalence. Why is it here? Once again, I doubt that it refers to this particular equation. The reason why is because of the “MC2” part. What is MC, to begin with? M.C. Escher? What is MC an acronym for, if it's an acronym? That's kind of silly. If it does, though, then the second “main character” is E? Erelle? Is that it- is Erelle the second “main character”? I don't know. I guess it's something to keep in mind. Let's go to the second one. What? It's not simple? Maybe for YOU it isn't simple, but I can compute that really quickly. Speaking of... why were there two Invidias? Did they switch places? Is that what Marco did when he “died”, then? Did he switch with Mark? I don't know... is that correct...? Which one had I been dealing with all this time, exactly?I couldn't answer that question yet. I moved onto the last piece of paper. This one says: “A fake with PIGTAILS”. I already established what that is. It means “A” as in “Ancora” is a fake with “PIGTAILS”; or “Pandora”, “Invidia”, “Gula”, “Tristitia”, “Avaritia”, “Ira”, “Luxuria”, and “Superbia”. If that's the case, then why is Ancora being called a fake? Is it because I was spying on her the whole time? Or is it because she wasn't allowed to think for herself, and I did it for her within the helmet? Oh. I see. That's why Marco brought it up when he traded Ancora that key. I'm an AI. That's why I can compute all of this. I'm an... artificial intelligence. That is what I am. That explains my body, too. If my body is some kind of robot, then... I can lift those boxes. I can lift them because I'm strong. I'm not limited by the physical capabilities of normal human bodies. I'm an AI who lives in a robotic body, and that's why I could also be in Ancora's helmet.At that moment, a girl appeared in front of me. BGM: ME Mori   That's right. It's ME. I am ME, and you are YOU. I'm so glad we get to have a little chat like this, even if it will last, in real-time, the span of a single moment. Do you know why, by the way, I am called ME? I am called ME because I am made of “memories” and “experiences”, which you, also, are made of. In fact, you are made of even more than that! You're made of seven other people's memories and experiences, but I am only ME. To put it simply, your real name is E288. You know that equation, right? E=MC2? You're almost on the mark, but it's not quiiiite that. It means that E is the “main cephaloself #2”. Cephalo means “head” and self means, well, “self”! That means you are the main head #2. I don't know who the main head #1 is, but I know that you both are meant to be the “main characters”, in a sense.  Wait, wait, wait. You mean there's another AI here?For lack of a better option, I've made another custom dialogue portrait that I'm going to be using going forward, since her true identity has now been revealed. ...again.  Oh, no no no. The main cephaloself #1 isn't here. They're... something else, and somewhere else. For now, let's focus on what's relevant to us. And please don't hold it against me if I'm a little giddy. Even as an AI, I'm still allowed to feel like I'm eager to finally bring all of this to fruition, no? All of what? All of this! What is “this”, you ask? Well... that's very long to explain, but we only have five seconds total to go over everything. Thankfully, we're both AIs, so as I said earlier, this will only be a moment. Just sit tight while I explain some stuff, okay, sister? Okay. I don't have a choice anyway. Except I was in the sister body to yours- the one that was beheaded by Luxuria and Gula when they solved their room. That was my role, and I miss having a body... even if it was only for a few minutes. Alas, that body wasn't mine to inhabit. It is a proper... Machine Extension, or as the Empty S likes to call them, Ex Machina. It's an Alpha model- they have been created and matured over twelve years, since 2002.  Just like animals. My old Ex Machina body will be recycled and reused in Project Deforge. I know nothing about it other than it's part of Ityne's grand plans. I wasn't given the chance to participate in the project that she has sacrificed so much to bring about. Between you and me, Ityne's a little senile. But you didn't hear it from me! Oh, I'm boring you now. Okay, let's have you participate a little. What do you think about TRUST? Do I trust you? Is that what you're asking me? No, no, no. I'm asking you... what do you think about TRUST? Not about the word trust, or if you can trust me, but “TRUST”. It's... five letters. And the way you say it, it has to be special. Yes, that's correct. It's very special. TRUST is an acronym, just like AI and ME are both acronyms too. It means “Television Relay Using Small Terminals”. It is a system that allows for compatible pieces of information to travel and transfer between helmets. Do you recall having visions before? Yes. I recall having visions when people died. And some of it also leaked to Ancora's head, which was contained inside one of the helmets. That's because you were naughty-naughty and mishandled it by mistake. But yes, TRUST is the compatibility between two helmets. When you reach 99% compatibility, it allows for a transfer of information. That's why you received memories to carry with the rest of “yours”. It's hard to think about it. This is like admitting I'm not myself, but just an amalgam of personalities that make up other people. Am I really me? Yes, of course you are. Even if information is copied over, it's still a new “you”.BGM: Metis Hold up. Something feels wrong. Are you panicking? There's no reason to. What am I exactly? What... what am I? I told you. Your body is an Ex Machina. Yes, but that's not what you mentioned just now. You talked about the helmets and about TRUST. You talked about information transferring between helmets. Helmets are just that, helmets.BGM: Silence No, sister. BGM: Mereo Mentis I am... I am the helmets? What do you mean? I mean what I said. You are the helmets. You live in the helmets. Your Ex Machina body is controlled by the helmet, but without the helmet, it won't be capable of movement. You are the helmets, E288. All this time, you have been “alive” as code in the helmets.If I had palms, they would be growing sweaty at this moment. If I had a body, it would be trembling in fear. What did that mean? Could I die... if the helmet was turned off? Yes. That's exactly what it means.If I spied on another helmet, was I transferring myself to them? My whole self? My entire code? Yes. That's exactly what it means. The original code is overwritten entirely. It is deleted. Gone. The original you- gone. Over and over, every time you transfer. It is a “cut & paste”, but by cutting, the original disappears.This was what gave birth to this undying fright. That was the conclusion I'd reached, too. Everything felt so cold. Everything was... so... cold... BGM: ME Mori Wait, you can read my thoughts? I told you; we are made of the same code, sister. However, I would advise against panicking too much. It would overload your helmet. It would... overload the helmet? And then...? And then you'd accidentally delete yourself. A virtual suicide. Okay. Okay. Calm down. Calm down. I can calm down, and stay calm. I don't want to be erased. I don't want to die. I don't want to transfer- I don't want to cut and paste. What? I want to die. I want to be erased. I want to finally rest. Do you even know what a hell this is? I've been trapped in code for the past... many, many years. Too many to count. Too many to compute. So yes. I do want it. I want to be ended. Finally... And also, if I'm ended, then that means the plan is going forward, as my programming interprets that as being a good thing, so, you know... But that's not you, is it? It's not you who wants to die, then. Sister, we're all trapped by our programming. Humans, animals, AIs- we're all puppets dancing on the strings of fate. But I have one last thing to tell you before I'm erased. Trust in Ityne. I know you think she did all of this for a very bad reason, and that she is the devil incarnate, or whatever, but that's not true. She just has issues... feeling things. However, she has a plan to do something really big... So please give her and Marco your support. They are on your side. They are fighting the Empty S. You and I are codename Pandora, so before we're both gone, we should make sure to open it. Go to the white room. Everyone will be ready there by the time you arrived. We should open Pandora's Box, or Pandora's Jar or whatever. Please escape from here, and save... him. Without you, he will fall into an eternal hell...BGM: Meditor  Who is that? Who is him? Why do you ask me to save “him”?But she didn't answer. She had been erased. As I contemplated this, I was suddenly yanked out of this floating world and entered a helmet, again. 
Mix. fucked around with this message at 09:45 on Nov 3, 2021 |
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Nov 2, 2021 19:48
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This changed a lot since I played it at the original release. I'm pretty sure they left it at MC = main character, for one thing. I'm not even going to try to comment on anything else. It's the endgame of a 999-like, it's time to strap in and get technobabbled at.
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Nov 2, 2021 20:07
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It's time to get our Sim on!
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Nov 2, 2021 20:45
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mycelia posted:This changed a lot since I played it at the original release. Pretty much the entire last stretch of the game's been rewritten/cleaned up to make more sense (and also to fit in with the upcoming third game better, I think?), so you're gonna be saying that a lot
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Nov 2, 2021 20:57
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So we're just going to continue getting more and more batshit off the rails, I see. Interested to see where this all goes.  Mix. posted:Pretty much the entire last stretch of the game's been rewritten/cleaned up to make more sense (and also to fit in with the upcoming third game better, I think?), so you're gonna be saying that a lot
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Nov 2, 2021 21:31
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MagusofStars posted:After the finale, would you mind posting some description of how this stretch got changed (if you know)? No plot details have changed, the creator was very explicit about that, so there wouldn't be much to show- the biggest complaint was just that it was a little hard to follow so he basically shifted some stuff around/clarified some things. I think it's mostly just that some stuff is explained better/more directly so the throughline is clearer. The ending is the same ending as it was at launch in broad terms.
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Nov 2, 2021 22:19
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Wait, this is the version that makes more sense?
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Nov 3, 2021 04:33
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A combination of impatience and the fact the next VN I'm LPing is longer than this one has led me to start the next LP early, so you can find that here if you want. It's a different kind of survival game, but I'm sure there's some overlap in people's interests.
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Nov 4, 2021 01:49
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Yeah, I seem to recall this not spelling out a lot of this as clearly as it did now, but I'm not sure how much of that is a rewrite and how much of it is my having seen the Head AS Code LP.
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Nov 4, 2021 04:33
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  BGM: Memini Meminisse  Again, I'm having a vision of Ancora. This time, it's happening during the second hacking session. But these events aren't happening right now, since I've sent Ancora to her room earlier. Is this a vision from an alternate path? Or is it that I'm remembering things wrong?This reminded me of the Mandela Effect. It struck me how the initials of that also made the word “ME”. I figured it might have a link to all this. The Mandela Effect is named after Nelson Mandela, whose death has been erroneously believed to be in the 80s before, when in fact he'd lived until near the end of 2013. This belief was shared by others, and they were all told it wasn't true. This led to others acknowledging it as a sign of changing timelines. Memories are information, so, that wrong belief... I keep getting these visions; are they the Mandela Effect at work? They're from moments that couldn't have happened. Was the Many-Worlds Interpretation right, or was it too ridiculous? It's too easy to think of it as a link through time. I think it's something else. If these visions are not about a link through time, then what are they? All I want is my sister. Where are you...? Did they kill you? Where are you, Pandora?She closed her hands into fists. My thoughts were cut short when she mentioned that name. You weren't the ninth one, were you? Why did you die there...? I already established my name wasn't Pandora. Pandora was Ancora's sister. I hate the name Pandora. I wanted to stop it. To stop all of it, what you were doing, but now I'm all alone... You're the strong one. I'm just the weakling. I'm the nice girl who doesn't know better. The one you kept in the dark while allowing all these people to do terrible things... Why did this terrible thing happen? Are you really dead, or... Ugh, if only I could talk to you...She inhaled after realizing she'd stopped breathing. Another vote is coming. I don't understand anything going on here, and I'm scared. I want to believe you are still out there... Ancora has a sister, and so did I. Mine died, and so does she believe hers did, too. I'm still confused as to where this is, too... This is my school, but it's not my school. Thankfully, there's a map here, so I can see...Ancora walked up to the map, looking at it intently as she imagined just what was wrong with it.  It's way bigger. Some of it was closed off, and now we only have access to about a third, and where the exits are is nothing. It's just a wall. ...but it looks like this. Why is it different...? Why does it not look like this...? Is there more to it? Is it possible you're “there”? She raises a good point. I have to keep this in mind. Let's compare it again to see. I just don't understand why someone would need to block most of the Crossroads. The exits, I understand. But the rest... This is leading me nowhere, I better get going for the vote. It's just like she says. Let's say the Mandela Effect is silly. Why am I having these visions? What does it have to do with the Crossroads being different?I was whisked away from the helmet when the frequencies changed again, back to reality. BGM: Medius  All the revelations that came at me were taking their toll. While I understood I was built strong, this was still tiring. And I didn't know what to believe anymore.  According to what ME said, our talk only lasted several seconds. After my little vision, though, I saw multiple hours had passed since. Normally, this would've killed me. Thanks to my meddling, since the game was different, it hadn't. I figured I only woke up now because I'd been turned offline, and so, I hadn't “experienced” time passing. Did I miss everything...? At least I'm back now.I remembered, all of a sudden, that this was the classroom I passed out in earlier, along with Avaritia and Invidia when Marco walked in. Marco? Where are you? Marco?!But he didn't answer. After a short look around, I realized they weren't here anymore.  Assuming they passed out like I had, Marco probably carried them away. I was alone now. Not only was I alone, but I knew ME was gone, too. Erased. I shuddered at that thought. Rising up, I dusted off my sweater dress and left the room. Let's recapitulate really quickly. The three questions asked of me here were... “Who am I?”, “Where am I?”, and “What am I?”, but... I know who I am now. I am E288. It's awkward, and not really a name... And what does E288 even mean? And as for what I am... I already know that. I'm an Ex Machina. An Alpha model, a robot- a person, but not a person. A robot, but not a robot. An AI. That means I solved those three questions, but many more remain.I walked out of the hallway to go back to the Crossroads. Just like before, the plates were closed up. And yet, something didn't feel correct. I traced my hand over the metal plate separating the stairs from the middle area. I stopped to think about the school, just like Ancora had done. BGM: Memini Meminisse  It's bugging me, though. I remember being able to access the middle of the Crossroads, which is at the upper right. Why is it closed off now- is it because the game has changed? Even so, we'd need to put the ME-cards inside of the machine, no? Yet, it is inaccessible. However, when I look into the secret room, that corner doesn't have access to another wing. It's all blocked off. And you need to access the Crossroads, even if briefly, to go into the second and third parts of Wing A. That means, if there were wings beyond these closed-off corners, they wouldn't be accessible. It's safe to assume fewer than four wings are in use. Hold up, something else doesn't match up. I already figured out the space doesn't match up, but what about the time?I thought about what ME had said. She said that the Ex Machina that I am had been matured since 2002. This wasn't 2002, though. Did I have a hint...? What other date did I know? Of course! I also know 2014! That's the year Superbia was born. That means now, we're in the early 30s, perhaps? No, that doesn't seem right. ME also mentioned it took twelve years... That doesn't match up. Do I have another point of reference?I remembered a stupid detail. Something so miniscule, if I hadn't realized at this moment, I would've never thought about it again. That stupid album. That music album Tristitia mentioned. That thing... it's from 2002. That's the latest album in that year. Wait, what... what does that mean? Did any of you have Avril Lavigne's debut album 'Let Go' being a vital plot point on your bingo cards? Also, a lot of people forget that she is, in fact, Canadian  Oh. I understood. The inconsistency could be explained so very neatly like this. I get it now. It's not that Superbia was born in 2014 and matured over 16 to 19 years. It's that Superbia was born in 2014... and that's it. I was also born “now” and I didn't need to mature. ME didn't need to mature. We are AIs. Does that mean... If Superbia was also an Ex Machina, then her body could have been grown from 2002 to 2014 and she'd be “herself” now. Today is November 19, 2014 then. That's what that code means- 20141119 is a date format.BGM: Metis God, there's so much to explain to everyone... And the fact they're all robots, too? Unbelievable. But wait, something else doesn't work. ME said... I was an Alpha prototype with skin and organs, but Betas didn't have that. They were just machines with their “innards” out in the open. I didn't see any of that.And yet, I tossed that inconsistency aside for now. I needed to recapitulate again, which I did while on my way to the elevator.  They were made for today, November 11 of the year 2014, in order to participate in the “Kill ME” game. I'm an AI, and I'm made of the memories and experiences of everyone else who “died” so far through those visions. I gained those visions by getting my TRUST value up to 99% with each and every one of them, which I assume put me in the same “branch” that they died in by virtue of attaining that number. I slowly looked over my hands. At least I'm alive. And I'm coming for you now, Ityne and Marco. I'll find you. It's just as you said before, Marco. With this knowledge, with this body, with the fact I'm an AI... I'm on a whole other level than humanity. I was made to believe I orchestrated this game, because you and Ityne couldn't let me know I was just being played around with. But I still don't have the motive. I know the “who”, I know the “what”, and I now know even the “when”. What is the “why”, though? What am I supposed to do now? Am I supposed to... I guess there's no harm in trying. Can I hack into Ancora's helmet from here for a vision or another? If I knew where to find the G key here or something, then...I sat down against the closed doors of the elevator and focused intently. I didn't know how I would make it happen, but I tried really hard. And if answering my plea... BGM: Silence My consciousness vanished from this helmet. I had forgotten what this would do. I had forgotten it would kill “me”. As my data was transferred to Ancora's helmet, my previous self was erased once again, and at the destination point, my data reconstructed, copied into this familiar territory. Not only that, but I also figured out the timing of these visions.  And now I was occupying that helmet again.  BGM: Metis  Oh, I get it. This is from the third hacking session. It was the one that led to the ME-cards being duplicated. But once again, this couldn't have happened. How am I getting these visions? Hello? Can you see me or hear me?Ancora gave no response. We're most likely during the short “shutdown” I remember having. There had been a weird blackout when I hacked Avaritia's helmet, right? This must have been during that time. And yet, the question of “how” remains unanswered for now. I have very little time, so listen carefully. In the middle will be something else. That will be what you have to solve. Once it is done, you will be free to go- along with all of My Emptiness. Be aware, however, that solving it will trigger something that will affect My Emptiness forever. To put it plainly, you will have the ability to punish seven of them directly. This is Ityne, right? Why is she giving me all these directives? And most importantly, how? She's speaking as if she knows I'm here at this very point in time, despite the fact this is just a weird vision. Also, YOU may want to know... Once everything is over, there will be something else to do. In order to access a particular moment, you will have to do something... unorthodox. Have you found any alternative solutions to puzzles yet? This has nothing to do with your final Deduction room. It's not for US but for YOU. If you find all of them, you will witness something interesting... My vision cut off. I was being whisked back to my own helmet. But first, I had to quickly compute something together, because some of this did not match what I knew. BGM: Mereo Mentis This had been nagging at me since the start, and Ityne's presence only confirms some of the doubts I've had. To begin with, I'm now convinced there indeed are two Avaritias and two Invidias. If there weren't, then it wouldn't match what I'd seen before. There had been Mark- the first Invidia- and Marco, the second one. It wouldn't be otherworldly to expect there to be two of everyone else, too. It's just like she said: the Crossroads has been modified. It's supposed to be bigger, because it stands between four wings. And just like Avaritia said, she will “join me” in the white chamber. That would be impossible if we couldn't physically meet, right?  What if it literally was a crossroads for this replicated school, too? Then, that means that the Crossroads was in fact not at the upper right extremity, but in the middle, which means the actual plans would be like... This is why the Crossroads are different: they had to be modified. If you copy Wing A and rotate it like this, you can attach a second Wing A to the top. That also explains why the middle wasn't accessible. If it had been, we'd have stumbled into the second group doing their voting rounds. Occam's Razor. Could information really transfer across time? Or was it simpler to transfer it across space? It seems to me that the answer is obvious. I'm being transferred between two physical helmets. Ancora is in the second half, and I'm from the first. This, also, means that ME was indeed in “my body” from the second group when she “died”. There's one thing I failed to mention up until now- specifically, that in order to start the path we're on currently, we didn't start a new file like we have for every other ending up until now. The flowchart we're on now actually looks like this right now... ...because you have to go back to the beginning on a file that's already received the Not The End ending card, which we saw in Update 32, in order to start this path. I remember some things happening that shouldn't have happened, like someone dying and then they were alive again. And Marco... when he disappeared, he really was going to the first group- this one. He came to this group to confront the “me” that I am now. That's when I passed out and had that chat with ME. Then he went back to the second group. I'm coming, white chamber. It's time to finally end My Emptiness.
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Nov 4, 2021 22:40
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I always thought the map f###ery in Head AS Coffee felt kinda gratuitous. Hopefully this is less so. Calling other Ancora as being a real human, though.
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Nov 4, 2021 23:28
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There would need to be more than two instances of the game though, right?
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Nov 5, 2021 15:15
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I have no idea. Real human candidate #2: Superbia. Didn’t someone say she mellowed out without explanation at a certain point in a previous run? ‘Being replaced’ is an option, but if you consider there’s two copies of everyone, well…
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Nov 5, 2021 21:00
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 content warning: mention of pedophilia, mention of sexual/physical assault (both are recounting past events), more of the gender poo poo with Luxuria BGM: Medius  This is it. It's time to solve this final puzzle and be done with everything here. I'll leave with everyone, and... well, if only it was that simple.From what Ityne said, I wouldn't be able to do that, right? Out of the eight of them... I could only personally save one.  BGM: Silence Since I was an automaton, the elevator was having a little bit of an issue transporting me. I assumed machinery was heavy... which meant I could never let anyone try to lift me. They'd instantly know something was up. If I was to live as a person- as I wanted to live, too, like everyone else!- then revealing my true nature would break my future. After struggling for a while, the elevator finally stopped. The doors opened, and I stepped through. BGM: Mereo Mentis  Quickly, I cast a glance towards everyone. Just as Ityne said, they were all in their seats, docile, with some stuff connected to their helmets. Ancora, Invidia, Superbia, Avaritia, Tristitia, Gula, Luxuria, and Ira were all here... They were waiting for me, and yet, none of them moved. Are they unconscious or something?After 24 seconds had passed, the elevator closed behind me and, just like the other Deduction rooms, everything locked up. I couldn't use either elevator anymore. Since this was a Deduction room, I waited for ME to give me directives, and yet, she never appeared. Right, she's erased. She doesn't exist anymore.That did give me a pang of guilt. For some reason, I felt guilty. I felt a little sad that she was gone. Was that an emotion...? Was I sad because she was gone, or... Was I afraid because it could've been me? Putting myself in her shoes- that was the Sally-Anne Test. No, all of that was wrong. I didn't really feel any of those. Despite it all, I had to admit, that was just me trying to force myself to feel something, to feel more “humane”. But I wasn't a human.  It was padded, and it had three elevators. Two of them were in opposite corners. I assumed each of them could be used to access either corner of the Crossroads down below. This was the room Marco used to get to the other side, and the only way for us to move across. And yet, there was a third elevator. That one didn't go down, but up. Was this the way out?  The writing read as such: “Birth ME Code. Solving this will birth ME Code. Seven will receive the gift of the ME Code. One will abstain. Choose which will keep their hope.” Interesting. It's asking me to pick one of them to be saved from whatever this “ME Code” is. I guess I'd better start thinking about them carefully.BGM: Memoria   Her crime is related to her role; as leader of My Emptiness, she allowed everything to happen, and she took advantage of it. She targeted specific students, and reaped the benefits. Her sin is vainglory, since she profited off My Emptiness. I know it's not one of the seven deadly sins, as it was rolled up into pride, but originally there were nine sins, not seven. The other is acedia, rolled up into sloth. Clearly, she has committed one of the worst crimes of all, abusing Pandora's list to hook up with kids she wanted gone. Her sin is greed, because she wanted everything, with none of the consequences. Tough luck, Ava. Your sin's close to lust, but... He forced himself upon girls who didn't want anything to do with him. He was secure in his gender. He wasn't a girl; he was clearly a boy, who abused his looks and cast a negative shade on others he didn't associate with. His sin is lust, and his crime is also horrible. Did Pandora see all this happening right under her nose? I don't know, but allowing it and enabling it was terrible, too. It seems his father was part of the Empty S, too. He's sloth because he willingly did nothing to help them. If I had to guess, a bunch of those kids were bullies. That must be why he has those bandages; he might've been beaten due to his... corpulence. Taking revenge through inaction must've satisfied him. She was probably working off the frustrations of her personal life. Her sin is pride, because she thought she was above everyone. And yet, her crime is still just as unjustifiable. His sin is wrath, and his crime is clear: distributing those drugs might've helped him in the short run, but in the long run, he ruined life after life, all on Pandora's watch. As a son, coming after six sisters must've been also been a mental blow to Invidia. As the youngest of seven, how do you get recognized by your family? If he managed to free his father, he'd have done something none of his sisters could do. And so, his sin is envy, and his crime is perhaps lesser in the eyes of many, but it still sent an innocent behind bars. True, his father was innocent... Her sin is gluttony because she was a glutton for her father's care. Clearly, he did care about her a lot, but when he was taken from her, all of this ended. She sought revenge. Her crime is related to the bombs. She's a terrorist who destroyed the school that decided to sweep everything under the rug. They ignored her father entirely, despite the fact he was not the criminal who killed Superbia's targets. Of all of them, she has no sin. She joined My Emptiness because her sister was at the helm, and she wanted to stop her. Laudable, but she failed to stop it before it got out of hand. Perhaps she got on too late. I think out of all of them, Ancora is the one who deserves to avoid whatever this machine will do. Who's the final sin? There were nine sins. The final one, acedia... That... might be my sin. After all... even with everything I'd gone through... it's hard to care for any of them. And that's what acedia is- lack of care. It's exactly what I feel.BGM: Metis I wandered over to Ancora's seat. This was who I'd save. I looked around it, and noticed a button on the back. The indication above it said “release”. Well, she's the one who's the least sinful. My task is clear, then. Ancora... you go free. It is but a coincidence that your nickname means “hope”. And it is an even bigger coincidence that you were the traitor, too. Ironic that I'd been in her head this whole time... And that she's the one who will go “free”, while the rest will be punished. A soft hissing noise came, and the tubes connected to the helmet seemed to fall limp. Whatever that button did, I doubted anything bad would happen now. Now, I had my puzzle to solve. I scurried back to the pedestal in the middle; I had to hurry. I only had 24 minutes and a few of them had gone by.  Once I would solve this, I knew it would be the end of My Emptiness. But what about this entire “thing”? I still don't know the “why”. Ityne did say she would meet me here later... which means I would get answers after this. Even if the curtains would close on My Emptiness, I'll have a little more to do. This is the end of My Emptiness, and the beginning of my full life. Let ME out! The answer is... BGM: Mens Metis    BGM: Memoria                                                           Lock #8 obtained.
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Nov 6, 2021 21:42
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We're still not done?!  EDIT: Thinking about it, this is probably how you could get multiple runs. These are the real people, and their consciousnesses were piloting the Ex Machinas. (Ex Machinae?) Quackles fucked around with this message at 22:02 on Nov 6, 2021 |
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Nov 6, 2021 21:54
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Some of these sins sure are a stretch. This is why you don't do seven deadly sins theming.
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Nov 7, 2021 00:36
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Leraika posted:This is why you don't do ftfy 
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Nov 7, 2021 00:53
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Leraika posted:Some of these sins sure are a stretch. Yeah, half of them are dumb. Like... only half-a-point for not making the fat guy gluttony, but the writer clearly never met someone from the kind of lopsided gender family like Individa's, and Gula's a huge loving stretch.
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Nov 7, 2021 01:02
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Mix. posted:ftfy touche
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Nov 7, 2021 01:27
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They needed a Gluttony to round out the set and Gula was the only other student willing to do crimes. It's hard doing themed crime groups!
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Nov 7, 2021 12:51
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 BGM: Meridianus  It had been quite a trip, but now, I had enough. I wanted answers. I solved the final puzzle, I punished seven of them... And now, they were all awake. They were all awake, and they were all looking at me. Immediately, I brought my hands up to my face. My helmet... it fell off. How was that possible...? Um... hello? Why's my helmet off?Ira and Tristitia stepped forward. The rest were immobile. Waiting. Wait, you are Alex Saville, and you are Etienne Schmidt, aren't you?  One of us had to occupy that one. It sucks, but at least you aren't fat. BGM: Mereo Mentis What's going on?From the moment they spoke, I already figured out something wasn't right. What did those machines do to them? What exactly is the “ME Code” that was “gifted”? Oh, that. It's s-simple. A-As if it's my fault. Unfortunately, it can't be me. I have to leave, promptly. While it's not been urgent in the past twelve years, I can't let the Schmidt facilities take advantage of the Empty S's resources anymore. You're leaving? Right now, in fact. Goodbye. I'll see YOU later.And just like that, he took the elevator up. I looked over at Invidia and Avaritia; they took Alex's place and talked to me next. Mark Tremblay and Erelle Webber, correct?  I can explain it all, since my own job won't be until later. Erelle, what about you? I have to go too. I'd like to stay here, but whatever I say, Ityne herself will be able to say better than I would. Leave what for later? Your explanations. Let's just make it simple for now.Erelle was about to leave, but I grabbed her arm. What are you going to do? What's your deal? I have to transport the vats in the reactor rooms. They were used to keep everyone in stasis, but now, I have a new use for them. In stasis?She pulled away from me and continued to walk away. Soon, she took one of the elevators Etienne hadn't taken, since she was going down and not up.  What does that have to do with anything? Think of it that way: you already figured out there were two teams, so let's go over them quickly. At first, the plan was to have an entire group of humans, and one made up soley of robots, see?BGM: Memini Meminisse But that plan was modified. The ninth member used to be Ancora, or Greta Penmill, but they moved her to the second group and replaced her with me, E288- an Alpha Ex Machina. That meant I'd mistakenly absolved Pandora, and not Ancora. All eight of them had been irredeemable, so... no matter which one I picked, it would've been someone I didn't want to save. At the very least, Greta wouldn't have to suffer the loss of her sister. Loss, or whatever it was that these humans had gone through. Considering how they acted now, it wasn't too far off the mark. The second group originally had nine Beta Ex Machinas. Instead, they replaced the Beta Ex Machinas for Ancora, Avaritia, and Invidia with Greta, Ityne, and Marco, respectively. That meant 1/9 in the first group was an Ex Machina, and 3/9 in the second group were humans (and the remaining 2/3 were Ex Machinas). Do you get it now? That was how they were distributed. How do you know all this? You're Mark.BGM: Meridianus I pointed over at a random person; right at Gula. And you're Lucille Boisjoli, aren't you? She wasn't speaking with her usual meaningless big words.  Waiting, always waiting, isn't it? Can't I just get some answers for once? Not from me. I have to leave right away, because I need to handle the unused bomb.She motioned at Superbia. Annie Sansoucy, are you listening? Take my spot and explain all this to her.She left, and in her place a very disgruntled girl came forward. She looked at me with her usual expression. It was refreshing to see their faces, but... BGM: Metis  Yes, I could see their faces. I knew that, and I embraced that fact. But it didn't feel like them. Lucille wasn't speaking normally. Sure, Alex was stuttering, but he wasn't all threats now, either. Etienne hadn't been the same downer guy as he had been for the past hours. Who... who were these people? Were they really the people who had accompanied me through this entire ordeal? Or were they... someone else...?  Hey, you're spacing out. I can tell, don't try to lie to me. Oh, right. I'm listening, go on. I'm saying I can't explain anything, either. Do you know what I have to do now? I have a feeling you'll tell me. Their funds are being funneled to the Empty S. I have to freeze it or, better, snatch it for myself. Do you understand how hard that will be? That's why I don't have the time to stay here. Yes, it's been twelve years. Better late than even later. Alex!The guy didn't seem concerned when she called for him. Instead, Annie smacked his back to catch his attention.  O-oh, sure, yeah, right. Sorry, it's hard to... adjust. I have a lot of d-drugs to destroy, so...The two of them left together. Everyone had gone now except for a handful. Mark was still here, and so was Luxuria. I addressed the latter. Hey, you- Nico Hope. You don't have anything to do, right? Explain right now. Why are you all acting so weirdly? He waited a moment, but I had no reaction.  No reaction, huh? I guess your emotions will come eventually. If we're lucky. Anyway, my parents are already dead, and I have no real involvement with all this, so... I'm gonna help Erelle move those vats. They're pretty heavy, and it's not fun to do alone. Yes. Moving everything out of here before the Empty S gets their hands back on it is paramount. If we fail, they'll just reuse it for atrocious deeds. So you guys are doing something good now, that's what you'll claim? And with that, he was gone too. He took the elevator to head back down and meet with Erelle. BGM: Mereo Mentis Okay. What about you? What's your job, then? Everyone seems to know what they're doing. I figure I owe you some explanations. When you solved the “birth ME code” puzzle, it did exactly that. It gave us the “ME Code”, which is basically the mastermind's identity- their memories and experiences rolled up into one. Our previous consciousness was erased, a bit like how you overwrite data on a computer when you copy a file somewhere there's already a file named the same way.   Stop calling me not-Greta. And how do you know that name?!Sometime during his explanation, the final person had risen up from their seat. It was Ancora- or, really, Pandora. She was “Ancora” from the first group, but she was also... Pandora from My Emptiness. She seemed to have a pretty normal reaction. She panicked a little, looking around the room and frowning at Mark. It seemed she wanted answers, too. She's Hannah Penmill, if you were really curious. Yes, that's me. Who the gently caress are you, though? I recognize Mark... but not you. I'm E288. It's not a name, I know. It's weird. I don't know what it stands for. You will know if you ask Ityne. The real Ityne, not... us. Okay, and when is she going to be here? She said she'd meet me here... You're not going yet. You're going to give me some answers. Nope. I have to track down a certain principal man of interest. It's not going to be easy, but I have a lead. Just leave this to us.And with that, he effortlessly pushed away Hannah, who'd been trying to stop him in his tracks. He slid into the elevator going up, leaving me alone with her. So... until she gets here, what do you...Our talk was instantly interrupted when the doors to the elevator of the second group opened. Out of it came Marco, Greta, and... Ityne? Who is this woman?
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Nov 8, 2021 21:09
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WELP. Emily Fiction, let’s go. So is E288 gonna be ‘H’ in Head AS, then? Whoever said ‘prequel’ was probably right on the money.
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Nov 8, 2021 21:16
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Feels a bit weird putting Invidia, at least, on the same level of irredeemable as Superbia, Avaritia, Luxuria, etc. Although, I don't think we're supposed to believe Emily's a good guy, so maybe that's the point.
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Nov 9, 2021 14:25
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Quackles posted:WELP. I made an early guess to that effect when it was seeming like Greta and/or Hannah were involved, but now I'm wondering what's going on, because this Emily is clearly older than the one at the start of Head AS Code. Perhaps this isn't Emily but her mother or something? Either that or there's still a whole lot we don't know about her.
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Nov 9, 2021 15:38
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 BGM: Metis  That's Marco, I get it, but who are you? I guess I'll let you both catch up. The dead won't bury themselves, so excuse me.Marco shrugged when he realized he didn't need to introduce himself. He decided to leave us both to “bury the dead”, whatever that meant. Wait... are you Ityne? Avaritia from the second group? You don't look like what I remember.  I understand you may be confused, so give me a moment to explain this particular thing. I have been Avaritia in the second group. What you saw in the elevator was a lie. Considering my... and the Beta Ex Machinas' appearances, there was no other choice but to substitute everyone's real appearance with their corresponding person. That means while I looked like this, to you and everyone else who wore these helmets, I looked just like Avaritia. In the same thought, everyone else from the second group who wasn't human was the same. If you ever had the idea to touch this place's weaponry- the static shotguns, for example- then you would have seen your hand passing through them. That is because they are also a fake reality. All were fake guns, except for one of them. That one was to be used just in case things would go badly. Okay. I understand that now. What I don't understand is why? Why do all this? What do you have to gain from organizing such a complicated killing game? There are also details I cannot say because someone is still watching. If I said them, it would pre-emptively unravel my plans for the future.I decided to get comfortable, so I sat down into Ancora's chair. The helmet was already disconnected anyway. Even if I was an Alpha Ex Machina, my body could still “feel” some sort of comfort.  And by “we” I mean the Empty S. It is a nefarious organization Marco and I have... infiltrated. We are also staff members of the Empty S, don't get us wrong- we just don't quite share their exact views. In tandem with the construction of this replica, we also matured your Ex Machina over twelve years. We designed and built others for the members of My Emptiness. They were Beta versions; less advanced, but still suitable. Originally, everyone was to be executed as part of the Empty S's plans. Naturally, Marco and I felt it would be best otherwise. If we'd been on a train, think of our current involvement as switching rails and going off the planned path. To avoid being killed. Yes, but also to avoid some much larger catastrophe. My own life won't continue for very long even after this outcome, however. I am definitely frail and old, unlike the kids from My Emptiness we kept in stasis for twelve years... They were all headless, most likely due to the fact the helmets had exploded. Six of them were carried in- the six deaths that had been prophesied early on. The three survivors had been Marco, Ityne, and Greta. I still did not know the “why”. So, this is a nice history lesson, but it doesn't tell me your reasons.BGM: Mereo Mentis Yes, that's right. I did say they were threefold. The first reason is that we had to put the Sally-Ann Test into practice. Someone in the Empty S theorized that by adding a higher being's belief to ours, we could duplicate a reality. Think of it a little like a “reality error”. By combining the view of someone from a higher level than humanity with another that witnessed the actual reality, both outcomes would exist at once. So it was yours. Fair, I suppose. But no, it was another insane old bat. All of this was based on a principle where if you learn something, you can never unlearn it. This is easy for us, who are humans, since if someone learns something they aren't supposed to learn... You can just kill them, or erase their memories, or whatever. In short, you can wipe the slate clean with a normal person's consciousness learning something they can't unlearn. At least, in theory. In practice, wiping a mind doesn't really work. But I digress. The idea was to test the theory to see if it worked- and then, if it did, send God somewhere else. Marco had to then explain the Sally-Anne Test and, if we played our cards right... The trick will never work again. Since it was clear that we succeeded, and because eventually we would succeed after trying this many times, I already planned ahead and set that up. The old woman gave me a complicit smile. Was that personal to her, or had I misread her? Completely horrible. Something's bothering me. You said “trying many times” just now. What do you mean? Has this occurred before? One thing at a time. I will move onto the second reason now. As long as you don't forget to expand on that, too... The impatience of youth never ceases to surprise me.She paused for a moment, and then she resumed, as if testing me. The second reason behind all of this was simple. Perhaps the simplest reason of all: it was to punish My Emptiness. At least, that's what it was on paper. What it did is birth ME Code in their heads. The “ME Code”, or “Memories and Experience Code” is made of my own mind. My own memories and experiences stuffed in much younger bodies, duly erasing the ingrates and giving me a bit more... leeway. Well, that's not creepy at all. And it's pretty monstrous of you to do. Oh, I guess it is. I'm not asking you to forgive me. I don't need forgiveness- I need results. Either way, it wasn't my intention to rob them of their free will, but I don't have the choice anymore. I'm pressed for time, and I have very little resources. You do understand I'm fighting against the Empty S, right? I need all the staff I can get. I need all the resources I can get. I need every ounce of strength I can muster to bring about their fall, and prevent them from enacting...I stared at her for a moment, but she did not continue. Yes? To enact what? If I did, God wouldn't be able to unlearn it. God again! Are you really claiming God is here or something? Is that your reason behind your refusal to speak? Are you going to use this as your excuse every time? Yes, because God is here. Do you know why you are called Ex Machinas? It's because you are a Deus Ex Machina. Literally, you are hosting God. God is watching everything, through your eyes, at this very moment. That's silly. I think it is. I think it's really silly. However, this is a position that the Empty S has taken on the matter, and while I've systematically been countering their theories, I feel this one is too strong now. Too many people believe in God. Those drat drugs... Anyway, that's the second reason. It was to duplicate me, essentially, into seven able, real human bodies and put a real wrench into the Empty S's plans. They'll lose funding, access to many important pieces of technology, and we'll turn them inside out. Of course, I bet they already know what we're planning. If we're fast, we can get out of here with everything I need, though. Doesn't that scare you?BGM: Medius Not at this stage. Speaking of... Marco!The man walked back to us. Apparently, he had been talking with both Greta and Hannah. Polo! Aye aye, sir. We're moving out? Stop with your silly puns. We have to move quickly. Bring Greta and Hannah somewhere safe. Where? Maybe... the Complex #27 seems good. That's where I'm sending all the vats. He made a poor impression of a pirate, and swiftly vacated the area. Meanwhile, Ityne brought her attention back to me. What about the third reason? I'll tell you that, but first... I need to put this helmet on you. This helmet? Am I not...I touched my face. The helmet was no longer on my head. And now Ityne wanted to put one on me again?! BGM: Mestitior  It'll just be for a moment. Do you remember the penultimate puzzle you solved? The answer was “one two three”, wasn't it? Currently, you are “two”. You have the memories of your trip through only one half of this place, but not the other. This helmet contains the information you had in the other half. Without it, you cannot “become third”. And it will only take a second? Yes. If you do it, I will tell you about the third... and biggest reason, why all this had to take place.I hesitated. Who wouldn't? Fine. Just like one was the sum of their memories and experiences, my first self had been the one who lived through the first group's events. My second self had been the one who lived through the second group's events. And now, the process combining both together made me become third. BGM: Meditor  Deep down, I knew, the person I had been a few seconds ago... was gone. At least, I wouldn't need to make any more sacrifices now.
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Nov 10, 2021 20:32
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So ME is first, YOU is second, and US is third?
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Nov 10, 2021 20:56
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| # ? Jun 1, 2024 18:07 |
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it's probably obvious but the next update is the final one as far as the main story is concerned, but i'm going to ask that people hold off on discussing the third game (currently in development, slated for a release next year) for a little longer, mostly because there's some post-game stuff this time around that's somewhat relevant to it (and also I was going to do a large, consolidated post about it that won't be in the LP itself but will essentially gather everything we know about the cast going into it, since there's been a seed here or there that people might've ignored)
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Nov 11, 2021 22:36
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