☿ // 001; [text; dated to 3/17]

[fionnuisce]

Now that I've collected what I'd evaluate as the basics of this place and how it's run, I'm curious enough to ask for a discussion of general opinions rather than concrete facts.

Particularly, regarding the supposedly confirmed ideas revolving around the state of our worlds. While the evidence supporting our homeworlds' destruction is considerable, I'd still like to hear what people think. It initially crossed my mind that it could be a very well-constructed lie, and while that has become a very distant possibility I'm hesitant to discard it altogether. And if it is in fact true, what happens then? Do you think there is a way to restore the places from which we've originated, or are we fighting for a Pyrrhic victory at best?

And that's not yet touching upon the more clearly confirmed matter of our souls and the replica forms we're using in place of our original bodies. I'd imagine this has caused existential crises aplenty, but let's put that aside for the moment. If the administrators possess the technology or magic to create such close copies, how is it they can't simply take out original bodies along with our souls in the first place And if there is a way to restore our worlds, would you logically assume that includes our original selves?

You're free to answer if you like, or ignore me altogether. It's your own choice. I can't really picture this as a simple matter to talk about without inciting a sense of dread and misery, so I'll hardly be offended if everyone shrugs this off and pretends they never saw it.

--Lord El-Melloi II

[Waver, honey. I'm sure signing your name like that is simply habit by now, but you might give your younger self a stroke.]

Comments

[Text]

[tohko_amano]

[Thankfully, Tohko did not have a stroke, since she didn't know that much about El-Melloi and his participation in the Holy Grail War. She knew that Waver had been kicked around at school, but she didn't get any specific names.]

Since Dax said that he was working on a way to restore the universes, I would think that there probably is a method to it. One we don't know right now..but a method nonetheless.

As for why they couldn't pull out our original bodies..maybe Zo's psychic abilities only work on souls and not physical things. That's just speculation though.

[Text]

[fionnuisce]

Which itself raises the question of whether or not it's something only something on the level of the administrators are capable of. If so, I'd bet we're pretty much screwed unless we can get at least one on our side.

I can't speak to the specific nature of psychic powers, but I suppose that's a possibility. But then I'm curious as to how they replicate whatever's found in any individual's trunk. Assuming of course that those are replicated as well.

[Text]

[tohko_amano]

..I don't think it is, considering the circumstances, but hopefully I'm right. If only the Administrators can restore universes, we wouldn't be able to do anything unless one of them saw that restoring the universes was good.

I'm not sure if they are replicated or not..but if they are, then maybe they make photographs using our memories as a base and build other things using the materials here. I can created a toy purple squirrel here using the workshop. Maybe they can create more.

offline; 1/who even knows

[nonacquiescent]

[So guess who's having a stroke? It's Waver - younger Waver, that is. If he could get past 'Lord El-Melloi', he would probably have noticed it's the second...and the level of intelligence greatly exceeding that of Kayneth's.

But no, just seeing that title brings up too many awful memories. For several long minutes he finds himself simply staring at the screen, wide-eyed, clenching the fabric of his pants to keep his hands from shaking. He has to remind himself to breathe. He had to warn Lancer too. If Kayneth is in the tower, both of them are going to be in trouble.]

offline;

[nonacquiescent]

[He runs to Lancer's room as fast as he can, managing to trip on the stairs and fall pretty hard in his haste. But finding no one there, grabs a pen and paper to write while he continues on to the mailroom. After leaving his note, he searches for the nearest computer terminal.

And sits there, collecting himself. Thank God it's not a video or audio message.]

offline;

[nonacquiescent]

[He was there first. He had the upperhand - right? If he was going to talk to Kayneth, he should be able to speak with some authority.

Remember everything Rider taught you, he wouldn't sit here trembling just because of some stupid wanker!]

[puppy_lancer]

[Lancer was originally going to answer this post and have a halfway civilized discussion...but then he read the signature at the end.]

el melloi?
hey do you know a diarmuid

[Just asking for some confirmation before he blows up at the wrong guy.]

[fionnuisce]

[This isn't going to go well.]

Diarmuid?

[...or is it? Lucky Waver's got common sense. Enough to assume the title was one mentioned by Diarmuid as being attached to Kayneth, and as a result he knew enough to try and explain a few things.]

I do, but I have a feeling I might not be the Lord El-Melloi you're thinking of.

[puppy_lancer]

really now
the one i know was
well let's call him diarmuid's boss

Locked Text

[oathshackledbird]

Forgive the lock, but I'm not sure I want some of my...opinions on these matters getting out to some of my friends. For their sakes, I'm letting them still think I believe as I did when I first arrived, but after the last few weeks, those beliefs have changed some.

First of all, if you have not already been told, apparently Dax was working on a way to restore our worlds before his...death. How far he got on that--if anywhere--only he knew and that information is probably lost to us now.

[It's hard for Diarmuid not to mention Dax's letters right then, but it is something that can't be talked about in a place like this even with locked text. He mentally makes a note to tell Waver about it the next time they meet face to face. Tohko had asked him to be careful who he told about it and so far, he had told no one, but Waver is someone he can trust and will make a valuable ally.]

As for our worlds, even though I have said more than once it doesn't matter to me, I wanted to believe that they were still there. For Kariya and everyone else who still have things to do. But in light of what we have been told recently, I find it much harder to believe that to be the case.

Also, as we discussed before, I do believe these items we have are only copies of the things we would have had back then. Still, it's the memories that count right? Since I didn't lose my torc when I died, I can only assume they can make more copies of the items when the need occurs--such as death--but I am going to guess if we were to lose an item by ourselves, that item would not be returned. Oh, they probably could return it if they wanted to, but if we lost it, why would they?

Locked Text

[fionnuisce]

It's fine, Diarmuid. I won't tell anyone.

I had heard that rumor about a possible method of restoration, but I wasn't sure how valid it was. It's hard to believe at the very least, but if the possibility really is there it's worth keeping in mind.

Honestly, I'd like to believe nothing's changed back home. But viewing it simply as a matter of evidence on either side, I'm inclined to assume they might really be gone at the moment. I'm not ruling out the alternative, however.

As to the matter of our specific belongings, I have to admit that was only a matter of curiosity on my part. I still firmly believe the objects themselves aren't as important as what they represent, but I'd rather not lose anything if I can help it.

Locked Text

[oathshackledbird]

I know. Thank you.

The next time we meet, be it for a patrol of just to talk, remind me that I have things to tell you. Things I didn't tell you when we first met, if you can believe that considering how long we talked.

Honestly, there is so much information we have that is suspect that I have started telling people just to believe whatever keeps them going. Or even to just accept that we really have no way of knowing for sure if they can do that. We are not even sure of what our true status is in this place. What we have seen recently says we are only souls, but before we believed ourselves to be as we had been on our home worlds. Who knows if that might change again soon.

And with Ruana's powers...who knows how much she really controls us? She is known for loving games. I am sure this is all one big game for her and we are just pawns in it. Who are we to complain if she decides to change the rules on a whim?

I didn't trust Dax's good intentions when I first arrived here. It seemed far too convenient that there was one of them that actually cared about us. His death seemed to prove me wrong on that, and yet how do we know that wasn't all staged in the end? Sure, it would be a grand thing to pull off, but I think we can both agree that there is no shortage of power between the administrators here.

[yamaxanadu]

I find the idea that all worlds are destroyed a bit suspect, for the world I came from is not something that can exactly be destroyed. Of course one could say the entire dimension was annihilated, but I also find that hard to believe.

As for the duplication of our bodies, I find that also a questionable practice. There are those that do not need a replicated body as they are souls to begin with, and then there are those who do not have a soul at all, such as myself. Yet both are taken and given these fake bodies. I can't help but feel there is an alternative agenda and we are only given so much information.

[fionnuisce]

It's suspect, but does seem possible in most cases given the information provided. But 'the information provided' isn't really from a reliable source, overall.

You mentioned not having a soul. Would you mind telling me a little more about that? If it's a touchy subject, forget it--I'm just trying to put as much information together as I can.

text

[pinnaculum]

Hello.

The amount of conclusive evidence that I have seen that our worlds are destroyed is none.

Yet it is very possible. There are many things that suggest it is true.

Taking the original bodies and leaving our consciousness as is would make it likely we would die permanently, and the stated goal is preservation. Replaceable vessels for consciousness are more convenient. It is possible our original bodies could not survive here. I do not know enough about the process to say for certain.

--Sephiroth

text

[fionnuisce]

That's the tricky part--the circumstantial evidence is overwhelming, but no less circumstantial despite its amount. So the possibility remains incredibly plausible yet unconfirmed.

I wonder. Could there be some quality to this location that makes us unable to survive without going through whatever process involves fixing us with these collars and replicated forms?

text;

[swordedpast]

Let's say it's true.

I don't care whether there's a way to restore our original selves, but the worlds...that's more pertinent.

I don't know if they can be restored.

But from what Dax said...there are worlds out there that haven't yet been destroyed.

text;

[fionnuisce]

I'd have to be an idiot to think every imaginable parallel world was destroyed. An idiot or very pessimistic.

text; late to the party

[savarin]

[The terminals are working in this weather? Not only that, but someone's doling out some very interesting information.]

okay youre sayin that were not our real selves? just souls in copies? i thought souls were just somethin made up so what proof do you have?

[Ignoring the rest of the info for now; this particular detail is more interesting.]

text;

[fionnuisce]

Only what I've been told. As for how real one's soul is, I would ordinarily leave that up to a matter of philosophy or psychology.

[Text]

[hero_of_smiles]

[This...was a sudden new revelation to him. They...were just walking around in meat suits for their souls? Was that what people found out here? He almost doesn't want to respond, but he needs to ask.]

Is that what happened here? We're all just walking around in copies of our own bodies?

[Text]

[fionnuisce]

That seems to be the general idea of what I've been told.

[Audio]

[toxicwillpower]

[A smirk can be heard within the tone of his voice]

You mean you haven't figured it out yet?

[text]

[canofworms]

Our worlds can't be destroyed. There are too many, and I honestly doubt all of them were on the brink of destruction.

[See, he can do this logic thing. Even when his belief isn't actually based on logic, shhhh.]

And sorry, but it's pointless to ask why they couldn't save our original bodies just because they can create copies. I don't think that kind of speculation would accomplish much. You can do it if you want. Those are my thoughts on it.

If they can go so far as to recreate Magic Circuits and Crests, I'm not sure how different these copies are from the originals, anyway.

[He doesn't go so far as to say it's pointless to be attached to one's original body. He is distantly aware that, as a Matou magus, his views on the matter are a little left of center. He doesn't exactly view his body as a temple the way others might view theirs.]

[text]

[fionnuisce]

Yet we can't say much on the matter with absolute certainty: it could be that they're all perfectly intact, or that some were destroyed and others still thriving. Or there's the distant but grim possibility that they really are all in ruins, but at this point I can't begin to guess, never mind subscribe to a particular theory on the matter.

At any rate, you're right; it likely is pointless to speculate, but I like to have all the subjects at hand covered if I can.