animus_network | 003 | Video | late Friday evening

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003 | Video | late Friday evening

[It's taken him a great deal of time to get his composure together, after everything is said and done. He might have his body back, but the rush of memories and actions and guilt guilt guilt is enough to make him want to vomit. The images of himself, coated in women, stained in blood, saying one thing while meaning another, leading people astray while knowing otherwise - PRETENDING....

How dare they... How DARE they...

...

As overwhelming as it is, he can't just wallow. Someone HAS to know, and as much as it might hurt to hear it so soon, they have to know immediately.

So Guy slips to a terminal, holding himself composed if not extremely worn... and as strong as he tries to stay, he can't quite keep the small tremble out of his words as he starts to speak.]

If you're hearing my voice right now, then you need to stop and listen. What I'm about to tell you is going to be hard to hear, and I'm sorry. But it's important.

This week was a mess. No one can deny that. But some of you here in the Tower might have been aware of a few of us wandering around, claiming we had "control" of our minds. To some of you, we were your superiors, ordering you to do or say things for us. The few of us that had mixed colors in our collars or could maintain a conversation like normal, despite our modifications, claiming that the Administrators had failed and that we were fighting back.

We sent out a message this week, gathering people and information to try and establish what we claimed was a counter-resistance. Many showed up. Many put confidence in us.

[He pauses, swallowing hard.]

That was a mistake.

The truth is that we were just as brainwashed as anyone else... Even more so, I guess. Despite what we might have said or made people think, we were all actors. The few of us you may have talked to were sent out specifically for sabotage and information, all for the ones that did this to us. We were spies, and before coming back to normal, many of us just gave away information that...

[Another pause, a deep grimace crossing his face.]

Well, it might prove to be a disaster for quite a few people. If you spoke to a drone in what you thought was a form of confidence, especially against the Tower or in details of the resistance...

[His expression pains, grimace thinning into a guilty frown.]

Then I'm sorry. We've done something truly horrible.

[...

There's another long pause, the man at the screen tense and quiet. Either he's searching for something else to say, or his composure is about to slip from him. It's hard to tell.]

There's nothing we can do to take it back. Think what you would like of us. But we've tricked you, and you deserve to know. And right now... I'd recommend to be prepared for the worst.

[...]

If you have questions, then feel free to ask. I'm... not sure what any of us can tell you. I'm sorry.

[And with a tired, forced smile, the feed ends.]

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What.

It's the truth. I'm not sure what else to tell you.

If you think I'm going to believe some dweeb over the network, you're wrong. [ Hmph. ] The people I spoke with wouldn't dare crossing me.

....

You might want to go ask them about that yourself, then, if you're so sure.

Maybe I will.

[ Rin pls, that's not something to take that sort of tone with. ] Maybe it was just you they screwed around with. Then you'd look like a real fool!

[He is so not in the mood for your tone of voice, young lady. But his expression simply clouds, voice dropping.]

I would, wouldn't I?

Well. At least I'd be an honest fool.

[So, Guy might just be back, but for Asch it's been a couple of hours. He's spent most of those halfway curled-up on his bed, still expecting his body to suddenly stop being his own again at any moment.

In the end, he makes his way down to his usual terminal in the library, which is also safely isolated. Even if he can recognize people, he doesn't want to see people, doesn't want to interact. Not without a buffer, without something blocking him from knowing who's who, who's going to betray him next.

He's got his heels propped on the supports of his stool so that he's still somewhat in a ball as he watches Guy's video.

...]

[She turns on the feed, not quite looking at the camera, but doesn't speak immediately. She thought she knew what to say to this, though she could play it off, but...]

...Hah. They really got us good this time.

[ No one ever is. She just kind of pushes it on anyone who listens. ]

Tch. I'll go get the answers from the source myself then. [ But it does sound as though she's seriously considering his words. ]

Weak-minded fool.

People like you are the very reason the administrators' hold over this tower has lasted so long and will last again for a long time.

... He's telling the truth, Rin.

[Hakuno's tone is remarkably similar to Guy's; pained, tired... she can't even hide her despaired expression. While she can take solace in the fact that she was mostly a failure and didn't give away any vital information, just knowing that she was used like that was something she was pretty disgusted with.]

A game well played on their part. Use us as the vessels for our own demise. It's pretty clever.

[He pauses, staring down at his hands with a thin frown.]

The sacrifice of trust shouldn't have been worth it.

[...Oh.

Well, that buffer didn't do much good, did it?

His first instinct is to reject it, wanting to say that it's all a lie - but it's not, Asch knows better. He knows when Guy's being honest, at least.

Or he thought he did.

You could practically see what's going through his head, if you were watching. His knees pull up, leaving Asch balanced precariously on the stool he's sitting on, and it's a long moment before he does anything else.]

[Hey, Guy. Have a group buddy who looks just as exhausted as you must be feeling.]

... Thanks, for being the one to tell them about this. I wouldn't even know where to begin talking about something like this.

[Anon or not, he'll just take that as nice slap of blame like he was expecting.]

Perhaps. I wouldn't have wished my position on anyone else.

Weak-minded or otherwise, it's not my choice now. It's the people's decision on what to accomplish with what has been done.

You are either Doom or Ganon.

Have you forgotten these people can disable our free will? Though, I suppose if you are Doom, you never learned.

Know that they can. Know that you would be no stronger.

[He finally manages to get his hands to the keyboard, flicking on a filter, but even to Guy (especially to Guy), he doesn't want to be seen.]

So... All of that was fake? Even the times that didn't have to do with gathering information?

Hah, none of them care if we place any faith in them and if we don't trust each other, that's all the better.

[She gives a half-hearted grin, although it fades quickly. She bites off a chunk of a nutrition bar.]

From now on, it might be that some of us never know if the person we're talking to is really themselves or if they're just a dummy thrown in to weasel information out. Maybe, if they're lucky, those people might just stop divulging what they know.

That bastard plans on squeezing every last drop of hope and trust out of us, every last bit of rebellion, until there's nothing left but quiet acceptance.

[He manages a weak smile in response, carefully adding a filter to the video.]

Someone had to say something. I feel it would be wrong to wallow when there's a lot at stake based on... what we did.

[And not long after, without waiting for an answer - ]

I'll be in the library. When you're done with this mess, I want to talk.

[Except, he doesn't want to. It'd be easier to be someone else, to be really mindless like the Tower's real drones.]

[He chuckles darkly, crossing his arms tightly in front of him and looking at a point off the screen.]

And this was a pretty big leap for him, wasn't it?

No one will know whether a person is a friend or an enemy, or possibly both. Morale will be lost, if it wasn't lost already. Faith will trickle to a halt.

They'll all have us in the palms of their hands. Putty to be played with.

[...]

I'd like to think that there's at least one person out there who isn't okay with that.

[And as promised, whenever Guy gets to the library when all's said and done, Asch has made himself a hiding place in the back of the romance section, fully curled up in an armchair that's clearly been moved so that it's wedged between shelves as tightly as possible.

He's not crying. That's about the best that can be said for his condition, really. He's shaking and not responding to anything that goes on outside his head, clutching his knees towards his chest... But he's not crying.

Just a big lie - no, it's not Guy's fault, he didn't have any choice in it - but it burns him anyway. From Guy, of all people - it's a scenario that's so familiar, an old wound ripped back open because he'd wanted someone he could trust. He'd wanted to not be alone.

What a mistake.]

...thank you for telling them this.
If you need any help convincing them, or talking to them, or anything, I would be happy to lend my assistance.
I don't believe you should bear the weight of their possible anger alone.

[[Because Rose was just as responsible as any other member of the group. Even if it wasn't explicitly their fault.]]

Tch.

[ Enjoy that sound of disappointment. ] I thought better of you, but it's fortunate I had my hands occupied to deal with you accordingly.

[It's very, very late before Guy finally wanders over to the library, his steps slow and heavy, looking like he's gone through hell and back. It takes him forever to figure out where in the world Asch actually is, and it's not until he stops to ask where the rest of the terminals are located that he finally turns to the romance section.

And there he is. Curled up in a ball like a small child hiding from a thunderstorm.

Guy keeps his distance, leaning against one of the bookshelves with a soft sigh.]

You wanted to talk, Asch?

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003 | Video | late Friday evening

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[Non-reply/Action/I don't even know 1/HOW MANY]

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[Action] BRACING FOR A HORRIBLE CONVERSATION