003 → video

[wrigurun]

I remembered! I remembered everything!

The shrine, the forests, the mansion by the lake, everything! And it was all dead!

[Wriggle falls back from the terminal with a sigh, having pushed her face nearly right to the screen while yelling her epiphany. With her upper half in full view you can see that she's wearing the hat of a certain gatekeeper and a pink scarf is wrapped around her neck]

You know I never thought I'd be happy to be back here but... No, happy isn't the right word. What was it? Relieved? Content? No! Argh, I can't think of it this is so frustrating! I don't know how I feel. I don't like it here but I don't wanna spend any more time in a Gensokyo that isn't Gensokyo.

[She runs her hands through her hair and looks away from the screen. Absentmindedly she starts to pull and fidget with her collar as she thinks about what to say next. If she carries on like that all that's going to come out is incoherent yelling but when she speaks again her voice is a notch quieter]

Hey... Um, listen. I know that even when I was here before there was stuff happening that was really beyond me. There are some people that know a lot, right?

[Again she pauses, swallowing her fear before finally asking]

Is there any way to make everything go back to the way it was? I know that's a lot to ask. I mean, to fix so many buildings and revive so many people and plants and insects... Even if there's no way to turn everything back to normal is there at least a way to start things growing again? Even if everyone I knew is really dead for good, if we can start again, make new friends, I think that'll be enough...

[For such a little youkai she's had a lot on her mind but when she's finally said her piece she feels a little better. Resting her chin in her hands she regards the screen with a somewhat distant expression]

So what happened when I was away? Something must have, I'm not sure how long I was gone but it felt like a long time. Is there anyone I used to know still here?

Oh yeah, and whoever left that scarf in my mailbox thanks a lot. It's a lot colder than I remember it.

Comments

[wrigurun]

Wait, is that actually your name? Did I get it right?

[Wriggle knows her memory isn't that good so she highly suspects that he just isn't asserting himself]

D'you really think so? I mean, it seems like a pretty big task for just me but maybe if it's all of us...

Yeah! A single ant can't do nearly as much as a colony!

[wegotlucky]

It's Neal. You can call me Neal.

[He smiles. It's not the sad smile he gave her months ago, it's much more bold.]

Yeah, that's what I think. If we all do it together, we can fix this. We can get home.

[wrigurun]

Neal... Neal... Okay! I'll try and remember that! You should have told me right away if I got it wrong.

[Wriggle gives a confident smile]

Mm, we will! So you have to do your best too and I'll do whatever I can. I'll get back Gensokyo even if it kills me!

[wegotlucky]

You're right. I'm getting my world back.

And I'll be helping you fix yours.

[wrigurun]

Thanks, it looks like we'll need all the help we can get.

So! Where do we start?

[wegotlucky]

I'm not sure.

I wish I could tell you more about the plan. I know who might be able to tell you, but not over the network.

[wrigurun]

Who is it? Tell me! I didn't know there was a plan!

Uh, if you can't tell me over the network then where can you tell me?

[wegotlucky]

Meet me in the cafeteria and I'll tell you everything I can.

[wrigurun]

Rodger! Or I guess I should say 'Neal'!

[After laughing at her own bad jokes she leaves the terminal immediately can can later be found in the corner of the cafeteria drinking from a bowl of tomato soup]

[wegotlucky]

[Neal arrives not long after, holding a small plate of stuffed tomatoes.]

Hey, Wriggle.

[He sits down near her, checking for just a moment to make sure that they're reasonably away from the walls.]

Do you remember that chipped collar worker? The one who has been at collar check-ups?

[wrigurun]

Mm!

[She quickly downs the last of her meal and sets the bowl on a nearby table]

Hey yourself!

Um... To be honest I really don't know what you're talking about. Is that something that happened while I was away?

[wegotlucky]

[...Oh. He must not have noticed just how long she had been gone. His face falls for a moment before he smiles, nodding.]

Right, that's fine. Her name is Aria, she's nice. She's been trying to help us for a while now.

[wrigurun]

Never heard of her...

So the ones with chipped collars, right? How can we be so sure about trusting them? What if it's another trick?

[wegotlucky]

She's different than the others.

She's been helping out for a while now, giving back people their real powers.

[He makes a vague gesture at her collar.]

You should start to get yours back on your next collar checkup. No more fake powers.

[wrigurun]

That was her...?

[Wriggle is a little unsure. Since her last stint here she doesn't want to trust anyone associated with the tower but to get her real powers back would be a dream]

You're really sure it'll all be okay to trust her, right? She's really a good person?

[wegotlucky]

Yeah, I'm sure she is.

[wrigurun]

[She folds her arms, still looking a bit dubious]

If you say so...

But you also said your name was 'monster guy' even when it wasn't.

[wegotlucky]

Well...

[He smiles weakly.]

It was a pretty good identifier.

[wrigurun]

No it's not! That was one time and it wasn't even your fault.

It happened to my friend too, but Meiling is still Meiling.

[As she mentioned the name she grows a little melancholy and gradually loses eye contact]

So, you know... have some more confidence in yourself.

[wegotlucky]

[He smiles a little sadly at her.]

I've lost someone, too.

I think a lot of people here have.

[wrigurun]

M'sorry about that...

[She doesn't really know what else to say really. Wriggle doesn't know if Meiling will ever come back, and she doesn't know if the person Neal is referring to will either]

Guess that just means we'll have to try even harder, huh?

[wegotlucky]

We do.

[He looks serious, but still friendly.]

We'll make sure Ruana doesn't use anyone's souls for her plans. That way, everyone can return to their own worlds when we fix this.

[wrigurun]

[Wriggle pauses and looks down at her hands. That's right, she'd almost forgotten but all of this was an illusion. At this point she was really nothing but a soul and the realization made her feel something she couldn't quite explain]

Yeah, we can't let her...

I hope we can go back, but I wonder what will happen to us. Will we come back as the same people or something new?

[wegotlucky]

I don't know.

I guess we have to hold out and hope we get our real bodies back.

[wrigurun]

Yeah...

[She grips the fabric on her shorts and looks back up at him]

I know I said that even being able to start life anew and make new friends in our home worlds would be enough, but I really do hope that things just go back to the way they were before.