LOADING...

[recollecters]

[ At 9PM on the 1st, all phones or Retrospec-enabled devices will show flickering screens, until a static-filled image appears. It seems to be a security camera shot, in black and white from a high angle, of a simple computer room. Inside is Joanne Wiseman who many of the users may recognize - she looks young, blonde curls loose around her shoulders, and she also looks tired still. A young man who looks only slightly older than her comes in. He's dark-haired with a sweater and glasses, but a white labcoat that matches hers as well. Maurice comes over to stand nearby, watching the screen Joanne is looking at. Neither of them seem to realize they're being recorded. Joanne looks up, and speaks first. ] Did R and D know anything? [ Maurice shakes his head, says: ] No. They can't track them down either - it's almost as if... [ Joanne: ] They have to be somewhere. [ Maurice: ] Jim's trying to figure it out. You know we don't have anyone better at...ah, "creative" solutions? [ Joanne: ] No, I know, just...what if their souls are just, just - [ Maurice: ] I don't think they're gone. I mean - well, they're gone, but I don't think they're gone? You remember August, the one before last. They're, uh, pretty tough? [ Joanne: ] We're usually able to at least try to help them when we can, though! [ Maurice: ] Jo - look, we're doing everything we can. We'll find them. [ Joanne: ] Before they do? [ Maurice: ] Right. I mean...we have to, don't we? [ They both look worried. Before they do was said with a certain inflection - and hey, Retrospec. It looks like the employees have lost track of you for the month. How do you feel about that one? ] As of this post, character usernames are back to being their own names - or rather, characters will be prompted to put in their name as a boot screen loads. Now's your chance to change your preferred name, Retrospecters - but it appears whatever you put in will be locked in as your choice. Hope you didn't put in something ridiculous! Please feel free to use this post as a network mingle. Every toplevel can be considered a new post, and threadjacking is permitted. No NPC response will be given. As a friendly reminder, you may also claim one of this month's freebie by submitting a thread from this mod post. This thread must be 10 comments from you and submitted before AC closes.

Comments

[scythegun]

Oh, absolutely. We've made it this long through willpower and our ability to adapt to the bizarre and incredibly stupid!

[thesettingsun]

Maybe that's how app users are selected. Being able to deal with this bullshit.

[scythegun]

Oh, that's interesting. That certainly could be possible, couldn't it?

[thesettingsun]

There doesn't seem to be much of a pattern to who gets the app otherwise, right? Other than 'lives in Recolle' and 'can operate a computer'.

[scythegun]

I've been assuming that it happens at random, but maybe they did put some thought into it. It's something to consider, anyway!

[thesettingsun]

If new people are getting the app even when they can't find us, the process has to be at least semi-automatic, but there still might be some criteria...

[scythegun]

That's true! I wish we knew what that criteria was... Not that there's really anything we could do with it, but it would be interesting to know!

[thesettingsun]

We know so little that learning anything would be nice.

[scythegun]

It's almost hard to believe it's been so long and we still know almost nothing about them. I suppose they're good at keeping secrets, if nothing else.

[thesettingsun]

It'd be sad if they weren't good at anything.

[scythegun]

Being secretive certainly is their biggest strength! I seriously don't know how we haven't learned more about them by now.

[thesettingsun]

Maybe it's the almost complete lack of communication from their end?

[scythegun]

Oh, that's certainly a huge part of it. Still, you'd think after so long some information would have slipped through the cracks somehow.

[thesettingsun]

Some entirely useless information about the founders has slipped down?

[scythegun]

Well, that's true. Couldn't we at least get something more relevant?

[thesettingsun]

[scythegun]

This exact response could have come from someone within the company and I would not be surprised at all.

[thesettingsun]

I'd be surprised, but only because it'd mean they have good taste in Youtube videos.

[scythegun]

That's fair! But surely they have to be doing something all day at work - assuming they aren't intentionally deciding what terrible memories and items to send us, of course! I imagine that would take up most of their work day!

[thesettingsun]

I think they've said that they don't decide on those? But I might be misremembering.

[scythegun]

In some ways I hope they don't. I could never forgive them for some of the things they've given us.

But in other ways that makes it worse. If they don't have any control over who gets what, then why are they letting all this happen in the first place? Surely they've realized that some people are going to be regaining terrible things, and they're just fine with that possibility? It's cruel to mess with our lives like that. Especially because we don't get a say in it at all!

[thesettingsun]

I don't know. I can believe they have good intentions, or at least that they believe their intentions are good.

I told you before that I'm too tired to be angry at them, and that's still true.

[scythegun]

No, of course, I'm not trying to rile you up. I usually get all of my anger out early in the month so I can just try to survive through whatever happens. I really dislike being angry, honestly!

[thesettingsun]

Same. Who actually likes being angry? Even when it's deserved I don't enjoy it.

[scythegun]

It's awful, isn't it? Being angry is just so tiring!