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

𝖆𝖐𝖚𝖙𝖆𝖌𝖆𝖜𝖆

[clothes]

[ his username--! what beautiful, pretentious twitter gay olde english!! ]

I remember there being speculation that this is the afterlife... However, we have already established lives of our own here, and most would consider this current life their true self. Death's cold, unfeeling embrace comes for us all, but is that truth absolute for those who are already dead? Someone here should stab themselves in the thigh with a kitchen knife and find out.

More importantly... I'm in need of inspiration. Being a stupid-looking "monster" has shot my creativity. Do me a favor and answer the following:

what is the one thing you want to accomplish before you die?

[thesettingsun]

I'm sorry about the monster thing...

I don't know what my answer to that question is. It used to be 'publish a novel', but I've done that now.

[clothes]

I don't want to talk about that with you. Not here.

You will become stagnant and miserable if you don't find a new mission in life. Do you not have any other plans? Other aspirations?

[thesettingsun]

Okay. Call me?

I want to fix this unreality bullshit so that we don't have to worry about turning into monsters, or at least fix the part where we might suddenly forget everything about what's going on. But I knew how to work towards getting a novel published - I don't know where to start with this.

[clothes]

We'll see. You've seen how busy I've become lately. If I remember to, or if it becomes pertinent, I'll contact you.

I wonder. Is that a tangible goal. The treacheries of unreality are very real. We don't even know how to combat or reverse our friends' sudden disappearances or loss of memories of the Retrospec app. There's quite a lot to unpack, and as you said, no one knows where to start.

[ he was about to ask shuji how he's been doing since he moved, but. yeah... no... nevermind, he'd rather not rekindle any potential investment. he doesn't know why but who knows anything about why anyone does a thing??? yeah exactly ]

[promisedyou]

[ posting as Mio Sonozaki, but: ] That's a morbid question. But I guess my answer would be to get married?

[clothes]

Is it? I hardly thought so. It's a normal thing for people to think about.

[ ...no, akutagawa... no... ]

That's a surprisingly simple and innocent answer. I assume falling in love is also part of that wish?

[promisedyou]

Not really? And nah, I already have a boyfriend, so. Marriage is just the next step.

[servileness]

[ Her username is Clover. ]

I disagree with the afterlife theory. Retrospec pulls you away from death's cold, unfeeling embrace.

I would prefer to accomplish more than one thing before death takes me for good, but if I had to be succinct about it: I would like to be successful.

[clothes]

*That* would be a shame. I hate failure of any kind. If I die, I expect to do it properly, and not be resurrected or reborn.

[ he would also hope he could have gotten a less shitty life out of the deal but he's not going to say anything about that... ]

Everyone would, obviously, or life itself would be otherwise stagnant and miserable, but my intention was to encourage prioritizing one's goals. That said, being successful is very open-ended. Do you not know how to determine your success, or are you keeping it open-ended on purpose because you're too lazy to come up with a tangible goal?

[ GEEZ, akutagawa's one goal in life should be to learn how to not be a vapid asshole for no reason!!!!!!! ]

[servileness]

I'd argue there isn't much of a proper way to die, only less gruesome or less painful ways than others. I'm afraid Retrospec is three for three for bringing users back from the beyond.

Your question was limiting. It's an umbrella term to encompass everything I want to achieve. I don't need to be prompted to prioritize how to reach my tangible goals. I know what would mark for my success. Abstract goals are a different matter entirely.

It's nice that you're so optimistic that you think everyone would like to strive for success like it's so easy or natural. That you have the privilege of thinking and talking like that says a lot about you.

[ Clover is not above being an asshole in return unfortunately. A goal she should have, too. ]

alibaba

[alitaba]

take over the world


[ you know... like a normal teenager ]

[clothes]

[ oh............ ]

Owning the world sounds like too much responsibility. What would you even do with it once you had it? Destroy it, I hope.

[alitaba]

Better me than a pair of lab rats, right?

I'd like to think I'd be a benevolent ruler. Let everyone think nothing has changed but true power is in my hands. No walls would stop me!!! No secrets will stay hidden!!!! I see and hear everything!!!!

Jamie Doh

[floret]

Wow, your username looks really cool! How'd you get it to do that?

Also, are they stabbing themselves in the femoral artery?

[clothes]

[ pretend there's a link to the site he used unless you actually want the link in which case i can hook u up ]

Yes. The goal *is* to die, after all.

[floret]

[ lmao ]

I'm pretty sure it would work. In the afterlife I used to be from, dead people could 100% get hurt and die. It feels like it kind of defeats the purpose, but I guess the principles of the universe are what they are whether or not they make sense or are dumb.

kii-chan

[yakan]

[ late reply is late ]

i already was in the afterlife so that would mean that there is an afterafterlife yikes how many after do you think there are
also definitely not volunteering to try that out im good not knowing if thats how its gonna be
besides i think i heard something about somebody dying and coming back to life damn is that proof??? but at the same time that doesnt happen everywhere or anything so maybe not???

right now i wanna eat a greally good pie

[clothes]

You were already in the afterlife. Do you mean in your past life? I would hardly count that. There are far too many inconsistencies in the worlds we remember and the lives we lead. That, and there's that whole argument about who our true selves really are.

However, that is only if you were only in the afterlife in your past life. If you somehow experienced the afterlife here, then tell me what it's like. I want to know. Since you refuse to participate in my other experiment.

...So people can be brought back from the dead here? How unsettling. I don't know how I feel about this knowledge.

Is that really all you want to do?

[yakan]

yeah i or he i guess was working there apparently why would it have to be inconsistancies?? hmmm so what do you think our true selves are??

i dont think ive experienced it here at least i cant remember dying
nearly dying sure thats happened plenty but thats a little different

so ive heard
its not unnatural considering that its only retrospeccers that seem to happen to
but it sits wrong

i cant see far beyond my greedy little nose ੧| ‾́ー ‾́ |੭

[ actually most of all he wants to punch his old man in the face but that's never gonna happen ]

☆

[idolworship]

Something worthwhile, I suppose.
A little vague, perhaps, but humans grow complacent with their pace too easily.
It'd be a waste to die without being content or remembered, I think.

[clothes]

For someone like you, who has either indeed grown complacent with his pace, or was never able to find a steady but comfortable one in the first place, this sort of answer seems like enough. You squander your potential, Miai. Knowing there is someone like you, who is innately talented, is idling away his potential for success while there are those beneath you, worthless people who need to manufacture the illusion of talent, taking up space that would be rightfully yours... It's none of my business, but *I* could never possibly be satisfied if I were in your position.

[ if you have a talent and are superb, you have a purpose-- that's what akutagawa thinks. it's the only thing he knows, really. miai can sing and entertain better than many professional idols akutagawa knows-- how he isn't able to completely immerse himself in the world of performing is beyond akutagawa. ]

[fabrefactions]

To complete something worthy of featuring in an gallery exhibition... albeit one that isn't planned as some sort of course project or favour.

I would like to achieve that on my own merit.

... If you are seeking inspiration, I have found doing something new to help. Visiting a stretch of beach you have not before, going to a restaurant you have never thought to try in the past. Those sorts of things.

[clothes]

In other words, a piece of art made for your self, by your self, that exists solely for the sake of resonating with your soul and the souls of those it touches. Interesting.

I have a similar goal. My mentor posed a challenge to me. To write a song explicitly from the heart, with no regard what any producer, fan, or fellow musicgoer thinks. A song for me, by me.

[ don't ask him how that's coming along.......sorry, nazuni........ ]

I see... I loathe to admit, I'm a loss as to where to begin with my lyric-writing, so experiencing something new by myself doesn't sound like a bad idea. This piece needs to transcend anything I have written until now.

[fabrefactions]

I think it is important to have a balance - things that are not appreciated by the masses do not tend to get much recognition, but things that do gain that appreciation but don't have the heart of the artist behind them do not seem to endure.

[ It makes it harder though, to balance both things. ]

Forcing it doesn't usually work. Hence the indulgent part of the work. Perhaps write something that is just for you, and appeals only to you to get the creativity going and then see how you can write something that appeals to both.

Or tweak what you have done to achieve that goal.