retrospec | (no subject)

Happy New Years, users.

I'll cut to the chase; the barrier we instilled a few months ago is decaying quickly and we're sorting through the new data as fast as we can. This barrier was originally designed to contain a rogue error. There are several of you who have taken care of this issue and from here we will handle the rest...thank you. The influx of data will help us decode our next steps.

As mentioned, we've spent December tracing several magical sources that are coming up in our readings. We're doing the best we can to trace Clarence--Mr. Vanderweele, and corral the effects he's altering in the city. I believe we're ready to tear down the firewall and begin exploring further. If our information is correct, we're really breaking the boundaries of the layers we've discovered lately! It's exciting, don't you think?

The only information I can offer is that we will need you to be strong no matter what happens. We believe things have changed outside of security measures we've set in place, though we will need more data to understand the best way to stabilize the city from his control. We understand if you cannot and do not wish to help, but please know we're doing everything we can.

Please take care.

Joanne Wiseman
Technician 2nd class
Retr

spec Incorporated

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Getting married to an underwater sea monster king? ...How much do they pay her? Because it sounds to me like not nearly enough.

Thank you, though. I'll try to keep my judgement on her to a minimum, then.

Do you know any more about the Mr. Vanderweele she's talking about? Or the effects he's having on the city?

Hitori Togusa Yup. Happened. And her promotion happened right after it, so I like to think she leveraged that incident into 'you're not paying me enough.'

Hitori Togusa But Vanderweele. How long have you been in the city? The family name might ring a bell because he was one of the four city founders. I had to walk past plaques with their names on it every time I go to work.
Hitori Togusa But the four city founders also seem to have founded the Retrospec company. Which means that they've been in operation for quite some time, but we have only been aware of their operations for two years.
Hitori Togusa Vanderweele was kicked out after he engineered the deaths of the family of one of the other founders, Spinnatto.

Hitori Togusa With me so far?

God, I hope so!

I've been in the city since I started college here, but to be honest I haven't spent a lot of time getting to know anything other than the places I absolutely had to go for groceries or jobs. One of the pros of being on the "normal" layer, I guess, you can just exist in your own little bubble.

But now that you mention it, yeah, I think I've seen those, too. Never really stopped to look any further.

Okay, so one of the city/Retrospec founders is a murderer, and he's still out there somewhere and also altering the city?

Hitori Togusa Yeah. Now, we're not sure how he got his powers, my guess that I'm putting on the table right now is that he is also remembering someone from another world like we are. But he has magic based in illusions.
Hitori Togusa Some of the early Retrospec documents we've found suggest that they needed Vanderweele's magic to help keep things stable. But once they kicked him out, he seems to be lashing back out at what Retrospec has created.
Hitori Togusa If he was in charge, he would just be doing the exact same thing, only with more exclusivity in the people he has let on the app. I'm not saying Retrospec or Vanderweele are better than the other. And I still don't approve of what Retrospec is doing. But Vanderweele does need to be stopped.

I mean, that sounds like a pretty valid guess to me. It's either that or he's accessing something we have absolutely no understanding of, and while that's a possibility, it's bone-chilling enough I'd rather not consider it. Not that powers from another world are an improvement, but at least we have our own.

Illusions, though... I can definitely see how that could be dangerous.

So, what it sounds like to me is that it's just a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. And in that case, I guess have to hand it to the people that don't appear to be actively out to destroy my soul/the world/???/et cetera.

Edited (i forgot to change the icon) 2019-01-02 18:32 (UTC)

Hitori Togusa First Vanderweele, then Retrospec. That's still the plan.
Hitori Togusa So we're going after the more aggressive one first. But Retrospec still has to answer for what they've done. They can't escape the law.

Right.

Well, like I told you when I ran into you earlier... I don't know how much I can do for now, but if there's any way I can help, let me know. And if I'm stuck with this whole past life thing anyway, here's hoping I can get back something that'll make me more useful in that regard, too.

Don't lose track of people. Check in on your friends. It's honestly the best way you can help.

And, when people change, when things are happening that hurt them, try to remember it, or even write it down. But I've got to be careful about what I write. I've filed reports with the Department that when I go back and read, any direct reference to Retrospec is removed. Their control is insidious.

But the best thing? Is to keep everybody remembering that we care about them. That we're there for them.

...I think I can manage that much.

Thank you for going out of your way to tell me all this, by the way.

It's similar to what you said. All of us are looking for ways we can help. By virtue of having been here so long, and with how focused I am on details? The best thing I can do is to spread what I know to others.

So, you're welcome.