Video.

[perseverant]

[ it looks like the camera was deliberately set and focused in front of a kitchen chair. there's a silver-haired boy who's sitting there. for all that's going on, he looks calm. you might've seen him around, either running errands or doing odd jobs around town. for the moment, he looks serious and calm. as the static clears he doesn't hesitate. his expression is firm and determined, and there's no wavers in his voice. it's like he was born a natural. ]

For a moment, I need everyone to stop and listen.

[ and he pauses, as if he's allow everyone to collect their thoughts, just as he is--and then he begins. ]

For all of you who don't know, my name is Souji Seta, and I'm the head of the Investigation Team here in New Moore. What I have to say is important: It's about the kidnappings and about your missing loved ones. I'm going to try to answer all the questions I can but please understand, a lot of the details surrounding this case are still unclear.

Firstly, you should know that 12 a.m. every night there occurs a phenomenon that we call the Dark Hour--an extra hour between one day and the next. It may sound crazy, but please bear with me while I explain. Usually people are asleep during it and it doesn't cause any problems, but lately it has, and more people are becoming aware of it and wake up. They can fall prey to the creatures that live in the dark hour, called Shadows. They come from humans, from us--all of us. They're the physical manifestation of our insecurities, our hateful feelings, our judgements, and all of our guilt.

Where I come from, the Dark Hour was a little different, but the events following a disappearance have all been the same: people go missing, and not long after comes the broadcast that we call the "Midnight Channel." What you're seeing on screen is real, and not real. It's the Shadow's way of crying out for recognition, but when it doesn't get what it wants, it can turn violent. We have to try and keep that from happening.

[ his tone is frank, but sincere. ]

The Shadows that you see of the people that you love are part of them, and we have to understand, because all of us have felt that way at one time or another. They can be devastating, but they're also a gift. We dig holes for ourselves and don't look out, the parts of ourselves that we hate never seen the sun. So we just continue living without dealing with it. But for once we can see it, and we can do something about it. You can't run from a Shadow, you can't fight it, and you can't save someone from themselves, all we can do is support them and help them accept the person that they are. As much as a Shadow tells you that it's its own person, it's only part. It can only become its own person when the person who manifests it denies it.

We've been investigating it since it first started taking place, but so far we've haven't been able to pinpoint a single kidnapper. We also don't know why the Dark Hour suddenly appeared in this world. For a while it stopped, and we got a lot of new faces, and suddenly, it's happening again. Someone who was here a long time ago once told me that he thought that New Moore could be a place that takes ideas from all different worlds, but I still don't know. Even after two years, I still haven't found the truth.

We also... have a time limit. We have to save people by the full moon.

I need to ask for help, from whoever is willing and able.

The Investigation Team has been helping people since the Dark Hour started happening, and I plan on helping as long as I'm here. We haven't lost anyone yet, and I don't plan on it. I know there are a lot of people who've been helping us since we've arrived, but it's time to make the whole island aware of it. We need to do something about this, but we must remember that there's a responsibility that comes with helping someone who's facing their Shadow. There can be no judgement and no doubt, all we can do is help them accept themselves.

It's a big job, I understand if there are people who know that they have to sit it out, and I won't ask anyone to do anything they don't feel comfortable with. Seeing people that you love like that is hard, but we can turn into something good.

I'll answer any questions you have the best I can.

[ and then the video ends. ]

Comments

[perseverant]

[ and then he sits back, letting out the breath that he didn't know he was holding. that was harder than he thought--but cathartic, in a way. everyone in New Moore deserved to know the truth, just as they were searching for it in Inaba. If they believed it or not, well, that was their choice, wasn't it?

when he looks up at Yosuke, he looks tired, but satisfied. he offers him a small smile of a job well done. ]

There's still beers, aren't there?

[twinknife]

What was that sigh for? Trying putting yourself in my shoes!! I almost had a heart attack when you started going off-script!

[Yosuke saunters around from the other side of the camera, dropping the cue cards into a messy stack on the kitchen table on his way to the fridge and hoisting his arms over his head in a stretch as he goes. The experience had been a surprisingly nerve-wracking one, and he hadn't even been the one on camera! Thankfully for everyone involved, their fearless and extremely photogenic leader had been up to the task.

Yosuke grins as he grabs two beer by their necks, kicking the fridge door closed as he gropes with his free hand for the bottle opener in the cutlery drawer. Typical, here he was sweating bullets and his partner was cool as a cucumber; Souji's grace under pressure was legendary, and was possibly his most frustrating and endearing trait. Yosuke would have spent a full two minutes stammering into the ether, but somehow Souji had not only managed to pull it off, he managed to look good. He's hesitant to praise him - he doesn't want to look like he's fawning - but he has to admit he sounded pretty impressive on camera like that: reliable; steady.

Sliding the drawer shut with his hip, he shuffles over to the table and stands beside Souji, holding the open bottle just in front of his face.]

Here. Good work today.

[riseup]

i am in like always, souji.
whatever you need help with, i'm there.

[perseverant]

I know, John. I'm counting on you.

[trytryagain]

I will accompany you.

[perseverant]

I have to ask again if you understand what that means.

[dontmccallmyname]

I can help. I want to help.

[perseverant]

You understand what it takes? Helping someone face a part of themselves that they can't even face, and doing it without judgement?

[stilestilinski]

I'm in too, buddy.

[themuse]

We spent the last week being pirates. I think we're all a little past crazy.

I want to help. I want my partner back and... I should be on his rescue team. He trusts me and I know him better than anyone.

[perseverant]

I see what you mean, but do you understand? You have to be patient. You can't just get him back. Part of it has to do with understanding.

[plaidwolfskin]

Save them by the full moon, huh?

[wow this could get complicated.]

I'm in.

[perseverant]

That's usually the case, yeah.

You understand what this means, right? I always have to ask people twice. It's not a simple thing to do.

[ihateyouetc]

HEY.

[perseverant]

Hey.

[callbacks]

i dont know if i really get it
but im boarding this train whether you check my ticket or not

[perseverant]

Then we'll do another crash course before we head out.

It's important that you get it.

[Video]//locked

[dontmindmepleasecontinue]

An impressive speech.

[Koizumi's small smile turns serious; he'd tracked down and helped rescue Aisling, so he knew what they were dealing with here, and he understood what it meant to have to track down two people at a time.

If you look closely, Koizumi looks awful as well. He has bags under his eyes and looks like he hasn't slept in ages. He has bruises all over that he's done his best to hide, but some of them are too large or too obvious to hide effectively. Those, he simply ignore.

In spite of this, he looked all the more determined. Souji was a good leader and he knew what he was doing, so Koizumi would leave the organizing to him - he still had other things to worry about. Besides, after they fought together last time, Koizumi trusted him.]

I can track and I can fight. I'll need to talk to someone who knows one of them. Just let me know where you want me.

[perseverant]

Let's see who responds, and then we'll divide ourselves accordingly. We'll have to make sure that we're balanced.

Hang tight for a bit, okay? Go home and get some sleep.

[detectivewonder]

You know I'm in.

[perseverant]

Yeah.

It's strange to think that this is still happening.

[action - dawn]

[coimiceoir]

[Aisling was waiting at the northern edge of the forest, like she'd promised, perched in a tree, trying to decide what to do. This was terrible. And just when she was starting to relax, too.]

[perseverant]

[ he had been fighting all night - gathering teams, splitting them up, guiding both Teddie and Koizumi, and now he was here. there had been a good turnout, despite the circumstances, and he was thankful. with Kanji, Naoto, Chie and the rest from Iwatodai gone, it would take everything he had, as well as the rest of the island, to stop this. it looked like it was draining him, but he held himself admirably.

he was carrying a sheathed sword beside him, tied with a ribbon. his clothes were wrinkled, scratched and stained. he smelled like sweat and ash. it had been a long night, and he was relieved to see the sun peeking up from behind him. ]

Aisling.

[stilestilinski]

...crap, okay. Count me in.

[perseverant]

I'm going to ask you twice. This is important.

Can you see someone as who they are, not separate from their Shadow, without judgement?

[Audio]

[steelweb]

So that's what Shepard was talking about. That is one of the stranger things I've heard, even since coming here.

Why the deadline?

[perseverant]

The Shadow becomes powerful enough to overtake the person. I don't know what happens entirely, and I'd rather not find out.

[chronosexual]

Seta, how can I help? Should I get my team involved?

[perseverant]

I think we can all work together, whoever understands and whoever's willing.

[reanimated]

I'm not looking to make a habit of this, yeah? But I'm in for this round.

[perseverant]

You know how this goes. Welcome aboard.

[gottagofast]

So is this where we sign up?

[perseverant]

It depends, do we have an understanding this time?

[stretchy_pants]

I can't say that I've ever noticed this happening, and I tend not to sleep most nights...

[perseverant]

Sleeping or not, those who aren't aware of it are usually in a coffin. Metaphorically and physically. You can see them when the time changes.

[sagittarium]

I- I'll help. Scott and Stiles are going. I want to help.

[perseverant]

You understand, right? What this means?

kate hasn't revealed she is hawkeye to souji yet so YOU DON'T KNOW IT'S HER TALKING RIGHT NOW

[hawkingbird]

I'm here to help too. What weapons do you suggest I bring? I'm flexible.

[perseverant]

What you're most comfortable with. We'll work with it.