The Final Challenge

[airlockedmods]

[Welcome back, Champions. You've found everything that there is to find (for good or for ill), and now there's just one door left: The sealed, electronic door at the top of the room you woke up in.

It's time to gather your evidence, screw your courage to the sticking place, and carve your own place in the stars.]

Comments

[refusedtoleave]

[Frowning increases.]

Why would they- The cameras. And you're saying 500 million people have been watching us through them?

[cyan_maid]

...Yes.

[It's said tersely.]

There are millions of people who have watched us over the past seven weeks and a good portion of them want to see pairs of us in elaborate romantic entanglements, Natsuhi.

[Serious Mom she respects you but get woke]

[refusedtoleave]

[She's from before the internet. Forgive her.]

What!? Why!? What is the point of that? Don't they have anything better to do?

[cyan_maid]

Of course they don't! It's not like I'm happy about it either, but - but it's there, okay?! It's there and it's what's happening and please, please pay attention, Natsuhi!!

[SORRY SHE'S. SHE'S NOT OKAY.]

[refusedtoleave]

[She huffs.]

I am! I just don't understand how this would be entertaining to anyone! Other than--

[Except she does know people who would. And she just seems to wilt because she can't face someone like that again.] They're like those two...

[cyan_maid]

[...Okay we're going to roll with it]

People are weird, Natsuhi. They're messed up and gross and maybe some of them don't even realize we're real people going through real turmoil. We just don't exist, to them. So...in that vein...they can watch us and think whatever they like and say whatever they like and it ultimately doesn't matter, so long as they're entertained. And - and it's sickening to me. I hate it, as much as I want to believe not everyone watching us could be bad. But...it's there. It's what's happening. A-And regardless of all that, there are people we know trapped as we were trapped and they're being taken away for who knows what reason, and we have to accept that there's nothing we can change about all this...but there might be the smallest chance we can do the right thing in the end. Is...is that...do you understand?

[refusedtoleave]

I do... I've met someone like that, more than one person. Even if they knew we were real, they wouldn't think twice about doing something like this. They didn't back then.

[cyan_maid]

...I'm sorry. There - there shouldn't be things or people like that.

[refusedtoleave]

There shouldn't but there are! We can't let them win not again.

[cyan_maid]

Then we're agreed.

[ratherdoweddings]

It's very possible that the viewers think we're not real. They're treating us like characters in a show. Trust me, I know.