first at-bat [video]

[yoghurts]

[ as the video turns on, you're treated to the sight of a confused looking young man. something that must surely be a familiar sight to anyone who's been here for a protracted period of time... though this one seems perhaps a bit more dazed than most. ]

Ah... hello, everyone.

[ despite his confusion, he manages a weak smile. his voice sounds rather calm, all things considered. ]

Let's see... I'm supposed to introduce myself, right? My name is Satoshi Houjou. It's nice to meet you at all.

Um... what else was there? Sorry, this has never happened to me before so I'm not really sure what to say. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Or am I one who's supposed to be asking questions right now? Hm... Can anyone give me some advice? Introductions sure are difficult. I'll do my best to pay you back when I can.

Oh! But we're saving the world, aren't we? Ha... that sounds pretty hard. I've never saved a world before, either. Well, I'll do my best.

Comments

[yoghurts]

Aren't we? The letter said something about "laughter and tears," right? Ah... I guess now that I think about it, that doesn't really mean we have to get along, does it...

[corona]

Not really. The gods aren't... exactly picky about what emotions we use as long as the city gets its color back. Know what I mean? [ Cemented with a laugh that's half a sympathetic wince and half self-deprecation. ] I guess it would make more sense to say they weren't. But that's starting to change now with what's going on so...

So that was a really great effort! It's better to get along with people than to cannibalize them. [ with a straight face no less ] Right?

[yoghurts]

I see... I guess it's good not to be picky, but in this case I think it might be better if they were. [ that laugh's a bit foreboding. ] But it's starting to change? Why? What happened?

[ pause. ]

W, wait, what do you mean "cannibalize"? [ please tell him he heard that wrong... ]

[corona]

[ Oh boy lots of irony here. ]

It's something people do! At... times. Heh. You know when one person eats another? [ And here she is feeling just so touched because no one's ever asked her to explain a gruesome death before - even if, with Gothel for a mother, it's her speciality... ]

Some people do it for food? Other people do it just... to murder things, I guess. [ sternly: ] Vampires don't count by the way. It isn't their fault they were born with an evolutionary need to drink blood. If you meet any vampires here? Just be very nice. They will be nice back, I almost promise.

[yoghurts]

[ satoshi can't help but feel that their conversation has gone in a very strange direction, and he isn't entirely sure why. is cannibalism a normal thing here? is that what she's trying to tell him?

...and why that bit about vampires? ]

Ah, wait, no. I mean... I know what it means, but... Do people eat each other here? Is that something I need to worry about?

[ because if so, wow... his perception of this place is going to be radically changed. ]

[corona]

Oh! [ Luckily for his perception, she's at least possessed of the social skills not to ruin the answer to that question. ] Oh. Heh. No, we're... pretty much a cannibalism-free establishment, I think.

[yoghurts]

[ have a nice sigh of relief. ]

That's good... I was really worried for a second there. [ pause. ] But why'd you bring it up then?

[corona]

Doesn't the point still stand?

I mean it really only works if you believe in it, but still. You... do think getting along with people is better than eating them. Right?

[yoghurts]

Y, yeah, that's definitely better.

[ he's not sure he entirely gets the argument, but he definitely agrees with that premise. ]

I'll... um... get along with people so I don't have to eat them. Or so they don't eat me.

[corona]

I didn't say "so you don't have to eat them". I said it's better than doing it. I-I mean you could like someone and still eat them, right? I've never thought of it that way...

Uh. It's... just something my mother used to warn me about, that's all. But it's nice to meet you anyway! Satoshi Houjou.

[yoghurts]

If I liked someone, I definitely wouldn't eat them! I mean, I'd never eat someone anyway... but definitely not if it was someone I liked...

[ a pause. ] Your mother was kind of strange, huh? ...ah, I don't think I ever got your name.

[glistens]

Oh— No, my mother is fine. She's just - looking out for my well-being, you know? Informing me of what dangers there are is basically her way of doing that. I'm Rapunzel. Like the plant? Just Rapunzel. Heh.

[yoghurts]

Rapunzel... [ that name sounds familiar, though he can't quite place it. probably because of the plant thing. ]

I... yeah, you're right. She sounds like a good mom, doing her best to look out for you. No parent wants their children to get eaten.

[corona]

Well. Unless they're out of food and cannibalistic themselves.

[yoghurts]

Do you think your mother would eat you then...?

[corona]

I... think a lot of things that turn out to be wrong so I'm just - not going to say on this one! Just in case.

[yoghurts]

Until I get proven wrong, let's just assume the answer is no.

[glistens]

I think you're supposed to prove yourself right first, but... Okay! Deal. What house are you in, Satoshi the Not-Cannibal?

[yoghurts]

Hel! How about you, Rapunzel the Not-Plant?

[corona]

Huh. My roommate is in Hel... Ah - Freyr! We're not very big, heh.

[yoghurts]

Oh, then maybe I'll meet your roommate some time.

Each of the houses has some kind of theme, right? [ or so he's been led to believe anyway. ] What's Freyr's?