Dëlusion;02 ◙ [ Video / Action for Cherrygrove ]
[He was being punished. That was the only conclusion that he could come to. Because he let on too much. Because Shogun had realized that he was catching on. Because he got ahead of himself and allowed himself to believe that Nanami wasn't in danger, that she never was. That was his fault. It was his mistake. He should have been worried when she never showed up at New Bark Town to keep her promise. Instead, all he could feel was anger that she was taking her sweet time. He was so angry that he'd even left without her, relying on someone else to complete her task. He was so angry that he didn't even contact her or leave her so much as a message of what he had done.
And it seemed like so long ago. It wasn't until now that he realized it was a long time ago. He hadn't heard a word since. His sister was an irresponsible, childish, and airheaded idiot, but no matter how he looked at it, it was too long. So, against all his beliefs in doing so, he had tried to contact her... only to receive an automated message that the device was no longer in service.
Why!? This time, he was angry with himself. He had always thought so before: phones are easily manipulated. He got all complacent when he saw her face on the screen, that was all. But something like that could be modified as well, couldn't it? He shouldn't have relaxed until he saw her in person. Because... She was never here to begin with, was she? In that case, where was she? What was he supposed to do in order to get her back? He'd already failed the challenges that Shogun had laid out for him... He didn't want to believe it was too late, but...
No, there still had to be a chance. There still had to be a reason that he saw her here. Maybe she had escaped, and Shogun had simply found her. Maybe he brainwashed her, so she didn't realize she'd ever been kidnapped. Maybe he found her again and disconnected her number as a warning for Takumi. When he thought of it that way, it was all too logical. He really messed up...
But that meant he was desperate, even more so than when he had arrived in this place, utterly confused by his surroundings. Now that the puzzle was starting to come together, it was becoming more and more apparent that setting aside, nothing had changed from back home. All of the danger, all of the threats, were still here, watching him. At least... They had to be.
He had often felt it at times in his life: a "gaze." An ever-present vigilance of some being constantly surveying his very existence. One might call it "god," and even Takumi had entertained the idea. The truth, however, was that there wasn't a single instance in which he turned around and found a presence behind him. Here... in this place... As he thought about it, it was... different. He felt extremely paranoid; he could trace the clues which suggested that his actions were being monitored. But to say that there was the familiar "gaze"... He couldn't answer it for certain. But just because of that, he wasn't about to let his guard down.]
[But what good was it going to do him to panic about it on his own? If he didn't have the answers, there wasn't a way he could obtain them with his limited knowledge. First things first, he had to ascertain what was real and what was delusional. Even if he was positive by this point that he had imagined Nanami's presence in this world, it was his only lead. Shogun might have been keeping an eye on the network at well, but the truth was that it was Takumi's only resource here. He was desperate, and so he clicked his device to send a message out.]
Na- Nanami's-
[His breathing was ragged, and he was sweating nervously. He was choking back tears as it was impossible to calm down enough to even make this request, but he had to continue. Rather, he had to make sure his message was conveyed. He'd have to start simpler.]
I'm l-looking for someone. Sh-She's wearing the s-same uniform as me! But a g-girls' version with a skirt... H-Her name is Na-Nanami. She's my little s-sister...
[His little sister who was amidst a severe crisis, all because of him. He paused again, biting his lip. He had to be more descriptive...]
U-Um...! She's sh-short with blond hair, a-and... H-Her favorite food is a fish burger...
A-Anyway, if you've seen her or if you see her, please tell me... I-If you can, send proof.
[The camera lingered a bit longer as he tried to think of anything else to add, but he was feeling worn out already. Unable to convey even a simple closing message, the feed ended there.]