They sure do fall, almost straight out of the door and into a pitch-black, stormy sky, thunder crackling. As the clouds start to break, all that's underneath them is a sea of jagged, crumbling rock, the earth shuddering and moaning as pieces crumble and crack into what seems like a void of nothing below it - an island of ugly, broken stone in the middle of an endless storm. In the distance, set in the middle of the mess of stone, lies an enormous castle surrounded by a shimmering barrier.
Their rapid descent doesn't last long before their weight thuds against something below them - looks like the holodeck isn't able to quite figure out what it is and has just settled for it to be a platform, but there's the shimmer of large, dainty insect-like wings in their peripheral and the feel of aquatic scales underneath them, halting their fall.
Hikaru's slow to rise to her feet, brushing off her skirt and looking out onto the landscape with eyes that ache.]
[When she mentioned falling, she meant it literally. Thanks to that, he isn't taken by surprise—though it's hard to time the landing when a mysterious platform catches them. Straightening, Rufus surveys their crumbling surroundings.
[She nods slowly. It's not much of a view, and the hologram has trouble keeping the details of the castle. But Hikaru doesn't really plan on moving from where they are.]
It's not supposed to. It used to be a really beautiful place. There was mountains and a volcano, islands floating in the sky, and the ocean would stretch on forever...
That's the Cefiro that's happier to remember. But this is what happens to Cefiro when its Pillar dies.
[Nonetheless, he keeps his eyes on the view. Instead of the ocean, all that awaits them at the bottom is a bunch of remnants. If there was beauty before, it's utterly gone now.]
It's a single person - the most important person in Cefiro - whose prayers keep the world safe.
Cefiro is a world where belief is power. Everyone's heart and will influences it... but the Pillar is the one who makes sure Cefiro is prosperous and beautiful, that the people who live there are happy and safe, and that no invaders can harm them. They have the strongest heart in all of Cefiro, one that needs to be able to pray for their people no matter what happens.
...
Without the Pillar's prayers... the people become afraid, monsters appear, and the land starts to crumble. If it goes on for too long, then... Cefiro falls apart, along with everyone who lives there.
The Pillar... can't do what a normal person can. They can't care for anything else, or wish for anything else, but Cefiro. So... they have to be alone.
They can't have friends. They can't fall in love.
It's too cruel. But it doesn't change that everyone's in danger without a Pillar there. Finding another one is the only way to stop it... and if that Pillar doesn't care for Cefiro, then they can turn it into whatever they want, so long as their heart is strong enough.
What's so great about love? As you've said, it's incapable of even maintaining a single world. Speaking from this approach, what value does something like that have?
The way I see it... money is something you can always get, whether you need it or not, you know?
Some things you can only have once. Like your life. Once your life is gone, you never get it back. You have to live every moment for what is important, because you won't ever be able to go back and get more just by working hard or saying or doing the right things.
That's value, to me. Something you can't replicate. Something you can't sell. It's just a feeling in your heart, that thing that tells you that your one important life would be a lot emptier without what you value.
Yes. It's important that I be given something for my time. Are you saying that you'll be able to provide satisfying payment for an answer I don't want to give?
I won't know what that is unless you tell me, Rufus-san.
If you don't wanna answer, you can just say so. I was just asking a question cause I want to get to know you better, not cause I want anything from you.
A couple people know it's in trouble. I have to be honest about that. But I...
I don't want anyone to see how bad it's actually gotten. If I show anybody else Cefiro, it's gonna be how I want it to end up, so they know how good it used to be, and why I fight for it. Not...
[She bits her lip as she looks back down onto the storm, the castle, the ticking clock of Cefiro that was running out of rope.]
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They sure do fall, almost straight out of the door and into a pitch-black, stormy sky, thunder crackling. As the clouds start to break, all that's underneath them is a sea of jagged, crumbling rock, the earth shuddering and moaning as pieces crumble and crack into what seems like a void of nothing below it - an island of ugly, broken stone in the middle of an endless storm. In the distance, set in the middle of the mess of stone, lies an enormous castle surrounded by a shimmering barrier.
Their rapid descent doesn't last long before their weight thuds against something below them - looks like the holodeck isn't able to quite figure out what it is and has just settled for it to be a platform, but there's the shimmer of large, dainty insect-like wings in their peripheral and the feel of aquatic scales underneath them, halting their fall.
Hikaru's slow to rise to her feet, brushing off her skirt and looking out onto the landscape with eyes that ache.]
This is Cefiro.
...Or, I suppose... what's left of it.
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There isn't much left.]
. . . Is this how it looks now?
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It's not supposed to. It used to be a really beautiful place. There was mountains and a volcano, islands floating in the sky, and the ocean would stretch on forever...
That's the Cefiro that's happier to remember. But this is what happens to Cefiro when its Pillar dies.
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Pillar?
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Cefiro is a world where belief is power. Everyone's heart and will influences it... but the Pillar is the one who makes sure Cefiro is prosperous and beautiful, that the people who live there are happy and safe, and that no invaders can harm them. They have the strongest heart in all of Cefiro, one that needs to be able to pray for their people no matter what happens.
...
Without the Pillar's prayers... the people become afraid, monsters appear, and the land starts to crumble. If it goes on for too long, then... Cefiro falls apart, along with everyone who lives there.
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The Pillar... can't do what a normal person can. They can't care for anything else, or wish for anything else, but Cefiro. So... they have to be alone.
They can't have friends. They can't fall in love.
It's too cruel. But it doesn't change that everyone's in danger without a Pillar there. Finding another one is the only way to stop it... and if that Pillar doesn't care for Cefiro, then they can turn it into whatever they want, so long as their heart is strong enough.
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Have... you never loved someone, Rufus-san?
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What a useless question.
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People who've loved someone that isn't themselves... they know the value that it brings.
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Money is just an object, though, right? Why does money have value, except for what you give it?
Would you give up your life for the sake of money, Rufus-san? Is it that valuable?
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If I were to give up my life for a particular sum, I wouldn't be able to make more money.
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Some things you can only have once. Like your life. Once your life is gone, you never get it back. You have to live every moment for what is important, because you won't ever be able to go back and get more just by working hard or saying or doing the right things.
That's value, to me. Something you can't replicate. Something you can't sell. It's just a feeling in your heart, that thing that tells you that your one important life would be a lot emptier without what you value.
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[He scowls.]
I dislike repeating myself, but I will say it again: there's nothing money can't buy.
Please don't waste any more of your breath on this matter.
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Why is money so important to you, Rufus-san?
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[Stop the virtual reality, so he can leave without incident.]
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You think money can buy anything, and I don't. You say things like humans have a value for money, which I think is wrong.
Money is important to you. Being given something for your time is important to you. I'm not saying that's bad. I just want to understand why.
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If you don't wanna answer, you can just say so. I was just asking a question cause I want to get to know you better, not cause I want anything from you.
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Will you tell the other participants what became of Cefiro?
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I don't want anyone to see how bad it's actually gotten. If I show anybody else Cefiro, it's gonna be how I want it to end up, so they know how good it used to be, and why I fight for it. Not...
[She bits her lip as she looks back down onto the storm, the castle, the ticking clock of Cefiro that was running out of rope.]
Not this.
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. . . You intend to change the Pillar system and rebuild the world.
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I'm the new Pillar, after all.
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