[The girl who wanders in to Izunia’s space antiques shop looks like she came out of a space anime. But hey, this is space that's somehow poached a millennia-dead spirit king and his plague carrying brother, so why not this girl with her pink cat backpack?
She takes a long hard look at Izunia when she notices him, obviously recognising something.]
...you're cosplaying someone from Airlocked!, right? That … show… that's airing a new season soon.
[He doesn't cosplay much anymore, really, but the natural resemblance and the fact that he does still prefer Lucian blacks means that he passes for cosplaying anyway. Closet cosplay, what a concept.
He gives the girl a nod, not showing at all the way his stomach drops out at the reminder.]
[She tilts her head at the response, catching something she's having a good think about. It's a while before she responds, but she does so seriously- like this is one of the few topics she has convictions about.]
So you're worried too. Everyone is excited about the old Champions maybe returning, but I'm just not okay with this type of concept...
No matter how impossible, if something hasn't been proven wrong we shouldn't set it aside… that's what I think.
[pointgetters know what's up.
She digs out her phone- its cover is made to look like a Pokedex- and looks something up on it, some kind of promotional material that looks like a movie poster.]
[curiously,]… you really do look like that person.
Then if I were to tell you that since the day I was born, I have never needed a hardlight or other aid to look like Ardyn, what impossible conclusion would you draw from that?
[It's a test, really. Is she as smart as she looks - and smart enough to understand why he wouldn't want to pass his suspicions around openly?]
[Is this a riddle? She’s fond of those; they're like games, in their own way.]
When you smile you look almost identical… though you're more intimidating, I think.
[She turns the phone towards him, comparing, and he indeed looks exactly like the Ardyn on the screen except some. Except some spark is missing from Ardyn's trickster’s smile, no Lucis Caelum knife-edge sharpened over literal millennia, and that is the best proof that this must be doctored. The Fantasy Sweet’s Royal Family, the accompanying Spittr post declares, will they return this season? SEASON 5’s airing schedules are OUT at spit.ly/airlockeds5 .]
Mmm… if we set aside everything else and just focus on this… it seems like you two would be related, right?
You would be the first to think so in quite some time.
[He doesn't bother with more than a glance at the promotional image; all of their images pale in comparison to the reality. It's almost looking at their corpses, to see the doctored expressions and dramatic lighting, not anything Ardyn would have chosen, not anything that looks natural to one who knows him so intimately.
Instead of answering her directly, he offers another question.]
And if I was, just hypothetically, then would I have reason to be nervous about a purely staged show?
[Sadly Izunia is not a protagonist. A deuteragonist, at best.]
...My brother has always been skilled at dramatics, but acting was never his forte. He could improvise with the best of them, but following someone else's script? He'd never sink so low.
[She's a perfectly intelligent young woman, therefore he's not going to say it straight just on the off chance that someone's listening in. He's in politics, oblique references mean deniability mean safety.]
I've met a few of the others, as well, and one thing that was always obvious was their anxiety. They were on the run from something much bigger than the fans, and as it's been some weeks since I had any contact with them, I'm increasingly sure that it's caught up to them.
[He might just have made a few plans for this eventuality. Plans like an apartment's worth of Spikea furniture, a full clinic worth of medical supplies, a Niflheim-worthy armory and two months' worth of food and water in his Armiger.
And he's been looking into spaceships.
...He might have forged Ardyn's autograph on a few things and sold them on Space Ebay to afford the lot, but no one needs to know. It's a small sin that Ardyn will probably forgive if they can pull off a rescue. Maybe. As much as Ardyn forgives him anything.]
My question to you, young lady, is what do you intend to do?
[Of course, that has been her purpose always. To help, to guide, to heal. But she's a program in the shape of a schoolgirl, not a SWAT team. To even track the survivors down requires a level of technical expertise that… she doesn't have right now.]
No one else really shares this theory…. I'm not sure where to start.
Sometimes, when the enemy is shrouded in darkness, your only option is to throw a light and see what moves.
[That is to say, they're not going to get anywhere, they might have to make the first move.
There's a bit of that maniac Lucis Caelum gleam, the one missing from the Sphotoshopped poster, in Izunia's smile. Oh yes, they're brothers, and whether it comes from so long playing Ardyn or if it's simply because Izunia is only the sensible one in comparison, it's a gleam that has every potential to lead them into danger.]
I have a few ideas - how comfortable are you with risks, and can you operate a camera?
[Don't worry, Nanami. You don't need a SWAT team, you've got this guy.]
So like in a horror game...if you keep running away from the danger, you'll never beat the game. Hmm… the genre does fit.
[... looks like Komaeda-kun.
Should she be worried? Anyone else would, but loose cannon or not Komaeda ultimately got things done. There are points of his belief that she disagrees with, but in the end they wanted the same thing- for the class to move forward. And this man is clearly on her page (she thinks?). She believes it's not going to end up like that Chapter 5 mess.
Chiaki has to practice what she preaches: push forward, push on no matter how slim the chances of success. Make her own future.]
It'd be best if you called me 'Sidus Primum' in public; that's the name I'm living under right now.
[But when their hands separate, there's a business card with 'Izunia Lucis Caelum' written on the back in her hand. Anyone watching would think it a simple slight of hand trick - only Chiaki will be able to feel the faint tingle of an object being summoned from the Armiger between their fingers.
[Chances are, you got here from a link from Spitter user @elevencrows, notorious Airlocked shitposter, conspiracy theorist, and aggravator of any and all debates involving one Izunia Lucis Caelum. If you didn't get here from there, chances are whatever friend linked you the video did.
The video is titleless; the accompanying Spit says only A new project I've been working on, which is, of course, less than helpful. @elevencrows has not responded to any attempts to seek clarification or further information; in fact, his timeline has been nothing but a handful of queued posts for the last week or so.
The video starts with a black screen, and a girl's voiceover, almost monotone - ]
One for sorrow, two for mirth
[A black screen cuts in with the spoken words in white text while the voiceover is going, but after every line, there's a pause, a beat in which something else can be seen.
A lantern swings into place, glowing blue (Armiger blue) and leaving a trail (a rather warp-like trail) through the darkness. From the way the lantern swings, it appears that someone is carrying it as they walk.]
Three for marriage, four for birth.
[The lantern swings, and illuminates in its path what seems to be an old wall of Airlocked promotional posters - one for each season - aged and faded well beyond their actual age.]
Five for the truth and six for lying
[The lantern-swinger comes to a halt. The lantern, still gently swaying, illuminates the shape of a door, branded with the InterGal7 logo.]
Seven for sickness, eight for dying.
[The lantern finally stills enough to be seen in detail - it looks very much like if you made the Ring of the Lucii into a lantern, black metal supporting the glowing blue core. The blue warp-energy trails upward from the center, like a flame.]
Nine for silver, ten for gold -
[The camera zooms out as the man lifts the lantern up to his face. Even in the flickering blue light, the resemblance to Ardyn in the man's height and build is obvious, as is the fact that his clothes are carefully tailored black.
The girl's voiceover does not finish the last line of the rhyme. Instead, the man lifts the lantern to his face, turning to look at the camera over his shoulder. His face is Ardyn's, too, save that his eyes glow with the same blue of the lantern, and there's a tattoo of a single crow in flight visible tucked between the collar of his coat and his jaw.
His voice, too, is Ardyn's - almost. There's something just a little different about the accent - those intimately familiar with the season will spend hours talking about how it sounds more like 'Ardyn Lucis Caelum,' the early-season Ardyn, than it does any other, but even that is still not quite right.]
Eleven for a secret that will never be told.
[And then in a flash - the full flash of something being sent back to the Armiger - the light goes out.
Over the resulting black, text appears across the screen, line by line, in glittering blue:
All truths are by death revealed And all truths shall be UNLOCKED By the first star's light
And then the screen blacks again, before a final line of text -
Are you ready?
No matter how InterGal7 tries to remove the video for copyright violation, it's already gone viral in the fandom, and repeat and replacement uploads are rampant. The conspiracy forums are calling it a trick by IG7 to drum up more publicity for Season 5 as often as they post about it being real.
One thing everyone can agree on, though: After posting what becomes known as the Unlocked trailer, @elevencrows goes mysteriously silent.]
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Airlurked! [likely sdr2 spoilers?]
She takes a long hard look at Izunia when she notices him, obviously recognising something.]
...you're cosplaying someone from Airlocked!, right? That … show… that's airing a new season soon.
terrible
He gives the girl a nod, not showing at all the way his stomach drops out at the reminder.]
So I've heard. I'm quite anxious about it.
[UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE CENTURY...]
knifecats
So you're worried too. Everyone is excited about the old Champions maybe returning, but I'm just not okay with this type of concept...
no subject
I've felt much the same for some time. Even if it's just as actors, surely this sort of situation must be extremely stressful.
[If, he says, and though he doesn't put emphasis on the word, a keen listener will probably hear it as though screamed.]
no subject
no subject
It certainly does raise questions, doesn't it? So few press appearances, and only ever by the survivors.
no subject
[pointgetters know what's up.
She digs out her phone- its cover is made to look like a Pokedex- and looks something up on it, some kind of promotional material that looks like a movie poster.]
[curiously,]… you really do look like that person.
no subject
No matter how impossible, hmm?
Then if I were to tell you that since the day I was born, I have never needed a hardlight or other aid to look like Ardyn, what impossible conclusion would you draw from that?
[It's a test, really. Is she as smart as she looks - and smart enough to understand why he wouldn't want to pass his suspicions around openly?]
no subject
[Is this a riddle? She’s fond of those; they're like games, in their own way.]
When you smile you look almost identical… though you're more intimidating, I think.
[She turns the phone towards him, comparing, and he indeed looks exactly like the Ardyn on the screen except some. Except some spark is missing from Ardyn's trickster’s smile, no Lucis Caelum knife-edge sharpened over literal millennia, and that is the best proof that this must be doctored. The Fantasy Sweet’s Royal Family, the accompanying Spittr post declares, will they return this season? SEASON 5’s airing schedules are OUT at spit.ly/airlockeds5 .]
Mmm… if we set aside everything else and just focus on this… it seems like you two would be related, right?
no subject
[He doesn't bother with more than a glance at the promotional image; all of their images pale in comparison to the reality. It's almost looking at their corpses, to see the doctored expressions and dramatic lighting, not anything Ardyn would have chosen, not anything that looks natural to one who knows him so intimately.
Instead of answering her directly, he offers another question.]
And if I was, just hypothetically, then would I have reason to be nervous about a purely staged show?
no subject
“Can we be sure they're actors”... I think... we both already have an answer.
[Get her a protagonist to put this into plaintext smfh]
no subject
...My brother has always been skilled at dramatics, but acting was never his forte. He could improvise with the best of them, but following someone else's script? He'd never sink so low.
[She's a perfectly intelligent young woman, therefore he's not going to say it straight just on the off chance that someone's listening in. He's in politics, oblique references mean deniability mean safety.]
I've met a few of the others, as well, and one thing that was always obvious was their anxiety. They were on the run from something much bigger than the fans, and as it's been some weeks since I had any contact with them, I'm increasingly sure that it's caught up to them.
no subject
[Second choice at best? No matter. The first is still locked at this point of storymode; the point is that you get the best gear at the end anyway.]
I've been in a situation like this before. I don't like to think how the format found its way here… but they've always used real people.
[Conspiracy theory: Rox Petuu is Junko Enoshima?? ]
no subject
I see. Then you aren't any more fond of this than I am.
[Simple and to the point, for once in this conversation.]
no subject
no subject
[He might just have made a few plans for this eventuality. Plans like an apartment's worth of Spikea furniture, a full clinic worth of medical supplies, a Niflheim-worthy armory and two months' worth of food and water in his Armiger.
And he's been looking into spaceships.
...He might have forged Ardyn's autograph on a few things and sold them on Space Ebay to afford the lot, but no one needs to know. It's a small sin that Ardyn will probably forgive if they can pull off a rescue. Maybe. As much as Ardyn forgives him anything.]
My question to you, young lady, is what do you intend to do?
no subject
[Of course, that has been her purpose always. To help, to guide, to heal. But she's a program in the shape of a schoolgirl, not a SWAT team. To even track the survivors down requires a level of technical expertise that… she doesn't have right now.]
No one else really shares this theory…. I'm not sure where to start.
[she pauses, deep in thought.]
I haven't been here very long.
no subject
[That is to say, they're not going to get anywhere, they might have to make the first move.
There's a bit of that maniac Lucis Caelum gleam, the one missing from the Sphotoshopped poster, in Izunia's smile. Oh yes, they're brothers, and whether it comes from so long playing Ardyn or if it's simply because Izunia is only the sensible one in comparison, it's a gleam that has every potential to lead them into danger.]
I have a few ideas - how comfortable are you with risks, and can you operate a camera?
[Don't worry, Nanami. You don't need a SWAT team, you've got this guy.]
no subject
[... looks like Komaeda-kun.
Should she be worried? Anyone else would, but loose cannon or not Komaeda ultimately got things done. There are points of his belief that she disagrees with, but in the end they wanted the same thing- for the class to move forward. And this man is clearly on her page (she thinks?). She believes it's not going to end up like that Chapter 5 mess.
Chiaki has to practice what she preaches: push forward, push on no matter how slim the chances of success. Make her own future.]
I can learn… probably. I'm fine with the risks.
no subject
He offers her a hand.]
Then I'd be delighted to work with you, miss...?
[hey you got a name there, kid?]
no subject
… Chiaki. Chiaki Nanami, Ultimate Gamer.
What's your name?
no subject
[But when their hands separate, there's a business card with 'Izunia Lucis Caelum' written on the back in her hand. Anyone watching would think it a simple slight of hand trick - only Chiaki will be able to feel the faint tingle of an object being summoned from the Armiger between their fingers.
Both kinds of magic have their uses.]
two can play at the dramatic trailers game IG7
The video is titleless; the accompanying Spit says only A new project I've been working on, which is, of course, less than helpful. @elevencrows has not responded to any attempts to seek clarification or further information; in fact, his timeline has been nothing but a handful of queued posts for the last week or so.
The video starts with a black screen, and a girl's voiceover, almost monotone - ]
One for sorrow, two for mirth
[A black screen cuts in with the spoken words in white text while the voiceover is going, but after every line, there's a pause, a beat in which something else can be seen.
A lantern swings into place, glowing blue (Armiger blue) and leaving a trail (a rather warp-like trail) through the darkness. From the way the lantern swings, it appears that someone is carrying it as they walk.]
Three for marriage, four for birth.
[The lantern swings, and illuminates in its path what seems to be an old wall of Airlocked promotional posters - one for each season - aged and faded well beyond their actual age.]
Five for the truth and six for lying
[The lantern-swinger comes to a halt. The lantern, still gently swaying, illuminates the shape of a door, branded with the InterGal7 logo.]
Seven for sickness, eight for dying.
[The lantern finally stills enough to be seen in detail - it looks very much like if you made the Ring of the Lucii into a lantern, black metal supporting the glowing blue core. The blue warp-energy trails upward from the center, like a flame.]
Nine for silver, ten for gold -
[The camera zooms out as the man lifts the lantern up to his face. Even in the flickering blue light, the resemblance to Ardyn in the man's height and build is obvious, as is the fact that his clothes are carefully tailored black.
The girl's voiceover does not finish the last line of the rhyme. Instead, the man lifts the lantern to his face, turning to look at the camera over his shoulder. His face is Ardyn's, too, save that his eyes glow with the same blue of the lantern, and there's a tattoo of a single crow in flight visible tucked between the collar of his coat and his jaw.
His voice, too, is Ardyn's - almost. There's something just a little different about the accent - those intimately familiar with the season will spend hours talking about how it sounds more like 'Ardyn Lucis Caelum,' the early-season Ardyn, than it does any other, but even that is still not quite right.]
Eleven for a secret that will never be told.
[And then in a flash - the full flash of something being sent back to the Armiger - the light goes out.
Over the resulting black, text appears across the screen, line by line, in glittering blue:
All truths are by death revealed
And all truths shall be
UNLOCKED
By the first star's light
And then the screen blacks again, before a final line of text -
Are you ready?
No matter how InterGal7 tries to remove the video for copyright violation, it's already gone viral in the fandom, and repeat and replacement uploads are rampant. The conspiracy forums are calling it a trick by IG7 to drum up more publicity for Season 5 as often as they post about it being real.
One thing everyone can agree on, though: After posting what becomes known as the Unlocked trailer, @elevencrows goes mysteriously silent.]