[ He has many questions, so he just falls into step with him with his own vibes radiating curiosity. ]
Yeah, I can imagine getting the chance to stretch your legs is really doing wonders for you guys. Do I even wanna know how long you've been back there?
Since the start of the season. It's the first time we've all acted as crew, so it's not too bad. It's just... a little sparse backstage? You have no idea how excited I was to finally get the beach last week.
[ emotions of a puppy wagging its tail at 50mph at the mere thought ]
It took that long even though you guys have been on the island? That's kinda depressing. But yeah I got that impression, I would've thought backstage would be bigger somehow since we're kind of on a locked in set. Guess it's a good thing there's plenty of island to explore.
Well, we had the sets we were working on to check out each week? But they closed for us when they opened for you. It's fine, though, it wasn't like there were a ton of us there to begin with.
A ton of you or not, it would still get boring to be in the same place for such a long time. But at least you got the test drive our sets, so to speak.
[ He grins a little though. ]
I can't say my favorite is really that exciting. You sure about that? [ He's already moving to walk though. ]
...Sometimes. The most space we had before last week was out at the cliffs, and it was nice to see the ocean, but it's not the same. [ he shrugs. ] But we did fine anyway. We weren't meant to be the stars here, anyway.
[ He walks in silence for a moment to mull over that. ]
And now that this has happened you're up close and personal with the rest of us. Is it weird being back like this? Stolas told me you guys did this before.
Uh... We had the murder, sure, but it was every week and not just every other week. Otherwise... not really? We had to do a lot of singing and dancing when we weren't supposed to be hunting demons.
[ there is a surge of bitterness as he says "hunting demons" but it's stuffed down fairly quickly. ]
We were also meant to be more involved with the fans, and this season definitely shouldn't have had that aspect.
... what. [ Sorry, just. What? ] Why does that sound like a random scenario generator decided the theme of the season and said "good enough"? Where did the demons even come from? Also isn't Stolas literally right there?
[ HUH????? ]
... sounds like the fans weren't happy to have the involvement cut then.
Stolas and me, yes. [ shrugs. ] The "demons" we were supposed to hunt were the ones who took over someone's body to force them to kill against their will, but that didn't stop anyone from suspecting us because of what we are.
[ and he is deeply resentful of that, thanks. ]
They didn't have a ton of power in our season. It was mostly about the performances and voting for their favorites each week, as far as dealing with fans. Autographs, photoshoots, whatever else they could think of.
[ Glancing at him again... he didn't want to assume what you were, sir. ]
You know what they say. People always fear what they don't understand. I mean that's still shitty to decide all demons are the same, don't get me wrong.
[ But he can see how it ended up that way. ]
I'm more surprised they weren't voting on us this season. Not that I'm not happy to skip the whole meet and greet thing, but that sounds like the most normal part of reality TV.
With a vote it's like... on other reality shows that have votes they vote for fan favorites or people they want to see stick around. Like a popularity contest. I guess in this case they could vote who to curse next, or who has done a lot to entertain them this week or something.
Not your fault. [ a wry smile. it'd be nice if frustrating were all it was, but anyway. ] Everyone here's been surprisingly kind about it, though, so that's been a nice change.
[ tilts head. ]
Maybe there's just not a point in it for some seasons. Seems like they're all pretty different. [ ... ] Do you think something like that would've kept the fans happy enough, or are they too nuts for that?
I'm glad to hear that. It'd be a lot easier on all of us if everybody recognized we should be focused on the problems of the company and not turning on each other.
[ There's a hum because yes, fair point, every season is different. ]
Hard to say. We've been asking for examples of past seasons for a long time now and we never really got answers. It was hard to make a comparison when we didn't know what we could compare to. I think part of the problem is that the fans want to be heard and want to have some control, so... maybe it would have, or maybe it wouldn't have. If they felt like they were being heard maybe they wouldn't have taken these measures.
Is turning on each other actually a problem for any of you?
If they have too much control, though, it stops being "reality" TV. [ hm. ] I don't know, though. It seems like it started with that "Destiel" stuff and how they got so fixated those two - before this season even took off. Kind of makes it sound more like a tantrum that they aren't getting their way than about not being heard.
Not to the extent you're talking, probably not. But I won't deny that people's feelings have probably changed about each other for better or worse with the things we've experienced.
It's not too much control, it's a semblance of it. The votes are usually rigged but if they feel like their votes are heard it's a start. [ But he shrugs.... and after a moment he just frowns. ]
I'm going to be honest with you. I don't know or care about what the fans really want at this point, I'm just throwing everything I can at the wall hoping it sticks to get everyone out of here with minimal damage. That's all I can do.
Murder will do that. That's what they bank on when it's part of the show like this.
[ he nods because that makes sense, but he is also a humble ye olde who has only just started learning about all this in the span of the past four months. ]
That makes two of us. [ regarding the fans, that is. ] But we don't really have another alternative right now with the Flame War thing looming over us, and they have some weird ideas. I could've gone my whole life without knowing about any of that stuff.
...Honestly, I wish we could just kill them and be done with it. [ OKAY? ]
Yeah... pretty sure they call that trauma-bonding. [ It's mumbled but, like, yes? ]
They really locked us into kind of a shitty position is the thing. Can't ignore it without inciting another intergalactic incident, can't go too far without damaging ourselves... and we have to perform to make sure the people we did lose actually get to come back and stay restored, I don't trust that they wouldn't just let them die again if the season was a failure.
[ Okay, paranoid. ]
Killing them would reflect bad on the show. [ In a tone of "I agree with you but unfortunately I am aware our hands are tied." ] But it's not like the show has cared about if we stayed alive either, so.
[ he has superhearing so he just nods in agreement like junpei said that normally. ]
Maybe if they hadn't screwed with the laws to begin with... [ sighs. can't do anything about that now. ] Everyone who died in our season was revived, so I wouldn't worry about that. But we should still do what we can, no matter what... I don't trust those fans not to freak out if some random little thing doesn't go their way.
[ i don't really care what reflects badly on the show. ]
They don't care because it's "drama" and they can do whatever they want with us, anyway. I can't tell you how many times people have died while we were still backstage, but they still came right back later. With that kind of insurance, why should they care?
About that. What happened to the people who didn't sign on to keep going and working on other seasons? Were they really returned to their own worlds like they never left and just without a wish? I don't trust the fans not to freak out either, especially if they don't seem to think there's too much wrong with how things went before.
[ Again, he agrees, fuck the show entirely, but the show has also put them in such a precarious place his emotions are just like 😡 ]
... after a while, the more times you die the less you feel, I guess. So maybe they figure it's something like that so long as they keep getting their entertainment out of it.
As far as I know, they went home without their wishes, yes.
[ jumpy you're so valid. ]
Maybe. I can't say that I understand their motivations on doing things this way... There are plenty of ways to entertain without killing anyone at all.
[ That's one problem out of the way. He can deal with that. As for the rest... ]
That's exactly what I've been saying. We could have kept this entertaining all season if we had more team missions or whatever, stuff to keep us occupied without trials and things to have us turn against each other. You can still get drama without intense tragedy.
I've heard that some seasons were like that, where no one died at all - no trials, or anything. I don't know much about them, though, just that they seem like this kind more. Maybe if they'd given more missions, more seeds, more themes to work with... I don't know. There's a lot they could've done.
Maybe it's just what their fans prefer. "Death" was in that list of tags, too.
People tend to live vicariously through media, so maybe that's why. They can't go around murdering their own friends so they want to witness us dealing with it for the "experience."
Guess we could speculate on that forever even if it doesn't change what's been done. If we could steer their attention to something less... that, maybe it's worth something. But we might be too late on that front.
Trust me, I agree with you, but that's about all I can figure. [ Fans! Are! Insane! ] It's probably going to make a difference, but we won't know the full effects until later.
A lot demeaning, really. It's like I said from the beginning. God's fucked up Neopets, except instead of God it's fangirls.
[ He shakes his head though. ]
May as well make yourself as comfortable as you can. [ At which point he does enter the library of dreaming and wave a hand around. ] Not the coolest place by far, but I've spent a lot of time here just trying to research or work on stuff. It helps when too many people are in my favorite outdoor spots.
Mm, don't worry about it. Or better yet, ask Choi.
[ He doesn't think Choi will know, exactly, but now he's curious if he would. ]
Anyway no it's nothing like that. I'm not a wizard or anything, all of my research is more... uh, science-based, sort of? I'm trying to read up on some paradoxes and multi-world theory stuff.
The theory of it is that in a lot of other worlds, the idea of multi-world travel hasn't been proven. Plus there's the whys and hows of how those worlds exist, and it goes even further than that. Multi-world theory cover theories and paradoxes about the same world, but different divergents. You know, like what the world would be like if you chose one action over another.
[ weird but okay. he listens to all this... not really understanding, but fascinated nonetheless. ]
That... sounds like a lot. Confusing, too. You can follow all that? [ hm, but also, ] But "multi-world travel" should be proven just by us being here, even if we don't know how it works yet. So you're trying to prove it for the worlds that don't know about it yet?
It's complicated. There are some concepts I get and others I've been having to set aside and try to come back to. [ A little smile because don't feel bad, this goes over his head in some ways, too. ]
But yeah. I guess... I want to learn what I can in case the company makes it less than possible for us to easily see each other again. But going back to a world where it hasn't been established yet would make that even more difficult.
They wouldn't give us any details on whether or not that would be possible after we leave - seeing each other again, or even having a way to keep in contact at all. [ there's a bit of an anxious buzz in his emotions. ] It might be difficult, but it can't be impossible. If they can bring us here, there's a way for all of us to figure it out, too.
[ he doesn't know that. but he is deeply, deeply hoping for it. ]
I hope you find out that works. All of us would be in your debt if you did, I think.
Sounds about right. Why would they offer a guarantee when the show is still going? It's just another bargaining chip they know all of us want. [ Frustrating but true. ]
I'm sure someone smarter than me could figure it out faster. It's definitely not impossible though. That's what I have to tell myself. Maybe... someone else can take the research and go from there with more knowledge and abilities.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
w7 monday
Man, it's nice not to be stuck backstage all the time.
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Yeah, I can imagine getting the chance to stretch your legs is really doing wonders for you guys. Do I even wanna know how long you've been back there?
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[ emotions of a puppy wagging its tail at 50mph at the mere thought ]
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It took that long even though you guys have been on the island? That's kinda depressing. But yeah I got that impression, I would've thought backstage would be bigger somehow since we're kind of on a locked in set. Guess it's a good thing there's plenty of island to explore.
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You got a favorite spot? You should show me!
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[ He grins a little though. ]
I can't say my favorite is really that exciting. You sure about that? [ He's already moving to walk though. ]
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[ come on man. easily falls into step with him though. ]
There was plenty going on backstage, anyway. "Boring" isn't really the right word.
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I'm sure there was enough to keep you guys busy, that part I'm not questioning. But... if you couldn't leave the space, doesn't that get kinda...
[ "Stifling?" ]
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...Sometimes. The most space we had before last week was out at the cliffs, and it was nice to see the ocean, but it's not the same. [ he shrugs. ] But we did fine anyway. We weren't meant to be the stars here, anyway.
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And now that this has happened you're up close and personal with the rest of us. Is it weird being back like this? Stolas told me you guys did this before.
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[ there is a surge of bitterness as he says "hunting demons" but it's stuffed down fairly quickly. ]
We were also meant to be more involved with the fans, and this season definitely shouldn't have had that aspect.
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[ HUH????? ]
... sounds like the fans weren't happy to have the involvement cut then.
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[ and he is deeply resentful of that, thanks. ]
They didn't have a ton of power in our season. It was mostly about the performances and voting for their favorites each week, as far as dealing with fans. Autographs, photoshoots, whatever else they could think of.
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You know what they say. People always fear what they don't understand. I mean that's still shitty to decide all demons are the same, don't get me wrong.
[ But he can see how it ended up that way. ]
I'm more surprised they weren't voting on us this season. Not that I'm not happy to skip the whole meet and greet thing, but that sounds like the most normal part of reality TV.
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I don't know much about TV. What would they even vote for with you guys, who to curse next?
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[ Like that feels annoying as fuck. ]
With a vote it's like... on other reality shows that have votes they vote for fan favorites or people they want to see stick around. Like a popularity contest. I guess in this case they could vote who to curse next, or who has done a lot to entertain them this week or something.
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[ tilts head. ]
Maybe there's just not a point in it for some seasons. Seems like they're all pretty different. [ ... ] Do you think something like that would've kept the fans happy enough, or are they too nuts for that?
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[ There's a hum because yes, fair point, every season is different. ]
Hard to say. We've been asking for examples of past seasons for a long time now and we never really got answers. It was hard to make a comparison when we didn't know what we could compare to. I think part of the problem is that the fans want to be heard and want to have some control, so... maybe it would have, or maybe it wouldn't have. If they felt like they were being heard maybe they wouldn't have taken these measures.
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If they have too much control, though, it stops being "reality" TV. [ hm. ] I don't know, though. It seems like it started with that "Destiel" stuff and how they got so fixated those two - before this season even took off. Kind of makes it sound more like a tantrum that they aren't getting their way than about not being heard.
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It's not too much control, it's a semblance of it. The votes are usually rigged but if they feel like their votes are heard it's a start. [ But he shrugs.... and after a moment he just frowns. ]
I'm going to be honest with you. I don't know or care about what the fans really want at this point, I'm just throwing everything I can at the wall hoping it sticks to get everyone out of here with minimal damage. That's all I can do.
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[ he nods because that makes sense, but he is also a humble ye olde who has only just started learning about all this in the span of the past four months. ]
That makes two of us. [ regarding the fans, that is. ] But we don't really have another alternative right now with the Flame War thing looming over us, and they have some weird ideas. I could've gone my whole life without knowing about any of that stuff.
...Honestly, I wish we could just kill them and be done with it. [ OKAY? ]
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They really locked us into kind of a shitty position is the thing. Can't ignore it without inciting another intergalactic incident, can't go too far without damaging ourselves... and we have to perform to make sure the people we did lose actually get to come back and stay restored, I don't trust that they wouldn't just let them die again if the season was a failure.
[ Okay, paranoid. ]
Killing them would reflect bad on the show. [ In a tone of "I agree with you but unfortunately I am aware our hands are tied." ] But it's not like the show has cared about if we stayed alive either, so.
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Maybe if they hadn't screwed with the laws to begin with... [ sighs. can't do anything about that now. ] Everyone who died in our season was revived, so I wouldn't worry about that. But we should still do what we can, no matter what... I don't trust those fans not to freak out if some random little thing doesn't go their way.
[ i don't really care what reflects badly on the show. ]
They don't care because it's "drama" and they can do whatever they want with us, anyway. I can't tell you how many times people have died while we were still backstage, but they still came right back later. With that kind of insurance, why should they care?
[ emotionshare is so bitter, though. ]
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[ Again, he agrees, fuck the show entirely, but the show has also put them in such a precarious place his emotions are just like 😡 ]
... after a while, the more times you die the less you feel, I guess. So maybe they figure it's something like that so long as they keep getting their entertainment out of it.
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[ jumpy you're so valid. ]
Maybe. I can't say that I understand their motivations on doing things this way... There are plenty of ways to entertain without killing anyone at all.
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That's exactly what I've been saying. We could have kept this entertaining all season if we had more team missions or whatever, stuff to keep us occupied without trials and things to have us turn against each other. You can still get drama without intense tragedy.
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Maybe it's just what their fans prefer. "Death" was in that list of tags, too.
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Guess we could speculate on that forever even if it doesn't change what's been done. If we could steer their attention to something less... that, maybe it's worth something. But we might be too late on that front.
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[ lmao what the fuck. further cementing his idea that fans are batshit insane and he wants nothing to do with them.
but he shrugs. ] I think we've done what we can to help with that, but who knows if it'll make a difference.
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...But you're right. Nothing we can do but wait now.
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[ He shakes his head though. ]
May as well make yourself as comfortable as you can. [ At which point he does enter the library of dreaming and wave a hand around. ] Not the coolest place by far, but I've spent a lot of time here just trying to research or work on stuff. It helps when too many people are in my favorite outdoor spots.
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[ the fuck is that?? you moderns come up with such words. ]
I've been comfortable enough. [ follows him in though! ] What research are you doing? Is it magic, like Caleb?
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[ He doesn't think Choi will know, exactly, but now he's curious if he would. ]
Anyway no it's nothing like that. I'm not a wizard or anything, all of my research is more... uh, science-based, sort of? I'm trying to read up on some paradoxes and multi-world theory stuff.
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[ choi knows so many weird modern things ]
Multi-world... theory? How's it a theory when we're all clearly from different worlds here?
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The theory of it is that in a lot of other worlds, the idea of multi-world travel hasn't been proven. Plus there's the whys and hows of how those worlds exist, and it goes even further than that. Multi-world theory cover theories and paradoxes about the same world, but different divergents. You know, like what the world would be like if you chose one action over another.
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[ weird but okay. he listens to all this... not really understanding, but fascinated nonetheless. ]
That... sounds like a lot. Confusing, too. You can follow all that? [ hm, but also, ] But "multi-world travel" should be proven just by us being here, even if we don't know how it works yet. So you're trying to prove it for the worlds that don't know about it yet?
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But yeah. I guess... I want to learn what I can in case the company makes it less than possible for us to easily see each other again. But going back to a world where it hasn't been established yet would make that even more difficult.
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[ he doesn't know that. but he is deeply, deeply hoping for it. ]
I hope you find out that works. All of us would be in your debt if you did, I think.
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I'm sure someone smarter than me could figure it out faster. It's definitely not impossible though. That's what I have to tell myself. Maybe... someone else can take the research and go from there with more knowledge and abilities.