[IC Board] All the World's a Game - Season II

[S121]

Yakumo Estate - Mayohiga - Gensokyo | Day

Takoizu was so close to falling asleep until the doorbell rang.


*DING DONG*


"Hm?", Takoizu murmured as her eyes opened back up.

Takoizu stood up out of the chair and began to walk to the door. She didn't really know who was at the door, but surely it couldn't hurt to see who it was.

"Don't worry Ran, I'll get the door.", Takoizu called out as she approached the front door an opened it.

As soon as Takoizu opened the door, her pupils dilated as she caught sight of Jack. In that single instant, a gap opened up right beside Takoizu and she reached inside to pull out what appeared to be a plain knife with a brown, wooden grip.

"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't cut you in half.", Takoizu coldly said to Jack as she pointed the knife at him.

[wonderweiss]

Yakumo Estate
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Jack put up his hands.

"I would recommend you cease and desi-"

He then caught himself.

"... Erm... I mean..."

His voice began to tremble, but not out of fear... But because he wasn't used to a 'polite' entrance.

"... I-I would l-like to have a t-talk... A calm talk... C-can we talk th-this over t-tea?..."

[S121]

Yakumo Estate - Mayohiga - Gensokyo | Day

Takoizu's icy glare still remained, but she lowered the knife and held it at her side.

"Very well, but we're going to talk here, not inside.", Takoizu said as she closed the door behind her.

"Follow me.", Takoizu said as she walked past Jack and away from the house, to the very front of it.

She knew that she was vulnerable with her back turned to Jack, but she was ready for a possible attack. She would cleave cleanly through him if he did so much as get too close to her. Once she was far away enough from the house, she turned and looked at Jack.

[wonderweiss]

Yakumo Estate
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Jack followed. His muscles were twitchy. He was never programmed to be this kind... Wait... He was never programmed to be this kind...

"Well then... Now that the hike is over, why don't we have a ch-chat... Um... Damn it... Why the hell am I so damn nervous? Anyways, um, let's have a chat... So, if we're done, let's start, shall we... Okay see I just had the wrong way of approaching it at first, that's all I know how to deal with a problem, just... Fuck."

[S121]

Outside Yakumo Estate - Mayohiga - Gensokyo | Day

As Jack stuttered and fell over his own words, Takoizu's expression became less and less hostile. After Jack stopped speaking, Takoizu let out a light sigh and spoke to Jack.

"Listen Jack, I know what you're going to say, and yes, perhaps some people would consider what I'm doing to be morally questionable, but sometimes there is no wrong or right way of going about a situation.", Takoizu calmly said to Jack as her posture became less hostile.

[wonderweiss]

Yakumo Estate
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"Please listen to me. I understand your pain. My mother was lost in that blast as well. Who wouldn't be destroyed on it. My father was led to an immense depression after losing all of his friends. The characters were the only friends he had. But this... This is a little out of hand, changing the future. It's insane. I mean... Look, don't do this. I can sense you're trying to be a hero, but if you want to do what's best for the future, you would leave now. Your -- our future is a tragic one, but do this and you might change more than you bargained for, possibly even worse than the current future. Please take to hand not only what you're doing but what it can lead to. What if after ACO, a new organization based off of their remains make a worse weapon that could destroy anything and everything made up of code, even you, capable of engulfing the world? Please think about this. Let's go home."

[S121]

Outside Yakumo Estate - Mayohiga - Gensokyo | Day

After Jack finished speaking, Takoizu looked at him with a grave look in her eye, as if she was anticipating something bad to happen, and at the same time, as if she was tired, exhausted.

"Then we'll erase every trace of them existing, their technology. Yes, it's dangerous to alter ther future, but only if you aren't prepared. I've spent a very long time calculating each and every likely possibility, so much that some people would be driven insane by so much planning. To give you an idea of how long I've been planning, consider this; one hour to you is 3,000 for me, 125 days worth of planning..... I've been planning this for approximately 2 years, take away a few days to compensate for my resting hours into consideration. For me, that's the equivalent of 6,000 years, enough to drive anyone insane, but I still did it to save this world, to save them."

"I understand if you are concerned, but trust me on this, I've really thought about this like you wouldn't believe, and I know that there is great potential for me to abuse the timeline, but I promise you that I will not. Understand that I am not trying to be a hero, I'm trying to give them a life they deserve. Our future can't possibly get any worse unless we were enslaved. Our planet is slowly dying from that bomb, and everyone than somehow survived up until now is suffering, starving, and dying... Can you honestly tell me that things could be worse?", Takoizu asked Jack as she looked him in the eye with a grave expression.

[wonderweiss]

Yakumo Estate
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"Please, do not get angry at me," Jack said, starting to becomea little annoyed himself. "To start with, I am no ordinary human. You should know that. That much planning I can do in as much time, if not slightly longer or shorter. I know that you're doing good, but... Just go back. It may seem monsterous to say this, but my father... He can recreate yours. With the same memories and same relationships. He may not be the same to you, but trust me when I say that my father can do things unimaginable by human standards. He has been planning for a long time. The only difference between you and him... Is that I was the result. I'm telling you things may get worse, and with a price like that, you don't want to take that chance. I certainly wouldn't. If I hadn't thought on that as long as I did, I would be working beside you, but I did and my judgement had been made. You can't change the future. You must learn to accept that. I must admit, even now, I'm having a hard time doing it myself. I'm telling you that you can't mess with time. It's too dangerous for any human, youkai, even a god! You cannot change things. The least you can do is accept it."

[S121]

Outside Yakumo Estate - Mayohiga - Gensokyo | Day

The thought of living with clones of her parents disgusted her. To her, it would be an insult to their memory. To her, they were irreplaceable, and because of that, she felt deeply offended by him even thinking of such a thing. Despite that, she remained calm. Jack was only trying to convince her to come back home.

"They might have the same memories, but you and I both know that it won't actually be them, their spirit, their soul. You can't copy that. No amount of technology or magic can copy that.", Takoizu calmly said to Jack.

"The past is set in stone, but the future has not been written yet, their future, and by proxy, our future. Stop thinking with your head and think with your heart for once. If you paid attention to Gensokyo's history, then you would see that some good came from doing things that seemed wrong. I hate to say this and possibly offend you, but look at your own mother for evidence. In Kiene's history class, we learned about what she did, how she risked her own job to do what she thought was right. She thought with her heart... You say that I'm doing good, so then why don't you join me? It is dangerous, but as you said, things may get worse. There's no guarantee that things will get worse... I'm not the betting kind of person, but I know this will work. You just have to trust me on this. I feel it in my bones that things can be changed. If you still think that it's wrong, then tell me why. Don't tell me about what it might do, give me absolutes. Do you think it's morally wrong? If so, then do you think letting billions of people and an entire planet die when you have the power to save them is morally right? Would you let them all die?", Takoizu calmly asked as she looked at him in a sincere manner.

[wonderweiss]

Yakumo Estate
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Jack couldn't say anything.

"... I... But if you do..."

And if she does?

Jack began to double over, seemingly in pain.

"Dammit... What's happening to me!..."

This will not pass.

She's creating a time paradox.

She's meddling with time.

Think with your heart.

This is your heart.

She's trying to change history.

She said history is set in stone.

You can't rechisel stone which has already been carved.

She's trying to erase the events.

She's trying to change history.

She's going to exterminate-

Jack jumped back a few feet.

"I don't know what just happened. But listen to me. I just realized that you're not only playing time, but the existence of certain individuals! It's one thing to prevent the deaths of a group of people, but it's another to prevent the existences of others!"

[S121]

Outside Yakumo Estate - Mayohiga - Gensokyo | Day

Takoizu could see that Jack was at least thinking about it, but she still wasn't getting through to him. Despite that, she continued to try.

"The existence of who? You? If that's what you're worried about, I can change that. I can alter the boundary of existence and nonexistence. If you mean the existence of anyone born during our timeline, then do you honestly think life's worth living if you're always afraid of someone breaking down your door to rob, rape, or kill you? Do you think life's worth living when you're afraid of running out of food? Do you think life's worth living when everything around you is dying? Life is not worth living if there is nothing but suffering, or have you not seen how the common person lives? Anarchy, violence, death, and suffering are rampant. Do you honestly think that it's morally right to let it continue?", Takoizu asked Jack.

"Less people will die if I change the future. What you're asking is to allow more deaths than what is necessary."

[wonderweiss]

Yakumo Estate
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"Go. Back."

[S121]

Outside Yakumo Estate - Mayohiga - Gensokyo | Day

"Answer me. Do you honestly think that it's morally right to let so much suffering continue? Can you even comprehend the pain?", Takoizu asked Jack in a sincere tone.

[wonderweiss]

Yakumo Estate
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"G-go... B-back... Now..."

[S121]

Outside Yakumo Estate - Mayohiga - Gensokyo | Day

"I want you to answer me first. Do you honestly think that it's morally right to let so much suffering continue? I have shown you that letting the future run its course is morally irresponsible and negligent, yet you still say I should stop. Tell me, is there another reason you don't want me to change the future?", Takoizu asked Jack in a sincere tone, trying to get through to him.