This page takes a look at Document Number LCB-00-34. LCB stands for Limbus Company Bus, 00 indicates no central Sinner focus, and 34 designates this as the thirty-fourth document taken in by this specific department. Yet another Refracted Rainbow... This world has gotten so busy recently, hasn't it? The release of Refraction Railway #6 has led to more wacky interactions for the IDs to get into. Particularly, Rupture Society, Bleed Society, Burn Society, and some of Poise Society. What happens when new Abnormalities arrive to the Rainbow...?

(Yinglong finds a new home, Will You Play? finds new friends to play with, Sunset Wayfarer continues being a GOAT, and in the midst of Bladeshu's memory troubles, an idea is gathered to get her to the Butterfly of Entangled Lives.)

Arcs Continued:
The Lord of Hongyuan Arc
Arcs Started:
Memory Repository Arc
[ERROR: ARC NAME UNREADABLE] (Oop, can't let you read that one yeeeeeet~ - Carmen)

Notes:

Enable workskin and read the tags.

This account is run by 2 people. The one who did the writing/majority of the coding is Victor Frankenstein (he/him). The one who did everything else is Julia 1984 (they/them). Comments are appreciated.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

マゾ屈折鉄道


Hello, my Children! It's me, the Voice of the Distortion!
Does that make me the Voice of the Effloresced?
I… I guess?
I dunno. I always saw you as less of a voice and more of a presence. People can't hear you, but they feel your influence.
...You're distracting me.
Yes. Yes, I am.
Fuck, what was I even gonna talk about, Ayin?
Uh… I think the fact that a Railway released.
Oh yeah…
We should probably check on the LCB, shouldn't we?
Location: Aboard Mephistopheles
LCB Sinner Ishmael	…
LCB Sinner Ishmael	What in the FUCK was that.
LCB Sinner Ryōshū	H.
LCB Sinner Ishmael	Y-...You can't just say H. We got eaten by a dragon, and your only response is H.
LCB Sinner Sinclair	…S-She meant Hell.
LCB Sinner Ishmael	SHE CAN SAY IT IN A WAY THAT ISN'T THE LETTER H.
LCB Sinner Ryōshū	…Heh.
LCB Sinner Ishmael	Please stop with the H.
So, as you can see… it seems the latest Refraction Railway hasn't done well for the Sinners' sanity.
Honestly? I can't blame them. "Cannot be killed as long as the Flower-burying Wedge Part isn't broken"? Really?
And that Butterfly's passives. 25,000 health, too. Not even I conceived this form of torture in Lobotomy Corporation.
The Butterfly has passives?
What?
...What?
...Why would it not have passives?
...
Carmen, do you know what happens after Yinglong?
Carmen.
...It got boring, OK?
Oh my god.
You're becoming a LARPer in real time, babe.
I did not like Section 2. It insists upon itself with aura and hype.
The rest of it isn't even that bad after the fact!
Mhm, mhm, sure. You're into that type of shit, fucking masochist. I bet you replay Day 49 in your head all day when I'm not here.
...Shut up.
Dante	<Uuuuuugh… That… Railway… kicked my fucking ass.>
Oh, hey. Our favorite clockhead.
Also the only one we know, so by process of elimination, I guess you're right.
Dante	<Whyyyyyy… Why to all of that?!>
LCB Sinner Faust	It is required of us by Limbus Company in order to-
Dante	<No, I know why. I mean… WHY?!>
Dante	<Yinglong felt like fighting in trench warfare.>
Dante	<The section after that was okay, I guess, but then, 3/5ths of the Nursefathers in a fucking row. I'm glad Matthias and Valencina weren't refracted, because if they were, I would've pressed the button on the back of my fucking head.>
LCB Sinner Heathcliff	Aye, I hear ya, lad. And what the hell was that butterfly eatin' to be soakin' up so much damage? Little fucker felt like it had three lives worth of health.
LCB Sinner Ishmael	Hmm… Actually, that would make sense.
LCB Sinner Yi Sang	In a way, I suppose the Butterfly of Entangled Lives utilizes its alternative selves as well as we do here within Limbus Company. The utilization of multiple selves, creating some sort of never-ending, unceasing march towards a solidified objective is… quite beautiful.
LCB Sinner Heathcliff	Yeah, maybe when we're not on the other fuckin' end of it. Almost makes me wish we were goin' back to that Reflectrial door that opened up recently.
LCB Sinner Rodion	Do NOT remind me about those fuckass Reflectrials…
LCB Sinner Rodion	Haaaah. Have our enemies been getting buffets or somethin' nowadays? I miss when 1,000 used to feel like a lot of health to whittle down.
LCB Sinner Meursault	This is the natural order of things. When one gets better at a task, the conditions will worsen in said task in order to match the progress.
LCB Sinner Meursault	I am used to such conditions, as heavily hinted at in my Identities.
LCB Sinner Hong Lu	Well, ummmm… The Railway wasn't all bad this time, right? I mean, it could've had that loop mechanic like Railway 2.
LCB Sinner Gregor	Yeah, and at least this one had that nice Abno bud. Sunset Wayfarer's its name, right?
LCB Sinner Gregor	Chill dude, honestly.
LCB Sinner Outis	Too chill, in my honest opinion. Most people who seek to help do not do it for nothing in return. This, obviously, will also tie to Abnormalities.
LCB Sinner Don Quixote	But would it not be beneficial for our minds to believe, at least for this moment, that someone wished to help us with no caveat tied to it, Lady Outis?
LCB Sinner Outis	…I wish life were as simple in reality as it was in your daydreamer mind.
Dante	<The help from Sunset Wayfarer was nice… I also thought Section 3 was a good break in between everything else.>
Dante	<And the whole, like, choosing what moves to do in Section 1 to affect every other Section gimmick was cool. It was just-... Yinglong, man. Yinglong and the Butterfly.>
LCB Sinner Ryōshū	Didn't really like my past being used against me like that, either. Those damn Nursefathers again…
LCB Sinner Ryōshū	Clock, next time, don't try using Bladeshu until those other IDs she needs are back. If they even can come back.
Dante	<I can't help it! She looks cool.>
Dante	<But yeah, you're right. The way she was released doesn't really help us right now… She's good, but it feels like she needs a whole team around her, and I can't exactly figure out how to, y'know, get them back yet. Don't think the clock head accounted for the Arayashiki.>
Dante	<Not unless I'm missing something… Feels like I should be able to get them back usually.>
LCB Sinner Faust	Faust will figure something out before Meursault's "turn," Dante. Do not despair.
LCB Sinner Faust	Faust knows you were looking for something to do that wasn't just using Win Rate with the Heishou over and over.
LCB Sinner Sinclair	Oh yeah, speaking of. I was gonna ask… Why does it feel like that team performs slightly worse now?
LCB Sinner Sinclair	Like, they're still good, but not… overwhelmingly so.
LCB Sinner Hong Lu	Ahah~ For some reason, I think my Lord ID's got a few Statuses missing, Sinclair. It's essentially been turned into a Season 2 ID the way it just has Rupture and Poise and not much else…
LCB Sinner Hong Lu	The Skill 3's assist attack mechanic doesn't even work anymore~!
LCB Sinner Sinclair	What?! …How?
LCB Sinner Ryōshū	Bladeshu. Arayashiki. Long story.
LCB Sinner Sinclair	How did- Why have I not heard of this?!
LCB Sinner Don Quixote	Mmm… Verily, we hath not visited the Rainbow of the Refracted in a long time, have we? Not as a full group, I mean.
LCB Sinner Don Quixote	Though Lady Ryōshū has been sneaking out time after time as of late…
LCB Sinner Ryōshū	Shut up. I have needs.
LCB Sinner Faust	We did receive an invitation that will help us kill time as the bus proceeds onward to N Corp.
Charon	Invitation… You guys are going to a party? Can Charon come?
LCB Sinner Gregor	Ah, we'd love to have ya there, bus driver bud, but then, who's gonna get us to where we need to go?
Charon	Mmmm…
Charon	Verg.
Vergilius	Haaah… Yes, Charon?
Charon	Tell the white-haired braniac to install an auto-drive mode on Mephi. Charon wants to party.
Vergilius	You do realize you can just… park Mephistopheles, yes?
Charon	Charon could. However, Charon does not want to.
Charon	Dante has Win Rate button. Why can't Charon have "Drive Rate" button?
Vergilius	That is not how that works.
LCB Sinner Faust	The party is not for a few more days, so… Faust can see what she can do for your "button," Charon.
Charon	Groovy.
LCB Sinner Gregor	Can't help but get the feeling so many more civilians are gonna have to fear for their lives in the near future.
LCB Sinner Ishmael	Y'know, speaking of those Abnos…
LCB Sinner Ishmael	Whenever someone's defeated and killed, they end up in the Rainbow™, right? I dunno how that works, but…
LCB Sinner Ishmael	If that's the case, when we defeat the Refracted versions of Abnormalities, do they end up in the Rainbow™ too?
Dante	<…>
Dante	<I… don't know. Maybe?>
Dante	<Feels like we would've seen some of 'em by now if that were the case, though.>
LCB Sinner Ishmael	Maybe we just didn't get lucky every time we popped in.
Dante	<True…>
The Sinners ponder as they relax their weary selves on the seats of Mephistopheles.
Meanwhile, in the Refracted Rainbow™...
Location: Daguanyuan Gates
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Iiiiiiiiiiiii'mmmm…

Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	🎶Off to see the Monaaaarch, the terrible King of Hongyuan!🎶
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	🎶You'll find he is a bitch of a bitch if ever a bitch there was! 🎶
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	🎶If ever, oh ever a bitch there was, the King of Hongyuan is one because because because because because becAAAAAUUUUUSE~...🎶
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	🎶Because of the terrible things he does!🎶
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	🎶I'm off to see the Monaaaarch, the terrible King of Hongyuaaaaaaaaaaaan~!🎶
...Has she… sung this song every time she's gone to pester him?
Yes. I can't help but think every Rodion likes watching old as fuck movies.
Something doesn't feel right, though… "King" of Hongyuan?
I don't remember her singing that specific word, but… eh. No other one's coming to mind.
Wait, what the fuck is that at the Daguanyuan gates?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	🎶I'm off to see the Monaaaarch, the terrible King of-🎶Is that a fucking dragon?!
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Polu, turn my fucking headphones off.
Courier Trunk Polunitdsa	[Request confirmed. Headphones are now off.]
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	…

Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	What the fuck is this?
Yinglong	SCREAM.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Ooooookay, easy, big fella. Easy. Rodion is friend! Rodion… is friend.
Yinglong	SCREAM.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	What the actual fuck is this thing doing here…?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	You do realize that "thing" has a name, yes?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	!!! The terrible King of Hongyuan!
Hongyuan's Hong Lu steps to the side as he walks to Devyat' Rodion, not wanting to be in the way of Yinglong, I imagine. …Which, I don't know how he'd do in the first place, given we're talking about a damn near 30 feet tall dragon.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Hello, Devyat' Rodion. For once, it is nice to see you up bright and early. I see you've met Yinglong.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	WHO?!
Yinglong	SCREAM.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	This is Yinglong.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Ding dong?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	…Yinglong.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Yin Yang? Like Lobotomy Corporation?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	His name is Yinglong, Rodion.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Where the fuck did you even find him?!
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	The newest Railway. We-
Yinglong	SCREAM.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	We found him after Limbus Company finished completing it, and we persuaded him to-
Yinglong	SCREAM.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	…We persuaded him to come using Lunacy.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU FUCKING TAMED THAT THING?!
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Yeah. Yeah, we have Yinglong in Rupture Society now, bitch. Whatchu gonna do, biiiitch?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Why the fuck do you even NEED a dragon here at the front gate?!
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Well, you see, after the incident with-... Uh…
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	…Hmm. I'm forgetting who.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	I think it might've had something to do with you, in retrospect?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Dude, I am a broke bitch who was born in District 25, you do NOT need a whole ass dragon for me specifically!
Yinglong	SCREAM.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Mmm. This is true. I bet before you were even bound by the contract, a gust of wind could take care of you.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Well, regardless of why we needed him in the first place, he is here now. We use him to keep these gates blocked from any intruders. It's like the Ruina Blockma strategy except way cooler because it's with a fucking dragon.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Alright, yeah. Sure, I guess.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Well, my dear monarch enemy of mine, will you tell your fuckass dragon to let me through so we can have that talk you wanted?
Yinglong	SCREAM.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	You have to give him a proper reason why you want him to let you go past, Rodion.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Oh, for the love of-
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	You mean to tell me he's your fucking club bouncer. You took a large ass dragon and made him your club bouncer.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	I know! Isn't it awesome?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	He's very reasonable.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	…The dragon.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Yes.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	The probably ALEPH tier dragon.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	He's a WAW, actually.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	BULLSHIT.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	What's his Risk Level designation?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	WAW-05.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	BULLSHIT!
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	That puts him on the same level as the goddamn Ambling Pearl!
Yinglong	SCREAM.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Yeah, he doesn't get it either.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Look, just-... Talk to the dragon. I promise this is not a trap.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	…
Devyat' Rodion sighs and then turns to the gigantic dragon.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Hey, listen, buddy, I'm no enemy here.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	I'm part of Old Rupture Society. Name's Devyat' Rodion. Your buddy here has known me for… basically the entire time he's been here.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	I won't be long. We're just gonna talk about Rupture business, y'know what I mean? Very exciting stuff, I promise you.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Can ya let me through?
Yinglong	…
Yinglong	nah you good 👍
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	…Wait. Wait, did it just speak perfect Engli-
Yinglong	SCREAM.
...Holy shit, that gigantic dragon's actually stepping to the side for her.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	He has granted you entrance into Daguanyuan.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Huh.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	…Well, that's gonna take a lot to get used to.
Hongyuan's Hong Lu and Devyat' Rodion then start walking side-by-side inside of Daguanyuan, Yinglong taking its position again as soon as they pass.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	I wasn't even used for Railway, so like, I don't even-... How'd he get there?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	The intel that Dante provided through the Observation Logs of LCB implies that the creature was a boss within the Railway, specifically in Section 2, so Mao Faust and I had journeyed over there to confirm for ourselves after the fact.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	It had gotten out of its egg form. I persuaded it, and then we brought it here.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	I see, I see…
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	How'd it not give you a deserved punishment with solemn grace, though, if you know what I mean?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Most likely because I'm spiritually attuned to it due to my Season's E.G.O, Tears of the Tarnished Blood.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	At least, I assume this is the case. The last few days for me have been quite odd.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Between the whole… Talisman Sinclair situation… and whatever happened to me because of that new Ryōshū ID, I've been very disoriented.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Oh~?
Devyat' Rodya, bless her heart, couldn't just not wonder what was meant by that.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	What happened?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Ahhh, tut tut~ I'm not telling you that until we talk about our thing first.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	…Fine. Annoying ass…
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	So, like, what do you wanna know?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	So… I still have not gotten around to watching the VOD of Ryōshū's "turn."
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	You haven't?! How?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Well, as you can see, I've been busy. With, uh… one might call it corporate restructuring.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	But I will get to that when you tell me what the fuck that whole thing with Sinclair was about.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Okay okay okay, sooooo…
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	You know about the Sign, right? Sinc's forehead thingy that I can't see but a buncha other people probably can?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Apparently, his is capable of summoning himself, but from the future.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	…
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	That's it?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Ye.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	That's kinda lame.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Wha- No! It had aura! It's like Future Trunks.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Who?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Future Trunks? Have you- Dude. Have you seriously not watched Dragon Ball?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	I'm more of a One Piece person.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Ironic, considering it lasts forever and has no idea when to end…
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	But regardless. Sinc's sign summons his future self from a branching timeline which might not come to pass, and that's like a whole thing; I think there's code words, yadda yadda yadda.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Now, this next part of the story is very important. …I passed out in Mephistopheles's engine room a while ago.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	When I woke up, I-... And you might think I'm crazy for this, fair warning, but I think I ended up in some alternate Mirror World?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	It became some weird sorta day in the life of a different Devyat' Rodya in that world or something, I dunno. Wonder if that world's Devyat' Rodya was swapped with me, too…
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Why are you telling me this?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Well, I'm giving you this context because I think the Sinclair who showed up from Talisman Sinc's stone body is FROM that world.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Because Talisman Sinc's alive and dead, he was able to get the Sign still and summon bro.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Right, that much makes sense… but how did he, albeit briefly, get here? You mentioned code words?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Yeah, yeahyeahyeah, it was like… a whole sequence. When OG Certain Sinclair showed up, it was because the words "past," "present," and "future" were said in order.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	So I'm under the belief that Certain Talisman Sinclair also had some sort of… activation sequence.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	But the more I try to remember whatever the hell it was, all I could think about was… you. You and your stupid face and your dumb arguments.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Hey, my arguments were not dumb. 15/3 was a blight of a conditional that ruined any sort of progress for Rupture Society to grow. I understand you had fond memories of it, but Red Sheet Sinclair had to die.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	…Or at least almost die. Because he is clearly not FULLY dead. I suppose the proper term would be "bricked" in the literal sense.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Eh. More like "stoned."
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	But like, yeah, that's all I know. Vague as hell, but there's not really much else to explain with something I've got absolutely no clue about.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Mmm. I suppose this means, for the first time, that we're on the same equal playing field.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Huh? What do you mean by that?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	That… ridiculous song of yours. The one you sing when you're off to pester me.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	How does it go again? You say you're going to see the terrible "King" of Hongyuan?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Does that not sound off to you?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Uh… maybe?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	I feel like I might've had some other word for it, but it's kinda left my brain.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	…So it has affected you too, huh?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	And here, I assumed the petulant, persistent stain on my vision of Rupture Society would actually be of assistance when it comes to my dilemma.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. What are you… talking about…?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	…Hang on. Come to think of it, I don't really know why I was going to pester you in the first place.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	The Arayashiki will do that, I suppose.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	One slash, and my entire purpose was cut to ribbons.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	But then again, I suppose… the lack of knowledge when it comes to my plight has become a weight lifted on the otherwise painful life I've had to live.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Does that mean… Are you saying…?
Devyat' Rodion stops walking for a moment, just looking forward as she stands. Her eyes begin to widen.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	You're… not… the Shard of Rupture Society.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	I do not know what gave you the impression that I was. I-
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	You're not the Shard of Rupture Society, and if you're not the Shard of Rupture Society, that means I've been trying to get revenge on you for no reason, and if I've been trying to get revenge on you for no reason, that means the Shard spot is open, and if the Shard spot has been open for this long-...
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	…Excuse me for one second.
Devyat' Rodya proceeds to sprint to the Heishou Houses Assembly area.
Whoa! Wow. She's gotten really good at going really fast.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Haaaah. I should have expected this.
Hongyuan's Hong Lu attempts to keep up to the best of his ability.
Location: Daguanyuan - Heishou Houses Assembly
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Haaah… Haaah… Haaah…
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	…Door's locked.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Guess I'm gonna have to bust it down. Polu!
Courier Trunk Polunitdsa	[Awaiting request.]
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Full power! This is a battened-down door we're going up against!
Courier Trunk Polunitdsa	[Output increase request confirmed.]
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Destiny… is so close…!
Devyat' Rodion wasn't gonna let this chance slip away. Not after what Devyat' Sinclair had told her the last time she did.
She uses her Courier Trunk's Decay Knife to slice an opening into the battened-down door.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	HellOOOOOO, DAGUANYUAN~!
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Are you tired of spamming Win Rate? Are you tired of the game being solved once you get five Gluttony resources?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Well, have I got the solution for-... you…?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	…Bunny Faust.
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Adept Faust	Is there any particular reason for this interruption, Miss Devyat' Rodion?
Well. This is an awkward sight, ain't it?
After stepping into the room and finally realizing what's going on, Devyat' Rodya sees someone already at the seat she herself was attempting to covet.
And not just anyone, but… the "dictator." Her words, not mine.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Why… Why are you…?
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Adept Faust	I thought it would've perhaps been obvious for your rather simpleton brain, but Hong Lu, if you may get her up to speed…?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	…
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	I was attempting to clue you in on this before you literally broke through the door.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Clue me in on what?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	If you're looking for the Shard of Rupture Society… it's her.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	…
No one says anything for a short while. Everyone, including the Heishou present in the room, just stares at each other.
The silence is palpable. Awkward, even.
And then… Devyat Rodion's face goes from devastation to an eerie smile.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	……No.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Noooo, nooooo. Noooo.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	What?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Noooo noooo noooo noooo nooonooonOOOONO- DON'T DO THAT!
Devyat' Rodya drops her Courier Trunk on the ground hard, the impact reverberating across the Assembly room.
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Ryōshū	J.C., W.T.F.? Jesus Christ, what the fuck?
Heishou Pack - You Branch Adept Heathcliff	The hell's wrong with her?
Family Hierarch Candidate Ishmael	執念……一種令人盲目不自知的執念。 Obsession... one which is blinded.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	T-This is… This is not how it's supposed to work!
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	How is this possible? M-My mind's not working fully right now, but I KNOW you're not meant to be there.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	What type of bullshit did you do?!
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Adept Faust	How utterly naive of you.
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Adept Faust	Do you assume I hold this responsibility by my own choices? No. It is the gluttonous pull of those beyond Faust's comprehension that have caused her to lead this new era for as long as I have.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	This… this doesn't make sense.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	I'm still fucking dreaming, aren't I? It's just one giant nightmare. I never woke up.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	None of this makes sense to me! Hong Lu, when the fuck did you succeed your power to this… this monster?!
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	…As far as I remember, Devyat' Rodion, she has always had it. That is why I had repeatedly said we. It was myself at the driver's seat, sure, but she had given me the directions.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	That doesn't work, though!
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	You taking her directions?! She's been taking your orders for months!
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Adept Faust	I suppose I just… like being useful. Allowing Hong Lu to be my voice allows me to do what I need to do way easier.
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Adept Faust	This truth sounds suitable, yes? While I may rely on him for intelligence… truly, I believe this role was perhaps always mine to begin with.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	But… but then…
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Didn't Hong Lu have the leashes to you all? All those fuckin' OP Capstone Statuses? Leash-holder of All Heishou, Life from Death [死中求活], Heishou Bolus Contamination [黑獸丸染]… Tarnished Blood?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	I do not remember having those first three you said. I do remember Tarnished Blood, however. And for what it's worth, I do have my Rupture and Poise.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	But then-... But if that's the case-... But-...
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	I'm chasing a dead end.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	This entire rebellion hinged on the belief that you were the-... What even… What even is this new Rupture regime? For every one head that gets chopped, two more replace it.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Would… would anything I do even matter?
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Adept Faust	Statistically, probably not. However, you are welcome to try. I could use the entertainment from our most favorite jester.
Heishou Pack - Si Branch Rodion	Oh, and what a jester she is, isn't she, Lady Faust~?
Heishou Pack - Si Branch Rodion	A worthless, hollow relic of a bygone era who should have realized her spot was filled a loooooong time ago…
Heishou Pack - Si Branch Rodion	But, at the same time… I really must appreciate your groundwork, my elder.
Heishou Pack - Si Branch Rodion	Were it not for your prehistoric conditional and your crutch of a gameplay style, there would not have been a reason for us to exist. Perhaps… in a sense, the problem has always been you.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	………
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	I… I believe that may be enough, Heishou Packs.
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Adept Faust	No, nono. …Keep going. I don't think she's gotten the point yet.
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Outis	But of course, Lady Faust. I have prepared a meticulous 153-page packet of counterarguments, should we need them.
Heishou Pack - Wu Branch Adept Yi Sang	If I may ask, why don't we create a new monthly tradition? One that can take place every 15th of the month. A three-hour prayer … for all the IDs who had to suffer under the reign of Talisman so that Rupture could thrive.
Heishou Pack - Wei Branch Don Quixote	Ah, or mayhaps on the 15th, we could partake in a three-hour banquet!

...They're chanting numbers at her. 15/3… the conditional of Old Rupture Society, enacted after Red Sheet Sinclair's chokehold on Rupture's Meta. 15 for Potency, 3 for Count…
A limitation meant to be a correction, but one that overcorrected. And it was never looked at again once Red Sheet was bricked and the Heishou arrived…
As the Heishou chant those numbers, Devyat' Rodya began to mentally shut down.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Shut up… Shut UP… Be QUIET…
She's… not seeming all too happy right now, is she?
No. No, she does not.
And oddly enough, the only person seeming to audibly speak up about this is the one who once claimed to be the Shard.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	…They were… not like this months ago…
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	A-Ah! Devyat' Rodion?
Devyat' Rodya falls, using her knees and her hands to make sure she doesn't fall over all the way. Her body's visibly trembling.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Shutupshutupshutupshutupshutuuuuupppp…!
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	It's not my fault… It's not fair!
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Are… Are you alright?
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	SHUT UP!
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Devyat' Rodion, I'm being serious. I'm trying to-
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	I SAID SHUT UP! I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	It's happening again. It's a fucking loop, I'm stuck in a cycle, I'm stuck in a cycle.
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	Relevancy into irrelevancy, use into replacement, it happens everywhere I fucking go. What, are the Devyat' Association gonna replace me, too?! Get some unintelligent robot to do my job but better???
Devyat' Assoc. North Section 3 Rodion	I… I gotta…
Forgetting her Courier Trunk along the way, Devyat' Rodion enacts Strategic R&R Mode, retreating to whence she came.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	…
Hongyuan's Hong Lu then turned to his allies.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Was that not too much?
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Since when were you all this… threatening?! And abrasive?
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Adept Faust	…
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Adept Faust	…Ah.
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Adept Faust	My apologies, Hong Lu. I… I do not know what came over me.
Heishou Pack - Wu Branch Adept Yi Sang	Likewise. The sensation just now, it felt… off.
The hell do they mean by that?
It seems like you may not be the only one who wants to know the answer to that question. Hongyuan's Hong Lu looks on, confused as the Heishou return to a placated state.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	What do you mean, you don't know?!
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Adept Faust	…Do you recall those voices you always said you were hearing?
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Adept Faust	I think…
Heishou Pack - Mao Branch Adept Faust	I think we may be beginning to understand what you mean.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	No…
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	No, I thought this was just a Capstone feature.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	The voices beyond… they affect anyone that seat hits, doesn't it? And then it trickles like a waterfall…
Heishou Pack - Si Branch Rodion	…Oh, is that what that was?
Heishou Pack - Si Branch Rodion	I joined 'cause I didn't like her. Needy ass.
Heishou Pack - Si Branch Gregor	You do realize by calling her needy, you're calling yourself needy too, right?
Heishou Pack - Si Branch Rodion	…
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	I do not know… how the hell we are going to do this.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	But we need to somehow undo Bladeshu's slash on me. If only so that… you all do not have to hold the burden I was forced to hold.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	I must go see big brother Kong Qiu's Mohist contacts. They may provide answers to this phenomenon.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Do not follow.
Carrying the Courier Trunk Devyat' Rodion left behind, Hongyuan's Hong Lu walks out of the Assembly hall.
Courier Trunk Polunitdsa	[Error. Unauthorized usage registered by unknown variable. Return to Devyat' Association personnel, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov before-]
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Shut up. We shall deal with that later.
Courier Trunk Polunitdsa	[...Well, fuck you too, bitch. I'm just trying to do my job.]
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	Your "job" has been slightly altered.
The #$&# of Hongyuan Hong Lu	…I won't carry you for long. I just need coordinates to Mount Liang.
Courier Trunk Polunitdsa	[Fine. Now giving you the closest coordinates…]
Location: La Manchaland Area 1
Meanwhile, in Bleed Society…
Will You Play?	Can I open my eyes yet, Mister Heathcliff…?
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	In a second, lass!
The Middle Little Brother Meursault	Who… is this?
The Middle Little Sister Don Quixote	Big Brother, is this an adolescent?! When did you procreate???
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	Uh, I didn't. …Last I checked, anyway. You can open your eyes now, buddy!
Will You Play?	W-Whooooaaaaa…
Will You Play?	My friends! From before! You were right!
Will You Play?	They're all here… Well, most of them. What happened to-
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	I keep tryin' to tell ya I dunno who you're talkin' about. Far as I remember, it was always the four of us.
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	Ah, but then again, there was… that one lass I felt bad for. Sounded real young. Had a hoodie.
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	Are we talking about Kira, Big Bro?
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	Well, no, but… yes? Kinda. Think her hair might've been different. And her voice.
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	It's weird. The Middle never forgets these sorts of things, but I never got around to writing up what happened in the Book, so I've got no clue what I'm tryin' to recall.
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	But anyway! These are my Little Bros and my one Little Sis. Sinclair, Meursault, and Don Quixote.
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	Though I usually call 'em Chicken Lad, Brick Shithouse Lad, and Knight Lass.

Will You Play?	Hiiiiii!!!
The Middle Little Brother Meursault	…Someone Big Brother has familiarity with, I see.
The Middle Little Brother Meursault	As members of the Middle, for as long as you are here, it will be our job to protect you.
Will You Play?	Eh?
Will You Play?	Why're they actin' like they don't know who I am, Mister Heathcliff?
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	Well, I keep tryin' to tell ya those versions of us you were playin' with were Envy Peccatulums.
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	Envy Peccatulums…?
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	Wait. She was in the Railway, wasn't she?
The Middle Little Sister Don Quixote	Oooooh! Now that Younger Brother Sinclair hath mentioned it, I do recall hearing about this Abnormality's section from mine own sister who runs this Society!
The Middle Little Sister Don Quixote	This individual is known as "Will You Play?", the Abnormality seen within Section 3 of Refraction Railway 6!
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	Yeah, that makes sense…
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	What exactly does she do?
The Middle Little Sister Don Quixote	She engages in the thrilling pastime known as "Boulder, Parchment, Trimmers," I believe.
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	…Do you mean Rock, Paper, Scissors?
Will You Play?	!!! Do you play it too, Mister Sinclair?
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	Eh. Used to… in my youth. Wanna go a round?
Will You Play?	YES!!!!!
Will You Play? and Little Brother Sinclair then start playing the children's game.
Will You Play?	Rock, Paper, Scissors, shoot! I'll go fer Scissors. How 'bout you?
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	I pick Rock.
Will You Play?	…
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	…
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	What? Why's everyone looking at me like that?
The Middle Little Brother Meursault	I believe you have fucked up, fellow Little Brother.
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	Why? All I did was- Is that three Unbreakable Coins.
Almost immediately, Little Brother Sinclair found out why winning against Will You Play? was a mistake. He, Little Brother Meursault, and Little Sister Don Quixote were all cut up by Will You Play?'s scissors. Thankfully, however, she did seem to spare a little mercy on them, only leaving them hurt instead of outright killed.
Big Brother Heathcliff shakes his head and shrugs.
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	Rookie mistake, lad. Learned the hard way. NEVER win Rock, Paper, Scissors against this Abno.
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	Agggh… Noted, Big Brother…
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	Perhaps we should… put that in the Book, no…?
The Middle Little Brother Meursault	The "don't ever do that again" strategem…
The Middle Little Brother Meursault	Not since the days of my brethren in N Corp. and in the Blade Lineage have I seen a strategy be employed.
The Middle Little Brother Meursault	Big Brother, where did this individual come from?
The Middle Little Sister Don Quixote	I was henceforth pondering this same query…
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	Oh, cool, glad it's not just me. Fuck. My arms…
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	Hmm… Actually, lads, that's a pretty good question. I'unno...
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	The Brick Shithouse lad might've had a point, though. Ain't this exactly what Bamboo-hatted Kim used to be doin'?
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	And I have heard he's been… "getting around," if y'know what I mean.
The Middle Little Sister Don Quixote	Sir Big Brother Heathcliff, I apologize in advance, but I do not know what you-
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	Sex.
The Middle Little Sister Don Quixote	Ah.
The Middle Little Sister Don Quixote	…Wait, but would this not completely contradict how Abnormalities are-
Bamboo-hatted Kim	Siente la aura.
The Middle Little Sister Don Quixote	AHHHH! T-T-T-T-T-The Kim of the Bamboo Hats!
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	Speak of the devil and he shall appear, eh?
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	Oi! How's child support goin', Kimmie boy? We know this prolly ain't the only one you need to take care of, right~?
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	How did he even get here so fast…?
Is there context I'm not getting? Has Kim been getting around since we've been dead?
Not to my knowledge… And not to his either, evidently, as he facepalms and looks at Big Brother Heathcliff with a glare.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	I do not know the countless number of times I have had to dispel this rumor. No. I do not "get around" with my Salsus.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	And that child over there is so clearly not mine; even a blind man can see it.
Location: Hana Association North Building, Orientation Room
S Corp. Ch'unokkun Hong Lu	…
Han-ul	…
S Corp. Ch'unokkun Hong Lu	Is the process of checking in usually this long?
Han-ul	No, no, we're just… waiting for your kit reveal to come in. You're not as easy to pinpoint as the other one.
S Corp. Ch'unokkun Hong Lu	Ah, right.
S Corp. Ch'unokkun Hong Lu	…
Han-ul	Can you, like… see? Under that?
S Corp. Ch'unokkun Hong Lu	Perfectly fine~
Han-ul	How?
S Corp. Ch'unokkun Hong Lu	Magic~
Han-ul	…Fair enough.
S Corp. Ch'unokkun Hong Lu	But while we're asking questions back and forth here, what other one?
LCD OSIR Team Ishmael	Hi, okay, so I filled out all the info needed to sort out the rest of my information. Do I just-...
S Corp. Ch'unokkun Hong Lu	…
LCD OSIR Team Ishmael	You're a Ch'unokkun.
S Corp. Ch'unokkun Hong Lu	Mhm.
LCD OSIR Team Ishmael	You're an S Corp. Ch'unokkun.
S Corp. Ch'unokkun Hong Lu	Yep!
LCD OSIR Team Ishmael	Respectfully, I have to get the fuck out of here.
S Corp. Ch'unokkun Hong Lu	I'll give you an hour's head start~
Location: La Manchaland Area 1
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	I mean, in fairness, sir, it's quite obviously clear where my Big Brother gets the idea from that someone whose whole identity is "Go ahead. Win the clash." could've fathered an Abnormality whose whole identity is "Go ahead. Win the clash."
Bamboo-hatted Kim	T-That is a pure coincidence!
The Middle Little Brother Meursault	Are you sure?
Bamboo-hatted Kim	Yes???
Bamboo-hatted Kim	What about me possibly exudes fatherhood? As far as we know, my entire clan, save for one individual, is dead.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	Goodness sake… This is almost as bad as when Lei Heng assumed this of me in Antagonists Anonymous when the Railway came out.
Location: Antagonists Anonymous Meeting Room, Flashback
Lei Heng	Look, all I'm sayin' is that there are some clear dots bein' connected here that you don't want connected for some odd reason.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	What are you talking about?
Lei Heng	That new Abno! Does the whole... kills ya on Clash Lose thing. Kinda like you.
Lei Heng	Didn't expect ya to get around, if y'know what I mean. Heheh~
Bamboo-hatted Kim	What?
Bamboo-hatted Kim	What is the implication here? I-I do not "get around." This is not a thing I do. I study the blade.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	What gives you the impression that I get around?!
Lei Heng	Well, I was visiting Poise Society recently after the whole "Project Yoshihide" thingamabob, tryin' to see if my world's Yoshihide was around…
Wait, are we doing a flashback inside of a flashback?
Location: Former House of Statuses Index Corridor, Flashback The Second
CRASH!
Lei Heng	Yo! Shihide! Are you here?
Lei Heng	…Huh. No one around, eh?
Lei Heng	Figures as much. Prolly takin' a break while they're still in the middle of renovations.
Lei Heng	Eh. I'll just leave a note that I was here some-... Why the hell am I hearing bedsqueaks?
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	That, my friend, is what a certain Bamboo-hatted FUCK has been doing for the past few months, apparently. Even in our damn Full-Stop Office.
Lei Heng	Are you so deadass?
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Never noticed it before 'cause Hong Lu usually had noise cancellers installed all around our base.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	I haven't had the time to install them here yet, though…

A Very Familiar Individual in a Bamboo Hat	Call me the cushy the way I get pussy.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	He has been at this for days. Do he and those Salsus lack the need to rest?
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Yeah, like, I understand this is a Feudal thing, but fuck… Could find a fuckin' hotel to do this shit in, at least. Hong Lu knows a few pretty good kezhans.
Lei Heng	'Hwell now… Guess there's more than just a Lineage of Blades that mentor's been takin' care of! Hahahahaha!
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	You're paying us for that wall you broke, by the way.
Lei Heng	No, the fuck I am not.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Understandable.
Location: Antagonists Anonymous Meeting Room, Flashback
Bamboo-hatted Kim	…
Bamboo-hatted Kim	Have you forgotten that it is not just me who wears a Bamboo Hat and belongs to Poise Society?
Lei Heng	In my defense, it could've been either one o' ya, and it's way funnier for me to pretend it's you.
Lei Heng	Doesn't help that she calls you "daddy" either.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	WHAT.
Erlking Heathcliff	She is also a child. And due to the fact that Abnormalities do not age, she will forever stay a child.
Erlking Heathcliff	I think she just does this to anyone who looks older and is a man.
Lei Heng	I do NOT wanna hear that from your schizophrenic ass!
Erlking Heathcliff	MY ASS is SANE, thank you very much!
Bamboo-hatted Kim	I did not think I would be appreciating an assist from the Erlking, of all people…
Ahab	Okay, so, Kim may or may not have engaged in intercourse. Who exactly cares?
Ahab	The thrill of sex means NOTHING next to the thrill of a hunt on the open sea!
Lei Heng	Spoken like a true virgin.
Ahab	I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW I HAVE BEEN, AS THE KIDS SAY, "CRACKING" AS OF RECENTLY MYSELF!
Zilu	I need this entire conversation to go to Hell and die.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	Agreed…
Location: La Manchaland Area 1
The Middle Little Brother Sinclair	So, wait, you mean to tell me that those rumors about you and your Salsus were falsely attributed?
Bamboo-hatted Kim	Yes! I have been trying to say this! I do not "get around" with my Salsus!
Bamboo-hatted Kim	With all this work I've been doing as part of Limbus Company now, I rarely even have the time for recreational activities… Not that I have been DOING any in the first place!
The Middle Little Sister Don Quixote	Mmm. That sort of false attribution is worth about three different infractions in the Book alone, were it to happen to one of us…
The Middle Little Sister Don Quixote	What say you, small child?
Will You Play?	…
Will You Play?	Daddy?
Bamboo-hatted Kim	Do I LOOK LIKE- Okay. No. I am done. I yield my arguments to claim this embarrassment.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	Never mind the fact that the only Salsu I could have possibly ever done such an activity with is Aeng-du, who DOES NOT SEE ME THAT WAY- No, no, I must keep my composure.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	…
Bamboo-hatted Kim	If I asked you to come with me, would you stop calling me your father?
Will You Play?	Daddy!!!
Bamboo-hatted Kim	I guess that is a no.
The Middle Little Brother Meursault	Huh. Despite his prior apprehension, he is taking this… in stride.
The Middle Big Brother Heathcliff	Sometimes, Meur, ya gotta just roll with the punches. …Or the slices, I guess.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	I suppose this would help me as I wait for the next adventure I am a part of. What is it called again… Mnestic… Experience?
Bamboo-hatted Kim	I shall see some of you in Mnestic Experience. I think.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	Let us depart, small child who is not my kid.
Will You Play?	Okay, daddy!
Bamboo-hatted Kim	This is going to be a field day to explain to Aeng-du…
Bamboo-hatted Kim departs Bleed Society, holding the hand of a child he insists with his life is not his by blood.
I mean, he's right. That's not how Abnormalities work.
...Hmm… Unless he thought of her, maybe?
Ayin, I really do not want to think of this any more than I have to. I-
...Actually, wait. Hang on. D'ya think you can handle this last part by yourself? Some… quite interesting developments came up all of a sudden.
What do you mean by tha-... She disappeared before I could even see what she meant.
Alright, well… guess you Children of the City are dealing with Uncle Ayin riding solo for right now. I do wanna see what's up with Burn Society, in any case…
But first, maybe we should check in on some recently invited guests to this world's near-infinite possibilities.
Location: An Unknown Hospital
Kira	Mister, do we HAVE to visit these bozos? They'd prolly find their way out eventually…
Hohenheim	While this may be true, I doubt any of them are privy to the knowledge of what to do after the fact, apart from the one who always pays attention to his beeper.
Hohenheim	It will not be long. You may stay behind me the entire time, if you wish.
Kira	Yeah, I guess that'd make it… less buns. Really don't feel like staring Papa in the eye right about now.
Kira	…Hey, if everyone who dies ends up here, do you think-
Hohenheim	Don't.
Hohenheim	Even if he were, it would be a mere facsimile to me. His genius cannot simply be "transferred" to this place as if it had never left.
Kira	…I was gonna ask if those people I don't remember maybe have a chance of popping up here. Y'know, the ones cut down by Yoshihide's super OP sword of doom and despair?
Hohenheim	Ah. Right.
Hohenheim	Well, the likelihood of that is low, but never zero. Why? Do you miss them?
Kira	Hard to miss people you can't remember… It's more that I'm just curious.
Kira	Wish I took a few pictures of 'em or somethin' to jog my memory.
Approaching the door with the same nonchalant attitude he usually has for most things, Hohenheim turns the handle.
On the other side is what's left of the House of Spiders, all confined into one large recovery room. Not all of them were awake yet, however. It was just Rien and Callisto who were up and about.

Rien	…Ah. The Prescript has once again not steered me wrong.
Rien	You must be Mister Hohenheim, yes?
Hohenheim	That I am… One of your colleagues should already be quite familiar with me.
Callisto	The man who had dared to trick an artist of my caliber. It is delightful to see you again.
Callisto	Tell me, once I am reprocessed, shall we continue our prior conversation from eons ago?
Hohenheim	I'd rather we not, if that's fine with you.
Hohenheim	…Didn't expect her to be with you all.
Rien	You refer to Shiomi, yes?
The three men turn their collective attention to the former Dihui Star.
Rien	It is… tragic… that her sought-out ending was undone due to this world's rules. Yet another sin done by-... Done by…
Rien	Who was that man who had taken my visage for his own? I keep trying to remember him, but unfortunately, my daughter's sword across all timelines is too powerful.
Callisto	Well, given that Project House of Spiders technically reached completion, I doubt the Pinky of this world will mind much if she's out and about…
Callisto	The only question is… what exactly do we all do now?
Callisto	The majority of my later years have been spent nurturing and caring for that girl, Yoshihide, and now, in this afterlife, I… find that not much has meaning.
Hohenheim	Well… how many of you are actually registered as an Honorary Member of a Society by now?
Rien	I am.
Hohenheim	…And?
Rien	It appears it is just me.
Hohenheim	Of course.
Hohenheim looks over at Kira with a disinterested glare.
Hohenheim	You would know of these individuals more than me… Where would they belong primarily, not discussing Dual Custody? Which they all most likely belong to.
Kira	Dihui Grandma's Poise, Robo Unc and Albibi are definitely Bleed, my Papa's most likely also Bleed because he was part of the Middle, and Wine Mom and Punching Bag are Tremor.
Hohenheim	Yeah, that-... Wait. Why Tremor for the Thumb?
Kira	I dunno, just… vibes? I know they do Tremor - Scorch, but I feel like they provide for Tremor more than Burn, y'dig?
Hohenheim	That does not make sense. They provide for the Burn Tremor specifically.
Kira	It's just vibes, man. When I was seein' them in action, they felt more Tremor than Burn.
Callisto	Matthias's little one is here?
Callisto	But were you not disintegrated into those weird numerical lines during your scuffle within the Middle Corridor days ago?
Kira	Oh, uh… Nah, that was, like, my imposter 'n' shit. Sussus Amongus, y'know?
BEEP.
Rien	Hermes told me to tell you that's a dead meme and you should be ashamed of yourself.
Kira	Oh yeah? Well, uh… Y-You're dead! Like, ACTUALLY dead.
Kira	Boom. Gottem. Roasted.
Kira	…
Rien	…
BEEP.
Rien	Hermes told me-
Kira	You don't have to tell me, man. I know that clapback was a two-pack of ass.
Kira	Hana Association should be here to pick y'all up in a few minutes; we got shit to do.
Rien	So the others can get registered, I assume?
Kira	Yep! Triple H already gave 'em all the necessary info with his tech. Ain't he cool?
Hohenheim	I am not a child. You do not have to hype me up.
Hohenheim	…
Hohenheim	Though, while we're here, I'd like to ask you two something.
Hohenheim	Does it feel good? Being able to escape the Spider's Web… even if it is only after you've reached the afterlife.
Rien	It… it is a bittersweet feeling.
Rien	I am free, but still shackled. It is almost as if I never left that place at all.
Rien	Though honestly, I despair more over the fate of that daughter of mine from that parallel world. The Blade of the House of Spiders…
Callisto	Her treatment, evidently, was quite cruel. The story Valencina procured for us outlined that quite well.
Callisto	…The one detail I do not understand is…
Callisto	How could any of the Nursefathers in any world do all of that to Yoshihide? Do they not understand how important she is to Project House of Spiders succeeding?
Callisto	It is almost as if she was not even the original child they had ended up with in that world to begin with.
Kira	…
Hohenheim	…
Callisto	…What?
Callisto	What, am I onto something?
Kira	I believe this is the part where Mister and I go bye-bye.
Callisto	Wha- Come on! If I am onto something here, the least you two can do is illuminate me, yes?
Hohenheim	This is not a conversation we are meant to divulge in, I'm afraid.
Hohenheim	Everything happens for a reason. This is all I will say.
Quickly, Hohenheim and Kira depart the room, leaving Callisto unsatisfied and Rien with… a very small smile on his face.
Rien	It appears they just told you to save the ending of that story for another time, my friend.
Callisto	I… suppose so.
The two Nursefathers, along with the rest of those who remain in the House of Spiders, then waited for the Hana Association to pick them up.
Meanwhile, paying attention to Hohenheim and Kira again…
Location: A-Team Transporter Truck
Kira	Haaah… Honestly? Glad Papa wasn't awake to see me. That reunion was already awkward the first time.
Hohenheim	I am well aware.
Hohenheim	Though I imagine our illustrious colleague here had it worse.
Kira	Oh yeah… The Red Gaze.
From the driver's seat, Vergilius looks back with the same cold stare he usually does.
Vergilius	I take it they have been adequately prepared for the arrival of the Hana Association?
Kira	Yep, yep! Didn't take too long either, thankfully.
Kira	What's next on the agenda, Color Fixerino?
Vergilius	We will be debriefing within the A-Team's Base of Operations. Currently, the plan is looking into how the rest of us can assist with our members within the LCD Division of the A-Team and their preparations for Mnestic Experience.
Kira	Pffft. D'ya really think the Wishmaker's gonna let those OP guys assist again after how good they were during Yoshi-... Ryōshū's turn?
Vergilius	Most likely not… But there is a future induction we may have to consider which comes from the LCD.
Kira	Oh yeeeeeahhhh… that cool Salsu chick. Aeng-du, right?
Kira	She was really badass facing Papa like that. I should get her autograph sometime or somethin'.
Matthias	Oh? Does my kiddo have a crush all of a sudden~?
Kira	AH!
Kira jumps back in surprise for a moment before seeing Matthias pop up at the entrance to the Transporter Truck.

Kira	…You.
Matthias	Ah, c'mon, Princess. Don't be like that!
Matthias	I might've messed up one time, but… it was for family! We could've won!
Kira	…
Hohenheim	Make your business quick and then depart.
Matthias	Alright, alright, sheesh. Tough crowd.
Matthias	Listen, buddy. I've been… reflecting. After dying twice now.
Matthias	And… I want to… I-... I wanna…
Matthias	I would like to apologize. For killing you.
Matthias	After all that bullshit back in that ripoff Spider House, I realized just how… important you are to me. Not just as an Apprentice, but as a makeshift daughter.
Matthias	So… whenever you'll give me the chance, doesn't have to be now, I want to learn how to be the Papa you need me to be instead of-
Kira	You're saying all this just to get on my good side and then possibly sacrifice me again when the going gets tough, aren't you?
Matthias	…Buddy, do you seriously think that low of me?
Matthias	It was a one-time thing! I promise!
Kira	Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Sure. Don't make me get the Bee on your ass, man.
Matthias	You wouldn't fucking DARE.
Kira	Try me, bitch! Try me!
Vergilius	Enough.
Vergilius	Matthias, as someone who has watched children before, the least you can do is pretend you mean any of the shit you're saying.
Vergilius	Try to live without your Princess for a bit. Try to live without anyone you will so easily sacrifice for your goals.
Vergilius	…Only then will you truly understand why Kira has not taken the steps to forgive you yet.
Matthias	C'mon, man! I even have a ukulele!
Hohenheim	There is no way you're this tone deaf.
Kira	Listen, Papa, we can talk about this when I ain't knee deep in paperwork. Now… get out… of the truck…!
Matthias	K-Kiddo, please!
Hohenheim and Kira, using their combined strength, push Matthias out and then shut the door. Vergilius then steps on the gas, leaving Matthias standing on the street.
Matthias	…Kiddo…?
Valencina	Oi, Matthias! Move your ass! We gotta go do boring ass paperwork.
Matthias	…
Shiomi Yoru gives Matthias a comforting pat on the back.
Shiomi Yoru	Your whole world collapsed in an instant just now, didn't it?
Shiomi Yoru	Now you've felt a fraction of my pain.
Matthias	…Goddamnit, why couldn't your ghostly ass just stay dead?
Shiomi Yoru	I am not happy about this either, believe me.
Location: Liu Assoc. South Headquarters
This just leaves us with Burn Society.
Currently, Bladeshu and Liu Rodion are in the middle of what Liu Rodion calls a "brain exercise." I'm not exactly sure what she's attempting to achieve with it.
...It just looks like she's trying to give Bladeshu a therapy lesson, honestly.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Okay. So I have cards with pictures in my hand right now. When I show you the cards, I want you to give me a word or phrase that you associate with that card, and then any memories that associate with that word or phrase, okay?
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Okay…
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Here is the first one.
Upon showcasing the first card, Bladeshu sees a picture of a child and her mother resting safely in the same bed.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	What do you see? What word or phrase comes to mind?
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	…Sanctuary.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	I do not remember why this gives me the feeling of one, but I know that this is a sanctuary.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Okay…
The second card is the same as the first, but the mother is cropped out. Only the child remains.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	What word do you associate with this now?
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	…Mirror.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Mirror? Why a mirror?
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	I do not know.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	This child's… peaceful life… gives me a feeling of warmth that reflects back onto me.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	I see, I see…
Liu Rodya moves on to the next card, an image of a spider resting on a web it has created.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	What's this evoking?
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	I think…
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Torture.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	This insect is trapped in a labyrinth with no exit, destined for bigger things but forced into a path of mediocrity and erosion. It will never be able to leave. It will dream of such pleasures all of its life, but all roads will lead back to the labyrinth.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	…
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	I see.
Liu Rodya moves on to another card, an image of a bar area stocked with only the finest of drinks.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Any feeling here?
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	…
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Crutch.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	A vice used to substitute talking to people for your problems. A weakness. Often associated with feelings of anger… A hollow life.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Yeah, that checks out.
Liu Rodya pulls another card. It features a man praying to a deity-like figure.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Anything?
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	…Aimlessness.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	The man in this photo feels adrift. On autopilot. They've turned to this God for guidance, not knowing if the guidance is out of the goodness of its heart or of its own boredom.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	The fool has no idea he's signed his life away. Or maybe he does… and just doesn't care.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Okay, okay… We might be getting somewhere.
Another card. It's a shelf of comic books.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Anything?
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Lethargy…
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	The shelf represents wasting away in its purest form, tuning out the world around you.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	While the joy may be sustainable in the short-term, ultimately, this is yet another distraction, one perhaps given by an individual of minimal mental maturity.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Okay…
Another card. It's a room full of blank canvases and art supplies.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Anything?
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Pointlessness.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	The owner of this gallery isn't going to do anything useful other than self-flagellate their ego with what they call "art." It will all end up as meaningless drivel, banal and unoriginal.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	I see…
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	There's two more, okay?
The second to last card is a room full of vaults, most likely seen in what is meant to be a bank.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	What do you-
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Ghk!
Bladeshu, not even thinking hard about it, uses the Dihui Star's Blade to cut the card in half.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Eep!
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	…Sorry.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	(Should've known you'd be a little more cautious about that one in particular…)
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	…No… No, it's okay. I'm sorry.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	I don't know what made me react so violently to that.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Though all I can think of when I see something like that is… a prison. "Prison" is my word.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Yeah, that's fair…
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Let me just… show you the last card, okay?
The last card Liu Rodya had showcased a few pictures of Araya, most likely one borrowed from Limbus Company.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Any word coming to mind here?
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	…
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	This is that "Araya" individual, yes?
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Mhm.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Right. She is…
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	…There are a few words I can associate her with, actually. Amongst the few I've already said, "Sanctuary" and "Mirror" both definitely fit.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	But for some reason, I also think of the word…
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Mother.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Mother…?
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Interesting. Is she perhaps reminding you of your maternal instincts, maybe?
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	No…
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	The word is meant to refer to what I see from the image, right?
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Well, yeah. But why would-... Why does seeing your kid make you think of… her like that?
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	If I knew, I'd say why.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Okay, fair…
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	So, to recap. A mother and a daughter together evoke a feeling of sanctuary. The daughter only makes you see a mirror. A spider's web evokes torture.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	You see alcohol, you think a crutch. You see a church, you think about aimlessness. You see comics, you think about lethargy. You see an art studio, you think of pointlessness. The vaults evoke a sense of a prison.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	And when you see Araya, you think of sanctuaries, a mirror, and… a mother.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Are there any memories that you can associate to any of these words?
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Hmm…
Bladeshu attempts to think really, really, REALLY hard.
And then, something comes to mind… This very same something, however, causes Bladeshu to hold her head in pain.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Nnngh… "Buddy…"
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Wha- Huh? What are you seeing?
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	"Is that… you…?"
Location: ??? - A Mirror World Somewhere Far Away
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■	Buddy…? Buddy, is that you? It's you, right?
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■ ■■	Yes, she is. Have you no eyes? Now be silent; your braggadocio is as distracting as ever.
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■	…She has reached the end of her homeward journey.
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■	Hah. You've got some fuckin' nerve, coming home after that shit you pulled when you left— …The hell? You let some fools beat your ass out there? Why're you so bloodied up? And who the fuck is that brat?
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■	Who dared to hurt our-
Location: Liu Assoc. South Headquarters
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Agh!
Bladeshu's focus is disrupted by a headache she's getting.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	H-Hey, hey, breathe. Easy. Easy…
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Breathe in… and breathe out.
Bladeshu holds her chest and breathes in and out slowly as instructed by Liu Rodya.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	There you go, buddy. Just… relax.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	…This… really isn't working, isn't it? I'm sorry, I feel like I'm kinda just trying to put a square in a circle hole, Shū.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	It is okay. The fact that you're attempting to try is… not what I expected at all.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Why wouldn't I? You matter to me.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	…
Bladeshu looks down and twiddles her gloved thumbs at that, genuinely not expecting the response. Liu Rodya does not notice, however.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	O-Okay, what else can we try? What will help easily jog your memories…
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Maybe I can try talking to you about Burn instead! Do you, uh… do the words "Dark Flame" mean anything to you???
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Not at all, unfortunately.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Damn.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	…
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	That is all the Burn-related stuff I could use. I mean, I guess there's Tremor - Scorch, but that feels more like Tremor than it is Burn, so it's like, I dunno, I feel like I'd be cheating.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Why?
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Why what?
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Why is… "Tremor - Scorch"... not Burn?
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	!!!
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	(Oh shit. Okay, okay, calm down, Rodya. You might've had this conversation with her before, but she hasn't. Gotta pretend it's new and see if it jogs anything.)
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	W-Well, uh… It's the principal of the thing, y'know?
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Even though it's fueled by both Burn and Tremor together and takes Burn count away, it's more of a Tremorlike property, which is why it counts more as a Tremor form than it does a Burn form.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Mmm…
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Yeah, okay, that's fair.

Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Oh, COME ON!
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	S-Sorry?
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Huh? …No, no, it's my fault. I got excited.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	We had this conversation before, didn't we?
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Yeah. You went on, like, a whole 20 minute rant on why Tremor - Scorch is valid Burn. It was hilarious.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Told me how it may be a form of Tremor, but it relies on Burn to exist, so really, it feels like Tremor owes us rather than us owing them… It was adorable. I didn't realize you could get so passionate about something like that.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	…I didn't either.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	I let a lot more of my guard down with you than I thought, huh?
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	I tend to do that to people~
As soon as Liu Rodya starts playfully bragging, Manager Don Quixote opens the door with a key Liu Rodya lent her.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	And speaking of… Hi, Manager Donqui~
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	Salutations, Miss Liu Rodion. Hello, Project Yoshihide.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	You know you don't gotta call her that, yeah?
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	It's easier to say compared to her full name, in my defense. Also prevents me from just saying "Ryōshū" and confusing myself even further.
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	You are still trying to restore her memories, yes?
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Mhm! Nothing's working the way I hope it would, though… Did ya ask Full-Stop Hong Lu about that whole "reverse engineering Life Insurance" plan I thought about last night?
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	You mean your "ingenious idea" to take all the good parts of Life Insurance and remove the part where it messes with the brain of the one being insured?
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	Yeah, uh, allow me to just bring the Full-Stop Office to you so they can tell you what they told me verbatim.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Hello~!
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Haaah… Y'know, I was kinda terrified that we'd walk in here whilst the Bloodfiend lass and the arson lass were getting it on.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	W-We would NOT have immediately just started doing that the moment she walked in the door!
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Are you sure ya wouldn't have?
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Wha- YES?!
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	…Just tell me what you need to tell me already.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Your idea, while novel, is not possible. This is for two reasons: I'd have to go to Hongyuan for that, which is bad for all of us because you already know the Heishou are going to make this process extremely stressful, and even if they wouldn't, you're suggesting that memory retrieval is as easy as "reverse-engineering" the brain. It isn't.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Memories are deeply embedded into one's thoughts… Once they get corrupted, any unnatural tinkering of the brain could cause it to lose those memories forever.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Meanin' we'd risk the one thread possible for her to regain 'em in the first place.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Ahhh, right, right. So, bad idea. Very, very, VERY bad idea. Do not do.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Pretty much.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Haaah… What the hell do we doooooo?
Liu Rodya stands up and starts to pace back and forth in front of Manager Don and the Full-Stop duo, clearly stressed.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Can't jog 'em with flash cards, can't jog 'em in normal conversation, can't jog 'em with Life Insurance… Shū, your memories got hands, man.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	This blade of mine, the Arayashiki… it is as much of a help as it is a hindrance.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	It should not have been as used as much as I supposedly did use it that day. I'm surprised that when you all had found me, my brain was not completely hollowed out.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	You and me both…
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	I had attempted to warn you.
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	Restoring someone's memories isn't going to be a walk in the park. Thanks to the exploits of… every single Don Quixote that isn't myself, I would know.
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	When I released and I had realized the majority of them aside from LCB Don Quixote had never taken off their shoes, the two of us made a conscious effort to give them a crash course on the Manchegan bloodline. …Neither of us had stopped to consider what would happen when putting about seven feral Second Kindred Bloodfiends in one room. It had quickly turned into a bloodbath in there.
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	Thankfully, we had procedures properly figured out after the arrival of the second Cinq Don.
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	But if myself and my LCB sister could restore the memories of individuals who had practically taken a bath inside of Lethe and shouldn't have remembered a thing were it not for Rocinante, I believe Bladeshu's memories are still somewhere tucked safely within her as well. It will be harder, but not impossible.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Yeah, there's bound to be something we can do! We just have to dig around for it… Shouldn't be too difficult.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Yeah, but like, how? What exactly is the proper first step?
???	Maybe I can be of assistance?
As the five IDs were talking, Sunset Wayfarer slowly walked into the headquarters, to the delight of the majority of them.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Ohhhh shiiiit! Sunset Wayfarer!
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Hi, Sunset Wayfarer~!
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Hell yeah. Always good to see ya, lad.
Even Manager Don Quixote cannot resist giving a slight smile as Sunset Wayfarer's Scarlet Moths start flying around.
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	Has the sunset gotten glaring to look at all of a sudden? I did not think you would give us your presence so soon after the Railway.
Sunset Wayfarer	I can't help it, y'know? Seeing someone in need like this… reminds me of someone.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	…
Sunset Wayfarer	Usually, in situations like these, taking a breather helps me. But I imagine you cannot spare such time right now.
Sunset Wayfarer	You have a child here, wishing for her nostalgia to return so that she may recall the fuzzy feelings you used to give her… The recollection of the past while stuck in the present so that you may have a brighter future.
Sunset Wayfarer	Perhaps a visit to… the Butterfly of Entangled Lives might be an apt solution?
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	The Buttefly of Entangled Li- THATS IT! Its whole gimmick is being able to look into all possible times and stuff!
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	See, this is why I fuck with you, Sunset Wayfarer.
Liu Rodya walks over to Sunset Wayfarer and daps it up, the clap reverberating loudly across the headquarters.
Sunset Wayfarer	Hehehe. I'm truly glad I can be of assistance.
Sunset Wayfarer	Well, shall we depart now? Or do you wish to obtain some rest first? You do seem like you haven't let your body relax much in a short while, Liu Rodion.
Sunset Wayfarer	I did bring some sap, if you would like to drink from it.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Mmmm… Yeah, actually, that might be a good idea.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	But the moment I wake up, first thing we're all gonna do is find that Butterfly!
A few hours later…
Location: The Corridor of Entangled Lives
Bladeshu, Liu Rodya, Manager Don, the Full-Stop Duo, and Sunset Wayfarer slowly enter the battle background belonging to the Butterfly of Entangled Lives [羅生蝶].
It watches the visitors enter and, in Imago form, moves to greet it.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	So the wayfarer of the sunset has dared to traverse here and leave themselves once again entangled into my life… But what information does one such as yourself have to gleam?
Sunset Wayfarer	There is a child who has lost her way here, Butterfly. She aims to restore her memories.
Bladeshu slowly steps up to meet the Butterfly of Entangled Lives [羅生蝶].
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	…Hello.
A strange feeling hits her chest. A feeling of… resonance that only a Capstone could truly have. The Butterfly feels it too.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Present	Ah, shit… Yoshi, what the hell happened to ya?
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Future	Ain't no way… Ain't no way your memories got fanum taxed by that OP sword. Your shit's cooked, ain't it? Lemme inspect you with my hunter eyes.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	…I'm sorry, what the hell is the Butterfly saying?
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	I have no clue.

Sunset Wayfarer	It appears that, once transferred into the Refracted Rainbow™, the three phases of Butterfly all developed specific speech patterns based on which ally is in control of the Butterfly. Past is archaic, Future is too hip, and Present is somewhere in between. I've heard that Present's accent in particular is… "New Yorkian." Whatever that may mean.
The Butterfly had to recoil after seeing the inside of Bladeshu's brain for mere moments.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Present	Holy fuck! Gahdamn… That sword o' yours turned your memories into a charcuterie board, Yoshi!
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Y-Yes, I know.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	…I'm assuming from the constant usage of my name like that that you know me, too, yes?
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Present	Know ya? Girl, I'm baked into your passives!
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Future	Not to glaze myself up or anythin', but when you use Great Trichiliocosm [三千大世界], that flow state you enter after? It's because of me, no cap. I'm a total GOAT Abno, aren't I, gng?
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	…Ahem.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	My… sincerest apologies for them. The other two I have to juggle are as serious as a jester sometimes… but if I may continue, the erroneous state of mind you seem to have entered is quite the serious issue, Yoshihide. May I be allowed to peruse more of your mind catalogue?
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Future	If not, that's lowkenuinely okay. It's just the easiest way to figure out what got snatched from your brain, y'know? Finna hopefully find a truth nuke or two that hasn't gotten completely mogged. It ain't joever until it's joever, right?
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, SMITE ILLUSORY BUTTERFLY OF ENTANGLED LIVES::THE FUTURE RIGHT NOW.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Present	Ah, c'mon, lil' homie. Let the youngblood live a little!
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Aight, this shite's annoying me. Hong Lu.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Way ahead of you.
The Full-Stop Duo repeatedly shoot Present and Future, disallowing it to take over the Butterfly for the time being.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	…Thank you.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	Now, Yoshihide, do not move an inch. Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder, so if you allow me to wander, I shall wonder what the right thing to do for you may be.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Got it…
Bladeshu closed her eyes and stood absolutely still. All the while, Butterfly of Entangled Lives [羅生蝶] proceeded to look at every entangled memory she had.
As expected, the majority of them were cut to bits.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	Hmm… Hacked and slashed without remorse. Yet there is but one memory which has recently emerged that serves as your sword's Achilles' heel.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	Allow me to display it.
The Butterfly manifests a holographic screen with its mind.
Location: House of Spiders - A Mirror World Somewhere Far Away
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■	Buddy…? Buddy, is that you? It's you, right?
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■ ■■	Yes, she is. Have you no eyes? Now be silent; your braggadocio is as distracting as ever.
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■	…She has reached the end of her homeward journey.
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■	Hah. You've got some fuckin' nerve, coming home after that shit you pulled when you left— …The hell? You let some fools beat your ass out there? Why're you so bloodied up? And who the fuck is that brat?
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■	Who dared to hurt our-
Static interrupts midway through. The memory then resumes after skipping forward.
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■	Haaah… So, what now? We all saw the sorry state my $#%&#$'s in.
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■ ■■	Hm. Does this mean that Project #$@#@ of #&@$&# has essentially fallen through?
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■	Now's hardly the time to worry about that. We have to avenge her. Look at what they've done to my buddy. If we don't settle the score—
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■	Yeah, and how are ya gonna pull that off, huh? What, gonna make enemies out of all five $%$@#@% at once? Gimme a fuckin' break.
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■ ■■	Stop. Please take this inane contention elsewhere. I have enough distractions as is.
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■	…Nothing but… a delayed ending to a tale.
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■	The plan remains unchanged. Though… perhaps this calls for a reinvention of certain parenting techniques.
Location: The Corridor of Entangled Lives
The feed then ends, and the holographic screen goes away.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	Some of you may not understand this now, but as the Butterfly of Entangled Lives… I am never spared a chance to forget a single thing that happens to anyone. While Yoshihide forgets all, I remember all.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	However, I know it is useless to try and pretend just saying names and details will help you remember who these individuals are… or what your past is.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	I will say this, however: the one in the mask is a deceiver. Or perhaps… he had lost some of his own memories, as well. It is difficult to tell.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	He had told his origin, Rien of the Index, that he had to replicate the "project" on his own… and yet, he had not. Of course he hadn't. It would be odd to assume someone of his caliber could wield the Arayashiki.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	This would normally imply that Yoshihide escaped… However.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	Allow me to play back their words one more time. Specifically, the words of the vulgar one.
The Butterfly then perfectly simulates the "vulgar" one's voice.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	"You've got some fuckin' nerve, coming home after that shit you pulled when you left— …The hell? You let some fools beat your ass out there? Why're you so bloodied up? And who the fuck is that brat?"
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	To me, this wording says two things: there was someone in this world with the Arayashiki who had taken the same actions Yoshihide would do in every other world against the Nursefathers, and she had done so without an Araya-like figure as her fetter.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	We can assume it was this Yoshihide, however, there is one small detail making that not make sense.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	…In this memory… you were a child, Yoshihide.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Well… yeah, that makes sense. None of us can remember the details well right now, but I know that whoever ended up doing this to Shū did this while she was young.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	No, you are misreading me. Read between the lines. She was a child.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	Not the child, as one might expect. A child.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	…Not… the child?
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Whassat mean? How does that work? If Shū was a baby here, who had cut up the Nursefathers?
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	Well- Oh. Hang on.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	There is another memory in here that is… coherent enough for me to properly peruse.
The Butterfly manifests a holographic screen with its mind again.
Location: ??? - Research Facility - A Mirror World Somewhere Far Away
After an individual wearing sunglasses cuts down their ally to get a good strike on a Zwei Fixer, they turn to face the screen directly. A once-white ribbon flutters to the ground, fire eating away at its edges until it becomes charred black.
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■	You. It's your fault that my buddy fell sick. You made our own $#%#$@$% hate us!
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■	It all began because you were born… Because you came to the #$@#@ of #&@$&#.
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■	Isn't that right?

■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■	Yoshihide!!!
Static interrupts midway through. The memory then resumes after skipping forward once again.
Yoshihide	You… and the other $%#$$#$%&@#$#$… You still don't understand what $%$ truly cherished.
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■	…No. You're the one who doesn't know the first thing about my $#%#$@$%! My buddy and I lived together under this roof for decades longer!
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■	I don't know about her other $%#$$#$%&@#$#$, but my #$%$#&@ #$@% for my $#%#$@$%? It has always been completely earnest.
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■	All you have to do is submit quietly and be completed. That'll make us truly happy—both us $%#$$#$%&@#$#$ and my precious $#%#$@$%!
Yoshihide	You… You really think that's what $%$ wants?
■■■ ■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■: ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■	What a stupid question.
Yoshihide	…It's all grandstanding, isn't it. You don't even know what you're saying… What you're robbing us of. I've heard enough.
Yoshihide	…And I'll destroy everything.
Location: The Corridor of Entangled Lives
The feed ends once more.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	…That…
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	That was me.
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	I don't fully remember how that day went, but I know that was me there…
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Really now?
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	But what were you and that person you were talking to discussing?
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Somethin' about… being "completed" or whatever the hell.
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	She hath mentioned living under the roof of the House of Spiders with her "buddy." Someone who, evidently, Bladeshu is implied to have "taken away" somehow.
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	But I was under the impression that in every world, this is meant to be Yoshihide, who then turns on the House and becomes Ryōshū.
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	If that is not the case, then…
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	…Prithee, Liu Rodion, where exactly did she come from when you first ran into her?
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Dude, I don't even know. She was kinda just roaming the City alone.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Is there anything else in there, Butterfly?
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Future	Nah, bruh, rest is basically slashed-up brainrot. In complete buns quality, too. Sorry, guys. I'm feeling like a fat fucking chud RN.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Future	Though the gng and I can defo rec some fine shyt who can help you out. She's a baddie, even if she's a clanker.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Heathcliff?
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	On it.
Full-Stop Heathcliff shoots the Future ally again.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	…Shite, that might've been the Atelier Logic bullet.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	I'll make sure to ask the Elders for Ahn later…
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Present	Hey, don'tcha see we're walkin' 'ere? Do ya wanna piece of the info we got or not?
Full-Stop Hong Lu then shoots the Present ally again a few times.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	…Much appreciated. Again.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	Despite my future self's vulgarity and odd words, they did have a point. There may be someone who can help.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	Deep within The Temple of Destitution, there is an individual I know only as "The First."
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	She has seen everything… every life that has ever been entangled here. If there is anyone who can solve your problem, it would be her.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	The First…?
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	…Only "first" I'd be aware of is Blade Lineage Yi Sang, technically.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	Before him, even. We're talking far beyond the history of Limbus Company.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	But… But then who-
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	The Corporation of the Lobotomies.
The Manager of La Manchaland Don Quixote	We… we have to find someone who worked for Lobotomy Corporation in the Societyless Shelter.
Liu Assoc. South Section 4 Director Rodion	Ohhhhhhh…
Blade of the #$@#@ of #&@$&# Ryōshū	Lobotomy Corporation…?
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	It is the ancient scripture, my child. The only reason why you or I exist.
Butterfly of Entangled Lives - Past	With 3,000 dollars and a dream, the foundation that would soon become our world was created… and that foundation may be able to help you. Perhaps even… kickstart your recovery much sooner.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	And if the person we're looking for happens to be robotic, I think I know exactly who you're referring to.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Well, guys? …Seems like we might have to-
Location: District 23 Backstreets Homeless Shelter - Room of "The First"
Angela	🎶Open the curtains… Lights on…🎶
Oh. Oh, okay. I had no idea she even lived here.
...This is suddenly very awkward.
Angela	🎶Don't miss a moment of this… experiment.🎶
Seems like, uh… "The First" is refurnishing a room within the Homeless Shelter.
...
I should probably not be here. Uh, see you guys next time! I'm gonna… go.
Roland	Do you have to make it look this fancy, Angela? It's not like we even live here primarily.
Angela	If we are to be relegated into a cramped space such as this when we are not in the Library, I might as well make it look at least halfway decent.
Angela	Pass me that cactus, will you?
Roland	Uh, sure, I guess…
Roland	Dunno why you're gonna leave it here. I doubt it'll even bear a flower in this shithole, of all things.
Angela	…It was a gift. From a long time ago. It would be rude to throw it away.
Roland	Ah. Yeah, okay, that makes more sense.
Roland	…Do you think… the future's gotten brighter with you out of the spotlight?
Roland	I see all these weird people nowadays, and I can't help but wonder. You kinda started all this, right? You and the others.
Roland	Would you have done it all over again if you knew the director of the play would turn its focus to someone new?
Angela	…
Angela	Probably. At the end of the day, that amount of attention is not something I wished to achieve.
Angela	…What was it that the song from the Hongyuan Sinner's turn said again…?
Angela	We're all invited to a lifelong party, Roland. Some people out there may wish for me to overstay, but I do not.
Angela	Stories are meant to begin and end. Likewise, some stories don't have to reach their end yet. Some can just be… on a pause.
Angela	I believe mine is at an appropriate endpoint, however, if circumstances change, I will adapt to them.
Angela	I'm sure someone will call on me if I am needed. For now, I am content with my books.
Roland	Yeah, that's fair. Got the same mindset, honestly.
Roland	…I will say, learning that there was a guy basically groomed to be me before I was even doing some of my crazier shit is insane. The City's weird.
Angela	When is it not, Roland? When is it not?
Two days later…
Location: La Manchaland
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Faust has small question. Why are we here in this place? Freaks me the fuck out.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	We owed the Bloodfiend lass a favor after a certain, uh… "kerfuffle" with a different Hong Lu and that Drifter Ryōshū ID.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	You mean when my brother from Hongyuan was being yandere as hell?
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Yeah, what the hell was his deal?
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	D'ya think we should prolly offer for her to come over to Poise Society soon?
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Hmm… Nah. Not yet. I want her to be more comfortable first.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	That is well and good. But it did not explain shit. What are we doing?
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Delivering something~
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	That shit ain't our job. Where the fuck is the Devyat'? I kill, not carry.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	They ordered a few Red Plum Blossoms recently.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	When did we start selling Red Plum Blossoms?
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	I… don't know. Today, I guess?
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	And to answer your other question, Shi Faust, I don't have a clue what the Devyat' are doing. Rodya and Sinclair have been awfully silent as of late…
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Wait. I may know why. New Intervallo has some New BL content.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	BL???
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	…
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Blade Lineage, man. Dumbass dumbass dumbass dumb Ass dumbass dumbass.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Oh, yeah. Right.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	…Did you HAVE to haiku that, too? Fuck's sake.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	No one uses me After obtain so all they Know is damn haikus.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	It's like how Rabbit Can only say "This place is Nuts!" but haiku themed.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Can't argue that, I suppose… Wonder what could've happened to that lad to only cause 'im to say allat. Tryin' to hold a convo with him as the only other Ammo Heathcliff is rough.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Blade Lineage old. Has not gotten new content In two fucking years.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	BL Faust dormant Which means no plum. Need plum to Deploy for bonus.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	But then why would Bleed Society need the Plums?
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Plum Unique Bleed and They want fucking money for Twinhook's greedy ass.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Seven new bullets Every battle in this fucking Economy. Fuck.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Why do they want money for one of our units? …Have we been sending Twinhook to Bleed Society for MDs?
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Well, he is Dual Custody with Bleed. Who fuckin' knows what they have him doin' when we don't need 'em?
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Clearly, something that Causes us to have to pay For his dumb bullshit.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Fucking hate this shit. That drunk ass is costing us Resources, bullshit.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Yeah, we really need to-... Wait. What the fuck?
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Bamboo-hatted Kim?
Will You Play?	Siente La Aura!!!
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Wha…? He's… That's Will You Play? walking around with him.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	That is a child. Who let a child inside Of La Manchaland?
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Two hundred years back Exact thing occured and they All died. What the fuck?
Bamboo-hatted Kim	In fairness, even if she were to die, she is an Abnormality.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Wait, are you-... Are you babysitting Will You Play? for Bleed Society?
Bamboo-hatted Kim	"Babysitting?" This is adoption. I adopted her.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Wha- You-... How did-... What?

Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	How do you-... What do you mean you ADOPTED her?
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Bamboo-hatted Kim, Can you say that string of words Again for moment?
Bamboo-hatted Kim	What exactly is there to misinterpret? I have adopted Will You Play? as my daughter.
Will You Play?	Challenge my Scissors to Claim Their Rocks.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	D-Does anybody else know about this? What about Aeng-du…?
Bamboo-hatted Kim	Apart from her, no. She encouraged this, actually.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	You do realize, my entire clan is dead. This is how I keep sane while doing paperwork.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	…Moses?
Bamboo-hatted Kim	I will explain this to her when the time is right.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	How the hell did he manage to hide a whole adoption under LCD's noses? Moses is practically THE adopter of that bloody department.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Railway two weeks old Right now. When did you even Find this small child?
Bamboo-hatted Kim	She was in Area One of La Manchaland. I believe the Middle had found her.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	I thiiink she meant in… weeks~?
Bamboo-hatted Kim	Oh, no, I met her two days ago.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Dude what the fuck do You MEAN two damn days ago? Is this a speedrun?
Will You Play?	I showed Daddy that I did [Clash Lose] stuff just like him, and he adopted me on the spot!
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	…Uh-huh.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Hong Lu, lad, I think my brain is bluescreening.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Blue like Pride. Child Will switch to Pride instead of Envy sin ASAP.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Like when changing skin In a game and guy's colour Instantly changes.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	Do not force her hand. Will You Play? can be anything she wants to be. She just needs time to grow.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	SHE IS AN ABNO! They do not do that!
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Sorry, I am in Shock. Only other child Was the labubu.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	The one named Araya, yes? That is fair.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	...If anybody Would be father who stepped up, Guess it would be Kim.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	You know what? As long as it makes him happy, I don't think I can judge.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	We're normalizing this. A man who Distorted months ago has decided to adopt an Abnormality, and we're normalizing this.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Yes! Yes, we are.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	The worst thing anyone can do in this world is make someone feel useless. If Bamboo-hatted Kim believes giving an Abnormality a better life is a good use of his time, who am I to judge?
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	We live in the damn Status Society World. This world is crazy.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	If anything can Happen, then why question rare Joy in the City?
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	…
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Yeah, y'know what? Fair enough.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Keep doin' your shit, Kimmie. Be better than Mister Earnshaw, y'hear?
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	We've got a Devyat' job to do, 'cause either Bloodfiend lass can't be bothered to ask Devyat' lass, or she did bother but didn't get an answer.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	This is fair.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	Oh, uh, wait. I'm realizing I didn't even tell her your names. Will You Play?, this is Hong Lu and Heathcliff of the Full-Stop Office, and that is Faust of the Shi Association.
Will You Play?	Hello!!!
Will You Play?	Will one of you want to play Rock, Paper, Scissors with me when you get back?
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Potentially!
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Alright, let's get a move on.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	...Why did Hong Lu quote Circus if we still have not Watched fucking movie?
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	That was said before the movie. In Episode Three, actually~
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	We get home and watch. If spoiled by you, Jade boy, Fuck dumb baka life.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	I'm telling you, Faust, it's not in the movie~! That was said in Episode Three, I don't even know how I could've spoiled anything.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Twitter leaker give Me fucking paranoia. Next world may spoil.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	How're we even gonna watch it from here?
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	I've got connections. Wi-Fi connections~
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Pffft. Shoulda called your ass Full-Stop Office Pirate Hong Lu.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	…Wait.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	You mentioned not hearing from Devyat' Rodion, yes?
Bamboo-hatted Kim	I know this is not necessarily your problem, but speaking from experience?
Bamboo-hatted Kim	If you leave someone alone for too long, they might end up doing something that they can't take back.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	Ehhh, she's not really alone though, is she? She's got them other old Gluttony fellas in Hongyuan.
Full-Stop Office Rep. Hong Lu	Yeah, and going to Hongyuan personally scares me right now.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Fuck those damn ninjas. On their Meta ass bullshit. Her problem, not mine.
Shi Assoc. East Section 3 Faust	Thank god Rupture shit Isn't our problem. It's a Damn battleground there.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	This is… fair. The lands of the Heishou are not ones I like to tread personally either.
Bamboo-hatted Kim	I just figure, given what happened to me in my first Intervallo and all… Well, no. It can't get that bad, can it? Not as bad as it was for me.
Will You Play?	What are you talking about, Daddy?
Bamboo-hatted Kim	You'll understand when you're older.
Full-Stop Office Fixer Heathcliff	She CAN'T get older!!!

Notes:

dad and the cat he said he didnt want:

anyways welcome back to rr. that bit is way too funny to me lmao. i saw all of the memes about the greatest clash lose in history vs the greatest clash lose of today and it clicked.
yes me and v actually watched the tadc movie together but for the sake of others dont spoil in the comments LMAO
p.s.: i graduated yesterday!!! on hong lu day!!! my favourite sinners day!!!! and new hong id too! thank you kjh 🙏 - J

Five. Hundred. Refracted Rainbows. (it's actually ten but who is counting really)
Uh, okay, so first things first: the new fan work elephant in the room. Mega, good friend of myself and J as well as the author of Cleared into Nonexistance and Marked onto Reality, created a Refracted Rainbow fanfic called Refractine Rainbow: Siente la Aura. It's a funny Poise Society-related one-shot, so go fucking read it immediately. I wanna call it canon, though it cannot be because Full-Stop Heathcliff being Bladecist goes against some important lore we've been developing in the background (mainly stuff regarding the logic of "The Voices"). Still really good though. (update: Mega deadass made an addendum chapter without us even asking to fix this, my GOAT)
Secondly, uh... If you haven't already, go read What Do You Mean, They Turned Lobotomy Corporation Into a Game?, an LCM-related fanfic by Anoosh, another good friend of ours. This fic is canon required reading for LCM because yes. I love seeing fanwork of our silly fics; sue me.
Thirdly- Wait. Wait, what the fuck?
...Okay, so I've just received word from an intern that Lin Daiyu is currently knocking on our fucking crackhouse door so this is gonna be the last RR for a bit until we do Crimson Petals of a Monarch CHAPTER 3 BABYYYYY WE'RE SO BACK - V

this fic summoned deltarune :pray: - J
CHAT WE ARE SO BACK - V
bamboo hatted kim doing ANYTHING for that abnormality bro 💀 - J
father of the year honestly, we love Bamboo-hatted Kim in this house - V
my mental image of this is that 1 day before the direct bamboo hatted kim went to toby fox's house and made him release deltarune during the direct. we are typing these live in call btw - J
he pulled up to the outskirts (where toby fox would canonically live in the City) and was like "Yield your Game to Claim My Daughter's Happiness" - V

post-mnestic experience/9.5-2 edit: FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK - J
also post 9.5-2 edit: i think we may be somewhat responsible for this, J from LCFDepartment. - V

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LCB-00-34: Refracted Rainbow - マゾ屈折鉄道 (Mazo Kussetsu-Tetsudō)

LCFDepartment

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マゾ屈折鉄道

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