SENDER: @ nefelibata | RECIPIENT: @ All

[shiftybladesofcray]

To Whom it May Concern;

Let's assume anyone capable of receiving this message is, like myself, a captive on board this train. While nothing can be determined unequivocally, I've come to some conclusions that bear weight enough to consider.

Thus far, we are only permitted to advance upon the completion of objectives as set by an unknown puppeteer. This "clownductor" assumes an affable but absent persona, and so their true nature cannot be ascertained. The motives are paraphrased below:

1. Read the Instructions
2. Message another Passenger
3. Request Friendship with Another Passenger*
4. Assist a Dog
5. Retrieve Part of Your Person
6. Collect Seeds in Exchange for Personal Information

(*Meaningful connection is not required)

While each appears innocuous on first blush, they aspire to two functions: fostering connections and gaining intelligence. There could be strength in numbers if we come together as one, true, and sharing secrets can bolster such bonds, but let's not be fooled.

There's a strong possibility we are being set up for darker purpose. If on a future car, the motive becomes:

7. Murder a Fellow Passenger

Will it not be all the more devastating after we've bonded? Without hope, there cannot be despair. Despair can breed subjugation, a loss of self and morality, a weakness of character that's easily exploited by those in power. It can breed violence.

I've seen such games put into action myself. Anyone may turn on their fellow man if the correct pressure is applied. If there are sensible people among you, these notions may have struck you as they have me. I'm sending this now as a warning.

Do not play into their hands. They control our passage through the train. They may be watching us. We cannot assume they have our best interests at heart.

Conversely, even if you are able to stay your course? Never assume your neighbor can do the same. We are each uniquely strong and uniquely weak. A miscalculation may cost you your life.

I cannot say whether this is a dream, a simulation, or an alternate reality, though the latter requires tremendous suspension of disbelief. Regardless, we cannot assume that our actions on the train are without consequence. Act with caution, but most urgently, act with hope.

I appreciate your time in perusing this missive. I understand some find reading difficult. If you're so encumbered by your illiteracy, ask another passenger to read it for you. I will not be providing summation.

Thank you.

- Fukawa Toko


****ADDENDUM: Should anyone be approached by or glimpse a half white, half black bear, DO NOT ENGAGE. Contact me immediately and I shall deal with it.

Comments

@ ✨ BEATRIX ✨

[sociably]

[ .................................................................







she got tired of reading after the first paragraph. ]

you really like to write a lot, don't you

[shiftybladesofcray]

[god THIS BITCH]

I'm a writer. Obviously.

un: thedirector

[7edacted]

This seems like quite the leap to assert that assisting a dog will eventually lead to murder.

[shiftybladesofcray]

Is it? It seems awfully clear that we are being lulled into false senses of security

Why are you named thedirector? Do you have some affiliation with the clownductor?

[Such subtle detective work, so foolproof. Master would be so proud....]

@ ohdeer

[shaft]

You almost sound like you've been through this before.

1/2

[shiftybladesofcray]

[IT DOES?!?!?!??!?!?!?!!?

Toko hits the edit button at once and scours the post—]

[shiftybladesofcray]

[........no it's exactly as she intended to write it, which is specifically:]

I said I've SEEN IT not PARTICIPATED

@ middlefinger

[badtempered]

so how are we supposed to act with hope if we're told to murder each other
or is this just a tl;dr way of saying don't kill anyone

!!! The ballet bae!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[shiftybladesofcray]

The latter, can't you read?

You're as ignorant as that Beatrix up there.

@WHEATLEY

[testgasm]

let's not get ahead of ourselves there's no reason to think that we'll be made to murder anyone or that we're inherently at risk from fellow passengers who might want to murder people

i mean that's a lot to just come right out there and say to all of us

i at least have absolutely no interest in murder

none at all wouldn't even dream of it

[shiftybladesofcray]

[....................................]

You should have shut up and not spoke at all.

[Note to self: if you ever meet a Wheatley, stab first, ask questions later.]

@batman

[plas]

Boy subtlety is just nobody's middle name around here.

un: noctua

[flamebears]

[ well then. ]

I'm destroying you the moment I have the chance.

@batman

[plas]

Whooooooooooa did you just like. Completely blow off several flavors of motivation to go straight for "bloody." Unless the mastermind turns out to be Agatha Christie or Jigsaw, there probably isn't going to be a random battle royale. So you can put down the axe for now, Paranoid Polly.

wow seems ooc of batman to not agree with the most suspicious edgelord POV...

[shiftybladesofcray]

Everyone else is complaining that this post is too long and you're scolding me for not including MORE? I'm trying to prepare everyone for the worst case scenario!

What reason would anyone have to kidnap scores of people just to make them eat finger sandwiches and braid daisy chains? Who would invest money to build the train for it? I'm telling you there's something wrong here, and it may not be exactly what I've predicted but it's definitely not some kind of

Best Friends Camp

uSE YOUR HEAD

un: boarprince

[overruns]

[ he does not mean to respond to toko's post, nor to toko, but everyone gets a slightly blurry photo of a very good corgi, with what is definitely a bit of dimitri's thumb in the corner. ]

Claude, did you realize these devices can take 'photographs?' Observe this dog.

@ ✨ BEATRIX ✨

[sociably]

[ she ain't claude but that ain't stopping her ]

he's so cute!!!!
she?

un: noctua

[flamebears]

A bear.

[ A BEAR????? ]

[shiftybladesofcray]

[They just

that's what they're taking from this?]

It's a robot bear.

un: CHEFKNIGHT🍴

[venerating]

Hmm... I don't really understand why you jumped right to murdering each other, that's really dark. But I guess you can't rule anything out.

That stuff you wrote about despair and seeing things like that happen before though... that's some heavy stuff. If you ever wanna talk to anyone about it, you can talk to me.

[shiftybladesofcray]

[post corgi drama, littered with tears]

i don't wnat to talk about it anymore

i don't wnat to talk to anyone ever again

just go enjoy the stupid dog since that's all anyone cares about

@ handsome

[philandery]

That's what I said, too.

[ (to someone else, that is. about a future objective potentially pitting them against each other...)

he does not clarify any of this, if only because he hit 'send' when he meant to do a paragraph break. (this keyboard makes no sense to him... who the hell decided to put the alphabet in this arbitrary arrangement?) ]

Re: @ handsome

[shiftybladesofcray]

[In full blown tears at this point, wiping the water away as she texts and glitching it]

gthANK YOYU YOU'RE HTEQ ONLY PER PER PERSON HERE WITGH ANY BRAINS

@nikolback

[reznikolai]

[He has quite a few thoughts on this theory-slash-warning, but first:]

What do you mean by a simulation?

Re: @nikolback

[shiftybladesofcray]

[nickelback baby she loves you but not your music, thank u for your support, but toko had to log off or k-word herself

she will respond to you in the next 3-5 business days

thank you for your understanding]

@ fingerlickin

[maleviolent]

[tl;dfr toko and it sure didn't concern him until he saw 'murder a fellow passenger.'

then there is a very interested, VERY ALOUD "oh?" so he goes back. ACTUALLY reads.]

What a clever girl.

The next morning or so...

[shiftybladesofcray]

[every person on here has roasted her alive and now this one is offering "praise"????

Pressing X to doubt]

your sarcasm is thick enough to gag on

Just go away and look at dogs with the rest of them

@ rat

[constrainer]

[ he's thinking like, are killing games this common... he's fresh out of one as well!!! ]

For what it's worth, I agree with you.
I do think the objectives will increase in difficulty or severity with time. Although I suspect this is some sort of a selection process with intent behind it, rather than a "game," as you've put it.

A day or two later

[shiftybladesofcray]

[Rat?

Why does everyone here have such awful taste]

at least someone is taking this seriously

Yes, I agree. These objectives are too simple, but even they have escalated in difficultly. Not only that, but one already involved a form of dismemberment.

I think some selection process is very likely too. There's a great deal more people here than there were in the first game at home. And these numbers may be some sort of ranking, or indication of value.

VOICE; un: ardbert

[soulshard]

[ By this point Ardbert's learned at least some of the basic functions of the "phone," if not all of them. It means that he's able to open the message and scroll all the way through to read it. While it's rather alarmist, enough of it hits close to home that he isn't going to offer quite the same concerns as others.

He's been manipulated by those watching from the shadows, treated like a piece on a chess board moved around to play to their will. Cylva had been caught in that trap as well. He knows much of despair, and the hope that follows if one is lucky enough to find it.

When he gets to the end and realizes who wrote the missive, he is a bit taken aback. The composed nature of this message doesn't quite match the harried girl he'd stumbled on in the forest.

His response comes as a voice call, because thus far that's still all he knows how to do. ]

Hello, Fukawa? My apologies if contacting you like this was not what you intended. Trying to compose messages on this device is still a bit daunting. I'm far more used to quill and parchment.

In any case, I did have a question. You mentioned you've seen something like this before. What did you mean by that?

Also Voice

[shiftybladesofcray]

[She wasn't going to answer any more messages, not after those shitheads ruined everthing. Yet the voice call stuns her, and the caller itself more so.

At least there is one friendly face in a sea of traitors. Sort of. They've only just met.]

A-ardbert... [She sounds downright miserable. Stuffy nosed and sniffling, definitely on the tail end of pitching a fit. She snorts humourlessly.] I'm the same way...I thought I'd sound b-better if I wrote things down, but I'm d-destined to be a big joke no m-matter what I do...

[She'd worked So Hard on sounding eloquent, too. Alas.]

I just m-meant what I said. This isn't the first time people have b-been kidnapped and tricked into doing things.

voice; un: zuzu

[cuedoves]

[ zuko is no fun allowed so ]

Most of what you're saying actually makes sense.

Except for the bear. What does the bear have to do with it?

a day later, voice

[shiftybladesofcray]

[thank you, welcome to the team, I'd say we have t-shirts but this isn't a party you know

Also god, must she respond with voice? He's forcing her hand, revealing her stutter. She won't forgive this......]

L-listen. Just trust me when I say it's dangerous, okay? It's used to sow despair. Sometimes it k-kills people. Sometimes things don't make sense, but that d-doesn't make them any less true.

text, un: lottieperson

[oomfies]

are you gonna kill the bear???

[shiftybladesofcray]

[don't

spare sympathy???? for MONOKUMA?????????????????]

it's a robot

@ ben

[onlyhope]

A trap is a distinct possibility, caution is certainly due.

However it is also likely that we are being encouraged to work together for an entirely different reason.

Take the name of the very train: the Existential Express. Isn't it equally possible that we're being asked to self-reflect?

[shiftybladesofcray]

[Well at least this is a concise, sensible username. If unimaginative. He's probably forty.]

I'll admit it's not impossible, but it's extremely unlikely. Who would pay to make a train, particularly one outfitted with as many scientific wonders as this, just so we could "journal" and "meditate"? Moreover, who kidnaps people for that?

If that's all they wanted, they could have saved a lot of trouble and sent us coupons to a yoga resort.