So! Great Spirit. The world where the Great Mystery sits up on high judging everyone and making sure everyone's equal while the Great Mystery is deliberately kept isolated. They aren't the only one with the role though, because every System needs its backups!
Sort of flashback!
Bigfoot: Hmm. Storm.
Ah yes, son of the hairy tribe, the only one who can hear the words of the Great Mystery and passes it on to others. But that only applies when people believe he's actually the Great Mystery's medium, whether or not it's actually true. Existential fusion! Which the Tokyo geniuses call a backup World Rep. And backup World Reps are people with the power of being immune to exile.
Oscar: Sealed worlds only need one person with a specific class/power combo at a time though. Spares only matter if something somehow happens to the original. And on that note, Bigfoot! Go infiltrate Shinjuku's mountain investigation party and help move the game along. But subtly! Fill in if someone gets taken out somehow, and keep us posted on the plot singularity.
And so Bigfoot gets to work without question.
Present
Back to the tram station after the wedding chapel nonsense!
MC: So, Claude's notes...
Flashback already for some reason!
So Claude threw in some other info after passing over his investigation report.
Claude: So about the plot singularity? The word of the day is overlapping! For example, how do you put more than one piece on the same spot in Othello?
MC: Impossible! / ...wait, no it's not.
(C) Claude: Indeed! I love me a smart cookie!
Claude: Right, stack on those pieces and see how they exist on different heights! But for the plot, it's about dimensions. Well, something close to that.
Snow: You might have heard about these physics concepts in class before, Master MC.
MC: Yep / I have? / (look at Chernobog)
---
(C) Chernobog: Wave physics.
---
Claude: The plot singularity is a wave thing! The mountains are alive!
MC: what. well actually we do have a mountain whisperer...
Zao: What? Yeah, mountains are alive.
Kumano Gongen: To you, yeah. Most people can't talk to mountains.
Bigfoot: (stares in surprise)
Kumano: Well, same dirty job either way.
Himavat: Indeed, Kumano! I'm sure you'll keep the club going even after I'm gone.
Kumano: (frowns) gee thanks, captain
MC: (Hmm...)
Claude: Ooh, sounds like fun. Come back if you ever need my chapel. But enough of my hobbies! It seems Tokyo's populace and faith has turned the event plot into an extradimensional singularity thing and common sense need not apply. Good luck with the investigation!
Present
Time to take the tram up!
MC: Well if Claude is right, going up should take us up to the next stratum or whatever.
Beep boop, going up.
Bigfoot: Look! Mountain, changing!
What is it going to be???
MC: ...hey wait isn't this a campground?
Shirou: MC? Why are you here? And what are you wearing?
MC: Shirou? Ryouta? And other familiar faces. / (sigh)
Maria: Oh, MC? Are you and your friends volunteering for our fun camping cooking class?
MC: what / This a Missionaries thing then?
Maria: Yes, cooking camp for elementary students, native and Transient. Shirou and Ryouta among many others are helping.
Shirou: Don't worry, Ryouta's playing with the children and not causing wildfires.
Sol: This activity is wonderful!
MC: Sol? How you doing? / Why are you here!?
Sol: Oh hello MC. I used to work at an orphanage and now I decided to help here. Such adorable innocent children!
Sol hugs and headpats nearby kids.
Teda: More!
Koropokkur: Stop looking like that, Sun Creep.
Teda: You are ruining the moment here!
MC: I don't see any adorable innocent children here / OH NO / (stare)
Teda: Pffft, you came to give me and Michael headpats way back when.
Koropokkur: Nooo my cringy past--wait you remember that!?
Teda: Pillar Plot Magic! Uhh you said... Big Bro will help you!
Koropokkur: Freeze and die, jerkface!
Teda: NO U
MC: (I pretend to see nothing)
Maria: So...we're about to some scouting activities for the children. Would you like to join us? We're making dinner after that.
Himavat: Hmm...
MC: What do you guys think? / I'm in!
Zao: Well Kouhai, Himavat... we're supposed to investigate anyways so why not? And we can show children the wonders of the mountains too!
Himavat: Ah yes, the presentation of mountaineering benefits to society!
Zao: Um, i-it's not that deep.
Time passes. Fun times!
Kumano Gongen: MC, give me the dirty dishes. I like cleaning up, and keeping busy keeps my mind off things.
Kumano is making a face again.
MC: So, do you not like Himavat or something?
Kumano: What? Oh, yeah it does look that way, huh? I like him enough to give myself to him. Wait, NOT LIKE THAT! But I also don't like him to the point it all evens out. I mean, he's so casual about talking about not being in the club anymore. And he's just as casual making me the next in line. Flattering but weird.
MC: I know that feel. Real sad.
Kumano: what
MC: You want them to stay and not say depressing things!
Kumano: ...the hell do you know about anything?
MC: wait why are you mad
Flashback!
Himavat: Kumano, you're the next captain if something happens to me.
Kumano: But I'm a background worker! I'm a quitter, so how am I supposed to stand in for a super awesome guy?
How does a loser hold a position that means being a constant winner?
Himavat: Think about it. People like you right away, you volunteer to do the crap no one else wants, and you stick around for all your moaning about quitting. You're a good guy.
Kumano: ...uhh, y-you just want me...as a workhorse, don't you?
Himavat: But you were happy to be a sub-in, weren't you?
Kumano: !!
Bullseye.
Himavat: I know about Kiyohime.
Kumano: B-but how? I never said anything...
Himavat ignores this and acts like Kumano actually did once.
Himavat: You were totally human then and actually said "marry me" to her. Then you ran away from her and she burned you inside Dojoji's temple bell. And then you reincarnated as a half dragon with the power to fuse things with fire.
Kumano: !! ...oh.
Himavat: All that, and you never ditched your duties. Nothing in this world is replaceable.
Damn, Himavat doesn't really know what a normal person feels like. He's so far away from people that Kumano decided he doesn't like or dislike him.
Present
Kumano Gongen: ...I hate people like you, MC. Whores who immediately say they love people, ask to marry them, casually talk to people...
MC: WHAT / okay that last one is true but still / WOW RUDE
Kumano: You don't just say those things without getting burned! ...you smell like a dragon, those big selfish assholey ones. Like half of me. Anyone but you winning against me is fine...that's all, I'm outta here.
Elsewhere
Xi Wang Mu: Aww, and we were all having a good time. Also, a storm's coming. (stares into the sky)
Welp, time for bed.
Later
MC: (Can't sleep. Time for a walk.)
Bigfoot: MC? Something wrong?
MC: I could ask you the same thing / I sensed someone
(C) Bigfoot: Really? But me have Presence Concealment EX.
Bigfoot: Today fun. Like old tribe parties.
MC: Wow it's like you've been with us the whole time.
Bigfoot: Thank you! Me love you, MC.
So innocent.
MC: Say Bigfoot, you're some mountain shaman right?
Bigfoot: ...you want know my past?
MC: Yes please / just so I don't trigger anything / (nod)
Bigfoot: ...me, shaggy tribe. Born shaman. Shaman important work. Shaman become one with Great Mystery.
MC: Nice / good thing I asked / Home stuff. Hmm...
Bigfoot: Yes. Me hope one day--oh...sorry, me forget. MC no know past.
MC: It's cool. I just shoved my foot into my mouth five minutes ago.
Bigfoot: ...thank you MC. Me love you! ...if MC sad, me sad. Me become substitute for lost things.
Bigfoot suddenly gets close to MC!
Bigfoot: MC be happy if me become someone MC lost? New guy work!
MC: What do you want to do? / maybe later
Bigfoot: !?
Bigfoot: Umm...
Bigfoot thinks.
Bigfoot: Dunno. But me like soba! Me want to learn to make soba from scratch. Soba from Himavat's homeworld apparently? One day, me want everyone to try soba me made.
MC: Sounds good! Let's get on figuring that out tomorrow!
Bigfoot: Okay!
Morning
MC: Mkay I'm up. What's all this noise?
Zao: Oh you're awake Kouhai. Wake everyone up and get ready to go!
MC: wait what's going on
Zao: The children suddenly disappeared last night!
End of Episode half
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