[video]

[pencilpremonition]

[Becca's been putzing with her PDA, so when she opens the door to Shion's room, it's already on, at a weird angle, but her voice is clear.]

Hey Shion, so what are you pla--

...Shion?

[The PDA clatters to the floor and lands at an angle, propped up against the wall. It shows an empty room and Becca on her knees, holding an upgrade ring and a memory charm. The video cuts out as she bursts into sobs.]

Comments

[ferriedmemories]

[This situation was showing all the signs of someone dealing with the death of a loved one. At this point, anything she could say would probably just make things worse.

But how lucky that person was to have someone who cared so deeply for them.]

[pencilpremonition]

[Your patience and discretion is rewarded. Becca calms down eventually and peers over at the girl, weakly trying to smile out of gratitude for having been left alone.]

Some...way to hear about your dorm-mate... I-I'm sorry for being so fussy....

[ferriedmemories]

It's all right. It's good that you care about her so much...

But I have to ask this... is she dead or just missing?

["Shion" is rather gender-ambiguous as a name. And when 99% of everyone you know is female...]

[pencilpremonition]

He's gone...one memory, one upgrade, and no other traces... Just like everybody else that gets taken...

[ferriedmemories]

Keep them. He'd want you to have them, I know that. And he has your faith in him.

but... taken where?

[pencilpremonition]

The people that run this place...sometimes make people vanish...maybe they're sent home...we can but hope.

But one way or another, they're never seen again.

[ferriedmemories]

So it's almost like they died here, but without dying...

[pencilpremonition]

[sniffle]

Y-yeah...

[ferriedmemories]

It's not right. I don't know what happens, but if it turns out they stop existing...

...they're not going to get away.

[The cycle of life/death/reincarnation is not a thing to be trifled with.]

[pencilpremonition]

[Stop existing? Yeah Becca will just go back to crying, a little quieter than before, though.]