Exploration, floor 4
How dare you filthy plebeians lay your hands on me!
I should never have considered you as allies.
Please don't do that. What did I ever do to you?
I just want to go home...
... Everyone makes mistakes. I'll consider this as one...
Are you trying to destroy me? Please, stop this.
Oh no! My L2 vertebra!
Arrgh! You're breaking all of my joints!
Dude. I'll be kewl~ this time, so don't do it again.
Be kewl, my dudes... No one's gonna buy me if you make a rip in my curtains.
Ach! You just hit my sensitive spot!
Ow! Don't hit me if you're not even gonna buy me!
*yawn* Oww... it hurts... But ugh... It's trying to stop you is such a bother...
Are you trying to put me to sleep again?
Owie! Owie!
It hurts! It hurts!
Ah, please stop...
I SAID STOP, YOU GODDAMN SHITBIRDS!
Here... Kindness and valor will shine...
Ah... At last, to be graced with the sweet release from the gaol that was the restroom...
Still, I'm glad it was at least a well-appointed restroom.
Even though the ethereally mysterious lady never spoke to the rest of us the whole time.
Verily! 'Twas quite admirable, her reticence! I, for one, could never have contained myself...
To hold back the words that yearn to be spoken, to still the body that desires to fidget, is to invite a horrible itchiness to plague the pits of my belly and the tips of my toes!
Fuhu, I've just the cure for that. When you need to stay still, just close your eyes and... think of something you really like. You'll feel your breathing slow down as your mind finds peace.
Close my eyes and... think of something I really like...
...! The Grass Maiden! I conjure in my mind the Grass Maiden's newest ultimate move...!
Ah, how graceful she is! How fiercely beautiful the roundhouse kick pirouettes...! Ooh... should fortune permit, I shall demonstrate a recreation of her magnificence before ye!
And so you will, once we get back to the restroom. Fuhu...
Very well, young Hong Lu! Thou hast bestowed upon me a relaxation technique most wondrous indeed.
<... What relaxation technique?>
Ooooh... 'Tis as though we have walked through a portal into another world.
Do you like it? Rocinante must be happy to find so many friends here.
Alas! Harbor no fear, dearest Rocinante... For I am not so vain a horsemaster that I would abandon a loyal steed such as thee for the first new mount that seizeth mine eye.
Nay, not at all... I would never...
Lean any closer, and you might end up eating the shoe, Don Quixote.
Ahem, 'tis but a close inspection, nothing more...
Aaah... At long last...
So this is how emancipating it feels, to be... deprived of legs...
What a disgrace you are, Four-legs. You were entrusted with but one duty - one - the shop's cleanliness. Yet I see that you've failed spectacularly at that simple task.
I have indeed failed you, honorable One-leg. I couldn't carry out that simple duty on account of my stupidity and idleness.
There is a reason you are made to drag those unsightly legs with you, Four-legs. Remind yourself of that with every step you take.
... I understand, One-leg. My deepest apologies.
Forgive that shameful display, dear customer. Lowly though I am, I will now attend to you instead. ... Should you tolerate my vulgar presence, of course.
Is... is all well? That one-legged woman seemed to be bullying thee quite harshly.
In the sartorial arts, a shoe is an article of clothing wrought to meet the ground and spare the body from the impurities of dirt. The fewer the feet that touch the ground, the nobler the being - and the more exalted the purpose of the lone shoe.
As our names suggest, lowly Four-legs like myself walk the earth with too many appendages...
The universal aspiration of the Footwear Hall employees is to ascend into a higher state of being - "One-leg," whose sheer existence is balanced proudly upon a single leg.
W-well... If thou sayest so... Then what must one do to become a... "One-leg"?
Craft shoes with tireless devotion. Sell them in faithfulness. Discipline the body so that fewer and fewer feet may tread upon the ground. Perseverance and persistence shall be our salvation -
- and once we have become worthy, the shoes shall transfigure us.
You must all be quite new to this floor, if you're still asking questions like that.
Yes, we are. We came up from the floors below.
From the - You're from downstairs...? Then might you be the customers everyone is whispering about...? The customers who are unbound to the floors...?
Mm. We can travel between floors without restriction.
Verily, I must wonder: how doth such rumor spread, when travel betwixt each floor is restricted for most inhabitants of the Grand Magasin?
Little birds aren't bound by height, it seems.
I... see. The rumors were true. Only rumors are allowed to travel between each floor of this department store, so we never know whether they're true or false.
Then... could you confirm the veracity of another rumor for me?
Hm, what rumor would that be?
It used to be that the customers of the Grand Magasin who collapsed could rise again on the lower floors. However many times they collapsed, they could begin anew from the very start.
Yet ever since the day the cracks formed on the walls... I hear that collapsed customers no longer rise - not just here, but on the lower floors, too.
Is there any... grain of truth to that?
It is true. Revival is no longer possible here.
... Then the rumor was true.
Even if we collapse, we will never again awaken on B1 as we always did...
I've always had so much admiration for the One-legs... and their magnificent stance as they pushed themselves against the earth with but the strength of a single leg, the whole of their existence concentrated upon a singular point. But it was always out of my reach, no matter how hard I labored.
Each time I woke anew on B1, I endured in the hope that this life - this one - might be the one where I am granted the honor of joining the One-legs.
But there's no "next time" anymore... is there?
If there is no next time... I'll never brave losing my legs. Not without the ability to reawaken and start over from the first floor.
I will remain arrested by these appendages. A wretched, worthless Four-legs, left to crawl through the Grand Magasin for all eternity.
Pray, do not demean thyself so! Whether thy legs number four or one, what concern is it to thee? 'Tis of no import -
You'd never understand... You're not the one stuck forever in the Footwear Hall.
I've a request. If you will grant me that mercy.
I am wretched and worthless... And now... only one way remains... by which I may cease to be a Four-legs.
You can collapse me, can't you? You're all strong and prestigious enough to move between floors.
When you do... cut off my legs... These useless... hideous legs...
... Thine wish is to be free of all four appendages?
Yes. All of my legs.
But -
Instead of waiting to hear our reply, the Four-legs lunged at us... with an approximation of a contented smile on his face.
No matter how much they'd lost, no matter how far they'd fallen, the inhabitants of the Grand Magasin could always begin anew from rock bottom.
Equal opportunity for everyone, no matter how lowly their status is, or how badly they'd failed.
... Not anymore, though.
And that's all thanks to you, Meursault.
You are blaming me for my mother's death.
Of course I am. Who else would I blame but her murderer?
We Giants each play an indispensable role as the pillars that uphold Sisyphe. And your mother was one of us.
I don't suppose this warrants repeating, ma puce, but N Corp. was determined to give you the Sisyphe Penalty right away. You do know the lengths I went to stop that... don't you?
I do. I remember everything.
But did you thank me? No. You don't seem all that grateful now, either.
I do not recall asking for your help.
The... vacancy left behind by your mother changed the Grand Magasin in more ways than one.
One, the fractures that appeared on its walls. It plunged the Grand Magasin and its inhabitants into chaos and confusion.
So, we procured this "Golden Bough" and planted it in the very same seat where she used to work. A stopgap, if you will. The position of a Giant that shoulders Sisyphe's weight requires a very particular set of specifications, and we didn't know when the next candidate would appear.
The Golden Bough...!
<She must be talking about the events that occurred outside the Grand Magasin.>
And that's what caused the so-called "Golden Resin" to appear and fill the fractures...
Correct.
Some called that mending gold a "hide," while it was "resin" to others. Regardless of the disagreements over its proper denomination, however, the Voice began speaking to everyone from within its golden light.
Ever since that whisper filled this place... the Noirs succumbed to fear, while the Rouges began sniffing out opportunity.
Two...
Death became final. Those who died in the Grand Magasin Sisyphe could no longer come back to life.
This puts N Corp. in a rather unenviable position, as the irreversibility of death means that their stock of raw ingredients for Canned Experience production will inevitably run out unless they're replenished "manually."
Which is exactly what they've been doing by passing the Sisyphe Penalty with ever greater frequency.
Meanwhile, we three remaining Giants are forced to strain ourselves all the harder to keep this place aloft.
And maybe that's where you can come in, ma puce. You have just the required set of skills to fill your mother's vacancy, don't you?
I've always wondered why you never bothered to tell them that right off the bat. You've always known that you have what it takes to become a Giant.
... There was no reason to tell them that. My aptitude for the position had no bearing on the fact that I did kill Mother.
Well, in light of what has happened since then, you might want to reconsider that stance.
Unless you're starting to find life in the Grand Magasin increasingly attractive, that is.
With that, Jeanne fell silent once again.
... So, according to Miss Jeanne... the Golden Bough is the last thing holding the Grand Magasin together.
Then... what would happen to this place if we removed it?
Hm... Verily, the "resin" sealing the fissures would disappear... whereupon the collapse of the department store would surely follow...
Hoh... Would not the liberation of incarcerated N Corp. residents be within reach, then?! 'Twould be a most fortuitous outcome!
<Let's... get ourselves out of the Grand Magasin first, then think about the consequences.>
<Now that we know for sure that the Golden Bough isn't inside the Grand Magasin, we can leave this place, pluck it out, and find out.>
... A foolish, ignorant death... Perfectly befitting a Four-legs.
It never understood the natural order that governs the Footwear Hall. The cycle in which the sole purpose of the Four-legs' base existence is to elevate us One-legs to be revered.
And you - insolent strangers. You dare flout the rules of this domain with such impunity?
<This is somehow becoming our fault...>
I have no shoes to sell to strangers such as yourselves. Nor do I recall ever permitting your presence in this hall.
Refuse to remove yourselves from the premises, and... I will displace you all personally.
... Le Noir Authenticity Certificate...
... As a One-leg, I normally don't deal with customers of your... bipedal standing. But it is true that no average Two-legs carries an Authenticity Certificate as you do...
Very well, I'll make an exception just this once.
<First, let's explain what happened on the third floor.>
Meursault brought the One-leg up to speed with the events of the third floor.
Ooho... What a thrilling adventure thou hast had, Manager Esquire!
The Rouges, bereft of their Voice, hmm?
I doubted that rumor at first, but... this may as well be a confirmation.
No wonder they've been sneaking between the floors. They're clearly scheming something untoward... Everything clicks.
Scheming?
See, we had this policy of turning every Rouge we encountered into an insole. Their avarice makes them exceptionally tough - few materials provide a shoe with stronger padding, you see.
Every time we caught one of them, they had the same thing to say to us.
That a new Voice shall soon come to whisper in their ears, and that its first utterance would usher in an age of ruin eternal.
We never took them seriously, of course, but what you have recounted lends some merit to their words. After all, they've lost their guiding Voice - cornered animals will stoop to anything, you know.
The present conundrum is, however... that we do not know where in the Grand Magasin they could be scheming.
<Wait, I've only made a brief stop there, but when we visited the second floor...>
<... they said they were undergoing... "renovations." And there were bodies of Le Noir employees behind them.>
Yes, there was indeed a massacre underway on the second floor.
That's where the Luxury Hall is located. So they've made a nest of that place, did they? All in service of their preposterous plan of birthing a new Voice...
Two-legs. Would you say that you are allies of Le Noir?
<That's... how it turned out, I guess?>
They're saying "yes"~
You're all able to move between floors without obstruction... strangers such as yourselves should make for perfect messengers for us Noirs.
... Very well, then. We'll let you purchase shoes from our shop.
Under one condition, however.
Should you come across any information that may be of assistance to the Noirs, you come to us right away.
Pray, what sort of intelligence wouldst thou deem to be of assistance?
Let me give you some pointers, though it may be but an old tale from quite a few seasons ago. The Kakis who make their home in the Furniture Hall stole a few items from us Noirs.
We didn't bother pursuing them, as those items had already passed out of fashion by then. However... among the items they thieved was an artifact said to be a most precious weapon - it's said that all fabric is as delicate as gauze before its might.
Ooh, a legendary artifact the likes of which are heard only from tales of heroics...
If such a weapon does exist, I'm sure it will be of great assistance to us in our war against the Rouges. The fabric used to create the Rouges' clothes - made from an unholy amalgamation of the Golden Resin and all kinds of hedonistic desires - is rather difficult for us to tear apart.
<Okay, then. Let's hand it over... if we ever do come across it.>
<With that done, why don't we look around for more stuff on this floor?>
<I don't like where this is going... Let's show her the Authenticity Certificate we received downstairs before things get out of control.>
The Noirs on the third floor gave us this.
What might this place be...?
Looks like they sell furniture here.
<This hall is especially quiet....>
Verily, 'tis a hall most spacious yet tranquil!
Yes, like most furniture and home decor shops.
…….
Th-this be a lamp, or this be a man? Forsooth, a pickle indeed...
Hmm... that sure is a conundrum. Wouldn't that depend on how we look at it?
You need only consider every entity here a customer, a product, a vendor, and a Mannequin all at once.
Ah, insooth...! Then perchance I can prod this gentlelamp for the ins-and-outs of this hall most puzzling!
Hark, kind Sir!
…….
Aha. Customers.
Will you... Will you purchase me?
Though my bent back may give you an impression of bad posture at first, it is in fact my strength - the subtle combination of height and angle ensures that any customer in search of respite will be most appropriately illuminated.
Ah, well. In truth, w-what we seek is -
I may creak a little - the last customer who inspected me was regrettably coarse with their hands. But worry you not. My functions are not one bit affected.
Come, feel the softness of my body. Why don't you try lighting me up now, young fellows?
N-nay, worry thee not. In truth, 'tis simply that thou were the first to catch mine eye -
Caught your eye, did I?
Well, well, well... Isn't that encouraging to hear? It can only mean that I am clearly different in terms of composition compared to the rest of the common rabble on display here!
Perchance, that may be so. 'Tis quite blindingly bright where thou standest, indeed.
<Well, he is a lamp...>
Someone with such a keen eye for aesthetic detail will surely be willing to purchase me, hmm?
I am yours for a very reasonable price of 4,000 eyeballs. Outrageously underpriced for the unmatched coziness my lighting provides, if I do say so myself.
<Outrageously overpriced, you mean!>
A-ah, 'tis clear now that there hath been a misunderstanding of sorts 'twixt us! We were not of mind to purchase thee - or any light, for that matter - our eyes have not yet dimmed so woefully as to require one.
... So, you were just window shopping after all.
Perhaps another time~
Curses... Foiled once again...
It was entirely unnecessary of you to remind me of my appearance... Though by a stroke of errant fortune I was willed to move again, spurred on by the warmth of this brilliant sunlight peering through the cracks of the Grand Magasin, my long slumber has left my leather worn and saggy...
... Ah, I've got it. If I were to procure an incredibly dashing outfit to complement my appearance... Hmm... Yes, I'll make the sale in no time.
That's it. Dear customers, I now make you an offer of a lifetime. Bring me the most fashionable and suitable outfit for me from the Furniture Hall owner, and in return...
... I will give you a most generous 2.5% discount and make myself available at an even more reasonable price of 3,900 eyeballs. I'm willing to bet you haven't been graced with a deal this good in your entire lives - not only am I dressed in a stylish outfit, but I'm yours for a price that is practically a steal!
<That did precisely nothing to convince me to buy this guy. And 3,900 eyeballs is still an outrageous asking price... just not in the way he thinks.>
Oh, but this gives us an excuse to pay a visit to the owner of this Hall.
<Aha!>
Established patterns suggest that initiating a conversation with someone in the managerial position of each hall will most likely lead to discovering the means to access the next floor, Manager.
... Content!
Very well, we shall be there and back again anon!
... H-AAAAARK!! Be thou the master of this hall?!
.......
.......
H-hark...?
Excuse me~ We're here because Mister Lamp over there told me that you'd show us some outfits for him?
.......
I wonder if they're unable to speak?
(There is no reply. For lack of a better word, the figure "unfurls" its body, displaying an assortment of miscellany... including what appear to be parts of the human anatomy.)
Hoh... Could this be... thy manner of parley? Ah, I see! Thou'rt flaunting thy colección, perchance?
(Still, there is no reply. The figure stands in silence, quietly dangling the collection of various unrecognizable - and some, regrettably recognizable - miscellany from its body.)
Or... maybe they're asking us to take them with us.
Could you confirm if that's what you're trying to communicate, owner of the Furniture Hall?
(The owner does not so much as twitch.)
<... Okay, then. We'll pick something that'll look good on the Lamp and leave?>
(We take an item from their body, but they still don't stir. Only when we've walked a fair distance away from them do they fold themselves shut.)
Erm...
Behold! 'Tis the artifact of our choice -
I must say... this piece is not entirely consonant with my own aesthetic sense...
Ack!
... However, as you are all doubtlessly true aesthetes who have managed to recognize my overwhelming magnificence within the Furniture Hall... I trust that there was some apocryphal philosophy behind this choice of fashion. I will... wear it, I guess...
But you can forget about my most generous discount offer. Frankly, your choice of outfit has been nothing but disappointment to me...
Oh, in that case, in exchange for rescinding your discount offer...
... would you mind answering a few simple questions for us?
... Why, of course. The magnanimity of my heart is every bit as warm as my ivory-white bulb. Do speak.
So, about the owner -
AH! And in my infinite wisdom, which can be inferred from the most graceful shape of my lampshade and its complex deco, I have already deduced the nature of your question before it has even left your lips.
We call the owner... the "Happy Closet."
<…….>
Yes. They are truly a giving soul - so willing to part with pretty much anything inside their body! And why "Happy", you ask? Well... They have never once complained about it, and therefore I must imagine they are quite happy. Presumably.
And why... do you think they're like that?
How should I know? We've been sitting here gathering dust for ages... It is simply what it means to be a piece of Furnishing.
Then... wherefore hast thou chosen to become as Furnishings?
... Because we've all chosen to linger...
We have long come to terms with the fact that we will never be able to reach the top floor... Or gain entry to the Luxury Hall to shop there...
Then is it not wiser to wait in stillness upon this floor and sleep the days away until some wealthy soul chooses to purchase us...?
<Then why did he wake up, all of a sudden?>
What was it that caused you to awaken from your sleep all of a sudden?
Well, that's... I don't know when it began, but a warm ray of the sun shone its light on me.
.......
Stirred awake by that light, I pushed myself off the ground, and... the Happy Closet opened themselves up to us.
Do you know what excruciating torture it is to be awake? It is agony without respite.
Oh, how I wish someone would purchase me... I just want to sleep... in affluence...
Which leads me to my next point: has my offer become any more attractive? See, even with a layer of the outfit you've brought me, I am still available for a low, low price of 4,000 eyeballs! This is an outrageous price for what I bring to the table, dear customers!
NO! Buy me, buy me!
Gah!
You gave that rusty old lamp an outfit?! No fair, he's been outta fashion since forever, dudes! Do me too, do me too! Decorate me!
Dress me up, and I'll let you buy me at an affordable price!
He has it so good. Hardly any sunlight reaches us back here... Let us have something, too...
If you won't, then we'll... If you won't, then we'll...
<I don't like where this is going...>
I-is it just me, or hath this hall become much more... frigid...?
<And the owner of this hall can't even explain any of this to us, let alone speak at all...>
<We're going to have to do as those Furnishings ask if we want even a snowball's chance in hell of figuring things out.>
.......
.......
(The Happy Closet, as the others called them, opens up to us once again.)
So... I wonder what the other Furnishings are looking for?
Hm... It shall be of our choosing. Good Closet, wouldst thou allow us to take several at once from thee?
(The Happy Closet still does not stir.)
<I... guess they don't mind...?>
So slow! So slow!
<Okay, then... I guess we're taking everything from this side?>
What took you so long?! My bones're freezing from the lack of deco!
A-apologies, good fellow, What is it that thou needst?
I want a toenail! Toenail on my hat! I'll look so classy with a toenail on my hat!
Toenail... This be the toenail thou seekest, perchance?
Heavens... Have you misplaced your eyes on the soles of your feet?! Try putting them where you can see!
This looks like a toenail to you? It's obviously a tongue!
Ah...! Had I not shared much the same doubt with thee, Manager Esquire? Loath I be to say it, but thou truly hast no eye for the aesthetics of fashion!
But... this is a pretty nice tongue, I'll give you that. It'll go quite well with my light.
Oh boy, hope I'll sell for a high price...
*yawn* So sleepy...
Why do I gotta stay awake...?
Hello, what outfit would you like?
I mean, it's obvious, isn't it...? Something beautiful so someone'll buy me soon... Ah, I know... I want a warm and fuzzy coat, so I can snooze right back to sleep as soon as I'm sold...
Sure thing, here you go -
... What do you want me to do with this? Drape it over me.
You think I should be bothered to haul myself up to get dressed? Do you have any idea how sleepy I am?
<... Is this bed serious?>
Oh, haha... Here you go. How's that?
So nice... So nice. You can go.
I'm gonna need some time to get used to this fuzzy coziness... I'll... uhm... give you a discount of 200 eyeballs when I'm fully acclimated. A token of my gratitude.
You better purchase me, okay?
I like that you're bringing me the good stuff willingly, my dudes.
You guys must be the totally kewl~ kinda customers.
Thank you for your kind words. Here - which one would you like?
Guess what? I'm a totally kewl~ Furnishing, too. Yoink! Didn't even need to think.
<Didn't even hesitate, huh...>
With that done, why don'tcha dudes be totally kewl~ too and buy me?
I'll give ya a discount of 300 eyeballs if you're kewl~ about it, how's that, my dudes?
I ask thee, in a manner most kewl~ - what be thy price, with that most generous discount?
It makes me a totes reasonable 3,600 eyeballs. Far out, huh? Oops, or am I lowballing myself?
Silence descended around us as we all struggled to come to terms with that ridiculous asking price.
Dang, not so kewl~ after all, huh?
That's gonna be a no-go for me, my dudes. I want my buyer to be totally kewl~.
Really? This is all that's left inside the Closet?
Hmm... Kinda disappointing, guys.
Why didn't you come to me first before anyone else?
We weren't avoiding you, if that's what you're saying. We just happened to visit everyone here in the order they caught our eye...
*scoff* Are you implying that I'm not as eye-catching as the others?
Hmph! I know I'm on the somewhat petite side in this Hall, but there's no need to be so rude.
Forget it, I'm taking this.
And don't think you'll be getting a good-bye OR a thank-you discount from me!
That's too bad, then. We won't be able to afford you without a discount.
... Hmph.
S-see if I care! I bet someone way, way richer than you'll splurge for me soon!
Thank you... Thank you ever so much for bringing me such a precious item.
<Wow, a polite Distor - I mean, Furnishing for once.>
I hope this isn't an imposition, but... Oh, every garment you brought me is simply beautiful... I'll go with this one.
Mm.
And this one...
<Mm...?>
Aaaaand this one.
One item per customer.
... Ah, really?
Oh... I'm sorry, I must've gotten ahead of myself. The sunshine's been so warm lately, I feel like I'm floating.
But don't you think it's rather heartless of you to throw me one miserable scrap of sacking and expect me to go over the rainbow?
It's our policy.
Tsk. That's a stupid fucking policy, isn't it?
<... Whoa. That's a switch-up for sure.>
The fuck're you lookin' at! Get lost, fuckwit!
Me this one! This one!
Mm.
Wow! Wow!
Thankies! Thankies!
<Glad that was easy, at least.>
Wanna buy me? Buy me!
9,900 eyeballs! A steal! A steal!
Thine offer is the most exorbitant price we have heretofore encountered!
Yep, yep! Yep, yep!
Cuz I'm awesome! I'm awesome!
Alas, we have not with us such a grand sum of -
What a bum! What a bum!
How cruel of thee...!
Don't take it too personally, Don Quixote. We are a bit strapped for eyeballs at the moment.
Hey, man. That coat looks pretty heavy. Why don't you try hanging it from me?
(No response. Couldn't be bothered, it seems.)
Do ya mind, my dudes? It's finally my turn to sunbathe, and you're blocking the light.
How do you like this bright red cushion I've got? Put me in any room, and I'll fill it with just the appropriate kind of vitality any classy home needs!
My body is quite cushy. Feel free to take a seat before you go. Hmm... You must be quite tempted to sit on me right about now.
Do you even know what the word Vanitas means? Go away, uneducated fools have no business purchasing me.
(No response. Couldn't be bothered, it seems.)
One day I'll get a kewl~ customer who's down for a kewl~ deal.
I'll be worth at least 5,000 Eyeballs now! But for you, I'm available for... an exclusive price of 9,000 Eyeballs. Hmph!
Oh, excuse me...
Are you really having trouble understanding what "Get lost, fuckwit" means?
<Wh - Why did it kill Meursault?>
Right? Maybe they really didn't like the outfit we chose for them?
... It did not seem to attack out of conscious decision to be hostile; rather, it was lashing out instinctively.
"Lashing out instinctively," thou sayest?!
Hmm hmm~ How about we try talking to them while we're illuminated by sunlight?
<"Sunlight"?>
When I heard it was sunlight that woke them up, I thought "hmm, maybe they're able to talk only with people who are also illuminated?"
<Oh, maybe... We did try talking to them from the shadows when they attacked us.>
<Sounds like a plan. Let's try that next time.>
Fie... To be defeated by such craven foes who attack from the cover of shadows...
<Yeah, it's kinda rough being ambushed by enemies disguised as furnishings.>
<... I take that back. We were ambushed by furnishings.>
We'll have to be careful to not attract too many drawers' attention.
I thank thy generosity, kind Closet! Thou hast been indispensable in dressing the other Furnishings with outfits most fashionable.
.......
W-what is the meaning of this? A-and... ye were all mobile, all along?!
*yawn* Tried to get some shut-eye... but the sunshine kept me up.
I'm going to need more than one article of clothing if I want someone to buy me before the sunshine grows even warmer.
Bet that closet's hiding even kewl~er goodies inside.
I bet they've got some luxury stuff hidden inside that you uncultured swines couldn't even recognize.
I hope this isn't an imposition, but would you mind giving me everything you have?
Want all of it! All of it!
W-wait, what - ?!
Move, move! Me first pick! Me first pick!!
<... They could've all just moved on their own.>
Those scoundrels were much like a pack of bandits descending upon a hapless victim... 'Tis not right, though the Happy Closet be a giving soul.
Whether it is right or wrong is of no significance.
What - !
The concepts of right and wrong are contingent on the perspective of the observer, and are therefore shallow and muddled.
.......
Excuse me.
Oh? Hello, Mister Lamp. When did you...?
You can get out of my way if you have no further business with the closet.
Uh...
What brazen sabotage... Looking to snatch away my potential customers, eh? I won't take it sitting down!
<As if the Happy Closet was his to begin with, huh...>
Drat it... Just as I feared. They nabbed everything but the skin of the face... This simply won't do. It's a wretchedly difficult article to coordinate into an outfit set...
Wait, there's one thing left...!
The heart...! The heart remains...!
Yes, that's the most priceless article out of them all. Were I to wear the heart...!
Oh, I'll be worth 10,000 eyeballs... or even more!
I'll finally have an owner...!
W-well, so who gets to claim the heart?
Look, there's mold growing on my body... I gotta sell before it spreads all over me...
Then... let us divide it equally amongst us.
O Happy Closet, I have but one humble request for you... Could you, by any chance... part with your heart for our sake...?
That heart of yours shall surely elevate us to the coveted state of ownership...
.......
Capital! That's a yes. Well then, don't mind me if I do.
Precision, please! Okay?
You better slice it into three equal, identical parts...
Ooh, heart! Ooh, heart!
Mine! Mine!
…….
(The Happy Closet opens up without a word.)
<Why are they opening up again?>
Maybe it's their way of saying that... it's okay for us to take more?
Perchance... Yet, I must ask thee: wherefore wouldst thou so charitably make thy possessions available to us gratis?
We know not whether these be their hoarded treasure, akin to a precious colección of limited-time releases...
If you were in the same situation, would you willingly give up your collection of badges to help the people in need?
Mmm... If it be in service of helping the troubled, then I shall fain part with my entire colección - !
- eeeeeeeehhhhhhhhh, though, mayhap thou wilt be merciful and spare the limited edition Red Mist commemorative badge? 'Twould leave me with naught but sorrow were I to be deprived of even that...
Oh, stop it with your pearl-clutching.
... As we reel from the sudden turn of events, the Furnishings shove us aside and descend upon the motionless Happy Closet like a flock of carrion birds.
.......
Their body remains unfurled even as they are knocked down to the ground.
*yawn*... Shame, Rocking Chair sold for 2,100 eyeballs. Would've been me had they not been wearing that newfangled scarf. Now they'll get to sleep forever - must be so, so very nice...
Keep dreaming, you greedy thing. You took the most clothes out of Happy Closet, you know?
Hope there's a cow-print shin somewhere in there... That'd be pretty kewl~ ya know?
You bitch, that lower lip you just took is pretty much a set with the philtrum I chose!
Leave the eyebrows! Leave the eyebrows!
At first glance, the room resembles an ordinary cinema. It is a dark and quiet place, insulated from even the smallest noise beyond its walls.
Like any other cinema, there are seats. On each of them are people, sitting in rows upon rows of idleness, their eyes uniformly fixed on the large screen at the end of the theater room.
Only the sounds of consumption sliding down the gullets break through the silence.
The following words are projected onto the screen: "Canned Film - Title: A Lone Fixer Departs into the Sunset".
The image is static.
Its stasis is in contrast to the audience, who consume - some with straws, some with spoons - from the cans that can be eaten only within this cinema.
And yet, each member of the audience sees something different shifting in the shadows. Different moments. Different lives. Different experiences.
I focus on two people in the audience. They are leaning into each other as any loving couple would, so closely that their shoulders touch.
... I wonder if we're both feeling the same thing.
I'm afraid. Even now, when we're pressed so close together.
We're eating from the same Canned Experience - the view of the sunset. But... can we really say that the sun going down over your horizon is the same one as mine?
.......
I am afraid. I'm afraid of... all of it.
Afraid of the sky at this time of day. Afraid of the air, of this sensation on my skin... Afraid of my own liminal existence inside it all.
Why am I so frightened?
These sensations, these thoughts... they're beyond my control. They germinate, blossom, and burst out of me like a streetcar out of control...
... Why did I have to be born as this creature - a human?
.......
.......
You'll never answer that, I know. The City won't either. You'll both hold onto your silences until the end of days.
<... Are you... afraid too, Meursault?>
I am, Manager.
<Was there a specific reason, or...>
.......
It began when we were nearing a year since my mother...
... had first begun her tearful wailing.
Meursault tinkers with the chain link binding his belt together. Clink.
Then, silence fell around us.
As I watched the carnage and plunder in horror, the world before me lurched and changed - as though an unseen hand had spliced the scene away.
Are these Meursault's memories...? But I don't see him anywhere in them.
<Wait, these aren't... These aren't Meursault's memories...>
.......
<So that's... Jeanne...>
…….
Is it the role of these "Giants" to... observe the Grand Magasin from outside?
The Furnishings, and everyone whom we had encountered thus far, were they not all once -
... "normal humans of the City?" was perhaps what she'd intended to say. But she let her words trail off, the rest of her thoughts unspoken.
Correct. That is one of the responsibilities assigned to the Giants.
Then, pray - would one be correct in assuming that the role of a Giant is given to those who revel in the suffering of others?
No. It is the opposite.
The opposite?
The Giants are all...
... those who are afraid.
Afraid? What are they afraid of?
All of it.
What?! Manager Esquire, wherefore hast thou returned to this floor? Perchance there be an unfinished business here?
Hm, going by Dante's confused ticking... I think they just took a wrong turn somewhere.
<... "Shoes" was probably the wrong choice, then. Let's go back to B1 and try the escalator again.>
.......
Ah...
Amidst the quiet, we noticed that the Happy Closet... had gone completely still. Only the remnants of the pillaging remained.
Hong Lu leaned in and picked up a small piece of paper from what was left behind.
Hmm...? What's this...?
Rubbish, that's what! I have no need of it.
I'll generously part with that piece of trash should you like to take it.
.......
Stunned, Don Quixote stared blankly at the closet's remains.
There is something written on the paper, Manager. It may contain information that is worth reading.
<O-oh, yeah. Let's read what it says...>
.......
(There's no movement. Only remnants of the pillaging remain.)
"All shall be awakened by the Golden Fabric and the Nail; so too shall they lull them all to sleep."
<The Golden Fabric and the Nail, huh...>
<Could this be the legendary weapon that One-leg mentioned...?>
That's definitely possible.
<Well, we did promise to update her if we came across anything important.>
Yes, Manager.
... They've...
... truly given away everything, haven't they?
So, such ruin is what awaits those whose generosity is untempered.
Don Quixote's sullen gaze lingered on what was left of the Happy Closet. She unpinned a Fixer badge hidden in her jacket and placed it gently on the floor, next to the Closet's remains.
... Let's go.
<... Yeah.>
Oh hello, dear customers.
Does anything catch your eye? No? Look around anyway - something might!
Um... have you given up on selling yourself?
With so many items draped over me, I'm afraid I may have become a tad unaffordable.
So I thought perhaps I would do well to sell off some of these useless trinkets.
<…….>
Since you were of some help to me, I'll make an exception and sell them to you without the markup.
Don't expect any discounts, of course.
We came across this recipe in the Furniture Hall.
This is... Huh. Can't believe something this precious was in possession of those pathetic Furnishings.
My decision to ally with you Two-legs is looking better and better.
Perhaps maintaining a degree of connection to the humble and the downtrodden is a virtue, pathetic as your peasantry might be.
<... Did she just call us humble and downtrodden?>
Take this to the Noirs on the lower floor.
<Hold on, before we go... Can you ask her if she knows how we can get to the fifth floor?>
Excuse me, how do we get to the fifth floor?
The fifth floor...?
Only those of exalted nobility may enter that floor, Two-legs. You've first got to be up to parity with their dress code.
The sheer exclusivity of that floor makes it so that not even I, a One-leg, may enter freely. Though my singular footwear be of unparalleled beauty, the rest of my outfit must be up to its stringent standards as well.
Th-then what is it that we must do?
Wear something more... exceptional, of course. Perhaps something truly premium from a Luxury label, at the very least.
<Luxury label? Sounds like something from the Luxury Hall on the second floor...>
That Hall was not in any condition to be open for business.
The only task I have for you at the moment, lowly plebeians, is to bring this note to the Noirs on the lower floor.
Not to say that it is a trivial task, no. You're special customers carrying a special missive from the illustrious and elevated One-leg - the outcome shall be just as outstanding, I'm sure.
If it be so elevated, then how is it that the second floor - whose elevation is, indeed, beneath that of the fourth floor - holds greater prestige than that of the fourth floor, where thou residest?
The One-leg stared at us, stumped. I could see all kinds of thoughts and answers and concerns racing through her mind behind those eyes. Then, after a moment that felt like an eternity...
It just is, okay?!
Have you mind to purchase me? I'm available for a very affordable price.
I'll be waiting.
Why don't you get a move on and find the Happy Closet?
Feel free to take a look around. You might find something to your liking.
The way ahead is completely blocked. It does not seem possible to pass through for now.
Strangely enough, though they won't ever regain the courage to stand up, they look to be more at peace now...
Of the two lamps, the lit one whispers something. Its lampshade silently swings like a pendulum.
Blink.
Blink.
Bliiiiink.
The lamp seems to blink gratefully.
BlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlinkBlink
... Not grateful, got it.
That set something off. Mere seconds after I laid my hands on the black couch, the distinct shuffling of Furnishings begin creeping up toward us from the shadows.
Probably shouldn't have touched that... I hear the Furnishings creeping awake and shambling toward us from who knows where.
I wipe off a thick layer of dust that has settled on the black couch. Furnishings of all kinds creak to life from all around us... and begin to creep in our direction.
There are a dozen or so legs hanging from the ceiling, all wearing footwear of sorts. A chilling, alien sensation cuts through me.
A display of various shoes.
This display is empty. The label underneath it says [SOLD OUT].
I guess people do shop here...? Empty spots in the display stand out to me.
Black shoes with golden highlights.
Unlike the somber black shoes we've seen so far, these ones are more ostentatious.
This isn't the most apt expression for shoes, but... There's a "canopy" of shoes hanging from the ceiling.
It's like looking up at the ceiling from the floor.
These shoes look pretty elaborate. But... they're at least in the realm of what one might categorize as "normal."
If this pair of shoes contains the Golden Hide, it's not obvious. The price looks comparatively low, too.
[미사용] …영원한 수면을 위한 침대였다.
[미사용] 살점이 벌어지는 기괴한 소리가 들린다…
It's just become clear how they managed to achieve such a glossy red finish...
[미사용] 당분간은 소파 틈새를 섣불리 뒤져보지 못할 것 같다…
[미사용] 가죽…아니, 근육이 팽팽하게 당겨지는 소리가 들린다…
[미사용] 그냥 지나치는 게 나았을 수도…
[미사용] 르카…키가…전구를 갈려면…몇 명이…필요하게…?
[미사용] 불쾌한 지직거리는 소리가 들려온다…
[미사용] …호기심이 많다는게 언제나 장점이 되진 않는다…
This is the shoe stand Don Quixote got dangerously close to poking with her nose. Its design is quite similar to Rocinante's.
These don't look like artificial plants... Maybe someone's been watering them regularly?
The soil is dry. It is likely that this plant is a type that thrives on little to no water - Mm.
Meursault picked something up.
<... Why would anyone put that in a plant pot?>
Hoh? Hast thou never stored aught of great importance within a pot of plant, Manager Esquire?
<No...? What about you guys?>
I have. When we were young, Xichun would find pretty rocks and petals and gift them to me. I'd keep those hidden in the flower pots at Yihongyuan.
Haha... Though this be not a tale of mine, I know that Nicolina had always hidden a key of hers in one of the flower pots decorating the front gates of our castle.
Oft did I scold her for such carelessness, that a villain might come and snatch the keys for their own ill use... Alas, the key remained secret and safe until the day we tore the castle down.
<Do you think that's why they've hidden it here...? For safekeeping?>
That is unlikely, Manager.
The inhabitants of the fourth floor would rather decorate themselves with the trinket than keep it hidden.
<Then... let's take it with us.>
Meursault picked up 10 eyeballs.
There's a patch of sunlight falling on the wall. Beneath it are a few items from the Happy Closet's inventory.
It really is dark under the candlestick, huh?
Shall we take these with us, Manager Esquire?
<Sure, let's do that.>
Tap tap tap. Swish swish swish. Rhythmic tapping followed by brooms sweeping the floor.
The sound has gotten quieter now, as though it's coming from afar.
A rather healthy-looking pot of plant.
The leaves are swaying softly in the wind. Where's the wind blowing from, anyway?
Is there a handbag shop somewhere on this floor?
This bench looks like it'd hurt the back to sit on for too long.
The ominous creaking came to a stop.
The strident creaking came to a stop.
Stumbled and fell.
... Sank right into itself.
The corpse of a Rouge. Blood has pooled in the shoe that fell off.
The corpse of a Rouge. All those shoes did nothing to help them escape.
... It's gotten a bit dark.
It'll never illuminate or hang anything again.
A red puddle slowly spreads from its bloodsoaked, broken body. Even the sunlight isn't bright enough to dry all that blood.
Thought death would do them part, but it's only tangled them closer together.
Doubt anyone's going to buy this pile of bloody mess, now.
The frame is completely shattered. It doesn't make for a very good bed anymore.
[미사용] <시체인 것 같다.>
<Wh - Why did it kill Meursault?>
... It did not seem to attack out of conscious decision to be hostile; rather, it was lashing out instinctively.
"Lashing out instinctively," thou sayest?!
Hmm hmm~ How about we try talking to them while we're illuminated by sunlight?
<"Sunlight"?>
When I heard it was sunlight that woke them up, I thought "hmm, maybe they're able to talk only with people who are also illuminated?"
<Oh, maybe... We did try talking to them from the shadows when they attacked us.>
<Sounds like a plan. Let's try that next time.>