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Notes: Courtesy of David, this video is posted under a variety of anonymous throwaway accounts that are nigh-impossible to track, on basically every platform you can name. WOM.bat simply has a URL where the video can be downloaded, shared in the Fantastic Sucks board.

[The camera is focused on a man people may recognize from Fantastic's June announcement about a hypnotist manipulating Starfallen into acting as villains without their knowledge: the Fixer. While he looks a little worse for wear after his time in hiding, he isn't sporting any injuries beyond a few minor bruises.

Those asking him questions are off-camera, their voices altered.

After the full interrogation, a certain narrative becomes clear:

Fantastic hired the Fixer. They intentionally targeted Starfallen, using them to carry out staged attacks for Fantastic to thwart. This enabled him to elevate his image and dethrone Atomight from the Alliance. Once he achieved this goal, Fantastic threw the Fixer under the bus (which the Fixer seems especially and genuinely bitter about).

While this may not be surprising to a lot of people, they didn't have the proof before, and it makes Fantastic's hypocrisy for claiming to be working towards the safety of Starfallen excedingly clear.]

((The throwaway accounts probably won't be responding, but folks are welcome to chat in the various comment sections!))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ SOME TIME LATER, SHE ARRIVES. How did she get here? Maybe she hitched a ride with Dana or something, don't worry about it! ]

Man, you really weren't kidding about the hair!

...nor you, about the tail.

[Whatever sort of tail he was imagining... this is not it.]

Nope!

[ Much like the Spanish Inquisition, nobody expects the squirrel tail! ]

You must go through a ton of conditioner, huh? Nice to meet you! I'm... [ wait, hold on. ] Are we doing the Secret Identity thing? Because if we both got brainwashed, I feel like that puts us on a first-name basis.

I've never had one anyway, and it feels a bit... pointless.

[Given their extremely recognizeable features. He offers his hand.]

Sephiroth.

... Doreen. I usually try, but. Today's an off-day.

[ She's not in costume today, just regular civvie clothes with the tail out. For something this personal, she just wants to be herself. Doreen reaches out to shake his hand, but it's obvious that her perpetual sunny attitude has been working overtime, given the last few weeks. ]

This really sucks, huh? Do they do some kinda group therapy sessions for brainwashing victims, or what?

[Sephiroth gives her hand a brusque, firm shake.]

...I can't say I've heard of such a thing. [But he's not a man who's yet been persuaded of the benefits of therapy.] Striking him ought to provide some therapeutic benefit.

I mean, yeah, but... punching might be cathartic, but it isn't actually going to fix anything after the fact. It rarely does.

[ The Tragedy of Punches. ]

How are you doing? You holding up okay?

[He blinks, not having expected the question.]

I'm perfectly fine. My mind has been my own for some time now, and the man's been apprehended.

[He's not perfectly fine, the feelings just haven't had time to make their way back out from where he shoved them.]

[ ah, the old John Mulaney 'I'll keep all my emotions right here, and then one day I'll die' technique. ]

Well, if I find any good therapists, I'll let you know, 'kay?

... Seriously though, thanks for letting me in on this. It's just... it's just good to talk to people who have been through the same thing, you know?

[He makes something of a face at the mention of therapists, but he's not going to outright decline it. They don't need to get into it.]

...I suppose that much is true. There is a mutual understanding.

Back home, people get temporarily brainwashed-slash-hypnotized by bad guys on a pretty regular basis, but I never realized how awful it feels to experience it personally.

[ that monthly Marvel comics life! ]

It's like... you feel guilty for what you did, even if it wasn't really you, you know?

[Oh. She's going to... keep talking about feelings. Okay.]

I don't share your guilt.

But I find the loss of control... frustrating.

[ Sorry bud, she's all about discussing Deep Important Feelings! That said, she kinda picks up the vibe he's giving off, and decides to dial it down a bit. Seph isn't her therapist! ]

Frustrating is definitely one word for it. It sucks! It sucks so much.

[They just met! You have to unlock the Deep Important Feelings.]

Yes. It does.

At least that part is at an end.

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