Mentioned Characters: Kokoro

Hata no Kokoro is a mask tsukumogami, also known as a menreiki. She once caused a major disturbance, but she has since settled down. Through that experience, she learned about emotions and how to express them through Noh performances. If she intends to continue studying the intricate depths of emotions, then her journey will be unending and filled with constant training. In the 80th provisional Gensokyo, Kokoro works as an expressive profiler and specializes in observing temperaments. These temperaments can be interpreted as emotions. As a tsukumogami, she also plays a key role in maintaining the Probability Space Hypervessel. The Kokoro who reached the 80th provisional Gensokyo is one of countless other Kokoros from the L80 Universes. She was the only one to survive when the L80 Universes met their end. The inhabitants of the 80th provisional Gensokyo may share similar origins, but they are a patchwork group of individuals from different worlds. Their mission is to restore every world that was lost. Though it should have been impossible, they came together, united by a shared purpose.

[Part 1 of an unresolved investigation into a lost world] "Even if we prepare for the future, it'll just get sucked dry by the political and corporate elites." "I want a good evaluation already. Who knows if this hard work will even pay off?" "People in the past had it easy, huh? It was easy to try because the future was full of hope." "The economic boom fueled so many dreams. High-tech cities, Lunar vacations, robot buddies, miracle cures, fully realized virtual reality... But what did we actually get? A single thin pane of glass, sliced up like a cake." "I ever tell you you've got a way with words?" Hope was fading. It was a serious problem. She didn't know why, but something deep within Hata no Kokoro stirred. A part of her had always sensed that the world would end up like this. "We can't go on this way." Kokoro couldn't explain why she felt that way. Maybe the world should be left to rot. But she couldn't accept that. She had no choice but to act. "But what should I do?" A small but representative sample of society, Kokoro's classmates weren't aware of their own emotions. They despaired at the state of the world, clinging to shallow pleasures. They were deceiving themselves.

[Part 2 of an unresolved investigation into a lost world] "Hmm, I see." "So, in other words, you're..." Kokoro wasn't even sure why she'd come knocking on the drama club's door. The club president was one of the best listeners in school and had a reputation for being kind to everyone. But that surely wasn't the reason. To her surprise, two club presidents popped their heads out the door to greet her. They welcomed her in for an interview of some kind. They had even set up a temporary reception area using empty prop boxes. "Well, you certainly seem motivated." "As for everything else..." Kokoro thought her answers had been convincing, but it seemed that wasn't the case. Powerful, wordless impulses dwell deep within all of us. She had considered keeping hers locked inside. But she wanted to share them with the world. Now, she wanted to learn how. The problem was she didn't know where to begin. She came to the drama club hoping to find someone to teach her. But even the club's famously attentive presidents hadn't picked up on that. Or had they? "Well then, let's practice a little now." "You can also drop by tomorrow. And every day after that." Kokoro could hardly believe her luck.

[Part 3 of an unresolved investigation into a lost world] "Nice one, Kokoro. That was a really good performance." "A promising newcomer. We can set our sights high with you." Kokoro didn't agree. She had only been practicing for a few days, and she didn't feel like she was expressing her emotions well at all. She'd even lost sight of exactly what she wanted to convey to people. The more she practiced, the more confused she became. Her emotions seemed so small, so insignificant. She found herself overwhelmed by the skill and expressiveness of the other performers. The presidents clapped twice, and the rehearsal came to an abrupt pause. "It's almost time for another short play." "We've decided the roles, so listen up." Kokoro sighed. Maybe next year she'd be good enough to get picked. "Kokoro, you'll be taking the lead role." What?!

[Part 4 of an unresolved investigation into a lost world] "What was up with her facial expressions? She looked like a frozen Noh mask." "I could barely hear her. And her tone was so flat." "She should move around more. The stage is there for a reason." "She needs to practice her lines." "Hate to say it, but she's just another pretty face." "Nice work on your debut, Miss Kokoro. Got any thoughts?" The presidents weren't mad about her lackluster performance. They seemed as calm as ever. "I really sucked out there." "Based on the feedback, yes." "The audience doesn't care that you only just started." "Y-Yeah, that makes sense." "What you do now is up to you. You could fall into despair. But do you really want people to think you're a quitter? An actress with no resolve?" "The stage won't wait. The show must go on. This moment is just the beginning of a long journey." Real life isn't a story. It's made mostly of moments too messy or mundane for the stage. There's no guarantee of dramatic turning points, satisfying resolutions, or quippy dialogue. Those are things actresses must perform for their audience. "You're the presidents of the drama club, right? Were your first performances this rough?" "Nope. I had a fan club from day one." "My locker was stuffed full of fan letters the next morning." Real life can be cruel. "That feeling you have, the desire to express something you can't put into words..." "That's what drove us, too." But it's rarely without hope.