[this video opens up with... an ordinary schoolgirl in an ordinary uniform. She's sitting in a rose garden, from the looks of things, and addresses the camera directly:]

Good evening to you; my name is Oriko Mikuni. I have an important question.

When connected to this community, is it normal for certain abilities to be lost or rendered otherwise inactive? It's quite an urgent matter.

[Well. Rita sure looks like she's seen better days... There are a multitude of small cuts on her arms, her clothes are slightly shredded, and she looks a little tired... but she's grinning.]

Things have been a little crazy here... after we went to investigate the aer krene - basically a spring of aer, and we almost died while we were there - then when we got back, we got caught in the middle of barely-averted war between the guilds and the empire, and then we finally tracked down Yuri's aque blastia... and we had to take on the Blood Alliance, one of the master guilds, to get it back. But now...

[She takes a deep breath.] But now it's all over. I can get back to my research - I have an assignment from the Empire to find and research the rest of the aer krene. So I get to keep traveling for now; Yuri'll take Estelle back to the capital, since I'm going a different way.

[A moment passes, and she frowns.] So why am I so... unsatisfied? The aer krene could be what finally advance blastia research by years. But... as much as I want to do it, I... kinda don't want to, at the same time.

What's your favorite comic?

[ The video feed opens up to the bridge outside of Dahngrest. Though it's nighttime, the figures of three suspicious men (one of them a familiar looking Mayor) standing on the bridge can be seen, obviously discussing something between themselves. ]

( The laws may have let you go... )