Siren's Pull

[Here's a face the network hasn't seen in a while. Riku's back to looking more and more like the kid he was when he arrived, though he's grown and definitely looks older. He's sitting near the Newcomer Memorial, glancing around at the stones. For those with keen eyes, they might notice a name beside where he's sitting: Kei Yuki.]

Two years ago, I showed up at that diamond just like everyone else.

[He gives the camera a knowing smile.]

Hearing a lot of these stories lately, haven't we, Siren's Port? But I'll skip over it, since it's not important, and since Joe has already recounted what happened our first few nights here. A lot's happened since then but I'll never forget that first night I was here, or that first week.

[He shifts, glancing back at the memorial he sits by.]

Every month, I go down to the diamond to clean off all those things people call us...and every month, there's more right back up. People have told me that it's a lost cause and that I might as well leave it alone. But I don't want to. I don't want people to think they have us beaten, that they can walk all over us and do what they want. It's been over two years and we still haven't all gone and there were people before us, people still in the city. We're not the first ones here.

[Riku turns back and locks eyes with the camera.]

Someone tried to ruin this memorial today. They were going to spray paint over some of the names, like they were trying to erase what's here and who used to be around.

[It hits something in him. The names in the memorial are the ones he's collected but, more importantly, what really angers him is that defacing the stone is like trying to erase the memories of the people who once inhabited Siren's Port. And that's something he refuses to stand for, above all else.]

If we're really not the first Newcomers here, then why is nothing else around? Why was there no political party, no memorial, no safe house...nothing? Did they try to erase all of that too, so no one would remember that they were once Newcomers? Or did they try harder to become integrated people so no one would hurt them anymore?

[He frowns.]

It just...doesn't make much sense to me. Why would you purposely try to erase important memories like that and try to forget all that's happened?