Containment doesn't look like cages.
It looks like options quietly disappearing.
The neighborhood ahead still breathed, but the rhythm had changed. Shops opened later. Streets were cleaner than usual, too clean—like someone had decided mess invited thought. Public boards were empty, scraped bare of flyers and handwritten notes.
No slogans.No warnings.Just absence.
Arjun kicked at a loose stone."Feels like a museum after closing."
"Yes," I said."Curated."
The girl walked beside me, eyes sharp, taking in every detail."They're narrowing the bandwidth."
Aaryan nodded."If people can't linger, they can't gather. If they can't gather, they can't normalize behavior."
[ System Notice: Environmental shaping — active ][ Status: Non-coercive / Persistent ]
The other Ishaan spoke calmly.
This is the preferred method, he said.Low visibility. High compliance.
✦
