⬣//A BRIEF REPRIEVE

[cccorp]

>>Look at me.

⬣//BREATHE. EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY.

This is your Official™ catch-all log for the month of November. While the boss battles rage on, those of you who are looking to disengage from combat and kick your feet up for a spell can do so here.

Post your open prompts in this post. Closed starters may also be posted here or on @Altimit, but all open posts belong here in this log. Lawbreakers will be bent over the modly knee and paddled into compliance. Thank you.

>>Navigation

Comments

[selfconcept]

[ :'( The eye disappears in fear of Matoba. Fiend.

Hien turns his head to look at him, finally taking a break from looking at the trees. ]

Do you? I like the meaning.

[ He coded himself a book about flower meanings once, since he was curious. ]

... Well, the book had tons of meanings, but if I had to pick one, it would probably be "undying devotion".

[worldbent]

Oh?

[Matoba's small, troublesome smile curls further, his eye trailing off to the side in some thoughtful show of mischief.] Do you think that sounds like me?

[He hates the idea of being thought of that way, regardless of how true it is.]

[selfconcept]

You certainly are devoted.

[ ... ]

I also like devotion.

[ The one time when Matoba offered to kill someone who framed him was really hot, but he can barely remember the details of the particular situation of the framing. ]

[worldbent]

Hmm.

[He clasps his hands behind his back and glances up at the trailing petals of the wisteria.] Are you sure you aren't just assigning to me that which you want to see?

...I think that these trees had a meaning to me at one time. But I don't remember it anymore. So, [He nods towards the magnolia.] what about that one? Tell me about it.

[selfconcept]

... Maybe I am, but it's not wrong.

[ Despite the tree having no particular meaning to Matoba anymore, it means something to Hien. Probably--no, definitely. He'll hold the feelings here and let them anchor so that his deterioration can't get at them. He'll hold onto it as long as he lives. ]

At first, I picked it because it looked nice. But then I read this section in the book... "The magnolia has adapted to changing climate changes and geological conditions over the years and survived. The toughness of the magnolia has also caused it to be used to symbolize endurance and long life."

[ Then he looks over at Matoba. ]

This, too... is for you.

[ Of what he hopes it to be. ]

[worldbent]

[Looking up at the branches of the Magnolia, then meeting Hien's eyes, Matoba wears an expression that seems apprehensive, or maybe disappointed. This man....]

[Surely, he already knows, doesn't he? How this experiment is going to end.]

[They'd both written so much about themselves- who they supposedly were, in the world that supposedly existed outside of Fragment. They'd written in order to remember themselves, but also for others to remember.]

[That was progeny, too- the proliferation of ideas. Of memories. Of stories. Humans want to be remembered.]

[Matoba steps closer, reaching out to lay a hand against Hien's chest, to tilt his head against his shoulder and close his eye. It was comfortable. Even if he couldn't remember the reasons why, Hien was always comforting to him.]

What sense does it make to plant two for me? Plant something for yourself, you idiot man.

[selfconcept]

The magnolia for myself wouldn't make sense. We know what's happening to me.

[ He's deteriorating. He barely has any Fragment memories now. ]

So I hope that you'll make it to the end.

[worldbent]

You think you won't be fixed?

[He knows he won't. He knows none of them will.]

Selfish man. Do you think I'd be happy about that?

[selfconcept]

No, but... it's too late for me.

[ At least Hien thinks so. There's no coming back from this. ]

And you're needed.

[worldbent]

Then plant something I can remember you by.

[Stubborn ass. He lifts his head to look up at him.]

What's the point of having trees that only remind me of myself?

[selfconcept]

[ Hien was about to quip that it's not even a real tree, but... ]

Then, you. Pick something for me. What do you think would suit me?

[ Or perhaps the magnolias already fit him with the "enduring" meaning. ]

[worldbent]

Hummmm.... I'm not too good with this sort of thing, you know, Hien-kun......

[He turns his head away with another mischievous smile, but then he turns back again.]

It isn't a tree, but.... bluebells. Ah! How about an apple tree? [He just wants to eat it, doesn't he.]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien has no idea what a bluebell is but he'll look it up later. Apple tree though. Really—is what Hien's expression seems to say. Despite that, he codes an apple into his hand and holds it to Matoba. ]

For you, since you're craving.

[worldbent]

[Don't give him that look!]

You asked, [He responds, miffed, but he takes the apple anyway and crunches in with a bite. Ahh... a little taste of fall, even though they're trapped in VR Hell.]

How do you know so much about flowers, Hien-kun? You mentioned a book....

[selfconcept]

It was a fleeting curiosity after I wrote up the botany and cooking guides for Fragment. That's all.

[ Hien looks over at Matoba. ]

I always think about you.

[worldbent]

Hoh? Can I read it?

[Hien-kun's guides.... Well, the cooking one will be utterly useless, but at least maybe the flower meanings will be....]

[He pauses with his mouth over the apple, looking at Hien with uncertainty. He finishes crunching into it, and chews a little before asking,] Because I'm incompetent at cooking?

[He's teasing. He knows that's not what he meant (but what the hell did he mean?)]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien quietly sighs and looks back up at the wisteria tree. ]

Because I like you. Stupid.

[ Despite that, he hands over "Fragment's Guide for Botany" to Matoba after coding it into existence. It lists all the possible gathering materials under the botanist profession, pretty sketches for visual of each item, what they could be used for, where they're found, and possible substitute ingredients to use them for real life things that can't be found in Fragment for the freewheeling chefs. Each page regarding each item is very detailed and it looks like a lot of effort went into making the guide. ]

[worldbent]

That's not really the reason I'm asking...

[The blunt honesty could be good or bad, with Matoba. He continues to give Hien a sidelong glance, but his attention is taken once Hien hands him the book. Oh?? He flips it open, beginning to page through...]

...You wrote all of this? [He seems surprised. Wow, Hien did actual Admin work?? His face melts into a sly, fond smile.] I can understand why you'd write a cooking one, but I didn't know you were also a green thumb.

[He glances up at the trees.]

But these are just images, aren't they? Why?

[selfconcept]

... It's just data. Data is easy to gather.

[ He looks over to Matoba. ]

Does it matter? To you... whether they're images or not.

[worldbent]

[There's a short pause, a moment in which Matoba seems to become aware of something.]

Is it? [His smile is as unreadable ever.] I've foun̸̢͇̪̬̤̰̆̄́̌̏͒̐͛̀d it quitế̵̬͉̜̿̋ di̶̥͂̈͋f̸̧̜̩̮̣̹̥̤̮̣̘̲̻̾̐̂̕ͅficult lately.

[He glances back up to the branches of swaying wisteria, and his face falls into distaste again. That failure's nickname for him.] ...No. Not really. Everything here is false, isn't it?

What's a fake we can touch from one we can't?

[selfconcept]

[ His eyes widen behind the bandages wrapped around his face. It's a little strange to hear that Matoba has been trying to collect data, rather than information. For Hien, the two might as well be the same, but it doesn't seem right for Matoba to use. It doesn't... suit him.

And now everything is fake? Hien isn't sure what he's—no, he's realized it, hasn't he? ]

... Seiji...?

[worldbent]

[Matoba blinks, and glances back towards Hien again.]

..What??

[selfconcept]

[ Maybe he imagined it? Hien isn't sure how to react when Matoba looks at him like nothing is wrong. ]

... Never mind. It would be hard to find anything if you're always in your room... or with me in general.

[worldbent]

[Maybe he did! Put it out of mind, Hien.]

[His expression flattens. Wow, don't call him a shut-in.] What else am I to do? The monsters only cleared out of town recently, and there isn't much grinding to be done at level 100, hm?

...Ah, but to answer your question more seriously... I don't mind if they're real or fake images. I was just curious as to why you made them this way in the first place.

[selfconcept]

I just didn't want them to be disturbed.

[ Simple answer from a simple man. He knows how the playerbase is regarding strange things. ]

... I'll eventually forget the reason why I put them here, but I thought they looked nice together.

[ And for the meanings that he told Matoba earlier. ]