FOR THEY CANNOT DIE ANYMORE, BECAUSE THEY ARE EQUAL TO ANGELS.

[cccorp]

Today, the canals of Mac Anu flow as gentle as they always do, gondolas drifting lazy through the paths of sunlight cut bright across the water. Shops and vendors line the stonework streets along the waterways, a general murmur of NPCs circulating through their preprogrammed business keeping Mac Anu, as always, feeling maybe a little more alive than a real city.

There is one particular bridge that nearly every player's taken at least once, because it connects to a great many other places of interest, and it's wide enough for easy travel. Besides, with the professions update, they've put a fishing spot on the other side of it. NPCs with fishing rods litter the spot in alternating shifts, their laughter mingling with the calls of shopkeeps advertising cheap prices for some simple plants to get started crafting with, and the clink of forks and plates at a restaurant nearby, its customers singing the chef praises.

Below the bridge, a gondolier passes, humming, his gondola drifting along its circuit through the canals, his tune in rhythm with the passing conversation. As he comes out from under it and sails further away, he glances up at the bridge, as if he were expecting something, and he seems to see it. His gaze remains fixed there until, eventually, the water takes him out of sight again.

Today, you might notice that at the base of this bridge, just before your feet, is a red sort of smear.

A little further down the bridge, about a fourth of the way along it, is a person collapsed on the ground. The red trails to him, fallen forward.

You see upon approaching his hand grasping at his throat at the singularly cut sliced deep into his neck. His one good eye wide and unblinking, he is—among all the laughter and conversation on either side of the bridge; in the shadow of the clock tower, which stands a silent witness, the sun at its back—no longer breathing, his body cool to the touch.

Perhaps this could be considered a kindness: for one who failed, time and time and again, to grasp the desire to live, maybe he found some suggestion of it in his last moments, his hand at his throat, his palm smeared with dried blood, a curious anomaly in the deathless Mac Anu. Fragment had, after all, taught him a great many things. Should he not be grateful for one more, no matter how permanent the lesson?

Mithrun is dead.

Comments

[fatalitea]

[Mami had in fact seen the body the day before when logging in briefly, and despite everyone's panic, she had thought that maybe, just maybe, it was just another glitch that occurred that had kept the body from despawning. There had been so many of those kind of bugs being reported lately, after all...

She hadn't known Mithrun though, not really, so there wasn't anything she could do except let those who did worry about whether or not they could get in touch with the player. It'll probably be fine, she had thought. It may seem rather realistic, but it's just a game. Surely no one's actually hurt or dead.

But then she shows up today, and freezes because the body is still here. Why is it still here. Why haven't the admins or some game developer done something about it, why are they treating this like an actual crime scene...]

If... this is part of an elaborate event or joke, it's in rather poor taste...

[But, she does look toward the blood trail and where it seems to be coming from the Chaos Gate. Maybe... something went wrong during a dungeon run somewhere, so she asks whoever's nearby in lieu of just staring uncomfortably at the body anymore.

Focus. Stay calm. Try to see if there's anything you can do to be useful, as little as it may be.]

Do you... um, have any idea if he was coming back from a dungeon somewhere? And which one it might have been?

[ganymed]

[ Since Ganymede is looking at the bloody footprints, he is probably nearby. He has at least a comment, which probably won't ease everything, but, you know. Better than nothing? Or maybe the fact things are so up in the air means it's actually very shitty either way. ]

...I don't know.

It's possible he could've been, but nobody has confirmed he was or not.

[fatalitea]

I see. [Hmm] I wonder if it would be possible for one of the admins, or even a game developer to know, by finding a way to check his player history for which locations he was registered as being in while playing the game before...

[Well. Before turning up as a dead body, she means.]

[ganymed]

It's probably not impossible? I doubt we have direct access to anyone else besides Hien right now, though. So you'd have to ask him.

[ He doesn't know for sure but it can't hurt to try if she wants to, are his thoughts.

Yes he is thinking that despite his little argument not too long ago. Not that his opinion has become more positive on the matter because it hasn't. Just, keeping their options open, is all. ]

[fatalitea]

I suppose I could try asking him here in a moment to see what he says.

[Before that, though--]

Have there been any other clues that people have been able to report finding? From investigating the... the body.

[ganymed]

...I plan on placing something up on the network, when I'm done here, so look forward to it.

[ It'll be like, a day or so later, when the NPC testimonial go up and can be checked out here here, whenever she's ready! ]

Good luck with him. You'll need it.

[fatalitea]

I see. I'll make sure to look for that when it goes up... and thank you, for your hard work in gathering information and evidence together, sir.

[ganymed]

It's the least I can do.

[ Which is more than he say for the company, really. ]

[dissimulative]

No.

[ Oria unwraps his very long scarf, bundles it, and puts it in Mami's face. He can tell how distressed she is. Who wouldn't be after seeing a corpse? Oria is only 18 years old himself, but he's probably more used to this than half the people here. Don't worry about it. ]

But he goes dungeon crawling often on his own, so he could have went there. Just don't know which one he went to.

[fatalitea]

[She blinks in momentary bewilderment at the scarf suddenly being thrust in her face, but it only takes her a few seconds to guess why he's offering it. And she appreciates the attempt to help.

It's not the first time she's seen a corpse in her life. But that doesn't necessarily mean that she wants to relive those memories again, so the distraction helps. Just a little, even if she doesn't acknowledge it for what it is just yet.]

Perhaps an admin or some one with access to the game's coding would be able to check player histories or something to find out which dungeons players have been in... but I suppose there's a chance they might not release that kind of information to just anyone if it's considered private in some manner.

[dissimulative]

[ Honestly, Oria would rather that people not see corpses in their lifetime, but you know. Life happens. ]

Well, we got the Head Administrator over there doing absolutely nothing, so it's either not in his power or he just can't be bothered.

[ He's leaning towards the latter because from Hien's past behavior. ]

[fatalitea]

[Mami actually frowns at that, glancing towards where Hien is at the moment.]

Has anyone tried asking him if he's able to look into that sort of thing already? Or maybe Hien-san's own hands are tied and there's only so much his boss will allow him to do...

[dissimulative]

I think someone has, but his attitude is also pretty bad. He looks like the kind of guy that if he could do something, he'd do it already. But at the same time, he antagonizes a lot of people with how he is.

[ Including Oria. He has his own bias here. ]

[fatalitea]

Perhaps he's just stressed... I mean, wouldn't you be if you had his job?

[In fact, she's kind of impressed that he's even showing his face here even with the amount of people that apparently don't like him hanging around too. So after a moment of thought...]

I'll be right back.

[There she goes, walking right up to Hien now. Upon reaching him, she bows her head politely.]

Hello, Hien-san. I don't wish to bother you while you are busy, especially at a time like this, but I had a question to ask, if you don't mind taking a brief moment to do so.

[selfconcept]

[ Hien raises his head when Mami goes up to him, and nods in acknowledgement. ]

Candeloro. Go ahead.

[fatalitea]

I would like to know if there is any available information regarding whether or not Mithrun-san had been visiting a dungeon or the like before coming here. I don't know if you'd have access to that sort of data as an admin, or even if you'd be allowed to divulge that to just any player, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to at least try asking nonetheless.

[Even just knowing whether or not Mithrun came from a dungeon, even if not knowing the exact one, could be helpful for the investigators, or for anyone who doesn't want to potentially stumble somewhere they shouldn't right now if they have the bad luck of somehow inserting the exact keywords into the Gate that would lead to what happened to Mithrun.]

[selfconcept]

[ See, Mami is nice and polite. This is why Hien can't exactly get cranky at her despite the lack of sleep. He also tries to subtly get in the way between her and the body so that she doesn't have to see it while she talks to him. He's at a good height of 5'10" with a long black cloak, so it's definitely doable. ]

... I can't.

[ Can't what? Divulge information to the players? Can't access the information they need? Perhaps there's a reason why he can't specify, but that is all he can say apart from this bit that genuinely sounds apologetic: ]

Sorry.

[fatalitea]

... I see.

[There's a pause as she regards Hien's current appearance with a slight frown.]

Are you... taking care of yourself, Hien-san? I know that it's important to keep an eye on the situation right now, but please make sure to take the time to eat and rest too so that you don't wear yourself thin.

[selfconcept]

Keeping an eye on the situation is not all that I'm doing.

[ Though he won't blame her for not knowing. Who knows what he's doing on his invisible UI... He usually doesn't bother correcting people, because he doesn't care about what other people think of him, but-- ]

... I'm doing a lot of things while I stand here. Head Admin stuff.

[ Because people keep saying he's not doing anything, but he is. He's not upset by that, but this is just to assuage Mami's worries. Kinda. ]

But this is the norm. I'll be fine.

[fatalitea]

Okay. If you're certain, then I will let you get back to work for now. If there's anything that I can do to help, however, please let me know.

[And unless Hien has something else to tell her, she'll bow her head again and walk back over to Oria.]

[dissimulative]

[ Hien doesn't have anything else to say, so he just nods at her when she leaves. Oria looks mildly surprised when she comes back and very visibly not looking annoyed. ]

... Are you two friends or something?

[ It's hard to accept the fact that he didn't see Hien chew someone's head off for merely asking him a question. ]

[fatalitea]

I don't know if "friends" is the right word for it, since we haven't spoken that much. But he's always been fairly polite to me, which has been very appreciated. I wouldn't mind being friends if he wanted to be.

[Mami might be too good for this sinful MMORPG...]

[dissimulative]

Well, at least he knows who to be polite to.

[ Because being rude to Mami when she hasn't done anything?? Oria would get annoyed at that for sure. ]