Hmm~ At this point, is it even worth repeating? But, um, a general word like ‘smart’ doesn’t really cut it! What it really is, is that you’re... fascinating. Almost everything that seems to come so naturally to you are some of the last things I would ever think of -- But still, you make perfect sense! And even when I can’t grasp it right away, it makes perfect sense to you, which is enough.
I call you a dumbass~ And you are, but I’m sure you get that the sense is different. We’ve.. been over the details it already, I can and will kick your scrawny ass~ <3 But I trust you...more than most... Not hostile is positive enough~ So, you’re someone I really like to be around.
Your voice is very... hm, soothing? Just, very nice to listen to~ Your thoughts are intriguing~ Your leads are almost always reliable. Hmm.. Your eyes are very pretty! Sort of... watery.. light... Easy to sink into..? Hmmm... Hm~ Your hair is-.... Heheh~ It’s nice! Cloudy~ I wish I could figure out what I wanted to do with it... But, the style is pretty alright~ It’s you~ Hm, your clothes are definitely nice! I mean, I don’t understand every choice you make here, but it works for you! Hmmmm... Hm~ Your hands are soft~ And your lap makes a pretty nice place to sit! *:・ﾟ✧ Oh, on that note, um, the way you sit is interesting itself, actually! I don’t know how to elaborate on that... It’s just.. another thing that feels very you.
I guess it really goes for everyone, but there’s so many little things that are very you... In your case though, I think.. pretty much all of those things are some kind of nice. Um.. Calming, in a way~ Even when you confuse me, you have this way of being like... hm...
A small scratch to her neck, looking for the right words- The first ones to come to mind feel weird to say, but someone like you would probably appreciate it, she thinks?
Like the world keeps turning... Like there’s things outside my vision... Like... the world is very big... Big enough to hold someone like me, and someone like you. To me, that’s comforting. The fact that someone like you exists~ Even the smallest comments from you just feel.. a certain kind of warming to hear. In my opinion, anyway~
... Heheh, I don’t even know if it bothers you. But, in case they ever do... calling you ‘weird’ or ‘confusing’ or anything... Hm, I just hope you don’t take it to heart? Even if not now, if you ever doubt in the future... Just, know that you don’t need to change~ The world needs perspectives like yours...
... Unless, y’know, you’re secretly evil or something~ In that case, definitely change! Cuz.. I’d really rather like to keep you as a friend~
The only trace of sense that remains is clawing into her skull, reminding on loop: It’s not real. It’s not real. It’s not real.
Still conscious, still detecting the shifts: Rain. Honey. Water the grass. The animals need to eat. I need to eat. 27′s hum sounds a certain way before saying my number. 26 is a little upset at me... but worried, too? They’re both dorks. They’re putting something on the roof.
Conscious, aware, the words floating in her mind echo the truth of things happening around her, as well as the most prevalent truth: It’s not real. This is a game.
Echoes are all her mind can do.
It was unexpected; Every other instance of this game had been fine, more or less. Hiccups on occasion, but overall, it was fun! With some of her dear friends, they were set on a raft in the middle of the ocean, and told to make the most of it. For the most part, she found her peace in organizing, expanding, making their raft feel like home. 26 and 27 seemed to have fun a bit more on the external side-- Exploring the islands, finding puzzles, unlocking codes to the next, learning every new thing there is. She tended to keep to her favorites, but it’s fun to listen, and sometimes it’s fun to tag along! That’s normally how it went.
It’s just a game. It’s just a game, like any other.
But the imagery took her by surprise... Why? She likes animals enough, that’s a given fact-- one that even tends to be hailed to her more than her heart sided with. Still, she had no issue calling out how brainless these ones were; reciting that they were just bundles of code and color, she had no issue killing them on occasion either. It’s just a game-- But even if it weren’t, she could turn her eyes away enough. Her affections... are usually played up.
So why? The angry eyes of something dog-like, glaring at her from a dark cage-- The imagery is so overdone, and so png. It was drawn, and slapped onto a square of black. Who cares? Why did it... make her sad? Why couldn’t she go fight them?
‘What’s the point of this?’ She kept thinking-- ‘They didn’t do anything wrong, it’s that guy’. But it’s all fake anyway. And her friends could’ve used more help! It’s a game, this is an objective, but it felt like her mind was already slipping to somewhere else. Somewhere... back-- But what on earth could it have reminded her of? Should she even try to place it? It doesn’t matter, so...
... It’s embarrassing, for her mind to leave her body this way. The awareness that she was being looked at, that they wanted to know, Why didn’t you help? But even if she had the words to explain, her voice wasn’t connected to anything, Concerned, 27 opened his arms to her, and her heart melted-- But if she went to him, who would have received it? ... Not her, that’s all she knew. There wasn’t a presence in this body.
Get the honey. Water the grass. Feed yourself. 26 is upset... 27′s already noticed. This is a game.
This is a game. It’s with that mindset that she grabbed her spear and went forward again. It’s a game, there’s an objective, they could use help, and I wanna know where the story goes. It’s with that mindset that she went forward again.
Stabbing the creatures, ignoring the eyes that looked to her-- Focus on the enemy, the story, the well-being of her friends. Like always. It wasn’t a difficult thing to do. It wasn’t difficult at all, and her mind even began to find footing in her body once aga-
“Mom..-”
Suddenly, a face walked by.
An NPC. A scrappily made 3d model. The same as every other in this game, it was barely relevant to the story, and had only a single line of stock dialogue.
It’s fake. It’s fake. It’s a game. It’s a game.
There’s supplies here. There’s decorations. There’s story. There’s design. This is cool. This is cool.
“M-Mom-! Wait!”
As it walked away, idly following a base map laid out by a few devs, something in her heart dropped.
It’s fake. It’s a game. It’s not real.
26 spoke, now 27. Where did they run off to? Oh-- No, 27′s right there.
He’s looking at you. He knows something’s up. He’s here. He’s not real.
“Momma... You’re so beautiful...”
As it sat on the bench, the sunlight, a cheeky golden color filter, framed her face perfectly.
It’s fake. It’s so fake. It’s not real. It’s not real.
There’s no texture. The colors suck. It’s such a crappy 3d model.
It’s only the skin and hair that’s similar at all. You’d rarely even dress like that. These eyes are so em-- so full... So warm....
Your cheeks are beautiful..
I can see every pore, every bend of the light
Every eyelash, every hair, your eyes, how you look at me,
Momma, you’re here--
.... 27′s looking at you. 26 found something.
Game... ... Mom-
Play cool. It’s fake. Walk away. Look for those supplies they talked about. See what’s around.
They’re going back to the raft, and she should too, it’s right over there.
But I....
But-- bBut I>>..!
[ BUt IA ncAN’t L33aVE HE_rRR-! ]
it’sf a. .eak it’s fak-e it’ snot rela auit’s no it’s fake
she3--s not hEEre sh7s n;t her ehas its fak.ee
[ I CAN’T LE3AV-- HER NO8W-!?
AFTER EV8;;RYTH1iiiiii.nG !.! ]
the’yrea getin0g on the ra.fffft htey want tO2 go you shou17d go
should go
[ BUT Sh$$$4′s RIGHT HE.>>>>>>>>>>009,R ]
go should. go.
food low water low - == should go.
the edges of the screen [ BLUR ] and.cc rgb filter shift =on
c vignette =on
[dying] TICKING csound fx =on
CAMERA SW4AY =on
return to raft to proceed playing
[ easy mode respawn active, no inventory lost ]
She’s riight. here I can’t l3eav66 h.r. I don’t wan
-------- I’ll never [ see ] he--r ag .again. -----
“ Momma...! “
[ if I stay, until the last possible second-- ]
...
...
...
It’s not real.
...
I should announce myself.
An animal clipping through the wall. This game is so...
“Isn’t that a little...!? No way! Noooooo way, I’m not making that jump!”
“H’Hah! Giving up so soon?” As if to prove her a grade-A coward and nothing else, he leapt, and the rock some number of feet both up and out was under his boots in no time at all. It was to prove her wrong. That’s it! The show-off!
She was left gawking, both impressed and angered in one go. “You-- fucker!”
He laughed. Of course he did! And he turned back to her with that smug-ass look, the bags under his eyes serving now only to intensify the line pushing up the bottoms of his eyes, so that the smugness could properly radiate. Hands in his pockets to match, as if he accomplished nothing worth hype. How, she had to wonder-- How did he bend gravity to his fucking will?
“That’s what you do. You hold back.”
“I-- I’m sorry! I don’t have fucking springs in my heels!”
“Relax. What’s the worst that could happen? You get a few scrapes?”
“I could -- !”
“Let me see your hand,” he sat down, dangling legs over the edge.
“Huh?”
He extended his hand, then-- It was thick and a little calloused. He said again, “Let me see.” She made a face, and reluctantly turned her palm upward to lay over his.
He looked it over for a few moments. In it, his smugness washed away, and replaced with something... not intense, but definitely more focused. With cheeks puffed, she looked over it too. A few days ago, her clumsy running ( -- to be fair, partially distracted by him -- ) had skid to a foul stop that had to be aided by her hands slapping into a wall. She only bled a little, and it stung more than anything on the surface would have you believe. She wondered if he was thinking about that, too.
Suddenly, his other hand lifted, and slapped her palm.
“Ow! Hey!”
“You were so willing to give me your hand~”
“...-”
“Don’t hold back.” He dropped her arm, and stood up again, his expression now expecting. Expecting her to get it. Expecting her to follow his ‘advice’.
[ If you can get hurt from standing still... Why should you be afraid of taking a leap? ]
Was it something like that?
She huffed, and flexed her fingers... And taking a handful of steps back, she prepared a running start. Ready? One... two...
...
“Oh my god-- Oh my god! I did it! I seriously-!
“You did it. Whoop-de-d’hoh-- Hey~” Breaking his cool act, he chuckled, and pat her head. He soon attempted to peel her arms off too, but she decided to be unrelenting for the moment. “Alright, alright, geez...~”
“Thank you. ... Heh~ You think I’ll ever be as cool and brave as you, 21~?”
“Hm.. That’s a tough one~ Maybe someday. If you work really hard at it.”
