for insinning

[selfconcept]

Gay baby jail #2.

Comments

whenever the katamari has ended

[selfconcept]

[ After this ordeal and the dungeon being completed, Sinclair will suddenly find himself in a very gloomy place with Hien sitting in the half chair. However, moreso than gloomy, it feels downright oppressive despite there not being many things in this vast room. It has a carpet floor, at least? It has some craters on the floor, but from what? Who knows? ]

Vogel.

[insinning]

[WHO IS GAY BABY JAIL #1??

...well, once Sinclair snaps out of it, he finds himself in the dungeon in front of a very, very scary man. Why...why him?

He'll just. Quietly sit down on the floor, seiza-style]

...um. yes? [sir?? this seems like a sir, he is scarier than Vergilius ]

[selfconcept]

[ unsurprisingly, fandaniel.

Hien leans into the chair whose half still retains the armrest while looking at him. ]

You have surpassed the level cap by killing a CC Corp staff. Are you proud of yourself?

[ It's isn't a scolding, but he's genuinely asking. ]

[insinning]

I...what?

[Checking his screen---oh. Oh no. The guilt intensifies. Especially when Hien puts it like that. He really didn't mean to kill that man!!!]

I mean, I wasn't intending on that--so no. I feel guilty.

[selfconcept]

I see.

[ Hm. He gets up from the chair and lethargically walks up to him with any energy that was present at the dungeon being nonexistent. He looks down at Sinclair for a moment before lowering himself to sit on the floor next to him. A crater forms under Sinclair and it shifts him to move a little at a curved incline downward. It's just a small hole. Nothing to worry about. ]

But even so, I can't let you get away scot-free regardless of your intentions. This is a game-breaking bug, and it paints a target on the staff's back.

[ He doesn't bother referring to himself though since he believes he won't be PK'd by the playerbase yet, but it's definitely Pete. Don't kill him again, please. ]

It will lead to harassment and bullying. I'm sure you understand, Vogel. So, please. Give me your utmost, genuine apology and I will lessen your punishment.

[insinning]

[It doesn't take much to crack Sinclair honestly, considering how guilty he feels already. It's written all over his face. He also hadn't thought of it that far because - who would bully Pete?

Conveniently forgetting the matter of copious amounts of swag

The teary eyes is definitely on accident]

I really am sorry. I wanted to apologise to him too--I didn't think that would take him out.

[HE IS ALSO DISTURBED BY BREAKING LEVEL 25 CAP. BOWING HIS HEAD, LETTING THIS PUNISHMENT COMMENCE. He hopes it's fast :(]

[selfconcept]

[ He watches Sinclair for a moment, while thinking a little with an unmoved expression, but perhaps that's just his default expression in general. ]

Come here.

[ He isn't demanding, but his voice sounds dead and monotone. Sinclair might be used to it since it would be somewhat softer version of Verg's.

The crater isn't all that hard to climb out of. It's not even half of Vogel's height. ]

Do you have your pain sensor on?

[insinning]

[Obediently picking himself up, and walking over. He feels shorter somehow. It might be imagination. His eyes are still squeezed shut, waiting for the blow]

...no? [he's not a masochist]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien stands next to Vogel and puts his hand on his head. It's a gentle headpat despite everything and from that moment, it feels like the oppressing atmosphere has freed itself and this room vibes are normal.

Sinclair will find himself shorter when Hien lifts his hand off his head. He's also back at level 25!

Apparently, his punishment was getting his avatar shortened. ]

[insinning]

[Ah. Opening his eyes. Hien looks taller. But...glancing at his hands, and at the other craters and then checking his screen]

Ah, I'm back to normal.

[Doing a double take. Oh. Oh no. He shrinks a little more ]

... actually back to normal.

[It was nice while it lasted .]

[selfconcept]

I can make you shorter, if you'd like.

[ He says, very deadpan. ]

[insinning]

No!

[ It took him long enough to reach thjs height]

No. Um. Thank you. I mean, I'm sorry and I won't do that again.

[ No more getting roped into game breaking bugs, no matter how seductive the chicken's clucks are]

Is everyone else okay now?

[selfconcept]

[ do not keep fucking that chicken ]

Yes.

[ Then he remembers Owen's PK'd avatar. ]

... Mostly everyone. Anyway, I will send you back to Mac Anu. The reported bugs will be worked on, including breaking level cap when PKing a staff member.

Oct 12, post-meeting

[selfconcept]

[ Hien invites Sinclair back to this terrible place again, but unlike before, there's no oppressive atmosphere. The only changes compared to the last time Sinclair was here are that there are more small craters on the floor (this isn't plot related) and two stacked caskets in the corner over yonder in a distance (neither is this). There is an invisible wall to keep anyone from getting close to those caskets. ]

I figured this would be easier for you.

[ Hello, Sinclair. The mummyhead is here to discuss. ]

[insinning]

[Ah. Here again. At least the mood is different, even if the other things are concerning.

But priorities.

Sinclair nods, looking around]

Thank you. [ But Hien never cared for pleasantries did he. So straight into it:] You met Lily...but you're part of CCCorp. Why did he meet you?

[selfconcept]

He didn't choose to meet me. I was brought in by someone else.

[ I won't have Hien give the identity away blatantly, since I don't think have ooc permission. ]

That said, my values didn't align with his, so I refused... and I saw that it didn't fit with yours either.

[ "Salvation". ]

[insinning]

[ Ah rip the investigation continues]

...Are you able to tell me their name? Or...are you cursed like Mithrun?

[ Sinclair pauses and then exhales a soft little sigh]

'Salvation', right? ...I really hate that idea.

[selfconcept]

The person who brought me in? Well, who knows... if word gets out that you know, whoever that is might try to kill you too.

[ Though he's honestly not worried. He thinks Sinclair is smart. ]

You already know at least three of the five. They explicitly mentioned it in the meeting. You can assume that by the data drain ability, they have allied themselves with Lily for whatever reason.

[insinning]

...so someone who isn't you that is pretty violent.

[ Is Hien joking? Can Hien joke? Sinclair is a serious boy though and will take it seriously.

How many people were like that in the game? Only two people tried PKing him on purpose here and there was only one left in the game still.

Did that mean.

Hm. Baseless speculation was baseless until he had something to confirm that with]

...Misteaks, Leviathan and Uta. Misteaks was the first to meet Lily. Uta was one of the later ones.... but Mithrun must have met Lily too. But he was arguing with Makoto near the end there...

[selfconcept]

[ He sighs. ]

Makoto has the kind of personality that enables argument with him.

[ Don't say that you can deny that, Sinclair. You know it's true. ]

But I can confirm that unless there was a seventh, Mithrun is not included in the group of six that we talked about earlier.

[insinning]

Ah...well... [ He's going to avoid answering that because he's only ever wanted to run away when Makoto is concerned] He had a weird marking on his face too though but I was too far away to get a good look.

[ Some kind of pattern? Frowning]

They were arguing over a 'he' but the only 'he' Mithrun seems concerned about now is Lily.

[selfconcept]

Hm? Those are wavemarks. Wavemarks were a design choice based on your elemental typing when you were creating characters in the beginning and have the option to buy in the shop.

That said, you should ask Mithrun about that directly. Whatever deal they make is none of my business.

[insinning]

I remember that.

[why put it there of all places?

But Mithrun ...]

...Mithrun can't answer my questions anymore. He...changed after the meeting.

[selfconcept]

[ Hien shrugs. ]

What do you mean about him changing?

[insinning]

We were talking after the meeting. Then, it happened like it did when he told me about Harald Hoerwick and Zelkova's brother...DV. Lily.

["Why am I telling you this?" Mithrun never hid this level of information before. So Sinclair had reminded himn.

Fidgeting as he thinks ]

He was in the middle of telling me that he thinks the Wave is coming. That everything that's happening with him, all the changes to him, are sign of the winds changing. He thinks that any time he mentions he spoke to Lily, he loses another memory.

[And a pause]

And then he stopped and... changed. Told me he couldn't love me...then told me thank you. With a smile, like he was wearing his awful armor that took him back to his younger self. Weird, right?