for uta

[dzelkva]

Comments

[tot]

[ while it isn't obvious for zelkova, it'll be quite obvious for uta as she'll clasp her hands together in delight when she fully loads into the area. some people might not like this kind of scene but it was comforting to her. she'll wander towards zelkova with a wave when she sees him. ]

Of course, and you did too! [ after a quick beat and frowning to herself briefly. ] I'm not sure why I'm so surprised by this.

[dzelkva]

[ He tilts his head, fixing her with a curious look. ]

Why are you surprised?

[ It's true that he's relatively aloof, so he supposes it could make sense in that regard. ]

[tot]

I don't know.

[ she'll hum to herself as she thinks it over. why is it weird? it's totally normal. ...even if he might be an AI. ]

It makes sense that you play the game like the rest of us, but it's different than actually experiencing it. I'm glad, however.

[dzelkva]

I might be a higher level, but you're right. I do play the game like all of you.

[ It's just that his playing is more like living... in a sense, at least. ]

[tot]

[ in a sense, and uta will walk towards the water's edge and kneel down so that she can place a hand into the water. ]

Did it take you a long time to get to level 100?

[dzelkva]

Not really. I hacked my level.

[ But other than that, he really does play the game regularly. ]

[tot]

You hacked your level?

[ the temptation of asking him how he went about doing it is extremely strong but she knows it's pretty useless to ask that. ]

I didn't expect that answer.

[dzelkva]

It was pretty easy.

[ But he won't show her how, or even say how he did it. ]

I've hacked a few other things, but nothing important.

[tot]

[ well doesn't that sound extremely sus?? she wants to ask many questions but she knows that those questions will be rebuffed. this one should be fine?? hopefully..?? ]

Is it okay for a moderator to have hacked the game?

[dzelkva]

Why not? I live here, so I should be allowed to hack it.

[ Flawless logic, right? ]

[tot]

[ kind...of...??? though way to have her really solidify her belief that he's an AI but that's also kind of confusing?? ]

I've been wondering about that.

The way you talk about the Fragment, it sounds like you were born in here.

[dzelkva]

[ He tilts his head, a small smile on his face. ]

I was. I'm from Fragment's world. I guess you could say that I was born here, in that sense.

[tot]

[ imagine if she could find this more sus than interesting. imagine.... ]

It does, but I doubt that there are any kind of baby pictures that you could share with me.

[ she's joking since she doubts that anything like that could exist or see the point in someone doing...unless..? ]

Were the people who created the Fragment surprised by you? Unless it was intentional.

[dzelkva]

[ If only.... ]

It was intentional. I'm meant to be here.

[ He was meant for this world, in a sense. ]

Baby pictures are a big deal, right? I know a lot of people save those.

[tot]

They are. [ she takes a moment to draw a shape in the sand before continuing. there's no reason to share this but given what she is hopefully politely asking of him, it'd be rude if she didn't share things of herself.

unless he knew about it? guess this can double as a test of sorts. ]

And you're right. I know I have more than a few stored away; my dad loved taking photos of us. I remember that there were times that I thought it was annoying, but now I'm happy to have them.

I'm assuming that you were born as you look right now. Were you always meant to take care of the Fragment and look after us?

[dzelkva]

[ She can look for a flicker of recognition on his face or an indication that he already knows this information, but his expression remains neutral. ]

I don't know. It's hard to know what I was meant to do, or the real motivations for making me.

[ But he isn't too bothered by that. He can't be. ]

I'm glad that you have those photos.

[tot]

[ (naru voice) i wish uta was the type to be more sus of people before they've wronged her. ]

I see... But they—CCCorp—were the ones who told you to look after us, right?

[ she really crack the egg on this one but somehow this is fine? kind of. ]

I'd offer to share one but I don't want them on the internet.

[dzelkva]

You don't have to share them. It's okay.

[ He wouldn't ask someone to permanently put their information on the internet forever like that anyway. ]

I want to look after everyone more than anything. Even if they didn't want me to, I would.

[tot]

That's very kind of you, and it looks like that it isn't something that they are upset with.

[ hmmm... ]

Were you aware of places like this within the depths of the Fragment before we stumbled upon them? They feel so different than everything else; it's like they are their own little space.

[ and because she must make the joke and then laugh about it: ]

Like a fragment.

[dzelkva]

[ That little joke gets a small smile from him. ]

I had a feeling they were out there, so I looked for them. I know that other players have gotten strange keywords, so I thought this might be a nice balance.

[tot]

Are there many of them out there within the Fragment?

[ quickly said until she realized just what exactly she's doing and who she's talking to. ]

If that's something you're allowed to share. I've tried to be good about not looking too deeply into the mysterious things that have been happening since the start of the beta.

[dzelkva]

I can share whatever I want.

[ He even grins, hoping that inspires some confidence. ]

The problem is that there isn't a lot I do know. For example, I don't really know how many areas like this are out there.

[tot]

I see; then if I think about it in the world I'm familiar with—it's the same kind of logic of just because I know there are coffee shops, it doesn't mean I know how many of them are out there.

[ no clue why that took her so long to make the connect but here we are. still, she's glad that it doesn't appear that she's forcing him to say anything he doesn't want to. ]

Do you not get in trouble from doing whatever you pretty much please then?

[dzelkva]

Nope!

[ He can do whatever he wants! You know, unless he runs into restrictions. ]

I'm not employed by CC Corp, after all.

[tot]

Eh?? You're not?

[ ?? ??? ?? ]

I thought that you were. Wasn't that what we were told?

[ IS SHE BEING GASLIT HERE?!?? I AM I BEING GASLIT HERE?? ]