#theeeee info that dd is sharing at the start is vague on purpose - the spice is intentionally not clarified

[finely-tuned-line]

RP:

ARCHIVED - PRIVATE TRANSMISSION

DD: it was actually a spice! the idea that it was a food is a common misunderstanding! very few cities thought it was a good food by itself, and some went to the extremes that eating not as a spice was... sacrilege!

SNS: kind of drastic, it's just a spice?

DD: eh, its the ancients. pretty difficult to question anything

SNS: you're probably right on that! where'd you even dig this up, it seems... well, ancient.

DD: the ancients didnt slowly phase out the "indulgence of food" til abt... at least 3250 cycles before the discovery of void fluid?

DD: i got into an argument with someone rly far away from us... nothingness and no regrets was number name i think? number city had rly good archival practice, and num was incredibly eager to disprove the "wrong" information that i had. cant even learn anyth new these cycles without arguing over it and goading them into it

DD: but from what ive picked up, before high-quality food was largely forbidden amongst most of the cities, some ancients were rly good at... cooking? it was considered art, some even dedicated dozens of their lifetimes to it

SNS: it sounds really interesting!

EP: Nerds.

SNS: i'm not the nerd here! i'd say that that would be Doubt's Dichotomy over there. she's the one who knows all of this.

DD: >:0

DD: i WILL stip talking to you

EP: I wouldn't take a misspelled sentence seriously, if I were Songs of the Negative Sunlight!

DD: YOU TOO, THEN

EP: There, there... No need to get so worked up...

SNS: maybe stop teasing it now?

EP: You're right. Sorry, Doubt's Dichotomy.

DD: its alright!

SNS: either way, hello Echoes of a Paradox! Haven't heard from you in a couple of cycles.

EP: Sorry. Was running a specific iteration of my latest attempt. Probably should have checked in earlier.

SNS: it's alright, don't worry about it!

SNS: did you succeed?

EP: You'd have heard of it by now if I had.

SNS: you're right in that matter, indeed.

FTL: I'd think that a futile try is still better than nothing.

EP: ...Right you are.

SNS: Finely-Tuned Line! haven't heard from you in even longer.

FTL: As always, I have been running various experiments. Nothing exuberantly special or outstanding to report, in any imaginable generally applicable category.

SNS: alright. take a break sometime, maybe?

FTL: I will not be doing so. I am - we are - not designed to take breaks, I will not be doing so. If you apply other thinking to yourself, that is up to you to deal with the consequences. I'll deal with mine.

EP: I'll check in more often, Songs of the Negative Sunlight. Will be leaving for now.

SNS: okay, thank you. stay safe.

FTL: I will be doing the same. That is, exiting for the meantime. No guarantees of consistent reports from me.

SNS: affirmative. you also stay safe.

SNS: ...i suppose i'll be doing the same.

SNS: contact me in any case necessary, that's what i'm here for.

DD: GOT ANOTHER. AN ENVOY TO THE OPEN FIELDS! AND SHES GOING TO TELL ME ABOUT ZIR CITY WILLINGLY!!

DD: fianlly. no one even talks to me anymore in groups unless i use an alias

DD: ...hello?

DD: anyone?

DD: guess ill celebrate on my own.